Principal's Report

Typically, at this time of the year we are assiduously finishing off arrangements for 2024 and at the same time preparing for 2025 in earnest. With only ten school days to go until the end of the year we are more involved and immersed as ever before. The next two weeks will be an energising, riveting and wonderful journey for every student, staff member and parent of this school community.

As we enter this transforming and energetic time, it is a period where the demands on our lives test us and draw on our depleted reserves of resilience and patience. Please remember that this is the most important time to demonstrate our best and the character and modelling we want those around us to experience. We all do our very best to ensure that at this most propitious time we reflect that which we hold dear and hope we can all celebrate the very best of the emerging synergy of our community. 

Christmas Market – Saturday 23rd November 2024

This was a surreal and highly successful experience as we managed the unstable and humid weather conditions in a carnival of colour and diversity. We convey our appreciation of the many parents who contributed so much to the leadership and organisation of the event, as we provided another experience to celebrate and build school community life. In particular, thank you to Kate James, Zena Lomer and Kate Rippon who provided so much of themselves. Despite the ambience and engagement of all in a gorgeous social foray of fun, we also raised some $14,226 in profit from the experience. I found that by the end of the experience I had collected three of my favourite jams, a Chatham Tea Towell with the faces of all students; three elongated snakes; some gin; a container of slime and other useful material to satisfy my diet or grace my home. Again, these funds will invariably find their way into facilities and initiatives to benefit our students. The installation of the new play equipment at the front of the school in February 2025 is one such example.

Decade Disco Day – Friday 29th November

What a magnificent experience for all involved, our students, staff and parents. Ms Kirwan together with our Junior School Council inspired us to dress up and celebrate the music, history, colour and fashions from the 1920’s all the way through to the 2000's. It was a fantastic day where the parade and the electronic presentation in the school hall not only gave us an incredible social history that our staff and parents and others could reflect on about different times, but also enabled a highly enjoyable, inclusive and carnival atmosphere where so much was shared and understood. It was uplifting and exciting to dress up in the costumes of the times and have all staff involved.  This was followed by year level Discos with a highly skilled and adaptive DJ. Students relished the opportunity to enjoy and immerse themselves in all forms of modern dance with fun, energy and skill. Importantly, our Junior School Councillors funded this experience from funds raised through other events earlier in the year. This represents one of a number of Junior School Council initiatives in 2025 and we thank Ms Kirwan for providing yet another thought provoking, creative and fun filled experience for all.

School Staffing and Organisation for 2025

The challenges facing schools at this time in relation to organisation and staffing are profound. We face chronic shortages of teachers now across Independent, Catholic and Government schools in many areas and most, if not all of us, are in the process of advertising positions and making some necessary adjustments. I am aware of colleagues in other parts of the State who are drawing highly capable teachers from both Canada and Ireland at this time.

For 2025 we will have two Foundation classes, two classes at Years 1 & 2, three classes at Years 3 & 4 and three classes at Years 5 & 6. The staffing arrangements for these classes will hopefully be announced before the conclusion of the school year. We will also have Specialist classes in Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Music, Japanese and Physical Education and Sport. We also will continue our immersion in our Kitchen Garden, Library and STEM.

Final Transition Experience for 2025

What a magnificent experience on Thursday. All of our Foundation students and their parents were provided with a personalized Foundation bag full of activities and information for 2025. These bags were home made with support from Ms Briggs (senior). Unbelievable! We convey our appreciation of the exceptional work done by Ms Briggs to prepare our students and their parents. We were delighted to advise parents of the teaching arrangements for both classes with Ms Briggs assuming responsibility for Foundation KB and Ms Hannah Scantleton and Ms Catherine Townsend assuming likewise for Foundation ST. With only classes of 15 students this is an exceptional opportunity for these students. All teachers involved are highly experienced with teaching and the curriculum at this level.

Students to Classes in 2025

Thank you to those parents who accepted my invitation to write to us concerning educational matters pertaining to their children. These are thoughtfully considered by my staff and/or myself before we make the final arrangements of placing students in classes for 2025. There is a plethora of matters that determine where we ultimately place students. In the initial stages we invite students to consider friendships and students they would like to be placed with. Every effort is made in this process to ensure each student gets at least one friend. Factors to consider are friendships, emotional and intellectual needs, evolving personalities and dynamics, and the relative development of each student at each stage. Invariably, we create a complex equilibrium of student groups, we believe on balance, is in the best interests of all involved. Suffice to add we do not make changes to these arrangement except in the most unusual of circumstances. We expect that, if possible, students will meet their teacher or teachers for 2025 on Wednesday 18th December 2025.

Foundation to Year 2 Athletics Day – Monday 2nd December 2024

What a magnificent afternoon of fun, frivolity and experience. It was delightful to see all students dressed in their House colours and join their House with their House Captains to sing their House chants. These students were able to gain a sense of what it was to be in a House, just like their older peers. This was led and organised by Mr Walter Boulton, our Physical Education and Sport Teacher with active involvement by our eight House Captains, who with some support from staff, implemented such activities as an egg and spoon race, tunnel ball, long jump, pheasant throwing, bag racing and running relays. This carnival experience was then followed by a very welcomed 'Zooper Dooper’ and a sausage in bread. Thanks again to our Chatham Parents Club and Pam Nasiakos, and the many others who assisted to bring this to fruition. We look forward to conducting this as an annual experience for our students, with the next one scheduled for Monday 1st December 2025.

Christmas Concert – Wednesday 4th December 2024

It was marvellous to immerse ourselves in this experience in the School Hall with all students and staff directly involved in the performance of Christmas Carols with music accompaniment in places and highly refined choreographic moves directed by teachers. This was made possible by the drive and attention to detail by Ms Twigg, Ms Kirwan and Mr Rampant and the dedication and commitment to practice by all staff and students. It was lovely to also see so many grandparents and family friends in attendance in addition to our parents.

Each time we perform such events we add more to our repertoire. It was inspiring to see our Ukelele group accompanied by Mr Rampant and Mr Yanai Morris, and further students using untuned percussion. We look forward to our next Christmas Carols experience to be held on Wednesday 3rd December 2025.

Japanese Day – Monday 9th December 2024

On Monday 9th of December, we will have Japanese Day at Chatham Primary School. The Year 5 and Year 6 students will run a variety of Japanese themed activities such as Fukuwarai (The Face Game), Gomoku (5 in a row), a colouring competition, Chopstick Challenge, Manga Drawing Relay, Bean Bag Toss, Animal Shogi (Japanese Chess), Daruma (What’s The Time Mr Wolf) and Japanese Dodgeball. These activities will be run for the whole school from 11:00am to 12:30pm. 

To celebrate the day, please send your child to school in either red or white clothing (the colours of Japan) or in a Japanese costume if you have one. Please bring a gold coin donation to hand to your teacher to go towards a mural for the outside wall of the Japanese room.

General Facilities Matters

These continue to be of ongoing focus across the school with so much that is routinely addressed. This includes:

• Maintenance matters 

The defections period is continuing in relation to the completed Capital Works Project with tradespersons and others in and about the school over the next couple of weeks. We will continue to ensure that the grounds are kept in fine Chatham attractiveness throughout the period. This will be undertaken by a lawn mowing and grounds contractor along with our general maintenance officer, Mr Peter Manning. Presently our grounds are the best they have ever been, and we are keen to keep them at this standard in readiness for the new year.

• Japanese Mural

The notion of creating a mural for the Japanese Room is of great interest. Despite the recent and inordinate demands of the School Production, Mr James Rampant has also established an informed design for a mural for the southern wall of the Japanese room. Again, we would like to pursue this into 2025 and Mr Rampant is keen to bring this to fruition. Attached is the wonderful design developed by Mr Rampant.

Year 3 & 4 School Camp – Lyrebird Park, Yellingbo

At the time of writing we are preparing for this extraordinary event. Next week from Wednesday 11th – 13th December, all staff will be involved directly or vicariously in providing a Year 3 & 4 Camp at Lyrebird Park, Yellingbo. We have visited the camp and look forward to the varied and diverse activities the students will be involved in over the three days. These will include a night walk and campfire, orienteering, indoor rock wall adventures, campfire cooking, archery and trampolines, and other experiences. We expect 80 students to attend the experience. Mr Tim Clarke, Mr Sam Norris, Ms Hannah Scantleton, Ms Vivianne Twigg, Ms Leda Semercioglu, Ms Shaina Webb, Ms Heather Ritter (retired secondary teacher) and Mr Peter Manning will be in attendance. In order to make this possible Ms Georgina Kirwan and myself will also attend for the three days. School Camps require different student teacher/adult ratios and we have met Department of Education requirements in this area along with other strict requirements. We look forward to a wonderful experience for our students.

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

The approach at all schools including ours is very clear in relation to students and mobile phones, they are not to be used or held on the school premises. Almost without exception our students comply. As a further reminder we would ask that you discuss again expectations in relation to Smart Watches and similar devices. They are only to be used for time purposes and not for other functions. If worn they are to be on ‘school mode’ or the like. If used inappropriately they will be handed to the Principal who will arrange for them to be collected by the parent involved. There is no exception to these arrangements. Whether or when they are worn again at school will be at the discretion of the Principal.

Lost Property Cupboard

All lost property can now be found in the cupboard located inside the rear entry to the school hall.

Above all enjoy the magnificent and life changing days ahead.

Christopher Cotching

Principal