From the Head of Junior School

Dear Members of the St Gregory’s College Family,

What a huge week we have just experienced in the Junior School with all sorts of fun, in regards to Book Week, IPSSO Sport and the wonderful experiences that are taking place within the classrooms. I thank you all for your participation and engagement with the College.

Book Week 2020

One of the biggest events in the calendar of many schools is Book Week. This year’s Book Week comprised of many literary activities that kept the students engaged and inspired by books. This year’s Book Week theme was ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds’ and the theme was so fitting this year! 

We were very lucky this week to host Gus Gordon, well known author of many picture books that are throughout our library. Gus led our writing workshops today and visited all classes. I want to thank Mrs Cosentino for her creativity, enthusiasm and inspiration that she provides our staff and students and for hosting such a wonderful Book Week at St Gregory’s College Junior School. 

PYP Parent Workshop and Parent Forum

On Monday 2 November we will be hosting two events for our Junior School parents, a PYP Parent Workshop and our Term 4 Parent Forum.

The PYP (Primary Years Programme) is the Learning and Teaching Framework that the Junior School has incorporated into the K-6 classrooms. On Monday 2 November at 6pm, we aim to provide parents with the opportunity to learn more about the Primary Years Programme so that you feel informed about the framework and how this impacts on the learning and teaching that is provided to your son or daughter. 

This will take place via Microsoft Teams and Daniela Romeo will send out a link to both the PYP Parent Workshop and also the Parent Forum in the coming days.

Student Leadership for 2021

Formalised Student Leadership responsibilities are a continued venture for our Junior School and these responsibilities are diverse in their nature. 

This coming week, our current Year 5 students have had the opportunity to self-nominate for the role of School Captain and/or House Captain in 2021. These nominees have a responsibility to build and continue to refine what a St Gregory’s student exemplifies. 

I am sure that our leaders will have a readiness as well as a willingness to support the work of the Junior School. We as a school are about to embark on the significant challenge of selecting students who will fill key leadership positions in the Junior School for 2021. 

Successful applicants are announced later in the year at the ‘Celebration of Learning’event. It is important to note that it is an expectation that all students at St Gregory’s College take on the responsibility of being leaders within our Junior School. As such, many additional opportunities exist for students to serve. 

Kindergarten 2021

2021 is fast approaching and with that is a sense of energy, nerves and apprehension for the incoming Kindergarten students for 2021. In Week 4 and 5 we will host two-afternoon Transition Sessions for our new Kindergarten students to experience life in the classrooms – we are really looking forward to this. 

These sessions are a great way for our teachers to meet our new incoming students prior to their first day in 2021. Each Kindergarten student will receive our very own ‘Welcome to Kindergarten at St Gregory’s College’ book as a part of their Orientation, as well as meeting their new teacher/s and new classmates for 2021. 

Due to COVID-19, we have had to rethink our practices and Kindergarten 2021 will have a week together at the start of 2021 prior to getting their full-time teacher.

Move Up Day

Our ‘Move Up Day’ is just around the corner and this is the day where all students K-5 will move up to the 2021 classes for the majority of the day. This will give students the knowledge of who is teaching each year level and which new students are attending the College in 2021. We look forward to this exciting day on Monday 30 November.

Teacher Shopping 

It is that time of the year as a College when we are starting to look at classes for 2021. It is also the time of the year when parents start to wonder what classes their son or daughter will be in for next year. Teachers are not yet confirmed for 2021, except for Kindergarten with Mrs Limbrey and Mrs Scott. Teachers in classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks. 

One thing that I need our whole community to know is that we will not allow ‘teacher shopping’ at St Gregory’s College. We have wonderful teachers at St Gregory’s who do their absolute best to ensure that the student experience is one that is the best it possibly can be. 

No requests for your son or daughter next year are to be taken to the classroom teachers. If you have a specific request that is essential for your son or daughter’s learning, please let me know in writing. But there will be no guarantee that this will take place due to the variables. The ‘Move Up Day’ is the date we have selected to see the classes in action before we make concrete decisions for 2021.

When we are making classes for next year we keep in mind:

• Friendships that are a positive for the learning of the child
• Friendships that may possibly disadvantage the learning of the child in the class or any clashes of personalities that we can avoid
• A good academic mix between the classes
• Specific needs of the child that would suit one class over the other.

As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘You will reap what you sow’.

Mr Joel Weekes

Head of Junior School