From the Junior School

From the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday. For those who are travelling, I wish you safe travels. For those who are staying home, I wish you a relaxing break from the routine of a busy school term. I am very excited as we fly over to England on Saturday to catch up with our eldest daughter, Hannah, who is studying over there and to spend precious time with my mother and siblings. I look forward to coming back energised and ready for all that Term 3 will bring.

Tomorrow is our STEAM Festival, and it promises to be a day of excitement and celebration as the girls showcase their learning and their joy of learning. A highlight for me this term has been watching girls of a range of ages work together to plan, create and problem solve and seeing teachers’ excitement as they worked alongside the girls too.

For those of you who can come to the STEAM Festival tomorrow, please prepare to be amazed! It’s important to remember that all you see in the STEAM Festival has been designed and made by the girls and to remember the young age of the girls in our Junior School. The girls have worked collaboratively across House time this term (approximately four hours in total) to design, build and code robots, design and construct marble runs, prepare resources for all the STEM Alley stalls, rehearse their performance for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and design and code props for the performance. One of these props is Wonka’s great glass elevator and the coding of the LED lights has been led by one of our STEM Captains, Lily Zhang. The coding involves a complex series of coding loops which Lily has mastered with impressive tenacity. Lily has then taught younger girls and together they have coded the lights which give the illusion of movement for the elevator. I am so proud of the girls’ determination to showcase their creativity and STEM mindset with this festival.

A recent report published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the PISA 2022 results explains the significance of schools providing opportunities for students to ‘think outside the box in different task contexts.’ The report states that schools whose students score highly in creative thinking also perform highly in mathematics, reading and science. The OECD Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, reiterates that ‘teachers can unlock student creativity by encouraging students to explore, generate and reflect upon ideas.’ I am immensely proud of the opportunities we provide our girls to explore and grow their creativity across all subjects and all grades and know the impact this focus is having on all their academic learning.

Reference: OECD (2024), PISA 2022 Results (Volume III): Creative Minds, Creative Schools

A message from Mr Robinson – Acting Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations

STEAM Festival and Windows Into Learning

Detailed schedules of the day have been sent to parents via the MyPymble parent portal, which outline the activities that each grade will undertake during the day.

  • 8.35am Event commences in the Gymnasium
  • 9.45am Hourly rotations in the Junior School commence
    • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    • STEAM Alley
    • Marketplace (Years 2 to 6)
    • STEM Craft (Year 1)
    • Build-a-Bear (Kindergarten)
  • 12.45pm BYO picnic lunch in the playground, with the ability to pre-order lunch through flexi-schools
  • 1.15pm Windows Into Learning commences, with parents invited into learning spaces
  • 2.15pm Event concludes. Students may depart with parents if they sign out with Compass Teachers.

Marketplace

Students in Years 2 to Year 6 will be able to visit and make purchases from the STEAM Marketplace on Friday 28 June 2024 during their rotations. All purchases cost no more than $2.00, but students must have pre-purchased tokens.

Afternoon Departure Procedures

It is vitally important that students are well supervised in the afternoon and that the College is aware of student movement, so we can support students and ensure their safety.

  • Grey House Walk: Students who exit the campus via Grey House Walk must do so with a parent or carer. If they are meeting the parent on the street, or walking to a nearby house, they must carry an authorised Grey House Pass provided by the Junior School office. Students who do not have a pass, will need to wait with the teacher or at the Junior School office for later collection.
  • Collection Via Grandview Street: Students in Years 3 to 6 who wish to be collected from Grandview Street or walk home to a nearby residence will, from Term 3, be required to carry a Grandview Street Pass. This will be shown to the Junior School teacher on duty at the station overpass. Students without a pass will return with the teacher to the Junior School for later collection.

Name badges: All students in the Junior School are expected to wear a name badge as part of their uniform. At the beginning of the year, the College provides all students with two name badges at no cost. In the event that these become damaged or lost, students will be provided with a replacement, with the cost of $10.50 charged to student accounts.

Week 9 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Our student performance, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, will be a highlight of the STEAM Festival for audiences of all ages to enjoy. The performance will run for approximately 45 minutes and will be held in the Junior School John Reid Hall. Below are the performance dates and times. Members of the Pymble community may attend any of the performances listed below. As part of your attendance, audience members are asked to complete the RSVP form:

  • Friday 28 June, commencing at 9.45am
  • Friday 28 June, commencing at 10.45am
  • Friday 28 June, commencing at 11.45am

A message from Tiffany Farlow – Performing Arts Teacher

We are excited to announce a drawing competition for Year 1 and 2 students, based on the musical Porridge! Students are encouraged to create an original piece of artwork at home during the winter holiday break, using any medium and on A4 or A3 sized paper. The artwork must be the student’s own work, completed without any help from parents or siblings. On the back of the artwork, please ensure the student’s full name, age, and class are written.

Additionally, on the back of the artwork in pencil, include a title and a short description explaining how the artwork relates to Porridge. All entries must be submitted to Ms Farlow by Friday 26 July. The top three artworks will receive prizes, and finalists will have their artwork proudly displayed in the Junior School. We can’t wait to see the creative and original pieces our students will produce!

Junior School Digital News

Term 2 2024 Key Dates – Week 8 and 9

Tomorrow                                                        STEAM Festival

Tomorrow                                                        JSPG Build a Bear Kindergarten

Tomorrow                                                        Last day of Term 2

Term 3 2024 Key Dates – Week 1 and 2

Tuesday 23 July                                            First Day of Term 3  

Wednesday 24 July                                        3-6 Athletics Carnival (rescheduled date)

Thursday 25 July                                            K-2 Athletics Carnival (rescheduled date)

Friday 26 July                                                 Catch up photo day

Friday 26 July                                                 IPSHA debating

Saturday 27 July                                            IPSHA Saturday Sport commences for Term 3

From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)

Looking ahead – Term 3, Weeks 1 and 2

  • Athletics Carnival Refreshment Stalls – Rescheduled Dates

The JSPG are running refreshment stalls at the upcoming Junior School Athletics Carnivals to provide food and drinks for the girls and their families.  We would greatly appreciate your help throughout the day – it’s a great opportunity to connect with other Junior School families. Rosters will be arranged to ensure you don’t miss your daughter’s races and times are flexible.

If your availability to volunteer has changed with the rescheduled dates, could you please update the sign up links below. 

The 3-6 Athletics Carnival will be held on Wednesday 24 July. You can sign up to donate food or volunteer on the stalls here. 

The K-2 Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 25 July. You can sign up to donate food or volunteer on the stalls here. 

  • Jeans for Genes Day Sausage Sizzle – Friday 2 August

Please save the date for our Jeans for Genes Day fundraiser in Week 2 of next term.  Girls in Years 2 – 6 will be invited to wear jeans and enjoy a sausage sizzle for lunch in Sunshine Square.  Funds raised will be donated to the Children’s Medical Research Institute who research childhood genetic diseases.

An invitation including tickets for lunch and a volunteer sign up will be sent out via MyPymble shortly.

Please contact us with any questions at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com

Kate Brown

Head of Junior School