Prep School

Prep value of the week: self-discipline

Self-discipline means self-control. It is doing what you really want or need to do rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of reacting. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.

Attribute of the week: reflective

When you are reflective, you give thoughtful consideration to your own learning and experience. You are able to assess and understand your strengths and limitations to support your learning and personal development.

Mark Wyer
Head of Preparatory School

Around the grounds

Some of the Year 5 boys reading in the library.

A message from the School Counsellor

Building resilience in our students

Over the next few weeks, our students will be working closely with their housemasters on the important topic of resilience. This initiative is designed to help our children build the inner strength necessary to cope with adversity and the everyday ups and downs of growing up.

Resilience is our capacity to do well despite stresses and difficulties. It involves successfully coping with problems and building strengths that protect and promote wellbeing. Our resilience stems from a combination of

• our genetic makeup
• the skills and attitudes we develop
• the support we receive from our community and families.

The great news is that resilience is not fixed; it can grow and change over time. While we can’t always prevent challenges from arising, we can help equip our children with the strengths needed to cope effectively.

How parents can build children’s coping skills

There are many strategies parents can use to help build resilience in their children. Here are a few:

1. Managing feelings

1. Acknowledge their feelings. ‘I can see you feel upset. It is ok to cry.’
2. Let them know all feelings are okay, even difficult ones.
3. Stay close and help calm them down.
4. Help them name their feelings.  

2. Ensuring children feel loved and safe

Children need to feel loved and safe and that they have a place in the world in which they belong. Here are some ways this might happen.

• Spend time with them.
• Show you care with actions and words.
• Support their interests.
• Develop predictable routines for bed and meal times.
• Create special ways to celebrate birthdays or other occasions.

3. Fostering strong relationships

• Enable children to spend time with caring adults in their lives.
• Afford children opportunities to play with friends.
• Teach children how to be aware of others’ feelings, and show respect and care.

For more detailed information and resources on how parents can support their children’s resilience, please visit myChurchie and School TV on the Pastoral Care Curriculum page. I’ve included links to several helpful resources below for your convenience:

Year 6

This past week, Year 6 has been inquiring into physical and chemical changes. As part of their learning, the boys were fortunate to visit the senior science lab to conduct an experiment and investigate the chemical change of a Berocca table in different temperatures of water. The boys needed to ensure they followed ‘fair testing’ conditions by deciding on which variables they needed to change, measure and keep the same. Once the data was collected, the boys graphed their results and explained their findings in scientific terms.

Elizabeth Walker
Team Leader and Prep School Teacher

Year 6 Drama

Year 6 classes have been participating in a drama incursion, using levels, movement, space and voice sound effects to create washing machines. Students in Years 1, 3 and 6 will be exploring the elements of drama over the next few weeks, working collaboratively to create and share their own works. 

Melissa Black
Head of Department – Prep Music

GPS Cross Country

Last Thursday, 50 junior boys headed out to the challenging Limestone Park for the Junior GPS Cross Country Championships. It was a thrilling event filled with outstanding effort and perseverance from all runners, culminating in a well-deserved victory for Churchie. Each participant displayed remarkable determination, pushing through the challenging course and wet weather with grit and tenacity. Special congratulations go to the place-getters: Archie Ellis (third), Winston Rogers (first) and Finn Platz (third), whose exceptional performances on the day anchored the team win. All three age groups won their overall groupings, showcasing the depth of the Churchie team. The event highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and the incredible dedication of these young athletes, who endured gruelling early morning training sessions to achieve this fantastic accomplishment. Congratulations boys.

A big thank you to our coaches Scott Whitehead, Tim Sutherland and Gavin Darwin for their commitment and dedication to the early mornings and Friday afternoons.

Adam Fry
Head of Department – Prep PE and Teacher