Loving God,

As we begin a new school year, we place our families in Your loving care. Bless each household with unity, understanding, and joy as they embrace the opportunities and challenges that this year will bring.

Grant parents and caregivers the wisdom to guide their children with love and patience, nurturing their growth and supporting their dreams. Help them to create homes filled with peace and encouragement, where their children feel safe and valued.

Bless our students with curiosity, resilience, and kindness. May they approach each day with a sense of wonder, a desire to learn, and a heart ready to serve others. Guide them in their friendships and help them grow into the people You have called them to be.

Strengthen our school community so that we may work together in partnership, creating an environment where all families feel welcomed, supported, and inspired.

As we journey through this year, may we trust in Your guidance and find comfort in Your presence, knowing that You walk with us every step of the way.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to another exciting year at Christian Brothers College Junior Campus! I hope you all enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating break, creating wonderful memories with your loved ones.

As we step into a new school year, we look forward to building on the strong sense of community that defines our campus. Together, we will continue to nurture and inspire our students to grow academically, socially, and spiritually.

A special welcome to our new families and staff joining us this year – we are thrilled to have you as part of our community. This is an opportunity to embark on a journey of learning, growth, and collaboration as we support our students in reaching their full potential.

We are excited to kick off the term with our Meet the Teacher event and look forward to seeing you next Monday 3 February. Let us work together to make this year a fulfilling and successful one for all.

Meet the Junior Campus Team

This year we have 4 new staff members joining us.  Each of the newsletter articles this year will have a spotlight on one of the amazing staff members at the Junior Campus. This week, we are starting with Mr Henry Vo who is one of the Year 3 teachers.

Classroom Teachers:

Please see below the Junior Campus team:

• Reception White – Mrs Sian McGradey
• Reception Purple – Mr Luke Teakle
• Year 1 White – Mrs Alexandra Daou
• Year 2 White – Mrs Ann Ozgo
• Year 2 Purple - Ms Angela Giglio
• Year 3 White – Mr Henry Vo
• Year 3 Purple – Mrs Courtnie Costa
• Year 4 White – Mr Oliver Megins and Mrs Rachael Saint
• Year 4 Purple – Ms Shenae Dougan
• Year 5 White – Ms Lauren Mercer and Mr Simon Nardecchia
• Year 5 Purple – Mrs Sara Papathanasopoulos
• Year 6 White – Ms Kameron Bazzo
• Year 6 Purple – Mrs Sandra Buchanan
• Year 6 Gold – Mr Dylan Cook
• Permanent Relief Teacher - Ms Jenny Xiang

Specialist Teachers:

• Inclusive Education Coordinator – Mrs Karen Chambers
• PE – Mr Sam Barbara and Mr Oliver Megins
• Digital Technology / Library – Mrs Jackie Hodgson
• Music – Mr Luka Poulain
• Chinese – Ms Joanna Tao

Education Support Officers:

• Jody Petherick – Front Office Admin
• Gabby Princi - Front Office Admin
• Emma Alexander – Junior Campus Canteen Manager
• Kathryn Brink - Classroom Support
• Tanya Annetta – Classroom Support
• Tahlia Zollo – Classroom Support
• Koiranah Jacob – Bilingual Student Support Officer
• Monique Caldinez – JC Counsellor
• Karyn Falting – OSHC Director
• Kathi Kumar – Assistant OSHC Director

Junior Campus Leadership Team:

• Mrs Alison Ronoastro - Head of Junior Campus
• Mrs Karen Chambers – Junior Campus Inclusive Education Coordinator
• Ms Lauren Mercer – Junior Campus Teaching and Learning Coordinator
• Mr Simon Nardecchia – Junior Campus Wellbeing Coordinator / Religious Education Coordinator

All these staff members can be contacted via SEQTA using Direqt Messaging.

Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Transition Back to School

Re-establish Routines: Gradually reintroduce school-time routines, including regular meals, earlier bedtimes, and morning schedules. This helps children adjust smoothly.

Create a Positive Atmosphere: Talk about the exciting aspects of going back to school, such as seeing friends, new learning opportunities, and upcoming events.

Prepare Together: Involve your child in packing their school bag, choosing their outfit, and organising their materials. This builds excitement and responsibility.

Be Supportive: Listen to any concerns or anxieties your child may have about returning to school. Reassure them and provide solutions to ease their worries.

Stay Informed: Familiarise yourself with the school’s calendar, policies, and any updates. Being informed helps you support your child better.

Encourage Healthy Habits: Promote a balanced diet, regular exercise, and enough sleep to keep your child energised and focused.

Check In Regularly: Once school starts, ask your child about their day, what they learned, and any challenges they might be facing. Open communication is key to identifying and addressing any issues early on.

Uniform

This is a friendly reminder to double-check the days your son has PE, co-curricular training, or games, so he can wear the correct uniform. His timetable is available on SEQTA, or you can contact his classroom teacher for clarification.

On PE and co-curricular days, he should wear his PE uniform. On all other days, the summer uniform is required. Please also ensure he brings his broad-brimmed hat to school each day, as it is essential for break times and PE lessons. He will also need to bring a drink bottle, which can be refilled throughout the day at one of the numerous drink fountains.

Thank you for your attention to this matter as we strive to maintain consistency and readiness throughout the school week.

Start and Finishing Times

To ensure a safe and smooth start to each school day, please take note of the following procedures:

Morning Drop-Off

• The gates will open at 8:20am, allowing students to enter, drop their bags in the courtyard, and head over to the park.
• The gates will close at 8:48am, by which time all students should be in class.
• If you arrive after this time, your son must enter through the front office to be marked as present.
• Important: Students who arrive early and are waiting unsupervised out the front will be collected and placed into “Before School Care” for their safety, as this area is not supervised.

Afternoon Pick-Up

• The school day concludes at 3:15 pm.
• Students in Reception to Year 2 must be collected from the courtyard. Please notify your son’s teacher when you have collected him.
• Students in Years 3 to 6 may wait at the front or back gate for collection.
• A teacher will be on duty at the front gate until 3:40 pm. Any students not collected by this time will be placed in OSHC for supervision.
• If you know you are going to be a few minutes late, please contact the Junior Campus so we are aware, and also let your son know, as they do worry if no one is there to collect them.

Traffic Safety and Parking Around CBC

• Please allow adequate time to find a park and walk your son to school; sometimes, finding a park out in front of the school can be tricky.
• Please, no double parking out the front of the school during these busy periods of the day, as you are then blocking the bike lane, which then compromises everyone's safety.
• Please use the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Wakefield and Hutt Street, rather than trying to cross Wakefield Street during peak hour time.
• Please abide by the traffic rules around the school and do not pull up where there are solid yellow lines, as this affects the flow of traffic around the school.
• Please be mindful of the neighbours and do not park across their driveways.
• Please reduce your speed limit around the school.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students.

Key dates for Term 1

• Meet the Teacher Evening – Monday 3 February at 5.30pm
• Community Mass in the Junior Campus Chapel – Friday 7 February 8 – 8.30am
• Year 6 students in Canberra – Sunday 16 February until Friday 21 February
• Junior Campus Leaders Assembly – Friday 28 February at 9am

    
Mrs Alison Ronoastro
Head of Junior Campus

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