Junior School Update

We have had a happy and successful two weeks of Intensive Swimming.

Preps and Year 1s Celebrate 100 days

On Friday 28 July, the Preps and Year 1s celebrated being 100 days smarter!

“I know how to write sentences.” – Beatrix W

“I know how to read the Jolly Phonics sounds.” – Sofiia B

“I know how to decode and blend.” – Sophia B

JDC Swimming

"This week we have had swimming lessons! The water has been lovely and warm, and we have learnt to improve our swimming stroke and technique." – Kate L

"Some of us have even been learning to dive! Diving is hard and sometimes if we hit the water with a belly whack, Mrs Walker and Mrs Williams cry out in pain! We can’t wait to swim again next week and continue to impress the bus drivers with how we can play the ‘quiet game’."   – Ellie C

Inquiry Learning: meeting the bunnies

During Inquiry JDC students have been learning about living things. They have been learning to classify, draw and label animals and identify their habitat, diet and features. They were invited to meet the Juers’ bunnies by Mark.

Community Spirit

The Hobbs family would like to thank the Shelford community for their incredible support during Emma (Y5) and Sophie’s (Y3) recent health challenges. The community rallied around and provided help accompanying the girls to and from school and activities, opening their homes for play dates, and dropping off healthy and delicious meals to our home. The generous gifts from school friends brightened Emma and Sophie’s spirits and the beautiful hamper organised by Georgia Contessotto brought them hours of fun and enjoyment. Their teachers Naomi Henry, Amy Warner and Shauna Wilson supported their learning and organised heartfelt cards for each of the girls, which kept them feeling connected to and part of school life. The kindness and generosity of spirit shown by the community really highlighted why we love being part of the Shelford family.

Congratulations, Milly!

Milly W (Y6) competed for the first time in the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (ASCF) All Star Battle. Both the Level 2 Junior Blizzards team and Level 3 Senior Co-Ed Storm teams she competed with won gold!

Wellbeing: navigating friendships

Friendships in the junior years can cause feelings that are complicated, challenging and painful, and it is often tricky for parents to know how to support their children through friendship issues. It can be devastating when your child comes home upset. However, this may be inevitable on occasion because it is a fact that young people do not have fully developed empathy. As a result, they may experiment with social power which may present as unkindness.

Young people need to be taught strategies to understand, communicate and cope with their feelings to build and maintain and improve friendships that are strong and caring.

As their parents, carers and teachers, it is our role to help children decide who and how they want to be in the world, and to teach them the essential five friendship skills:

Reaching out to make friends
Stepping back to keep friends
Blending in to join friends
Speaking up to share with friends
Letting go to accept friends

Some of these are opposites – we need to help children decide which skill that is appropriate to the moment, and to be flexible and to adapt to the situation they’re in. It may be helpful for parents to explore these skills with their children and to discuss what each skill means and involves.

It is also helpful to share the understanding that children’s friendships are a moveable feast. Research data indicates that in Year 1, half of children’s friendships don’t last the whole year; in Year 4 and Year 8, a quarter of friendships don’t last the year.

If you would like to learn more about supporting your child with friendship skills, Eileen Kennedy-Moore's 5-minute friendship advice for children aged 13 or under is a great resource: https://drfriendtastic.com/

Glen Eira Libraries event: Workshop with Zeno Sworder

Glen Eira Libraries has award-winning author and illustrator, Zeno Sworder, coming to Bentleigh Library and Youth Hub next Tuesday 15 August, 4 – 5pm, to deliver a storytelling and drawing workshop. It is totally free of charge and there will be some light snacks for all participants. Zeno is shortlisted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards this year for Best Picture Book, and is the previous winner of Best New Illustrator.

This is a unique and special opportunity to meet a CBCA-winning author/illustrator! Spaces are limited so we encourage interested participants to use the link below:

https://library.gleneira.vic.gov.au/whats-on/events-calendar/storytelling-with-zeno-sworder

Vicky Gemmell

Head of Junior School – Student Wellbeing and Development

Jacqui Sidaway

Head of Junior School – Curriculum and Innovation