Head of Primary

Term 4 Reflection

As we approach the end of the year, let us reflect on our theme, Real Hope and the scripture from Isaiah 40:31 which says:

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

It is encouraging to reflect on the year we have enjoyed together. Students have not only worked faithfully, but they have also extended their understanding of what it means to put their hope in the Lord growing their faith in Him. It is our prayer that the faith seeds planted this year will nurture each child’s spiritual development.

As we hit the final stretch of the year there is a buzz around Primary with many upcoming celebrations including our Year 6 Graduation night, ‘Follow the Star’ Christmas event, Prep Orientation/Year 1-5 Transition Day and our final Presentation Ceremony.

The Year 6 Graduation will be an opportunity to acknowledge the seven years of schooling the students have had, the next stage in their journey and the parent partnership we have enjoyed. After the formalities, the students will enjoy pizza, ice cream, dancing and taking plenty of photos.

With this year’s Follow the Star event, the Prep to Year 3 will be performing carols at the beginning of the evening and drama performances by years 4-6 will take place throughout the remainder. We are looking forward to a petting zoo, popcorn, face painting and more. Our hope is that families feel a sense of community and take away a hope filled message of Jesus birth!

Our final event, the Primary Presentation Ceremony, will take place at Hill Song on the second last day of school. At the celebration we will award certificates for: learning encouragement, service and academic excellence. There will also be Special awards in curriculum domains and Community awards. We are proud of all the student’s achievements and the growth they have made this year.

Some of our most recent highlights of academic success are the ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for schools) and AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition) student awards for Years 2-6. We had nearly 102 students across Primary receive either a Distinction or a High Distinction! These awards were celebrated at our final Chapel Assembly. We are very thankful to Kerryn Terrington our Enrichment Coordinator who facilitates these opportunities for the Primary.

It has been a privilege to lead an amazing team this year. I am inspired by each staff’s creativity and desire to honour God in their teaching. I hope as you read your child’s report at the end of the year you will be encouraged by your child’s growth as well as the commitment to excellence in learning that your child has received this year.

Our prayers are with Rachean Dan who has taken maternity leave and is soon to welcome her second child. May God bless your family as we rest and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas over the holiday break.

Blessings,

Follow the Star

What a joy it was to celebrate Christ’s birth together at our Follow the Star Primary Christmas Event on 28 November! Our younger students led beautiful carols, our older students brought the Christmas story to life through drama, and families enjoyed face painting, a petting zoo, popcorn, sausage sizzle, a silent disco, and so much more.

A huge thank you to all the staff and parents who made the event possible, and to every family who joined us for this special evening.

Our prayer is that His light shines brightly in your heart this Christmas, reminding us of the reason for the season — that God’s greatest gift, His Son, brings true hope, joy, and peace to the world.

Prep News

Rickett's Point Beach Sanctuary Excursion

Preps had a marvellous time at Rickett's Point Beach Sanctuary! Despite the looming weather and slight drizzle, we thank God for holding off the rain and enjoyed exploring the rockpools, sorting out man made and God made things and different sea artefacts! Most of all, we had the best time paddling in the water and digging in the sand with our friends.

Year 1 News

Puffing Billy Excursion

It has been another busy and exciting term in Year 1. Students shared God’s Word with the St Andrews community through their wonderful assembly and enjoyed learning through engaging incursions and excursions. Their day on Puffing Billy was a highlight, offering insight into the history of the old steam engine and an opportunity to appreciate God’s creation. They also enjoyed an inspiring art incursion with Mrs Darlison, where they refined their artistic techniques.

Year 2 News

History Box Incursion

The Year 2s had an incursion where they enjoyed learning about the History of our First Nation People. They enjoyed dressing up in some of the clothes they wore, exploring the artefacts provided, playing some old-fashioned games like knuckles/jacks, and making some crafts that the First Nation People could have made.

Year 3 News

Year 3 CYC ADANAC Camp

Our Year 3s enjoyed a most wonderful camp experience at ADANAC this term, their very first school camp. Some highlights were screaming on the flying fox, eating the yummy pasta for dinner, free time and sleeping in our dorms! We were thankful to God for the beautiful weather and for all the fun we had with our friend

Year 4 News

Year 4 The Ranch Camp

The Year 4 students had a fantastic time at The Ranch earlier this term. We were blessed with mostly fine weather. The children’s shared goal for camp was to build confidence by trying new experiences, and over three days they took part in activities such as horse riding, the giant swing, rock climbing, mountain boarding, archery, the initiative course, a night hike, and camp scramble. They also enjoyed plenty of time to relax with friends and play fun games. On the final evening, the students had the chance to demonstrate their acting abilities by writing and performing a skit based on the theme of ‘The Fruits of the Spirit.’ It was wonderful to see their creativity and understanding of the theme. By the end of camp, all students reported that their confidence had grown. A great time was had by all.

Year 5 News

Immigration Museum & Botanical Gardens Excursion

This term, the Grade 5 students attended an excursion to the Immigration Museum and Botanical Gardens. At the Immigration Museum, students interacted with a variety of artefacts from immigrants who migrated to Australia from a variety of countries between the 1850s - 2000s. Students then explored the museum’s permanent exhibition to investigate Australian immigration history, immigrant stories and intercultural experiences. We then travelled to the Botanical Gardens, where we spent some time appreciating God's creation and sketching local flora. To finish off the day, we indulged in some Yum Cha - delicious!

Year 6 News

Year 6 Graduation

Our Year 6 Graduation was a wonderful celebration of an unforgettable milestone. The night began with families arriving early to take photos together, capturing this special moment before the festivities began. It was such a delight to see all the students dressed up and excited for the evening ahead.

The formal ceremony then commenced in the MPH, featuring speeches from the leadership team, video presentations highlighting the students’ Year 6 memories, and the presentation of certificates and gifts. The Captains also delivered heartfelt reflections on each year of their Primary journey from Prep to Year 6. After these reflections, the students performed a special item for their parents and took some final family photos before farewelling them for the evening.

The students then moved into the student-only celebration part of the night. They enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner, followed by a fun-filled disco and an energetic photo booth session with their friends. Afterwards, everyone gathered for dessert, which was a delicious ice-cream sundae bar that the students absolutely loved. The celebrations wrapped up back in the disco room with a few final dances to finish the night on a joyful note.

It was a meaningful and memorable evening, and a fitting way to celebrate this wonderful group of young people. We pray that God will be their guide as they move into Secondary School.