Barbreck News
Certainly the 2017 School year in Barbreck, filled with special learning events, tasks, projects, adventures and the making of new friendships has passed by with speed!
It seems so recently that greetings, the excitement of fresh beginnings and the words “Hello” and “Welcome” resounded in through the Junior School. We now find ourselves in the next few days, surrounded by the excitement of Christmas, summer holidays and new adventures in education in 2018, and the words “Good Luck” and “Farewell” echo around us.
In Barbreck, we celebrate with excitement and anticipation, but also a sense of farewell to a completed chapter, the completion of Junior School for our current Year 6 girls and progression to the next stage of their journey – Year 7.
Thank you to the Year 6 students of 2017 for your contributions and diligent attention to all requests, tasks and activities and as highly pleasing role models for the rest of the Junior School. It has been greatly appreciated. Yet again, the Year level have set very high standards and we trust that the current Year 5 students will step well into their footsteps in 2018.
We also farewell a small number of students who are relocating in 2018 and resultingly need to change schools. We wish them well.
Thank you to our Families
Our families support the staff in so many ways, whether it be through events, excursions, assistance when requested or ideas and feedback.
Working together, School and home is the best combination of support, endorsement of student effort and communicating the high importance of education.
Thank you to our families.
Farewell Mrs Sandra Allen and Ms Lisa Barker
In a previous edition of The Blue Ribbon, we thanked both Mrs Allen and Ms Barker for their wonderful contributions to St Catherine’s School.
As they both move into new horizons in life, we wish them both our most fond farewells and with excitement we will welcome them back in 2018 in order to explore the new Junior School!
Staffing in Barbreck 2018
Head of Junior School and ELC – Mrs Alana Moor
Deputy Head of Junior School – Ms Catherine Samuel
Personal Assistant to Head of JS & ELC – Mrs Mary Poulos
Junior School Receptionist/Admin Assistant – Mrs Sharon Brinkworth
Prep T – Miss Annie Taylor & Mrs Kate Bourke (support)
YEAR 1B – Mrs Lola Ballis & Mrs Kate Bourke (support)
YEAR 2I – Mrs Loretta Iacuone
YEAR 3C – Ms Sue Cooke
YEAR 3T – Ms Emma Harty
YEAR 4R – Mr Luke Russell
YEAR 4S – Ms Georgina Stride & Ms Simone Schilte (class share)
YEAR 5FW – Miss Fiona Wardlaw
YEAR 5KW – Miss Kirrilly Wootton
YEAR 5T – Mr Tim Tainsh
YEAR 6C – Ms Sandra Ching
YEAR 6K – Mrs Mary Karvounaris
Junior School PE Coordinator – Mr Tom Crebbin
PE Teacher – Mrs Jenny De Nardis
Junior School Science/STEM – Miss Alyssa Flint
Junior School Teacher/Librarian – Mrs Victoria Baldacchino
Library Technician – Mrs Judy Hoole
Junior School Music Teacher – Mrs Melissa Dods
Head of Strings – Mrs Lisa Cook
Junior School French Teacher – Mr Andrew Gold
Junior School Art Teacher – Mrs Virginia Guest
Head of Learning Plus – Mrs Glenda Lingard
Learning Plus Teacher – Mrs Chris Hogan
EAL Teacher – Ms Jo Lynden-Bell (ESL Part time)
First Day of School 2018
Years 1-6 – Wednesday 31 January 2018
Prep – Thursday 1 February 2018
Staff
From the School office to classrooms to the specialist areas, our Junior School staff work with such determination and professionalism to realise the most effective learning and pastoral care environment for the Barbreck learners.
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of them.
Happy Christmas and New Year to all
A wonderful Christmas and New Year and safe travels to all our wonderful Barbreck families.
Mrs Alana Moor
Head of ELC and Barbreck
Junior School Chess
During Term 3, students from Years 2 to 6 were once again invited to join lunchtime chess on Fridays. The girls continued to demonstrate enthusiasm for learning strategies with the Chess master, and their skills steadily improved.
Congratulations to all the girls that participated and attended regularly, and a special congratulation’s goes to our tournament winners for Term 3.
- First Place: Kaixuan (Isabelle) Cao
- Second Place: Peiqi (Peggy) Xiang
- Equal Third Place: Imogen Begley, May Aiello, Erin Jurgens, Elisa Wang, Lulu Kyriakou
I look forward to the continuation of Junior School Chess in 2018.
Raising Funds and Awareness for Diabetes
Congratulations to Eloise Campbell (Year 5), Mia Krongold (Year 6) and Sarah Marriott (Year 7) for their fundraising efforts to raise money to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). JDRF is a leading not-for-profit supporter of Type 1 diabetes research, who provide support to the Type 1 diabetes community with information, resources and personal connection.
The three girls formed a team named The Insulin Addicts to raise money for research into a cure for diabetes, and build awareness within our community. In their efforts, they prepared and presented an informative and inspiring presentation to all the Barbreck girls at the Junior School assembly and participated in the JDRF One Walk, on Sunday 19 November.
They raised close to $22,000 – the most money raised by any team across Australia. An amazing effort and one they should feel incredibly proud of.
I know they are very grateful and thankful for the support of family, friends and the St Catherine’s community for helping them to achieve their goal and even more.
Year 4 Visit to John Macrae Centre
Each term a small group of students from the Junior School volunteer to share some of their music with the people at the John Macrae Centre in Toorak.
On Thursday 26 October a small group of Year 4 students walked down to the John Macrae Centre to perform to the elderly residents. The students performed a collection of pieces on their recorders, and were delighted when people started to sing along. Old favourites including Dear Liza and Mocking Bird, were very well received. The girls enjoyed hearing about the instruments that some of the residents had learnt when they were at school. For both the young and the young at heart, it was a time of sharing and listening together. We look forward to returning later in the Term to share some Christmas Carols together.
Ms Catherine Samuel
Deputy Head of Junior School
‘My Christmas Wish’ Christmas Card Competition
For a number of years now, the Honourable Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Federal Member for Higgins, has run a Christmas Card Competition, open to the school children in her electorate.
Each year, St Catherine’s girls have submitted entries with a lucky few selected to attend the special morning tea, to hear the winner announced and to receive their certificates.
This year, Gemma Thorn and Antonia Kallifidas in Year 4 have been invited to attend the morning tea at the Metro Gallery in Malvern along with their parents, as well as Ms Stride and Mrs Guest.
Well done to all St Catherine’s participants and congratulations to Gemma and Antonia.
