Little Sister Issue 5 by St Cuthbert's College

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What's inside welcome �� 02 year 0 �� 03 year 1 �� 05 year 2 �� 07 year 3 ��09

Welcome fr o m felecia tomich

year 4 �� 11 year 5 �� 13 year 6 �� 15 pe �� 19 jam and glow ��21 music ��23 word search ��25 Colour in ��26

Where's Gilbert? Gilbert is our By Love Serve dog who visits our Junior School each Tuesday. He visits our Years 0–6 students in the library, at playtimes, and sometimes drops into classrooms to join the learning fun. Gilbert is hidden on each page; can you find him? Editor: Louise May Designer: Janice O'Kane 1

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Kia ora, Welcome to the fifth issue of Little Sister, our special Junior School magazine. It’s always so exciting for us to showcase aspects of the stunning teaching and learning we offer. I feel so fortunate to be part of a team of dedicated teachers who work together and bring such passion to their classes. As you read through the pages you’ll see a common thread running through each area. Our focus on core values, and rich learning, weave together to bring out the personal best in all of our girls. St Cuthbert’s really is a special place where curiosity, joy and wonder is fuelled every day. Due to the fact parents could not be onsite during the lockdowns, we wanted to offer our families a digital window into our classrooms. This collection of stories speaks to the spirit of teaching and learning at our lovely little Junior School. Our girls feel such a sense of pride in sharing their experiences and learning journeys. It’s a wonderful reflection of the scope of opportunities on offer and the many ways our students can shine. I hope you enjoy this issue, please know my door is always open and I look forward to seeing you on site soon. Ngā mihi, Fe Tomich Acting Head of Junior School

Year 0 In Term 2, we welcomed our first eight new entrants into Year 0 2022 to start their St Cuthbert’s journey. Nicola Boyens, lead teacher for Year 0, shared with us what makes Year 0 at St Cuthbert’s the best school start a child could wish for. “Year 0 has the most amazing space and the room is an absolute dream for our youngest girls to settle in. We have created a warm, inviting space with elements girls will relate to from both their homes and kindergartens. Girls also have their very own courtyard which we’re remodelling to become a creative and exploratory learning space. I am their teacher for the year and have the support of their Learning Assistant, Katrina White. I’m very mindful that children can experience cognitive overload with the introduction of new routines and so we take a very nurturing, gentle approach. We slow everything down, spend lots of time working alongside the girls to show them what it is to be a schoolgirl. This takes time, and they are not left to fend for themselves at any point, teachers are right alongside them all the way along, no matter how small their need. Year 0 students settle into their day through what they know best, learning through play. The girls love our Home Centre with wooden toys which allow them to roleplay homelife. We do not have a fixed time to migrate to

academic work as girls need time to feel settled after saying goodbye to their parents. Learning starts with the setting up of the day. Everything is so new to the girls that they have a hunger to know what will be happening, where and when. They like to be prepared and can take comfort from the fact that time has been put aside for each part of their day. Learning through singing is key and I’ve learned all their kindy songs so we can sing something they can all be an active part of; from here we have already started teaching the school songs. Then we move onto the more formal learning parts of the day starting with what it means to be a schoolgirl and a learner. We talk about the fact we should always keep trying, that sometimes things might be difficult, but not to worry as even when things get tricky our positive mindset and supportive team will help them through. Each day we build on their academic skills with handwriting and phonemic work. We then move into the mathematics space, followed by reading and writing stories together. Each week Year 0 girls also attend Music, French and PE classes with specialist teachers from these fields. The girls get to see some more of the school campus by attending classes in other parts of the grounds such as music in the Performing Arts Centre.

Year 1 Sheryl Meredith and Emily Fisher are the wise, safe hands that guide our delightful Year 1 girls. Mrs Meredith has taught Years 0 and 1 for more than 20 years and says her desire for continual improvement, based on researchbased teaching methodologies, is a must and that she never tires of challenging herself to keep learning. Mrs Meredith was perfectly placed to receive our newest girls in Term 1. Teaching them the basics, settling them into routines, and helping them to learn what it is to be a St Cuthbert’s girl were the key focus. Miss Fisher teaches the younger years at St Cuthbert’s and just loves it. Like Mrs Meredith, she is continually reading and learning about the best proven approaches for teaching Year 1. Miss Fisher reflects, “giving them a good start now sets them up to be life-long learners and there is something so magical about this age. The girls are excited to be at school and we are astounded at the amazing progress we see in such short spaces of time, they are honestly like sponges!”. Both teachers work independently with their classes for the core subjects of Writing, Reading and Mathematics which allows them to hone in on what each individual girl needs and create strong learner profiles. It allows them to settle the girls into routines and ensure that there are no gaps in their learning. ‘Repeating new knowledge, then adding a little each day’ is what works best with novice learners and so they work closely to ensure that the learning progressions of each child are personalised and highly targeted to the needs of each unique student. This means each and every girl is fully supported and gently extended, always checking that the foundation learning is in

place, and without knowledge gaps, before they move into personal extension. They are supported by wonderful Learning Assistants Mrs Valeria Harris and Mrs Wandzia Barron. In addition, the girls attend weekly classes with specialist teachers for Music, PE, French, Jesus and Me (JAM). After two years of lockdowns both teachers have observed that girls’ social time is especially important and they assist girls to foster friendships and participate in group play. ‘Foundation Fitness’ lessons each week are a great tool to ensure that all girls are optimising their fine and gross motor skills. Teachers examine whether girls can cross their midline and specifically help them to improve working memory, hand-eye coordination and left-right brain function through fun, interactive games. The two Year 1 classrooms are next to each other and this lends itself to student growth. The teachers take each other’s classes several times a week for Art and Science as this allows them to offer shared opportunities across the whole cohort and gives the girls the experience of being with another teacher, which helps them in turn when it’s time to move up a year. Each Wednesday they also take each other’s classes for STRETCH (our STEM-based sessions). When asked what they most love about this age they say, “ it’s the ‘but why?’ questions, we love their sense of endless curiosity. We are such a small part of their journey but it’s such an important part, we love knowing we are setting them up for the rest of their school journey – we are doing the best we can, so that they can be the best for their future”.

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Year 2 Jo Wells and Liz Stevens are the teachers leading Year 2, well supported by talented Learning Assistants, Nichole Mayer and Sharon Fisk. Miss Wells and Miss Stevens work closely together to plan classes which will fuel their girls’ curiosity, they are constantly bouncing ideas off one another and while the topics may be the same, the expression can be different. Core subjects are prioritised and taught in highly engaging activities. Mathematics is focussing on number knowledge and strand and how girls can apply new knowledge and strategies to real life problems. English involves encouraging the girls to find their ‘writing voice’ and expand their vocabulary. We cover a range of writing genre, from recounts and creative stories, to letter writing and information reports. Spelling has a robust programme which goes beyond rote learning; girls are guided to understand and decode patterns and rules around words ensuring they have a deeper knowledge for the future when they come across new words. One of the magical things about the way Miss Stevens and Miss Wells engage their girls is that they take learning beyond the basics and all activities enhance and reinforce what they are learning. This is clearly an important part of their teaching, and they say, “What’s so cool is the play and fun we have in the way we learn, we have huge fun with imagination and creativity which we link through the curriculum. This Year 2 cohort is just so hungry to learn, and when they learn something new, or are exposed to new information, seeing their enthusiasm is the best moment ever.” “A lot of the learning we do is underpinned with something that relates to them and sparks their personal interest. As well as teaching core subjects we always build on the new learning through arts and crafts to support what we do, we always like to take their learning beyond the book! We find that girls of this age can bed down their

learning by tactically marrying what is going on in theory with the hands-on experiences. We understand that many girls are kinaesthetic learners, and they better understand something when they touch or feel it.” Each week, in addition to core subjects, students benefit from specialist teachers in French, Jesus and Me, PE, Music and Foundation Fitness. Thinking about what makes the St Cuthbert’s difference for their Year 2 girls Miss Stevens said, “I want the girls to feel confident as they take their aprons off at the end of this year and move into Year 3. I want to keep helping them to be the best that they can be and celebrating what makes them special. We want to help them focus on who they are, having fun, and to be the best they can be for themselves. I feel that the best learning comes once girls feel happy, nurtured, and comfortable.” Miss Wells adds, “I love that they are starting to build relationships with a variety of people, especially after their first two years of school with so many lockdowns in which they had their close sphere but now they have even more opportunities to build friendships. From a learning standpoint I want to keep fostering the ‘wonder’ and encourage our girls to engage in the wider world around them, to ask questions, to be curious, and to begin their journey of lifelong learning. After ‘wonder’ comes ‘discovery’; discovery of their unique strengths.” Together they reflect that, “we are very lucky to have such a beautiful, wonderful group of girls and it is a privilege to be working with the girls and one another. We both want the absolute best for them and for their learning in Year 2. It’s important to us that we contribute to a culture of celebration, with everyone bringing who they are to this community.”

Year 3 Year 3 teachers Bella Ali and Kristin Inglis are on a mission to ensure that ‘their girls’ will not be encumbered with a learning-deficit because of Covid. They are identifying any foundational gaps and putting plans in place for each girl’s level of learning, knowledge, and skills. Not only does this ensure students are well-prepared to enter Year 4, but they are having a tonne of fun along the way!

and we are helping them to foster the social skills they need to navigate friendships. For many of them, with the lockdowns, this is the first time they are putting into practice these softer social skills. The girls are amazing to watch and it’s a privilege to work alongside them to help them nurture their people skills, even though they are still ‘little people’”.

Ms Ali and Ms Inglis are exceptional teachers, but it is humbling to see how quickly they praise their Learning Assistants, who themselves bring great experience. Mrs Kristen Slade is a qualified Occupational Therapist and has been specially placed into Year 3 to help girls who are still mastering fine and gross motor skills. Mrs Chika Yamashita is a qualified teacher and our newest Learning Assistant working with Ms Inglis’ class. The teachers work together with the learning assistants to ensure an individual wrap-around of each and every girl in Year 3.

As well as concentrating on the core curriculum with a strong focus on Literacy, Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Year 3 girls benefit from wider learning of the STEM knowledge areas through our weekly STRETCH lessons. The girls are involved in Nanogirl’s STEM Stars programme, which involves highly engaging and fun Science experiments. They also broaden their horizons through Art and PEACE inquiry sessions.

Year 3 is a year of many transitions - both in learning and social skills - and we scaffold for these. Suddenly, the youngest girls of St Cuthbert’s are in fact the eldest year in the Kea Whānau, who make up Years 0-3. Ms Inglis says, “Year 3 is critical and that’s why we give it our all. It is a time of learning and skills consolidation that is pivotal for Years 4 and beyond. That’s why we go the extra mile, particularly with this cohort who have done incredibly well the last two years to cope with Covid lockdowns. It is essential to us that we identify any potential knowledge or skills gaps and help the girls achieve to their utmost potential. We want them to be proud of who they are as learners and celebrate their successes.” Ms Ali adds, “It’s also the social assistance we bring. We can see girls are enjoying being back in the classroom,

Asking the teachers to reflect on what they love about Year 3 Ms Ali says, “I love seeing the girls starting to be that much more independent, and that they are developing self-management and leadership skills. In terms of their wellbeing and resilience we know they have missed so much in the last two years, in particular classroom interactions, and I love helping the girls to grow their interest in learning areas, as well as their first friendships.” Ms Inglis adds, “We both love being their teachers and we work so hard to make sure we capture girls’ individual personalities and learn who they are, so that in turn we can target their individual needs. I love their enthusiasm and seeing their interests coming through – we find that we too learn from the girls, thanks to their curiosity. It’s just so neat to see when things ‘click’ into place for a girl and this brings us real pride.”

Year 4 Year 4 has a very experienced blend of three teachers and two learning assistants. Working closely together, they bring the best of all worlds to their students. Mrs Leigh Knight is well-known around our primary school having taught at St Cuthbert’s for seven years. Until recently she’s taught Year 5 and says this gives her the perfect insight for what Year 4 girls need to be ready by the end of the year for the next step up. She says Year 4 is a particularly good Year group to teach, as while the girls are all at different stages, their enthusiasm is high for everything. She says, “These girls just love to learn, they’re over the stages of initial settling and are growing in independence. I love being able to move them forward and improve their self-management”. Mrs Suzanne Bradley who taught at an intermediate level for many years before taking a break to raise her three daughters says she appreciates that every girl is unique. “What I learnt from the years of juggling home life and teaching is I’ve been able to take the best from each and combine the teaching methods and pedagogy in my daily classes. I’m very passionate about teaching, for me this is where joy lies. To unpack a student’s knowledge and see the ‘penny drop’ is such a precious moment.” Mrs Kate Lightfoot re-joined St Cuthbert’s again this year, having had many years at St Kentigern Girls’ School where she held various roles including the setting up of a gifted and talented programme. This was followed by working as a professional supervisor for student teachers

at The University of Auckland which she continues now alongside her classroom teaching role. Asked what she likes about returning to St Cuthbert’s she says, “It’s truly like coming home. The community feel here – especially being alongside the staff – they are simply incredible and that’s what has drawn me back. How lucky I am to be part of this team and the wider Junior School staff and management”. The three teachers are well-supported by two wonderful Learning Assisants, Mrs Sarah Klisser and Ms Kam Wenlock who take small groups for Reading, Mathematics and Art, as well as running the spelling programmes. Mrs Lightfoot also reflects that what is embedded particularly well at St Cuthbert’s is the values, “It’s evident here that we are growing young people with an understanding of their responsibilities in the world, and it's wonderful to see this being fully supported by the parents, which is so encouraging”. Year 4 is the start of the Huia Whānau representing Years 4, 5 and 6. The teachers say this is a good natural grouping and the cross-year work is very collaborative. It assists placement later in the year for Year 5. Each child is known to them, and they take great care with selecting the justright teacher for the following year, so that they already start with knowledge of each individual child. That knowledge is observed at shared assemblies, get togethers and in meetings as a whānau.

Year 5 Teachers Jude Griffiths, Laura Hadfield and Moana Tautua work together with shared unit plans to reach term goals. They love the fact that now the girls are a little older, they can start to teach them in a way that taps into their interests and accelerates the learning outcomes. Ms Hadfield has taught at St Cuthbert’s in Year 5 for four years and she shares, “What I love is that the girls are becoming their own person, they are starting to question who they are. It’s just lovely to be part of that development and to witness the girls work out who they are, as well hear them voice who they’d like to become. Throughout each school year I see amazing personal growth, particularly as the girls focus not just on their academics but also identify their personal values and goals”. As well as teaching Year 5 Mrs Tautua is instrumental in building the school’s base of Te Reo Māori saying, “I love this age so much. The girls are really finding their unique voice and it’s wonderful to see them more able to articulate their ideas. At this transitioning age they are developing good behaviours which set them up well to exercise these next year as Junior School leaders. While I enjoy watching them grow in Year 5, I really love watching them shine in Year 6”. Mrs Griffiths is new to our school having freshly arrived from Singapore. As well as being a Year 5 teacher Jude also holds the role of Dean for the Huia Whānau spanning Years 4 – 6. Jude says, “I feel I can give the students more agency in the classroom at this year level as they’ve come through with a strong skill set. For example, in our PEACE inquiry lessons girls choose the particular tools they want to use to make a presentation, or choose their own topics

for writing – I love to see their creativity coming through”. Year 5 is a great opportunity for growth for the girls. Their curiosity is brimming over which is one of the reasons why it was decided to introduce the girls to Science at a deeper level from this age. We understand that St Cuthbert’s is the only school in the country teaching Junior girls (in Years 5 and 6) Science. Lessons are led by Senior School Science teachers and held in the Senior School laboratories. The display of greater responsibility from our students at Year 5 lends itself to the introduction of learning a brass or wind instrument, as well as bringing in their own devices for the first time. On many fronts they are stepping up to take greater care of their belongings each day, which is a big part of being a Year 5 girl. The team is supported by Birgitta Hartinger, who not only teaches them French, but is also a fourth teacher for Year 5 for 13 periods a week. Birgitta supports small group work to enhance learning and literacy. Girls also benefit from the additional Mathematics support provided by Lenore Clark who has been an expert in this field for many years. Girls are well supported in their literacy not only from the lessons taken by their teachers, but also with the top-up assistance of the PLC specialists, who come in to support literacy with the learning programmes of Lexia, Nessy and Steps. In STRETCH lessons the girls are building on their inspiration from a trip to Stardome, looking at rockets and aerodynamic principles. The teachers thread this interest into other areas ensuring it is integrated into Mathematics lessons through the measurement of angles and geometry. In Term 2, the girls were able to complete a task they’d greatly been looking forward to when they launched their parachute-carrying water rockets.

Year 6 What a wonderful thing it is to be in Year 6 at St Cuthbert’s. Aged 9 and 10, these girls are in their last year of Junior School and have an infectious love for their school. The students are really becoming their own person at this age, having accumulated knowledge and skills, knowing what it is to be a Junior School girl at St Cuthbert’s, and enjoying being surrounded by so many friends and familiar faces. Year 6 has three dedicated homeroom teachers – Ms Shelley Ireton, Mrs Stacey Pinique and Miss Jacqui Tyler, and their pride in their students is evident. Mrs Pinique has taught at St Cuthbert’s for 13 years. She started as a Year 7 and 8 teacher, returning as a part-time Year 5 and 6 Science teacher following her maternity leave, and has been a Year 6 teacher since. Mrs Pinique reflects, “I’ve always loved teaching the biggest girls in the Junior School. I love helping them to navigate who they are, their pathways forward, and helping them to get ready for the Senior School. We put a lot into developing their self-management work habits so that they can transition confidently into Year 7. I’m so proud of the way the girls at this age become open to others’ ideas, can handle friendships, and think about inviting others into their group. Suddenly there is a sense they are starting to grow up, especially when I see them taking personal responsibility for their things, with less reliance on teachers and family. I still have visits from the now Senior girls I used to teach. Sometimes it’s to borrow craft supplies or for a cuddle and a chat for reassurance. I just love the way they check in!”

Girls are fortunate to have the teaching expertise of Ms Ireton, who is one of St Cuthbert’s longest serving members of staff having taught here for 32 years. She too has taught the older Junior School years, as well as 20 years in Year 7. Ms Ireton naturally gravitates towards guiding the older Junior girls as they step up into the Senior School. She says, “I take great pride watching the Year 6 girls mature over the course of the year and seeing them step up into Senior School as independent, organised, motivated and self-sufficient learners. A delight of teaching at St Cuthbert’s are the visits from the Senior girls as well as reconnecting with Old Girls who now have daughters coming through the school.” Miss Tyler has taught at St Cuthbert’s Year 6 level for two years now, prior to that at a Year 4 level, and she says she’s enjoying the step up from the younger years. She says, “It’s just lovely seeing the girls becoming leaders at this year level and so special to see them achieving personal connections, with a more sophisticated empathy toward each other. I see them demonstrate thoughtfulness every day which is wonderful to help them foster and be around." The three homeroom teachers work collaboratively which benefits the girls not only with their learning but also in exploring wider friendship opportunities, all aimed with creating a broader circle of friends for when they enter Year 7. The camp was chosen specifically for the start of the school year, building on the Year 6 Leadership

Day and to cement friendships across the three classrooms. Girls at Year 6 take part in many crossclassroom activities. The Summit Challenge to the top of Maungakiekie was a great way to start the year on a resilient note, from which the girls continue onwards and upwards. The homeroom teachers are supported by a fourth dedicated English teacher, Robin Wall, who supports all three classes by taking small groups to improve and extend reading and writing. Mathematics is critically important at this stage and there are six teachers supporting Year 6 students for Mathematics, including Lenore Clark who works solely on Year 5 and 6 in small groups. In addition, Mathematics specialists from the Personalised Learning Centre, Cherie Sowter and Ilana Tobias, join the team to support the strong Mathematics push to boost numeracy levels before students step up into our Senior School. Additionally, Mrs Tobias holds smaller classes for Reading, Writing and Spelling sessions. This level of learning support, with its golden combination of homeroom teachers working with dedicated specialists, greatly assists in ensuring each girl is well placed to reach her full potential. In addition to the strong core learning support, girls also attend dedicated classes during the week with specialist teachers from French, Music, Religious Studies and STRETCH, in which girls explore the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through hands-on fun activities. A great event that the girls look forward to is their Year 6 graduation. This is wonderfully collaborative event managed by our teaching staff, alongside the girls’ families. It starts with a surprise presentation of an invitation at a Chapel service at which the theme of the graduation is announced. A pivotal difference about Year 6 is the opportunity for girls to hold leadership roles, which clearly mean a lot to them. Each leadership area has two leaders who hold the position for the year, plus there are House leaders and other captain and citizenship roles available on a term basis. At Year 6, these roles are a great opportunity for girls to grow, give back and shine as you’ll hear now...

6IRE Hannah Warren “I like that we get to do leadership roles in year 6. I like that there is a lot of diverse roles to choose to be part of. I’m doing my first librarian duty which I’m excited about. The Librarians are training us and they said that soon after we’ve been trained the library will open again for girls at lunchtime”. Sylvie Haldane “I like the learning at Year 6. I really like the playground, especially the stump where we play tag and ‘hide and seek’, it’s really fun. I like being a wet day leader because I like looking after the little girls”.

6PIN Bella Guthrie “I like the leadership roles in Year 6 as we haven’t been able to do this in previous years and it’s really fun because we get to show our skills. I’m a House captain for Elgin and I liked organising a House lunch and being able to speak at assemby.” Lucia Yoon “I like the leadership as well but I really love the Science because I get to do lab work. There are challenges like how to balance 12 nails on one nail on a block of wood – the answer was to put one nail on first and then the others alternating, it took us an hour to work it out. We even got to see a rat being dissected! We did a little of the cutting ourselves but that was on a sheep lung and heart. I like being the Melrose House captain and speaking at assembly.”

6TYL Molly Atkins “I like doing Science because it is different every time. We learn about the human body, bouncing and flight. My favourite thing so far has been learning about balancing things. I love my leadership role as a Junior Playground Angel as I like looking after other people and spending time with my friends”. Jessica Yeoman “For me it’s the leadership roles I really like. I find it exciting because we get the opportunity to lead in a role and it prepares us for the real world after school when we get a job. I’m a Lindisfarne House captain with Mila Firth and we have a lot of fun together doing this. The meetings we have are fun as we get to give ideas for what we do next. Organisation is a big part of it, like House lunches which we love as we know everyone will like them”.

Physical Education in the Junior School

One of the great benefits of attending St Cuthbert's Junior School is the Physical Education girls receive from PE teachers, Mr Des Knight and Mrs Rachael Curtis. They teach PE for all year groups every week, offering plenty of variety as each term they hone in on a different sport. This ensures that, over the course of the year, girls have been encouraged to try a wide range of activities and develop new skills and interests. At the Year 5 and 6 level, PE lessons are also complemented with specialist coaches who are brought in to help run Football, Touch Rugby and Gymnastics. The facilities at St Cuthbert's are well-utilised in PE lessons, with the dedicated Junior School Gymnasium and Junior School Turfed Courts being used exclusively for Years 0 – 6. In addition, Swimming is held year-round in the onsite Aquatics Centre, with the pool floor level being raised especially for our youngest swimmers. Teachers Mr Knight and Mrs Curtis are looking forward to the Field Days being held this year. These inter-school

competitions cover a huge range of sports including hockey, football and netball in Term 3. In the Junior School a variety of games are played in Physical Education to provide an enjoyable context for developing physical competencies, as well as social and mental development. These include invasion games, striking and fielding games, target games, net and wall games and cooperative challenges. School values such as Integrity, Empathy, Respect and Compassion are fostered during the authentic learning situations PE provides. In Years 0 – 3 there is a strong focus on learning how to play well together. In Years 4 – 6 attention is given to teamwork, competition and strategic thinking. At the end of every term, sporting achievements are recognised at an assembly. This is a highlight for the girls as it not only includes inter-school achievements but also reflects sports they may be doing outside of St Cuthbert’s College.

JAM and GLOW St Cuthbert’s College is a Christian school in the Presbyterian tradition. What this means for our students is that we support them in their spiritual and emotional growth, starting from Year 0. Mrs Sue Porter has taught in various positions at St Cuthbert’s for thirty years and we consider ourselves so lucky to have her. Mrs Porter leads the J.A.M. classes, which stands for Jesus and Me, with our girls from Years 0 – 4. Mrs Porter organises assemblies, the ANZAC and Easter services, as well as the much-anticipated Nativity each year. Mrs Porter works closely with Reverend Dr Francois Joubert who takes the lessons for our Years 5 and 6 girls, as well as all Family Chapel services. Together they lead a beautiful collection of life lessons for all of our Junior girls. Mrs Porter shares, “My J.A.M. lessons focus on the love of God, the love for everyone around us, and how much each of us is loved. Our girls are precious, and I want to help them appreciate just how special, unique, and loved each of them is". "Singing is an integral part of my programme and the girls love expressing themselves through music. This term, we are focusing on singing a song called ‘The Tree of Life’ which symbolises the love of God. I like to think of J.A.M. lessons as a tapestry in which Bible stories and inspirational books are woven into what we learn. The thread that holds it all together is our wonderful school motto, ‘By Love Serve’. "I often keep quotes of things students have said in my lessons over the years. I remember one from a lovely girl called Rose who was in Year 3 in 2013. After talking about “Who is God?” Rose said, “I admire Him and respect Him

enormously and He makes me feel good about myself. He fills my bucket”. Mrs Porter reflects, "I couldn’t hope for more than that for our students; to know that they are unconditionally loved.” Rev. Joubert’s similar energy and compassion resonates well with our Year 5 and 6 girls in their ‘Glow’ lessons. He leads wonderful debates in their Q & A sessions and says, “I am always amazed at how our students’ minds work and the questions they come up with.” Last year, it was decided to change the lesson name from Footprints to Glow. Rev. Joubert says, “We ‘practised’ democracy where every student could vote for their preference for a new name from three options and the new name that was settled on was ‘Glow’. The idea behind Glow is that we need to shine our light so that others may find their way. Kindness, forgiveness, and love, are what makes us shine. During the year we bring this alive by focussing on principles such as gratitude, kindness, and generosity.” “We review the Parables Jesus shared such as Judge Not, The Sower, The Talents, The Wise Man and The Mustard Seed. The reason there are so many parables in the New Testament, is that Jesus used things that were familiar to people, things that were known, to explain the unknown and heavenly principles so this helps the girls understand the inner meaning. At Year 6 the girls focus on Virtues by discussing virtues such as compassion, empathy, honesty, humility, inclusion and kindness.”

Music

in the Junior School All the Year groups in the Junior School are having such a wonderful time in Music. Our newest girls, the New Entrant girls, have had a lot of fun learning to find and using their singing voices correctly in Music, all while exploring beat, rhythm, and pitch. Girls have enjoyed their learning experiences which have included listening, singing, and moving to music. Junior School girls enjoy the diverse learning experiences which they get as part of classroom Music – ukulele, recorder, tuned percussion instruments, singing, music technology, composition, mallet percussion, piano-keyboard skill development. The girls really do get such an exciting and full programme. Despite the variety of classroom Music, girls progress their learning through a core musical ‘vocabulary’ of melodic and rhythmic elements, inspired by the international

Kodály method of Music education. The girls’ practical knowledge of musical literacy becomes fully realised in Year 5 and Year 6 where girls learn a wind-band instrument over this two-year period. It has been great to add new instrument learning options into our band programme for the girls in Year 5 this year. We now teach the girls trumpet, trombone, euphonium, clarinet and saxophone. It has been wonderful watching the girls develop their instrumental skills on these wind-band instruments this semester. Mr Andrew Stewart is the Head of Junior School Music and he says, “I’m very impressed with our students so far this year, keep up the practice girls!”

Word Search JUMPING JUNE JOY DISCO PHYSICAL LEARNING LEADERS ADVENTURES CAMP ROCKETS FRENCH MUSIC STRETCH WONDER PEACE

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Little Sister Issue 5

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