Author: Jo Dunn

Key Dates

College Calendar Link – In recent times, our school calendar has changed regularly.

Year 1 Red Assembly  

Last Friday, students gathered in the Marian Hall to enjoy an assembly item from Year 1 Red. They took us on a journey of storytelling and characters, reciting a story they have been learning as part of their Talk4Writing, and showing us the importance of developing interesting characters as part of our writing. They have obviously been working very hard in class, and their presentation of their work was enjoyed by all. We also got to acknowledge the excellent efforts of individual students, and even some whole classes, who were presented with merit awards. Congratulations to all students who have been recognised by their teachers for being learning superstars! 

Lavalla Cross Country Carnival 

Yesterday, students from Years 3-6 enjoyed perfect running conditions for their Cross Country Carnival. It was wonderful to see so many students taking part so enthusiastically and making the most of the day. It was also great to welcome parents and other spectators to the event – these are the small things we find ourselves grateful for in this (almost) post-pandemic world.

Congratulations to our age champions and runners-up, please find the list of students below. The winning faction will be posted in the next newsletter. Well done to all students who took part, and to our Sports Captains for their leadership on the day too.

Of course, we know none of this would have been possible without the amazing Mrs Richards – thank you for everything you do for our students and for delivering another wonderful carnival! 

Year 6 Boys

1^st: Luke Rombouts

2^nd: Dylan Hookway

3^rd: Hamish Macgregor

Year 6 Girls

1^st: Kaydee Van Deventer

2^nd: Annabelle Adamini

3^rd: Livia Bogdanov

Year 5 Boys

1^st: Stefan Moschopoulos

2^nd: Otis Keane

3^rd: Xavier Fleay

Year 5 Girls

1^st: Allegra Clark

2^nd: Jessica Avins

3^rd: Layla Bornmann

Year 4 Boys

1^st: David Van der Walt

2^nd: Joel Costley

3^rd: Julian Cameron

Year 4 Girls

1^st: Amelie Santoro

2^nd: Shylah Davey

3^rd: Mia Dorrington

Year 3 Boys

1^st: Samuel Baily

2^nd: Sebastian Fleay

3^rd: Blake Martin & Jack McCagh

Year 3 Girls

1^st: Lila Adamini

2^nd: Amelia Heath

3^rd: Annabel Gilbert

Interschool Sport 

Last week, our Year 6 students took part in an afternoon of interschool sport as we invited students from John XXIII to our College. Students had the choice to take part in a number of  sports including netball, soccer, football. I am very pleased to say there was a great level of spirited, but friendly competition between students, and from what I saw last week, it looked like all students were having a great time. I’m sure students are very much looking forward to next Thursday when Year 6 students will take part in the IPSHA Winter Sports Carnival. 

Coder Dojo & Homework Club 

Just a reminder to all families that Coder Dojo has now finished for Term 2. Homework club will finish this week (Week 9). Thank you to those students who have attended these clubs and shown beautiful manners and behaviour throughout. 

Lost Property 

It is amazing how much lost property has accumulated over these past few weeks, especially at the Lavalla campus. There are blazers and sports jackets galore in the library right now, desperate I’m sure to be matched up with their owners. Please take the time to label all of our child’s uniform, and even speak to your child about looking after their things. I would be petrified to go home to my Mum and Dad at school and tell them I had lost my blazer, yet for some students they do not seem phased by this at all! If you or your child has lost an item please come and check the lost property to see if it is there. 

Wellbeing

Last week, I wrote an article about frenemies – the notion of those around us who can often present as friends, but can also engage in some hurtful or mean behaviours. If you missed it last week, I would encourage you to take a look. As parents and as a school, we want to support children to enjoy positive relationships that help them to flourish; to raise them up to be the best they can be. Yet, it can be frustrating watching on from the sidelines when we see our child hurt, or going through a rough time, and they return to those same frenemies. Why does this happen? 

There are lots of things that children seek growing up. Love, affection, connection with others. But one of the things in school that children most seek is belonging. A connection to a group that allows them to feel that they ‘fit in’; to feel that they are accepted, and that they belong to a particular group. Many students find this acceptance and belonging in activities, clubs, or in different subject areas. But many more students find this in their social interactions; in their peer relationships and in those around them. 

The danger is, that the draw of belonging and acceptance can be so strong, that it can cause students to accept negative behaviour towards them, and compromise themselves or their values to be part of a group. For example, a student might say they don’t like something they once loved because it’s not accepted in the group (however subtly), or a student might not try hard in class, because it’s not seen by the group as the ‘cool’ thing to do. Psychologists have studied this phenomenon known as ‘groupthink’ – a process by which a group can make decisions where each member of the group attempts to conform their opinions to what they believe is the consensus of the group. In other words, students might act, say, and do what they think the group wants, rather than what they might want themselves. The strange thing in this, is that all students in a group might actually feel one way, but be acting in a complete other. 

This can be very challenging to navigate – after all we want our children to feel accepted and have a sense of belonging, but we also want them to be their best selves. There is no easy solution to get around this, except to bring this to light and begin to talk with your child about their friends and their perceptions and even role in their friendship group. By that, I don’t mean an interrogation in the car at 3.15pm , but perhaps just around the dinner table or something similar. Some good questions you can discuss as a family at home are: 

·      What do you think makes a good friend? 

·      Have you ever had to compromise on your values or opinions to be part of the group (this can include being a bystander to something they know is wrong) 

·      Read through the examples of frenemy behaviours. Does your child think they might have a frenemy? 

·      What should you do if you see a friend or someone else in the group being mistreated or even excluded? 

I will be talking with classes over the next two weeks about friendships and some of these topics. If you have any questions, or would like any further information on anything, please feel free to reach out to myself or your classroom teacher. 

Mr Stuart McClorey , Leader of Wellbeing PK-6