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• Languages Week
• Prefects at St Hilda’s
• Music events

This week, the Senior School is celebrating Languages Week with a number of events that highlight the many benefits of learning a language. Our Languages staff have organised a rich program of cultural activities for students to enjoy. As a school community, we are fortunate to reflect a wide range of cultures, perspectives and languages from around the world. This diversity strengthens our community and enriches the experiences of all students. Languages Week provides a valuable moment to celebrate and appreciate the vibrancy this brings. Click here to read more.

Our Year 12 Prefects will represent the School tomorrow when they attend the St Hilda’s assembly as guests. This visit is a valuable opportunity for our students to connect with our sister school, build relationships with their peers, and represent Christ Church with pride. This year, St Hilda’s celebrates its 130th anniversary, a remarkable milestone, and we are proud to have shared much of their history as their brother school.

Live performance takes centre stage this weekend for our Music students with Jazz at Camelot and Rock at Rosemount. These events showcase students from across the Preparatory and Senior Schools, giving them the opportunity to perform live in professional venues. Next week, the Preparatory School ensembles will perform at the Prep Winter Concert in the School Chapel. Our strong music program emphasises both skill development and real-world performance experience, and events such as these play an important role in nurturing confident, capable musicians.

I would like to congratulate all staff and students involved in the Midnite production ‘Life of Insects’, which showed last week. I thought it was an exceptional production and I commend all involved.

Service in Action (SIA) is an exciting and highly valuable component of the educational program at Christ Church, and we currently have two groups away giving back to communities and gaining much from the experience. SIA tours run throughout the year, with students being joined by their St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School peers.

Alan Jones
Principal

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• Exciting week for music
• Student safety reminders
• Looking after belongings
• Finishing the term strong

Our musicians have been busy rehearsing for Jazz at Camelot tomorrow evening, followed by Rock at the Rosemount on Sunday afternoon. Rock at the Rosemount will feature bands from Preparatory School through to Year 12, showcasing the talent and hard work of students across the School. If you are available, please make a note of the time in your calendar and come along to support them.

Our concern for student safety is always heightened during the winter months. I spoke to the students in assembly this morning about the following key points and, as always, ask for your support in reiterating these messages at home.

Designated crossings – Students should only cross roads at marked and supervised crossing points. They should never take shortcuts between parked cars or through traffic areas.

Stay alert and follow directions – Students should pay close attention to staff, prefects, traffic marshals, and signage at all times. Phones should be put away, earbuds removed, and their full attention given to their surroundings, particularly the traffic.

Make safe choices every time – Students should walk rather than run, remain patient around traffic, and make sensible decision to help keep themselves and others safe.

Travelling to and from school/sport – Students riding bicycles to or from school, sport training, or other school activities should ensure their bikes are fitted with working lights, particularly when travelling after dark. Student should also ensure they are always wearing their helmet.

With 1,200 boys in the Senior School, it is perhaps not surprising – though certainly concerning – that the amount of lost property has increased significantly this term. Items have been misplaced across the campus, and in the Mt Claremont and St John’s Wood changerooms. While lost property is often collected and returned to the school, this process can take some time. Please ensure that all of your son’s belongings are clearly labelled and remind him to place all items back into his sports bag when changing for and after sporting activities.

With just one week remaining before the three-week break, there is still a significant amount of assessment work to be completed across the majority of subjects. I encourage the boys to finish the term strongly by maintaining the highest standards in their work ethic, presentation, and behaviour, while consistently demonstrating the School’s values in all that they do.

Upcoming Senior School Events

• Jazz at Camelot – Friday 19 June, 6.30pm – Tickets here
• PSA Sport v Wesley – Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June
• Year 11 Dance – Saturday 20 June
• Rock at the Rosemount – Sunday 21 June, 12.00pm – Tickets here
• Yr 9.3 Jupp Camp – Sunday 21 June to Friday 26 June
• Daniel Principe Community Presentation – Wednesday 24 June, 6.00pm – RSVP here
• PSA Sport v Aquinas (1st Teams Only) – Thursday 25 June
• Year 12 Father/Friend and Son Breakfast – Friday 26 June, 7.00am
• End of Term 2 – Friday 26 June, 12.45pm

Jamie Foster
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

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• Vertical House Groups
• A busy finish to Term 2
• Preparing for upcoming campus changes

Vertical House Groups (VHGs) take place three times each term and provide boys with an opportunity to connect with boys from a variety of year levels. In each VHG session, boys get to know each other through games and activities that explore the Value of each term. Providing boys with a connection to boys outside of their year level instils a sense of confidence and community for boys as they navigate their time in the Prep School. Get to know you games, collaborative problem solving, Value reflections and scavenger hunts are just some of the activities that boys engage with in the VHG sessions. Feedback from the boys and staff is that VHGs and the connection made with boys from a variety of year levels is an important aspect of the boys development and learning.

As Term 2 draws to a close at the end of next week, boys will be busy with a range of activities. Year 4 have had their Speakers’ Challenge final this week, our JPSSA fixture against Wesley on Thursday will be the last fixture for the term, our Year 4 to 6 Athletics Interschool Field Events trials take place next Monday, our Preparatory School Winter Music Concert takes place next Tuesday night in the Chapel, and our IPSHA Chess team will be competing at Guildford Grammar next Wednesday. Finally, our Years 4 to 6 Interschool Cross Country team will compete at the JPSSA Interschool event next Thursday. We wish all boys participating in these events the best.

As construction of PERFORM, our new cultural centre, prepares to commence, families should be aware that there will be changes to campus access and parking arrangements from Tuesday 21 July. These changes are necessary to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors while providing the space required for construction equipment, deliveries and temporary laydown areas. From this date, there will be no general parking available on campus, with access limited to Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Yellow Dot parking, Pre-Primary to Year 6 drop-off and pick-up at the Sandover loop, and pre-arranged meetings or scheduled appointments. We recognise this will require some families to adjust their usual routines, and we ask that you please be prepared by reviewing the updated arrangements and allowing additional time during drop-off and pick-up. Thank you for your patience, co-operation and support as we work together to manage this important change safely and smoothly for our school community.

Dr. Steven Males
Head of Preparatory School