Junior School, South Plympton
Term 3 in the Junior School
I trust that you are all enjoyed the holidays. For those of you who stayed in Adelaide, as I did, how blessed were we to have such stunning sunshine? I am always tempted to head north for the July holidays, but realised that God can bless us wherever we are. I am reminded of a Nicky Gumbell quote; ‘If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it is probably AstroTurf.’ So wherever you spent the break, I trust that you enjoyed the blessings of being out-of-routine and having unstructured time with your children.
It is always a delight to read your children's reports at end of each semester. I am reminded of how much each of the children have grown and developed. They are all keen to take on new challenges through the many opportunities made available to them. We applauded the students who achieved Citizenship Awards at our end of semester assembly and were pleased that the parents of those children receiving awards were able to join us at the assembly.
Identity Day on the final day of term was also an opportunity for parents to come and celebrate the various passions and skills of the children. Children proudly stood next to their display and answered questions about their talents which were incredibly diverse from sports to music to footy codes they might follow, to jewellery making, to Lego building, and almost anything that you can imagine! A huge 'thank you' goes to Mrs Susanne Milne who organised this day.
Friendology Launch
As we look forward to Term 3, it is with much anticipation and excitement that we introduce the new friendship program ‘Friendology’ to the children. Through the lessons and activities that we will teach and introduce over the next semester, we aim to empower the children to build healthy relationships and become independent in solving any relationship breakdowns that they encounter. At the heart of this is our desire for them to develop their kindness towards each other.
‘So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.’ John 13:34
Through our teaching, we aim for children to have a change of heart towards one another. This is done through empowering them with skills, knowledge and practice, rather than school and class rules to live by.
We will introduce the children to ‘Friendology’ on the first Friday of Term 3 with our Friendship launch. The students will meet as a Junior School and share their strengths. They will work and play with ‘new friends’ from different year levels and set some goals around kindness. The students will also meet 'Kody' the 'Kindness Koala'.
For this program to be successful, we need the entire community, including parents, to understand the language and the strategies that will empower our children to develop these healthy relationships. It is critical that you make yourselves available on the evening of the Tuesday 15 August, when we will be running a free child-parent workshop. This will be online, and details will be sent prior to the event.
You can also access and join URstrong for free as a parent, by simply going to www.urstrong.com. This is such a rich resource of ideas, and teaches you the language that we will be teaching the children.
It is my prayer that the love and kindness that the children show towards each other and their community will be an incredible witness in our world.
Liz Hinrichsen
Head of Junior School, South Plympton
Junior School Identity Day
On the last day of Term 2, our South Plympton Junior School students were invited to showcase one of their interests or passions they've developed beyond the classroom. The EPAC was abuzz with vibrant colours and conversations as students connected with each other over their displays.
Our Emmaus Christian College community is full of God-given gifts. It was a delight to see our students standing next to their displays confidently interacting with students from Middle and Senior School, as well as parents and grandparents.
Brooklyn Park students will be participating in Identity Day in 2024, as we schedule this event in alternative years to the Musical.
We say a huge 'thank you' to everyone who supported the day to ensure it was a success, and through supporting each child with positive comments about their displays and vibrant conversations
Thank you God!
Susanne Milne
Launch Coordinator
Friendology Parent Workshop - Save the Date!
Language of Friendship Parent Workshop online
Tuesday, 15 August
The Friendology curriculum is an engaging and fun program designed to equip children with the skills and attitudes to nurture friendships and navigate relationships. South Plympton Students will commence the Friendology program this term and throughout semester 2.
We're pleased to host an online parent workshop, 'Language of Friendship' on Tuesday 15 August. Please save the date! This will be an important opportunity to understand the concepts and language your children are learning in this program.
The program is designed by URSTRONG. For more information, visit https://urstrong.com/
Emmaus families are invited to attend the Middle/Senior School Principal's Tour
Wednesday 23 August 2023, 9am - 11am
South Plympton Campus
Junior School families, (parents and their Emmaus children) are invited to attend the Term 3 Principal's Tour of our Middle and Senior School at South Plympton.
This is a fantastic opportunity to gain a sneak preview into all you'll have to look forward to in the secondary years at Emmaus and discover the variety of learning experiences and curriculum on offer. You'll also meet key leadership staff, and take a quick tour of the many many learning spaces.
All graduating Year 6 students from Brooklyn Park and South Plympton have guaranteed entry into Year 7 in our Middle School.
