Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

In our last eLink we announced the pending introduction of Murphy the Wellbeing Dog. Information about Murphy can be found on the Astra Home page where there is a “Meet Murphy” link. In preparation for Murphy’s arrival at school we have been training our students and staff in how to interact with Murphy. At Wednesday’s Junior School Assembly they were introduced to the 3 expectations that will assist with Murphy’s introduction as a working Wellbeing dog. The expectations are that 1: people greet the person walking Murphy, not Murphy himself, 2: that we give Murphy lots of space when we pass him and 3: we keep moving past Murphy and that we don’t stop and stare at him. Grant Shannon from Dogs Connect has provided a good video for students that can be found on the Meet Murphy Astra page. Students have watched this video in their classes and are practicing these 3 expectations so that we are all ready when Murphy arrives. 

Murphy is a very clever young pup and his training is progressing well. We are hoping to bring Murphy around to the classes next week so that students can have a brief meeting with him before he begins working in the school. There is no expectation that students must meet or interact with Murphy when he starts with us. Parents may opt out of their children being involved with Murphy by emailing myself, their class teacher or Mrs Vernon. If children have any anxiety about dogs and parents would like us to work with them to assist in overcoming anxieties we are also happy to discuss options.

As Murphy will be working within the Junior School it is important that we do not have any pet dogs on site without prior arrangement. From time to time children like to bring their pets in to show the class as part of their news or sharing sessions. This is still possible provided approval is sought through the class teacher. Requests are discussed with myself or Mrs Bath, Deputy Head of Junior School, to ensure the safety of our students, Murphy and any family pets. 

Mr Donald Thompson

Head of Junior School

Father's Day Stall

After a two year hiatus, Friends of Junior School hosted their annual Father’s Day Stall on Friday 1st September.  There was much excitement from the students being able to choose a gift for their dad, grandfather, or special friend to give them on Father’s Day.  We hope everyone enjoyed their day on Sunday 4th September and got a lovely surprise by their carefully chosen gift.   Thank you to Caroline Martin and Emma Armour for co-ordinating the stall and to the other parents who assisted on the day. 

Year One Dad's Morning Tea

Thursday 1st of September was a day full of excitement and fun. The Year One students welcomed their dads to school for a special Father's Day morning. The day began at 9:00am with the guests participating in some learning tasks with their children in the classrooms. The students discussed their dad’s interests and hobbies and the activities they liked to do with them. They also recalled their favourite memories of their dads. After spending some time learning in the classroom, the students proudly worked with their dads to complete a Father's Day scavenger hunt. This was set up as an orienteering course around the school. Directions were provided and the students and their guests moved around the school to read the clues and solve the various questions. Many dads visited some new places around the Junior School, like the wonderful Junior School Library, where they eagerly shared a story together. They learned about some of the school’s history and previous sporting achievements. Fitness was also on the agenda with everyone participating in various physical challenges. It was lovely watching dads with their sons and daughters skipping, hopping and running across the oval, as well as shooting baskets and conducting sit ups. The morning concluded with a shared morning tea. This allowed the opportunity for the guests to meet other dads and chat, whilst enjoying a hot drink and morning tea in Greenland. It was wonderful seeing the joy on the students’ faces as they thanked their dads for attending their special day.

Year One Sleepover

On Friday 26th of August, thirty eight excited Year One students explored Bendigo on the Talking Tram as part of their Year One camp experience. They learnt many facts about the history of Bendigo and saw the city’s key landmark and monuments. The students met the tram conductor Sammy. Sammy is the conductor of Tram No.918 which is known as the Dja Dja Wurrung tram and celebrates the traditions and history of Bendigo’s First Nation people.

Afternoon tea was at Beechworth Bakery. The students were independent in ordering and used their knowledge of Australian money to pay for their food. Death by chocolate was a favourite. 

After eating the scrumptious food at Beechworth Bakery, the students walked back to school to have a free play while waiting for the bus to take us to the Discovery Centre. They enjoyed having the whole school to themselves.

Upon arrival at the Discovery Centre the students were excited to see where they would be sleeping and the electrifying science experiments they would be exploring. 

The students had lots of fun exploring the science experiments and several courageous students even ventured down the vertical slide. The students had delicious pizza for tea followed by delicious cupcakes to celebrate the two birthdays we had. 

Year Two: Animal Studies

Year 2 students have been studying animals this term and learning to identify their features in order to classify vertebrates into their groups: mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians. We have noticed lots of similarities and differences between the animal groups, especially about their life cycles and young. As part of our exploration, we had a visit from a Bearded Dragon in Year 2! The students were able to look at the features of a reptile close-up and learn more about these amazing animals. 

Girton's Got Heart

Girton Parents' and Friends’ and Friends of Junior School hosted Girton’s Got Heart on Friday 2nd September.   The evening was originally scheduled for 2020 but due to the events of the past two years, was postponed to last week.  It was a great turnout with over 150 Girton parents in attendance. Everyone loved the opportunity to dress up and reconnect with old friends while also making new friends. Our parent groups have been focusing on reconnecting after covid and this event was an exceptional success!  

Whilst Girton’s Got Heart provided a wonderful opportunity for parents to reconnect it also raised money for Sisterworks.  Sisterworks is an organisation empowering refugee women to gain skills and get into the workforce.  They have a special connection with the Girton community after recently repurposing our old uniforms for a school in the Philippines and for the homeless shelters in Bendigo.  The evening raised over $7000 for Sisterworks and we are proud of the Girton community for getting behind such a tremendous cause.  A special thank you to the Girton’s Got Heart Committee who kept the momentum going throughout covid to ensure this event happened.  Thank you to Clarissa Smith, Kate Mahony, Julia Henery, Piranee Hall, Siobhan O’Malley, Alli Campbell, Paris Room-Batters and Emma Allan. Also to Nicole and Glenn Walker at Chateau Dore who were impeccable hosts for the evening. 

Opening of the Junior School Art Exhibition

Thursday 7th September saw the Opening of the Junior School Art Exhibition.  We were fortunate to have local Bendigo Artist Frankie O (Frankie O’Toole) open the exhibition.  Frankie was born in Ballarat and studied at Latrobe in Bendigo.  She is well known for her One Drawing a Day Projects, a commitment that helped shape her love of drawing.  Frankie’s work has now extended into media and digital drawing and she has had some large scale works commissioned by the CoGB.  Frankie spoke about her love of art and was in awe of the respect shown by the students when displaying their artwork. 

Congratulations to Mrs Nic James and Mrs Sharon Hocking, our Junior School Art Teachers who brought together the students' work to create the amazing and inspiring Art Exhibition for 2022.  Also we'd like to extend a special "thank you" to our dedicated parents who spent time assisting in framing the artwork, setting up the Hall and helping with all manner of tasks. The theme for this year's exhibition was "Australia" and was brought to life by student paintings, ceramics and displays.   

Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day is always a much loved day in the Junior School. Grandparents and special friends mark the date well in advance to ensure they do not miss out on visiting their grandchild or friend in the Junior School.   It was lovely to see everyone in attendance after missing our event for the last two years. Guests enjoyed the wonderful musical performances, the amazing Art Exhibition and were able to peruse the Book Fair and choose some great titles for the students.  A delicious lunch was provided by our Japanese teacher, Mrs Maria Krelle.  Thank you to everyone who attended, all the parents who volunteered to assist and the Girton staff for ensuring the students had a great day. 

Dan Petro Visit

This week we were lucky enough to have Dan visit the Junior School.  

Dan Petro is a Behaviour Analyst and director of Behavioural Resources Australia Pty Ltd.  He has worked with Girton Grammar School for a number of years and we are appreciative that Dan shares his expertise and knowledge with our parent community.

During his visit, Dan worked with staff and visited classrooms.  On Wednesday evening he gave a presentation to Junior School families, providing practical parenting advice.

On Thursday, Dan presented to the Junior School teachers regarding the return to live teaching after Covid, anxiety in students and catering for the needs of all students.

Divisional Basketball 

On Thursday September 1st, Girton Grammar School participated in the Sandhurst Divisional Basketball Competition. 

The boys' team won five and drew one of their six pool matches. The team finished on top of Pool C and qualified for the semi-finals. Each player contributed to the success of the team, improving throughout the day. Unfortunately, Girton was defeated by two points in the semi-final. 

The girls' team started slowly, losing their first pool game but followed up by winning the next 5 in a row to make the finals. A tough game in the semi-final saw Girton lose 11-3; however the girls enjoyed a great day of round-robin basketball.

We would like to thank Auri Upton and Liam Dole for their support on the day.

Mr Mark Di Fede and Mr Paul Flanagan

Aide Appreciate Week

The Junior School celebrated Aide Appreciation Week with a morning tea to thank all of our amazing support staff. The students made some wonderful thank you cards to show how much they appreciate the support provided by these staff members. The school community have provided a few sentences to thank our support staff. 

Alice Kilpatrick

• I like it when you take me to the body break room.
• I like it when you help me in the classroom. 
• You are very kind. 
• You have an ability to calm students when they feel anxious, and you know how to refocus students when needed. 
• You have stepped into your support role this semester, ensuring your calm manner puts the students at ease. 

Barbara Vincenzi

• Thank you for making me feel welcome.
• You are very nice all of the time. 
• Thank you for taking me to the body break room.
• Thank you for helping.
• You are helpful.
• Thank you for being nice. 
• A fun and enthusiastic member of the team who has the students benefitting from your energy!

Brayden Stewart

• You help me do my work.
• You are fun to work with. 
• I like it when you come into my room and help us. 
• You never get cross or use a loud voice.
• I can do my work when you are helping me. 
• A valued member of the team who is known for your calm manner in which you approach the students. 

Carly Barnes

• You make sensory classes so much fun. 
• I love doing relaxation and going to the body break room with you.
• You know how to help me when I am upset.
• I love coming into HQ and feeling calm with you, even when I am having a bad day. 
• You make me laugh and we always have fun with you. 
• You are an amazing resource, always ready to support our teaching staff and improve the wellbeing of our students! 
• Your role varies from day to day and you have a calm manner to approach all areas of school life!

Chloe Tunzi

• Thank you for being in our classroom
• You are so kind all of the time, even when I am sad.
• Thank you for being so nice.
• Thank you for looking after us.
• You love me when you are looking after me and everyone. 
• You are so helpful.
• Thank you for helping me. 
• You have a cheerful and happy nature and the students trust you. 

Emily Heisler

• You turn up with a smile and are ready to support wherever necessary. 
• You are very calm and patient.
• You help me get me work done. 
• You are very helpful. 
• It has been a pleasure having you as part of the team working with a range of students and always adapting to their needs.

Jesse Aluthhewage

• Thank you for helping in our class.
• You are the best.
• Thank you for helping.
• Thank you for being nice to me. 
• You are very helpful.
• You are gentle and softly spoken with our students, our students value the calmness you bring to the room.

Kate Mahony

• I love having you work with me. 
• You are very kind to me. 
• You always help me. 
• I like it when you are in our room
• Gentle, kind and a valued member of the team.

Katie McKeller

• You help me in our classroom.
• I like it when you sit with me and help me. 
• You are very kind.
• I hope you keep coming into our room because I like it when you come in to work with us. 
• A new member of the team who has already gained the trust of our most vulnerable students. 

Kelsey Pallpratt

• You are always smiling and make me feel happy. 
• You help me do my work when I find it hard.
• You have the biggest smile in the world!
• You are always so kind.
• I like it when you are in my classroom, you know how to help me feel calm and safe. 
• Your expertise from your studies have been a valuable asset to our team and we look forward to working with you again!

Lily Grossman

• You are always happy.
• I like your smile.
• You help me do my work. 
• I like it when you listen to me read in the morning. 
• You are kind. 
• You have a cheerful disposition which the students benefit from, always willing to step in and help out. 

Lisa Brooks

• You have lots of fun with me.
• I like it when we go to the body break room.
• You are very nice.
• I like it when you help me with my work. 
• You are patient and caring. 
• You are an asset to the classroom and understand the children so well. 

Millie Ovenden

• You are good at helping me Miss O. 
• I like it when you take me for a body break. 
• You are a great help in the classroom and make a huge difference to the student you work with. 
• You are fun to work with. 
• You have only been with us a short time but you have already made a great impact on our students. 

Robyn Weightman

• You are always helping me in the classroom.
• You listen when I read my book.
• You show me how to do my work. 
• You are always kind to me. 
• I like it when you show me how to do things. 
• It is great having a support staff member with so much knowledge of language to support our young students. 

Sally Whelan

• You help me when you come into my class. 
• I can do my work when you help me. 
• I like it when you say hello to me in the morning. 
• You are good at helping me get my work finished.
• I like it when I see you in HQ at lunchtime. 
• You are always willing to step up and support the students. You are a valued member of the team. 

Taylah Smith

• I like when you come to our room. 
• You help me get my work finished. 
• You are kind. 
• You are helpful in our room. 
• You are never cross. 
• Always willing to support students where necessary. You have the ability to work with anyone at any time!

Tianha Leader

• You are very kind. 
• I love it when you come into HQ at lunchtime and then help me outside.
• You always smile at me. 
• You help me in the classroom. 
• You are so kind and helpful to me. 
• Flexible and willing to help anyone in need. You have a kind and gentle manner with the students. 

Tracy Morris

• You are very kind to us.
• You help me read my books in the morning. 
• You help me when I am sad. 
• You are very helpful.
• You are very happy. 
• A valuable asset to the prep room!

Zoe Tresize

• You always enter our room with a smile.
• You always laugh and has fun with the students while they are learning. 
• You are amazing with the students you work with. You bring out the best in each and every one. 
• You help many children and are a great asset in the classroom.
• You help me answer the questions and get my work finished. I like when you visit my classroom.
• Thank-you for helping me and always being around.