An eventful beginning of Term 2
Welcome to Term 2! The first two weeks of term have been very eventful in Junior School. Last Thursday and Friday our Year 5 students travelled to Bathurst for an overnight stay and goldfields experience. I talked with some of them as they were getting off the bus at College late on Friday afternoon, and there was definitely a feeling of excitement and joy about the experiences they had, and also relief at arriving home to their families. Many were clutching a small vial with some gold that they had panned for, and everyone I spoke to said they had lots of fun. A huge thank you to Mrs Hills, Mr Mitas, Mrs Worthington, Mr Barber, Miss Lee, Mrs Dransfield and Mrs Wealands for their care and enthusiasm that allowed the students to participate in this amazing experience.
Last Friday our Student Leaders had the opportunity to participate in the annual Young Leader’s Day, which was hosted by our College. They were joined by over 200 other primary student leaders from schools across Sydney to learn more about and be challenged in their roles as leaders. I had the opportunity to speak with Mr Przydacz and teachers from some of the other schools and they all commented on how valuable the times was for the students.
On Tuesday this week some of our Year 5 students participated in a Taster Day for Year 7 2026. This was run by our Senior School teachers and provided the students with a snapshot of what Senior School at OPAC is like. Some more of our Year 5 students will be joined by Year 5 students from other schools next Tuesday for their Taster Day experience. This week we also celebrated our mothers and those special ladies who care for us with a Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mother’s Day Chapel. Thank you also to the P and F who organised and ran our Mother’s Day Stall.
Next week our Year 3 students will head off to Wedderburn for their day camp and I am looking forward to hearing of their adventures when they return.
God bless,
Mrs Jenny Squire
Deputy Principal – Head of Junior School
Sport
IPSSO Trials
Over the first couple of weeks of Term 2, all students in Years 3-6 had a chance to trial for the various IPSSO teams, who play against other local independent schools each week. The sports trialled for were boys soccer, netball, volleyball and AFL. It was wonderful to see every student trying their best, with lots of great skill on show! All students who were selected in an IPSSO team have been notified. Congratulations to all those students! The first IPSSO game is next week.
K-2 College Sport
K-2 has enjoyed doing Zumba with the ever energetic Miss Sarah over the last two weeks! Zumba develops many fundamental movement skills in students, including jumping and skipping, and also gives students an appreciation of many different styles of dance.
Cross Country Carnival
Unfortunately the wet weather has caused us to postpone the Junior School Cross Country Carnival until Thursday 23rd June. Students in years 3-6 have participated in House Meetings earlier this week in which they were told all the important information about the event. Class teachers will go over this closer to the new date. We will also walk the track with our classes closer to the event. Parents are very welcome to come and spectate from the grandstand at Gardner Reserve, across the road from the College, from 9am.
CSSA and CIS Nominations
From time to time, the College can nominate some of our exceptional athletes to trial for CSSA or CIS representative teams. These teams are selected for high level representative competitions, drawing from almost 100 schools across NSW. If you would like the College to nominate your child for one of these events, please follow the procedure below:
- Go to the CSSA website to see the list and dates of these trials (cssa.net.au)
- Email me (jbarber@opac.nsw.edu.au), expressing your child’s interest, background, and skills in the sport
- If they fit the requirements of the trials, I will nominate them to attend
- Attend the trials with your child
Upcoming Events
Week 3
Monday (13/5):
CSSA Zone Girls Soccer Gala Day- bus leaves at 7.20am.
Wednesday (15/5)
IPSSO training at 7.45 am for all students selected in an IPSSO team.
IPSSO games against St Gregs. Boys soccer and AFL at Doohan Reserve, netball and volleyball at OPAC. Junior games begin at 11.30 am, and senior games start at 1 pm.
Week 4
Wed (22/5):
IPSSO training at 7.45am.
IPSSO games against Broughton Anglican College. Boys soccer and AFL at Doohan Reserve, netball and volleyball at OPAC. Junior games begin at 11.30am, and senior games start at 1 pm.
Thursday (23/5):
3-6 Cross Country Carnival at OPAC. Spectators welcome in the grandstand at Gardner Reserve from 9am.
God bless,
Mr Joshua Barber
Junior School Sports Coordinator
