Cranbrook is committed to treating its staff equitably and fostering a positive and inclusive environment. To attract and retain the best educators in Australia, and the world, we need to be able to offer competitive salaries, and reward our teachers and staff for the exceptional quality of education they provide to students at Cranbrook. As such, Cranbrook has awarded pay increases equivalent to the NSW State Government increases to its staff, which will be reflected in school fees next year. This increase will ensure that we can continue to attract and retain talented and dedicated teaching staff to provide the excellent education Cranbrook is known for.
We are always conscious of the impact that any increase in fees may have on our families and while some parents may initially view fee increases with concern, we hope you recognise the broader benefits that arise from this measure. By attracting and retaining high-quality educators, investing in professional development, reducing teacher turnover, improving student-teacher ratios, and enhancing educational resources, we can continue to create an environment conducive to academic success and personal growth for all our Cranbrookians.
The School Council hopes to confirm more definite information regarding fee increases for 2024 in the coming weeks. For any questions or concerns regarding this, please email cranbrook@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au
Message from Michele Marquet
Dear Parents,
Next week, our rehearsals and preparations are in full swing as we ready ourselves for the Christmas Lunch, Carols Services, Swimming Carnival, Valedictory Service and Prize Giving.
Next Thursday, we welcome 2024 new students in Years 1-6 to join our current classes as they experience ‘Moving Up’ morning. Along with our current Year 2 parents, 2024 new parents will join us for a Parent Information Session about next year.
What an outstanding job our Year 2 and Year 3 students did at their recent instrumentalist concerts. Ably guided by their extraordinary tutors under the leadership of Martyn Hentschel and Chris Hayles, the concerts showcased the impressive growth of our students in performance and musicality.
We look forward to attending the Opening of Curating Cranbrook tomorrow evening. The exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate some of the wonderful artwork created by students from Kindergarten to Year 12. Thank you to Rebecca Armstrong, Ann Arora, Christian Bonett and Bek Roe who have together prepared the contributions from Junior School.
Current Email Address & JS Office Holiday Closure As we head towards the end of the year, it is most important that the School has your up-to-date email address details on our database. If your address has changed recently, please email familyupdates@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au, so these details can be updated before reports, class allocations and start of year information are sent out.
Please remember that the Junior School Office is closed over the holiday period from 14 December 2023 until 23 January 2024.
Reports, Class Allocations and Start of Term Information Parents are reminded that their son’s 2023 Semester 2 report, 2024 class allocation and information about the start of 2023 will be sent home via email during the holidays.
Y6 Valedictory Service – Friday, 8 December – 1.15pm
Last day of classes – Friday, 8 December
P-6 JS Prize Giving – Monday, 11 December 10am
We hope all our families have a wonderful week.
With thanks,
Michele Marquet
Save the date: Family Fun Day for CETOP
Please save the date for a Cranbrook CETOP and CSPA Family Fun Day event on Sunday, March 17, 2024! This exciting day promises to be 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!
Reminders for Term 4
The Term 4 Events Overview for Parents can be found hereand on Cranbrook Connect.
Year 7 Scholarships (2025)
Parents of boys in Year 5 2023, who may be interested in applying for a Senior School scholarship for their son, should read the Scholarships 2025 information available now via this link.
Toys ‘n’ Tucker
The Cranbrook community is invited to support the annual Anglicare Toys ‘n’ Tucker initiative. Donations assist those in our local communities who would otherwise go without.
Please, no second-hand gifts, chocolate, or anything else that can melt. Bring your unwrapped gifts and donations to your year level piazza. The final date for your donation is the day of our Christmas Lunch on Thursday, 30 November.
Suggested donations include long life custard, pasta sauce, tinned tuna/salmon/ham, Christmas cake & puddings, small packs of biscuits and small packs of lollies
Gifts for babies, children and teenagers include toys for all ages, vouchers, toiletry gift packs for teenagers, sports equipment, family games and books for all ages.
Learn to Swim – Transport After School Lessons
Junior School families whose children have a Learn to Swim lesson after school (i.e. lessons that commence before 4:15pm) are able to book a seat for their child to travel on the Inner West bus that goes directly from inside the Junior School to the Senior School at the end of the school day each day of the week.
Students will be dropped off near the AFC and then walked from the bus to the pool by AFC staff and supervised while they get ready for their lesson. Parents can meet their sons at the pool. For ease when changing, it would be best if students with lessons wear their swimmers under their school uniform. Please email bus@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au if you are interested in booking a bus spot for your child and we will send a booking link once it is available. The cost is $100 per term.
We are also pleased to let parents know that if they prefer to pick up their child in carline or if their child has swimming lessons a little later in the afternoon, they can now make use of the school carpark next to the pool after 3:30pm to park during the LTS lesson.
We hope these new opportunities assist with the busyness of the traffic near the AFC in the afternoons.
Pre-Schools’ News
Our children who will be moving to Kindergarten in 2024 had an absolutely brilliant time during their Kindergarten Transition Days. It was heartwarming to see them engage, explore and begin to feel the excitement of the next chapter in their educational journey at Cranbrook.
This week, our Pre-school welcomed ‘Little Wing Puppets’ for a spectacular puppet show. The children were captivated as they became detectives who participated in solving the puppet mystery. It was a fantastic experience linking to our transdisciplinary theme: ‘How we express ourselves’ and brought laughter to all.
In Week 7, our preschoolers will embark on an excursion to visit the local church. A friendly reminder to check Operoo E-Form to give consent if you have not done so already.
In the spirit of giving back, the children will take the contributions for Toys’n’Tucker and hand them to the church. We hope that including Pre-school in Toys’n’Tucker teaches them the values of compassion, generosity and supporting the community. Thank you to all families who supported this year’s Toys’n’Tucker.
Kind regards,
Abigail McFarlane
2024 K-Y2 PE Uniform
Last term, we wrote to our Kindergarten and Year 1 families to let them know that in 2024, all students in K – Year 2 will have some new items to wear as part of their Cranbrook sports uniform. Currently, K – Year 2 students wear their House T-shirt on Thursdays for their Fundamental Movement lessons, but from next year, students in our younger year levels will wear a full sports uniform for comfort and ease to participate fully in our PE program.
From the start of 2024, K – Year 2 students will wear to school on Thursdays AND the other day each week they have a PE lesson:
Summer
House T-shirt
PE shorts
CS crew socks
Black sneakers
Winter
House T-shirt
Track jacket or ¼ zip top (fleecy lined)
Track pants
CS crew socks
Black sneakers
The House T-shirt comes in the following colours:
Red – Dangar
White – Hordern
Pale Blue – Ingram
Yellow – Moyes
Dark Green – Potter
Navy – Warry
The Uniform Shop invites the current Year 2 families to purchase their 2024 uniform requirements first, should your required size not be available at the time you visit the shop, the order will be delivered to the JS when the next delivery of stock arrives. After a couple of weeks, the Uniform Shop will invite the current K and Y1 families to purchase their PE uniform for 2024.
The Uniform Shop is located on the Senior School campus near the Victoria Road gates.
Contact details are:
Cranbrook Uniform Shop – School Term Trading Hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am – 4pm Phone: (02) 9327 9457 Email: cranbrook@noone.com.au
K-Y2 Christmas Activities
On Wednesday, 6 December students in K-2 will enjoy special Christmas Activities and their parents are invited to come onto campus at the very end of the afternoon to collect their sons in person from their classrooms. Details about this lovely event have been sent home to families.
School Culture Survey
Next week we will be asking students in Years 5 through 12 to complete a survey about the school culture at Cranbrook. The purpose of this survey is to help the School understand student perceptions of life at Cranbrook, and how the behaviours of everyone within the school community aligns with the School values. The survey will also include questions asking students whether they have witnessed or experienced discrimination at school. We believe that an open and honest conversation of this type is important to ensure that we have a realistic picture of our school culture and that all students feel heard and supported.
Year 5 and 6 teachers will explain the purpose of the survey and will provide supervised time in class for students to complete it.
Recognising that these topics may be sensitive for some students, we appreciate the importance of ensuring they feel comfortable and positive about engaging in this process. We are working to achieve this by:
Assured anonymity of all responses, including the use of a third party to collect and analyse data
Provision of a supervised, supported environment in which to complete the survey
Ability to opt out of individual questions or the survey at any time
Opportunity through and following the survey to connect with teachers and pastoral care staff to further discuss any issues raised
If you do not wish your son to do the survey, please let his Y5 or Y6class teacher know as soon as possible. Should you have any further questions about the student survey of school culture, please contact Michele Marquet (JSHeadEA@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au).
Christmas Lunch – Unicef Donation
We are all looking forward to our annual Y3-Y6 Christmas Lunch in the Junior School Gymnasium. Students in Y3-Y6 should handwrite an acceptance to attend the lunch and post it in the red ‘Christmas Lunch’ Post Box in Reception.
This year, with so many worrying things happening around the world, we have opted for a slightly simpler lunch menu which will come at a lesser cost, and we will still have all the fun activities we usually do as part of the lunch. We will be asking every Y3-Y6 student to consider what small jobs at home they could do to help to raise some money to donate to UNICEF. We are fundraising to support UNICEF, so they can continue their life-saving work for children. Every day, UNICEF is working around the world to help children realise their full potential by providing access to clean water, life-saving vaccines, quality education, and health care. UNICEF works to ensure every child is safe and protected from harm and is always there during times of emergency.
We hope the boys can feel happiness in knowing they have actively done something to help other children who are not living in such a peaceful and safe part of the world. Donations are, of course, entirely optional, but it would be wonderful, as a whole community, to collect a sizeable amount for this worthy cause. Details about what the boys will need to do and a link to make a donation can be found here UNICEF LINK and in the parent note on Operoo.
During the lunch, the students have the opportunity to meet staff from across the entire School, especially those who work in ‘behind the scenes’ roles. This can help our students come to appreciate how all these people work together to provide the wonderful education they are so fortunate to receive. The lunch is one way the Junior School staff and students say thank you to the many people who work at Cranbrook in non-public roles, but without whom we could not function!
We also ask our students to bring in a donation of non-perishable food and/or children’s gifts for Anglicare (Toys’n’Tucker). Information about this has already been shared in our newsletter.
Cranbrook Parent App
To access the app Click hereto view the information on how to download this app from the App Store.
Username and password discovery Click here to view information on how to access your username and password to enable access to the app.
Please remember to check your spam/junk email folder as sometimes codes and password resets can be sent there.
Junior School Parents If Junior School families have difficulties downloading the new Parent App, please contact the Junior School Reception on 9327 9100.
2 – If none of the teams and fixtures are loading for your son
If you have logged on with your child’s school email address, you will not get any relevant information. The app will work, but with none of your child’s data. You will need to delete the app and start over again. Follow the steps above to set up a new username and password.
3 – If you cannot download the app Both Android and iPhone users can both download the app. If you are having trouble accessing it, the app has been created by Digistorm, which you can add into the search box.
Little League Summer Sport Reports Round 11
I am delighted to share the outcomes of round 11 of summer sport. There were several dramatic games that unfolded with nail-biting intensity and close finishes, showcasing the competitive spirit and sportsmanship of our players.
A highlight of the round was our Year 5 cricket teams who displayed exceptional skill and determination, securing victories against our neighbours, Scots.
As we approach the final round of sport for the school year, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining a determined approach. The end is in sight, but it’s crucial that we finish the year with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm that has defined our sporting season. Our students have demonstrated incredible skills and resilience, and it’s imperative that we carry this Cranbrook spirit into the remaining games.
I wish all our students the best for their final fixture of the summer sport season.
Yours in sport,
Mr James Roughan.
Basketball
Basketball Year 5/6 As
In a closely contested game, Basketball 5/6 As faced a narrow loss against Newington with a final score of 33-30. Jamie R led the scoring with 9 points, closely followed by Jamie P with 8 points. Noteworthy was Van G’s exceptional defensive skills and court awareness, while Kiran J showcased his well-rounded abilities on both ends of the court, reflecting the team’s resilience in the face of tough competition.
Basketball Year 5/6 Bs
Basketball 5/6 Bs secured an impressive victory against Newington with a commanding 53-19 score. Aiden M led the scoring with 15 points, supported by Harry R with 9 points. Eamonn R demonstrated fantastic defensive awareness, and the passing skills of Jake C and Sam S played a crucial role in setting up numerous great finishes, highlighting the team’s cohesive play and strategic execution.
Basketball Year 5/6 Cs
Despite a challenging match, Basketball 5/6 Cs displayed admirable efforts against Newington College in a 28-16 loss. Spike T emerged as the top scorer, showcasing dominance against a strong Newington defence. Meanwhile, Heath C-G exhibited prowess on the defensive end, hustling up and down the court to impede the opposing team’s layups, emphasizing the team’s determination and individual contributions.
Basketball Year 5/6 Ds
Basketball 5/6 Ds secured a notable win against Newington College with a final score of 23-13. Michael M emerged as the top scorer with 8 points in the first half. The team’s fast break layups and excellent passing, particularly from Michael M and Kaspar B, played a pivotal role in the victory, highlighting the boys’ collective effort and skilful gameplay.
Basketball Year 5/6 Es
In a hard-fought internal game, Basketball 5/6 Es emerged victorious against the Fs with a final score of 30-24. Leo M-W and Austin M led the scoring with 8 points each. The team’s defensive performances from Max N, Ziggy D, and William T, along with the scoring prowess of Leo M-W, Austin M, Elvis L, and Zayen S, showcased a well-balanced effort leading to a comeback win, highlighting the team’s resilience and determination.
Basketball Year 5/6 Fs
In a hard-fought internal game, Basketball 5/6 Es emerged victorious against the Fs with a final score of 30-24. Leo M-W and Austin M led the scoring with 8 points each. The team’s defensive performances from Max N, Ziggy D, and William T, along with the scoring prowess of Leo M-W, Austin M, Elvis L, and Zayen S, showcased a well-balanced effort leading to a comeback win, highlighting both team’s resilience and determination.
Basketball Year 5/6 Gs
Basketball 5/6 Gs faced a challenging match against Newington, resulting in a 12-25 loss. Leo C emerged as the top scorer with 4 points. Despite a slow start, Leo C and Tomek O displayed offensive prowess, while Danesh M and Curtis M contributed significantly on the defensive end, reflecting the team’s determination against a tough opponent.
Basketball Year 5/6 Hs
Basketball 5/6 Hs experienced a close game against Newington, ending in an 11-14 loss. Felix S led the scoring with 4 points, with Jacob K providing valuable support on both offense and defence, George Y’s unstoppable defensive efforts and Jacob K’s outstanding rebounding and shot-blocking showcased the team’s collective determination and defensive prowess.
Basketball Year 3/4 As
3/4 As and Bs had an internal game resulting in a 20-12 score. Frank T led the scoring with 10 points. Ollie M showcased impressive plays, including rebounds, cutbacks, and an “and one” play, demonstrating great hustle and contributions on both ends of the court. In the Bs, Woody V H W displayed a captivating performance with a variety of dribble moves and nice assists.
Basketball Year 3/4 Bs
3/4 As and Bs had an internal game resulting in a 20-12 score. Frank T led the scoring with 10 points. Ollie M showcased impressive plays, including rebounds, cutbacks, and an “and one” play, demonstrating great hustle and contributions on both ends of the court. In the Bs, Woody V H W displayed a captivating performance with a variety of dribble moves and nice assists.
Basketball Year 3/4 Cs
3/4 Cs faced Kings A’s in a challenging match, ending in a 10-44 loss. Oliver S stood out as the top point scorer with 4 points. Jack F demonstrated excellent defensive ability and teamwork, contributing to the team’s effort.
Basketball Year 3/4 Ds
3/4 Ds had a competitive game against Kings, concluding with a 17-26 loss. Col O and Charles H both scored 6 points each, with Col O particularly excelling in offensive rebounding and effort throughout the game.
Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 1
3/4 Blue 1 secured a hard-fought victory against Kings with an 11-6 score, with Thomas C leading the scoring with 5 points. Tom S’s outstanding defensive efforts and overall contribution reflected the team’s determination and tenacity on the court.
Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 2
3/4 Blue 2 dominated against Kings with a 32-7 victory. Harrison H (14 points) and Heiji C (10 points) led the scoring, with notable contributions from Marcus C, Harrison H, and Heiji C in various aspects of the game, including baskets and defensive plays.
Basketball Year 3/4 White 1
3/4 White 1 faced Kings in a closely contested match, resulting in an 8-12 loss. Michael L emerged as the top point scorer, and Raph W displayed exceptional competitive spirit, while Hamish F delivered outstanding defensive plays.
Basketball Year 3/4 White 2
3/4 White 2 secured a convincing win against Kings with a 31-10 score. Albert L, Marcus S, and Neil M, each with 8 points, led the scoring. The entire team demonstrated excellent play, with Marcus S showing great involvement across the court, and Eric R scoring his first basket while contributing significantly to the team’s success.
Cricket
Cricket 6 As
Despite a loss to Newington (5/87 to 5/90), Emile’s composed 18 runs and Arthur D’s 2 wickets were notable performances. Alexander M’s well-composed 10 and economical bowling (1/7 off two overs) added to the team’s resilience and effort in a closely contested match.
Cricket 6Bs
In a well-fought match against Newington, Cranbrook emerged victorious (6/98 to 7/46). Jackson P’s all-around performance, including scoring 28 runs, taking three wickets, and two catches, showcased his impact. Jasper L’s outstanding over, claiming three wickets, and Patrick G’s solid knock of 19 runs added to the team’s success in a well-rounded performance.
Cricket 5As
Cranbrook secured a thrilling win against Scots with a close scoreline of 81-79. James C’s impressive 28 runs and the joint lead wicket-takers Oscar R and Oscar L played pivotal roles. Oscar L’s relentless bowling and excellent fielding, including two catches, contributed significantly to the team’s success.
Cricket 5Bs
Facing Scots, Cranbrook emerged victorious with a score of 147/2 to 138/11. Hughie W and Charlie H’s stellar batting performances and Henry C-S & Oliver D’s bowling efforts were crucial in securing the win. The team’s collective efforts showcased their strength in both batting and bowling.
Cricket 4As
Facing Mosman Prep, Cranbrook emerged victorious with a score of 5/76 to 5/109. Sebastian R’s exceptional batting performance (35 runs) and Freddy F’s noteworthy contribution with the ball (1/4 off 3 overs) were pivotal. The collective efforts of the team, including Julian D, Joseph R, Leo S, Will P, and Alexander R, underscored a commendable all-around display.
Cricket 4Bs
In a closely contested match against Newington resulting in a 50-run loss (132-81), Hadley S showcased his skills as the highest runs scorer. Jack L’s accurate bowling was instrumental in slowing down the opposition’s run rate, displaying the team’s resilience despite the outcome.
Cricket 3As
Cranbrook secured a convincing win against Barker College with a score of 120 to 107. Lachie E emerged as the top run-scorer with 25 runs, showcasing his prowess with a well-composed innings, including six boundaries. Harry N shone with the ball, claiming the most wickets (3) and contributing to the team’s overall excellent performance.
Cricket 3Bs
In a triumphant victory against Barker, Xavier F emerged as the standout performer, leading the team in runs and showcasing outstanding fielding skills. Xavier’s notable contributions with both bat and field exemplified the team’s well-rounded effort in securing the win.
Cricket 3Cs
Despite a loss to Barker, Emilio I stood out with the most wickets, displaying impressive bowling skills. The team’s commendable efforts across all aspects of the game, as mentioned, reflect their dedication and hard work, setting the stage for improvement in future matches…
Multi-Sports
The Multi-sports squad had a fabulous week of training and matches. Special mention to Denham R, Oliver H, Edward T, Atticus R, Jack F and Sebastian R for brilliant fielding and teamwork. All boys can be proud of their commitment to improve their skills.
Tennis
Tennis Bs
The Tennis Bs secured a victory against Waverley with a final score of 41-27. It was a great team performance by Cranbrook. Special mention given to Jayden B and Ashton D for their outstanding contributions in both singles and doubles matches.
Tennis Cs
In the Tennis Cs, Jansen J was recognized for displaying exceptional sportsmanship, setting a positive example for young players despite the outcome of his matches.
Tennis Development
In the Tennis Development category, Joshua L’s notable achievement was highlighted as he emerged victorious in Round 2 of the Junior Development tournament. Joshua’s excellent footwork and determination were commended, showcasing his commitment to improvement on the court.
Water Polo
In a challenging match, the Water Polo team faced a 14-6 defeat against Barker. Despite the tough loss, Thomas A and Joseph L stood out, each contributing with 2 goals to the team’s effort. Additionally, Jack B’s notable performance was acknowledged, demonstrating skill and dedication in the game. The team continues to show resilience and determination in the face of strong opponents.
Sailing
In the sailing realm, notable recognition goes to Carlitos C, a dedicated Year 4 participant, who exhibited exceptional commitment and a positive attitude by completing all drills to a high standard. His enthusiasm and diligence served as a catalyst for the entire team’s improved learning, fostering a collaborative and progressive environment on the water. Carlitos’ exemplary performance underscores the team’s collective dedication to skill enhancement and overall development in the sport of sailing.
K-Y6 Music News
Term 4 is busy with wonderful Music events. Please follow this link to see the key dates and times. The form to apply to perform at this term’s Music Soiree (2 November) can be found by following this link.
