JS News, 1 Dec 2021

Dates to remember:

From Karen Mahar – Assistant Principal, Deputy Head of Junior School

It’s hard to believe the school year is almost over! And what a year it has been!

Year 6
This week we honour our Year 6 students and wish them well with their transition into our Secondary School. On Thursday, our Year 6 students will participate in an end-of-Year 6 Chapel and Ceremony. This will be followed by a disco, and then a carefully planned day of fun, frivolity and celebration, at the Radford Boatshed on Friday. Many thanks to the Boatshed staff, the Junior School staff and our Year 5 team, who planned and will support these activities.

Festival of Houses
On the final day of school, Tuesday 7 December, all JS students will have an opportunity to come together and celebrate. This will be in a ‘carnival’ style format, including games and water fun experiences.

We hope for glorious weather and an uplifting, joyous atmosphere, bringing the school year to an end with many tired and happy smiles.

Farewell and welcome
We would like to acknowledge the following Junior School staff who will not be returning in 2022, and warmly thank them for their valued contributions:

• Ms Jenna Goggin (currently on maternity leave) – Jenna has accepted a position much closer to her family home.
• Ms Tiia Wright Baker – after 11 years at Radford, Tiia is relocating to Maitland NSW as Head of Junior School at Medowie Christian School .
  
• Mrs Julie Smith – after 12 years at Radford, Julie is now taking up an exciting opportunity outside a school setting.
• Ms Antonella Sassu – after 12 years at Radford, Antonella is relocating to a position at Nowra Anglican School, in order to be closer to her family.
• Mr Chris Martin, ELC Atelierista (currently on leave) – Chris will pursue his artwork and work in the family art business.

We also farewell contract staff Mrs Nikki Ross, Ms Helen Garrity, Ms Vivian Chiu and Mr Jared Cox.

We warmly welcome the following staff to Radford Junior School in 2022:

• Ms Donna Procter
• Ms Kate Beacroft – previously on contract.

Flex your gratitude muscle
Often gratitude challenges ask people to post, each day, one thing they are grateful for. Humans are wired with a negativity bias. That is, we are hard-wired to focus and dwell on the bad, over the good. In an attempt to really give our gratitude muscle a workout, we encourage you to try to find three things you are grateful for each day. Doing so can keep that negativity bias in check. Once you've hit the easy reps, you may find yourself soon discovering all the little things you are grateful for. And, just like lifting weights at the gym, the more you do this, the easier it gets. The more you develop your gratitude muscle, the more likely you are to help yourself seek out and discover the good things in life, despite your negativity bias.

So, as the holiday break approaches, we are encouraged to take time to pause and reflect. Flex your gratitude muscle. Removing ourselves from the constant hustle and pace of everyday life can be rewarding and allow reflection and opportunity to recalibrate.

We are wise to be grateful
Thank you to the families and people within the Radford Community for their much valued and appreciated assistance and support in what has been another unconventional and memorable year. We appreciate the resilience and perseverance demonstrated by our students, in the classrooms, during remote learning, on the sport fields, in their music and creative arts endeavours, and also when participating in the co-curricular life of the school.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the Radford staff for their dedication, professionalism and care provided to our students throughout 2021.

Happy Summer holiday
It is our hope that each of you experience a wonderful summer break, partaking in whatever nourishes you and brings you joy, including pausing to enjoy time with the significant others in your life. Families are encouraged to take special note of moments of love, awe and any kindness encountered. Pause, enjoy, and hold these experiences close to your heart.