Principal's News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Reports will be sent home this year on December 14. And so our teachers are busy writing them. 

Yesterday I read all of the reports from two of our Foundation classes. As I read I was struck by a couple of thoughts: “How far the kids come under our care at Primary School” and “What a privilege it is to witness the growth in these years.”

Last week I was on camp with the young men and women that are our Grade 6 students, enjoying their conversations and jokes and watching them challenge themselves with rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing etc. Genuinely enjoying their company and just steering them gently when they needed it.

Yesterday I smiled as I read about children learning to read their first 100 words, holding a pencil correctly, counting successfully and learning to overcome the academic, physical and social challenges that are part of school life.

Pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.

BEGINNING 2022 Some early notice, 2022 will begin for our teachers on Friday January 28 with training and preparation. WE WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING TWO TESTING DAYS at this time of year.

Instead, next year we have planned to do some Professional training on Monday, January 31 and classes for the children will resume on TUESDAY FEB 1.

Please note this is different to the information that appears in the Foundation Handbooks that we have distributed to next year’s Foundation students.

GRADE 6 CAMP As mentioned above it was a privilege to go on camp with our Grade 6 classes and our amazing staff. Given the last two years we have all had, taking the children away from home was more of a novelty for them than it had been in the past. And so anxiety levels for some and excitement levels for most were particularly heightened. 

Our staff do such a good job on the camps and excursions that they organize. As parents and carers may appreciate it is a big responsibility. An enormous amount of work goes into the organising and running of any camp or excursion and I am grateful to all of our staff who take this task on for the sake of the kids in their care.

EXCURSIONS I’m not sure excitement has ever been so tangible as it was this morning as our Grade 2 students prepared to get on the bus for their trip to the Werribee Zoo. As we can all appreciate, it’s not just that the kids haven’t been able to go anywhere with school, for the last two years they haven’t been able to go anywhere - FULL STOP.

On Friday our Grade 3’s are off to Port Campbell and our Grade 4’s travel down to Lorne to “Go Ride A Wave”. We wish all of the children safe and happy trips - these are the memories of primary school that we carry with us into later life.

GRADUATION Following a false start on the date and some worrying news last Friday, I am happy to report that our plans for our Grade 6 Graduating class are back on track. 

Jubilee Centre at Trinity College from 6:00pm on WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8. 

All students regardless of their vaccination status or exact age are welcome to participate in our ceremony.

Given that we have a Graduating class of 71 students Covid-19 restrictions dictate that only the two parents of each student will be able to attend.

All adults MUST BE fully vaccinated to attend the Graduation Ceremony. 

The ceremony will be ‘live-streamed’. The link for this will be published as it becomes available.