The Score

Junior School

Welcome

Welcome back to all our staff and students of Scoresby Secondary College for 2020.  We hope you all had a safe and relaxing Christmas break and are ready for a big year ahead.

 

Term 1 started with our newest members of the College beginning their journey on Wednesday 29 January.  The day was filled with excitement and nerves from students, families and staff alike. Beginning with a year level assembly, students were introduced to their home group teachers and a few new staff that they would be working with throughout the year.

 

The Year 7 home group teachers include:

7A: Mr Donovan Lawrence

7B: Mr Sam Eddy

7C: Mr Patrick Dempsey

 

The day was filled with activities aimed to ensure a smooth start to their schooling including familiarising themselves with their timetable, understanding how to effectively use the school planner and receiving their own locker.  It was fantastic to see that by the end of the first day, the students had made many new friends and left feeling more confident in their transition to secondary school.

 

On Thursday 30 January, the Junior School welcomed back our students in Years 8 and 9. This year, the students had an alternative timetable where they were given the opportunity to organise themselves in preparation for a new school year.  Additionally, students were asked to set individual goals for subjects to achieve throughout semester 1.  This continues our focus on growth mindset and the belief that doing your best and continuing to grow is the best outcome for learning.

It was pleasing to note that most of the Junior School students presented themselves in the correct uniform and were engaged and ready to begin their learning.

 

Merit Chart

This year the Junior School is continuing the Merit Chart initiative for Years 7- 9 students. This initiative involves the students being acknowledged and rewarded for making a positive contribution to their learning and the community.  Each term will have a different focus. Term 1 will focus on the correct use of the College planner. It is expected that students record their classes for each day and any homework/assignments they receive and their due date. Planners are expected to be signed by parents / guardians at the end of each week. The planners will then be checked on Monday mornings in home group.

 

Maximising your learning

The start of the year is a prime opportunity to develop good habits at home and at school to support your child to achieve their best. Things to consider which can be implemented at home include:

 

Setting up a homework timetable: Homework in the Junior School sets up a good practice for the senior years where demands are much higher. Students should be completing the following:

 

Year 7: 1 hour per night

Year 8: 1 hour and 15 minutes per night

Year 9: 1 hour and 30 minutes per night

 

Homework/study can include many different things and therefore your child should not claim that they do not have any homework. Students are encouraged to revise over the content learnt that day, continue to read their independent novel, practice timetables, read the newspaper and much more.

To assist students with the completion of their homework, Homework Club will resume this year taking place on every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 pm- 4 pm in the library.  This is a fantastic support service where students can receive individual help from a supervising teacher.

At home work spaces: Setting up a good work space for your child is imperative for them to stay focused and complete their homework. Consider natural light spaces where you are easily accessible such as a kitchen table or dining room table. This means you are there to be involved with their learning and able to offer assistance when required.  It is also important to remove all distractions such as phones, TV, gaming consoles and iPad if not required.

 

Term 1 will be a very busy time for both staff and students with many excursions and incursions taking place. We must reiterate the importance of returning all permission forms and payments by the due date.

 

Here are the dates for a number of key events taking place this term:

  • Year 9 KIOSC visit: Friday 14 February
  • Student Photos: Thursday 20 February
  • Year 7 Camp: Wednesday 26 February- Friday 28 February
  • Upcoming Parent Teacher Interviews: Thursday 26 March

We look forward to meeting you all in the near future and for a successful year ahead.

Ms Emily Phibbs - Head of Junior School

Mr Donovan Lawrence - Year 7 Coordinator

Mr Jake Barnett - Year 8 Coordinator

Ms Su-Nhi Kim - Year 9 Coordinator