Edrington

Endings and beginnings

We are in midst of that significant time of the year of ‘endings and beginnings.’ We have just bid farewell to our Year 8 students and marked the occasion with their formal Middle School graduation. They are all very excited about becoming pre-senior students when Term 1A begins this week. On Tuesday 26 November, the Year 4 students will graduate from Junior School. They have already taken part in several transition sessions in preparation for moving to Middle School and they are eager to experience Parallel Education for the first time. Our Pre-Prep students and their parents are preparing to bid farewell to their familiar and much-loved ELC environment and take the next exciting and much-anticipated step into Junior School. We know that all these students are well-equipped and prepared for the next interesting and important stage in their educational journeys. We wish them all the very best as they do so.

Celebration of Excellence (Speech Night)

It is my pleasure to invite Edrington families to our Celebration of Excellence on Friday 29 November at 7.00 pm in Aikman Hall Keysborough. Refreshments will be served in the Wings Cafe and Quad from 6.00 pm where we can come together as a community. This event was previously known as Speech Night, but we have renamed it ‘Celebration of Excellence’ to better reflect the spirit of the evening — a celebration of a wonderful year and an acknowledgment of excellence and achievement.

Student Achievement

Congratulations to Portia (Year 6) on being selected as Team Victoria Captain for this year’s Victorian Track and Field Team at the national championships, which will be held at Sydney Olympic Park later this month. This is an incredible achievement, and we wish Portia all the very best in this important role.

Early Learning Centre

Over the last two weeks, children in both Reception and Pre-Prep have begun their transition program. Transitions are times when children move between and adapt to different spaces or places and with different people, experiences, expectations and routines.

On various occasions the children across the cohorts have had opportunities to spend time in their 2025 surroundings. A successful transition between Early Learning Centre (ELC) year levels, and from ELC to Junior School is important for all children and has long-lasting benefits. Children who experience a positive transition into their new environment are more likely to be happy at school and continue to improve their social and academic skills.

This time is also important for children and families to begin building trusting and positive relationships with the educators. Families know their child’s strengths, personality, moods and behaviours very well. Educators will get to know a child well through their daily experiences and can share their understanding of how children develop. When families and staff work together, they can exchange information and can focus on meeting each child’s needs and supporting their learning, development and wellbeing.

It was lovely to see the children enjoying different experiences both in classrooms and out and hearing the stories children told on their return to their current classroom. This highlights how each child’s identity, knowledge, understanding, disposition, capabilities, skills and relationships are shaped by an important milestone such as this.

Junior School

Scrolls & Strings Recital

Performance is a big part of Haileybury, and our Year 2 Strings Program and Years 3 and 4 Scrolls are a wonderful introduction to playing and performing with an instrument. Often our Year 2 students have never played an instrument and with a lot of instruction and practise our amazing instrumental staff turn them into incredible musicians by the end of the year. Once these students/musicians move to Year 3, they can choose to continue their instrument, which means a weekly instrumental lesson and a commitment of Friday mornings to play as a group as a Scroll’s ensemble. If you have ever heard this group play at our assemblies, I am sure you will agree that they are just outstanding. Congratulations to all these students who recently had their recitals. You played beautifully, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching you shine.

Middle School

We are past the halfway mark of term and the Middle School is abuzz with numerous activities taking place. As we move into Term 1A, there are a number of events that will keep students and staff busy, all while we are preparing for our Edrington Celebration of Excellence (previously known as Speech Night).

Our Years 7 and 8 students have been studying hard for their end-of-year exams and we are sure they all gave their best effort.

Last week also saw the end of an era for our Year 8 cohort who enjoyed a fun afternoon in the JT Hall. This included a photo booth, silent disco and some party treats. We then bid them farewell at the Graduation Assembly on Friday morning. We wish them all the best as they embark on their journey into Pre-Senior.

We look forward to Up Day when we will welcome our new students, and eagerness fills the air as everyone merges into their new classes for a day. Students will take part in a range of activities and spend time in their new homerooms.

Jeanette Rawlings
Head of Edrington (Berwick)

Kerry Ilic & Tracy Day
HPFE Presidents
hpfe@haileybury.com.au