Principal Report

A message from the Principal

Ms Nerina Pretlove

As we went into the school holidays, many in our community were participating in different religious festivals and cultural practices: Easter; the Jewish Passover; Vaisakhi or the Sikh New Year; Ramadan followed by the celebrations of Eid for our Muslim families; and the Orthodox Easter. Historically, at this time, Aboriginal peoples who have observed the changes of the seasons by the position of the stars in the sky and plant, animal and water cycles for tens of thousands of years would notice that certain foods were available and would begin to prepare for the colder weather to come.

One of the greatest things about our school is this richness in culture and spiritual practices that we share. All of them involve the collecting, harvesting and sharing of food while reflecting on our connections with each other. We held an Iftar (the breaking of the fast in the month of Ramadan) and dinner this year to reach out to our newly arrived families from Afghanistan as well as from other parts of the world. It was an evening of making connections and understandings.

What ever your spiritual and cultural practices, I hope that you had some time of peace and reflection during these past weeks.

With the commencement of Term 2, we have headed into subject selection for our Year 10 into HSC1. This marks the beginning of the move to our new pattern of HSC study, the 3x3 or compressed curriculum starting Week 6 Term 4. We know that students are more likely to be successful when they undertake study in area of interest to them. We encourage them not to select subjects because their friends have or because of the teachers who may or may not be taking the course. Around Week 6 of this term, Year 8 students will also select their subjects for Years 9 and 10.

Our YONDR pouch program has made a significant positive impact on students learning engagement in class, interactions with each other and wellbeing. The increase of noise from the playground at recess and lunchtimes as a result of students not using their phones has been a surprise to us and means that they are engaging with each other. We thank you for supporting this initiative that aims to improve student learning and wellbeing. Our Student Leadership Team is currently preparing a report following their survey of students and teachers’ responses to the locking of mobile phones during school time and we will publish that in a coming newsletter.

On day one, students moved back into the Science Labs following a total refit taking up most of last term with tradesmen working into the night to have them ready for classes to commence. We will have a focus on our external areas over the next weeks including the completion of our Yarning Circle and its environment in time for NAIDOC with a smoking ceremony and dance to celebrate its inception.

Covid is still with us and we are providing masks and RAHT testing kits to students. Please do not send your children to school if they are ill. This week will be sending updated information regarding the management of Covid in schools which still remains different to the general public settings.

We have a busy term ahead with sporting events, student wellbeing programs, exams including NAPLAN and assessments. We also look forward to more opportunities to meet with you in person throughout the year. Please keep a look out for the recommencement of our Friends of Evans meetings to start later in the term and I look forward to you being part of this group.

Nerina Pretlove

Principal