Diwali

Happy Diwali to a number of families in our Early Learning Centre and Junior School learning communities who have celebrated Diwali in the last week. Observed by more than a billion people across faiths, this five-day Festival of Lights brings prayer, feasts, fireworks and, for some, a new year. Derived from the Sanskrit dipavali, which means ‘row of lights’, Diwali is known for the brightly burning clay lamps that celebrants line up outside their homes.

2022 Orientation Day – 7 December

We had previously advertised 18 November 18 as our Junior School Orientation Day, but please note that this date has been changed to Tuesday 7 December to meet government restrictions. On this day, students will step up into their 2022 class groups and meet their new teachers. Our Year 6 students will travel to the Senior Campus for the day, to meet new students entering Year 7. At this point in time, we are looking at a date later in the term. This will be in the final week of term.

Star Students

The following students were awarded Star Student Awards at our Monday Assembly.

Lucy Cameron - Prep

Lucy Manley - Prep

Shriaan Golwala - Prep

Bobby Giles - Prep

Olive Monk - Year 1

Maggie Wallis - Year 1

Piano Soiree - Friday 26 November

Our piano teacher Mrs. Kathryn Salt will conduct a Piano Soiree on Friday 26 November at 1.00pm in the Refectory. Parents of piano students are welcome to attend. QR coding and vaccination checks will need to take place prior to entry into the Refectory. The concert will be recorded and shared for viewing by parents who are unable to attend.

Departing Staff

At the end of the school year, the Junior School will say goodbye to two very important members of our Learning Support team. After eight years of service to the Junior School and over 30 years of teaching, Mrs. Lou Drummond will be retiring. Her invaluable work in supporting student literacy via the Reading Recovery program has been appreciated by many Junior School families. Mrs. Rosana Marshall will be heading to Ballarat with her family in 2022. Rosana has also worked at the Junior School for the past eight years and her support in Early Years and Upper Primary classrooms will be greatly missed. We wish them both all the very best in the year ahead.

Nativity/Combined Christmas Service

With limited preparation time and density limits still in play for local church buildings, the decision has been made to embed elements of the Junior School/Early Learning Centre Nativity into the Combined College Christmas Service. This will take place on Tuesday 7 December. Our ELC to Year 2 students will sing four Nativity songs in this important Service telling the Christmas story.

Online House and Class Assemblies

Sadly, with density limits and the Simons Auditorium being unavailable due to VCE examinations, this has required us to move our Prep and Year Six class Assemblies plus our Berry and Laidlaw House Services online. These events will be pre-recorded, and links sent out to parents.

Berry House Service - this week

Prep Assembly - Week 7

Laidlaw House Service - Week 8

Year 6LR and 6P class Assembly - Week 9

2022 School Captains

Next Tuesday 16 November, Mrs. Bernadette Milich and I will interview nine Year 5 students who have applied for the 2022 School Captain positions. Each student submitted a letter of application, outlining their strengths and motivations to be a Junior School Captain in the College’s sesquicentennial year. It will be an exciting year ahead for our 2022 Year 6 students.

Stephen Nelson

Head of Junior School

Dates to Remember