From the Head of Junior School

Year 6 Service Learning Initiatives

This term, our Year 6 students have been involved in several distinct Service Learning initiatives designed to foster their community involvement, promote personal growth and develop important life skills which can sometimes only be taught in unique ways beyond the four walls of the classroom environment. 

Our students have visited a range of Early Learning Centres in the nearby area, working alongside various pre-school aged children. They have helped to lead a number of play-based games and school familiarity activities designed to promote teamwork, understanding, a greater sense of community and also increase their ability to communicate with children of a younger age range. Several of these centres have already asked for the students to return again before the end of the year and the feedback from these organisations has been incredibly positive!

Prior to the end of this term, each Year 6 class also has the opportunity to visit the RSL ANZAC Village at Narrabeen and spend time with the residents by engaging in different Christmas-themed activities together. These visits provide students with a unique opportunity to connect with community members, develop their inter-generational communication skills, and also appreciate the value of giving back to others by building respectful relationships. 

Furthermore, in conjunction with ‘AOK’, a grassroots community outreach organisation, students have individually sourced and packed different items to create hampers of food for people who are homeless in the local area. In doing so, many have learnt the importance of assisting others in need through simple acts of generosity and kindness. 

Finally, a small number of our Year 6 students have participated in a weekly service activity at Collaroy Plateau Park, working alongside students from Fisher Road School. These visits have been particularly helpful in teaching students involved the importance of key values such as kindness, empathy and respect, while also developing their understanding of how to communicate with students who have special needs.

I continue to be incredibly proud of the difference our students have made in the local community this term, not to mention the various important lessons they have learnt along the way. As we aim to provide our students with additional opportunities, I look forward to further witnessing the individual and collective growth of our students as they take part in different service-based initiatives for the benefit of others.

Below, are different summaries of some of the experiences our Year 6 students have taken part in so far this term, written by several children from across the grade.

Fisher Road School Partnership:

Charlie and Raven (J6)

It was great to spend time with the children and bond with them while playing. It was nice to be able to help the boys and girls with various activities and we learnt more about some of the special needs they have. We also learnt how to connect with the children from Fisher Road School in different ways as communicating with them wasn’t always easy. Hopefully, our visits have made their day because it’s certainly been very rewarding for us this term.

RSL ANZAC Village Partnership:

Elise and Annie (J6)

It was nice to spend time with the elderly residents recently. We thought that we were going to be overwhelmed, but they were all very sweet to us. It was fun completing different art and craft activities with them too. They all thought we were excellent artists and they loved our Christmas cards we made them! It was really interesting to hear about their life stories and what they have been through in the past and this gave us all a greater perspective on how lucky we are today. We would love to go back and spend more time with the residents again in the future.

Early Learning Centre Partnerships:

Hamish and Charlie (P6R)

The preschool children were very welcoming and played games with us easily. It was lots of fun getting to know them and help them feel prepared for ‘big school’. We were able to get a new perspective on preschool now that we are older and felt like we could make more of a difference in their lives. Although we needed to have lots of energy to keep up with their attention spans! We would love to do this again as it was easy to see the joy that our visits brought to the children.

End of Year Events

The final few weeks of the school year are always event-filled, however, I wanted to draw parents’ attention to the following occasions which are of extra significance during Weeks 8 and 9.

On Tuesday 3 December, there will be a ‘Pre-Kindergarten Christmas Music Performance’ beginning at 2pm in our Pre-K classroom. All Pre-K parents are warmly invited to attend.

On Friday 6 December, the ‘Kindergarten to Year 2 Christmas Picnic’ will be held from approximately 11am to 2.30pm at Dee Why Park. All Kindergarten to Year 2 parents are welcome to attend.

Also on Friday 6 December, our annual ‘College Performing Arts Evening’ will take place from 5.30pm to 8.00pm in the Great Hall. Any Junior School parents can witness this incredible spectacle.

On Monday 9 December, there will be a ‘Junior School Sports Awards Assembly’ from 9.00am to 10.15am (approximately) in the Great Hall. All Junior School parents are invited to attend, however, please note that parents of students who are due to receive a sports award during this occasion will be notified beforehand.

On Tuesday 10 December, there will be a ‘Junior School Academic Awards Assembly’ from 9.00am to 10.15am (approximately) in the Great Hall. All Junior School parents are invited to attend, however, please note that parents of students who are due to receive an academic award during this occasion will be notified beforehand. 

Please note that Tuesday 10 December, is also the last day of the school year for all Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 students and as such, all children are expected to remain at School until their usual dismissal time in the afternoon.

Junior School Staff News

This time of year can sometimes be a little bittersweet as staff changes are confirmed and new opportunities await. In light of this, I would like to acknowledge several Junior School staff members who will be departing Pittwater House at the end of the year. 

After 2 years at the School, Mr Isaac Smith will be pursuing other career opportunities beyond education in 2025. Mr Smith is an extremely popular member of staff and has thrown himself into life at Pittwater House wholeheartedly since finishing his own schooling here. He has a built a very strong rapport with the different groups of students he has taught and coached, and his calm demeanour and affable nature will be sorely missed across the Junior School.  

Miss Amy Stark will also be finishing her time with us at the conclusion of 2024 as she prepares to fly back to the United Kingdom for educational opportunities that are understandably closer to home. Miss Stark possesses a warm, fun-loving personality and has contributed much to the smooth running of the Junior School PDHPE department. Since starting at Pittwater House mid-year, Miss Stark has been responsible for a variety of carnivals and sports events, not to mention the overall planning and implementation of the Pre-K to Year 6 PDHPE programs.

I would also like to mention Miss Mia Christensen and Miss Joanna Mahn for the time they have spent as classroom teachers this term. Miss Christensen and Miss Mahn have been wonderful additions to their respective classes in J6 and P2. They both quickly ingratiated themselves with students and parents along the way through their daily commitment to their classes and willingness to assist regardless of any challenges presented, ensuring the school year finishes on a positive note for all involved. Hopefully, we will see them both working at Pittwater House again soon.

On behalf of the entire Junior School community, I would like to thank Mr Smith, Miss Stark, Miss Christensen and Miss Mahn for their valuable contributions to Pittwater House. Their hard work and dedication to the students they have taught has been sincerely appreciated and we wish each of them well in their future endeavours.

In other staffing news, I am thrilled to announce that Miss Hayley Wrightson has joined the Junior School team this week as our new, full-time Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Assistant. Miss Wrightson has a strong background in early childhood education and has taught in several childcare centres throughout her career thus far. Miss Wrightson has a naturally caring, positive nature and will no doubt be an excellent fit in the Pre-K learning environment for our students at Pittwater House.

All parents are reminded that the complete list of Junior School staffing and classroom arrangements will be shared early next year.

Aspire – Outside School Hours Care

A reminder that Aspire has been handpicked as the Junior School’s provider for student care outside of regular school hours. 

Aspire offers Before School (7am to 8.30am), After School (3pm to 6pm), and Holiday Care (7am to 6pm) services for all students across Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6.

Please refer to the documentation attached below for further information about the student supervision offerings being provided by Aspire:

Welcome to ASPIRE Pittwater House:

ASPIRE Before and After School Care Flyer:

ASPIRE December/January Vacation Care Flyer:

To learn more about ASPIRE's services, fees, and registration process, please visit their website at https://www.aspire-oshc.com.au/pittwater-house or contact our Service Manager, Aaliyah Paki on: 0498 568 086. 

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: glenn.stephenson@tphs.nsw.edu.au or phone: 9981 4400 and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.