From the Primary School
From the Head of Primary
We have had a wonderful Term 1 in the Primary School! The girls have filled their days with learning, creativity, discovery and above all, looking after each other! I am so proud of the positive attitude and resilience the girls have displayed as we adjust to school life with COVID. I also thank our dedicated teachers and staff, as well as our parents and carers who have been so supportive.
I wish you all a Happy Easter and a holiday that is both fun and restful!
Helen Dempsey
Head of Primary
Primary News and Updates
The Primary School has been a hive of activity! Read about Year 6’s “Build a Business” market day, the Year 6 French Film excursion, what the girls have been up to in the Gardening Club and tips for selecting age-appropriate books for your daughter.
Build a Business
Last week on Friday 1 April, Year 6 held a market day for Stage 2 girls (Years 3 and 4). We worked long and hard over two and a half weeks to create and design merchandise to sell. Our project was called Build a Business. The aim of this task was to raise money to support a charity of our choice.
Build a Business helped us develop many skills from quick maths calculations to real life business skills, marketing and good customer service. Year 6 were given around two and a half weeks to construct a business plan, buy materials, calculate costs and work collaboratively. We had to plan and work efficiently, racing against the clock.
Each group of four was given a budget of $10 per person. In order to make the highest profit we could, groups searched online for the lowest prices and bundle deals.
Marketing and visual appearances were essential parts for the project. Posters and signs had to be visually appealing and advertising played a huge role. Each group came up with a name, and some companies even designed logos and catchy slogans.
One of the hardest parts was figuring out what products to make and sell. We brainstormed items that the Stage 2 girls would find interesting and then made a business plan about how we could do it.
Well done to all the Year 6 girls as we persevered through the tough challenges. Even though some girls were in and out of isolation, we all managed to contribute to the project.
Together, Year 6 raised an outstanding $844.35 for people in need. Even though we wanted to support multiple charities, we could only choose one. This year the earnings of the Build a Business project will go towards White Ribbon. This charity is the world’s largest movement that helps end men’s violence against women and girls and promotes gender equality. Year 6 all had a blast this year doing Build a Business and we hope that the money contributed to White Ribbon will make a difference in the future.
Anika Buchanan and Elizabeth Teoh
Year 6 Students
Year 6 French Film Excursion Le Trésor du Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas’ treasure)
In 2022, Palace Verona decided to open its doors again to host the French Film Festival. The girls in Year 6 went to the screening of the popular French Film Le Trésor du Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas’ Treasure). Dressed in our raincoats and braving the rain, we went on a lovely walk through Darlinghurst and Paddington. We enjoyed experiencing an authentic immersion into the French film culture. With the whole cinema theatre to ourselves, it was a special screening of the film for the girls indeed.
Little Nicholas’ Treasure is the most recent film publication of a beloved French-Belgian children’s film series. The film series chronicles the adventures of a young boy named Nicholas and his friends. In the newest film, Nicholas makes multiple attempts to stop his father’s promotion and his family’s planned move to the French region Auvergne. He places many obstacles in his path and sometimes he has success.
The girls loved discussing the important theme of friendship which emerged throughout this film. The girls had a lot of fun taking part in this excursion as they left smiling and encouraged to continue practising their French outside the classroom. There was a great sense of joy in Year 6.
With the holidays approaching, we encourage you and your families to create your own French Film Festival at home. This is a great opportunity to explore the range of children’s French films available on SBS on demand as well.
Madame Arbabzadah & Madame Tobin
Gardening Club in the Primary school
Gardening Club is an educational experience for Years 3-6 girls where we learn to plant, transplant, care and identify different plants. We work in our school gardens to maintain the old plants and when they die, pull out the old and replant something new. It’s a fun activity to burn some energy and get your hands dirty (luckily, we are fortunate enough to have gardening gloves and shovels to use when working in the garden). The Gardening Club girls especially enjoy when we use the vegetation from our garden to make delicious dishes. Thank you to Ms Zipfinger for making our gardening sessions possible.
Josephine Wheater
Year 6
Helping your daughter choose her next book
Would you like assistance selecting the next age-appropriate book or series for your daughter?
Using the Premier’s Reading Challenge site of curated book titles, this 2-minute instructional video has been produced to make book selection easy!
Simply choose a Year Level and Genre, and then watch the book recommendations appear on your screen.
Please remember to always consider your daughter’s interests and reading abilities prior to making a final selection.
Karen McBride
Teacher Librarian – Primary
