From the Director of Middle School

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Cross Country carnival held this week. It was such a wonderful day for some exercise; a nice breeze, a slight chill in the air, and not too humid. This created the perfect conditions for some outstanding performances and was conducive to such a large group of students, many of whom would not call themselves an endurance athlete, but who were simply happy to contribute in some way to their House. Overall not a bad way to spend a morning at School. Thank you to Sports and HPE Staff for facilitating this event.
 
We have such wonderful school grounds and facilities. The Grounds and Maintenance staff are to be congratulated for the way the grounds look right across the school. They have planted literally hundreds of trees, developed new seating areas, re-turfed vast sections, built plantar boxes, and kept all grass and shrubs well trimmed and hedged. I know that at times I take all of this for granted, and it’s only when I have opportunity to visit other schools, venues and workplaces that I am reminded of the beautiful environment in which we work and study.
 
NAPLAN testing is coming up on Tuesday 15 May through to Thursday 17 May. This is for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across the country. Whilst we cannot study for such an exam, we have prepared students for test conditions and the type of question to expect. In doing so, we prepare the students to sit and focus for extended periods of time, to pace themselves, and to review their responses. We also delve into strategies to assist them to respond to a particular type of question, or at least the style of question that is generally posed in these style of tests. Like the students, teachers do not have any idea of the questions that will be posed. Results are usually mailed home in September. Our Year 9 students will sit the exams in the PE Centre, whilst the Year 7s will remain in the core classrooms. Across the three days only Periods 1 and 2 are needed. The rest of the day will be normal school lessons. 
 
Damien Barry 
Director of Middle School