Published on: 10 February 2022

  • A busy start to 2022
  • ICAS Assessments
  • PSA guidelines
  • Term 1 Parent Forum
  • Campus traffic solutions

It was terrific to see all of our boys settle into the Christ Church Preparatory School way of life, in what was a busy first week. All 21 co-curricular activities are all up and running and it has been great to see so many of our boys take up either before or after school pursuits. Additionally, Summer sport training commenced for Years 5 and 6, with our first fixture taking place against Wesley in Basketball, Cricket, Tennis and Water Polo in Week 3. All of the House, Chapel and Class Captains for Term 1 were presented to the School community, with Zac Shaw, the Preparatory School Captain. I would like to congratulate all of our leaders and wish them all the very best in their roles.

Each year boys are given the opportunity to complete the ICAS Assessments, which is an international competition designed to recognise academic excellence. Students are assessed on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. We present all boys who achieve distinctions and high distinctions with certificates at our Awards Assembly at the end of Term 4. Last year we had three boys awarded medals, meaning that these boys achieved the top score for their year level in an assessment: a truly remarkable achievement. We presented our three medal winners with their ICAS medals at our first assembly of the year. Congratulations to Nathan Leo (Science Medal), Tobias Ng (Science Medal) and Ethan Chen (Writing Medal).

In support of the COVID-19 measures schools are putting in place, PSA sport last night communicated a range of adjustments that commence this weekend. Please familiarise yourselves with the the update of the School’s programs and events and the PSA guidelines which can be found here.

I would like to invite parents to join me for the Term 1 Parent Forum. Each term the parent forum provides families with an update about specific focus areas with the opportunity to ask questions about the Preparatory School. The Term 1 Parent Forum will provide parents with an update about the Preparatory School Program with a focus on our approach to reporting. The meeting will take place Tuesday 15 February commencing at 8.30am via Teams. If you are interested in taking part, please RSVP your attendance and we will provide you with a link.

Traffic congestion requires a whole of community approach, especially when there are two schools, side by side, with students completing the school day at the same time. Can I please ask parents to consider empowering your son to catch one of our dedicated school buses, ride a bike to and from school if old enough, and perhaps you can ride with him? If it is not possible to do any of the above, please think about letting him walk to a destination away from the campus. Suggested locations and directions aren’t too far and can be found here.

Dr Steven Males
Head of Preparatory School