Junior School

Greetings from the Junior School Office.

Meet the team...

Kathi Anderson                                     Lachie Craig

ank@cheltsec.vic.edu.au                   cra@cheltsec.vic.edu.au

Linda Palermo                                       Ainslie Samec

pal@cheltsec.vic.edu.au                    sam@cheltsec.vic.edu.au

Our aim is to create an orderly, safe and supportive learning environment for Year 7 and 8 students. We also hope to encourage Junior School students to participate in all aspects of school life including sports, music and the arts, clubs and, of course, our great tradition of The Avenues exchange.

We welcome our Year 7 students to Cheltenham Secondary College and hope it is the beginning of a successful and enjoyable high school career. Our Year 7s enjoyed two days of transition activities in their first week and have settled enthusiastically into home rooms in the B Wing. They are being closely supported by all members of staff, our lovely Year 12 students, and our amazing Year 10 Peer Support Leaders. 

We welcome our year 8 students back to Chelt.Sec and have noticed a high level of engagement in the classrooms and beautiful smiling faces in the yard. 

Year 7 Welcome BBQ

We are looking forward to the Year 7 Welcome Barbeque on Wednesday 22nd February 2023. This is a traditional event on school grounds where we will meet and greet students and parents and share a casual alfresco meal together! We will provide snags, bread, veggie burgers, salads and sauce. Please note it is ALCOHOL FREE; all family members are welcome!  On the night, our talented Music Department, led by Mr Adam Coad, will provide a selection of performances showcasing the different instruments and ensembles that we have on offer in our music program.  

Please RSVP via the google form: https://forms.gle/xxwB1rXHxbGFoyqA7 by 5.00pm Thursday 16 February.

Timely reminders for Year 7 and 8 parents:

Please ensure your student is wearing the correct uniform, including black polishable shoes and plain socks without a logo. 

PE Uniform guidelines for timetabled classes:

• Periods 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 – students must wear their academic uniform to school and change into their PE uniform at school for their lesson and change back into their academic uniform at the conclusion of their PE lesson.
• Periods 5 and 6 – students must wear their academic uniform to school and change into their PE uniform at school for their lesson, they can then wear their PE uniform home (no requirement to change).

There is a full explanation of the uniform items available, and the college expectations in the school diary/planner and in the Uniform Policy on the website. Please email Kathi Anderson, Acting Junior School Director if you are experiencing difficulties securing the correct uniform for your student. 

School Diary/ Planner

Every student in Junior School has received a named diary/planner with the expectation that it is carried to every lesson on every school day. The planner is used to record homework, due dates for assignments, test dates; as well as excursions and special events.

Very importantly, it is also used as a ‘hall pass’ when students need to go to the toilet or sickbay or Wellbeing appointments during class time. 

Laptops 

It would be greatly appreciated if laptops can be fully battery charged as a regular routine in the evenings so your student comes to school with enough battery to last the day. At home, please create a space for homework out in the open where laptop usage can be monitored to minimise harm and maximise cyber safety.

School Photos

Our school photo day is scheduled for Tuesday 14th February. School photo ordering is available through the school’s Compass portal. If you would prefer to order photos with an envelope, where you can pay by cash, spare envelopes are available to collect from our General Office.There is a backup photo day scheduled for Monday 20th February for any students that are not present on the 14th. Students are required to be in full school uniform for photos, including their blue jumper.

On behalf of the Junior School Team…we wish our Year 7 and 8 students “All the Best” for a productive and enjoyable school year in 2023. We are here to help. :) 

Kathi Anderson 

Acting Junior School Director 

Welcome Year 7s!

Welcome Packs

Year 12 students presented a Welcome Pack to incoming Year 7 Students. A massive thank you goes to our Parents & Friends Association (P&F) for funding the drawstring PE backpacks which can also be used as book bags. Many thanks also to Officeworks Mentone for their GENEROUS donation of plastic wallets and stationery supplies provided in the backpacks.

Officeworks Mentone staff member                                     Joel and Cameron

Amazing Race

Our amazing Year 10 Peer Support Leaders acted as group leaders on the second day of transition and organised an Amazing Race activity for the Year 7s,  which included them connecting with our network system, Compass and Google Classrooms, Maths, English and Wellbeing lessons. Well Done, Year 10s!!

Comments from our Year 7 Students when asked what they thought about the Transition Program…

"I very much enjoyed the activity where we learned about Personal Strengths; we got to offer up our ideas, and learn about other peoples' opinions and comments. It was a positive outlook on both our friends and personal strengths." Tommy

"I never had an interest before this but during Digital Tech on the second day, It became one of my favourite subjects. I can't wait for humanities!" Adelaide

“I loved the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders. They were super kind and so helpful.” Blair

“I loved exploring different areas of Cheltenham Secondary College and doing little activities.” Hannah

“I really enjoyed getting to know people on the first day and getting to know more about them.” Lenny

“Coming to high school and trying to get everything right such as not getting lost or getting all your books was pretty hard. However, the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders were a great help setting up IT and answering questions about where locations of different classrooms are. It helped make my life a significant amount easier!”  Emma

“I was really nervous about high school but all the teachers were really friendly and have made the first few days really fun. I enjoyed having the Year 10 Peer Support Team in our class because they made The Amazing Race more fun.” Charlotte

“I had a great time on the first few days of school …all of the teachers were very welcoming and nice to all the classes.”  Molly

“I find that The Amazing Race was nice to get to know the Year 10s so we have a person to talk to for the first few years of high school.” Will

“…the ‘getting to know you games’ were great.” Leon

 “…the teachers were so welcoming and made me feel so comfortable and safe.” Natalie

“I liked how the Year 10's helped the Year 7's and how friendly the teachers were. I liked how you made a tour exciting by adding clues. I also like how everyone helped everyone when someone was stuck." Patricia

"On my first couple of days I felt very welcome. Everyone was unexpectedly kind. The year 12s were very nice and the Year 10s that came into our room were also very nice. I had lots of fun on The Amazing Race. It was very nice of the Year 10s to do that for us. I loved being able to use my locker but it was very hard to get around and I got lost… but luckily we were helped by a teacher." Ella

“I like playing the soccer match” Arthur

Year 8 English news

Year 8 students have been working collaboratively, learning how to interview their peers, and use their notes to write a friend’s biography. Well done, Year 8s!