From the Principal

Last week, we proudly celebrated the beginning of Harmony Week with a vibrant and memorable Harmony Day. It was wonderful to see so many of our students dressed in traditional cultural dress, an item of clothing representing their heritage, or wearing the colour orange. The school hall came alive with colour, joy, and a strong sense of community that was felt by all. Our Harmony Day assembly was led by our student leaders, who did an outstanding job leading the cultural dress parade and sharing the significance of Harmony Day, as well as celebrating the diversity within our school community. Throughout the day, students also participated in an engaging incursion, Australian Fusion, which highlighted the beauty of Australian dance and culture. At lunchtime, it was delightful to see students enjoying a wide variety of cultural foods and engaging in conversations about cuisines from around the world.

Harmony Day is an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate inclusivity, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone. It reminds us of the value of embracing cultural diversity and encourages us to learn from one another’s experiences and perspectives. As a multicultural school, we take great pride in our diversity, which strengthens our community and allows us to grow and learn together in a spirit of harmony.

This week, we commenced Day 1 of our School Review, and I am pleased to share that the initial feedback from the Review Panel has been extremely positive. Our student learning and wellbeing data reflects the high expectations we uphold, and the excellent outcomes achieved at our school. Throughout the day, panel members engaged in a range of learning space observations, parent, staff and student focus groups, and professional learning team meetings. These experiences provided valuable insight into how we operate as a strong and collaborative professional learning community.

We are encouraged by the positive feedback received so far, and tomorrow, which is our Day 2 of the School Review, we will begin planning for our new 2026–2030 School Strategic Plan. A very BIG thank you to our School Council President, Peter Littlejohn, for his involvement on the Review Panel, and to all the parents who participated in the focus groups. Your ongoing support, valuable perspectives, and commitment to our school community are deeply appreciated. And of course, thank you to all our staff and students for showcasing the wonderful community that makes Athol Road Primary School so special.

Yesterday, our Student Voice Council met for the first time and began planning a range of student-led initiatives and events across the school. With the support of Jess Yates and Jordyn Halliwell, the Student Voice Council has already organised their first event—the Good Friday Appeal fundraiser. Please see page 8 of this newsletter for further details.

A reminder that Student Voice Council members will be presented with their badges at tomorrow’s school assembly in the hall at 2:45pm. We warmly invite families to attend if they are available. We look forward to sharing photos and more updates about the Student Voice Council in our next newsletter.

Carmel Nigro

Principal