Learning Across the
Junior School
From the Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School
Welcome back to our final term of 2025. It has been a wonderful start, filled with energy and enthusiasm across the Junior School.
This term, our focus in the Junior School is on Kindness. The Year 5 Gold students beautifully explored this theme in their Liturgy this week, reminding us that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others.
We encourage families to listen to the Grow Your Mind podcast, which explores themes of belonging, inclusion, kindness, joy, and feeling “enough.” It’s a wonderful resource for primary-aged children, families, and teachers.
Grow your Mind Podcast: https://omny.fm/shows/the-grow-your-mind-podcast/s5-e1-invisible-sam-kindness
Year 4 Camp – Narnu Farm
This term, I had the pleasure of joining the Year 4 students on their camp to Narnu Farm. This year, we partnered with a new camp provider, Beyond the Classroom, who delivered an engaging and purposeful experience for all students.
The girls thoroughly enjoyed immersing themselves in farm life, feeding animals including goats, chickens, peacocks, cows, and pigs, and gently caring for guinea pigs and baby chicks. They also learned traditional skills such as making butter from scratch, cooking damper over the campfire, and navigating through an orienteering course.
It was a wonderful experience filled with learning, laughter, and teamwork. My sincere thanks to our dedicated staff, Cathy Boots, Eugenia Chan, Magdalene Kho, and Jessica Twelftree, for their care, enthusiasm, and support throughout the camp.
Lisa Sexton
Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School
Reception – Farm Barn Excursion
Our Reception excursion to the Hahndorf Farm Barn was a fantastic way to bring our “Farm to Plate” Inquiry learning to life. During the term we have been exploring the Big Idea ‘Where does my food come from?'
We know that most people buy their food from a supermarket, but food really comes from plants and animals. Upon arrival we made an exciting start by meeting the baby animals and learning how Farmers Liam and Emmy care for them. The children were delighted to pat and feed the young animals with care. Perhaps a highlight of the day was getting to experience milking Daisy the cow, which gave everyone a hands-on understanding of where milk comes from.
Finally, we had the chance to explore and feed many of the animals on the property and even meet a range of reptiles, including Pumpkin the Python! It was a day full of excitement, curiosity and meaningful learning about the journey of food, from the farm to our plates.
Georgia Eliades & Liz Woods
Reception Teachers
Year 5 Term 3 recap
Term 3 began with great excitement as the girls prepared and presented their Year 5 Assembly, showcasing their confidence and teamwork as they shared the key aspects of their learning. Their enthusiasm and stage presence were impressive, and it was wonderful to see them take such pride in representing their cohort.
A major highlight of the term was the Year 5 Band Programme. Each student has been learning to play either a brass or woodwind instrument, and the progress has been remarkable. From those first tentative sounds to playing notes and now working on pieces of music with their tutor groups, the girls have demonstrated persistence, focus, and a growing appreciation for music. The sound of rehearsals echoing through the corridors has been a joyful reminder of their dedication and hard work.
The term concluded on a high note with a special End of Term Day, filled with hands-on, collaborative fun. The students worked together to design and build creative classroom “cubbies” using everyday materials — an engaging way to apply teamwork and problem-solving skills. The highlight of the day was joining the senior girls in the Senior School Food Technology area to bake delicious chocolate chip cookies, which were enjoyed by all.
Annie Lange
R‑6 Teacher
