From the Head of Junior School

This week’s grade assembly was hosted by Year 3. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who participated. Year 6 also had an eventful week attending Sydney Wildlife Zoo and Sydney Aquarium. 

Year 3 to Year 5 Swimming Carnival

Today’s Swimming Carnival is the first House sports event for the year. It is also a historic event, with Prescott House competing in the Junior School for the very first time. It was wonderful to have our newly appointed Sports Captains leading the cheering and demonstrating great sportspersonship. And thank you to all the parents who made time to visit and participated in the spirit of friendly competition. Congratulations to all the girls who gave their ‘personal best’ and to those students who were successful to next represent MLC School at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival. Thank you to our Sports Department for hosting this loved carnival. 

Year 6 will participate in the Senior School Swimming Carnival as part of their transition program and Kindergarten to Year 2 will have a Splash Day during Term 4.

Junior School Parent and Friends 

Our Junior School P&F held their first meeting this week. Our P&F are a great support to our Junior and wider School community. If feasible, I encourage you to get involved with the wonderful group of parents to support your daughter’s school.  

The main topic of conversation is the first big Junior School community event of the year, International Night. Details about how to book tickets are being released. This is a not to be missed school community event, so please register and add to your calendar. More details and tickets will be released shortlyl.

Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations (Class and Mathematics teachers)  

Our Semester 1 Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations will take place from Monday 3 March 2025 to Friday 14 March 2025.  These 10 minute meetings give parents the opportunity to get an update on their daughter’s learning and social development, receiving feedback on progress and next learning steps.  All Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 families will receive communication next week with details regarding how to book these Learning Conversations. Parents can choose to make in-person or online bookings. Bookings prior to 3.30pm are online only. In person meetings are only possible after 3.30pm, after classes have finished for the day.  

The following week will be online Mathematics interviews for those parents whose daughter has a different teacher for Mathematics.  

Please contact Junior School Reception if you require any assistance. 

Literacy and Numeracy Learning Webinars for Kindergarten and Year 1 Parents 

A reminder to our Kindergarten and Year 1 parents that we are offering an online webinar about supporting your daughter in literacy and numeracy. Details are as follows: 

Literacy Learning in the Early Years – Tuesday 25 February 2025, 6pm–6.30pm 

Numeracy Learning in the Early Years – Thursday 6 March 2025, 6pm–6.30pm 

LInks to join the webinar will be sent at 9am on the morning of the webinar.

Cyber Safety 

The Junior School traditionally hosts a cyber safety webinar for parents during Term 1. This year we are postponing this event as our P&F are hosting a forum on Cyber Safety Solutions by Susan McLean. My thanks to our P&F for making this event possible and may I strongly encourage parents to take up this opportunity to learn from a leading expert in this field. The forum is taking place on Wednesday 19 March 2025.

Please RSVP in Omnia by clicking here.

Regarding this important topic, I commend you to read this week article from our Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing, Joanne Sharpe.  

Staff Spotlight 

Sasha Ross 

Miss Sasha Ross is a dedicated and passionate teacher with experience teaching at a diverse range of primary schools in the Eastern and Inner West suburbs of Sydney. With a background in psychology and research, she brings a particular passion for cognitive and developmental psychology, which informs her teaching practices and pedagogy to set her students up for success. Her Bachelor of Advanced Science with a major in Psychology and Honours from the University of NSW Behavioural Neuroscience Lab was followed by a Master of Teaching (Primary), also from UNSW. Outside of her passion for teaching, Miss Ross enjoys cosy activities such as painting, cooking, reading, and cuddling her mischievous orange cat, Mr Leopold. 

Junior School Monitor Roles

We can now proudly announce our Monitors for this year. Our congratulations to these Year 5 leaders. I very much look forward to acknowledging all our Year 5 student leaders at our Junior School Leadership Assembly at 2.20pm next Thursday 27 February 2025 in Daphne Line Hall.

– Daniel Sandral
Head of Junior School