Year 7

It has been lovely to see the girls enjoying their final Big Sister Little Sister and Peer Support sessions during Luminary this week. These sessions continue to play an important role in helping the girls build positive connections with their Big Sisters and enjoy time together through games and shared activities led by the Year 11 students. During Peer Support, the Year 7 girls were also encouraged by the Year 10 students to think about how to strengthen friendships and maintain healthy relationships.

Next week will be the final week of term, and the Colour Run will take place on the last day of school, Friday 26 June. This promises to be a fun and memorable event for the girls, while also supporting an important cause. The Colour Run will raise funds for Sony Camp, and each girl is encouraged to seek sponsorship for her participation. If every student is able to raise 60 dollars, we will be well placed to achieve our goal of 80,000 dollars in support of Sony Camp. Further information about the final week of term will be shared with the girls over the coming days.

I would like to provide some further clarification about the accountability points system, as I know this is an area of interest for both parents and students. Accountability points, or APs, are used at school to support students in taking responsibility for their actions. The intention is not to be punitive, nor to define a student by a single mistake. Rather, the system is designed to encourage reflection, accountability, and positive growth. Students are given the opportunity to learn from mistakes and make better choices moving forward. Teachers may assign APs across a range of categories. Examples can include being out of uniform, arriving late, eating in class, not completing homework, using a laptop without permission, being disruptive in class, using inappropriate language, wearing a PE uniform without a legitimate reason, or using a phone at school. These are only some examples of the behaviours that may result in an AP being issued. If a student accrues 3 APs, she is required to attend a lunch detention and complete a reflection form. If a student reaches 6 or more APs within a term, afternoon detentions will apply. Parents, carers, and students are generally notified by me once 3 APs have been reached. In some cases, notification may occur after 2 APs, although this cannot always be guaranteed. APs are reset to zero at the beginning of each term so that each girl can begin again with a fresh start.

This week, I also spoke with the girls about the importance of taking responsibility for mistakes, rather than focusing on having an AP removed. I would appreciate the support of families and carers in reinforcing this message at home, as it is through accountability and reflection that genuine growth can occur. Finally, the girls have thrown themselves into my weekly challenges with great enthusiasm and good humour, and it has been lovely to watch their enjoyment grow across the term. One final challenge awaits next week, and while it may be the hardest yet, I suspect Year 7 will be more than ready to rise to it.

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– Martina Stolzi
Acting Head of Year 7