Message from Michele Marquet, Head of Junior School

Dear Parents and Carers,

Next week, Friday, 5 September, from 7:45am, we are very much looking forward to welcoming important males in the lives of our students to our Father’s Day Morning. Please see the invitation here and remember that there will be no carline and no optional co-curricular activities being held on that morning.

Our long-awaited JS Production of ‘James and the Giant Peach’ will be held in the Packer Theatre, with performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, 10 – 12 September. If you are yet to purchase tickets for your family, you can do so here.

Today, we were thrilled to see so many of our Junior School students participate in the Spring Festival’s Music Eisteddfod. Their engagement and preparation were commendable. Thank you to Peter Fox and the music team for the organisation of this event. It was a wonderful opportunity for students in Years 3 to 6 to showcase their performance skills on piano, strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, guitar and voice. As usual, this year’s Eisteddfod was judged by external adjudicators who wrote an encouraging report on each performance, providing feedback and awarding grades of achievement. We are extremely proud of all our students’ performances.

We are looking forward to the start of Y3-Y6 summer sports training tomorrow afternoon. Please note that there is no multi-sports tomorrow morning. On Monday, 1 September before and after school training commences. Please remind your son to pack his sports kit and bring it to school on his training days.

We wish all of our families a lovely weekend.

Kind wishes,

Michele Marquet
Head of Junior School

From the Deputies

Important reminder about student absences
If your child is going to be away, please notify the School by submitting an attendance note via Compass. If you have not done so already, please download the Compass School Manager app from the App Store or Google Play, or access the app through your web browser.

To submit a request for leave, click ‘Add Attendance Note (and select the reason)’. This includes requests for term time leave, partial leave and medical appointments. Please do not email leave requests to your child’s teacher.

Thank you to all those families who have been using the app so effectively. If you require assistance with Compass, please email the support team on compass@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au.

Carlines
Over the last few weeks, we have noticed that some drivers are accelerating far too fast whilst inside the school’s carline. This has been particularly evident as cars move through the carline after dropping off in the morning or on entry in the afternoon.

The maximum speed limit is 10kph. For the safety of all our students and staff, please keep to this limit when using the carline.

Pre-schools’ News – Week 6

Dear Pre-school Families,

A friendly reminder that all Pre-school updates, reminders, class photos and information about your child’s learning are now shared through Compass. Please ensure you are signed up and checking regularly so you don’t miss anything important.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone for making our Pre-school Book Swap such a wonderful success! We are excited to share that we are getting close to reaching our fundraising goal and there is still one day to go! We have received a fantastic variety of book donations and families are welcome to select a book in exchange for a small contribution.

All funds raised will go to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, supporting access to books and educational resources for children in remote communities across Australia.

Important Dates for the diary:

Week 7

Monday 1 September:
St Michael’s (5 Day Group) – Father’s Day Morning, 8:45–9:15am
St Mark’s & St Michael’s – Dental Tooth Fairy Visit
Tuesday 2 September:
St Michael’s (3 Day Group) – Father’s Day Morning, 8:45–9:15am
Wednesday 3 September:
St Mark’s – Father’s Day Morning, 8:45–9:15am
Thursday 4 September:
St Michael’s (2 Day Group) – Father’s Day Morning, 8:45–9:15am

Week 9 – Bush School Excursions

Monday 15 September:
St Michael’s (3 Day Group) & St Mark’s – Bush School Excursion
Friday 19 September:
St Michael’s (2 Day & 5 Day Groups) – Bush School Excursion

End of Term 3: Friday 19 September.

Kind wishes,

Abigail McFarlane
Pre-schools Coordinator

Cranbrook Gala – Save The Date

Dear Parents,

As we embark on our exciting new chapter in Cranbrook’s history, we are delighted to bring together the Cranbrook Community to mark the beginning of co-education and to warmly welcome Dr Anne Johnstone, our new Head of School. We will be hosting a Gala Evening on Saturday 6^th December 2025 6pm at Cranbrook School. Please mark the date in your calendar. Further details will be announced over the next few weeks. The event is open to all parents from Pre-school to Year 12. Tickets will go on sale in September.

We look forward to celebrating this exciting new era together!

Kind regards,

Angelique Haritos
CSPA President

Term 3 Events Overview

Please follow this link to view the Term 3 Events Overview for Junior School Families.

Community Service Committee News

Emmett and the Community Service Committee would like to say a huge thank you to all of the families who supported the 2025 book collection. The books are on the way to Anglicare Out of Home Care, and we know they will be very much appreciated by foster children from all over Australia.

Thank you, Emmett, for this wonderful initiative.

State Snowsport Interschools Report 2025

In an exhilarating competition last week, Cranbrook’s Snowsports legends achieved some outstanding results. Cranbrook students represented the School with 39 athletes on snow in the State Interschools competition in Perisher. In a spectacular result across the divisions, the Junior School team nabbed 2^nd place overall in Primary point scores while our Senior School team achieved 4^th place in the Secondary overall point score. From Day 1 on the mountain, the sun was shining and the base snow was good. Every division gave it their all, making Cranbrook proud.

In our upper divisions, special congratulations go out to Sebastian Tucker, who earned an individual SILVER in Division 3 Snowboard GS and to Charlie Roberts who earned an individual SILVER in Division 3 Cross Country Classic!

Our Senior teams also achieved podium finishes in:

Division 3 Snowboard GS – Team BRONZE (Sebastian Tucker 2^nd, Charlie Roberts, Sam Spry)

Division 2 Snowboard Cross – Team BRONZE (Ziggy Edwards 7^th, Milo Gibney 15^th, Oscar Croft)

Division 3 Snowboard Cross – Team BRONZE (Sebastian Tucker 4^th, Charlie Roberts 11^th, Sam Spry)

Division 3 Cross Country Classic – Team SILVER (Charlie Roberts 2^nd, Sam Spry 12^th, Sebastian Tucker)

Division 3 Cross Country Relay – Team BRONZE (Charlie Roberts, Sam Spry, Sebastian Tucker)

Senior teams and individuals also achieved qualifying finishes in:

Division 2 Alpine – Individual 8^th (Remy Phillips)

Division 3 Alpine – Individual 6^th (Charlie Roberts)

Division 2 Moguls – Individual 7^th (Oscar Parsons)

Division 3 Ski Cross – Individual 17^th (Charlie Roberts)

Division 2 Snowboard GS – Team 4^th (Ziggy Edwards 10^th, Milo Gibney 17^th, Oscar Croft)

Division 2 Cross Country Classic – Team 5^th (James Walker 16^th, Remy Phillips, Oliver Southwell-Keely 6^th)

Division 2 Cross Country Classic – Team 6^th (Ethan Rushton 19^th, Charlie Parker, Giffin Tobias 17^th)

Division 3 Slopestyle Ski – Individual 19^th (Rhys Au)

In our lower divisions, special congratulations go to our Junior teams who achieved podium finishes in:

Division 5 Alpine – Team BRONZE (Hunter Whittle, Ryan Shi, Orlando Fern and Sandy Dusseldorp)

Division 4 Cross Country Classic – Team GOLD (Hugo Croft 6^th, Imanol Plante 12^th, Xavier Fern 10^th)

Division 4 Cross Country relay – Team SILVER (Hugo Croft, Xavier Fern, Imanol Plante)

Division 5 Cross Country relay – Team BRONZE (Orlando Fern, Hunter Whittle, Ryan Shi)

Junior teams also achieved qualifying finishes in:

Division 5 Alpine – Individual 4^th (Hunter Whittle), Individual 9^th (Ryan Shi)

Division 4 Alpine – Team 4^th (Hugo Croft, Sebastian Salter 19^th, James Cowan, Imanol Plante)

Division 6 Alpine – Team 5^th (Hugo Fern 21^st, Sam Cowan, Armie Salamon, Samuel McKelvey)

Division 4 Moguls – Individuals – 10^th Imanol Plante, 12^th Hugo Croft, 15^th Sebastian Salter, 17^th James Cowan

Division 5 Moguls – Individual 20^th (Hunter Whittle)

Division 4 Ski Cross – Individual 16^th (Sebastian Salter)

Division 5 Ski Cross – Team 4^th (Hunter Whittle 8^th, Ryan Shi 22^nd, Sandy Dusseldorp)

Division 6 Ski Cross – Team 5^th (Hugo Fern 14^th, Sam Cowan, Sam McKelvey)

Division 5 Cross Country Classic – Team 4^th (Orlando Fern, Ryan Shi 13^th, Hunter Whittle 9^th)

Division 5 Cross Country Classic – Team 5^th (Tom Butler 16^th, Avery Thompson 21^st, Hugo Fern 20^th)

Throughout the week, we also had a few representatives take part in the NSW Laser Biathlon.

Division 2 – Oliver Southwell-Keely 3^rd, Griffin Tobias 7^th, Ethan Rushton 8^th

Division 4 – Hugo Croft GOLD and Xavier Fern 4^th

Division 5 – Hunter Whittle 6th, Tom Butler 7^th and Avery Thompson 10^th

Please join us in congratulating all of our Snowsports athletes on a spectacular State Competition. Overall, Cranbrook achieved an impressive 18 Team qualifications and 40 Individual invitations to the Australian Championship event to be held in Mt Buller, VIC, next week!

Snowsports Captains: Elliot Roberts ad Sach Edwards

Snowsports Staff: Genet Erickson Adam, Tara Schmidtke, Cristie Whitten and Eddie Lewis

Book an adventure! Book Week 2025

‘When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together,
we see one another.’ ~ author Kate DiCamillo

Shared at our recent K-6 Book Week assembly, this quote encapsulates our week-long community celebration of children’s literature, advocating for the value and importance of storytelling, books and reading for everyone.

The week began with lively and thoughtful theatrical adaptations of the books, The Garden of Broken Things and Small Acts, performed by Meerkat Productions.

Mid-week, our K-6 assembly was an opportunity to come together to enjoy and honour creativity, inspirational readers and writers, and service. Highlights included an entertaining play written by Mr Holmsen and performed by the Year 6 Library Monitors and Mrs Allen-Waters. Set in a travel booking agency, some of the CBCA shortlisted book characters were brought to life as they explored their own adventures. We also acknowledged Cranbrook readers who inspire excellence in themselves and others through participation in the Premier’s Reading Challenge and the Years 3-6 AR Millionaire’s Club. Mrs Marquet concluded the assembly with a reading of the picture book, When you find the right rock by Mary Lyn Ray and Felicita Sala. Special to our Year 6 students and their current exhibition learning and staff mentors, K-5 students sharing in this story will enhance connection when Year 6 students showcase their Exhibition inquiries later this term.

As we headed towards the end of the week, Kindergarten and Year 1 students, accompanied by our Year 6 Library Monitors, returned to school in their pyjamas and slippers with cuddly friends for Books at Bedtime – a magical evening of stories and awe that has become a much-loved tradition.

Capping off a week of relentless rain, our enthusiasm for the Book Parade was not dampened by the weather. Staff and students embraced this event (held every second year) with absolute gusto supported by Larry the Library Lobster (making his parade debut) accompanied by his offsider Neil, The Boring Amazing Sea Cucumber. Moving into the gym provided a parade runway that allowed all audience members to engage, enjoy and celebrate all participants. Thank you, parents, for supporting ideas and preparation, and for contributing to the significant community spirit on the day.

Have you heard about the mystery gnomes – where did they come from? No one gnomes!

In the lead up to Book Week, we have all been bewitched by some curious characters that have been appearing in the Library since late last term. Our solo gnome has lived in the Library window for many years and mysteriously, in recent weeks, was joined by new companions. The students love for imaginative ideas and logical sleuthing culminated in Book Week, when they arrived to find the Library cloaked in darkness – illuminated only by campfire and torchlight. The newly arrived gnomes had set up a campsite to read and reflect. Students were mesmerised by the virtual campfire and the gnomes’ eerily lit tent. We learned that the gnomes were here on their own adventure and had travelled with tiny suitcases from past Book Weeks. Classes loved the scavenger hunt by torchlight to find all 35 themed suitcases ‘lost’ amongst the bookshelves. The activity has proved so popular, it’s become a fun lunchtime pursuit for the still missing suitcases.

Finally, there’s a little surfing bookmark that has also struck a chord with all age groups – a character from the beautifully hand-crafted short film, Much Better Now. I encourage viewing with your sons. As shared with students, the little bookmark reminds us that sometimes we forget to make time for stories. But when we open a book, we open possibilities. Every time we pick up a book, we decide what kind of journey we’ll go on.

So, this week, and every week, I hope you and your family will find the time to open a book.
Maybe it’s one you’ve never read before.
Maybe it’s one you’ve forgotten about.
Or maybe it’s a book someone recommends and says, “I think you’ll love this.”

Whatever we choose…

Books are adventures.
Stories are waves waiting to be surfed.
And life, as the film says, is much better now —
when we open a book and begin.

A supportive reading culture is alive and well at Cranbrook.

Kind regards,

Megan Light
Digital Literacy Leader and iCentre Teacher Librarian