From the Assistant Principal 

Welcome back!

Once again returning to the Kalinda fold has really filled my bucket. Spending our day away from the constant news cycle and instead focussing on the joy of learning and togetherness has been very rewarding for students and staff and we can't wait for all the exciting events, programs, learning and growth that is ahead in Term 3! I know that all adults are keeping up to date with the latest Covid-related news from around Australia and I would urge you to continue speaking optimistically and with hope around your children. 

MS Readathon

We are so excited to be taking part in the MS Readathon this year! Check out the 'Student News' page for more information from Ms D'Amico and Mrs Weekes about the exciting program.

Raising Digital Citizens. 

Over the last 12 months, we have regularly communicated our concerns around the negative impact of social media and messaging services on our students. We would go as far as urging all parents to delay the use of any social media or messaging platforms for as long as possible with Primary School aged children, if at all. Speaking to colleagues from schools in our area, we are certainly not alone in these concerns. Mr McClare and I are both parents, and whilst we hold these concerns for our students - we also know that the reality of managing these issues for our children is definitely not simple or finite.  

In our recent survey, many parents indicated that they would love advice about resources to support them to be proactive and realistic about the use of technology in their homes. 

Each fortnight in the newsletter, I will endeavour to share a resource or some information that we consider to be useful. I will strive to share these from multiple platforms to assist you in building a bank of bookmarked resources in case you need help in the future. 

I will hasten to add that it is our experience that there is no 'one stop shop' for all the advice you will ever need on this topic! We highly recommend building a wide range of preferred resources so that you can pick and choose material that suits a particular issue at one time. The number one fact I have learnt about parenting is that seeking lots of advice but then picking and choosing what suits my family, is the best way to survive and thrive!

Our first 'share' is a factsheet from Susan McLean the "Cybersafety Lady". Her website can be found here.  Susan's factsheet speaks about Problematic Internet Use : what it is, how to recognise it and strategies for addressing it.  (This is a 3 page fact sheet, please click on the image below to open the whole document).

Semester 1 reports

I hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to read your child's report at the end of last term. Our new format has prompted some really rich conversations with families and it has been lovely to hear feedback from parents and students regarding our new, more individualised reports. 

At Kalinda we never strive to say 'well that's how we've always done it' and all of our programs are always being reviewed and improved. Reporting and Assessment is no different and already our teaching teams have been meeting to discuss the pros and cons of our new format and how we can continue to deliver comprehensive and relevant reports. 

Don't forget that our new Reporting Hub is a great place to gain some further insight into how to read your child's report. 

If you have any feedback about our reporting format or Reporting Hub I would love to hear from you! 

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.