Mulgrave’s Junior School continues to be a beacon on the North Shore, known far and wide as a place where children are inspired to give of their best by caring and passionate teachers and committed, involved parents.  While an enriched academic programme continues to ensure that our students are among the best prepared in the country, there are many things near impossible to measure, that really stand us apart.  We are about community and determining what is best for our children; our aim is to develop and maintain a village of attachments, which will ensure that we have the relationships necessary to develop the ‘whole child’.

Over the past three years, the faculty have spent considerable time exploring and learning about the value of the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organisation.  We have found the philosophy of the PYP to be a very close match to our own and so the teachers have wholeheartedly supported our authorization as a PYP school, in spite of the realization that it means a lot of work.  The pay-off for all of that work, we believe, is an even better school than we had before and a programme that ultimately reaches children of varying intrinsic abilities and learning styles.  That alone is enough to inspire.

In the years that led up to our authorization as an IB World School, we experimented with new ways of doing things.  In fact, many of the new things we tried actually came from parent suggestions and feedback.  We moved our first set of parent/teacher conferences to the early Fall so that parents and teachers could set goals for the year and we changed our final set of conferences for the K-6’s to be student-led, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.  We made changes to our “Walk Through the Day” which were likewise appreciated. We changed our report cards so that they gave more specific information and we moved towards a more child-centred Celebration of Science.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank our parent community for their willingness to trust us as we try new things, and for their enthusiasm when providing us with constructive feedback.

Many things, however, have remained unchanged and have continued to provide those special moments that mean so much to us all as educators.  Watching those little faces light up the stage at assemblies and special performances will always be a draw.  Watching risk-taking and independence develop through our outdoor education programme is a highlight for many. A good school is all about balance; academics are important, but so is a strong music and arts programme, opportunities for physical development, an appreciation of our responsibility towards making the world a better place, and the time for free play as a venue for social and character development. Developing traditions is important, especially for such a young school, but we all, parents and teachers, realize that innovation and an open mind are just as essential if we are to give our children the tools they will need for a happy, productive future.

Cheers,

Greg Cusbert

Junior School Principal