From award-winning performances and work experience reflections to immersive excursions and innovative STEM challenges, our secondary students embraced every opportunity this term.
It was an absolute pleasure to be part of our annual Celebration of Sport Assembly at Secondary School last week. The assembly celebrated the efforts of many Ormiston students in a variety of sports, particularly in snowsports, swimming, netball, cross country and athletics. As Head of Junior School, I would like to congratulate Aneira P of Year 6 for being awarded the Ormiston Sportswoman of the Year Award. Over the last two years, Aneira’s contribution to our sporting program has been outstanding and we hope she can continue her sporting achievements in Year 7 next year. Finally, I would like to thank our Sport & Physical Education Teacher Mrs James for organising a wonderful assembly and for continuously improving our sporting program at Junior School throughout 2023.
On the same day of the Celebration of Sport assembly, our Year 4 student Audrey C competed in the 800 metres track event at the School Sport Victoria Primary State Athletics Championships. Audrey ran a very strong race and came in seventh position which was an outstanding effort. This was one of the best-ever track & field performances from an Ormiston student in many years and we look forward to more outstanding results in 2024.
Wishing all families a wonderful weekend.
Paul Donohue
Head of Junior School
On Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd of November, the ELC opened its doors to welcome grandparents and special friends into the school. In supporting children to build a sense of community, grandparents and extended families play a pivotal role in nurturing children’s sense of belonging. The atmosphere was alive with the presence of the intergenerational bonds that connect children with their families. Stories about history, values and experiences could be heard amongst the different generations, as grandparents shared stories, wisdom, and personal experiences of their time at School and Kindergarten.
These interactions highlighted children’s deep appreciation for their family’s cultural heritage and their connections between home and school. The emotional support and love the grandparents and families have shown continue to consolidate the foundations on which children build their social and emotional skills.
During this special time, children hosted their families and shared their inquiries, artworks, work samples, and learning environment. It was wonderful to see grandparents participating in the play! This intergenerational exchange fosters empathy and respect in children, helping them understand the value of different perspectives and backgrounds. In turn, this contributes to developing compassionate, inclusive, and socially aware young individuals who are better equipped to build strong, cohesive communities as they grow.
A huge thank you to all the grandparents and extended family who were able to join us.
Esther Wong
Early Learning Coordinator
We have been studying the weather in Foundation this term and students have learnt about the kinds of weather we can experience, weather symbols, temperature and how this impacts our clothing choices and activities.
Ms Dumsday worked with us in STEAM and taught us that scientists take measurements about the weather to make forecasts. A wind vane can show us which way the wind is blowing. Knowing where the wind is coming from can help with predictions about future weather. We were then able to create our own wind vanes. Students tested their own weather vanes inside with a fan and outside in the playground.
“I loved making the wind vane.” – Agnes
“I loved when my windmill would spin.” – Michelle
“We needed lots of things to make the wind vanes.”– Jane
“Sometimes the wind would come and sometimes it was still.” – Alicia S.H.
Selena Reedman
Foundation Classroom Teacher
The Year 2 students participated in their second excursion of the year, to Como House. The students were very excited to dress up in ‘olden day’ clothes and experience what life was like in the past. Como House has a rich history and provides an insight into the previous owners of the property, the Armytage family. Students took part in a tour through the house and play various games that children in the past would have played, such as croquet and quoits. The day didn’t come without hard work, with the students learning some of the jobs that servants would have to do for the Armytage family. This involved washing clothes in a bucket with a washboard and hanging them out to dry – Hopefully the students can show some of these skills at home!
The students all had a wonderful time and learnt some great information about the past! Thank you again Ms Hart for coming along and helping with this excursion.
‘I enjoyed looking around the house and doing the scavenger hunt. My favourite part of the house was the different bells for the servants to listen to’ – Lena
‘I found all of the expensive gold plates and cutlery interesting. There was also gold on Mr Armytage’s shirt buttons, that the servants had to take off before they washed the shirt. I also liked the old decorations around the house’ – Lemary
‘I enjoyed doing the laundry activity. We were like real servants!’ – Alex
‘My favourite part of the excursion was the scavenger hunt, to find out which child broke the doll!’ – Aileen
‘I learnt about the past. I learnt that the servants had to wash all of the clothes’ – Sia
Mikaela Stanaway
Year 2 Classroom Teacher
A major focus in mathematics for Year 5 has been to encourage “confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics, able to investigate, represent and interpret situations”. (Australian Curriculum: mathematics)
This semester, the students were set the task of creating a Grand Prix circuit, using listed criteria, for a Sphero to successfully manoeuvre around. Students worked in small groups with the skills of negotiation and collaboration as their central foci. What does a Grand Prix track look like was the first question. And so began their journey of learning:
“The first step of the task was planning and designing the track. The planning was challenging because you had to find a balance between making a codable track and an interesting track. Once we had drawn and taped down our track, we had to code the sphero, which was the fun experience because we got to work with different tools. It was also a fun way to work with other people and it gave us a good understanding of angles,” said Lucinda, Sara and Lauren.
“I think working with Stephanie was fun because we had lots of creativity and cooperation. It was challenging to get the coding right but we tried again and again. I listened to feedback from Mr Goodwin and Stephanie, which helped.” – Likka
“A highlight was coding the Sphero because Mia and I were working together. We were having a great time coding and supporting each other, even when there were problems. I learnt that if there is a problem, it is important to think and ask other people for solutions.” – Chloe
“We got to code and explore lots of different ways to make the Sphero move on the track. A challenge was the disagreement we had about the coding and who should drive the Sphero. We solved the problem by listening to each other. Listening to people in a small group is a goal I will keep working on it.” – Angela
Fiorella Soci
Year 5 Classroom Teacher
It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic participants and hear musically engaging performances in the Music Mountfield Maestros Concert on Thursday 19th October. 56 of our Ormiston students celebrated the opportunity to share and showcase their performances to very appreciative audiences at both the Foundation -Year 3 concert and the Year 4-6 concert. The diverse range of presentations illuminated the many and varied talents of our young musicians across all year levels. We congratulate the students on the courage and confidence they displayed in presenting their selected pieces. We thank our music staff for enabling their students to build individual performance skills, and for encouraging them to explore ways to communicate their musical presentations.
Rohan Mack & Kate Savige
Directors of Music
From award-winning performances and work experience reflections to immersive excursions and innovative STEM challenges, our secondary students embraced every opportunity this term.
Curiosity, creativity and care have shaped Term 2 at the Junior School with highlights including student-led sustainability initiatives, national debating success and inspiring community connections.
Celebrating 105 years, rallying behind fundraising efforts, and supporting student growth – ended by showcasing the strength and spirit of our Camberwell Girls community.
This edition, Mrs Dunwoody reflects on a term filled with learning, leadership, and community connection, including milestone events and exciting student initiatives.
