{"id":45925,"date":"2026-06-12T12:42:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T02:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/?post_type=article&p=45925"},"modified":"2026-06-12T12:42:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T02:42:34","slug":"from-the-head-of-junior-school-261","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/article\/from-the-head-of-junior-school-261\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Head of Junior School"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Although it is a short week due to the public holiday, it has nevertheless been a hard-working and productive week of learning for all our Junior School girls. Kindergarten students showcased their learning at our Kindergarten to Year 5 assembly. It was lovely to see so many parents in attendance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Children and Screen Time<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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During an enrolment interview this week, I was asked about our School\u2019s mobile phone policy, and I was pleased the question was raised. Research\u00a0indicates\u00a0that children in upper primary school are spending around 6.5 hours per day on screens, including television and devices. Extended screen time can be unhealthy for developing brains, with children who have\u00a0very high\u00a0screen use experiencing up to three times more negative developmental effects than their peers. This reminds us that managing screen time is a shared community responsibility across both school and home.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Importantly, not all screen time is unhealthy. When used purposefully, technology can be educational,\u00a0engaging\u00a0and highly supportive of learning. In\u00a0our\u00a0Junior School, technology is used deliberately to enhance creativity,\u00a0collaboration\u00a0and thinking skills. Students use digital tools to create, research and work together, to receive\u00a0timely\u00a0feedback on their learning, and to access tasks that are tailored to their individual needs. When thoughtfully guided by teachers, technology supports different learning styles and helps all children\u00a0to feel\u00a0challenged,\u00a0included\u00a0and successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At MLC School, we are very mindful of striking a healthy balance. Devices do not replace books, hands-on\u00a0experiences\u00a0or face-to-face interaction; rather, they complement them. By modelling responsible use at school and working in partnership with families at home, we can help children develop healthy habits and a positive, balanced relationship with technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you wish to learn more about supporting your child at home, I encourage you to visit the eSafety Commissioner website.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Piano,\u00a0Voice\u00a0and String Festival<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We wish all the girls\u00a0participating\u00a0in this afternoon\u2019s Piano and Voice Festival all the\u00a0very best. It is wonderful to see so many girls\u00a0participating\u00a0from the Junior School and across the whole School.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I am also looking forward to seeing many of our parents at the MLC School 140th Year Anniversary Gala Dinner this weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We look forward to the following events next week:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Tuesday 16 June<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

The MLC School Advantage in Literacy: Using Complex Texts for Comprehension Year 3 Parent Workshop<\/strong>
\n8am
\n<\/span>The Daphne Line Hall<\/p>\n

Year 3 Celebration of Learning<\/strong><\/div>\n
8.45am<\/div>\n
The Daphne Line Hall<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Wednesday 17 June<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Kindergarten to Year 5 Athletics Carnival<\/strong><\/div>\n
Olympic Park Athletic Centre<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Thursday 18 June<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Junior School Prescott House – Mufti Day<\/strong><\/div>\n
Students in PreK to Year 5 are invited to dress up as who they want to be when they grow up! Please bring a gold coin donation to support Dress for Success<\/em>, a charity that helps women feel empowered and confident and ready for work. They provide professional clothing and support to women who are entering or returning to the workforce, all at no cost.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n
Illuminate<\/strong><\/div>\n
4pm\u00a0 – 8pm<\/div>\n
Senior School<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
– Daniel Sandral<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n
Head of Junior School<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although it is a short week due to the public holiday, it has nevertheless been a hard-working and productive week of learning for all our Junior School girls. Kindergarten students showcased their learning at our Kindergarten to Year 5 assembly. It was lovely to see so many parents in attendance.\u00a0 Children and Screen Time\u00a0 During […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":45965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[5],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-45925","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","article_category-junior-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/45925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=45925"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=45925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}