Junior School
Our WHY Authentic
Caring
Creative
Confident
Connected
Junior School Leadership Team
Dr Jenny Crome Head of Junior School
Mr. Innes Harriman Assistant Head of Junior School Pastoral Care
Ms Caitlin Clarke Team Leader Prep – Year 3
Ms Kirby Egan Team Leader Year 4 - Year 6
Junior School Office Staff
Mrs Sarah Wall Executive Assistant to the Junior School
Mrs Bec McGarry Junior School Receptionist
Pastoral Care Teachers • First point of contact for Pastoral and Academic issues
• Teach most subjects (except Yr 6) including SOAR (Social and Emotional Learning Program) and RVE • Pastoral Care Teachers coordinate many extracurricular programs
Child Safety Public Commitment St Aidan’s Anglican Girls' School is committed to promoting the safety, wellbeing and best interests of children, and to preventing, detecting and responding to child harm. Every child has the right to be safe and feel safe. As Anglican child safe organisations, we commit to: • • • • • • • •
• •
Implementing Queensland’s 10 Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle. Operating by Gospel values, which emphasise service, inclusivity, integrity, character, dignity, compassion, and justice. Providing children with exceptional pastoral care. Providing care that is physically, emotionally, psychologically and culturally safe. Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from exposure to harm. Empowering children to participate in decisions that affect them. Educating children about who to approach if they feel unsafe or have concerns. Instructing our community members on how to respond to complaints, concerns, and breaches of our conduct expectations. Maintaining effective processes for responding to concerns of child harm. Listening, learning, and seeking to improve.
Child Safe Advocates
Jenny Crome Head of JS
Innes Harriman Assistant Head of JS
Sasha Moor JS Psychologist
Pastoral Care • Wellbeing Framework
• Pastoral Care Classes – each morning 15 minutes • Social and Emotional Learning (SOAR) each Friday • Penguin Pals, Chill Out Zone, Social Butterflies & URStrong
• Access to Chaplain and JS Psychologist for additional support
Pastoral Care • • • •
Nutrition & Exercise Body changes Sleep Wellbeing
Faith Life Chapels Twice a term (usually) RVE Quiet Days for Year 5 and Year 6 | Year 6 Reflection Day
School Services and Messy Church ( Arts and Craft based) Christmas, Easter, St Aidan’s Day, Ash Wednesday Leadership Induction, Commencement … Family Services 4 times a year, all welcome
Teaching and Learning
Effective Teaching and Learning Differentiated •
Teaching program designed to cater for individual learning needs – more/less time, different levels of difficulty, differing amounts, different methods of delivery
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Enrichment – within classes; extension opportunities both within curriculum and external opportunities – da Vinci Decathlon/Australian Maths Competition/IEU Art and Literature competition/Robo Cup/ICAS/Optim Minds
•
Support teacher/aides – Students with Additional Needs (SWAN) Department
Learning Embrace (reasonable) struggle as learning The brain is forming new connections. Normalising challenge will help her see difficult work as progress, not failure. Create systems Set up a homework station and weekly planning routine together and then gradually hand over ownership. Resist the rescue instinct When she struggles with an assignment or forgets something, ask problem-solving questions: “What could you do about that?” This builds resilience and critical thinking. Celebrate effort over results “I noticed you tried a different approach on that problem,” rather than focusing on the mark. Communication with teachers Encourage her to speak to teachers first about concerns but reach out if you spot genuine issues or your daughter is not keen to ask for help. Let us know if there are any developments (e.g. diagnosis, physical injury) that might impact your daughter’s learning or capacity to complete assessment.
Languages 2027 Kindy French Prep French 1
French
2
Japanese
3
Japanese
4
Japanese or French
5
Japanese, Chinese or French
6
Japanese, Chinese or French
Technology Technology • 1 to 1 iPads Prep
• Years 1-12 laptop program • Screen Free time
Technologies
Enrichment and Extension QLD da Vinci Decathlon
Opti Minds \\
Assessment and Reporting WHEN • Ongoing • Formative and Summative
• Students given task sheets, criteria sheets, assessment calendars • Parents advised in termly Curriculum Overviews • Year 6 Assessment Planner
• No assessed projects at home
Assessment and Reporting
Assessment and Reporting
Extra-curricular Activities & Sport
Extra-curricular Programs
Interhouse Competitions
Sport
Sport Andrews Cup/Metro Meets • Athletics • Cross Country • Swimming • AFL • Basketball • Cricket • Football (Soccer) • Gymnastics • Netball • Tennis • Touch Football QLD Representative School Sports
Ambiwerra Sport and Environment Precinct
Ambiwerra Nature Lab Prep – Year 3 Students as Scientists Students engage in: Biodiversity mapping Habitat studies
Ecosystem investigations Species identification Data collection and analysis
Ambiwerra Sports Precinct
Special Events Grandparents Day Science Show
Arts Exhibition Under 8’s Day Christmas Service
Junior School Disco Messy Church Pet Blessing Service Year 5 Admission to Communion
Special Events Junior Gala Concerts Extra-Curricular Assembly SOAR Captain Assemblies Book Week Parade Easter Parade Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day Breakfasts Interhouse Robotics
Mu si c
Music Band • Yr 4 Beginner Band Program • Charma Band • Percussion Ensemble
Choirs • Junior Singers (Yr 2-3) • Children Crossing Choir (Yr 4-6) Strings • Yr 2 String Immersion Program • Vivaldi Strings • Dolce Strings • Staccato Strings Chamber Ensemble
Music – Private Tuition
General Information
Outside School Hours Care Before School Care 7am – 8:15am • Breakfast – cereal, fruit, yoghurt, toast After School Care
3:00pm-6:00pm • Afternoon tea provided • Supervised homework, a range of indoor and outdoor activities Vacation Care 7:30am-6:00pm
School Bus On school website head to “School Bus & Train” • Bus routes • Train information Link student card on Flexischools
Aidan’s Place (Tuckshop) • Online through Flexischools (flexischools.com.au) • Delivered to the Junior School • Food can be purchased before school (generally after sports training - cashless) • Menu can be found on our website • O2 Café (accessed by staff and parents and Year 6 if wearing leadership badge at lunchtime in Sem. 2)
Communication
Communication • Student Handbook (Diary)
• Email – responses within 2 business days • Newsfeed on the app – electronic
• Year Level Curriculum Overview – Posted to the A/C Class pages each Term • Contacting teachers – phone, diary, email, appointments before or after school (as per Parent Code of Conduct)
• Head and Assistant Head of Junior School. Team Leaders and Director of Activities and Engagement - anytime by appointment
Communication – Aidan’s Central APP
Connection – The APP
Communication - School Website
Drive - Through
Drop Off & Pick Up
Locations of pick up for various year levels: • Kindy – must sign in and out • Prep to Year 3 – JS Drive Through • Year 4 - Year 6 – Ruthven St
• Senior School students – Aidan’s Way • Other side of train station, nearby streets
Drop Off & Pick Up Safety Procedures • ‘No parking’ zone at drop off and pick up times • No right turn when exiting JS
• Surnames on visor • No child? Do a lap! • Children are not permitted to place items in car boot
• Please respect and follow instructions of staff on duty at all times
Community & Key Dates
Community
• Parent Ambassadors and P&F Association • Partners in Learning • Grandparent Volunteers • Friends of Sherwood Arboretum Association • Fundraising (Anglicare, Melanoma March, Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Annual Giving Day)
Partners in Learning
Key Dates Monday 25 January 2027
Wednesday 27 January 2027
• Stationery Drop off. • Kindy Sharing Day • Year 6 Leadership Day ( Ambiwerra)
• All students begin • Kindy ½ days until the end of the first week
Term 1 Events • Stationery Drop off – 25 January • Year 6 Leadership Day – 25 January • First Day of School – 27 January • Junior School Photo Day – 29 January • Parent Information Evening – 2 February • Welcome Picnic – Saturday 6 February • Partners in Learning Series - Literacy 10 February - Numeracy 17 February • Last Day T1 – Tuesday 23 March
Contact Details
Dr Jenny Crome – Head of Junior School • Any major concerns or questions • Any procedural questions about the start of the year • Any curriculum queries j.crome@staidans.qld.edu.au Mr Innes Harriman – Assistant Head of Junior School – Pastoral • Any pastoral queries i.harriman@staidans.qld.edu.au Mrs Kate Atkin– Director of Extracurricular Programs • Any queries about activities and sport k.atkin@staidans.qld.edu.au