Junior School News
JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Our Year 7 and 9 students have now completed their NAPLAN testing. I am very proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout the process, including when the technology didn’t always go to plan. Well done to all students, and thank you to our Assistant Principal, Ms Jessica Quinn who coordinated NAPLAN, along with our IT specialists, Malan and Lucky, for their efforts and support.
All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 attended a performance by Brainstorm Productions titled Verbal Combat. This play explored themes such as online and cyberbullying and their effects on young people. It enabled students to understand the impact social media can have on the social and emotional wellbeing of others, as well as the power they have to make wise choices.
On Monday 23rd March, the school held its annual Cultural Day. It was wonderful to see so many junior school students arrive in their cultural dress and take part in the festivities, including dancing, music and delicious food. The diversity of our students and staff is one of the strongest characteristics of our school community.
Our Junior School Captains, Merin Beljo and Steve Robin, have been joining me and several of our Year 7 students in visiting local primary schools to promote the wonderful learning opportunities at Lyndale to Grade 6 students. Our students have shown great confidence in answering questions and sharing their experiences of starting high school.
Five of our junior school students recently attended the Your Future, Our Focus event at Monash University, hosted by Koorie Education Support Officers. The day provided a fantastic opportunity for students to experience university life while participating in a range of engaging activities. They enjoyed hands-on sessions such as robotics and clay pot making, explored the campus on a silent disco tour, and finished the day with a variety of food trucks for lunch. It was a memorable experience that allowed students to learn more about future study pathways while having plenty of fun.
The Junior School Merit Shop is open every Friday at lunchtime. Students can redeem their Compass merit points for a range of items or choose to continue saving them to work towards larger rewards. If students are unsure of their merit points, they can visit the Junior School Office at lunchtime on Fridays for assistance.
Finally, I would like to remind families of several school procedures and policies to help ensure students are on time and ready to learn:
If students are out of uniform for a legitimate reason, they must provide a written and signed note from home and present it to their Year Level Coordinators between 8:30–8:45am to receive a uniform pass. This should not be done during class time.
Students who are not in their classroom by the 8:50am bell will be considered late and will not be permitted to enter class. They will need to report to Study Hall in the Senior School building. Please encourage your child to be organised in the morning to allow enough time to access lockers and arrive at class promptly. We recommend students arrive at school from 8:30am.
Please enter any absences for your child on Compass before the school day begins. Students without a recorded absence will be marked as having an “unexplained absence” by their teachers, which requires follow-up and contact home. Alternatively, you may contact the Junior School Attendance Officer, Mr Hua, by calling the school. He can assist with entering the absence on Compass.
We wish all students a wonderful Term 1 break and a happy Easter to those who celebrate.
Mr. Adam Nettleingham
Junior School Co-ordinator