Head of Junior School
Ships Ahoy
Welcome back to a new term and to the final push to Christmas. The staff and I have been busy preparing for the return of our young friends and we are very much looking forward to the challenges and successes of the final part of the 2015 academic year.
The Junior School finished off the Winter Term with a swash-buckling event the Grand Opening of the new Junior School playground. After one full year of research, design and building, the boys finally had their new playground to explore. 240 pirates, courtesy of our free dress day theme, attended the opening. A coin trail competition between the classes raised $1317.90 for education resources in Tanzania.
The journey to get us to this point was a fine one. After it was agreed that we would build a new playground, Aden Brown and Andre Carvalho from our grounds team, set about researching and designing the space. They spoke with our boys, researched playgrounds from as far away as Norway, and came up a concept plan that immediately got the boys attention. The final plans were outstanding and brilliantly met the brief we had set them. We asked them to design a playground that would challenge our boys physically and would help to develop their strength in their core, shoulders and arms. We asked for a space that would force them to evaluate the risks they would take in their play and plan for these risks. And finally, to design a playground that would excite them in their play. Aden and Andre did just that.
Our new playground is amazing and the boys seem to be thoroughly enjoying their time on the flying fox, climbing to the crows nest, navigating the ropes course and walking the plank. But don't take my word for it. Hear what our boys have to say about it.
I want to thank Dr O'Connell for helping us to get this fine structure and Mr Andrew Bowdrey from Nature Play Australia for building the playground.
The end of the Winter Term saw one of our Year 3 boys win a prestigious competition. Billy Mahaffy entered the 2015 Doodle4Google along with six other Junior School boys. Billy was selected as a winner in the Year 1 - 3 category of a competition that had over 18,000 entrants. Well done to all the boys for their efforts and creativity, and very well done to Billy on his accomplishments. Please see the entries of all the boys below.
Mr John Stewart
Head of Junior School
