Last week we enjoyed our first formal academic assembly of 2024. It was wonderful to celebrate academic achievement and effort over the first half of Term 1. Congratulations to all our award recipients. We also had a great time at Friday’s swimming carnival which was the first major opportunity for our House captains to lead their houses. Congratulations to O’Brien House, who were crowned the champion swimming house in 2024. It was neck and neck with Mulrooney all the way, with cheering and house points accumulated throughout the day crucial to their victory. House order was as follows: 1. O’Brien. 2. Mulrooney. 3. Rice. 4. Haydon. 5. Treacy. 6. Clancy. We look forward to the athletics carnival tomorrow. Good luck to all our athletes.
Staffing News – Miss Natalie Janes, who has been teaching in the Junior School library, will begin her maternity leave from next week. We wish Natalie all the best at this special time and thank her for her wonderful work with our students. We are delighted to have secured the services of Mrs Patricia Wattam, an experienced teacher, for two days per week. Patricia will be teaching 5 Blue on Thursdays and 4 Blue on Fridays, replacing Mr Kelly. This will begin from Week 7 this term. Mr Kelly will commence teaching in the Junior School library from next week.
Thursday 7 March – Junior School Athletics Carnival. Students may wear house colour or PE sports clothes on this day. Please see information below.
MORNING SESSION:
9.20am Event 1a – Field Events qualifiers (qualification via PE classes or scheduled trial – students to be notified of qualification prior to carnival) only group Lonergan Oval Selection process for College team – Top 4 to be chosen if they meet min/max standard distances. Check distance of sheet for what the standards are.
– Shot-put
– Discus
– Long jump
9.20am Event 1b – Multi Sports
All students Years 4 to 6 who did not qualify for field events will participate in a multisport activity program. Students who finish their field events will return to the multisport activity program.
10.35am Back to Grandstand – Students Released to Recess 10.45am
11.20am Track Program will commence. This will allow students an opportunity to be selected for the College team (top 4 best times). It also provides students of all abilities an opportunity to participate in running events and house, individual and team activities.
OWENS OVAL
JS Vortex News (002) copySacramental Program
A letter was sent out to interested families on Monday. If you are interested and did not receive this information, please contact Ms Bridget Cusack on email: bcusack@sec.act.edu.au
School Sport ACT Representative 12/U Opportunities – School Sport ACT has changed the process for applying and participating in Sporting Trials.
Anyone interested in trialling for the various regional sports, now need to log onto the ACT Sports Website and register for the sport that your child wishes to trial. It is the responsibility of parents/carers to monitor the website for any upcoming sporting events, if your child is interested in competing in the regional competitions.
Please also note if your child is successful in being selected for an ACT team to participate in a national or regional tournament, a formal written letter is required, addressed to the College Principal to seek permission for absence from school during this period. Once the College has received such a request it can then be formally approved for your son’s participation in this activity with School Sport ACT. Secondly, we will also be able to acknowledge his achievement here at school.
Year 4-6 After School Homework Club
Tuesday & Wednesday after school
3.30pm – 4.30pm
Junior School Library lab
Boys are to bring work with them that they may need assistance with. This could be homework, assignments, extension work or additional work set by their classroom teacher. Email hellem@sec.act.edu.au and sign up in Clipboard should you wish your son to attend.
Year 6 Runners Program – As a part of our Year 6 into High School transition program, we will be enlisting the assistance of Year 6 students to help as runners. As runners, the students will get to know the school layout very well ahead of Year 7. The students will work in pairs for a full day (learning remotely between jobs).
Wednesday 13 March – Monday 18 March – Naplan Testing. Naplan numeracy and literacy testing will occur during this time. Any catch-up testing can take place in the days after the above dates. Please reassure your son that these tests are a basic snapshot of how they are performing at the time of testing and that the school uses the information and data to help inform future decisions around curriculum design and areas for improvement. They are certainly not anything designed to cause stress or anxiety. If you require exemption forms or more information, please email Zach Holmes: zholmes@stedmunds.act.edu.au
Naplan Testing Timeline – Year 5
Wed 13 March: Writing
Thurs 14 March: Reading
Fri 15 March: Conventions of language (spelling, etc.)
Mon 18 March: Numeracy
Tues 19 March – Wed 21 March: Catch-up opportunities
Wednesday 13 March – Cricket Presentation Evening
This picnic-style presentation evening is held at the Grandstand on Owens Oval from 5pm. Information will be emailed to parents/carers associated with cricket.
Tuesday 19 March – Harmony Day. Please look out for information on this day. Students will be able to wear cultural clothes for the day and there will be some food fundraisers on the day with proceeds going to Caritas.
Monday 25 March – Experience Eddies Day. If you know of any current Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6 students interested in coming to St Edmund’s, please feel free to draw their attention to the Experience Eddies Day and Open Evening Information on our various social media outlets.
Hair Policy – Thank you to all parents/carers for keeping your son/s haircuts in line with the school’s uniform and hair policy. At times barbers may make mistakes. If they are informed of their mistake, many will fix the haircut (in line with our policy) at no extra charge. Could I please ask that all parents/carers familiarise themselves with the hair policy so that students can get about their daily work without teacher’s asking them about their haircuts. Thank you for your assistance with this.
Hair should be kept neat, tidy and clean at all times and not grown or styled into an extreme or exaggerated fashion.
Hair should be of uniform length and no shorter than a number ‘two’.
Students are not allowed to have lines or designs shaved into their hair nor grow long sections of hair that can be fashioned into ‘top buns’, plaits, undercuts, braids, ‘rats tails’, ‘mohawks’ or ‘mullets’ etc.
Student Drop Off and Pick Up – Please do not use the staff carpark (off Canberra Avenue) to drop or collect students before and after school. This is a dangerous place for our students to be moving through and we would like to keep this area for staff only. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.
David Kelly
Assistant Principal – Junior School