Term 4 | The Way Newsletter | Monday 2 December 2024

We have come to the end of another academic year. Some students are just moving from one class to the next, others are transitioning from Junior to Senior School and some  are doing their HSC. Regardless of which stage they are at, this is an ideal time to look beyond their grades and chat about how their core skills are developing.  Students often tell me that they really want for their parents to be proud of them, but they fear their parents will be disappointed in their results and struggle with feeling that they are disappointments to their parents.

Parents are often focused on what do I do to ensure that my child is successful in life. How do I motivate my child to do better?  Children want to know that they will be loved even if they are not a great student and that your love for them is not conditional.

In my experience, a useful way to navigate this conversation is to focus on both the academic results and then to focus on the skills that are required to support them to have success at College and in Life.

Not all our children are academically inclined, but they can all benefit from developing their:

• Organisational skills
• Time Management
• Self-Discipline
• Problem solving and
• Study Skills

Parenting is hard, SchoolTV has a range of fact based articles that can support you to raise happy and resilient children. If your child is Transitioning to year 7, you can explore what you can do to support them by clicking the button below.

Transitioning

If you child has just started  to do their HSC, you can click on the button below to learn more about what you can do to support them to cope with stress, look after themselves, have balance in their lives and study smarter not harder.

HSC Stress

If there are any areas that you have concerns about like addressing screen time  with your children, you can also access more information about how to do this by clicking on these buttons:

Managing Screen Time

eSafety Commissioner

I wish you a Blessed Christmas and that you can delight in your children,  because they are so precious.  

Mrs Jacoline Petersen
Director of Student Counselling

All of our Junior College music ensembles recently performed at the annual Junior Ensembles Evening. The Junior Ensembles have seen excellent growth this year, with 50 students in our Junior Choir, and over 70 students in the Junior Concert Band. It was a fantastic night of musical entertainment, and all students performed very well to showcase their ensemble to the highest standard. The ensembles that performed in the evening were the Intermediate Concert Band, Junior Strings, Junior Concert Band, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Ensemble, Junior Drum Circle, and the Junior Choir.

Thank you to all the students who performed so well at this event, demonstrating strong commitment to their music learning and contributing to a great ensemble sound. Thank you also to all the parents for supporting your child on their music journey and providing them the opportunity to experience these initiatives at College. We look forward to making even more music next year for the next events

Mr Byron Mark
Director of Ensembles - Creative Arts

Well done to all students who represented the College in Summer IPSSO teams this year.

The weekly competition rounds of the Summer IPSSO Competition have been completed.  It was wonderful to see the improvement in our players and teams as the year progressed.  Full results for the Northern Pool:

On Wednesday 20 November, the teams that placed first and second in the Northern Pool moved into the Finals against the teams who placed first and second in the Southern Pool. 

Congratulations to our 3 CHAMPION teams – Junior Basketball, Junior Tee-ball and Senior Softball who placed 1st on Finals day.

Basketball

The senior and junior basketball teams have had an impressive season, blending experience and talent under Coach Taha’s guidance. Their skill, discipline, and teamwork earned both teams spots in the finals, highlighting their growth and success.

During their two final’s games, our junior team fought valiantly with some outstanding plays by Thomas and Gerald in the first game and Georgia in the second. They ended up with an overall 3rd place in the competition

Our senior team played exceptionally well and won both of their final’s games, putting them in first place and overall winners in their competition. They rose to the challenge with noteworthy plays and relentless drive from Lazar, Bailey, Amaniah and Michael.

Thank you to Coach Taha for his consistent, kind and fair leadership. He has assisted the players in their strong performance, and beyond this, has fostered a supportive and collaborative environment, making this season a great success.

Mrs Kate King
Junior School Teacher 

Football 

Junior and Senior Girls Soccer IPSSO Teams Shine This Season

The Junior and Senior Girls soccer teams have had an outstanding season, demonstrating dedication, teamwork and exceptional skill. They dedicated hours to training, refining their abilities, learning strategic plays and growing stronger as a unit. Their hard work paid off, with both teams finishing 1st in their respective pools, setting the stage for an exciting Finals Day.

The Junior Girls kicked off Finals Day with a tough, closely contested match. They showed great determination, holding possession and pushing forward with confidence, but were ultimately defeated 2-0. Although the result didn’t go their way, their resilience and teamwork were a testament to their impressive growth throughout the season.

The Senior Girls followed, brimming with confidence and energy. Their pride was evident as they played boldly, quickly seizing momentum with an early goal. With precise through balls, they created numerous scoring opportunities. The match remained intense, with both teams finding the back of the net, but unfortunately, the final whistle blew with a 3-2 loss for our girls.

In the 3rd vs 4th playoff, the Junior Girls emerged victorious, securing a well-deserved 3rd place finish. Unfortunately, the Senior Girls were unable to claim victory, ending the day in 4th place. Congratulations to all the players for their incredible effort, sportsmanship and remarkable performances throughout the season!

Miss Pamela Broadstock
Junior School Teacher

Soft-ball & Tee-ball

It has been a great season coaching the Summer Teeball and Softball teams this year! Both teams worked hard at improving their skills, learning about the game and developing their communication skills and teamwork. The growth in these students across the year has been wonderful to watch. I am proud that both teams always found ways to encourage each other and help to keep the team thinking positively. The Juniors were undefeated throughout the season and won the final against GRG 14-6 showcasing some great batting skills and teamwork. The Seniors were also undefeated throughout the season, playing their final against ASG and won 11-2. They showed great commitment to the game and communicated well to get the win.

Miss Breanna Evans
Junior School Teacher 

Oz Tag

OzTag Summer Season 2024- This season, our OzTag teams brought their positive attitudes, growing skills, and dedication to the field, making it an incredible season to coach. Watching the students improve their teamwork, refine their game strategies, and embrace the spirit of OzTag was a true highlight of the year.

Junior Team Highlights- For our junior team, this season was all about learning, growth, and fun. Many students brought a natural flair for skills that complemented OzTag but had never played a full game before. Through practise and determination, they not only developed their abilities but also learned to play as a cohesive unit. Their hard work translated into some impressive results and nail-bitingly close games against tough competitors. The joy and energy they brought to every match were infectious, and they should be proud of all they accomplished.

Senior Team Highlights- The senior team had a year of strong talent and skill, bolstered by students stepping up from last year’s junior team. Despite meeting some fierce competition, the team showed tremendous growth in game tactics, skill execution, and teamwork. While this wasn’t our year to make the finals, the season was a success in every other way. The camaraderie and commitment of the team were evident.

A special mention goes to our Year 6 students, who are heading off to high school next year. We wish them the very best as they continue to demonstrate their talents in new arenas. It’s been an honour to coach such a passionate group of players.

Mr Austin Buckley
Junior School Teacher 

Cricket

This year the cricket teams have worked hard and achieved so much. The results of our games were closer than ever before, and the players ought to be proud of their achievements in terms 1 and 4.

Our Junior team had worked so well together to win most of their games and fell just short of the finals this year.

Our Senior team worked very well on their strategies to beat the other teams and these risks often paid off in their favour throughout the year.

It was the best result for both teams in several years and each player did an outstanding job in representing our College both in respectful conduct and their sportsmanship!

Mr Shaun Walker
Junior School Teacher