JUNIOR SCHOOL
IMPORTANT DATES
Thursday 17 September
3 Way Conferences - Parent/Teacher/Student
Friday 18 September
End of Term 3 (2.30 pm Finish)
YEAR 7 TERM 3 NEWS
As the end of Term 3 nears, our Year 7 students have had a busy fortnight.
Wednesday 26 August saw all of our Year 7 students participate in the 'Getting It Right Again' program. The program, run by our coordination team, focused on resilience and developing skills in dealing with the challenges of secondary school.
Students also discussed proactive strategies to deal with bullying, whilst also engaging in healthy discussion about the expectations held by the school in creating an effective learning environment.
It is always refreshing as a coordinator to work with such energetic students and the maturity shown by our Year 7 students stood out, exhibiting jut how much they’d progressed since our first 'Getting It Right' session in Term 1.
The 'Getting It Right' sessions gave the opportunity for two important announcements to be made to our students.
Beginning in Term 4, use of iPads will be limited to the classroom only, meaning that recess and lunch time will be iPad free. This is an effort to ensure students aren’t too absorbed by devices outside of the classroom and that they are giving their brains a break so as to approach class throughout the day with a fresh mind. Those students needing to complete homework during these times will still have access to the school’s Study Hall program, or the library resources.
The second announcement made concerned the existing school uniform expectation of wearing exclusively white socks.
White socks with colourful logos are outside of the uniform guidelines and from Term 4, this rule will be enforced across the year level.
Student have been reminded that these announcements are in line with maintaining the high standards set by the school in terms of student’s presentation and the manner in which they are prepared for class.
COMMON ASSESSMENT TASKS
It is around this time of the term that students will be completing Common Assessment Tasks in their classes. Please keep an eye on Compass so as to monitor your child’s progress with their various learning tasks and to also keep lines of communication open with their teachers.
3 WAY CONFERENCES
Thursday 17 September
3 Way Conference day is fast approaching. The conferences will provide further opportunity for communication between yourself and the teachers of your son or daughter.
WELL DONE
I’d like to conclude this fortnight’s newsletter entry by acknowledging the fantastic work that the coordinators have been witnessing in form assemblies each Thursday and Friday.
As part of a whole school literacy initiative, students are given a written or visual prompt on which they discuss and then write an entry in their Writer’s Notebook for their Writing Folio sessions.
As coordinators, we have been visiting form assemblies and seeing some fantastic ideas brought up and some very insightful approaches to both Thinking Thursday and Friday Frenzy. Please discuss these with your son or daughter and encourage them to use their thinking as part of their wider writing projects.
Ben Taylor
Head of Year 7
SCHOOL ABSENCE LINE
The school expects parents/guardians to contact the school in advance if they know their child is to be absent.
Please ring the School Absence Line prior to 9.30am and advise the student name, form group and reason for absence (illness, holiday, family reasons etc).
Student absences can ALSO be left on the Student Absence Line after hours.
An absence note upon return to school is then NOT REQUIRED.
Junior School Coordinators