News from the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

Launching our 2026 Student Leadership Journey

This week marked the beginning of our 2026 student leadership process, with senior students stepping forward to nominate themselves and share what they hope to contribute in these important roles. We were incredibly impressed by the thoughtfulness and maturity in their responses, and it was a proud moment seeing them introduce themselves at Assembly in front of the entire Junior School. Over the coming weeks, students will have the opportunity to get to know the nominees, ask questions, and consider who best represents their voice. This process is designed to be inclusive and empowering, ensuring that leadership is something every student can aspire to.

During Assembly, I shared with our students that leadership is far more than wearing a badge or standing at the front, it’s about action, responsibility, and making a meaningful impact. At Pittwater House Junior School, we’re committed to moving beyond symbolic roles and embracing a more practical, inclusive approach to student leadership. In 2026, I look forward to working closely with our leadership team to dive deep into what the roles mean to the students, prioritise skill-building, and give students real opportunities to lead. This not only builds confidence and community engagement but also sets a powerful example for younger students, showing them that leadership is a behaviour anyone can develop and use to make a difference.

Courageous Voices – Junior Vocal Lunchtime Concert

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Junior Vocal Lunchtime Concert, where our talented students performed for their families and friends. It was exciting to witness their courage as they stepped forward, stood tall, and sang with such confidence and presence. Their performances were a powerful reminder of the importance of taking risks and embracing opportunities, values we continually encourage in our school community.

Performance is a vital skill in building self-assurance, and moments like these help our students grow not only as artists but as confident individuals willing to give things a go. I’m very much looking forward to seeing our young pianists perform later this week as they, too, share their gifts with us.

A heartfelt congratulations to our Junior Vocalists: Ava, Eloise, Malia, Grace, Francesca, Mia, Leia, Minty, Zoe, Lucy, Jada, Jessica and Zahra.

Your bravery and talent were inspiring!

Introducing Hub Clubs – A Fresh Approach to After School Care

What was previously known as ‘After School Care’ in the Junior School is now being reimagined as Hub Clubs. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working closely with key staff to reshape the structure, processes, and experiences offered in this space. Families can expect updates soon regarding attendance procedures, pick-up routines, and an exciting variety of afternoon activities designed to engage and inspire our students.

From the Assistant Head of Junior School

We are delighted to share that all students in Years 2-5 recently enjoyed an incredible school camp experience with Land’s Edge Foundation (Land’s Edge). This special opportunity gave our students the chance to step out of the classroom, connect with nature, develop new skills and build confidence in a supportive outdoor environment.

During their time away, the students participated in a variety of carefully designed activities facilitated by Land’s Edge and Pittwater House staff. For our younger children (Years 2 and 3), the experience was pitched at an accessible level with Year 3 embarking on their first overnight camp. Our older and more seasoned campers (Years 4 and 5), the challenge increased in terms of length, challenge, independence and problem-solving.

We value our Outdoor Education and believe our students benefit greatly in the following ways:

• Confidence and resilience: Facing new situations, working in teams, making decisions away from home strengthens a child’s sense of self-belief.
• Social and teamwork skills: Students collaborate, communicate and support each other in unfamiliar settings, which builds friendships and empathy.
• Connection to nature and environment: Time spent outdoors helps children appreciate their surroundings and promotes curiosity about the natural world. Land’s Edge emphasises that connection with 'self and place'. 
• Stepping-stone learning: Because the program is designed to increase in challenge and length over time, children can build on prior experiences. This means that what they did in Years 2 and 3 gives a foundation for the more challenging activities in Years 4 and 5 and into the Senior School.
• Wellbeing: The fresh air, physical activity, new environment and removal from day-to-day routines support positive mental and physical well-being.

We believe that trips like this are an important pillar of our School’s holistic education philosophy of helping students to grow not just academically, but socially, emotionally and physically. The partnership with Land’s Edge allows us to deliver high-quality outdoor education, tailored to student age and development stage, in a safe and purposeful way.

We wish to thank the staff and instructors from Land’s Edge for their professionalism, care and expertise and our teaching and support staff who accompanied our students on the camp, providing continuity and reassurance for the children. 

We would also like to thank you, our parents and carers, for supporting your children’s preparation and encouraging them to embrace the experience. 

We look forward to building on this with future camps and seeing how our students continue to thrive.

Please note that our Year 6 students also attended Canberra in Week 4.  This unique experience will be showcased in HouseNews - Week 7 edition.

Year 2 Camp

Year 3 Camp

Year 4 Camp

Year 5 Camp

From the Junior School Curriculum Co-ordinator 

The past fortnight has been a dynamic and busy time in the Junior School. In between camps and Orientation Days, students have been immersing themselves in lots of fun and engaging activities. 

J4 Camp Survival Writing

In J4, the girls have been engaged in crafting entertaining instructional texts themed around surviving Year 4 Camp. At Pittwater House we use The Writing Process, a model constructed by the NSW Department of Education to help students through the various stages of writing.

The focus for this task was to use imperative verbs and inject humour to captivate their readers.  Throughout the process, the girls demonstrated a strong understanding of the writing cycle, moving thoughtfully from planning to drafting. They paid close attention to structure and language features, ensuring their instructions were both clear and engaging. Once their initial drafts were complete, the students used the success criteria to guide their editing and refine their work. Peer feedback played a valuable role in helping them identify areas for improvement and polish their final pieces. The resulting texts reflect both creativity and technical skill, showcasing their growing confidence as writers. It has been a rewarding experience that combined fun with purposeful learning.

Effective writing remains a key focus for teachers at Pittwater House and in schools more broadly. Recent research highlights the importance of ensuring students have adequate background knowledge before they begin writing. Building this knowledge can take many forms, including listening to a guest speaker, reading a quality text, attending an incursion or excursion, conducting a science experiment, sharing a cultural experience, viewing a website or video or listening to a podcast. These experiences help students develop the vocabulary and understanding needed to create meaningful and well-structured texts. Teachers continue to plan learning opportunities that support this approach and encourage students to make connections between what they know and what they write. As we begin to look ahead to the Summer Holidays, families are encouraged to explore something new together. Whether it is a documentary, a podcast or a visit to a local museum, shared experiences can spark curiosity and support learning in enjoyable and memorable ways.

Pre-Kindergarten Sustainability Celebration

Our Pre-Kindergarten children have been actively engaging in our sustainability program, showing growing awareness and respect for the environment around them. Through hands-on experiences, community collaboration, and everyday routines, the children are learning how their actions can make a positive difference to the world we share.

This term, the children have been involved in a variety of sustainable practices such as recycling materials, caring for our garden, and conserving water. They proudly sort food scraps for composting, reuse materials in creative ways during art experiences, and take responsibility for watering plants and tending to our outdoor spaces.

A highlight of our sustainability journey has been the success of our banana growing project! With the generous support of one of our families, we nurtured a small banana pup into a thriving plant that produced an amazing harvest of 52 bananas. The children learned how to care for the plant, observing growth, understanding the role of sunlight, water, and soil health, celebrating the results of their patience and care.

In a beautiful example of circular sustainability, the children used the peels from the bananas they enjoyed at recess and lunch to make natural fertiliser for our garden. This helped them understand the importance of reducing waste and giving back to the earth.

We also extended our learning beyond the classroom by connecting live with the Sydney Markets ripening rooms. The children were fascinated to see how bananas are ripened and prepared for delivery across the state, gaining insight into where our food comes from and the many people involved in getting it to our tables.

And of course, after harvesting our bananas, we put them to delicious use, baking warm, homemade banana bread together! This experience encouraged the joy of sharing food we’ve grown ourselves.

Through these shared experiences, the children have developed a strong sense of responsibility, pride, and connection to their environment and community. They are learning that even small, everyday actions, like composting, reusing, or watering a plant can make a big difference to the world around them.

From the Junior School PDHPE Co-ordinator

Surf Safe at Collaroy Beach Year 2-6

This week, students from Years 2 to 6 are taking part in the Surf Safe education program at Collaroy Beach, delivered by Surf Life Saving Sydney, Northern Beaches. The sessions build on last week’s Assembly presentation, where a Surf Lifesaving educator introduced key water-safety concepts through a flipped-classroom approach. This approach gives students the chance to learn theory first, then apply it in real-life beach scenarios.

Throughout their sessions, students are rotating through a range of land- and water-based activities, including flags and sprints, paddle boards, tube rescues, wading, dolphin diving, and catching waves. They are also learning about sun safety, how to identify and survive rips, and what to do if they encounter common marine animals such as bluebottles.

By combining classroom learning with practical experience, the program helps students develop confidence, decision-making, and respect for the beach environment—important skills for a lifetime of safe enjoyment in and around the water.

Important Dates 

Term 4 Save the Dates