Published on: 14 October 2021

  • Year 6 Alternative Canberra Experience
  • ICAS Assessments
  • JPSSA Summer Season begins

A very warm welcome to all our families for our final term of the year – Term 4. I would like to commend all the boys for their fine start to the term, and I am looking forward to what will be another exciting and rewarding term. A reminder our Orientation Day is scheduled for Friday 19 November. More information about this day will follow in the coming weeks.

This week we have introduced all of the boys to the value for the term: Understanding and Inclusion. The boys are taught about this value through the school bulletin, Health and Well-Being classes, VHG activities and through the allocation of house points in the classroom and the playground. Boys are rewarded for displaying this value by listening when others are sharing their ideas, asking other boys to join in games, congratulating others when they have achieved something special and speaking kindly to their friends. All boys in the Preparatory School are introduced to four core values throughout the year through our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework and it is wonderful to see boys displaying Understanding and Inclusion around the School.

This week saw the commencement of the Year 6 Alternative Canberra Experience (ACE) Symposium, which kicked off with a virtual fly over of our nation’s capital. The former State Premier of Western Australia, Mr Colin Barnett was a guest speaker and spoke to all Year 6 boys about systems of government, democracy in Australia and other countries, Australia’s parliamentary system and the role of governments at both state and federal levels. Boys were able to ask our past Premier some wide-ranging questions. Additionally, the boys experienced an excursion to the Electoral Education Centre, State Parliament, the Constitutional Centre and a virtual incursion of the Australian War Memorial.

Each year boys have the opportunity to register for the ICAS Assessments, which assesses boys on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. This year has seen our largest number of boys participate in Digital Technologies, Science, Spelling, Mathematics, English and Writing assessments. All boys receive a certificate indicating their level of achievement with Distinction and High Distinction certificates presented at our Awards Assembly in Week 4. Boys will be notified if they are to be acknowledged at our Awards Assembly and all other certificates will be distributed by the classroom teacher. We congratulate all boys who participated for having a go and trying their best.

All Term 4 captains and monitors will be presented at our Friday assembly in the Chapel. I would like to congratulate and wish all these boys the best for the term ahead. Furthermore, our Year 5 and 6 boys are excited for the commencement of Term 4 sport with the JPSSA fixture against Aquinas College taking place this Thursday. Finally, a reminder that all co-curricular clubs commence next week.

The second addition of Shelf Life is available for boys in their classrooms, from the library and here.

Dr Steven Males
Head of Preparatory School