This week we come together to uphold an important tradition in our Junior School, to thank and farewell the Year 6 leadership group who have so ably and passionately undertaken their roles this last semester.

Each of the 31 girls placed in these roles engaged fully in the experience of being a leader. They stepped out of their comfort zones, organised events, used their initiative and learnt a great deal about the importance of being responsible, managing their time and finding balance in their already busy lives. We are certainly thankful and full of admiration. However, even more importantly, we are grateful for the types of leaders they have been in our Junior School.

I have witnessed and heard about so many examples of how each girl collaborated, supported each other and the younger girls in the wider Junior School community and, above all, acted with thoughtfulness, consideration, and kindness in the way they conducted themselves. Being a leader in Year 6 is an opportunity for deep learning and new experiences, and it has been both a privilege and a joy to witness this journey for our Semester 1 leaders.

Below are some quotes from the speeches they shared.

This semester I have learned so much. Not only have I experienced leadership, but I have also learnt a lot about patience, organisation and I have gained so much confidence with my public speaking.

I have been at Wildy since Mamie’s and have grown up watching older girls in leadership roles. I was therefore so excited to receive a leadership role and participate in the SRC. I never realised how much I would learn and grow from this experience.

Over the past two terms, the current SRC has been working and helping behind the scenes to make the Junior School a better place.

The Performing Arts Committee has been preparing for an assembly which you will be lucky enough to see in Week 10.

The Citizenship Committee planned a hugely successful Fluffy Friday Casual Day.

Our Sports Committee has been preparing sport and play equipment for girls.

The Student Foundation Committee has been assisting with our School Tours.

The Environment Committee has been planting seeds to grow in the gardens here at Wilderness.

House Captains have been entertaining their House every second week and helping girls prepare for cross country and the upcoming swimming carnival.

Year Level Representatives have been playing games and supporting girls across the Junior School.

The Peer Support girls have been supporting and playing with girls at lunch and recess in both the Lower Junior School and Junior School.

The Library Committee has been organising and planning activities for the library.

The Digital Technology Committee has been helping out and designing things to do with technology and electronics.

As I’m sure you can tell, the SRC has been extremely busy, and all deserve to be very proud of their efforts this semester. I hope that we all take away what we have learned and continue to be leaders in and out of school as we progress into Middle School.

To next semester’s Year 6 leaders: Enjoy your time in the SRC. I hope you enjoy your leadership journey as much as we have.

Eva Baggio - Semester 1 Junior School President

We have really enjoyed our roles as Peer Support Representatives because it is a lot of fun to support the younger girls. We have learnt that everybody could do with a new friend.

We are so grateful to be given this opportunity. We would like to thank Ms Kate Brennan for supporting us to be responsible peer support leaders.

Annabel Wheeler and Matilda Laurens - Peer Support Representatives

We are the Year 5 Year Level Representatives for Semester 1. During this time, we have learnt how to work with other students, how to be organised, and we have developed confidence in our public speaking.

Alisha Azhar and Lulu Rayner – Year 5 Class Representatives

We have been lucky enough to be the Sparaxis House Captains for Semester 1. In this role, we have improved our organisation skills by being prepared for all the House Meetings. We learnt how to manage a large group and how to organise creative activities for the girls to enjoy. We would like to thank all of the Sparaxis girls, and on behalf of all of the House Captains, we would like to thank Mr Kieran Jackson for guiding us and helping us prepare for all of the House Meetings.

Madison Tait and Margot Temble – Sparaxis House Captains

Reconciliation Week

Last week the Junior School had the privilege of attending a whole school assembly to acknowledge and celebrate Reconciliation Week for 2021. This year’s theme, ‘More than a word; reconciliation takes action’, opened up a range of important conversations about how we can turn our words and intentions into action that makes a genuine difference.

We were lucky to hear from about the experiences, their own and their families, of a number of our Aboriginal girls over time and the importance of reconciliation as a way of being, an ongoing action as opposed to something that is acknowledged for just one week. Year 6 student, Gabrielle Lawry-Wilson, shared the following insightful statement as part of her speech at the assembly:

‘At the heart of Reconciliation is Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people coming together in equal partnership and building respectful relationships so that everyone has a bright future’.

SAPSASA Sport

A number of Junior School students have had the opportunity to compete in SAPSASA Sport over the last two weeks. Congratulations to Poppy Ritchie and Jasmine Brett for competing in SAPSASA Netball and Tara Salerno, Sophie Cardone, Bella Pasin, India Goodall and Margot Tembel for making it into the Cross Country SAPSASA District Team. Playing at this level requires a significant degree of commitment and focus, and we are proud of each girl for her achievements.

Year 2 Excursion

On Friday 28 May, the Year 2 girls enjoyed a fabulous day at Cleland Wildlife Park. They began the morning by preparing their own food for their trip. Throughout the day, the girls were involved in a variety of interactive activities, including getting up close with Banjo, the koala and feeding kangaroos. They were also lucky enough to be a part of a seed planting experience where they planted native seeds and used tree guards to protect them.

“I really enjoyed patting Banjo because he was very fluffy and warm because we were very cold.” Jemima Strahle and Katia Michailaros

“When I fed the kangaroos, three of them came up really close, and I got to feed all of them.” Claudia Collum

“I loved planting the seeds with my partner because we worked together to dig, plant and water our Christmas bush.” Vasiliki Natsias

Bedtime Stories

Reception to Year 2 girls are invited to enjoy a unique shared story evening in our new Library.

Wear your snuggly pyjamas and bring along your best behaved soft toy friend and listen to wonderful stories read to you by our special guests. Girls will sit with their classmates in allocated areas and take home a special treat.

Monday 21 June
6.00pm - 6.45pm
Learning Commons
Ground and Level 1 Libraries

Register your attendance by Thursday 17 June.

To comply with restrictions, we ask for 1 parent per family and no siblings to attend. Seating with the girls will be provided and we would love you to wear your comfy pyjamas too!

Code Camp

Join Australia’s favourite school holiday program! Spark (Ages 7-12) and YouTube Creators (Ages 8-13) will be held at Wilderness School this Winter.

Monday 5 to Wednesday 7 July
9.00am - 3.30pm
Click here to learn more.