FROM THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
THIS YEAR WILL BE REMEMBERED AS BEING A VERY DIFFERENT AND INTERESTING ONE. WHILE FOR A TIME WE THOUGHT MANY OF OUR JUNIOR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES MAY NOT GO AHEAD, IT WAS WITH JOY AND GRATITUDE THAT THE GIRLS WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE MANY MILESTONE OCCASIONS.
We were so pleased to invite our Year 4 mothers to travel south to Metricup, to participate in the Mother/Daughter camp, albeit a little later in the year than originally planned. The weekend, while wet, was a wonderful opportunity for the mothers to spend time with their daughters, exploring the beautiful property and creating artistic pieces together. It was also with grateful hearts that our Year 5 teachers travelled to Metricup with their classes for the Year 5 Camp. All were excited to come together to learn about Indigenous culture with Wadandi custodian, Josh, from Koomal Dreaming, and about the South-West environment, which was an important focus of the Year 5 program. The Early Years’ girls have been able to continue their Bush School program, discovering the flora of Trigg Reserve, and our Year 4 students worked with actual scientists, which was a valuable experience in learning how important it is to care for the natural environment. Venturing further afield, the girls also explored
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the Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park, where they further connected with nature and came to appreciate the unique Western Australian environment. It is with gratitude that we have been able to enable our girls to discover and explore this year and participate in interactive experiences that enrich their education. We are equally proud of the Junior School Music Program, from the Kodaly-based classroom programs to the Year 3 strings and the Year 5 band program. The girls have been encouraged to explore and develop their musical skills. An important component of the program is performance. Through the music department’s careful and creative planning, the students and parents have been entertained on many occasions, including being part of the mass choir at Speech Night. I acknowledge all of our budding musicians for their entertaining performances. To have such dedicated and talented teachers at St Mary’s is a privilege for the students. Our teachers inspire
and encourage the girls, motivate them and deliver engaging learning experiences. The National History Challenge is one such opportunity. Sabrina and Leigh Van Clef, in Years 5 and 4 respectively, both entered this competition under the guidance of Mrs Dencker Morrison. Sabrina entered the Women’s History Category, based her project on Astronomy at the Perth Observatory and Human Computers, while Leigh’s topic, in the Year 1-4 category, was Servant or Slave in Australia. Both girls were awarded silver medals and we congratulate them on their achievements. As we head towards St Mary’s Centenary year, it is with excitement that we look forward to celebrating and sharing the School’s history with the girls and our extended community. Helen Adams Head of Junior School
