We have now reached the half-way mark of Term 2 and a lot has been happening in Junior High, as elsewhere in the College, as the term progresses.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
As part of our Student Leadership program in Junior High, our House Leaders, and a small group of other aspiring Year 9 leaders, were fortunate to be selected to attend yLead’s ‘Altitude Day’ which was held in City Hall this week. They joined hundreds of other Year 9 students from dozens of Queensland schools to hear inspiring presentations from community and social leaders. These included Krushnadevsinh Revalji, a champion of diversity and inclusion; Dylan Conway, an ex-defence force member and the founder of Brothers and Books; and Grace Sholl, an advocate for improved mental health support and access to support for young people. The focus of the presentations on the day included:
- 5 Keys to Unlocking Potential
- You Are What You Do
- Dream Sharing
Our Junior High Leaders continue to demonstrate positive attitudes and a willingness to serve their school community in a variety of ways and we appreciate their many contributions.
Year 8 Class Representatives
Our Year 8 student Class Representatives for Semester 1 have now been selected and were announced last week at the Year 8 year-level assembly. Congratulations to James C (8A), Ruby C-P (8B), Alana M (8C), Kabir P (8D), Jonathan M (8E), Ryder D (8F), Quenne J (8G), Ivreen K (8H), Chelsea G (8J) and Meera G (8K). These students will represent their form classes and assist their teachers in a number of ways during the semester.
KALEIDOSCOPE
“In 2007, St Peters began a music/drama project designed exclusively for the Year 8 cohort of each year. This event offers Year 8 students the opportunity to develop their musical and dramatic skills under the guidance of arts professionals, build self-confidence through performance, make new friends, have fun and be part of a stage work created especially for them. This event has been tailor-made each year to be relevant and age-appropriate for the cast, and to provide maximum involvement of students with a large number of opportunities for individual students to shine. These performances have been so successful that they have become one of the key events in the Year 8 calendar.”
Rehearsals for the Year 8 students involved in this year’s Kaleidoscope ‘The Night of Nights’ performance are now entering the final stages. The various cast groups, including the dance troupe, singers and backstage crew are gearing up in readiness for their final weekend of rehearsals, which will be followed by the dress rehearsal and technical rehearsal next week. There will also be a special performance for the Year 7 and 8 cohorts on Thursday next week, followed by what is sure to be two wonderful evening performances on Friday and Saturday in the Dron Auditorium. Excitement is certainly building.
Tickets for the production are now available on Eventbrite.
Friday 24 May 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Saturday 25 May 7:30pm – 9:30pm
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN CLASS
It is apparent that a growing area of concern for teachers is the inappropriate and frequent use of social media communications during class time by students. Our College is not immune to this. It is evident that even without having their mobile phones in class, some students are accessing online chat programs through their computers to communicate with friends, peers and even parents during lessons. There are a range of platforms used for this online messaging. We are also aware that some students are being contacted by their parents during the day using this method of communication. I ask that parents consider the implications of this in terms of interruptions to their child’s learning and the breach of school rules.
As vigilant as teachers try to be, unfortunately this behaviour is sometimes difficult to monitor and control. While teachers may have suspicions that some students may be off task when they are using their laptops in class, what they generally see on the screen by the time they can approach the student, is the legitimate work they have been asked to do. Students are very adept at swiftly swiping their screens and using keyboard shortcuts and other techniques to hide the online chat as soon as the teacher comes within their vicinity. Seconds after the teacher moves away, the chat session has often recommenced.
While we constantly remind our students of the school rules and guidelines in relation to the appropriate use of technology, parents are urged to reinforce these expectations at home as well. The Junior High Parent Handbook and the 2024 Junior High Student Diary (pages 25A-27A) both clearly outline these parameters. If you have any concerns or require support in monitoring your child’s online behaviour, please access the website of the Office of the eSafety Commissioner (https://www.esafety.gov.au) or contact our College’s eLearning staff and eSafety committee for further information. There are also a number of Tech and Wellbeing Resources on Firefly to support parents (click here for direct links).
EXPECTATIONS re TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL
Parents are reminded that students travelling to or from school, whether via private or public transport, are expected to be in full formal uniform. This includes wearing their hat and blazer unless they are being dropped off for cocurricular training that is scheduled before school or travelling home following an after-school training session.
When our students are in uniform, they are representing the College and should always treat others with courtesy and respect. This particularly applies to students using public transport to and from school. The College supports Translink’s expectation that ‘school students give up their seats to adults who are standing’. Parents are asked to remind their children of this expectation.
If your child rides his/her bike to school, I ask that they dismount once entering Harts Road and walk their bike through the College grounds to the bike rack. This is not only for their own safety but also for the safety of pedestrians in the vicinity.
Kelly Fox
Acting Head of Junior High
