From the Head of Junior School

As we continue to build a strong and connected school community, I am pleased to share some of the wonderful learning opportunities and events taking place across our Junior School.

Parent workshops play a key role in fostering strong home-school partnerships and equipping parents with the necessary tools to support their children's academic and socio-emotional development. Workshops provide parents with valuable insights into the school curriculum and are an opportunity to engage actively in your child's education, ultimately enhancing overall student success. Last night, Ms Amanda Dodson, Assistant Head of Junior School, facilitated our NAPLAN Parent workshop. We had parents from Year 2 – 5 attend to learn about the purpose of NAPLAN and how we as a school use this data, alongside other forms of assessment to identify our strengths and areas for improvement. 

Thank you to the many parents who attended Information Night yesterday. It is always a pleasure to have parents onsite to hear about the great initiatives we offer at Kinross Wolaroi School. The presentations from the evening will be made available on the Hub next week. 

This year our class names reflect the Round Square IDEAL of Service. Being of service to others encourages students to grow through meaningful, real-world experiences that benefit others and cultivate respect, empathy and social responsibility. It invites young people to work collaboratively, reflect deeply and consider the impact of their actions in everyday life. 

Junior School Device Program 

The Junior School Device Program allows teachers to integrate multimedia resources, interactive tools, and digital platforms into student learning, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that prepares our students for the technological demands of the modern world. 

Information and communication technology (ICT) in classrooms is crucial for enhancing student engagement and facilitating personalised learning experiences. As part of the Junior School Device Program, Year 1 and Year 4 students will received brand new devices. Year 1 students now have access to individual iPads, and Year 4 students will have their own loan laptops for learning in the classroom. Parents and students in these year groups attended an onboarding session and device distribution on Tuesday, 18 February, facilitated by Mrs Fatai, Leader of Technology and Innovation, IT Manager, IT Operations Manager and the Technicians from Colton Computer Technologies. 

Commencing in 2025, Year 6 Students are permitted to take their 1:1 Junior School loan laptop home overnight to support home learning activities. They can use the hub to open unit resources and assignments and easily access any of our online platforms.  

Mrs Fatai works closely with classroom teachers to integrate digital technology skill across a range of key learning areas. The below image demonstrates the digital technology continuum that our junior school students access from pre-kindergarten through to year 6.  

Kinross Wolaroi students making their mark 

During the last week of January, twenty-nine students from Kinross Wolaroi Swimming Club travelled to Lithgow to compete in the Mountains and Plains Summer Championships. Joining the team were KWS Junior School students Camilla Haynes, Elizabeth Milliken, Samuel Milliken, Cate Dellar, Lachlan Elder, Charlotte Elder and James Elder.

Despite the heat, everyone had a fantastic weekend, and many personal best times were broken. Camilla, Camuel and Lachlan were all part of relay teams that have qualified to represent Kinross at Junior State Age Championships in Sydney in March. Lachlan broke the 100m carnival record and won the 10-year boys championship trophy. 

At Kinross Wolaroi we value and strive for academic rigour. Students have a myriad of opportunities to engage in enriching learning experiences which in some instances the school provides or facilitates student access to them. Please share with us your child’s interest, passions, and achievements by emailing junioroffice@kws.nsw.edu.au.