From the Head of Junior School

The Story So Far…

As we enter the final month of Term 1, we are well and truly into the story of 2024…but is it actually a story in and of itself, or simply a chapter, a book or a part of a much larger overall narrative? It’s an interesting concept to contemplate, and to understand that how we see each year, let alone each term, month, or even week, will often dictate our reaction to the events that happen within.

Recently, I listened to a podcast hosted by Simon Sinek on his show ‘A Bit of Optimism’. His guest, Charles Duhigg, who wrote ‘Supercommunicators’, said the following: “Some people believe that the beginning and the end of the story are most important, and that’s what people most often concentrate on, but the heart of the story actually lies in the middle.”

As adults, we can sometimes be guilty of looking to the end point without giving the ‘meaty’ bits in the middle, those that invariably contain episodes of triumph, tragedy, adventure and sometimes even misadventure, the attention that they deserve. When we look to the end point, we often think about the current state as preparation for what’s next.

Before children come to school, there is a focus on preparing them, so that they are ‘ready’. Honestly, what does it mean to be ‘ready’ for Pre-Kindergarten or even any year of primary school for that matter? Parents of our Year 2 students, for example, may want their children to ‘be ready’ for Year 3…when all they really need is an ability to find their way into a new classroom in a different building of the school, or perhaps know how to lace up their footy boots for external sport! Parents of Year 6 students often want their children to ‘be ready’ for the Senior School, even though we’ve all lived through the uncertainty and complexity of those early secondary school days.

Imagine if we launched into each new phase with an adventurous spirit and a mindset focused on growth; in skills, behaviours and attitude?

When we focus our efforts on what’s next, and our ‘readiness’ for it, or even worse, when we compare our children to others, we miss the wonderful moments in the story that comprise the current day, the current moment in time, the opportunity to savour the learning and the experiences that are happening right now. For doing just that, enjoying life, savouring moments, growing in skills and attitude, will provide all the readiness that is required for what’s coming up next.

I encourage all parents to think about the remainder of the term (and year) ahead as a chapter in yours and your sons’/daughters’ stories, intertwined and connected as they are. Find the opportunity for adventure; embrace the times when things don’t go to plan (there will be plenty of these moments!); celebrate when great things happen; learn to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when events don’t follow the supposed script. This year is not a book in itself; it is simply a chapter of a much larger story for our students that we are all characters in.

Students’ Social Skills Development

At this time of the year, almost like clockwork, our students sometimes have small disagreements which occur between their peers at break times. For some of our younger children this can occasionally manifest itself through physical behaviour towards others. Often, this is due to not having the language or negotiation skills to adequately deal with playground disagreements. Although this certainly isn’t desired behaviour, it also isn’t altogether unexpected from students at this age. Social skills are critical for a child's success in school, relationships, and their future careers. In the Junior School, children are still developing their social skills and need guidance from parents and teachers to build appropriate behaviours and positive social interactions. During these early years of schooling, students are still learning how to interact with their peers, manage emotions, and solve problems. Social skills can impact a child's ability to communicate effectively, show empathy towards others, and build positive relationships. These are all skills we work on with your child/ren each and every day at school. It is important for parents to encourage your son/daughter to speak with the teacher on duty if they are having any disagreements on the playground. This helps to resolve situations quickly and to allow for the students to continue to build positive connections with their peers.

Below are some ways that you can assist your child/ren in their social development:

• Encourage playdates with peers – support your son/daughter in spending time with other children their age by setting up ‘playdates’. This can help them to develop social skills, such as sharing, taking turns, and problem-solving, which will be beneficial for their interactions at school.
• Model good social behaviour – children often model their behaviour after their parents, so it's important to model good social behaviour. This means using polite language, listening to others, and showing empathy and kindness.
• Teach conversation skills – teach your child how to start a conversation and keep it going. You can practise this by role-playing with your child or playing games that involve taking turns in speaking and listening.
• Encourage group activities – enrol your child in group activities like sports or clubs, which can help them to develop social skills such as teamwork, communication and cooperation.
• Help them understand emotions – teach your child to recognise and express emotions in a healthy way. This will help them to understand and empathise with others, which is an incredibly important life skill!

Just like adults, our students are also an ongoing work in progress. It is important to recognise the teachable moments and the ways in which we, as parents and educators, can assist students in developing these crucial skills. 

Student Leadership Conference

On Monday 4 March, Mr Nunura (Junior School Wellbeing Co-ordinator) and our 14 Junior School student leaders attended the Halogen National Young Leaders Day at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour. After the event, the following report was written.

The leadership conference proved to be a wonderful opportunity for each of our leaders who were joined by 5000 other student leaders from various schools throughout NSW.

The guest speakers each told their stories of how their success came amid many failed attempts. Perseverance and hard work were messages shared by each of the speakers. Our student leaders relished the opportunity to be part of the day and enjoyed each story, but they also had their own favourites. Each leader was asked to share a key takeaway from the day that they took from their favourite speaker and their responses are recorded below. 

Andrew (P6)

My favourite speaker was Stephen O’Keefe who played for Australia in 9 tests and also played for the Sydney Sixers and the NSW Sheffield Shield team. He had many struggles during his career as a spinner and was often overlooked by selectors until finally he got his shot playing for Australia against India and got 6 for 35 in both innings. This really inspired me and the one main message I learnt was to never give up.

Annie (J6)

My favourite speaker of the day was Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove as they brought humour and excitement in their demonstrations. They showed me how even the worst situations can create the best things, bringing light to different challenges they overcame and how to persevere even when things are out of your own comfort zone.

Elsa (J6)

My favourite speaker was Anastasia Woolmer, who has twice been crowned the Australian Memory Champion. She was the first female to achieve this award. She won her first Memory Championship after only 5 months of self-training. I was surprised to hear that she was a less than average student at school who was unable to recall any facts. However, with her self-determination and perseverance she endlessly trained her mind through various memory courses. It was also inspiring to hear that she was previously a professional ballet dancer and a black belt in taekwondo. Anastasia believes that just like our bodies, our memory can be vastly improved with techniques and training.

Emaan (J6)

I liked the ninja warrior, Bryson Klein, because of his strength and his persistence. I learnt that leadership can inspire people to be their best selves. The message that he gave was to be persistent and to never give up.

Gethin (P6)

My favourite thing about the leadership event was when the ninja warrior champion, Bryson Klein, spoke. I loved the tension he created in the video shown to us when he was climbing up the huge rope to complete a challenge.

Hamish (P6)

My favourite speaker was Stephen O’Keefe because he had to wait many years until he was given an opportunity to play for the Australian Cricket team. Even though many people leading up to this moment kept telling him that he wasn’t good enough, he persisted and never gave up.

John (P6)

I enjoyed the conference because the speakers were inspiring and motivating. My favourite speaker was the ninja warrior, Bryson Klein, because I found it interesting how he practised and pursued his dreams over time.

Julian (P6)

My favourite speaker of the day was the ninja warrior, Bryson Klein, who showed us many entertaining videos and different challenges he had to overcome on his path to being a champion.

Madison (J6)

My favourite speaker was Anastasia Woolmer who set the Australian memory record. She taught me to follow my dreams. A message I got out of it was to do what you love. The overall experience was wonderfully inspiring and it made me feel that I can accomplish anything as long as I put my mind to it.

Nicholas (P6)

What I most enjoyed at the conference was hearing Stephen O'Keefe speak which made me gain more courage and strength from what he said to everyone about never giving up.

Oscar (P6)

My favourite speaker was Bryson Klein, the ninja warrior, who told us about his passion for the sport and what it means to represent his country.

Sophia (J6)

My favourite person was Anastasia Woolmer because although she wasn’t that good at schoolwork, she kept on trying and convinced herself to believe that she could do anything.

Tahlia (J6)

I loved Anastasia Woolmer, the 2-time national winner of ‘best memory’ in Australia. Her speech showed her passion on the subject and I found her session very informative. The main thing I learnt from her is if you try hard enough, you can reach your goals and do anything.

Violet (J6)

I liked all of the speakers, but in particular I liked how Stephen O’Keefe kept on trying to get into the Australian Cricket team even when people put him down. He never gave up and never backed down from a challenge even when it almost felt impossible. This is what drove him to be such a good cricketer.

It is important for all our students to know that success is often only possible through mistakes first being made and lessons then being learnt as a result. It can be very hard to get back up to try again, but that is what ultimately leads to continual improvement. We may not get something straight away, and that is ok, as most things take time and practice to get better at. The more you do something and the more you have to refine this, the closer you get to success, so it is crucial that we keep trying. A good leader will strive for improvement not just for themselves, but will help those around them to achieve their potential.

The conference has provided each of our leaders with even more inspiration to create change for the better, to not give up when things get tough and more importantly, to pick people up around us through encouragement and kindness. I am looking forward to seeing how our student leaders respond to such an invigorating and empowering day as they continue to lead their peers at school this year.

Student Representative Council (SRC) Report

The 2024 SRC Leaders, Madison (J6) and Julian (P6), have written a brief report below on two events the Junior School is supporting this semester.

Jump Rope For Heart

The SRC is very pleased to announce that we have raised $8,010 so far for the Heart Foundation. As a Junior School, we have also skipped an amazing 21.5 hours in total. Please continue to fundraise for this worthy cause. We will be celebrating with a ‘jump off’ event on Thursday 4 April, when students can come to school wearing an appropriate red t-shirt with their PE shorts and show off all the skills that they have mastered.

Paralympic Games 2024

The Paralympic Games will be held later this year and we are encouraging students to send us photos of artworks which will be sent by the SRC to Paralympics Australia. The artworks will then also have the chance to be selected by Paralympics Australia to be put in the village that the Paralympic athletes will be living in, so that they will be able to see them and use them for inspiration. Remember that only some artworks will be selected by Paralympics Australia and you can only make your artworks at home as this is not a school project. Participating in this opportunity is completely optional, but if you would like to submit an artwork, please take a photo of it and then email it to Madison (J6) so that the SRC will be able to submit it, on your behalf. Any photos of artworks must be sent through by the end of Term 2.

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me (Mr Glenn Stephenson) via email or phone and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.