Junior School Report 

Hello and welcome to the first Junior School report for 2021! 

I’d like to start by welcoming back all staff, students and parents, and extend a very special welcome to our new families. It was great to meet and welcome many of you at the Parent Welcome BBQ earlier this term. I hope 2021 will be a rewarding year filled with many wonderful opportunities for learning and growth for everyone within the Junior School community. 

I would like to congratulate everyone on a smooth start to the year. I have generally been very impressed with the way that students have returned to school looking their best in school uniform, organised with appropriate materials and ready to learn. I would like to thank parents for the role they play in partnering with us to foster student success. It is great to see that parents can be relied upon to engage with us as partners in the educational journey of their child – be it through attending information evenings, reading newsletters, Compass feeds and generally staying informed and up to date with all relevant events. We also recognise the important role you play in assisting students to be organised, punctual and in full uniform. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and are greatly appreciated! 

It has been a busy start to the term including the swimming sports and school photos. Congratulations to all those students who represented themselves, their House and the College well at our first major whole-school event last Friday – our annual swimming sports. The weather certainly spoiled us and it was great to see so many students involved – whether it be dressing in house colours, participating in swimming events or supporting on the sidelines.  

A reminder that students must not have their phones on them from first bell until last bell (including recess and lunchtime). This is government policy and we request that if you have an urgent need to contact your child over the course of the school day to please call the General Office on 5127 9200 and we can pass the message along. Thank you in advance for your support. 

At both Year 7 and Year 8 Assemblies I have spoken about the importance of respect for creating and maintaining the type of community we can all be proud to be members of. I have spoken with students about three levels of respect they need to be mindful of – respect for themselves, respect for others and respect for Lowanna College. A lack of respect by individuals within the community undermines our efforts at teaching and learning. When respect becomes the norm, teaching and learning are powerfully impacted because the teacher is inspired and empowered, able to use every available minute for quality teaching. We understand there will be times when students disagree with each other and with their teachers and I have emphasised that respect doesn’t mean we need to agree with everything and everyone but that we respect differences and use appropriate avenues to express this. We want to empower our students to behave respectfully so they can grow into mature adults ready for a world where respect is crucial in order to hold jobs, complete qualifications and have meaningful relationships. 

Finally, I would like to remind you of the key Junior School staff for 2021 who are here to help, support and guide as required. If you need to contact anyone this can be done either through Compass or calling the General Office. 

Nicole Taylor

Junior School Leader