Junior School News
Loughlan Diver and Blaise O'Brien's catapults
- From the Head of the Junior School
- Junior School Sport
- From the Junior Resource Centre
- Junior Chess
From the Head of the Junior School
PRAYER
Beatitudes for parents
Thank you to all the parents who joined in to the Information Evening in Week 2. I used the prayer below on that evening. As a parent you are the prime educator of your child. With this in mind, I have included the Beatitudes for parents.
Blessed are the parents who make their peace with spilled milk and with mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood.
- Blessed is the parent, who engages not in comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own individuality and growth.
- Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned laughter, for it is the music of the child’s world.
- Blessed and mature are they, who without anger can say ‘No”, for comforting to the child is the security of firm decisions.
- Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it is heart’s ease in childhood.
- Blessed are they who can accept awkwardness of growth, for they are aware of the constant perilous choice between marred furnishings and marred personalities.
- Blessed and wise are those parents, who understand the passage of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth, but a shield to protect the growing one.
- Blessed are the teachable, for knowledge brings understanding, and understanding brings love.
- Blessed are the men and women, who in the midst of everyday routine give love, for they bestow the greatest of all gifts, to each other, to their children and ever – widening to their fellow human beings.
Amen
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Year 5 PLDs
We had a few issues last week but all the boys should have their PLDs working now. It would be wise for the boys to tell you their password for safe keeping and so you can randomly check their usage. I do recommend that boys use their PLDs at the family dining table or somewhere public and they shouldn’t be taking them to their bedroom at night. You need to allocate a suitable charging spot in the house each evening. All boys and their parent/guardian should have read and signed the ‘Acceptable use policy for students and technology,’ on pages 17 and 18 of the College diary. There are resources available on the Office of the eSafety Commissioner site for your use. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.
Safer Internet Day - Year 6
Yesterday was Safer Internet Day 2021. There are resources available on the Office of the eSafety Commissioner site for your use. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents. All boys and their parent/guardian should have read and signed the ‘Acceptable use policy for students and technology,’ on pages 17 and 18 of the College diary.
On Friday 26 February, Year 6 will have a Bully Zero presentation beginning at 10.40 am. Please ensure your son doesn’t have a music tuition lesson between 10.40 am and 12.00 noon.
If you are looking for some tips on being Safe on Social Media there are some interesting tips that can be found at https://www.safeonsocial.com/
If you have concerns about your son and his use on the internet or gaming please do speak with his teacher and also feel welcome to contact one of our counsellors.
Junior School Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to the boys from Barron on winning the carnival. It was wonderful to have a carnival in these COVID times and for all the boys to be involved.
A photo tells a thousand words. Here are a few thousand words.
Chinese New Year and Parade
Chinese New Year will begin this Friday. We will be having a Chinese New Year Parade on Friday 19 February which will coincide with the Junior School Merit Award Ceremony.
It is usually a Chinese tradition to wear something new or something red for luck in the new year.
I have attached a link here if you are looking for some information about Chinese New Year…It is the Year of the Ox this year…..great for your work-life and finance! Gongxi Gongxi!
Booking a Face-to-Face Interview with your son's teacher
The purpose of the meeting is for you to inform us about your son. The interviews will be held face to face at the College. For this to occur, it will be important for parents to arrive and leave promptly. We don’t want parents arriving early and filling up the Junior School Corridor. The interviews will be in your son’s homeroom classrooms and I have instructed the teachers to keep strictly to the times. If you need a further interview or a phone call then you can email the teachers after the event and it can be arranged.
In order to book you need to follow the instructions below. The interview booking form will open at 6.00 pm on Wednesday 10 February (tonight).
Please complete the questionnaire and return to your son’s teacher. We would like you to discuss goals with your son.
Please find below the links to the School Interviews booking information letter and the Parent Questionnaire to be completed prior to the interview.
The upcoming week
Thursday 11/ 2 – Junior School Sports. The boys will have two periods of school and after recess they will go to Oxford Falls for Sport – They require hats, water bottles and lunch. If you wish to collect your son from Oxford Falls please wait in the carpark in your car as per Mr McBrearty’s instructions. The boys will be bussed back to school and we will be dismissed on arrival which is generally shortly before 3.00 pm.
A reminder that you can’t take another person’s child from Oxford Falls unless we have a letter/email from that child’s parent granting permission.
Monday 15/2 - Junior School Parent Teachers Interviews Day 1 – please complete and return the survey about your son before the interview.
Tuesday 16/2 – Whole College Opening Mass at Oxford Falls and then Junior School will watch a play on Cyber Bullying. This is a full day at Oxford Falls- Boys will need to be in their normal uniform with a tie etc (not sports uniform). Boys need to bring a small bag (ie sports bag) with morning tea, lunch, a hat and a water bottle).
Wednesday 17/2 – Ash Wednesday service - Period 5 in gym for the Junior School. This is the beginning of Lent. I will write about Lent in next week’s Woodchatta / Junior School Parent Teacher Interviews Day 2 – please complete and return the survey about your son before the interview.
A THOUGHT TO PONDER
‘If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" Bette Reese
Thanking you for your support.
Mr Tim Long - Head of the Junior School
Science in Year 6
This term Year 6 are learning all about energy and electricity. We had our first lesson last week where we investigated potential and kinetic energy. The boys worked in small groups to build a catapult. Did you know that catapults were mighty handy for pirates in the golden age of piracy (during the 17th century). Medieval knights also used them centuries earlier for taking down massive castle walls. Even Greeks and Romans used catapults about 2,000 years ago! These simple machines are quite handy, as long as you know how to aim them!
Mrs Samantha Iwatani - Junior School Curriculum Coordinator
Junior School Sport
Thursday Sport: Saturday fixtures for this weekend are listed below. Boys in Basketball and Touch Football will be given their loan uniform at Thursday Sport as per the details in the player letter on The College App.
Bus Protocol:
Whilst on Chartered buses all boys MUST always wear a face mask. Please ensure your son has one to comply with this.
Oxford Falls Pick-up between 2.10 pm - 2.20 pm:
- Location: Outside the Caretakers House as you pull into the car park on the left-hand side. Please join the queue or if first one here please stop outside and start a queue.
- Please remain in your car at all times.
- As you approach the front of the queue, the teacher on duty will identify you and your son will be dismissed.
- Any boy not picked up by 2.20 pm will be available for collection from Chatswood at 3.00 pm.
Basketball:
Training Week 4
There will be no training for K and L teams due to Parent Teacher interviews.
Cross-Country:
Join our Senior leaders and top athletes, Matthew North and Dominic Panozzo, alongside our distance coach, Izzy Thornton-Bott for fun, varied and challenging sessions.
Beauchamp Park, Chatswood from 7.30 am – 8.15 am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Meet at the Grandstand in comfortable running gear and with a water bottle. You don’t have to aspire to run in the IPSHA Carnival - all students and abilities welcome.
Junior Swimming Carnival: Thank you to all involved in the Swimming Carnival last week. We were lucky to have such a great day! Well done on all the efforts in the pool boys.
Champion House: BARRON
Swimming Squad Training 2020/21
As we build towards our two carnivals this term (Brothers 26 Feb and IPSHA- 2 March) training for those selected for the Swim Squad have commenced training this week.
NB - There is no longer a clash and all boys will go to both carnivals.
Location: Fitness First, Chatswood (24 Endeavour St, Chatswood)
Requirements: Suitable swimwear, goggles and swim cap
- Students wear PE/ Pius Sports Uniform to the sessions. At 8.15 am the boys are walked back to school by staff. They then change into school uniform. A snack/breakfast is also recommended at this point.
Monday mornings (7.15 am – 8.15 am)
8 February until 8 March
Tuesday mornings (7.15 am – 8.15 am)
9 February until 9 March
Friday Mornings (7.15 am– 8.15 am)
12 February until 12 March
Touch Football
Mr Benn McBrearty - Junior School Sports Master
NSTA Tennis
Enthusiasm was in the air for the first game of the Term 1 matches last Saturday. It was great to see so many new players, 17 in total from the Junior School take up tennis. For many of these players it was their first time playing competition tennis. Thanks must be given to: Richard Gauci, Lucas Durey, Jamie Leong, Alex Vaccher and Aiden Parsons who volunteered to come and help out with umpiring. The help that these boys gave the Junior boys was invaluable.
In our Green Ball Division Justin Lee and Lucas Willems (SPX 26), Aidan Lam and Kayden Foo (SPX 28) and Ryan Chung and Daniel Lenehan all had a cracker start winning all three sets to take a win for the first week. It was an exciting singles match on Court 8 between Jack Costa and Jonathon Webster with Jonathon taking the win 6-5. Will Scaiff, John Badger-Rahme and Josh Barwell (SPX 15) were hungry for the win also and victory came their way against Redlands 22 winning 18 games to 9.
The light rain at 10.00 am didn’t dampen the spirits of the players and the games went ahead as planned. A newcomer to SPX Adrian Yu teamed up with Antony Autore (SPX 8) and their combined efforts and skill saw them achieve a win 3-0 against SPX 7. Despite their best effort and although Christian Wong and Lucas Durey (SPX 12) tied in games with Redlands 15, they were just beaten by 1 set which saw them walk away, heads held high, with a loss.
Thank you everyone for remembering to follow the COVID Rules, all players and spectators signing in and hand sanitising, making it safe for everyone. Let’s pray for the continued good weather for the rest of the season.
Mrs Samantha Iwatani - NSTA Convenor
From the Junior Resource Centre
Make a Date with your Library – Library Lovers Day 14 February, 2021
Need a date this Valentine’s Day? Well Valentine’s Day falls in Library Lovers Week. So, how about you make it a date with a book! To add some spice, we have made it a “blind date” with a book. Rate your date for an added sweet treat. You can also make a date with your friendly librarian Mrs Martin to help find that special book to read, or help with resources for your homework and even cast your eyes over some beautiful Love letters. #libraryloversday
Guessing Competition. Hearts In A Jar!
Inside this Jar there are many hearts. Pop into the library, take a guess and the winner will get an awesome prize during our Library Lovers Day activities. Don’t spoil the fun if you can guess.
We love our library for loads of different reasons, make a date to visit this week. A great way to incorporate this year’s theme. Better together #librarylove
Ludwig Van Beethoven to his ‘Immortal Beloved’
Letter 1
Good Morning on July 7
My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved
I can live only wholly with you or not at all –
Be calm my life, my all. Only by calm consideration of
Our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together
Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful
Heart of your beloved.
Ever thine
Ever mine
Ever ours.
Welcome back to all our students.
I love seeing readers reading! Especially new Year 5 and 6 students who already feel comfortable enough to use our library. Awesome!
Mrs Martin’s Book Trail –
This week let’s look at some nonfiction books. My favourite new kids’ nonfiction book has to be 'I love The World' by Tania McCartney. The design is beautiful. The organisation of information is quirky and fascinating. Organised into chapters for each world continent, Tania’s illustrations will have any child or parent poring over the pages for many hours, and learning great facts about places near and far.#MrsMartinsBooktrail2021 #juniorresourcecentre
Ms Elena Martin – Teacher Librarian
JUNIOR SCHOOL CHESS CLUB
The NSW Junior Chess Competition is pleased to invite the SPX Junior School to take part in the 2021 Primary Schools Chess Teams Competition.
Registration closes Monday 22 February, 2021. Attached is a Chess Newsletter with all the relevant information if your son is interested please complete the form, detach and hand it to Mrs Martin by Week 5, Monday 22 February, 2021. Training begins Week 8, Tuesday 16 March, 2021 at 7.30 am in the Junior Resource Centre.
Mrs. Elena Martin - Junior School Chess Convenor