Principal's Page

Our week started with the sunshine and hundreds of Fathers and students coming together for a BBQ on Monday. We were very pleased with the great attendance and clearly from the smiles and conversation, this was an event enjoyed by all. A very big thankyou to the parent volunteers and staff who gave their time to put on this event. We are also very grateful to TeamKids who kindly paid for the food.

Not only was the event great for social connection, there is strong evidence of the positive impact of Fathers in education. This includes greater enjoyment for children in attending school, improved school attendance and some studies show a correlation between Father involvement and improved learning performance.  Involvement with the school can be in many ways; volunteering in the classroom, on sports days, BBQ's throughout the year, on the Parents Association, at Working Bees or in volunteering expertise for school needs. Thank you to all our Dads and Grandads who joined in this successful event and contribute in many ways to our school community.

Our leadership team have been engaging with our own learning, and in particular the continuing development of a school culture that prioritises deep thinking within our students. The benefits of this directly relate to our school vision,  All students are empowered to learn and achieve success; to be curious, engaged, collaborative, empathetic and critical thinkers, and support students to develop lifelong dispositions. Some are particularly interesting points to consider are the why and how of learning activities we are planning for students. I think these considerations can also be valuable at home;

Learning is a consequence of thinking,

Learning and thinking are as much as a collective enterprise as they are an individual endeavour,

Learning occurs at the point of challenge,

Questions drive thinking and learning,

The opportunities we create for our children matter to their engagement, empowerment and learning.

Ron Ritchart. Cultures of Thinking in Action.

The Department of Education has recently been working on ways to assist schools in securing teachers. One of the new initiatives is around the recruitment process. This new initiative is an alternative process to the traditional advertising process and requires applicants to create a profile in the Job Opportunities Pool. Applicants are then matched with jobs as schools identify their workforce needs. One of the biggest changes is that jobs will be open for a minimum of three days, reducing the time from the traditional 14 days and the extensive application process.

As the weather warms up and in line with our Sun Smart policy hats are required to be worn at HEPS during recess, lunch and all outdoor activities. 

And finally, school will finish at 2:30pm next Friday, 15th September, as we head into the term 3 break. Students will be dismissed after a short assembly at the front of the school. We hope that you all have a safe and fun holiday break.