Junior School - end of term wrap-up
by Mr Nic Barca, Head of Junior School
Junior School - end of term wrap-up
by Mr Nic Barca, Head of Junior School
This term has been an outstanding conclusion to the Junior School, driven by our exceptional coordinators—Emily Wilkinson at Year 7 and Bec Kertes at Year 8—alongside the invaluable support of our Assistant Coordinator, Laurel, and Admin Support, Kiran. Together, we have been actively delivering key events and advancing our priorities.
A highlight of the term was the UR Strong incursion led by Tyson Greenwood, where our Year 7 students explored the foundations of positive friendships. Tyson guided them through strategies to build trust and respect, navigate challenges, and respond when friendships break down. As a sub-school, we continue to reinforce his key messages, using the same language to empower our Year 7s in their daily interactions.
At Year 7, we also hosted the Year 7 Family Picnic in Week 5—a fantastic evening where families came together to celebrate the completion of the Form Transition program. It was wonderful to see such a strong turnout, fostering connections within our school community.
A huge thank you to Sarah Weyenberg and her team of SRC volunteers for running the BBQ, with all donations supporting their initiatives throughout the year. We also extend our gratitude to Berni Sweeney and Thomas Williams for their technical support and musical performances, Diana Ma for coordinating the Peer Support Students, and, of course, to our Peer Support students for leading activities on the night. A special thanks to our teaching staff and the Junior School team for making the event a success.
Having families onsite, connecting and engaging with one another, was a privilege. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly positive, and we hope everyone enjoyed the evening as much as we did!
Homework is officially launching in Term 2, and to help students prepare, Emily ran a Homework & Revision Organisational Workshop in the final week of Term 1. This session focused on helping students establish effective study routines at home, manage their workload, and develop strategies for revision. We encourage all students to take advantage of these resources to build strong habits for the term ahead.
Our Year 8 students have been actively involved this term, starting with the election of our Class Captains, who will play a key role in representing their peers. To support students in maintaining strong study habits, we also ran an Organisational Workshop, reinforcing the routines established last year.
Although we originally planned to run a Project Rockit incursion this term, it has been postponed to Term 2 due to provider availability. This workshop, called "Rally," will focus on online safety, digital wellbeing, and bullying prevention. Stay tuned for more details next term!
At the end of this term, lockers will be reorganised into house-based and gender-split arrangements. This change aims to foster positive interactions in the locker bays and create a more structured and supportive environment for students. We look forward to seeing how this improves student connections and daily routines.
As we move into colder weather next term, a reminder that the uniform policy remains in effect. We also want to remind students that hoodies and T-shirts under school uniforms are not permitted. Please ensure that all students are wearing the correct winter uniform when we return next term.
We look forward to a positive and productive Term 2.