Principals Report

It was wonderful to welcome our parents and carers back into the school for our Primary Assembly on the 26th March 2021. Our Kindergarten parents were able to see children undertake their first performance on the Guyra Central School stage. And the students certainly didn’t disappoint. All of our performers from across K-6 stages were wonderful. It was a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Assembly and many of our students received awards on the day. It was a great celebration, welcoming the community back into the school.

Thank you to our senior school executive for their great ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ initiative. It was great fun and wonderful to see such a great sense of fun across the school during the day.

On Tuesday, 16th March, 2021, their Excellencies, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley visited Armidale. Our senior school Captains, Cooper Stanley and Olivia Little, travelled to Armidale Secondary College to meet with other Year 11 and Year 12 students and meet their Excellencies and represent our school.

I would like to also acknowledge our students who have been representing the school at sporting events during the past few weeks. 

Well done to our staff and students and their parents who have contributed to the success of these events.

We have received confirmation that we were successful with our application for Regional Renewal Program Funding. We did put in several applications and I am very pleased to announce that our school kitchen will be given an $300,000 upgrade to Commercial Kitchen standard. We have been pushing for this for several years. 

Guyra Central School is currently the only Central School in NSW that does not have a Commercial Kitchen facility. This opens up many opportunities for the school, that is our students, parents/carers and the wider community.

We have ordered a new 25 seat bus. We are not sure at this point about wait time as COVID has had an impact in this area.  Some staff already are licenced to drive a vehicle of this size and others will take up the opportunity to gain their licence. 

The bus provides equitable transport for students to and from excursions, sporting events, formal student leadership events and many other opportunities.

Further to this Guyra Central School has been included into a new stimulus program release for Rural areas. Guyra Central School is now officially a NSW Government Schools Digital Strategy - Rural Access Gap Release 2 School. In the past weeks our Internet was up-graded and last week 2 audits were undertaken, Primary and Secondary. This relates to upgrading smart boards and other digital equipment. We will soon receive, as part of the program, 70 new laptops. With the $120,000 laptops that we purchased during the last few weeks of 2020 this allows us to provide one on one for each student, during school time, when required. It will provide us with the opportunity to provide Stage 6 students with a laptop 24/7 for the remainder of their school life. This programs also sees the replacement of all smart board that are over 3 years old.

The Big Picture Education program at Guyra Central School is travelling well with all children who are enrolled in the program participating in Exhibitions over the past few weeks. During an Exhibition the students demonstrate, to a panel of family members and staff, what they have learnt during the term. I have had the privilege to sit in on some of the Exhibitions. It was a privilege to share that experience with the students and their parents and Advisor.

I would like to wish you all a happy and safe school holiday break. 

Thanks

Michelle Nicholson

Proud Principal