Junior School

Head of Junior School

LAUREN CUMMINS

Head of Junior School

Glendi

I trust all members of our school community were able to recharge their batteries, spend some quality family time together, and enjoy the slower pace of the usual morning rush to school over the Melbourne Cup long weekend.

Thank you for your support and encouragement during the Glendi this year, the weather was magical! The Junior School students were absolutely sensational on the main stage, and I was so proud of our performing students. I’m sure there were many treats to be had and enjoy afterwards. Thank you to all of our families and friends for joining the fun especially with the glorious sun that came out on both days.

Prep Transition

The first three Prep Transition days have taken place with new students and our K4 students, making their way over to visit the Prep classrooms and teachers. The first session was very successful with only a couple of tears, although the activities taking place in the classrooms soon dissolved these! The second session was exciting where students took a tour of the school ground, and ended the session with a play on the Junior School playground, and a discussion about the morning.

A reminder that the whole school Transition Day is scheduled for Wednesday 6 December, and correspondence for this has already come out to families. It is a casual clothes day for all students.

Homework

Junior School is an important chapter in your child’s education. It is fabulous when parents learn more about their child’s homework, what your child learns, and how you can get involved.

Each student has a homework contract, and standards are clearly set out in the school diary. On top of the students homework, oral reading, spelling practice, and multiplication tables practice is expected on a nightly basis. If a child does not complete their homework in the Junior School without explanation or a note, they will be asked to complete it at lunchtime. If this happens regularly students will receive an infringement notice.

Please note it is not the parent’s responsibility to complete homework, it is the student's and the school will support these measures to ensure there are no unnecessary hardships at home! If your children would like more homework we encourage all students to go on to the school website for activities, Mathletics and Reading Eggs to cater for extension at home. Students are permitted to borrow as many books as they like from the library as long as borrowed book are returned regularly.

Life Education Van Visit

We have been lucky enough to have Harold and his van at school again this year, delivering the primary school curriculum based modules that focus on issues around food and nutrition, personal safety, physical activity, cyber safety, safety with medicine and legal drugs; tobacco, alcohol and caffeine.

By taking a comprehensive approach to drug and health education the modules help children to develop relationship skills, positive communication (both face to face and online), problem solving and decision making skills. The educators and puppets provide students the opportunity to develop strategies, and practice the skills required to avoid the harms associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. Each module presents an issue or issues with memorable and engaging activities. The trained educators ensure that all messages are age-appropriate, relevant and enhance and support the messages taught in Australian schools.

Thank you to Ms Caroline Leach for organising the van again this year. Read more here.

ELC Church Visits

Children from the ELC have been on their annual visit to St Anargiri Church this week. Everyone finds the trip to Church fascinating, as we get to experience our Church environment first hand.

Father George was conducting a special service while we were there, and talked to us about the Holy Cup, Holy Cloth and Holy Spoon, before some children took Communion.

We also saw the different icons and other children lit a candle as they entered the Church. The respect that everyone showed for this important excursion was wonderful to see, and we thank Father for having us.

No Packet November

No Packaging November has a health focus, as much as an environmental focus. The idea is to eat less processed and pre-packaged foods and make healthier alternatives at home. This fits in nicely with our Term 4 Health Units.

Please remember to take the food out of its packaging (within reason) . E.g. snacks and muesli bars, sandwich wrap, bananas etc. Obviously food from the canteen and chips won’t be able to be removed, therefore if we encourage waste free/nude food lunches each day we will reduce the amount of rubbish in landfill, and that gets out to litter our school grounds.