A Big Thank You to our Whole Community

Despite our students only being back onsite for seven days after lockdown number five, they arrived with great excitement, settled back into their routines quickly. Our Junior School focus remained firmly on excellence in teaching and learning, together with ensuring that our students felt safe and connected to their friends, teachers and school community.

Unfortunately, our return was short-lived and on Friday we returned to remote learning for the sixth time. We are certainly learning how to successfully pivot quickly and effectively between onsite and remote learning. This is such a huge credit to our students and their resilience—well done and thank you!

Sincere thanks also to our wonderful staff, as they were able to efficiently and effectively manage the transition back to remote learning at a moment’s notice. The time, effort and dedication they put into planning a remote learning program that aimed to be accessible to all our students was a credit to them.

Again also, sincere thanks to our CGS parents for the ongoing support you have given your children with their remote learning and emotional wellbeing. Your flexibility, co-operation and feedback has been truly appreciated. We understand it hasn't been easy for many and has added pressure to families on a daily basis. Please reach out to your child’s teachers if there is anything we can do to help.

Thank you to all our parents who attended our recent online Parent–Teacher interviews. These interviews were particularly important this year, given we are still unable to have our wonderful parent body onsite. Thanks to our teachers for preparing and facilitating these interviews after already working full days at school with your class. Your dedication to your students, as always, is commendable.

Olympic Games Showing us the Importance of Hard Work and Determination 

While we were at school, there was a focus on the Tokyo Olympic Games. Our Year 3 students even enjoyed their very own Potato Olympics! I’m sure many families have watched these Olympics and the incredible athletes really showed us what hard work and determination can achieve.

I believe these games were all the more unique given the worldwide pandemic. I believe we can all take joy and hope away from these Olympics and this excerpt of the speech given by the IOC President, Thomas Bach, at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games was truly inspirational.

‘Dear athletes, over the last 16 days, you amazed us with your sporting achievements. With your excellence, with your joy, with your tears, you created the magic of these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

You were faster, you went higher, you were stronger, because we all stood together – in solidarity.

You were competing fiercely with each other for Olympic glory. At the same time, you were living peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village. This is a powerful message of solidarity and peace.

You inspired us with this unifying power of sport. This was even more remarkable given the many challenges you had to face because of the pandemic.

In these difficult times, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope.

For the first time since the pandemic began, the entire world came together. Sport returned to centre stage. Billions of people around the globe were united by emotion, sharing moments of joy and inspiration. This gives us hope. This gives us faith in the future.

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are the Olympic Games of hope, solidarity and peace.

You, the best athletes of the world, could only make your Olympic dream come true because Japan prepared the stage for you to shine.

You, the Japanese people, can be extremely proud of what you have achieved.

On behalf of all athletes, we say: Thank you, Tokyo! Thank you, Japan!’

Let’s take strength from this speech and whatever the near future may bring. Let’s remain strong, united and positive and make the most of each day.

Until we are back onsite, and may it be soon, keep safe and well.

Melissa Roberton

Head of Junior School

There’s no Place Like Space!

In Year 6, the students have been working collaboratively to explore earth and space, discovering the planets within the solar system. Students have researched and investigated the aspects of each planet, including size and distance between Earth, the sun and other planets. 

In their groups, they created posters to display the information. At home they are working on designing their own planet. During this process they have demonstrated many of the school values including excellence, trying their best, inclusion, working with others, respect, treating others the way they would like to be treated and, of course, integrity.

Amy Mepstead

Year 6 Teacher, Head of Trist House

Reid House 2021 Coin Trail Fundraiser

Our Sweet Shepherd Rescue Australia Inc coin trail fundraiser was amazing! There were so many coins and so many people contributing to the coin trail! Eventually, there were so many coins that when they were collected, we needed more than one adult to carry the tubs as they were so heavy! Click here to watch the coin train collection in action!

We appreciate all the hard work of our Years 3-6 students who collected, saved and brought all the coins to our fundraiser! Reid House was so happy to have hosted this fundraiser and, in the end, it was all for the doggies.

Our fundraiser was truly successful and we appreciate everyone involved! We ended the fundraiser with exactly $1,400 dollars and super long trails from all our donating students and teachers. The longest trail was achieved by Reid House and the House that achieved the most amount of money was also Reid House.

Again, we are extremely thankful for everyone’s donations and Sweet Shepherd Rescue was very grateful as well! Thank you to all families who contributed to our fundraiser!

COIN TRAIL RESULTS:

Leaver: $195.45

Trist: $251.20

Booth: $254.10

Reid: $699.25

GRAND TOTAL: $1,400.00

Alysia Sumanada and Gavin Deol

Reid House Captains

Scholastic Book Club

All Scholastic Book Club orders must now be placed via the online Scholastic LOOP platform. No cash or cheque orders will be accepted.

Book Week Parade

On Monday, 30 August, the Junior School will be holding its annual Book Week Costume Parade. Come dressed up as your favourite book character!

Book Week runs from the 23-27 August and there will be activities in the Library each day at lunchtime, as well as a colouring competition.

Author Michael Salmon will be doing a virtual visit for Years 3 & 4 students on Tuesday, 17 August, and on Tuesday, 24 August, for Years 5 & 6 students.

Prep to Year 2 students will be treated to a show by Perform Education on Friday, 3 September.