Junior School

It’s hard to believe we are already at the tail end of Term 1! The Junior School has had an excellent start to the term, with students demonstrating fantastic work habits, enthusiasm for learning, and kindness towards one another. Classrooms are full of energy as students take on new challenges, collaborate with their peers, and engage in all aspects of school life. The positive atmosphere across the Junior School reflects the strong sense of community we are so proud of at Newhaven.

A warm welcome to the 16 new students who have joined our Junior School community. Many of our classes are now full, with only a small number of enrolments still available.

Spelling Mastery Update
Our Spelling Mastery program for Years 3–6 has been postponed until the beginning of Term 2. In the meantime, all classes are focusing on essential spelling foundations to ensure they are well-prepared for the program's start.

Continuous Reporting & Parent-Teacher Interviews
Continuous reporting is an excellent way to stay updated on your child’s progress throughout the term. It ensures that parents are aware of any concerns, interventions, or achievements well before Parent-Teacher Interviews, which will be held on the last day of Term 1.

So far, we have shared Settling into School 2025 updates and DIBELS progress, focusing on fundamental reading skills. DIBELS evaluates crucial literacy skills, providing a comprehensive assessment from Prep to Year 8. In the coming weeks, we will send out data from our new Maths screener, Acadience. This is an assessment tool used to monitor students' progress in key mathematical areas. The screener evaluates essential skills in computation, number sense, and problem-solving.

For Prep students, continuous reporting will be available in the coming weeks via SEQTA, detailing progress in phonemic awareness, letter-sounds, and numbers.

Junior School Assembly
At last week’s Assembly, our Year 4 students proudly presented their 2025 pledges to the Junior School. I was incredibly impressed by their confidence and strong presentation skills. We look forward to seeing our Year 4 students carry out their pledges throughout the year, leading by example and demonstrating respect, responsibility, and leadership in their daily actions.

Junior School Curriculum Evening
We had a good response at our recent Junior School Curriculum Evening. Thank you to all families for your support and engagement. The evening provided a valuable opportunity to present our curriculum and the learning approaches we use to support student growth. We also discussed the importance of students applying their classroom learning at home. We appreciate all the wonderful home learning that has started with our home reading folders this term.

NAPLAN
The NAPLAN testing window will take place from March 12th–24th for all students. NAPLAN provides valuable insight into student learning and progress across the country. While it is only one form of assessment, it remains the best national measure we currently have to track trends in literacy and numeracy. At the same time, we recognise that each child’s learning journey extends beyond standardised testing. NAPLAN does not replace ongoing teacher assessments but provides additional insights into student progress.

Year 3 NAPLAN Schedule
• Writing – Wednesday 12 March
• Reading – Thursday 13 March and Friday 14 March
• Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation) – Monday 17 March and Tuesday 18 March
• Numeracy – Wednesday 19 March
• Catch-up sessions – Thursday 20 March

Prep Reading Party
Our Prep students are eagerly looking forward to their Reading Party on Monday, 24 March, from 2:20-3:20pm. Each student will receive their reading folder, and one family member is invited to join us for this special afternoon. This event celebrates the early stages of their reading journey and highlights the crucial partnership between school learning and home reinforcement.

Years 2-4 House Swimming Carnival 
Congratulations to Bass House, crowned winners of our Junior School House Swimming Carnival! Well done to all students for their enthusiasm, participation, and team spirit! Go to the Sports section of this newsletter for lots of photos!

🏆 Final Results:

🥇 1st – Bass

🥈 2nd – Clarke

🥉 3rd – Sambell

🏅 4th – McHaffie

Before & After School Care
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey regarding before and after-school care. We recognise that this service would be beneficial for many families. While there are many factors to consider before implementing this, we are working behind the scenes to ensure we provide a high-quality program that meets the needs of our community.

Random Acts of Kindness
As part of our Respectful Relationships program, students have been focusing on Random Acts of Kindness, both inside and outside the classroom. It has been lovely to see so many thoughtful gestures. When you look for kindness, you find it everywhere!

Key Dates

Gold Week 7:

Mon 10 March - LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Wed 12 March - NAPLAN testing

Wed 12 Mar - JS Assembly- 2.30pm start. Junior School Wellbeing Captains

Wed 12 March - Prep Students begin on Wednesdays

Fri 14 March - JS swimming lessons Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 students

Sat 15 March - Newhaven College Open Day – Junior School Choir

Blue Week 8:

Fri 21 March - Harmony Day- wear a splash of orange

Gold Week 9:

Mon 24 March -  Prep Reading Party – 2.20pm-3.20pm

Wed 26 March -  JS Assembly- 2.30pm start. Junior School House Captains

Wed 26 March -  Year 3 Koala Conservation Excursion

Thu 27 March - JS House Athletics Carnival.

Blue Week 10:

Thu 3 April  - Last of Term 1 for Students

Fri 4 April  - Parent Teacher Interviews and pupil free day

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to an exciting second half of the term!

Cath Huther

Head of Junior School

Merit Awards

Congratulations to the students in the following photo who were presented with their Merit Awards and recognised at Junior School Assembly.