ELC and Junior School news

Our Junior School is a hub of activity, in doing, and in student voice. We have had great success with our Prep, 2023 Orientation sessions and look forward to our transition days for Term 4. Term 3 offered opportunities for families to come in and see the learning across our ELC – Year 5 classes. These were well received and attended. Behind the scenes, we are looking toward offering more moments for families to be a part of their child's learning.

Our pilot for Continuous Reporting has been executed across our Prep and Year 5 cohorts, without a glitch. Again, feedback is showing that we have met a need of our families and heard their voices. Thank you to those parents who have provided us with critical feedback needed to ensure this pilot is providing the information parents want to see.

Junior School students are achieving great results within the sporting domain and are flourishing in opportunities to challenge themselves, create new firsts and work with persistence. Thank you to those who came and supported students across these events.

Year 4 camp was another space for our students to apply their 7 Habits. I was lucky enough to spend some time with our students as they navigated the world of teamwork and sportsmanship. Camps provide a wonderful insight into the social and emotional strengths and challenges of our students. These experiences allow us to respond to student needs and determine where and how we can further build on their skillset.

Book Week is also here. I recall those sleepless hours and my heightened anxiety as a parent, determining the parade costume. The best support I can offer is – to work with what you have, don’t get caught up in any hype and know that it is about the celebration of reading, nothing more and nothing less 😊

Thank you for your support and know that Spring is in the air!

Shelley Parkes

Head of Junior School

Book Week brings smiles, creativity, and stories to life. As a parent…I am not shy to admit, that it also brings the “Oh dear, what are you going to wear for Book Week this year?” challenge!

An aspect I love so much about Book Week is reconnecting with favourite characters and favourite stories, be it from classics or newly explored books. Building a lifelong love of books and reading is an important tool.

Whether you’re reading a classic novel or fairy tales before bed, reading aloud to children can significantly benefit your child’s life. Some benefits of reading to, and with children include:

Supported cognitive development
Improved language skills
Preparation for academic success
Developing a special bond with your child
Increased concentration and discipline
Improved imagination and creativity
Cultivating a lifelong love of reading

At its core, literature is one of the best ways to help children understand something without necessarily having to experience it for themselves. Reading to and with your child helps to expose them to all types of subjects and concepts, building our children’s understanding of humanity and the world around them.

Reading to young children is proven to improve cognitive skills and help along the process of cognitive development. Cognitive development is the emergence of the ability to think and understand; it’s “the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem-solving, and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood” (Health of Children). It refers to how a person perceives and thinks about his or her world through areas such as information processing, intelligence, reasoning, language development, attention span, and memory.

Reading aloud together and having a shared activity gives you and your child something to talk about, which in turn supports the development of reading and writing skills. Down the road, reading together can be used to discuss real-life experiences and issues. A children’s book can provide springboards to meaningful discussions about many different topics which can further develop a child’s critical thinking skills.

I hope Book Week has re-energised reading at home for you and your child.

Sarah Caffrey

Head of Curriculum Junior School

Science Talent Search - Glass: More than meets the eye

The students in Years 1 – 5 had the opportunity to participate in the 2022 Science Talent Search (STS). The theme this year, Glass: More than meets the eye, opened up our young scientists to a world of new learning. Some categories had set topics and criteria, others allowed the students to showcase their scientific knowledge and how they apply science in their daily lives. They all have grown in their understanding of science as a human endeavour.

Returning for the first time in two years, students who entered the posters and computer programs categories were required to attend MLC on Saturday, August 6th and present their work, in person, to a judging panel. Our students confidently represented our school and the feedback from the judges on the day was excellent. We will receive official reports and certificates in Term 4, and I look forward to sharing the results then.

Our 2022 participants were:

Posters category:

Year 2 - Chaneli M, Maria K & Nicholas V

Year 3 – Hunter G, Evan M, Jason M & Ava S

Year 4 – Arushman K & Alexander M

Creative writing:

Year 3 - Xavier R

Computer Programming:

Year 4 – Christos B

Working models:

Year 5 - Steve S

Thank you to the families of our scientists for your ongoing support and assistance with meeting the strict requirements.