Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

This week, our Junior School proudly recognised National Reconciliation Week. This is a special time to learn about, celebrate and honour the rich cultures, histories and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The 2026 theme, “All In,” reminds us that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility and encourages us all to take meaningful steps towards greater understanding, respect and inclusion each day, not just for a week!

Students engaged in a variety of meaningful learning experiences that deepened their appreciation of First Nations cultures and the importance of walking together with open hearts and minds.

Highlights of the week included engaging activities from Ms Jessica Tyrrell and Dennis Moran, both from the NSW Police Aboriginal Engagement Unit. Jessica and Dennis are both wonderful local First Nations people.

This was organised by our Kindergarten teacher, Ms Sam Needer, and a wonderful day of learning organised by Ms Kellie Brennan in partnership with the Nyumbar Education Group. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 enjoyed traditional dance, storytelling and the creation of a collaborative Junior School artwork representing the Country on which our school stands.

We thank our staff and students for embracing this important week with curiosity, respect and a shared commitment to building a stronger, more connected future for all.

Screen Free Day – June 5

Across the school on Friday June 5, we will be participating in a Screen-Free Day, where students will engage in their learning without the use of screens.

From an instructional perspective, days like this give us a valuable opportunity to reflect on our approach to the curriculum. For some teachers, this may mean revisiting a learning experience that has been set aside for some time, while for others it inspires the creation of something entirely new. 

The discussion around screen time versus no screen time is an ongoing one, with valid perspectives on both sides. I recently came across an insightful article exploring this debate, which prompted reflection on how, together, both at school and at home, we can support children to develop a balanced and thoughtful approach to technology use. You may find it of interest: https://www.pearson.com/international-schools/international-schools-blog/2024/04/the-big-debate--should-schools-avoid-screentime-for-kids-.html

I am really looking forward to seeing the ideas our teachers bring to life and how our students respond to the day. I am equally interested in hearing their reflections on the experience. We also encourage families to consider extending the screen-free approach into the home that evening.

Junior School Housekeeping

Squishies at School

We have noticed a significant increase in large “squishy” hand toys being brought to school. These are appearing in many shapes, sizes and colours!

Staff have found that these items are becoming a distraction during learning time and, at times, are leading to friendship issues over ownership and comparison of the latest items.

As a result, we have asked students not to bring squishies to school. They are not needed for learning, and we appreciate your support in reinforcing this at home.

If your child requires a specific fidget tool for learning purposes, this should be discussed with the class teacher and included as part of their learning profile. Thank you for your support with this.

Afternoon Safety Procedures

As always, student safety remains our top priority. Our after-school routines are in place to ensure all students are accounted for and dismissed safely, and it is important to us that all families follow and support these procedures please.

At the end of each school day, all students either go to the Kiss and Drop zone or report to The Deck. Once on The Deck, students are organised into groups and attendance is taken before they are dismissed to gates, buses, or after-school activities.

We understand that some families have been accustomed to their child walking directly to them after school. However, we ask for your patience during this short process (approximately five minutes), as it ensures the safety and accountability of all students. Thank you.

Arts Evening

I wanted to thank families for pulling together the costumes for our students as they get ready for the Performing Arts Evening next week. The excitement and anticipation are building and the students have done an incredible job in their rehearsals and practice. Keep the date free - I can’t wait to see you all on the evening.

From the Junior School Curriculum Co-ordinator

School Reports

As the weather begins to cool and the rain finally subsides, we are turning our attention to the concluding weeks of Term 2. Classroom teachers are currently preparing student reports and carefully reviewing each child’s progress at this point in the year. This is an important opportunity to reflect on the growth achieved since the beginning of the year and to begin setting individual learning goals for Semester 2 to support continued development.

This year, there will be some minor adjustments to your child’s school report. There has been a refinement to both the effort grades and the HEROIC values scale. We will continue to use a five-point Likert scale to indicate the level of effort demonstrated across subject areas, and this same scale will also apply to our HEROIC values. The classifications are as follows:

Exemplary: The student demonstrates an outstanding level of effort, consistently exceeding expectations. They show initiative, independence and a strong personal commitment to learning, actively engaging and persisting with tasks without prompting.

Consistently: The student demonstrates a strong and reliable level of effort. They apply themselves well to tasks and responsibilities, maintaining focus and persistence across most learning experiences.

Generally: The student demonstrates effort in most situations. They are usually engaged in learning tasks but may require occasional reminders or support to sustain focus or complete tasks to their best standard.

With Encouragement: The student demonstrates effort when supported or prompted. They benefit from regular encouragement, reminders or guidance to engage with tasks and persist with learning.

Rarely: The student demonstrates limited effort. They are infrequently engaged in learning tasks and require significant encouragement and support to participate and persist.

In addition, achievement grades will now be reported against specific sub-components within each subject area. For example, in English, your child will receive a grade for each component of the curriculum rather than a single overall grade. For example, a Year 3 student will receive a grade for: Reading and Understanding and Responding to Literature, Creating Written Texts, Spelling and Vocabulary, Handwriting, Oral Language and Communication. This approach provides a more detailed understanding of your child’s progress across different areas within each of our subjects to allow for more accurate and meaningful reporting. An overall English grade will not be included.

There are also changes to reporting in HSIE and Science. These subjects will no longer include dot points outlining demonstrated strengths or areas for development. This adjustment reflects updates to the NSW syllabuses, and students will instead receive achievement grades for each assessed area. 

School reports provide a snapshot of your child’s learning at a particular point in time and reflect their progress against standardised grade descriptors. Students receiving a ‘Working At’ grade are demonstrating an understanding of stage-appropriate knowledge and achieving expected outcomes. Teachers use a range of assessments and work samples to ensure that judgements are based on a broad and accurate picture of each student’s skills and understanding. We encourage parents to use the Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews to have a comprehensive discussion with teachers about your child’s Semester 1 report and work together to set meaningful learning goals that will support continued growth and success throughout the remainder of the year.

Year 5 Maths Incursion with Year 9 

Year 5 had a valuable opportunity in Week 6 to collaborate with Year 9 students during an internal Senior School Mathematics incursion. Students worked either one-on-one or in small groups, engaging in targeted mathematics games and number sense activities designed to develop a range of additive and multiplicative strategies. These activities supported the development of fluency, accuracy and mental computation skills.

Below are some reflections from students in P5 and J5.

Thank you to the Year 9, for an amazing experience! We loved all the different Maths games and activities. The games were fun, interactive, and helped us learn in an enjoyable way. 

Everly, Ivy and Emma

The high school maths incursion was great because all the high schoolers put so much effort and all the games I played were awesome. Also, the high schoolers cared about it so much and it made all the games better. I wish I can go back there. 

Charlie

The High School Maths Incursion was very wonderful and collaborative. I loved all the activities and how creative they all where. One of my most favourite activities were the Number Guessing Game because we used strategic strategies that got us to the number very quickly. I also loved the Bowling-Game where we also used strategies, and we got to not only have a visual of it and also an experience of smartly trying to knock down the most and the least with the high numbers on them.

Miles

From the Junior School PDHPE Co-ordinator

This term in PDHPE, students across the Junior School are engaging in a range of activities designed to develop their movement skills, decision-making and understanding of physical health and wellbeing. 

In Kindergarten and Year 1, there is a strong focus on developing fundamental movement skills including striking, underarm and overarm throwing and catching. Year 2 students are also exploring ball control through activities such as striking for Tennis, Cricket and Tee ball. 

Students in Years 3–6 are engaging in a variety of units including Aboriginal Games, World Sports and opportunities to create their own games where they apply problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills. 

In the past two weeks, students in Years 3–6 have begun their Athletics unit as they prepare for the Junior School Athletics Carnival in Week 9. 

Across all year levels, students are participating with a positive attitude, apply their developing skills in different contexts and making safe and informed decisions during physical activity.

School Holiday Camps

We are pleased to announce that Code Camp will be running some of their programs during the Winter School holidays at Pittwater House Junior School.

For further information, follow this link: School Holiday Camps at Pittwater House | Code Camp - don't forget to use the code SCHOOL25 at the checkout to save $25. 

The options available include: 

• "Spark" - where your child can design their own arcade-style video game. Perfect for beginners!
• "Animation Camp" - where storytelling, art and technology meet. Your child will make two movies from scratch using stop-motion animation. Lots of fun and very creative!
• "Minecraft Minis" - designed for beginners aged 5-7 years old will learn how to play Minecraft Education in a safe and supportive environment through a range of engaging activities, developing essential skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and creative thinking
• "Roblox Studio Designers" - where your child can learn real game development skills by designing, coding and building their own playable game in Roblox Studio.

Save the Dates: