Junior School
Head of Junior School
SARAH BOARDMAN
Acting Head of Junior School
What a busy start we have had for this term with so many exciting things happening. It has been wonderful to see the positive way that everyone has jumped back into their learning this term.
House Athletics Carnival
It has been wonderful this week to see so many students participating in our House Athletics Carnival, both at Davies Reserve for our Year 3 to Year 6 students, and for our Prep to Year 2 students at school.
The obvious excitement at trying different events and the willingness to have a go at activities that we may not have even had a go at before was amazing to observe. The other highlight when attending our athletics events, is the genuine care and obvious delight shown by the children for each other as they celebrate successes with each other, and support everyone for having a go.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Greg Joyce and Ms Caroline Leach, for all the work they did in the lead up that helped to make these events the huge success they were. We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of our teachers on the day along with the parents, Year 9 and SEDA students who helped the carnival at Davies Reserve run smoothly, despite the slightly chilly and windy conditions. Congratulations to everyone who participated to gather points for their house.
Year 5 Camp
I had the privilege of visiting our Year 5 campers last week at Phillip Island. This was another occasion where the teamwork, empathy and ability to proactively think win win when working with others was evident throughout the activities that were running. When talking to everyone on their return to school it would appear that for many the absolute highlight of this year was having the chance to go on the Circatrons they have at the camp.
Our student’s growth mindsets were obvious in the comments that were being made in relation to the opportunity we had been offered to have a go at something that no one in our group at the camp had ever had a try at before, in the way they faced their fears of trying something that was out of their usual comfort zone, and in the way they encouraged each other to have a go and celebrated the different achievements for each of their group members. They were very brave, much braver than any of the teachers who were there!
School Arrival Times
It has been great to see people arriving at school, ready to start the day with their class with plenty of time before the music and morning bell. Being at school with time to meet friends and line up with our class provides a solid start to our morning learning, as it gives children a calm and smooth transition into the day. We encourage everyone to remember that our day begins at 8:45am, so aiming to be at school by 8:40am at the latest may assist with this being ready to learn for the whole day.
Growth Mindset
This year’s theme at Oakleigh Grammar, All You Can Be, provides an excellent opportunity for us to explore different strategies for building growth mindsets with our students. This term we are talking about how making mistakes is an important and normal part of learning. It is how we manage our response to this, along with what we might be able to learn to do differently next time to not make the same error again that is key. Often people can become so worried about things that might go wrong, if they were to try something unfamiliar, then it might stop them from having a go, rather than thinking about the things that might work or happen if they had a go. At school we are continually working with students to build resilience, persistence and perseverance, which are all pivotal life skills for everyone.
In line with this we are embarking on an eraser free term! During the applied learning phase of lessons, students will edit and reflect on their work and demonstrate how they make changes from mistakes they have recognised, rather than erase them. We use a restorative approach to address all mistakes and support our students in learning from them. We believe it is equally important to build such resilience in book work application.
We would like to take the time to congratulate our Junior School staff members who were recently recognised for their long service to the Oakleigh Grammar community for the past 15 years, Mrs Stav Athanopoulos and Mrs Elli Lithotomos. Their dedication to our school is part of what helps Oakleigh Grammar to be the special place it is.
Other Junior School Happenings
Student Voice - Gabby Watson & Tashi Lehmann