Junior School
The Junior School is for boys from Year 3 to Year 6. In addition to their classroom teachers, specialist teachers in Religion, Science, Music, Art, Physical education, Computing and foreign languages share their expert skills with Junior School boys.
Junior School is a welcoming, vibrant place with clear behavioural expectations, providing a reference point for boys as they develop.
Primary focuses in the Junior School are building character, a strong emphasis on basic literacy and numeracy skills, and encouraging independent thinking. The supportive teachers help each boy cultivate a love of learning. They help each boy develop confidence in his abilities and they lead him to an awareness of his contribution to the school community.
Named for an earlier Headmaster, the Stephens Library in the Junior School and the Middle School caters for boys from Year 3 - Year 8. All boys have at least one lesson each week in the Library. There is an extensive range of fiction and non-fiction available, computers for Internet and personal computer account access
Class sizes
In the Junior School classes are usually 25 or 26 in size.
Chapel
The Chapel of St Thomas, dedicated and opened in 1971 by Bishop Robert Davies, has a prominent position on the Campus and in the life of The Hutchins School. The Chapel is open for private prayer and quiet reflection each day during school time. Each year the Chaplain offers preparation courses to help boys decide whether or not they wish to be Baptised and / or Confirmed. All students and families are welcome to attend any service advertised in the Term Calendar. All boys from Kindergarten to Year 12 attend regular services in the Chapel as part of their school life and an emphasis is placed on students playing a significant part in these services.
Daily Routine
The Junior School is open from 0815. Parents are requested to inform the Junior School Office (03 6221 4269) of any absence.
| Bell time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0830 - 0845 | Admin |
| 0845 - 0935 | Period 1 |
| 0935 - 1025 | Period 2 |
| 1025 - 1050 | Recess |
| 1050 - 1140 | Period 3 |
| 1140 - 1230 | Period 4 |
| 1230 - 1330 | Lunch |
| 1330 - 1420 | Period 5 |
| 1420 - 1510 | Period 6 |
| 1510 - 1520 | Administration |
| 1520 | Dismissal |
Homework
Homework is a very important part of each Junior School boy’s daily life. It provides an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding by reviewing the work introduced in class, for testing their comprehension, for extending their reading, for summarising their thoughts or applying the latest information to solve new problems. Parents can provide valuable support to the development of good home study habits by negotiating a suitable time and place for homework.
A summary of homework tasks is entered each day in the diary and it is the boys’ responsibility to know what work has been set. Parents are to sign the diary once the homework has been completed. It is important that hand-in dates for written work are strictly observed and that the presentation should represent the best possible effort.
Suggested times for homework, Monday to Thursday are:
- Year 3: 20 minutes each night
- Year 4: 25 minutes each night
- Year 5: 30 minutes each night
- Year 6: 45 minutes each night
Please contact the class teacher if your child is struggling with his homework.
Sport
Sport is a compulsory part of the educational activities of The Hutchins School.
Boys in Years 5 and 6 participate in rostered competitions. Sport practice is conducted during the school time and is time-tabled. A boy will only be excused from a sport period if his Class Teacher receives a note requesting that he not take part and giving a reason for this. Boys participating in Saturday morning sport are required to play for their School team if one participates in the roster. If a boy is not required to play for his School may he play for a local Club.
Sports offered by the Junior School are athletics, cricket, mixed games, orienteering, softball, swimming, tennis, T-ball, bushwalking and lifesaving. In winter, we offer Australian Rules football (modified rules), hockey, Minkey (modified rules hockey), soccer and cross country.
