Children’s Book Council of Australia – Book Week 2025
In Week 5, we will focus on this national celebration of Australian children’s literature and reading across the School. The activities and opportunities planned across the week will allow us to connect, celebrate, and advocate for the value of storytelling, books and reading for everyone.
Performances Monday, 18 August 12pm & 2pm Students will attend theatrical book adaptations performed by Meerkat Productions based on the 2025 CBCA Shortlisted and Notable books – The Garden of Broken Things (YK – Y2) and Small Acts (Y3 – Y6).
K-6 Assembly Wednesday, 20 August 12pm We will come together to celebrate Book Week and witness the excitement of the Years 3-6 Spelling Bee Final.
Books at Bedtime Thursday, 21 August 5.30pm This event for Kindergarten and Year 1 returns this year on the Thursday evening (details will be emailed separately).
K-6 Book Character and Theme Parade – Book an Adventure Friday, 22 August 8.30am Students and staff are encouraged to interpret this year’s theme, ‘Book an Adventure, through costume and props.
Parents are warmly invited to this outdoor celebration of book characters and literary ideas. It’s time to start planning!
Kind regards
Ms Light and Mrs de Wit
Music News Update – Week 2
With the upcoming performance opportunities listed below, we have already had a flurry of enrolments for the Music Morning Concerts, JS Soireé and JS Music Eisteddfod.
Regarding the JS Music Eisteddfod, I have extended the closing date by one week to Monday, 4 August (Week 3) to allow more enrolments, as I understand it has been difficult to meet the earlier deadline so early in the term. Last year, we had around 130 entries and we are currently about halfway there.
Performance opportunities
K- 6 Music Morning Concerts Music Morning Concerts are held on certain Fridays from 8am to 8:30am in Music Room 1. These concerts are open to students in K to 6 who have a piece ready at performance standard, regardless of level of difficulty. It’s always wonderful to hear their great work and witness our students’ progress in an encouraging environment. Instrumental teachers sign up their students, as appropriate, and you will receive an email from me with an invitation to attend should you like to hear your son perform.
If your son is learning outside the school, and he is ready to perform, please send an email to pfox@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au should you wish him to take up this opportunity.
Friday, 15 August (Week 4)
Friday, 29 August (Week 6)
Junior School Music Soireé – Thursday, 21 August: 6pm – 7pm (Week 5) On Thursday 21 August there will be a Junior School Music Soireé held in Music Room 1 from 6pm to 7pm. This event is for more accomplished instrumentalists and vocalists in Years 3-6 who are well prepared and can perform with polish and regard to the musical style. Your son’s instrumental teacher (or Mr Fox) will send home a Soireé form should they feel this event is suitable for your son. Please note: this event is also open to students who have private instrumental lessons outside of the School. Please click here for more information.
Spring Festival: Year 3 to 6 Junior School Music Eisteddfod – Thursday, 28 August, from 1pm (Week 6) As part of the Spring Festival, the Cranbrook Junior School Eisteddfod has been designed for boys in Year 3 to 6 to showcase their performance on piano, strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, guitar and voice.
This year’s Eisteddfod will be judged by external adjudicators who will write an encouraging report on the boys’ performances, give feedback and award grades of achievement.
Entry forms (yellow) can be found in the Music Studio hallway or via the information link below. Entries need to be submitted by Monday of Week 3 to allow enough time to book piano accompanists.
Click here for further information and entry form.
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A comprehensive list of all Junior School Music events for Term 3 can be found here.
Best wishes,
Peter Fox Head of Music, Junior School
NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
Congratulations to the readers who have already completed the challenge. The final date to register books read this year has been extended to Friday, 19 September. A reminder that login details are in student diaries. For assistance, please contact Mrs de Wit edewit@cranbrook.nsw.ed.au
Happy holiday reading!
Ms Light and Mrs de Wit
Term 3 Events Overview
Please follow this link to view the Term 3 Events Overview for Junior School Parents.
Pre-schools’ Update – Week 2
Dear Pre-school Families,
We have had another wonderful start to the week, filled with excitement and meaningful learning! Our 2-day children have been exploring photos from when they were babies, sparking conversations about how they’ve grown and changed since birth. It’s been quite a fun challenge trying to guess who’s who in the baby pictures! Some of our 3-day children have enjoyed observational painting, closely studying the natural elements in our garden – like our flourishing mandarin tree. Others have begun exploring the concept of change through sensory play, observing how sand transforms when water is added. For our 5-day children, the leaf insects continue to be a source of fascination. The children have been closely examining their features – gently holding them, observing them through magnifying glasses, and expressing their thoughts through drawing and discussion. Meanwhile, the St Mark’s children have continued their deep dive into the world of snails, learning about what they eat and exploring their life cycle. We’re loving the curiosity and wonder that’s emerging across all our groups as the children engage, question and discover!
Waitmate Information Session The Junior School is hosting an information session on Tuesday, 12 August to help us better understand the consequences of smartphones and social media on growing minds and to explore what we can do to reduce these risks for our own children. This topic will be addressed by a child psychologist and representative of Waitmate, an organisation that helps families work through these issues. All Pre-school families are invited to join this very important session.
Date: Tuesday, 12 August Time: 8:30 – 9:30am Venue: Junior School Gym
Feedback Working closely with families is a big part of creating a meaningful and responsive educational program. Families bring valuable knowledge about their child’s experiences, interests, culture, and learning styles, which helps us plan curriculum that is both meaningful and relevant. Thank you to all the parents who have shared their feedback after reviewing their child’s portfolio and developmental summary. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please take some time to do so and kindly return your child’s portfolio to their classroom teacher. We will continue to invite your feedback regularly, either weekly or fortnightly, to help us improve and strengthen our educational program. Keep an eye out for opportunities to share your thoughts at the sign-in area starting next week!
A Reminder About Afternoon Collection Just a gentle reminder that our Pre-school day finishes at 2:45pm. We understand that parking can be tricky, especially with nearby construction, so we encourage you to allow plenty of time to find a legal parking space and arrive by no later than 2:45pm.
We also understand that some families may have older children to collect from other campuses. To help support this, you are welcome to pick your child up from 2:15pm onwards if needed.
This weekend’s sport saw a wide range of results, with standout performances across rugby and football. Unfortunately, tennis was rained out. The Year 3 and 4 football teams continued to impress with strong wins and fluent play, while older teams faced tough opposition and showed great resilience.
A special highlight of the week was welcoming Welsh and British & Irish Lions rugby legend Leigh Halfpenny, who gave a goal-kicking masterclass to our kickers and shared his knowledge with our Year 3 and 4 Cranbrook students during training. I was an unforgettable experience for our young players.
With 2 rounds left of winter sport, let’s stay focused and energised so we end the season on a high note.
Yours in sport,
Mr James Roughan Head of Sport and PDHPE – JS
Year 4 Rugby Photos
Rugby
Year 6A
Cranbrook 7–33 Shore
Cranbrook made a bright start to this fixture, despite being without several players due to illness and injury. The forwards fronted up well, and their effort was rewarded when Hadley S sniped over from the back of a scrum. The match remained close for a time, but Shore capitalised on their pace out wide and gaps left by players out of position. Their quick ball movement punished Cranbrook repeatedly. Despite the scoreline, the team looks forward to welcoming back four first-team players for next weekend’s match.
Year 5A
The Year 5s did well to hold out a tough St Augustine’s A side, defending for long periods before eventually conceding. However, they bounced back in the second fixture, putting on a brilliant display of running rugby led by Wills, Ben, and Eric, scoring four tries in just ten minutes.
Koola Park – Rugby 7s
Each year group participated in the Rugby 7s at Koola Park, with the day beginning under clearing skies. The Year 3 teams kicked off the morning with some entertaining rugby, showing great improvement in their catch-and-pass accuracy and attacking awareness. The Year 4, 5, and 6 teams all followed up with strong performances in competitive matches. Early tries and confident defence helped shake off any rust from the holidays. Year 4 will return to their 12-a-side fixtures for the remainder of the season.
Peter Dumbleton Head of Rugby
Football
6A – 1-0 The Cranbrook 6A Team returned to the 2nd half of the season after their well-earned school holidays to cold morning of a Queens Park football field facing a strong team from Waverley College. Much of the first half spent trying to find a goa, after a concerted effort from 6A’s attacking players came to the fruition, a goal was scored from Lucas S. The rest of match contested with Waverley also trying to score against the 6A Team. Thanks to the substitute goalkeeper Will W, ultimately 6A Team kept the score sheet clean for the Round 8 fixture.
6B 1-1 It wasn’t an easy match against somewhat readied Waverley side eager to have a win against the Cranbrook 6B Team. The 6B’s were looking for a way to score during the first half with no luck. The 2nd half looked more promising, yet unnerving with a goal from Waverley. An equaliser from 6B came later and the match eventually came to an end with no additional goals from both sides. The Cranbrook 6B returning to Dangar in the next round with much to consider.
6C – 0-4 Loss The 6Cs had a shaky start, going down 0-1 early. Some steady improvement through the first half gave Cranbrook momentum, but a second goal just before the break put us behind 0-2 at halftime. The team responded well with a much more even second half, though two late Waverley goals sealed a 0-4 result that didn’t reflect the overall effort.
6D – 1-4 Loss The 6Ds spent much of the match pinned in their own half, with Waverley taking a 3-0 lead into the break. Cranbrook responded with energy in the second half, scoringa quality goal to make it 1-3. Despite a spirited lift, Waverley found the net once more to seal the result.
5A – 0-3 Loss A tough, end-to-end contest where Cranbrook gave maximum effort but couldn’t find the breakthrough. The opposition took their chances well, and while the scoreline was slightly flattering, they probably deserved the win. Teddy B was a standout in midfield, working tirelessly on both sides of the ball.
5B – 1-0 Win
Cranbrook had the majority of possession and were unlucky not to score more in a scrappy match. The winning goal came from a fortunate rebound that Otto capitalised on. With several students stepping into unfamiliar positions due to low numbers, the team showed great flexibility and teamwork. Special mentions to Ned and Harry, who each played a half in goal and did superbly.
5C – 3-0 Win A dominant display from the 5Cs, playing some of their best football of the season. Goals came from Marcus, Archie, and Heiji, with sharp ball movement and confident build-up play. Ted was rock solid in defence.
5D – 0-0 Draw Cranbrook brought great energy to this match, pressing hard and creating chances throughout. While they couldn’t find a goal, they defended with focus and composure. Henry was exceptional at the back being calm, brave, and reliable when it counted. A well-earned clean sheet.
4A – 9-1 Win An outstanding all-round performance from the 4As. Crisp passing from the back, fluid midfield play, and attacking flair defined the match. Jed delivered multiple assists, Hugo was flawless at wingback, and Freddy capped it off with a spectacular top-corner strike.
4C – 1-1 Draw Cranbrook scored early through Edwin but were forced to defend heroically for most of the match. After seven point-blank saves to preserve the lead, Redlands equalised with the final kick of the game. A thrilling contest with a fantastic atmosphere.
4E – 5-1 Win A commanding performance from the 4Es, who controlled the game from start to finish. Ed was everywhere and earned Player of the Match honours. Nikolas and Jasper also worked hard throughout in support of a polished team display.
3A – 6-2 Win Despite missing key players Noah and Hamish, the 3As put together a composed and impressive display. Excellent passing and sharp finishing saw Cranbrook score six. Hugo stood out on debut for the As, showing composure and skill.
3B – 5-0 Win A dominant performance from the 3Bs, with Will scoring a hat-trick and Ollie adding two more in a confident team display.
3C – 5-0 Win Goals came from Oscar, Oli, Xavier, Jake, and Adrian. Jake’s left-footed long-range goal was a standout moment and a true highlight.
3D – 4-1 Win A fantastic team effort from the 3Ds. Liam opened the scoring with a composed finish, his first of the season, while Angus was on fire with a hat-trick, including a brilliant solo run past multiple defenders.
Ben Rollison Head of Football
Multi-Sport
Round 8 was a focused and high-energy session for the Multi-Sport team. The warm-up featured a competitive game of Strike Out, setting the tone for a fun and active morning. In Numbers Soccer, students applied their striking and target skills in gameplay. Congratulations to Ben M, who had a fantastic start to the program, showing outstanding teamwork, skill, and consistent effort throughout the session.
Josh Cohen Assistant Head of Sport and Multi-sport Coach
Year 3 & Year 4 Welcome Welsh Rugby Union Star, Leigh Halfpenny
On Monday 28 July, Cranbrook Junior School was visited by the Welsh rugby union star, Leigh Halfpenny. Leigh was capped 101 times for his country, and also played in 4 tests for the British & Irish Lions, most notably on these shores 12 years ago where he helped the Lions claim a 2-1 series victory.
Leigh joined the Year 3 & 4 rugby teams for their regular training session, helping them build core skills and gain tactical understanding. He also spoke to the boys about the mindset of success, then generously stayed behind after training to work on kicking skills with the kickers from the older year groups, which made for a late but memorable evening. The boys were in awe and trained with gusto.
Leigh’s words will be ringing in their ears, not just as they approach their final few games of the season, but onwards through their journey on the rugby pitch. After all, who knows which players will be pulling on the Wallabies jersey when the Lions next tour Australia in twelve years time.
Mat Power Year 5 Teacher – Year Level Coordinator / Head of Warry House
Message from Michele Marquet, Head of Junior School
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have another exciting week of learning planned. Kindergarten hosted their 100 days of Kindergarten celebration today and they look forward to a Science Fizzics incursion tomorrow. Y1 will take part in a similar incursion next Monday. Later next week, we will be having our CETOP Sausage Sizzle and Pledge Day Fundraisers (Thursday Y3-Y6 and Friday K-Y2). Year 4 enjoyed their sustainability excursion to the Coal Loader last Monday, as part of their current UOI.
Yesterday, we held our Founders’ Day Assembly. Dr Anne Johnstone attended as our guest speaker and she spoke about what motivated those who started Cranbrook, and how these drivers continue to sustain and inspire us. We remembered the individuals who founded our School, reflected on the values they held dear and considered how we can use those principles to help us look to the future with confidence.
NAPLAN Results – Y3 and Y5 Parents of our Year 3 and Year 5 students would have received their child’s NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) report earlier this week. The report continues to feature the format designed to give parents a clearer understanding of their child’s achievements.
Within the report, you will find:
Proficiency Levels: The report categorises your child’s performance into different levels of proficiency, providing a detailed view of their strengths and areas for growth in literacy and numeracy.
Enhanced Clarity:This new format aims to offer a more comprehensive picture of where your child stands compared to the school cohort and national benchmarks.
Insights and Support:Along with the proficiency levels, the report includes insights on how to interpret the results and practical suggestions to support your child’s learning journey.
If you have any questions or need assistance understanding the information, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher as the first point of call, or you may also contact Mrs Christina Koika-Cellini (Assessment & Data Coordinator).
World Scout Day – Friday, 1 August This Friday, 1 August, is World Scout Day. Anybody in the Junior School community (students or staff) is warmly invited to wear to school tomorrow, their Scouts, Cubs or Joeys’ scarf with their school uniform, in recognition of their involvement in the largest youth organisation in the world. We thank Xavier Fern (Y5) for once again reminding us about this special day.
Late Arrivals With the new Compass system in place, any student arriving late to school must go to reception to have their name recorded prior to going to class.
Staff News At the end of next week, Year 1 Educational Development Case Manager, Chloe Jennings, commences maternity leave. We wish Chloe, her husband, Ed, and their daughter, Effie, the very best as they welcome a second child to their family in the months ahead. We are delighted that Louella Williams and then Tess Riley will be overseeing the Case Manager role for the Year 1 during the remainder of 2025.
Our Junior School Nurse, Jessica O’Hara, will be leaving us in late August to take up a new position at UNSW in a research team exploring best practice adolescent mental health management, an area of great passion for her. We wish Jess the very best for this exciting and professionally challenging new role and thank her for her wonderful support and care for our students in the Junior School over the last few years. The School has commenced the process to find a new Junior School Nurse and we will inform our families once an appointment is made.
We look forward to a week of learning and fun.
Kind wishes,
Michele Marquet Head of Junior School
Year 3 Fizzics Incursion
Year 3 students were buzzing with excitement during their hands-on incursion with Fizzics Education, diving into the world of energy as part of their unit of inquiry! Through interactive experiments, they explored the properties of light and sound; they investigated pitch, volume, colour, reflection and more. Students connected their real-world wonder to scientific concepts and will continue exploring energy throughout the rest of their unit.
Mr Josh Botto Junior School Teacher – Science & Technology
