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Junior School News: Week 1 Term 1, 2022

I wish to extend a huge welcome to new and returning families. We begin 2022 after a substantial holiday break, hopefully refreshed and ready to launch into the new school year. On Monday this week we had the pleasure of meeting our newest Eddies boys and their families. New students spent some time with their teachers and parents and carers were able to hear from key staff members. Although it was a challenge setting up this event under the current restrictions, hopefully new parents and carers were able to obtain some information from it and got to meet some other parents and their son’s teacher.

Term 1 is usually full of college events and generally moves very quickly. Many events and whole college occasions will be impacted by Covid-19 related restrictions. For your information, the college has broken our school into four ‘cohorts’ – Year 11/12, Year 9/10, Year 7/8 and Years 4-6. This is the same way we operated last year when we were required to cohort. Having a 4-6 cohort does allow us to conduct meetings, assemblies, perhaps some Junior school events and some Year 6 to Year 4 buddy activities. Unfortunately, we will not be able to buddy our new students with Year 12 as we like to do. I have included below some important events that will impact on Junior School students or their families over the next few weeks.

Friday 4 February – Student Photo Day. The company will give the students a pack and parents order online. We have scheduled all Junior School students to have their individual photos taken prior to recess. If students have PE this day, they will need to wear their formal uniform to school and bring their PE uniform to school in their bag. After school photos are taken, if your son has PE he will be able to get changed into PE for the remainder of the day. Please note that 4 Blue will have PE later in the day than Period 1 which is when it was scheduled according to their timetable.

Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 February – Summer Sports photos. You should receive information regarding this via your son’s chosen sports coordinator. All students should bring their weekend playing uniform on their scheduled day.

Monday 14 February 3.40pm – 6.30pm – Parent/Teacher Meetings
Information on how to sign up for these through the Parent Portal will be emailed to parents/carers this week, along with login details for our IT systems. This year our Parent/Teacher interviews in Term 1 may be run as Year group information sessions online.

Tuesday 1 March – Moderation Day (Pupil Free Day)

Friday 11 March – Junior School Swimming Carnival @ Queanbeyan. Please note that schools have been informed that no whole-school swimming carnivals should be conducted in Term 1. The college is currently exploring the possibility of running aquatic events in cohorts. This would potentially allow for Years 4-6 to enjoy a community day at Queanbeyan pool and would still offer racing and other fun activities. For parents/carers wondering about selection processes for regional and ACT swimming, please note that regional carnivals will not occur this year and that entry to the ACT carnival will be via official swim meet times only. Once a decision is made on whether this event can go ahead, we will send home information and permission notes.

Year 4-6 after school Homework Club
Tuesday & Wednesday after school – beginning Week 2
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.
All students are welcome to attend, but this is not a drop in session and parents must email Mr Kelly in advance requesting attendance for the week (one or both days) and what their son will be working on. dkelly@stedmunds.act.edu.au

Year 6 Camp – Please note that Year 6 camp has been postponed until November 7-9 due to restrictions around interstate excursions/camps for ACT schools in Term 1. Camp was due to occur this term.

PE Uniform – Just a reminder that your son is to wear his PE uniform to school each day his class is scheduled to have PE. He is also to wear PE uniform on Day 10 of the timetable as classes usually have Year group sport on this day.

Co-Curricular Activities – Students and families will be given instructions on how to sign up for activities and sports this year. This data will then be collated on the school end and you should hear from your son’s activity coordinators late next week (sports may take longer). Generally speaking, Junior School activities such as debating, chess, steam, chess/cardistry, etc. begin in Week 3 and Winter Sports around Week 6. If you decide you would like your son to join another activity, please do not hesitate to contact the activity coordinator. Your son’s classroom teacher can assist you with this as can Lee Boswell (lboswell@stedmunds.act.edu.au)

Tuesday – Cultural Club, Debating, Homework Club
Wednesday – Sports trainings (although these can sometimes occur on other afternoons), Homework Club
Thursday – Steam Club
Friday – Chess/Cardistry Club

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). The students will rotate through on a daily basis for semester 1 only. This program begins Term 1, Week 2, beginning with 6 Blue.

David Kelly
Assistant Principal – Junior School