It is difficult to believe that we have reached the end of what has been an extremely busy Semester 1. The Junior School girls have experienced such growth since the beginning of the year, with new learning opportunities and a broad range of experiences enhancing their journeys.

The last few weeks have been a time of deep reflection for our staff as they have worked tirelessly preparing the girls’ semester reports. It is an opportunity for the teachers to draw together the learning achievements for each of their girls and plan the next steps for their areas of growth for Semester 2. You will receive the link to your daughter’s school report early next week.

Bedtime Stories

Reading magic happens in the form of storytelling and story sharing. We were delighted to welcome our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 girls and their parents to Bedtime Stories on Monday 21 June in the Learning Commons.

Dressed in their cosiest pyjamas and accompanied by a well-behaved cuddly friend, the girls enjoyed a range of picture books read to them by many of our teachers. We were delighted to see so many parents wearing their pyjamas too!

Each girl received a beautiful Bedtime Stories biscuit and a bookmark at the end of the night.

On behalf of the girls, we thank readers Ms Liz McCarthy, Mrs Rebecca Williamson, Mrs Emma Phillips, Mr Aldo Longobardi, Ms Leah English, Mrs Celine Zammit, Miss Isabella Kasdalis, Mrs Brenna Bence, Mrs Melissa Foster, Mrs Danielle Moir, Mrs Wendy Menzies and Mr Matthew D'Aloisi and special helpers Mrs Kate Brennan, Miss Kate Gladstone, Mrs Ruth Lim, Ms Julia Norman and all the people behind the scenes who made it a memorable night.

Katie Silva
Teacher Librarian

Junior Strings and Band Concert

Last week we were delighted to see the Year 2 Strings Ensemble and the Year 4 Junior Band perform at their end of semester concert. Held in Hender Hall, the girls showcased the skills they had each learnt on their new instrument in Music over the past two terms.

It was obvious that the strings and band teachers instilled the joy of music in the girls and it is our hope that many of them will go on to continue learning their instrument in the future.

Our Junior Band also performed at our second concert, which was wonderful for our Year 4s to see. Many of the girls in this group began learning the instrument they performed on as part of the strings or band program and it was a marvellous example for our younger students to witness where being part of Music at Wilderness can lead.

Performing Arts Assembly

Our Week 10 assembly was hosted by our Junior School Performing Arts Committee. The girls worked hard to gather Junior School students, who participate in an area of the arts, to share their talents.

Girls filmed themselves performing a wide range of fabulous dances, sharing unusual sporting skills, playing instruments and singing.

Congratulations to India Spernat for leading the Performing Arts Committee this semester and for working hard each week to support and congratulate the girls playing music at our assemblies.

Please enjoy a short reflection by India below.

On Friday 25 June, the Junior School Performing Arts Committee hosted their assembly item. This showcased the many talents that we have across the Junior School from Reception all the way up to Year 6.

In Reception, we had Ellie Falzon dancing and Amelie Pourgiezis playing the piano. Followed by three Year 1 students, Madeline Koko Aung playing violin and Victoria and Valentina Said dancing.

In Year 2, we had Aniqah Anand singing and Josephine Richter showcasing her Irish Dancing. Year 3 girls, Daisy Tian and Saanika Singhal showed us their badminton and singing skills.

In Year 4, Dionne Hnoudis performed her martial arts and Hazel Newman played the saxophone. We had a live performance of robot dancing by Sky Jeffries and Selin Cinar on the trumpet, both in Year 5.

Finally, in Year 6 we had Caitlyn Ooi dancing and Mila Rinaldi playing soccer.

The assembly was a great opportunity for girls to share their interests and we hope it inspires others to try a new activity or even participate in the future.

Year 4 Museum Excursion

The Year 4 girls had a wonderful day exploring the South Australian Museum in Week 9. It was fantastic to see the girls investigate the different galleries with so much curiosity and awe. A big thank you to the parents who gave up a day to support us with such a great day of learning.

“I liked seeing the different minerals because they were really interesting shapes and so colourful.”

“I found all the world mammals quite fascinating because they have so many unique and interesting features.”

“We saw lots of furry animals in the mammals section and we enjoyed observing them and seeing where they come from.”

“I really enjoyed looking at the interesting fossils of the Diprotodon. It had a very big nose like a wombat. Did you know they are related?”

“I learned more about mammals of the world, gemstones and Aboriginal culture than I would be able to in our classrooms because the museum is full of interesting objects and information.”

“I looked at an old-fashioned iron lung for people who had polio. I don’t think I would like to lie inside of an Iron lung!”

Heather Davis and Nathan Rice
Year 4 Teachers

Annika Ganesh Wins Artology Competition

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Year 6 student, Annika Ganesh, has been selected as one of the winners of the 2021 Artology Competition.

This is a national music competition for 12 to 21-year-olds to compose a short fanfare orchestral score. Annika’s winning composition will be performed and recorded by the Australian Youth Orchestra and broadcast in 2022 in venues such as the Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney City Recital Hall, Ian Potter Centre Melbourne and Perth Concert Hall.

She has also been invited to Sydney for a mentoring program during the recording period for her fanfare. We are exceptionally proud of Annika and her achievements and look forward to hearing her fanfare later in the year.

Thank You and Happy Holidays

As we conclude Semester 1, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you, our families, for your ongoing engagement and partnership along your daughters’ learning journey. Thank you also to the Junior School staff who give such focus and show such commitment to their girl's learning and well-being on a daily basis. I wish each of you a wonderful holiday break and hope that you find some time to enjoy the things that bring you joy with the people you love most. I look forward to welcoming the girls back to Term 3 on Wednesday 21 July.