Becoming Confident Learners
Next week we will start to welcome new students for 2025 to the Junior School. We have students starting in grades 1-6, Kindergarten and Prep, who will be visiting classrooms and meeting those they will be learning alongside next year. It is often a mixture of excitement and nervousness for these students, and we hope that these visits will help to calm any nerves and encourage them to look forward to the start of 2025.
As I have spoken with many of these new families, one of the common threads in all these conversations has been the process we go through as we learn. This diagram is a helpful illustration of what we would like the process to look like (how we want it to be), compared to what it often actually looks like. We want our students to be able to navigate this learning process with increasing confidence and determination, and this is why we spend so much time teaching, modelling and helping them practise the dispositions that will help them to do this successfully. We notice and acknowledge when we see students demonstrating these dispositions. Our Habits of Powerful Learners are the key building blocks to growing students into effective, resilient, confident learners.
As we draw closer to the end of the term, there are a number of significant events for our College community, including Celebration Assemblies, Christmas Concert and the Year 6 Celebration Dinner. Please keep checking the App for further details.
God bless,
Mrs Jenny Squire
Deputy Principal – Head of Junior School
Sport
IPSSO
The Summer IPSSO season continued during Weeks 3 and 4. In Week 3 we played games against Macarthur Anglican School. In Week 4, we played against St Gregs. All our teams played with great sportsmanship and determination, which was great to see. Well done to our senior Oz Tag team who won 15-2 and our senior basketball team who won 34-18 against Macarthur. Next week is our final round of IPSSO games for the year!
3-6 College Sport
This term, our Year 3-6 students began learning Zumba skills from an expert instructor, Miss Sarah as well as netball and cricket skills from our teachers. These skills will benefit them as they develop their sporting skills and prepare to participate in the House Cup at the end of the term.
Year 1 Swimming Program
On Thursday Week 1, the Year 1 Swimming Program began. This is the most important part of our College Sport program in all of Junior School, as the swimming skills these students are learning could save their life. In Australia, so many children drown in each year, so it is really important that every child knows how to swim. This program will run for the next few weeks and will equip these students with the essential skills to swim and survive in the pool and other bodies of water.
CSSA State Tennis
On Tuesday Week 3, five students represented the College at the CSSA State Tennis Gala Day. They played with outstanding skill, courage, determination and sportsmanship. Well done to Ava in Year 3 who won the Year 3/4 girls division and Charlotte in Year 6 who won the Year 5/6 girls division. As a team, OPAC also scored the most points, which means that our team also won the overall team’s event! We look forward to displaying the shield for all to see once it arrives!
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 Sport Events
Week 5
Wednesday (13/11)
- IPSSO training at 7.45 am for all students selected in an IPSSO team.
- IPSSO games against Mount Annan Christian College. Cricket and basketball at Cunningham Park, girls soccer and Oz Tag at Jack Nash Reserve. Junior games begin at 11.30 am, and senior games start at 1 pm.
Thursday (14/11)
- Year 1 Swimming program
Week 6
Wednesday (20/11):
- IPSSO finals for selected teams
Thursday (21/11):
- Year 1 Swimming program
God bless,
Mr Joshua Barber
Junior School Sports Coordinator
