Junior School Report
At the beginning of every school year, we set high expectations, ensure students feel supported in and out of the classroom, and foster positive relationships. This is important for many reasons, but ultimately to set a thriving culture within the Junior sub-school. Our Junior School team focuses solely on Years 7 and 8, and we craft programs and opportunities to practice and foster positive relationships and gratitude as our year-level themes. I am proud and privileged to work with an amazing team, and we are devoted to being present in the schoolyard, visiting classrooms, connecting with students and families, running clubs, and finding opportunities to build upon our diverse community. Our goal is to celebrate, reward, and be united in our consistent approach to student learning and wellbeing.
Year 7
The start of the school year is always significant, but none more so than for our Year 7 students. At the end of last year, students participated in our Orientation program to get to know teachers, buildings, subjects, and students. This assisted in a smooth transition to their first day in school uniform, travelling between classes, and navigating the different spaces available during recess and lunch. Students participated in the laptop induction sessions to familiarise themselves with Compass and Teams, along with tips and tricks for keeping themselves organised electronically. Year 10 Peer Support students beautifully led fun games and activities, which continued for Year 7 Camp.
Our annual Year 7 Camp to Mt Eliza was a blissful three days away. It was the best opportunity to get to know everyone more closely, find opportunities for initiative and responsibility, and see the amazing talent we have in our cohort at the highly acclaimed ‘Talent Night’. I would like to recognise Lucy Maxwell for her exceptional leadership in leading the camp and Kiran Tibb for her help in the preparation behind the scenes. I would like to highlight that we had the best attendance for this camp in 5 years, so I humbly thank parents/guardians for making this possible.
Our Year 7 Family Picnic was another fantastic event that we ran in Term 1. Students and their families attended the evening by sharing a plate of food, meeting teachers, and coming together in a social setting. Having parents/guardians on site is very important to us in Junior School as we can hear from you directly, rather than through email. During the evening we had our Year 10 band play multiple tunes, which created a fantastic ambience. I thank all teachers who attended for their support.
Finally, to cap off Term 1, we held our annual parent information evening for Year 7 families. 160 participants joined us online to hear from our leadership team on the school’s direction, Junior School priorities, attendance, reporting, and CATs. We hope this was an informative and useful evening to be across platforms and school processes. Further sessions will be run later in the year for subject selection and parent forums from the Resilience Project.
Year 8
Our Year 8s have started 2023 on a fantastic note. They are connecting with their new teachers, becoming familiar with their new classrooms, and new friendships are developing in their Home Groups. It is exciting to hear that Year 8s are trailing and getting involved in new lunchtime clubs and were very responsive in the swimming carnival.
The new locker area next to the canteen has proven to be a hit, providing easy accessibility and convenience.
In the next few weeks, we will begin releasing information for the Year 8 Camp coming up in Term 2. I ask that parents and students keep across Compass and follow all the deadlines.
General Information and Reminders
Individual Education Plans – Over the last few weeks the Junior team have been linking in with students who require additional support. This might be due to academic or behavioural ability. If your child has a diagnosis or is in the process of investigating one, please reach out to the Year Level Coordinator so that we can assist.
EAL Conversation Club – Run by our Assistant Coordinator, Ms Zeng, the inaugural ‘conversation club’ was established this year, which occurs every second Friday in room 118. It is a fantastic opportunity for all students who have English as a non-dominant language to link in and develop their speaking skills. We invite all Junior students to come along.
Diverse learners – Our Year 7 Coordinator, Ms Maxwell, also has an additional position at the school. She is a Learning Specialist within the field of Diverse Learners. Part of her role is to support our Year 7 teachers with explicit feedback on their pedagogy to support all learners and cater for their specific needs. At BHHS we value this position to strengthen our teaching practice, improve consistency, and ensure that every student experiences support from their teachers to achieve success.
Uniform and attendance – I would like to thank all parents/guardians for their support with our uniform blitzes. Being part of BHHS requires all students to wear the uniform correctly and when necessary to attain a uniform pass, accompanied by a parent note, each morning before the school day begins. Along with uniforms is the need for all students to be present and turn up to class on time. Being ‘ready for learning’ is fundamental to academic success, and it all starts by turning up and being responsible. This might require a strict routine in the morning and throughout the day.
Final words
We hope that this term has been positive, productive, and engaging for all Junior School students. We look forward to a wonderful Term 2. Have a restful break!
(L-R) Shamaine Ng (Year 8 Coordinator), Kiran Tibb (Junior Admin), Lucy Maxwell (Year 7 Coordinator), Nic Barca (Head of Junior School), and Minnie Zeng (Assistant Coordinator).
By Mr Nic Barca
Head of Junior School