Junior School News
Year 7 News
Navigating Semester Two Expectations
With term three now well underway, the Year 7s have settled into the second half of the year and are focused on their learning. Some students, however, have found the increased workload from Semester One to be quite challenging. While the focus for Semester One was transitioning into High School, making new friends and getting to know teachers, it is very important in Semester Two that students develop a study timetable, use their planner regularly and have a good study routine. If any student requires assistance setting a routine for home study, both Ms Maniatis and Mr Zuccala are very happy to offer assistance.
Many exciting activities have been taking place during term three for the Year 7 cohort. These activities have included Premier Soccer League, House Chess and the Starbooks program. In the Premier Soccer League tournament, students from different year levels have been working together to form a team and compete against other teams. The purpose of this competition was to allow Year 7 students to meet and work together with students in other year levels to enable new friendships to develop. This competition will continue throughout the year.
Over 40 students have competed in the House Chess tournament, many of whom have been Year 7 students. The House Chess tournament is being held over five weeks and the competition is very intense with all Houses being keenly represented.
Two Year 7 classes, 7E and 7F, had the wonderful experience of participating in the Starbooks program to launch their Semester Two wide reading program. Students were able to explore new books of different genres in a café like environment.
As promised during our first information evening, we have been working with Year 7 students to develop their leadership potential and encourage them to take on leadership roles. It was pleasing to have Max Genzuik and Emma Lewis become members of the GEC uniform sub committee.
Year 7 students are reminded about the importance of being at school on time and in the correct uniform, being respectful to their teachers and classmates and taking advantage of the various extracurricular activities and clubs that are on offer.
Mary Maniatis and Chris Zuccala
Year 7 Coordinators
Year 8 News
It is that time of the term when our young people are feeling the pressure of assessments building up. It may not be everyone’s favourite fortnight, but it can be a fantastic opportunity to receive recognition for hard work and to reflect on strategies for self-improvement.
Homework and study can be significant indicators of success, especially as students progress out of the Junior School. For Years 7 and 8 we currently expect learners to complete 30-45 mins of work at home, 5 days a week. Doing so regularly ensures that good habits are developed early, leading to academic success down the track. Better preparation for assessments is also a great way to maintain self-confidence and avoid stress. Please support your teenagers by checking-in on a regular basis and encouraging set routines.
Elsewhere, we have been pleased with the response to our recent Empathy and Consent interventions. These have been running in classrooms with support from the Wellbeing Centre. They have led to students being more aware of how their behaviour impacts those around them. As Year Level Coordinators, we will continue to reiterate these values during assemblies.
This week also marked the first match of the GEC Premier League, with class A coming out on top against B. Participation was high and we look forward to seeing the competition progress across the term.
Daniel Bouchet-Hibbert and Jake Sherman
Year 8 Coordinators