Junior School
Welcome Back to Term 2!
I sincerely hope that all families enjoyed a safe and restful holiday period over the past few weeks. I trust that the boys are feeling refreshed and ready to tackle all that awaits over the coming nine weeks of the term. It was certainly a wonderful sight to see our Junior School students, especially our Year 5 cohort, don their winter uniform for the first time this year.
As I attended a local ANZAC Day memorial service on Tuesday morning, I felt a deep sense of gratitude to the countless men and women who served our nation or who continue to build on the legacy of the past by proudly serving our country today. May we always remember the sacrifices made by those who have come before us as we honour their significant contributions.
I would also like to acknowledge one of our wonderful Year 6 students, Xavier Khoury, who was recently recognised as the winner of the Strathfield Council ANZAC Day poetry competition which was contested amongst students of all ages from many schools in the local area.
In addition to winning this competition, Xavier was also asked to present his poem at the official ANZAC Day Service run by Strathfield Council, as well as our own College ceremony held at school. Congratulations on this significant achievement, Xavier!
As Term 2 has now commenced, I would like to remind all students about the opportunity for a fresh start, especially as we steadily build towards the Semester 1 reports and Parent/Teacher Interview process which mark the conclusion of the first half of the year.
In our Junior School classes, we work to ensure that the use of technology is purposeful and that the devices our students bring to school are utilised as a tool to modify or redefine learning, not simply as a substitute to other established teaching methods. In light of this, parents and carers are encouraged to work with their son/s in order to set a positive example through your own use of technology, and also to collaboratively establish boundaries around the use of devices at home.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shares their national guidelines which recognise the effects of physical activity, sleep and sedentary time (including screen time) on children’s overall development, health and wellbeing. Their research highlights that screen time has also been shown to increase between the ages of 10 and 14, especially amongst boys, many of whom are predominately gaming. This is certainly something to be mindful of as our students adjust to the return of usual school routines once again following the holiday period.
On another note, all parents/carers are reminded to please ensure that you sign your son’s diary at least once per week in the relevant section. In this way, parents/carers are able to see any daily notes, announcements or upcoming events, or gently remind their son that the diary is an important organisational tool that should be utilised more at school if there isn’t much recorded in it in the first place!
Finally, as we look ahead to the commencement of a new term filled with meaningful learning experiences and exciting opportunities for students, I would like to once again remind all parents and carers that the ‘live’ College calendar can be viewed directly through our website by clicking here.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (glenn.stephenson@spc.nsw.edu.au) or phone (8705 9247) and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.
May God bless you,
Glenn Stephenson
Director of Junior School