Community involvement is an important part of school life, and this week it was evident in so many ways. We began by celebrating Teachers’ Day, where students showed great respect and gratitude towards teachers, both past and present, acknowledging the important role they play in our lives. The JC Choir proudly represented the school at the Ryde Eisteddfod, while our chess players competed in the Inter-School Chess Competition. Several children from 3rd and 4th class also took part in Glenaeon’s intergenerational programme, connecting with older local residents. It has been wonderful to see our students participating meaningfully in the wider community.
Niree Nadjarian
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Category: Latest News from John Colet School Belrose
Head of School’s Comment
Sanskrit has been taught at John Colet School since its founding, and next week’s Recitation Finals are one of the most visible expressions of that commitment.
It is one of the most precisely constructed languages ever recorded. Every sound has a specific point of origin in the mouth and throat, and every word is built from roots that follow rules with almost no exceptions. Our students, who are still forming their understanding of how language works, encounter in Sanskrit a structure and logic that English, with its centuries of borrowing and irregularity, does not offer in the same way.
This is part of why Sanskrit supports literacy more broadly. A child who learns to hear and reproduce sounds that English does not use develops a more finely tuned ear. A child who works within a grammatical system of real consistency builds an understanding of how words relate to one another. This shows
On the vegetarian lunch menu for Week 2
Monday Salad wraps Tomato, Cucumber, carrot, iceberg and cheese served in a flour tortilla
Tuesday Spinach and ricotta ravioli served in a 4 cheese
Wednesday Cream of tomato soup served with sourdough and butter
Thursday Bean nachos served with sour cream and guacamole with corn chips
Friday Singapore noodles with sweet soy chili and shallot
(served with chefs’ selection of fruits and vegetables)
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Deputy Head of School’s Comment
The value of Respect was observed and practised throughout NAIDOC day celebrations last week. Beginning with the whole school Acknowledgement of Country, students engaged with the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through various activities. By the end of the day, our students had made such a great impression on the presenters that they said we were one of the finest schools they had ever visited.
Niree Nadjaria
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Head of School’s Comment
This Monday our school celebrated Teachers’ Day. At John Colet School, this is an opportunity to show respect and give thanks to our class teachers and to all those from whom we learn how to be our best selves and work for the good of all.
Philosophy means the love of wisdom. Such wisdom can be near, like our parents, or far. It can come from someone in the present or from words and actions that continue to inspire, dating back centuries.
Our students are asked to bring a flower to assembly, which can be a simple one from the home garden or created from paper. It is a practical symbol of gratitude to all those who have shaped us.
Julian Wilcock
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On the vegetarian lunch menu for Week 10, Term 2
Monday Egg and vegetable fried rice with sweet soy, chili and shallot fished with Asian herbs
Tuesday Pumpkin ravioli served with a tomato and basil cream sauce
Wednesday Roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes with sweet chili and sour cream
Thursday Cheese and spinach filo triangles served with tomato jam
Friday Cheese and tomato pizza topped with fresh herbs and mozzarella
(served with chefs’ selection of fruits and vegetables)
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Deputy Head of School’s Comment
This week we had the pleasure of watching U1st and 2nd class in their dress rehearsals. The hours of effort and careful preparation have clearly paid off. The children have mastered their individual parts, and through teamwork they form wonderful presentations. It is hard to believe that for many of them, this is only their second or third experience of performing Shakespeare. To the families of Upper 1st and 2nd, we are confident you will thoroughly enjoy the performances next week.
Niree Nadjarian
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Head of School’s Comment
As we complete this term’s exploration of Respect, our assembly reading next week comes from the Dalai Lama. His point centres on motivation, not in the everyday sense of drive or effort, but deeper than that: the why behind what we do. The same action, physical, verbal, or even in thought, can be respectful or hollow depending entirely on what motivated it. Two children might do identical things, and yet one acts from genuine care and the other simply to be seen to do the right thing. The actions are the same; their quality is not.
What follows from this is practical. If the intention is good, the actions tend to take care of themselves. The focus is on the why, and at its best, the why is concern for others rather than for ourselves.
Julian Wilcock
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On the vegetarian lunch menu for Week 9
Monday Lentil soup served with sourdough bread and butter
Tuesday Salad wraps, tomato cucumber, iceberg lettuce, carrot and cheese in a flour wrap
Wednesday Cheese and spinach puff pastry rolls served with tomato relish
Thursday Singapore noodles with Asian greens, shallots, sweet soy and chili, coriander and mint
Friday 4 cheese penne pasta topped with fresh herbs
(served with chefs’ selection of fruits and vegetables)
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Deputy Head of School’s Comment
Philosophy discussions in class each week allow students to consider ideas at a deeper level than they might ordinarily. For instance, when exploring the value of Stillness, Lower 1st contemplated the idea of focused attention. In practical terms, the children experienced the quality of attention that comes with colouring in — focusing on the point of the pencil as it touched the paper. The effect was careful, considered work, and sometimes the discovery that the pencil needed sharpening. There was also discussion about experiencing Stillness as presence. Many children described observing nature and becoming curious and full of awe. Through discussions and practices such as these, abstract ideas become familiar, and children develop the language and ability to talk about them thoughtfully.
Niree Nadjarian
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