The Anchor

Junior School 

From the Head of Junior School

Easter is a treasured time of year. As a community it seems we all ‘pause’ at Easter, taking a moment to enjoy the significance it holds for our respective families.

 

Whether for your family it’s the religious significance of this period, or the egg hunt, the chocolatey goodness, the family and friends or the rest and relaxation this time offers; there is always much to be grateful for and celebrate at Easter.

 

In the Junior School, we have been celebrating many different aspects of our school life over the past two weeks. The music assembly was spectacular; the drawing festival – inspiring; our Interschool Swimming Carnival victory – pride filled; the Easter Chapel service and Easter Hat parade – heart warming and the Summer Sports presentation assembly – a delight to share as a community. Not to mention the joy of learning together that we celebrate daily in the Junior School. Where possible, I try to link each of our events back to our Learner Attributes so our students can draw connections to the occasion and the learning experiences we are valuing in that moment. 

 

Learner Attributes

  • Flexible Thinkers
  • Reflective
  • Responsible
  • Open-Minded
  • Confident
  • Resilient
  • Collaborative
  • Respectful
  • Persistent
  • Inquirers
  • Organised

At Easter, the attribute I feel most connection to is ‘Reflective’. Easter offers me a moment to reflect back on Term One, to be grateful for the positive experiences and to learn from areas that I would still like to develop further throughout the year. My wish for you at Easter is that this time offers you an opportunity to reflect on the start to 2021 also. 

Easter Hat Parade

The excitement of Easter is best observed on the faces of young children. There is something magic about the celebration that captures their hearts and minds, and invites us adults into their world to share the excitement with them. The Early Childhood Centre classes have been sharing the wonder of Easter over the past week, culminating with the Easter Hat Parade on the final day of Term. Supported by a gallery of family and friends, our ECC classes paraded their Easter Hat around the Gymnasium to song and dance before being presented with an Easter certificate from Principal Mr Mark Sawle and Deputy Principal Mrs Emma Franklin, making the occasion a truly memorable experience for our young students. 

The Drawing Festival

Students throughout the Junior School have been learning about the technical aspects and pure joy of drawing. Mrs Phoebe Duff, Junior School Art Teacher, has created a mini-exhibition style display of student artwork outside each classroom to showcase the pieces. As you walk through the ECC building, then the Years Three to Six building, your experience of the variety of drawing mediums and range of subject matter feels like you are taking a meandering journey of artistic expression through the world of drawing. Mrs Duff also included interactive elements where students, or anyone for that matter, could draw a sketch and share it on the drawing wall in the Years Three to Six building. Students loved seeing their artwork on display, proudly sharing their creation with friends and family when they were on-campus for Parent Teacher Interviews. Staff too enjoyed the displays and found many reasons to wander through the buildings each day. Our sincere thanks to all students for sharing their creative efforts, and to Mrs Duff for preparing the mini-exhibition. The past two weeks of the Drawing Festival has been such a delight for us all to enjoy, and a source of inspiration to encourage our inner artist to draw. I loved all the quotes Mrs Duff shared throughout the displays, but my favourite would be: Drawing is taking your imagination for a walk (Albert Einstein) What a beautiful way to think about drawing, thank you Mrs Duff.

Interschool Swimming Carnival

On Friday, 26 March Great Southern Grammar attended the Years Four to Six, Interschool Swimming Carnival at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre. Throughout the day the team was in fine voice giving our competing students a real buzz when taking to the water. All students were exceptionally well behaved, displaying fantastic sportsmanship and encouragement towards others. A big thank you to all parents who attended to support the children. 

 

Congratulations to the following students:

Year 6 Runner Up Champion Girl – Eleanor Parker-Halstead

Year 6 Champion Boy – William Baldwin

Year 6 Runner Up Boy – Mason Watkins

Year 5 Champion Girl – Matilda Leov

Year 5 Runner Up Girl – Molly O’Malley

Year 5 Champion Boy – Billy Hick

Year 5 Runner Up – André De Giambattista

Year 4 Champion Girl – Amaya Sepkus

Year 4 Runner Up – Blythe Marmion

Year 4 Champion Boy – Harrison Baldwin

 

A special mention to Amaya Sepkus who broke the A Division 50m Breaststroke record and to Jessie Rotoff for Beating the B Division 50m Breaststroke record. Fantastic effort girls, well done.

 

Overall Results 

1st           Great Southern Grammar

2nd          St Joseph’s College 

3rd           Bethel Christian College 

 

In celebration,  

Mr Ken Raven | Head of Junior School