Assistant Principal Report Junior School 

Junior School Celebration Assembly

On Friday the 13th of September the Junior school held a celebration assembly to recognise both the amazing academic achievements and the remarkable things our student’s do in and around our community.

The Assembly was organised and run by out two Junior School Captains, Marcus O’meara-Hayes and Ava Fitzgerald, who both did an outstanding job!

A special thanks to the musical act that played on the day, Mrs Fairley for helping with the planning and Mr Matthys for stepping up and assisting with the audio setup at a moments notice.

It was so great to hear all about Parkdale Secondary College Junior School students and how they are applying themselves at school and also making such a huge contribution to the wider community in a plethora of ways. 

Year 9

After a busy beginning to Term 3, Term 4 has begun in stark contrast with a quiet return to school as students settled back into the swing of things quickly after the holiday break. It was great to celebrate so many wonderful achievements of Year 9 students both at school and in the community at the Junior School Assembly at the end of last term. Recognising students’ academic endeavours, sporting prowess and good citizenship is something that sometimes gets missed in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day school, but it was fantastic to see those students deservingly recognised. The slower paced, more relaxing period will be over soon enough as preparation for Mock Interviews (November 18th), Year 9 Celebration Day (November 20th) and the transition into Year 10 begins in the coming weeks as we head into a busy end of the 2024.

Year 8

Our year 8 students have made a positive start to their last term in the Junior Learning Centre; the last 2 years have flown. Our Geography classes made the journey down to Parkdale foreshore to complete their fieldwork reports. We enjoyed some glorious sunshine, as students completed their fieldwork observations and annotated sketches. 

In week 4, in conjunction with our pathways team, students will be engaging in a ‘Pathways to Possibilities’ day. Throughout the day students will listen and interact with external guest presenters, year 10 students about part time jobs and opportunities, as well as building their skills and capabilities in relation to leadership and future readiness. 

Year 7

Year 7 have had a brilliant start to the term and have been leading by example in all facets of school life. We are focused currently on preparing them for the transition to Year 8, which commences on Monday 25th November (Week 8). Classes will be developed based on feedback from teachers, and are aimed at ensuring a positive and productive learning environment for all students. 

Whilst change can be difficult to process, sitting with this feeling is an important part of building resilience; as such, please be aware that no changes to classes will be made during the rollover period. Learning to work with a range of other students is also crucial for preparation for Year 9 and the senior school, when students will be in many different classes with many different students. The best way to support your child during this time is to remain positive, and keep encouraging them to try new things, talk to new people, and give everything a go. The Year 8 team are very experienced and will also be an amazing support, and we have no doubt that the students will take to this new challenge with gusto and continue to represent the school proudly.