Junior School, Term 1 Week 10 2026
Congratulations to Rosie Williams, Maddison Bryant and Clara Miegel on representing the Navy Blues in last weekend’s Intercol. Playing first XI cricket against senior school students from St John’s Grammar whist still in the Junior School is a notable and commendable achievement. I look forward to these girls developing the culture around Intercol for their peers in the years to come. Outstanding girls!
Thank you to all the parents who assisted with Year 1-4 swimming last week. The number of volunteers was very pleasing and contributed to the overall success of the week.
Finally, have a safe and joyous Easter and term break. We look forward to seeing everyone in Term 2!
Jason Fay
Head of Junior School
Tournament of Minds (TOM) Primary
We are pleased to advise the community that we will be participating in Tournament of Minds (TOM) again this year! TOM is a unique opportunity for children to think outside the box, collaborate, and creatively solve complex challenges in a competition format. It fosters problem-solving, teamwork, and performance skills while engaging children in one of four disciplines: Arts, Language & Literature, Social Sciences or STEM. For more information, visit www.tom.edu.au.
Training and Team Selection
TOM team/s will be facilitated by Ms Jacqueline Lee – Primary (Years 4-6). To be considered for selection to represent Pulteney at the State Finals in Term 3, your child must attend all training sessions from Week 2, Term 2, until final teams are chosen in Week 8.
Training will be Tuesday 1:20pm – 1:50pm and Thursday 11:00am – 11:30am in K9.
If your child has cocurricular and/or music commitments, please notify the relevant department to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Team selection will be predominantly based on attendance, attitude and teamwork with consideration also given to the needs of the team. For example, STEM teams require a team member who is adept at engineering, while also needing a script writer.
While we can only select seven children per team, we deeply value each child’s effort. Training itself is a valuable experience, helping children develop critical thinking, resilience, and collaboration skills—all essential for success beyond TOM. Children will be advised at the end of Term 2 if they are selected. Children not selected will be informed in person and will be encouraged to continue to build their skills for future opportunities.
Commitment & Competition Dates
Selected teams will participate in an intensive six-week preparation period from Week 1, Term 3, including two outside school hours sessions and two recess sessions per week. These times will be negotiated between teams and facilitators. Team members must be available and not on holidays for the six-week challenge.
All team members must be available for the State Finals which will take place on Sunday, 30 August. Last year the Finals ran from 9am to 6pm at Adelaide High School (exact time and location for this year TBA).
International Final (TIF) – Darwin
Teams that win in their discipline at State Finals qualify for the Tournament International Final (TIF) which will be held this year in Darwin from 28 November to 1 November. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to travel with their team, compete at an international level and meet children from around the world. Participation incurs additional costs. We have been advised that the trip will cost approximately $1,600 per student, plus spending money. *
To prepare for TIF, State Finalist teams must attend 2 full day dedicated training sessions on 20 September and 18 October. Times and location to be advised for the winning teams.
Tournament of Minds is a fun, challenging, and rewarding experience that allows children to develop confidence, teamwork, and innovative thinking. Even if your child is not selected for the Pulteney or SA state teams this year, every child who participates gains valuable skills that will serve them well in future TOM competitions, school, and beyond.
We appreciate your support and look forward to another exciting TOM journey!
Yours sincerely,
Ms Jacqueline Lee
Transition Teacher
TOM Primary Team Facilitator
Ms Sue Mavropoulos
Head of Teaching and Learning (Junior School)
Gifted and Talented Coordinator (R-12)
* As per the school’s Terms and Conditions, eligibility for optional trips is conditional on all school fees and charges being paid in full before travel. For financial concerns, please contact Ms Nicole Dumont (Finance Manager) confidentially.
“How To Succeed in Business” Musical Production – TICKETS
We have already sold 46% of all tickets – DON’T MISS OUT!
Ticket prices:
- Premium: $45
- Adult: $35
- Child (under 18): $30
Don’t miss what will be another brilliant production from our award-winning Pulteney Performing Arts community. We look forward to seeing you there!
This year, the Friends of Performing Arts are running a raffle for the musical production. We are seeking prize donations, so if you can contribute wine, electronic goods, or other substantial items, please let me know or drop them off to my office in the Nicholls (ground floor). We hope to have all prizes finalised by Week 4, Term 2.
Co-Curricular Updates
Junior School
There are no Junior School Performing Arts Co-Curricular activities running this week (week 10). These groups will resume Week 2, Term 2.
This is also a reminder that students currently enrolled in Year 3/4 Drama Club and Year 5/6 Drama for Semester 1 are committed to this group for Term 2. If you have any queries around this, please contact Laura Brougham.
Winter Music Festival – Friday 12 June & Saturday 13 June
We are very excited to be planning our Winter Music Festival in Week 8, Term 2.
This year, we are thrilled to be offering a mini-Cabaret on Friday 12 June in Wyatt Hall at 6.00pm. This performance will feature: Stage Band 1, Stage Band 2, JOTT 1, JOTT 2 and the Small Jazz Ensemble, as these groups unfortunately missed the cancelled Term 1 Cabaret. We are hoping to have food and beverages available on the evening. More details to come.
On Saturday 13 June, out three Winter Concerts are as follows:
3.00pm – Choral Concert
Featuring: Junior Kurrajong Choir, Junior Year 3/4 Concert Choir, Junior Year 5/6 Concert Choir, Grammarphones Choir, Senior Concert Choir, and (to be confirmed) Man Choir.
5.00pm – Junior School Concert
Featuring: Junior Drum Corps, Junior Concert Band, Senior Handbell Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Junior String Stars Ensemble, Junior Percussion Ensemble and Junior String Ensemble.
7.00pm – Middle and Senior School Concert
Featuring: Pulteney School Orchestra, Pulteney String Orchestra, Wheaton String Quartet, Senior Drum Corps, Intermediate Drum Corps and Senior Concert Band.
Please take note of the groups your child/children are members of and when they will be required for the festival. More details will be released next term.
Instrumental Music and Drama Program
Pulteney’s Performing Arts Department offers private tuition for a range of instruments as well as voice and drama lessons.
Applications for this year opened in December 2025 and have been finalised, however students from Reception right through to Year 12 can enrol at any time across the year. If an instrument, type of lesson or teacher is already fully booked, we can place your child on a waiting list until a lesson becomes available.
For more information about our program please click here. If you’re interested in enrolling your son or daughter, please complete the online application form.
Junior Handbell Ensemble – Commencing Term 2
We are thrilled to establish a new handbell ensemble as the Junior Handbell Ensemble of Pulteney Grammar School. Under the directorship of Ali O’Connell, our handbell program is of the highest standard, and we are delighted with the level of interest in this new group.
Rehearsals will commence on Friday 1 May (Week 2, Term 2), from 7.50am – 8.30am in the Music Classroom, Nicholls Building. For all members, this rehearsal will appear in Clipboard and the Parent App.
We look forward to seeing this group develop and perform later this year.
