Junior School Update
Year 5 and 6 on camp
Even though term had barely begun before this much anticipated event, many Year 5 and 6 students will surely say the term’s highlight would be their camp at Anglesea Valley Lodge. Students challenged themselves to step not only outside of their comfortable, warm homes, but also outside of their comfort zones, and to test their resilience and try new things while they developed important skills in independence and cooperation.
Every day was packed with fun adventure activities, including bush walking and kangaroo-spotting; mountain biking through puddles in the forest; canoeing in the rain; donning very tight wetsuits to body board in the freezing surf; a sandcastle-building competition; games on the beach; target practice on the archery field; and – when the rainfall was too heavy for even full-body wet gear to withstand – indoor team-building games. No wonder the students (and teachers) were exhausted on their return to Shelford! We were so proud of the way they immersed themselves into the camp experience and had a go at so many new experiences.
It was heartening to receive emails of thanks from parents who acknowledged the teachers’ commitment to leaving their own comfortable, warm homes and families to support the students’ camp experience. The Heads of Junior School would like to add their thanks to Mrs Adlard, Mrs Warner and Ms Henry for attending camp and providing the students with such exemplary care.
Junior School Athletics Carnival
What a fabulous time was had by all last Wednesday at the Junior School Athletics Carnival! Despite the chilly weather and the odd flurry of rain, the day ran like clockwork and students were provided with a wide range of sporting opportunities to test their speed, stamina and sportspersonship.
It was a joy to see so many Junior School students developing sporting skills, trying new things, and navigating the ups and downs of managing success and, sometimes, disappointment. The support each house received was vocal and enthusiastic – none more so than the resounding cheer that could be heard several kilometres away when Blundell won! Congratulations to Blundell, and also to Mr O’Connell and his PE team for making the day such a fun-filled success.
Junior School Student Leadership
The Junior School Captains and Parliamentarians had their first meeting of Term 2 last Thursday in the Drawing Room. Plans are afoot to address the management of litter around the school and the use of sporting equipment at play times.
The student leadership team is showing excellence in the areas of problem solving and collaboration and we look forward to seeing the fruits of this as their plans are devised and implemented.
Student Wellbeing: Resilience Focus
Activities like camp and athletics competitions require students to use their resilience muscles and to demonstrate their developing courage, strength and adaptability to bounce back from difficulties, setbacks, and stressful situations. Resilience is closely tied to problem-solving abilities and the capacity to see setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than failures.
Your children’s teachers emphasise the power of effort, perseverance, and learning from mistakes, rather than success. We teach children that intelligence and abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication and look at the process rather than the outcome. Another aspect of the wellbeing program is explicit teaching of the identification and management of emotions in healthy ways, such as deep breathing, engaging in physical activity, or seeking support from trusted individuals.
Resilient children are those who display optimism and gratitude – positive thinking teaches children to focus on the silver linings in difficult situations. They are children who are age-appropriately independent, with confidence in their abilities that results from taking on tasks and responsibilities that allow them to experience success and a sense of self-reliance and adaptability.
If you would like more information, Shelford offers parents access to a range of informative webinars, including our school psychologist’s presentation on resilience which she delivered at our Information Evening in Term 1. This may be accessed here.
Vicky Gemmell
Head of Junior School – Student Wellbeing and Development
Jacqui Sidaway
Head of Junior School – Curriculum and Innovation