Roaming Free

Principal Adrian Farrer welcomes Year 7 students at their Induction Service

Roaming Free Transitioning to the Senior School

When we think about transition, the concept of change comes to mind. For many, heading into secondary school will conjure up feelings of excitement, opportunity, new friends, and new beginnings. Others may experience feelings of trepidation, a sense of being overwhelmed or anxiousness about things unknown, such as ‘How will I manage the homework?’. Typically, many of our boys entering Year 7 are likely to field a mixture of emotions as they commence in the Senior School. For the Year 7 team of Form Teachers and Heads of Year, it is important to acknowledge these differences and aim to nurture and scaffold the journey for all our boys as they learn about and expand their knowledge of ‘The Trinity Way’. Secondary school may seem like a whole new world for the boys entering Year 7. Whether from the Junior School or brand new to Trinity, the students have new structures and routines to learn, locations to explore, teachers to meet, and House activities, new clubs and wider school ventures to immerse themselves in, not to mention keeping track of belongings and attending to the daily learning experiences. Our skilled Form Teachers work tirelessly in the early weeks of the year, supporting the boys to become comfortable with the school’s expectations and the tools required to function independently in Senior School.

For many boys, the greatest worry is getting lost and ending up in the wrong classroom with the wrong class, and the wrong teacher! To allay these initial fears, in the year prior to their commencement in the Senior School we begin the navigational trail with a tour of key locations on Orientation Day. This is followed up with a more comprehensive school tour, timetables in hand, led by our trustworthy Peer Mentors on Preliminary Day. The boys are challenged to locate classrooms and key school buildings using maps and prompts, allowing prior knowledge, initiative and independent thinking to guide them. The Year 7s are encouraged to work collaboratively, to ensure that when on their own, without the mentors, they have strategies and resources to aid their endeavours.

Sutton House working hard in the Year 7 House Tug-of-War New Year 7 students on a tour of the school with a Year 10 Peer Mentor, Daniel Chong

Working out the all-important locker codes with some help from one of the Peer Mentors Finding their way around the school and meeting back on the steps of the Tudor Centre

This year, after commencing with Preliminary Day, the boys began to make their ‘home’ on the blue or red levels of the CBSE. Lockers and locks were eagerly received, with one boy commenting ‘I like having somewhere to store my stuff.’ If only all the boys could manage to keep their ‘stuff’ in their lockers! Other students have been quantifiably excited by the notion of roaming free and not having to always be with a teacher. Needless to say, they are also quickly learning that with freedom comes responsibility and accountability. Impressively, the boys are beginning to step into this new space and many parents will, I’m sure, be delighted by their son’s diligence and conscientiousness.

Making friends and feeling connected are significant stepping stones towards embracing the school’s culture and developing a sense of belonging. Week One saw our newest members of the Senior School initiated into their respective Houses. Each House welcomed their 7s with a plethora of colourcoordinated super power drinks, banners, totems, cheering and more. Our boys learnt very quickly that House spirit is to be embraced and the camaraderie is uplifting; it is by no means a coincidence that the smaller cross-age groups within each House are called families. Later in the week, competing for the coveted title of ‘Tug-of-War Champions’ placed the Year 7s in the thick of the annual crusade for the House Shield. With House leaders supporting, encouraging and cheering on their younger prodigies, the Year 7s fought stoically. Afterall, the honour and position on the leaderboard of their House was at stake.

Six weeks in and it is heartening to observe the laughter, chatter and happy shenanigans amongst the boys, indicating that they are settling comfortably into the Senior School. When asked what has been a standout so far, the resounding response is making new friends. One boy commented that ‘Trinity gives you a lot of opportunities to make friends.’ Enjoying the companionship of classmates was instrumental in the success of the ‘Welcome to Trinity’ day at our Bulleen Playing Fields. Bringing the boys together in a relaxed setting was pivotal in building connections and promoting the broader culture of Trinity. Experiencing firsthand the caring and supportive nature of our school through the inspiring voices of current Year 10 mentors, OTGs and long-serving staff members brought value to the occasion. In true Trinity spirit, team building, personal awareness and establishing a positive culture exemplified the day.

Watching our youngest members roam free has been an absolute pleasure, as we have the knowledge and security that, behind the scenes, there are systems and structures in place that continue to support and promote their developing independence.

Jeanette Milburn Co-Head of Year 7