I am so thrilled to share the highlights of our Book Week celebration, which truly lived up to its enchanting theme Reading is Magic. Last week was a whirlwind of excitement, creativity, and literary joy, making it a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Our Book Week assembly and Dress Up Day was spectacular! I was overwhelmed by the extraordinary participation and creativity displayed by our school community who transformed our school into a vibrant tapestry of characters from our favourite stories. From superheroes to beloved book characters and fantastical creatures, the variety and imagination on display was truly impressive. Well done to the many students who made their costumes using recycled material and demonstrated sustainability.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of Book Week. A special shout-out to Mei Luong for all the photos and to Miss Halliwell and our student leaders for running the assembly. A big thank you to our Panel of Judges: (Staff) Ms Pickering and Ms Maniatis, (Students) Ethan A and Stacey U and (Parents) Julie Johnson and Linh Duong. What a difficult job they had!

To our students, your enthusiasm and participation was inspiring. The joy and encouragement you brought to the celebrations was the true magic of Book Week.

To our parents and family members, thank you for your support and involvement, particularly in helping your children prepare for Dress Up Day. Your engagement made the event even more special and I really enjoyed seeing our parents come together to celebrate the joy of reading with so much enthusiasm.

To our staff, your dedication and efforts in preparing engaging activities, creating a fun atmosphere and fostering a love of reading helped bring the theme Reading is Magic to life.

During Book Week we are reminded of the power of books to spark imagination and create magical experiences. We hope the spirit of Book Week continues to inspire our students to explore new worlds and embark on exciting reading adventures.

Please see page 8 for highlights of Book Week and Dress Up Day.

Once again, I’m excited to share our NAPLAN results this year! While NAPLAN is just one way we measure progress, it’s a great way to see how we’re performing and promotes reflection as a Professional Learning Community. Our teachers and support staff have worked to create a learning environment with high expectations and these results reflect our commitment and collaboration as a PLC.

It’s important to note, NAPLAN scores are only part of the story when it comes to our students’ growth. Our school focuses on more than just test scores - we also care about helping our students develop important social skills, critical thinking, and a love of learning. While NAPLAN gives us useful information, it doesn’t tell the whole story about our students’ abilities or potential.

As we celebrate these great results, let’s remember that they represent the collective efforts of our whole school community. Every teacher, student, parent, and staff member has played a part in reaching this milestone. It’s a testament to the strong partnerships we’ve built and our shared belief in the transformative power of education.

See page 3 with the 2024 NAPLAN summary data.

A reminder that we have another special assembly tomorrow – this time it’s for our fathers, uncles, big brothers and all father figures! We will be having a Father’s Day afternoon tea at 2.30pm in the hall followed by a special assembly. We hope to see you there!

See page 9 for details.

Student Voice Council would also like to remind everyone that there is a PJ Day next week on Thursday 5th September to raise funds for State School’s Relief. SSR has supported many of our families with vouchers, uniforms, clothing items, shoes and glasses.

See page 10 for PJ Day information – don’t forget your gold coin donation!

Happy Father’s Day to all our ARPS Dads

“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.”

“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.”

Enjoy your special day on Sunday!

Carmel Nigro

Principal