Principal's Report

Dear families,

Thank you for your care and understanding throughout this term and all the changes that occurred due to our new Covid normal processes. We would not have been able to operate as smoothly without your support. On numerous occasions I stood in awe of our wonderful school community and especially our staff who have been going out of their way to support each other and our students. I am looking forward to catching up with our families during this afternoon’s ‘meet the teacher’ evening. 

During these unprecedented times we need to be model to our children how to manage adversities. Sticking at something when the going gets tough is an essential skill and will teach our students to show courage by never giving up. As parents, there are things that we can do to help our children learn how to persist in the face of challenges – a skill that will help them achieve their goals at school and beyond. Help your child to understand that we all face challenges and that when they find something hard, persistence – or refusing to give up – will give them the best chance of reaching their goal. Check out this tip sheet on the Spark their Future website for tips on developing your child’s persistence ‘muscles’. Our students participated in Harmony Week last week and we celebrated diversity and that ‘everybody belongs’. 28% of students at our school are from Indigenous backgrounds. So, we celebrated Australian multiculturalism and the successful integration of migrants into our community. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. 

Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country — from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world. Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live. An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.

As the Darumbal people lived in harmony with their country, traditional Darumbal society dictated their way of living in the belief of “oneness”. Darumbal People have a strong continuous connection to Darumbal Land and Sea Country. They had a complex social system where everyone and everything was related. Their behaviour and obligations were influenced by their worldviews of these beliefs. They had strict marriage laws, gender specific roles and ceremonies. Darmbal Traditional Boundaries are Styx River to the North, Raglan Creek to the South, Westwood and bottom of Mt Morgan Range to the West.

Our staff and students could wear Orange as the colour chosen, to show our support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. 

During weekly intentional collaboration planning sessions, our staff discuss and plan what curriculum and learning adjustments need to be made to meet the various needs of different students. Children and young people in Australian education settings have differing needs, abilities and interests. Learning happens when teaching responds to these individual qualities. As there is no single method of teaching that supports the learning of all students, teachers make adjustments to enable every student to participate in learning. 

Over the next few weeks, teachers will be discussing the Curriculum adjustments they are making for your child during ICP meetings. Please use this time to share with your child’s teacher the goals you have for your child. Although the ICP will be covering English and Mathematics, our whole school curriculum has been contextualised and modified to differentiate the learning for all students in all of the Eight Learning areas. Families will receive feedback through Seesaw and the Semester Reports on how their child has been doing in all of the Eight Learning areas. 

Have a lovely Easter holiday and if you are travelling, please stay safe. Enjoy the time with friends and family.

Thank you for your continuous support to make our school ‘the place to be’. 

Kind Regards,

~ Dehlia