A message from Tami -Jo

Dear families,

We have had such a busy term already and still so much to happen. I wanted to remind families of some important dates for the rest of the year. Please see the list below to check that you have them in your diary. We would love to see you here at each of the events.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 2nd December- Year 6 excursion to Adventure Park; Year 2 Celebration of Learning 2.30pm

Thursday 4th December- Secondary Leadership excursion

Friday 5th December- Secondary Athletics Carnival

Monday 8th December- Prep/ Year 1 Celebration of Learning 2.30pm; Secondary Open Classrooms 2.30pm

Tuesday 9th December- Statewide Step-Up Day for Year 6- Year 7 and Year 9-Yeaer 10; Year 3/ Year 5 Celebration of Learning 2.30pm

Wednesday 10th December- Year 4/ Year 6 Celebration of Learning 2.30pm

Thursday 11th December – Year 9 Graduation 5-7.30pm

Friday 12th December- Year 7-9 Awards Assembly 10am

Monday 15th December- Year 6 Final Assembly and morning tea- 9am

Tuesday 16th December- Step Up Day for Years p-5

Wednesday 17th December- P-2 Awards Assembly 9am

Thursday 18th December- 3-6 Awards Assembly 9am

Friday 19th December- School finishes 12.30pm

Class placements

Thank you for your support as we prepare class placements for next year. Our teachers take great care in this process, considering a wide range of factors to create balanced, positive learning environments for all students. We encourage children to embrace new friendships each year, as these experiences help build resilience, confidence, and important social skills. Your partnership helps us ensure that every student has the best opportunity to grow and thrive. Please be encouraging and positive with your children around new class placements; let them know that they may be with new people in their new class; remind them that change is not ‘bad’ and that navigating change is an important skill to develop. We will support all children through this transition into the new year.

School Review

We had our two field days last week for our school review. Our challenge partners, school council president, senior education improvement leader, and reviewer spent two days observing classrooms as well as meeting with students, teachers and parents gathering information around our school to challenge or support out initial thoughts through our pre-review self-evaluation. All parties have found this to be a very positive experience, and we have really appreciated the different perspectives offered by the review team. We look forward to our final day on the 27th of November where we will build our new strategic plan for the next four years.

Please support our school community in helping to address racist language

At our school, we are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment where every student feels they belong. Recently, we have been focusing on helping students understand the impact of racist language and how words, whether spoken casually, jokingly, or without full understanding, can cause real harm.

Why This Matters

Children and young people are still learning how to navigate differences, relationships, and social expectations. Sometimes they repeat words they don’t fully understand or mimic language they’ve heard elsewhere. Even when not intended to hurt, racist

words can make classmates feel unwelcome or unsafe. Addressing this directly helps us build empathy, encourage responsible choices, and reaffirm our shared values around respect and inclusion.

How the School Responds

When racist language is used, we take it seriously. Our approach is educational and supportive rather than punitive:

Immediate intervention to stop the harmful behaviour
Conversations with the student to understand what happened, why it’s hurtful, and how to make better choices
Restorative actions when appropriate, helping students repair harm and rebuild trust
Communication with families when needed, so we can work together to support the child’s learning
Ongoing teaching and reminders about respectful language, diversity, and belonging

Our goal is not to shame students but to help them grow into thoughtful, inclusive members of our community.

How Parents and Caregivers Can Help

Families play a vital role in reinforcing these values. Here are some ways to support your child and the wider school community:

1. Talk openly about respect and kindness Let your child know that racist language, whether spoken seriously or as a “joke”, can be deeply hurtful.

2. Help them understand the impact of words

Even if they “didn’t mean it that way,” intent does not erase harm. Encourage empathy by asking how they would feel if someone made fun of their identity.

3. Model inclusive language at home

Children learn from what they hear. Demonstrating respectful communication helps them carry those habits into school.

4. Ask questions instead of making assumptions

If your child shares a concern, gently explore what happened, how it made them feel, and what they think could help.

5. Partner with us

If the school contacts you about a language-related incident, we appreciate your openness to working together. These conversations are meant to support your child, not criticize your parenting.

Our Shared Goal

We know that mistakes are part of learning. By addressing racist language honestly and proactively, we help students build understanding, compassion, and a sense of responsibility toward others. Thank you for partnering with us to make our school a place where every child feels valued and respected.

If you have questions or would like resources for talking with your child at home, please reach out, we’re here to work with you.

Reports and Celebrations of Learning

We invite all parents and caregivers to access their child’s school report, which provides a comprehensive overview of their learning and progress throughout the year. We also encourage you to join us for our Celebrations of Learning, where students will proudly share what they have learned and achieved. Your presence and support make these moments even more meaningful, and we look forward to celebrating the hard work and growth of our students together.

Enjoy the rest of the term, we look forward to seeing you at some our events before the end of the year.

Take care.