Middle Years 

Making new friends takes time and effort, and in recent weeks I have been encouraging our Middle Years students to have conversations with everyone in myPEC. One central theme I continually come back to is “be kind” to each other at all times and in all ways. Kindness is at the heart of us, and Daniel Goleman says we are wired for kindness.

Making new friends takes time, as it can take months or longer to find people we have things on common with and who we really get along with. This process cannot be rushed and trust develops as friendships strengthen.  My advice to our Year Six and Year Seven students is be friendly and open to everyone and say hello in passing. 

The Year 7 Adventure Day was a huge success. Students built rafts and tested them on one of the lakes at Murndal. Students then participated in a House Raft Challenge to find treasure on an island. This year it was unclear which house won, but there were some novel manoeuvres during the race. The cool damp weather did not lessen the enthusiasm. I must say how impressed I was with our Year 7 students; they showed that they can turn their hand to any challenge. It was nice to see students chat and play during the day as they completed their tasks. Our day was framed around the story of Samuel, who was an 18 year old orphan who became a pioneer in our district.

Mrs Julia Winter Cooke