From the Junior School
From our Head of Junior School
As we come to the end of our school year, I have been reflecting on the celebrations of learning and the challenges we have faced as a Junior School family. Thank you all for your constant love, kindness and messages of support throughout this year. We feel so blessed to walk alongside you and to help guide your daughters as they grow and learn. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and hope those of you who have not seen loved ones for a long time are able to connect with them over this summer. Our thoughts and prayers are with all our families and friends overseas who face new COVID-19 challenges.
Looking back to look forward
This week we look back on our amazing Year 6 girls and whilst we are sad to farewell them, we wish each of them so much luck and love as they look forward to new adventures in Year 7. We have enjoyed reflecting with them on their journey through the Junior School and acknowledge they have each stepped up as leaders and role models consistently modelling our College values throughout this very challenging year. We are extraordinarily proud of them all.
Reflecting on 2021 – Year 6
“2021 was, to say the least, interesting. We went into lockdown halfway through the year and many events were cancelled. Fortunately, there were many moments that have brought me joy. Some highlights were the Outdoor Education program because we spent four days with our friends, the Year 6 Disco because it was so much fun to dance and sing together and playing Saturday sport in Terms 1 and 2 because sport brings me joy.” – Elisa Cui (6P)
“I found lockdown challenging to not always have the support from my teachers and friends in person every day. When we returned back to school it brought me great joy to see everyone again, explore new topics that I had never learned about before and of course all of the Year 6 special events. I feel very relieved that we could have them and celebrate a very different year that has taught me to be flexible, ready for changes and always have an open mind.” – Eliza Rose Griffiths (6Y)
“At the start of Year 6, I was quite ready to finally have a year without COVID-19. It was a new beginning, a new chance to learn in the classroom and a blooming opportunity to succeed. Then disaster struck, COVID-19 had come back and we had to go into lockdown. During online learning, I was definitely not my best self, my attention span grew shorter and I became impatient with my internet speed. When Term 4 came, I was ready to restart. I think it’s good that I had challenges in Term 3, as now I’ve learned a lot more about myself.” – Tara Sproules-Nath (6M)
“I felt that a challenge for me this year was speaking out my thoughts online as it was difficult. But as I got used to it, I came out of my shell slowly. Speaking and sharing my ideas thoughtfully has turned into my best joy for the year.” – Vivian Wei (6B)
“This year, I enjoyed being able to go back to school because some children in other countries aren’t able to because of COVID-19. I was grateful I was still able to connect with my friends during online learning. I’m grateful for the teachers as they were able to make online learning fun and we had mufti days every Friday!” – Sienna Ford (6L)
“This year I found joy in my academics and my leadership role. I had the pleasure of being Wylie House Captain. I got to take people round the school on tour and lead a group of girls in Wylie. What brought challenge to me this year was getting out of my comfort zone and trying to go to the next higher level in my work. I have enjoyed my life in the Junior School and can’t wait to go to the Middle School and learn even more.” – Isabel Neal (6E)
“Year 6 has been the most enjoyable year ever filled with challenges as we have had to adapt and adjust to a harder learning environment due to online learning. Accompanied by the joys of developing new friendships as well as the opportunities to learn and experience more each day has really been a wonderful journey.” – Mia Chen
Here are some photos which show just how much the Year 6 girls have grown over their Junior School journey.
Mrs Wilson and Mrs Wright’s Year 6 literacy group has written their own collaborative poem, My City inspired by their love of Dorothea Mackellar’s My Country. Please click this link to enjoy their recital of their poem. Thank you to these poets: Kayra Amir, Nazgol Koochakzadeh, Annabel Lewthwaite, Bella Liem, Lucinda Martin, Harriet Murphy, Zara Orr, Victoria O’Sullivan, Anjali Shah, Gabriella Sheh, Annabel Tamas, Cassandra Vielman, Lara Waterhouse, Ruby Watson, Georgia Yuen and Catherine Zeng.
We shared a wonderful evening of dancing with our Year 6 girls at their celebratory Silent Disco. A huge shout out to the hard working Year 6 team who brought this evening to life despite COVID-19 restrictions. The girls had some dazzling dance moves and there were some impressive air guitarists amongst them but most of all it was an evening of joy and friendship as they celebrated together.
What brought us joy this year – a reflection by our Junior School Year Co-ordinators
This week our amazing Year Co-ordinators have reflected on their journey this year and what has brought them joy.
“My greatest source of joy this year has been our gorgeous Year 3 girls. I have been so impressed with the courage, resilience and perseverance the girls have demonstrated, in spite of the challenges they have faced. Their enthusiasm and excitement for learning is infectious, and it has been a delight to watch them grow and change throughout the year.” – Mrs Tedesco, Year 3 Co-ordinator
“In 2021 I have been filled with joy by the way Year 4 has embraced kindness. Walking into school each morning and reading the messages of kindness that covered the bricks of our building never failed to make me smile with pride and joy.” – Mr Stephen Robinson, Year 4 Co-ordinator
“Year 5 has given me lots of joy in 2021 and I am so proud of how easily the girls have adapted to change. Going from learning on campus to learning online and then back again, the girls kept smiling and embracing changes and challenges. Joy has come through seeing girls take risks and being okay to step out of their comfort zone and fail. Joy came from the Year 5 girls stepping up to teaching their classmates and teachers to cook family recipes online and about their culture and religion. Joy came from girls choosing to be kind and looking after each other in what has been a crazy year. Joy was hearing laughter and hearing girls question why and what they were learning. Joy has come in so many ways in 2021 and I look forward to all the joy 2022 will bring.” – Mr Turnbull, Year 5 Co-ordinator
“2021 has been filled with joy from the moment I was blessed to nurture, care and guide such a beautiful group of Year 6 girls and an amazing team of colleagues. To empower and witness our dear girls having a voice, sharing it with care, responsibility and kindness, to be heard, valued and to make a difference in the lives of others has been the centre of 2021 for me and this has brought me enormous joy. As Mark Twain once said. “To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with” and I have been so very lucky to have shared this wonderful journey with each and every one of our resilient and courageous Year 6 girls. I am so grateful.” – Michele Wilson, Year 6 Co-ordinator
Staff News
As we head to the end of the year, we are farewelling some staff who head off for new adventures in 2022. We send them off with best wishes and much gratitude for all their hard work throughout their time in our Junior School family.
We thank Mrs Dignam who has shared her passion for French language and culture with the girls this year.
We thank Mrs Sharman who has led the learning for our girls in Year 6 throughout Semester 2 this year.
We thank Mrs Woodyatt who has led Performing Arts lessons with such passion, skill and positive energy. The musical performance the Junior School girls presented at their Final Assemblies is testament to her hard work alongside Mrs King and Mrs Hare.
We farewell Mrs Plummer and send her off with much love as she heads into her maternity leave. We wish her, Peter and their daughter Gwen much luck in their new adventures as a family.
We thank Mrs Ward for her years of dedication as a Compass teacher and are delighted to announce she will be joining our Learning Support team from 2022 leading EAL/D.
We thank Mrs Day for her care of our girls throughout this year and particularly for stepping in as a specialist teacher online and then as a Compass teacher within the Year 3 team.
We sadly farewell Madame Hanson this year after 16 amazing years with our Junior School. Madame Hanson has dedicated so much energy, care and joie de vie to our Junior School girls over the years and she is looking forward to many healthy, happy adventures as she gifts herself the time to explore her passion for writing as she retires from teaching. Our girls will formally farewell her on Friday in our final Junior School Assembly for this year as she is very loved by them all.
Our Junior School Leadership 2022
It gives me the greatest pleasure to think about leading our Junior School family next year alongside this outstanding senior leadership team who each bring experience, wisdom and kindness to their roles:
Deputy Head of Junior School Academic – Mrs Lara Bird
Deputy Head of Junior School Operations – Mrs Nerissa Davey
Deputy Head of Junior School Students – Mrs Kimberley Tyson
Lead Co-ordinator Years 1-3 – Mrs Jayne Mercer
Lead Co-ordinator Years 4-6 – Mr Stephen Robinson
Mrs Kate Brown
Head of Junior School
Notices
Return of Online Student Device – Friday 3 December, 2.00pm – 3.00pm Centenary Carpark
Return of student iPads (online students) and collection of student belongings will take place on Friday 3 December. Please come to the Centenary Carpark to collect your daughter’s belongings and to hand in her iPad, crayon and charger (if applicable).
JSPG
As this is our last newsletter as JSPG leaders, we would like to thank all parents for their help and support this year. We have really enjoyed representing Junior School parents and working with the school to help our wonderful parent community. We could not have done this without the help and support of our awesome JSPG Committee and Class Parents:
JSPG Committee
Treasurer: Elizabeth Toh
Record Keeper: Belinda Gerreyn
Care & Support: Shweta Deshpande
Year 3 Coordinators: Monika Surana and Stephanie Yu
Year 4 Coordinators: Stephanie Pickford and Belinda Gerreyn
Year 5 Coordinators: Tash Rowe, Kirsten Bond and Brooke Finucane
Year 6 Coordinators: Kajal Shah and Magda Louw
Class Parents
3P: Edwina Burns and Jen Tucker
3Y: Sinead Forbes and Ivor Lok
3M: Leah Deutscher and Lynn Morrison
3B: Juliana Huang
3L: Donna Zhang
4P: Ping Shi and Aimy Hoang
4Y: Vu Kwan
4M: Shweta Deshpande and Suzana Macolino
4B: Nia Luxton and Annabel Blaiklock
5P: Isma Gair and June Ng
5Y: Rachael Wang
5M: Carmen Man
5B: Sarah Wyatt
5L: Kadie Cheng and Jacqui Hung
5E: Heidi Elliott
6P: Annabel Blaiklock and Karen Landy
6Y: Amanda Englund
6M: Madga Louw and Christina Lee
6B: Amie Tang and Sara Ho
6L: Megan Kinniburgh
6E: Michelle Cummings and Natasha Neal
We wish you all a safe and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you at Pymble in 2022!
JSPG Quote of the Week:
‘What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.’ Buddha
