Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

Just when you thought the Junior School Office could not look any better, along comes Christmas! For those of you who have not had the pleasure of going in there recently Mrs Holland and Mrs Leader have certainly been very busy and the Christmas spirit has definitely arrived. I thank them and Mrs Henery for their continued care of our students throughout the year, and for their wonderful sense of fun.

Our school is thriving and there is much to be grateful for. Our students are excitedly awaiting the end of year celebrations and teachers are completing assessments and writing reports. They are also busy organising class lists for the next year.

Next Tuesday December 3rd our students, along with students new to the school in 2020, will spend part of the day in their new classes. They will meet their class teacher for 2020 and will meet many of their new classmates. It is an exciting morning as children find out which class they are in and the friends they will be with. They also meet students who are new to the school and make new friends.

Children often approach the lead up to Transition Day with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Which class will I be in, who will my teacher be, and will I be in a class with my friends? It is important for parents to let their children know that these thoughts and feelings are quite normal. It is also a good strategy for parents to help their child express exactly what their concerns are and then assist them to develop strategies to solve potential problems. For example, if a child expresses the concern that they will not know anyone in the class a parent could assist them by role playing how to ask someone if they can play with them or perhaps how they might let their new teacher know that they are feeling uneasy about going out to a break.

Teachers are aware that this is an important time of the year for establishing new class relationships, so they will also be working with the children to ensure they are comfortable.

If you would like more support in helping your child with the transition, I enclose a link to an article from the Kids Matters enewsletter.

https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families/enewsletter/empowering-kids-manage-change-and-transition

Today the Junior School staff were treated to a wonderful lunch organised by the Friends of Junior School and prepared by our Junior School parents. This has been a wonderful tradition and one that the staff look forward to immensely. The hall was beautifully decorated with appreciation stars from the students, thanking staff for their support over the year.

I thank the Friends of Junior School for their ongoing support of our school this year. The team, ably lead by Paris Room-Batters, have been actively involved in the life of our school this year.

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT:

Wednesday 4th December

Junior School Speech Night will be held on Wednesday 4th December. Speech Night is a compulsory event for all Year Three to Six students. While we warmly welcome Preparatory, Year One and Year Two parents and students to attend this wonderful celebration of the school year, we also understand that it can be a very long night for our younger students. Parents of students receiving awards will be notified individually.

Speech Night: This is a compulsory for Year Three to Year Six students. Students must be at the Ulumbarra Theatre by 5:20pm for a 6:00pm start. Students are to meet teachers in the Multipurpose room, to the right of the bar. Full School Uniform must be worn (Girls in summer dresses). Year Three to Six students will sit with their classroom teacher. It is essential that students are well dressed and well groomed for these very important events. Hair must be neat and of appropriate length. Uniforms must be neat and intact and shoes must be well polished. At the conclusion of the Junior School Speech Night, students may be collected from classroom teachers in the upstairs Foyer. Please ensure you check in with a staff member before taking your child.

Preparatory Music and Drama Night

On Tuesday the 19th of November, our Preparatory students were involved in an evening that celebrated the subject areas, Music and Drama. Students were very excited to be performing on stage and had a wonderful time doing so.

Both classes (and their teachers), eagerly showed off their dramatic talents when performing the classic children’s tale, ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’. They were also able to share with the audience what they have learnt in Mrs Dusseljee’s highly energetic and hands on music classes.

It was very well received by all friends and family in attendance and I’m sure they also loved the opportunity to have sing along with their children to ‘Baby Shark’.

A very big thank you to Mrs Beks, Mr Robertson, Mrs Rice and Mrs Dusseljee for all or their hard work in making this night such a success.

“My favourite part of the night was being able to sing and dance with my family, especially my little sister.”- Amelia Collier

Mrs Lucy Butler-Rees

Drama Teacher