On Saturday I enjoyed walking the fields of Mount Claremont and St John’s Wood watching the opening round of PSA winter fixtures. Physical activity plays a big role in health and wellbeing. We commence this journey with our youngest students, with some gentle and gradual movement. This form of exercise then develops as the boys get older and small changes are introduced to the level and type of physical activity. By the time the students are in Year 4, the boys move from skill development to playing a game and by the time they enter Year 7, they are game ready and can embrace all that the PSA has to offer. Results from the weekend can be found here.
Tomorrow morning, two of our Army Cadets, Alasdair Cameron and Daniel Leahy will be laying a wreath at the ANZAC Day service in Claremont Park to commemorate the lives of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who have fought and died in combat. This service is held on the anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War and includes traditional proceedings such as The Last Post and poem readings. The service commences at 7.30am and concludes around 8.00am with a barbecue breakfast in the park.
Every year our Cadets support the Dalkeith Primary School with their ANZAC Assembly. This year we provided a Guard of Cadets and flag raising. You can see images of the event here.
This year, Christ Church Art students were involved in a community project, with the aim of faithfully replicating the 44th Battalion banner. The original had travelled with the men in 1916 on their ship bound for Britain firstly and then on to the front line trenches of France. You can read the full story on our Media Release.
During the recent break an additional flag pole was installed on campus, and now has the Torres Strait Islander flag flying alongside the School, Aboriginal, Western Australian and Australian flag. The School’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program is significant for the students and School, and flying the flag demonstrates our recognition of First Nation peoples and promotes a sense of community.
This week, the Parent Forum for the Preparatory School addressed Cyber Safety. Staying cyber safe is imperative and the speed with which technology advances is matched with the speed of cyber criminals. The Australian Government’s esafety site has a considerable amount of resources for parents, including advice on devices, parental controls, hard conversations and also gaming, cyberbullying and screen time. Here is a link to the Parent Forum recording and related resources.
This week saw the first group of students take part in the Year 8 Combined Cape to Cave program with St Hilda’s in the Margaret River region. Program 2 departs on Sunday with the final program taking place the following week. Whilst away, the students participate in a variety of activities including expedition bushwalking, sessions on environmental awareness and Aboriginal culture, caving, and abseiling.
Today Paul Litherland will present to the Year 7 and 8 cohorts on the topic of cyber safety, focusing on how they can safeguard themselves in today’s digital world. The Wynne Centre for Health and Wellbeing invites parents and friends of the Christ Church community to come along next Wednesday 1 May to hear Paul present, offering recommendations and advice for the latest cyber safety concerns. Please refer to the notice in the Year group notices or the event page for more information and to register your attendance.
This Friday and Saturday we play Wesley after a tough first round last week against the local rivals Scotch College. This round is a home fixture so I am sure the players would appreciate a good crowd at matches this week wearing the blue and gold.
In Week 4, the Drama Department brings to the stage ‘Cathedral’, written by South Australian born playwright Caleb Lewis. Set on the Limestone Coast, this play examines the journey of self-discovery and seeks to answer the question; Do we turn away from our pain or do we dive right in! I encourage you to view the 2024 Midnite season here where you will be able to secure tickets to Cathedral and other productions throughout the year.
A reminder that there is no school tomorrow due to ANZAC Day.
Upcoming Senior School Events
ANZAC Day – no school – Thursday 25 April
PSA Sport v Wesley – Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April
Year 7 Parent/Teacher/Student Night – Monday 29 April at 3.30pm to 7.00pm
Through our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework (SWPBS), our boys are introduced to a core value each term. The value for Term 2 is Respect. Students across the Preparatory School are taught ways to demonstrate respect in the classroom and in the playground. Boys are rewarded with House points for displaying this value and these points contribute to The Values Cup. The race to win The Values Cup is always close and the boys display excitement at every assembly to hear who is in the lead. Our school values, House points and The Values Cup are a part of the SWPBS and combine with psychological services, pastoral care program, interhouse competitions and our Vertical House Groups to form the basis of the social and emotional program across the Preparatory School.
Our Term 2 Parent Forum took place on Tuesday and the presentation focused on cyber safety. Parents were offered insights into the latest facts and figures from the eSafety Commissioners office, and learnt about popular online games and ways to ensure children are protected when using technology. Please find a recording of the Forum and further parent resources here.
Today, our students from Years 4 to 6 will be fortunate to have Mr Paul Litherland visit the School as a guest speaker. Mr Litherland is one of the nation’s most recognised and highly awarded educators on the topic of internet awareness and cyber safety. He will be speaking to our boys about these two topics that are highly relevant to them. Mr Litherland established Surf Online Safe and was awarded the WA Australian of the Year Award in 2022. Our students thoroughly enjoy guest speaker visits, so we have no doubt they will be engaged in this topic, ask questions, and hopefully come away equipped with knowledge to help navigate their online worlds. Parents and friends of our Christ Church Community are invited to see Paul present next Wednesday 1 May. For more information and to register, refer to Year Group notices or the event page.
As a Preparatory School, we are constantly looking to engage boys with their learning. Through well-planned learning activities, incursions, excursions, and resources that captivate boys’ imagination, the staff in the Preparatory School work hard to ensure boys can connect with learning to be active and thoughtful learners. Our library staff review children’s literature to provide boys with relevant, challenging texts across a wide range of topics that can be used as learning resources and for enjoyment. Please find a link to the latest reading recommendations for Kindergarten to Year 6 here.
