Head of Junior School

It is an exciting and particularly busy time for our Year 5 students, with a number of great opportunities ahead of them this term.

Our Year 5 girls are currently applying for Year 6 leadership positions for next year. They are busy preparing their written applications and will soon create a short video sharing with Junior School students and teachers why they would value the opportunity to be a student leader and how they can help serve the school community.

At the same time, rehearsals for next year’s production of Shrek Jr. The Musical are well underway for our Years 4 and 5 students, who will make up next year’s Years 5 and 6 cast. The girls have been enthusiastically rehearsing songs and learning lines as preparations continue. And, as if that wasn't enough, our Year 5 students are also heading to Sovereign Hill next week for School Camp!

While these experiences bring great excitement, opportunities such as leadership selection and musical auditions also mean that not every student will receive the outcome they had hoped for. I recently shared an article with Year 5 parents about the importance of children experiencing disappointment and recognising that missing out can also be an opportunity for growth. We are excited for the girls, but we also need to realise that not everyone will be happy with the outcome.

Our Year 5 teachers are working closely with the girls to help them enjoy the excitement of these opportunities while also developing the resilience and perspective to manage disappointment when things do not go their way. It can be a challenging lesson for any child, but an important one.

We are delighted that our girls have so many opportunities to challenge themselves, contribute and step outside their comfort zones. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of both the leadership process and musical auditions with our school community.

Finally, a reminder that the Melbourne Cup long weekend is approaching. Students will return to school on Wednesday 4 November.

Dr Brendan Kean

Head of Junior School