Childhood friendships are crucial for a child’s development, fostering qualities like self-discovery, empathy and emotional growth. Friends provide support, alleviate stress and remain companions as children grow.
It is important for children to make new friends as making friends is an important part of their development. Learning to get along with others builds a child’s self-esteem and sense of identity. Learning to work and play with new students teaches children important social skills and is part of developing new connections across the school community.
Parents and teachers can promote these friendships by demonstrating healthy relationships, connecting children with shared interests, initiating conversations, and introducing new activities. Early guidance in social skills helps children build lasting, meaningful bonds.
In addition to teaching our children about healthy friendships, it’s important to discuss resilience. Resilient children recover swiftly from setbacks, boosting their confidence and problem-solving skills. They’re more inclined to persevere, even when faced with challenges, making them proficient in acquiring new skills and tackling obstacles.
Over the coming weeks, we will ask parents to have conversations with their children regarding their friendships, preferred learning partners, and the significance of resilience in the classroom. These discussions will provide valuable insights for our teachers as they prepare class placements for 2027. Please be attentive to communications from your child’s classroom teacher who will seek your support in this decision-making process.
Sally Savic – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Woodlea)
Melanie Morton – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Maddingley)
Maddingley
Year 2 Camp to Sunnystones
What an excellent start to Term 4 for our Year 2 students! They enjoyed their very first overnight camp at Sunnystones in Merrimu. With sunshine throughout the week, every class had a wonderful and memorable experience.
The adventure began with a scenic walk through the Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve along the Coimadai Track. Students explored their natural surroundings, observing a variety of birds and trees while listening to the peaceful sounds of the bush. The students were also required to work in pairs to paddle and steer canoes across the dam. Although this was a new and sometimes challenging experience, they communicated effectively, supported one another and persevered as they developed new skills. Canoeing was a definite highlight for many students.
The students participated in an archery session in which they practised aiming at targets and followed instructions to use the equipment safely. They also made chocolate cakes inside oranges over an open fire. This activity gave students the opportunity to try a different cooking method and enjoy a chocolate treat they had prepared themselves. After a tasty snack, students set off on a geocaching quest around the camp, armed with GPS devices. They worked in teams, searching for hidden items and collecting points along the way. Throughout the challenge, students demonstrated initiative and leadership as they guided, encouraged and supported their teammates.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 2 students for the enthusiasm, perseverance and kindness they displayed throughout camp. They embraced each experience, supported their peers and demonstrated our school values through their respectful and positive behaviour. Camp provided a wonderful opportunity for students to build independence, strengthen friendships and create lasting memories. What a memorable way to begin Term 4!
Year 2 Maddingley Team
Junior Art
During Term 3, students at the Maddingley campus continued to explore the Elements of Art, with a particular focus on form and texture. Through a variety of sculptural and construction activities, students experimented with different materials and techniques to create some impressive 3-dimensional artworks.
Prep Reception students were introduced to basic clay manipulations techniques, including pinch, pull, roll and coil. They demonstrated these techniques when creating a Magiclay snail.
Prep students enjoyed learning about the artist Claude Monet and exploring his artworks. They were introduced to basic paper manipulation techniques as they created a three-dimensional paper sculpture of Monet’s Garden.
Year 1 students enjoyed experimenting with air-dry clay, applying their knowledge of pinch, pull and coil techniques to create mouse pinch pots.
Year 2 students were introduced to clay and learned about the firing process in the kiln. They created their own fish pinch-pot sculptures, developing their understanding of clay techniques such as pinching, pulling and scratch-and-attach to join pieces securely.
Year 3 students created their own clay castles. They learned how to roll clay slabs and experimented with a variety of tools and techniques to add texture and detail to their sculptures.
Year 4 students drew on their prior knowledge of Ancient Chinese history to create terracotta warriors. They further developed their skills in joining clay pieces using the scratch-and-attach method, ensuring each component was securely attached. Students also experimented with adding texture to their sculptures to enhance their finished artworks.
Zoe Cassar – Teacher
Woodlea
A Celebration of Creativity: Junior School Art Expo 2026
What a wonderful celebration of creativity, imagination and artistic achievement! Our Junior School Art Expo was a spectacular showcase of the incredible talents of our young artists, transforming the corridors of the A Building into a vibrant gallery filled with colour, creativity and inspiration.
It was an absolute delight to welcome our families into the school to admire the beautiful artwork created by students from Prep to Year 4. The excitement was contagious as students proudly guided their families through the displays, eagerly pointing out their masterpieces, sharing the techniques they had learnt and posing for photographs beside their creations. The smiles, pride and enthusiasm on display made the afternoon truly special.
More than simply an exhibition of beautiful artwork, the Art Expo celebrated the artistic journey of our students. From the emerging skills of our youngest learners to the increasingly sophisticated techniques and creative expression demonstrated by our Year 4 students, each piece reflected careful planning, explicit teaching, perseverance and imagination. Visitors were treated to an impressive variety of artistic styles, materials and techniques, highlighting the rich and engaging Visual Arts program offered across the Junior School.
The exhibition was also a wonderful reflection of the dedication and expertise of our Art team whose thoughtful planning, engaging lessons and commitment to nurturing creativity were evident in the exceptional quality of the work displayed. A heartfelt thank you to our talented students for sharing their creativity, to our teachers for their dedication and hard work, and to the many parents and families who joined us to celebrate these wonderful achievements. Your support made the afternoon a truly memorable occasion.
The Junior School Art Expo reminded us that art is about so much more than the finished product. It is about exploration, confidence, perseverance, self-expression and the joy of creating something uniquely your own.
Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this magnificent exhibition to life. What a colourful and inspiring celebration of the artistic talent flourishing at Bacchus Marsh Grammar!
Click here to view more photos from the afternoon on Schoolbox.
Courtney Williams – Deputy Head of Junior School (Woodlea)
Prep and ELC Soccer Match
Our Prep Students recently welcomed the Banksia students from our ELC to join them for an afternoon of Number Soccer.
The match provided a wonderful opportunity for the students to connect through physical activity while developing teamwork, communication and sportsmanship. Our Prep students did a fantastic job welcoming and encouraging the ELC children, helping to create a positive and inclusive atmosphere.
With students rotating through the game using their numbered team badges, everyone had the chance to participate, practise their soccer skills and cheer on their teammates. It was particularly pleasing to see the confidence and enthusiasm of our ELC students grow as they became involved in the activities and interacted with the older students.
The afternoon was a fantastic example of the strong connections that can be developed across our Junior School community. We would like to thank all staff who assisted with organising and supporting the event and helped make it such an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Zoe McKay – Teacher
Year 3 Spotlight
Throughout English lessons, students have been exploring narrative writing and building on previously taught skills to create engaging and descriptive stories. They have been developing their characters, settings, problems and solutions while considering how authors use language to capture and maintain a reader’s interest. Students have also been strengthening their descriptions by incorporating figurative language, interesting vocabulary and varied sentence structures to bring their ideas and characters to life.
In Numeracy, students have been exploring multiplication and have particularly enjoyed engaging in a range of learning games and hands-on activities to strengthen their understanding and fluency. They have been practising multiplication facts and applying different strategies to solve a variety of problems.
Zara Vaaulu-Andrews – Head of Year 3 (Woodlea)
Junior ICT
In ICT, our Year 3 students have been exploring Google Earth to discover fascinating places around the world! Students have been virtually visiting famous landmarks, exploring different countries and learning interesting facts about the world around them.
This engaging activity is helping students develop their digital skills, geographical knowledge and curiosity about the world beyond their own community.
Hollie Thomas – Teacher
