Learn to Read: Kindergarten Parents’ Information Session from 5pm to 6pm on 5 March 2024
Join us for our 2024 ‘Learning to Read in Kindergarten’ presentation on Tuesday, 5 March from 5pm to 6pm in the Kindergarten Piazza.
Observing your child’s reading journey is an exciting experience. The benefits of reading are enormous, as it extends vocabulary, enhances concentration, increases a thirst for general knowledge and gives a better understanding of the world around us. Throughout his schooling, your son will engage in a variety of learning experiences to learn how to love and enjoy reading. The Kindergarten Teaching Team would like to provide you with an opportunity to see how we teach reading at school and hear how you can support your son in enhancing phonemic awareness, decoding text, developing fluency, expanding vocabulary, and comprehending what he reads.
Walk to Cranbrook on Thursdays
We are excited to announce that we will be trialling ‘Walk to School Day’ every Thursday starting next week for at least 4 weeks! This initiative aims to promote physical activity, increase independence, reduce traffic congestion around the school, and encourage alternative modes of transportation.
Here are some suggested ways for your son to get to school on Thursday:
Walk: Lace up those school shoes and enjoy a refreshing walk to school! (Maybe as a family or with a friend)
Take a bus: Use public transportation for a convenient and eco-friendly commute.
Take a ferry: If you live near the waterfront, consider taking advantage of the ferry services.
Ride a bike or scooter: We have bike racks available for secure storage outside the K-Y2 gate.
Drop off at nearby locations and then walk: For those driving, consider dropping off your student at one of the following locations:
Rose Bay Ferry (easy access with traffic lights for you and them)
Lyne Park
The Cranbrook Boat Shed
Norwich Road (near Rose Bay Woolworths)
A reminder if you are driving, please try to carpool with other families where possible.
Safety is our top priority, so please remind your son of the following tips:
Always use designated crosswalks and follow traffic signals.
Stay alert and aware of your surroundings, especially when walking or biking near roads.
Helmets are a must for cyclists and scooter riders.
Walk in groups or with a friend whenever possible.
If walking alone, agree with your son their walking route and planned arrival time.
We encourage you to participate in this initiative and make Walk to Cranbrook Thursday a fun and healthy routine for our Cranbrook families. Together, we can create a safer and more active community.
Thank you for your support!
Message from Michele Marquet
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week, it was the turn of our Year 4 students to experience their annual camp at the beautiful Shoalhaven location of Waterslea. They had an excellent time! Next term, students in Years 3 and 5 will have the opportunity to go to camp in the Blue Mountains and at Port Hacking, respectively. Once again, we thank the accompanying staff who worked so hard to ensure our students had a safe and wonderful experience.
NAPLAN 2024 Y3 and Y5 Parent and Carer Information Each year, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is undertaken by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
At Cranbrook Junior School, NAPLAN 2024 will take place from Wednesday, 13 March to Friday, 15 March.
NAPLAN is just one part of our school learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.
In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will undertake activities to help students become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.
The public demonstration site, found here, is available to see the types of questions, tools and functions used in the NAPLAN tests.
Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website here.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher. We look forward to another week of learning and fun!
Kind wishes,
Michele Marquet
From the Deputies
School Photos – Thursday, 7 March Recently parents in K-6 received their child’s student online order form for class, sibling and individual School photos. The form can be accessed here. These photos will be taken next Thursday, 7 March. The form will have your son’s name and shoot key on it. Please note you have until Thursday, 7 March to pay online for the photos.
All students should wear their summer school uniform to School on Thursday, except those participating in the before school Speed and Agility Co-curricular session. These students should bring their uniform and change straight after the session.
Students in K-2 classes should NOT wear their coloured House T-shirts or PE gear on this day. If your son has a PE lesson on Thursday, he will remain in his regular school uniform (not his PE kit).
Sibling photos will be taken at 7.30am or lunchtime on the day.
We ask that our boys’ uniforms are clean and pressed, shoes polished and hair neat and trim.
Becoming a Member of Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School is a public company limited by guarantee which was established to provide students with a well-rounded, liberal education based on Christian beliefs.
It is governed by the School Council in accordance with its Constitution and has a membership comprised of eligible persons who have made significant contributions to Cranbrook or who are key stakeholders in its mission.
Parent of students in Kindergarten to Year 12 attending Cranbrook are eligible to become a Member of Cranbrook School for so long as they have a child attending the School.
The Members of Cranbrook School play an important role in the governance of Cranbrook. Being a Member entitles you to attend and vote at general meetings of Cranbrook School. This includes attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting, where the matters considered include receiving the statutory financial reports and electing members of the School Council.
If you are not already a Member of Cranbrook School, and wish to become one, please indicate your willingness to do so by completing and returning the application form which can be found on Cranbrook Connect here.
Applications are subject to approval by the School Council, and will be considered at the next possible School Council meeting after receipt of your completed application.
We encourage you to apply to become a Member of Cranbrook School and to take up the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the School.
If you have any questions regarding membership of Cranbrook School, please contact Sarah Deveson, Company Secretary, by email on councilsecretary@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au.
Geoff LovellNicholas Sampson President of School Council Headmaster
JS Prayer Morning
On Friday, 8 March, there will be a prayer morning with Mr. Noble for any parents or carers in our JS community. It will be held at 8am in the Meeting Room near Reception on the Junior School campus. It’s an opportunity for parents to come and spend time in prayer for each other and the school. This is usually on the first Friday of the month (during term time), so apologies for any inconvenience with the change of time for March.
Family Fun Day for CETOP
Please save the date for a Cranbrook CETOP and CSPA Family Fun Day event on Sunday, 17 March 2024from 10am to 2pm! This exciting day promises a blend of delicious food, exhilarating fun and a chance to interact with furry animals. Bring your family and friends for a day filled with joy, laughter, and community spirit as we come together to raise funds for CETOP’s initiatives in Nepal and Ladakh. Mark your calendars for this unforgettable Cranbrook event!
FAMILY FUN DAY ART COMPETITION We invite aspiring artists to channel their imagination and create an artwork to illustrate the differences or similarities between Nepal and Australia.
We encourage you to explore these two diverse nations. Whether it’s the intricacies of architecture, the vibrancy of wildlife, or the rich tapestry of cultural traditions.
You will need to conduct some research on CETOP and the School’s connection to Nepal. This may be through conversations with family members who may have personal experiences to share, information you may find online; try here or for more personal inspiration, reach out to Mr. Bonett, Miss Boniface, Mrs Cellini, Ms. Light or Miss Hewett who have lived experiences of Nepal and are ready to share their insights.
Unleash your creativity, embrace the challenge and let your artistic expression tell a visual story that transcends boundaries. Join us in celebrating the kaleidoscope of Nepal through the lens of your unique artistic vision.
Free to enter with purchase of a ticket for the CETOP/CSPA family fun day. Competition is open to all mediums. Age (Year level) categories: K-2 / 3-4 / 5-6
Winners announced at the event – Great prizes to be won!
Entries to be submitted by 16 March – please take entries (with your name and class on the back) to the JS Drama Room by this date.
Y3-Y6 2024 ICAS
Some Y3-Y6 families may be interested in their sons sitting ICAS assessments. These assessments are suitable for students wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment. ICAS papers are competitions, not standardised assessments. Please take the time to consider seriously your son’s suitability to participate in such challenging competitions. If you would like to learn more about ICAS, please follow this link.
Families can enrol their sons to sit for these competitions which will be held at an external venue. The closest venue for most families is Janison Exam Management Testing Centre which is located in Ultimo. This centre usually runs the assessments on Saturdays during mid to late August. Bookings should open shortly. To book into the external venue, please click on this link.
Y7’26 Students Orientation Games & Afternoon Tea: Monday, 11 March
A wonderful opportunity is coming up for our current Year 5 JS students to meet and mingle with other students enrolling in Year 7 at the school in 2026. As you can imagine, there is much excitement about the first coeducational Year 7 cohort. For this cohort, we will be holding a long orientation, which will give students the chance to get to know each other before they start in Year 7 and, hopefully, develop friendships before 2026. This get together is the first of these events.
This year, there will be one event each term, and we hope they will be fun, collegial and a great way for students to get to know the senior campus and each other. These events are optional, but we encourage students to attend at least one in the lead up to 2026.
On Monday, 11 March there will be a games and afternoon tea session from 4pm – 5.30pm held at Cranbrook Senior School campus in Bellevue Hill. We will have our Prefects running games for students and serving afternoon tea.
We encourage your son to attend, if at all possible.
In the coming months, we will hold other events for students and parents to prepare for coeducation at Cranbrook. We look forward to welcoming them to the Senior School campus in 2026.
Daisy Turnbull Director of Coeducation & The Academy
Little League Summer Sport Reports Round 3
The past week in Junior School Sport has been an active one with a wide range of sporting activities and events happening across the campus. The IPSHA Swim Team showcased their talent at the South Harbour Invitational. Our young swimmers demonstrated exceptional skill and sportsmanship, with 16 of the 18 students who competed finishing in the top 3 for at least 1 event. The past week also saw the beginning of Junior School Speed and Agility Program, aiming to enhance the athletic abilities of our students.
On Saturday, there was a flurry of action, with mixed results across the board. However, what stood out the most were the closely contested games that truly tested the character and resilience of our students. In Water Polo, the Year 5/6 team, secured a hard-fought victory against our neighbourhood rivals, Scots, with a final score of 7-5. Our Year 4 Cricket team showcased some excellent performances on the field. Their strong display is a testament to their focused approach during training sessions. It’s heartening to see their hard work pay off and their skills flourish.
Speed and Agility Program The Junior School speed and agility program has started on Thursday mornings and is a resounding success. The aim of the program is to teach students movement habits and techniques which will increase athletic performance and decrease risk of injury. Paul Hallam, Head of Strength and Conditioning, and his team of coaches have developed a sequence of sessions which are specifically age targeted and that will improve students current and future athletic performance if they attend the sessions consistently and take a focused approach. On Thursday Morning, we had 68 students attend the session and they moved around activities that focused on the mechanics of running, jumping, and changing direction. With Paul’s depth of experience which includes coaching track and field at the Olympics and the high-level coaches who are involved in implementing this program, we are excited with how it will benefit the students involved. If your son is yet to attend, the program is available for all Year 3-6 students, and we welcome all to attend.
Spectators Code of Conduct At this early stage in the school year, I would like to take this chance to alert everyone to the IPSHA Spectators’ Code of Conduct. Cranbrook has a proud history of competing with vigour, while also maintaining respect for all involved. The primary focus for Junior School sport is creating a fun environment for our students to grow and enjoy themselves. The attached Code of Conduct was developed with this in mind, please take a moment to open this link and have a read.
Yours in Sport,
James Roughan Head of Sport & PDHPE
Basketball
Basketball Year 5/6 A-D
Basketball Year 5/6 Gs and Hs
Basketball Year 3/4 As
Basketball Year 3/4 Bs
Basketball Year 3/4 Cs
Basketball Year 3/4 Ds
Basketball Year 3/4 Blue1 and 2
Cricket
Cricket Year 6 As
CricketYear 5
CricketYear 3As
CricketYear 3Bs
Water Polo
Year 5/6 Water Polo
Cross Country Carnival
Some lovely photos of the Cross Country Carnival can be found below.
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Junior School Music News
Music events in the Junior School are about to launch! In fact, we have twelve music events scheduled between now and the end of Term 1 where every boy in the Junior School will be involved in one or more performances. What a dynamic programme we offer!
JS Music events – Term 1 Please click here to see the comprehensive list of JS music events for Term 1. More information will be provided regarding these specific events as the term progresses.
Our Music Morning Concerts are now full, and we look forward to hearing our solo instrumentalists and vocalists over the next few weeks.
Junior School Music Soireé On Thursday, 21 March there will be a Junior School Music Soireé held in Music Room 1 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. 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 herefor more information.
AMEB Instrumental Music Examinations 2024 Cranbrook School will host examiners for in-person AMEB examinations at the Senior School Music Department in September this year. As preparation for these examinations takes multiple terms of work, those wishing to enrol must advise their Instrumental Music Tutor of their interest in the next fortnight. The Music Department will follow up expressions of interests with a confirmation of enrolment via Operoo later in Term 1. Candidates for AMEB are expected to use Morning Concerts, Soirées and the Spring Festival (JS Eisteddfod) as performance practice.
We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our many music events!
Warmest wishes,
Peter Fox Head of Music, Junior School
2024 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
The 2024 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge opened on Monday, 26 February.
The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.
Students are supported in their weekly Library sessions to access a range of picture books and novels across all challenge levels. Parents are also welcome to borrow additional books after school with their sons.
All students will have received their login details via a sticker in their diary. Please note that usernames and passwords are the same as previous years.
Further instructions for logging in, entering student records at home and challenge rules may be found here.For further information please contact Mrs de Wit in the iCentre: edewit@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au
Happy reading!
Ms Light and Mrs de Wit
Optional Co-curricular
Optional co-curricular groups are now underway for Term 1. Students may bring a small healthy afternoon snack to eat at the start of their co-curricular activity, if needed.
