Throughout their stay, the visiting students joined our classes, sitting alongside our own students to experience a taste of everyday school life here at RJ. It was a fantastic opportunity for genuine cultural exchange as students from RJ and Oda overcame the language barriers to learn from, and about, each other. It was lovely to see friendships forming in and out of the classroom.

Outside of school hours, our host families opened their homes to the students. We're incredibly grateful to every family who volunteered to host as these homestays are always the heart of a program like this, and the connections made over dinner tables and outings often end up being a significant part of the exchange for everyone involved.

Two moments stood out as highlights of the week. The BBQ lunch brought students together for a classic Australian lunch of a sausage on a roll. The connections that students had made during the week were immediately evident. Then, fittingly, the week wrapped up with a closing ceremony that gave both our students and our visitors the chance to reflect on the week, share thanks, and say their goodbyes.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the week such a success. Our staff for welcoming the visiting students into their classrooms, our host families for their generosity, and our own students for being such warm and enthusiastic ambassadors for our school. We look forward to continuing this partnership with our sister school, Oda High School, and hope to welcome another group of students next year. Not to mention we are very excited about our very own trip next year when our RJ students visit Japan.

These sorts of cultural exchanges remind us of the enduring power of communication. Despite the obvious language barrier, RJ and Oda High School students found a way to understand each other and communicate with each other. All of us parents know and have experienced the challenge of communicating with teenagers. One word answers can dominate conversations or even no answer because they have headphones stuck in/on their ears. If this is a challenge you’re experiencing at the moment, perhaps you could use some of the techniques that our students have used. Find common ground and talk about things that are mutually interesting, ask them about themselves and listen without judgement. Ask them how their world is different and listen to any needs they might have or things that are on their mind. As parents we have need to be equally patient and persistent to overcome the “generation barriers”.

Mr Scott Roby | Deputy Principal

Perseverance is one of the most important learning powers. It is about sticking at it when the going gets tough. We see it in students who are not afraid of mistakes and who will keep trying until they solve a problem, consistently strive to improve what they are doing, or work hard to improve their understanding of difficult concepts. This kind of sustained effort is where real learning happens.

Struggle is not a sign of failure (we think of it as grappling)

One of the most powerful shifts we can help our Learners with is to change how they interpret difficulty. When work feels hard, it is tempting for them to conclude that they are just not good at it. However, difficulty is not evidence of a lack of ability; it is very often the feeling of learning itself.

Neuroscience backs this up. The brain builds and strengthens connections precisely when it is challenged, not when things are easy. In other words, the moment a task feels hard is the moment growth is most likely to be taking place. Helping our Learners recognise that being stuck is a normal, even necessary, part of the process takes a lot of the fear out of struggling.

Small habit changes to build perseverance

Perseverance is not something that happens by chance; it is a skill (or muscle) that grows with practise. Sometimes small changes in the way our Learners think help to make big changes in the way they learn. You can help your Learner by helping them to make small changes to their learning habits:

Our Learning Partnership

Perseverance is something we build together, in the classroom, but also at home. When our Learners are frustrated with home learning or assessments, the most helpful response is not to rescue them with the answer or complete the task for them. Rather, try to sit alongside them, acknowledge that it's hard, and encourage them to keep trying. Providing a gentle message that you understand that learning can be difficult, and that you sometimes get “stuck” too, will stay with your Learner long after the task is forgotten.

The goals we set for our Learners at RJ are not just academic. We want them to leave us as capable, confident learners who understand that the ability to keep going, to recover from a stumble, and to have faith in their own capacity to grow is one of the most valuable things they can carry into the rest of their lives.

So, the next time your Learner says a task is too hard, you might gently remind them that we all struggle and grappling with that struggle is not the end of learning. It's the beginning of it.

Mrs Julia Scrimshaw | Assistant Principal - Head of Academics

Year 4 rock first Assemblies for the term ❤
Our Friday Assemblies resumed last week with 4B bringing us a great presentation on our theme for this term – The ‘I Am’ Statements of Jesus – ‘I Am the Light of the world’. 4R then brought us the next instalment this morning, ‘I Am the Good Shepherd’. We love seeing all the amazing things going on in the classrooms too. Well done, Year 4 stars!

We are GENEROUS & CARING 🥫 $
Junior School students raised over $500 for Anglicare on the last Thursday of Term 2 – thank you so much for your generosity. More than 1500 tins/packets were collected to add to food hampers supplied by Anglicare for those less fortunate – great effort RJ Junior School!

Welcome Mrs Nguyen 👋
We welcome Mrs Courtney Nguyen to the Junior School Reception team. Courtney brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the role and is already feeling a part of our Junior School community!

Parent/Teacher Interviews
Thank you to all the parents/carers who took the time to come in and chat to your child’s teacher/s in Weeks 1 and 2. This is a valuable communication time to check-in on progress and expand on the Semester 1 Report comments. We still unfortunately had a number of parents who booked time slots and were ‘no-shows’. Please let Staff know if you cannot make an appointment.

BIRTHDAY REMINDER 🎂🥳

A reminder about what to send in for your child’s birthday (from the Term 1 Parent letter)

Birthdays and Special Occasions - It is exciting to share your child’s birthday. Parents may send individually wrapped treats such as Freddo Frogs or cupcakes/donuts for the class to enjoy on their child’s birthday.

Please do not send in party bags or cakes to cut - these items will be returned home.

Teachers will hand out party invitations only if they are for all children in the class. Parents should otherwise hand out invitations before or after school. A Christmas card may be handed out in the last week of the College year. Please do not send in any gifts for other events such as Easter, Halloween, or Valentine’s Day.

Year 6 Fun Day a winner!
We were so excited for this special day today organised and run by our Year 6 students to raise money for our sponsored children through Compassion. There were lots of fun activities and yummy treats galore! Students enjoyed purchasing and spending their tokens. Great job, Year 6!

Honk! Jnr is coming! 🦆🦢
Staff and students have been singing, dancing and acting up a storm in preparation for our Junior School Musical. Get your tickets now to our highly anticipated JS Musical – Honk! Jnr showing next week - Week 3. Book your Tickets Here!

Book Week Celebration Day – got the costume sorted?

Junior School Book Week Celebration Day
This special day is scheduled for Monday 24 August (Week 5). Teachers and students dress up as their favourite book characters.  Parents will be invited to come and view the class parades from 9:40am in the Courtyard and on the lower field.

Go Lions, Go Rams, Go Eagles, Go Sharks!
A reminder that on Friday 21 August we will be holding House meetings so please send your children in their House shirts on that day.

Kindness Day
One of our favourite College values in Junior School is Kindness. We will reinforce this on Friday 21 August with some class-run and House activities around the kindness theme. The Junior School do this in parallel with the Senior School Bullying No Way! Day. This is not a mufti or fund-raising day.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg | Head of Junior School

CRU Blast

Thank you to the RJ students and staff who generously gave part of their holiday break to help run CRU Blast Camp. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the children who attended, as well as the engagement, service and leadership demonstrated by our Senior School students and RJ alumni.

HSC Mock Trials

Well done to our Year 12 students who attended the HSC Mock Trials during the recent holiday break. We trust this experience will support their preparation for the upcoming Trial HSC and HSC examinations.

HSC Showcase

The HSC Showcase Evening took place on Tuesday 4 August and was a wonderful celebration of our students’ diverse talents and interests. Families enjoyed major works from a range of HSC subjects, including dance, music and drama performances; research reports; textiles and IT-driven projects; framed artworks; and three-dimensional pieces. The Hospitality team also prepared excellent food for the evening.

Thank you to the families and friends who attended the showcase. We also extend our sincere thanks to the staff and RJ families who supported our students as they developed their major works throughout the year.

Student's Visiting from Japan

The Senior School have had the privilege of hosting students from Oda High School in Japan. Our guests joined Year 10 and 11 students in their daily learning and participated fully in College life at RJ. Thank you to the RJ students who served as buddies and helped our visitors feel welcomed and connected.

The cultural exchange created valuable opportunities for students to connect across cultures and navigate the occasional challenge of a language barrier. It also offered a meaningful glimpse of what our students may experience when they visit Oda High School next year.

Upcoming Events

Semester 2 Assessment Calendars have been published for students in Years 7 to 10 and are available via Canvas. A copy has been shared with Parents/Carers via the RJ App.

Stage 4 Learning Conferences will be held in Week 3 : Year 7 on Monday 10 August and Year 8 on Tuesday 11 August. Stage 5 Learning Conferences will follow in Week 4 on Wednesday 19 August.

Trial HSC examinations commence in Week 4 on Monday 17 August.

Through Chapel and House Chapel gatherings this term, I pray that students will continue to consider who Jesus is to them and reflect on God’s love and mercy. I also invite families across the RJ community to join our staff in praying for the Year 12 cohort as students complete their Trial HSC examinations and submit their major works.

College Uniform

Each Thursday, all Senior School students are required to wear their House shirt as part of their sports uniform in support of the Inter-House Competition. The blue RJ sports shirt should not be worn on Thursdays.

As we transition to the new uniform in 2027, families who need replacement items from the current uniform are encouraged to contact Lowes. If an item is unavailable, families may wish to visit the RJ Second-hand Uniform Facebook page or the op shop at St Mark’s, next door to the College.

RJ Second-hand Uniform Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/414716933092159

Final thought

As our current Year 11 students apply for formal leadership positions in 2027, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Luke 22:26, which calls for leaders to put others first and serve. I hope this spirit of servant leadership will continue to strengthen our community and become an enduring legacy of our student leaders.

Please respond to any permission requests via the RJ App throughout Term 3. If you have questions, please contact your child’s Crew Leader.

Brad Maxwell | Head of Senior School

Athletics Carnival

It was an absolutely outstanding day at the recent Junior School Athletics Carnival, with perfect weather setting the stage for a memorable event. Several records were broken across the day, and the level of enthusiasm, especially the house chanting, was exceptional. It was wonderful to see students giving their best effort in both track and field events. A big thank you to our parent volunteers for their support in ensuring the day ran smoothly. The Junior School team for the Nepean Zone Carnival (early Term 3) will be announced shortly.

CIS Rugby Union Trials

Lyon P and Koinonia P competed strongly at the recent CIS Rugby Union trials.
Congratulations to Lyon P , who was selected in the CIS Squad for the NSW PSSA Primary Boys Rugby Union Championships, which is an excellent achievement.

K–2 Athletics Carnival

Our Kindergarten students will have their first taste of athletics this afternoon at the K–2 Carnival. We are sure they will enjoy a fun and active introduction to the sport. Years 1 and 2 will no doubt build on the excitement and set a great example for our youngest competitors!

Mr Gavin Mitchell | Director of Sport