Nicholas Smith, Head of Junior School
nsmith@investigator.sa.edu.au
Sports Day
Sports Day is one of my favourite days of the calendar year and this year confirmed why. It is so wonderful to see our ELC- Year 6 students out competing and participating. The smile on their faces as they yell their House chant, put in their best effort and have fun with their friends is priceless. There were a few changes to the program this year to help to further develop the connection each student had to their House, and it was evident that this connection was strong.
Congratulations to Wattle House for winning the ELC/Junior School 2023 Sports Day. It was so close!
The final scores were:
Wattle – 1095
Banksia – 1092
Waratah – 1043
Blue Gum – 957
It was great to have so many parents attend the day to support their children and connect with others. A big thank you should go to Ms Helen Maidment and the College Sports faculty as well as all the staff that assisted on the day.
The Parent & Friends also did a wonderful job supplying the sausages and drinks for the sausage sizzle. We thank them for their efforts.
Little Investigators
The ELC had their first visit to our Currency Creek EcoCentre on Thursday 9 March and had a wonderful time. We are truly blessed that our 3 and 4 year olds have the opportunity to develop their love and understanding of the environment from such a young age.
On Thursday afternoon we also hosted an ELC Group Tour for prospective families. The afternoon was a lovely opportunity to show and share the fantastic program and facilities that Little Investigators offers. The ELC provides a wonderful educational program for our children and we notice the benefits of the educational advantage that these students are given when they start school in Reception.
If you know of any family or friends that may be interested in attending a tour of the ELC, please refer them to our Upcoming Tours
They may wish to attend our wonderful playgroup that occurs on Fridays from 9:00am -10:00am.
Open Day
We are very much looking forward to Open Day on Saturday 25 March. If you have not registered yet, please do so and please bring a friend! This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase and share some of the exciting programs that we offer across the College. We can’t wait to see you there.
Register Your Family’s Attendance Now! https://development.investigator.sa.edu.au/open-day
Student Wellbeing
Student wellbeing is of great importance here at Investigator College and a lot of effort goes into both teaching and supporting our students to look after their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. We thank Mr Tenny for the fantastic work he is doing working alongside our teachers to support our students in this important part of their lives. Mr Tenny has provided some further information on our exciting initiatives, below.
Warm regards,
Nicholas Smith
Dear Parents,
I would like to express my gratitude to all families for their commitment to supporting our Student Wellbeing Goals, which include the following:
1. Building Respectful Relationships
2. Maintaining Personal Boundaries
3. Practising Kindness towards oneself and others (refraining from intentional harm towards others)
We aspire for our students to exhibit kindness towards one another at all times and establish respectful relationships with their peers. While we understand that not everyone can be best friends, it is crucial that our students learn to treat one another with respect.
In the event of physical altercations or deliberate acts of meanness, our Junior School teachers will address these incidents with the appropriate students and take appropriate action.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive and safe learning environment for our students.
Friendology – U R Strong
I would also like to express my appreciation to those who joined our Friendology Zoom session last month. Friendology is a program that all Junior School students participate in to promote respectful relationships and help them build stronger friendships.
The program, also known as U R Strong, focuses on four key principles:
1. No friendship is perfect.
2. Every friendship is unique.
3. Trust and respect are the most essential qualities of a friendship.
4. Friendships evolve, and that’s normal.
During our weekly sessions, if a student faces a friendship issue, we discuss whether it’s a minor disagreement or if the other person is intentionally being hurtful. We encourage students to practise “quick comebacks” for both scenarios, helping them develop skills to become more self-sufficient and happier in their friendships. Additionally, we urge students to seek adult support if they require further assistance.
We believe that strong friendships at school lead to happier and more successful students in their learning. This is our objective.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering positive relationships among our students.
A Morning Routine Change
Ensuring that students begin their day with a positive mindset is a crucial element of their overall wellbeing. To this end, we are trialling “Fun Mornings” every Monday and Wednesday from 8:25am to 8:45am, featuring uplifting music and games on the quad.
The goal is to help students shift their mindset from uncertain to optimistic if they are having a difficult morning. We all know the power of positive music to uplift one’s mood.
The morning games are designed to encourage students to connect with their peers, including those from different year levels, as well as to greet different teachers and have some fun. This approach can serve as a valuable preventative measure by introducing students to those they haven’t met before and reducing the likelihood of purposeful unkind behaviour across year levels.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to promote a positive start to each day for our students.
The Owl and The Guard Dog
We would like to share with you a fantastic YouTube clip that supports students, and all of us really, who sometimes struggle with regulating their emotions or have difficulty managing them.
The theme for Weeks 6 to 8 is focussing on controlling the “Guard Dog” (the amygdala part of the brain that protects us) and letting the “Owl” (pre-frontal cortex part of the brain that makes wise and calm decisions) take over.
Each Reception to Year 6 teacher is working through the YouTube clip with their class and discussing strategies and calming techniques. This helps students implement the strategies taught so that when their “Growling Guard Dog” is about to take over, they can ensure their decisions in the classroom and the yard continue to show kindness to their peers.
We encourage you to watch this YouTube clip with your family to build support at home for what we are doing at school. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or would like to know more. I am passionate about sharing how we support your child’s wellbeing at school.
Mark Tenny
Junior School Wellbeing Leader
Term Dates 2023
Term 1: Tuesday 31 January – Friday 14 April
*Thursday 6 April – 12pm closure for Easter weekend – OSHC Bookings available
Term 2: Tuesday 2 May – Friday 30 June
*Tuesday 13 June – Student Free Day
Term 3: Tuesday 25 July – Friday 29 September
Term 4: Monday 16 October – Friday 8 December