As we move towards the end of the year, it seems as if time is speeding up!

Not least because of the many rehearsals, finalising of learning tasks and assessments to enable report writing, but also because our teachers feel now more than ever a sense of sadness at their girls moving into another year level.

The deep connections made when working with your daughters for an entire year are inestimable, and it is somewhat bittersweet to see them move up.

This time of year is always a time of great reflection as teachers write your daughters’ reports and hand over notes for their new teacher. I have many conversations with the Junior School teaching team where I am struck by the deep care for, commitment to and support they hold for the individual girls in their classes.

As well as the usual end of year events, there has been and still will be an abundance of experiences and opportunities for our girls in the ELC and Junior School.

Animal Capers!

For our girls in Reception, their Science class this term has been a special one with their learning centred around the basic needs of living things. Early in the term, they planted sunflower seeds and the girls have watched with wonder as these tiny seeds began to sprout and are now developing into strong young plants.

A highlight for this unit of learning was a visit by Jodie from ‘Animal Capers’. Jodie cares for a range of amazing animals and her visit gave the girls a truly hands-on experience of these special creatures. There was Smiles the crocodile, Wriggles the snake and Hush the baby possum, among others.

Our girls showed themselves to be truly Adventurous Learners as they gently handled these living animals and learned what they need to remain healthy and happy!

Year 3 Camp

Our Year 3 girls enjoyed an outstanding camp experience at Aldinga last week, participating in a range of Indigenous focussed activities. I encourage you to read the following reflection by Skyler Luong and Maryam Cedra Sawad.

Our first stop was Jubilee playground at Port Noarlunga, at the playground we ate recess. Then we went on a scavenger hunt at the beach and used the pieces to make nature art.

Next, we walked through the scrub and ate lunch before eventually arriving at the Aldinga holiday park.

After we settled in, we got sorted into our dorms. We had some time to set up our beds and empty our food scraps from lunch and recess into the recycle, compost, soft plastic and chicken bin. Then we had afternoon tea which were delicious muffins.

As the sun was setting we went back to the scrub and found a magic spot to do some journaling. Then we got free time where we got to choose between going to the pool or to the playground where there was a bouncy pillow. We had burgers for dinner. Then it was finally time to go to bed! 

Most of us were awake at dawn but we stayed in bed until we heard a choir of angels [the teachers] singing “You Are My Sunshine”. Then it was breakfast time. All of us had at least one serving of cereal and then we got the choice of toast. Then 3T got to paint boomerangs while 3D got to go for a walk with Trent [ He is an Indigenous man who came to talk to us about his culture]. Then we had morning tea which was chocolate chip cookies and fruit. Then we got to swap.

Trent showed us different plants that the Aboriginal people used for medicine, tools and food. He demonstrated the different tools that they made from plants and showed us how to make bush glue from kangaroo poo, grass tree resin and charcoal.

Next, we covered rainbow trout with clay. Trent put them on the fire.

While the fish was cooking Trent told us a story about a boy who never did anything his family told him to because he got lazy and he got punished for that. Then we did some journaling.

Afterwards we ate the trout it was delicious! Some people even ate the eyeballs!!! Then we ate spaghetti bolognaise for dinner. After a long day full of activities most of us were very eager to go to sleep.  

Friday was our last day, everyone was excited to get back to their families at home, but some people also wanted to stay at camp.

Firstly, choir of angels [the teachers] sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to us in the morning. Then we packed our bags and ate breakfast.

Next some girls made a Stick Man family while others played a game in the scrub called prickly and tickly. Then we had morning tea which was Anzac cookies and fruit, then we swapped around.

Afterwards the bus arrived and the teachers put all our luggage in the bus. Then we went to Aldinga Oval for lunch. We ate sausage rolls, pies and pasties.

Afterwards the teachers treated us chocolate doughnuts. Then the bus took us back to school, where we got picked up by our excited parents!  

Next Week

Our Year 6 girls will be experiencing their ‘Sea to Summit’ bike riding camp next week from Wednesday 24 November to Friday 26 November. They will ride over three days from Henley Beach to Athelstone along Linear Park, camping overnight in between.

Our ELC girls are looking forward with much anticipation to their Christmas Party, to be held next Tuesday morning.

New Girls

This week we welcomed our new girls for 2022 on our annual New Girls’ Day, with all Junior School girls enjoying a day with their year level teachers for next year.

This began with a beautiful assembly, hosted by our Year 2 girls, where our new students were welcomed for the day. They then moved with their new teachers for a day filled with fun getting to know you activities.

The girls will all have a final transition on the last day of school (Friday 3 December), where they will find out their class and specific teacher.

It is always a time of year filled with some nerves about the unknown, however, please rest assured that a great deal of time and the utmost care and consideration is given to placing girls in classes.

The way we frame our approach to new experiences with our girls plays an essential role in determining their resilience and confidence moving forward.

Reminder - End of Year Events

I remind you to book your allocated tickets for our ELC Christmas Concert and Annie’s Graduation on Thursday 2 December, Junior School Christmas Concert on Friday 3 December and for our Year 6 families, the Year 6 Graduation and Prize Giving Assembly on Monday 29 November. Families of girls who have won prizes will be invited individually to this event.

As much as we would love to be able to extend an invitation more broadly to families and extended families for these events, we are only able to offer a strict 2 ticket per family limit. The social distancing and density requirements from SA Health we are bound to abide by only allow for this.

While it can seem reasonable to grant an extra ticket or two to families, it really is not something we can do, both in terms of the requirements we are legislated to meet and in terms of treating all families equitably.

I am pleased to let you know however, that we will be recording these events and, once ready, sharing them with our families in the weeks following.

I look forward to seeing you in Week 10 and wish you a wonderful fortnight ahead.