Assistant Principal

Patrick Halpin 

Assistant Principal 

I can’t believe another year has come to an end at Kingswood Primary School.  It has been a very busy 12 months, filled with amazing opportunities for the staff and students alike.  There are lots of highlights for me including my week at Harvard Graduate School of Education, our Open Night based on the Learner Profile, our school production of Peter Pan, Year 6 Disco and then their Graduation, Prep Transition,  the success of Shake and Wake – what a fun way to start every Wednesday morning.

Thank you, Kingswood Staff

I really want to take this opportunity to thank the staff who work tirelessly for your children.  I am so proud to be a member of staff at Kingswood because, to be in that club, you need to be dedicated and committed to the students in our classrooms and driven to ensure that you get better  every day.  We all make mistakes from time to time but, as we teach our children, the key is in being reflective and learning from those mistakes.  I have worked in many schools and I can assure every single parent, potential parent and community member that the staff at Kingswood Primary School are the cream of the crop.  I was a classroom teacher for 13 years and one of my favourite things about the end of the year were the notes of gratitude I received from the students and parents.  If you haven’t had time to thank your child’s teacher for missing social events to attend Open Night, for skipping dinner to get reports written, for saying goodbye to their families for two or three days to attend camp or for creating an environment that is safe yet challenging for your child, please do so over the next few days. 

The time for giving

December is a busy time of celebrations for lots of families – Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year, etc.  These celebrations are often accompanied by presents for children and, in this digital era, these toys usually involve electronic devices.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a publication entitled, Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era, which highlights the importance of play in the development of cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being in children.  The article offers some advice to parents that can be condensed down into one simple message:

Play is about building relationships and supportive interactions.  Give your child the gift of time and play with them.

I hope you all have a very peaceful and enjoyable summer break and spend lots of time together as a family and enjoy each other’s company.  I look forward to hearing about all your adventures in January.