YEAR 7 NEWS
We’ve had a busy and productive time in Year 7 recently, with plenty of achievements and learning moments to celebrate. Here’s a quick rundown of what we've been doing:
UNLOCKING EMOTIONS AND DECISION-MAKING
Recently, Year 7 students have been learning about the importance of understanding their emotions and how these can affect decision-making. They’ve explored different parts of the brain and their roles, especially how puberty can sometimes cause us to say or do things we don't really mean. We recognise that teenagers will make mistakes, and our role is to help them pick up the pieces and guide them toward strategies that help them feel better and make better choices.
To support this, students learned the STOP acronym:
- S: Stop – Take a second before reacting.
- T: Think – What are your choices? What could happen?
- O: Observe – How are you feeling right now? Is that feeling in control?
- P: Proceed – Make your decision.
We encourage you to discuss these steps at home and use them as tools to help manage challenging situations.
ORGANISATIONAL SCHEDULE
Our students have been hard at work creating their after-school organisational schedules. We’ve emphasised the importance of including homework, study time, and assignments in their schedules, and we’ve discussed the differences between these activities. To encourage participation, we held a little competition where the first five students to prove they had printed their schedules won canteen vouchers. Congratulations to Luca Sullivan, Kyra Irvine, Lailani Halliday, Olivia Seymour-Munn, and George Economos for being the quickest!STUDY SKILLS AND HABITS FOR SUCCESS
Developing strong study habits is a priority for us, and our recent focus has been on effective review techniques. We practised a simple method to reinforce what students learn each day. Here's what we did: Students were asked to think back to any subject they had yesterday, grab a piece of paper or open a Google Doc, and title it as "STUDY NOTES" with the date on top. Without looking at their notes from class, they jotted down everything they could remember—what they did, what they learned, and anything that stood out. Afterward, they reviewed their lesson materials to fill in any gaps. It’s a great habit that we encourage them to continue at home!
ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT
A special shoutout goes to Jenson Coughlan, who was crowned Diocesan Athletics 12 Years Age Champion! Well done! Jenson will now progress to the NSWCCC Championships in September at Sydney Olympic Park for 400metres, 1500metres, Shot put, Discus and Javelin along with Cooper Green for the 100metres. Congratulations to all Year 7 students who progressed to this carnival also and represented the school with great pride:
Joseph Berriman, Hendrix Blinksell, Olivia Chapman, Jenson Coughlan, Sinclair Davis, Lola Gjeci, Cooper Green, Tehya Gruosso, Brooklyn Horwood, Roy Lucas, Cruze Mamo, Olivia Seymour-Munn, Will Shinn, Caitlin Short and Josie Sproule
THE SCHOOL MUSICAL
We’re also incredibly proud of our Year 7 students who took part in the school musical. Sophie Holmes and Abel Kemp-Hay shone on stage as part of the production, while Floranette Poleka, Cayden Jiro-Baluyut, and Walter Coulthart played vital roles behind the scenes as part of the backstage crew. Congratulations to all involved! It was a fantastic show.
POSITIVE COMMUNICATION
Lastly, we’ve been reminding our students about the importance of speaking kindly to one another. In particular, we’ve noticed that some of the boys in our year group could use a little reminder about keeping banter friendly and not letting jokes go too far. We kindly ask that you reinforce this message at home and help us promote positive masculinity among our students.
Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to more successes and growth as we continue through the term!
'With Jesus, we can reach the highest of heights’
Mrs Abbey Simis
Year 7 Coordinator