Principal's Report
COVID Update
I thought it might be a good time to provide an update regarding COVID guidelines, particularly in relation to positive cases. During the last 2 weeks we have had a number of absences, both COVID related and through general illnesses, that have impacted attendance levels of both staff and students.
Where a student or staff member is identified as a positive case, the following steps should be taken:
1. Students or staff who report a positive result must isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period. Parents/carers must complete the Student COVID-19 COVID Test Portal.
2. Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house) they must inform the school. Household and household-like contacts are notrequired to quarantine as long as they take additional safety measures in the 7 days that would have been their quarantine period. These additional safety measures include:
- notifying the school if returning during their 7 day period;
- undertaking daily rapid antigen testing five times within the 7 days;
- wearing a face covering when indoors (if aged 8 years and above or unless they have a valid exemption).
3. Principals must notify staff and the school community when a student or staff member has returned a positive COVID-19 test result and had attended the school during their infectious period.
4. Staff or students should refrain from returning to school if they remain symptomatic, unless it is known that their symptoms are ongoing, or caused by an underlying health condition or medication.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday 12th July and Wednesday 13th July from 3.30pm-7.00pm. Booking details will be made available in a Compass alert next week. Please keep an eye out for this as our teachers would welcome the opportunity to discuss the progress of your child/children at this time.
Semester 1 Reports will be released via Compass on Thursday, 23rd June.
Staffing News
Mrs Woodward will be retiring at the end of this term, with Wednesday being her last day of teaching. Mrs Woodward first taught is 1985, meaning that she has had a career spanning over 37 years. She has spent 17 of these years (2005-2022) as a teacher at SGPS. However, her association with our school started in 1998 when her first child, Holly, started as a student.
In my time at SGSP I have known Mrs Woodward as a passionate and dedicated LOTE (German) teacher. I have greatly appreciated her willingness to expand her program, including running an after-school program for many hears that involved parents and grandparents. I have also been amazed at her willingness to improve her knowledge and skills by continually participating in professional learning programs centred around the German language. Mrs Woodward has also been passionate about sustainability, resulting in many great initiatives and programs during her time at SGPS.
On behalf of our staff member and broader school community, I would like to thank Mrs Woodward for her important contribution to our school and community. I wish her, her husband Martin, and their two children, the very best for all future endeavours.
Mr Daenke will be taking Long Service Leave for the duration of Term 3. He shared this information with his students and families (via Compass) on Tuesday. In his absence, Mr Luke Dunstone (Monday-Tuesday) and Mrs Suzi Purcell (Wednesday-Friday) will share the teaching and learning in Grade 3/4 Daenke.
Mr Daenke will return to the classroom on the first day of Term 4. This leave has been planned for some time and he is looking forward to spending time with his extended family in the UK. Safe travels, Mr D!
2022 Student Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS)
Approximately half of our Grade 4-6 children have completed the AtoSS survey. The remaining students will have the opportunity to do this next week.
Prep Enrolments 2023
If you have a child who will be attending Spring Gully Primary School in Prep next year, you are most welcome to enrol now.
Prep enrolments for 2023 close on Friday, 24th June.
Parents will be notified of the outcome of their application within a week of the closing date.
Prep 2023 - Orientation Program Dates
Thursday, 17th November – 9:00am-10:00am
Thursday, 24th November – 9:00am-10:00am
Thursday, 1st December – 9:00am-10:00am
Tuesday, 13th December – 9:30am-12:00pm
NAIDOC Week (July 3-10)
I am pleased to inform you that over the school holidays it will be NAIDOC Week. This important week celebrates and recognises Indigenous Australians' cultures, achievements and history. The theme this year is Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! This theme encourages all of us to champion institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating those who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.
If you would like to support, celebrate and acknowledge this nationally significant week, you can find many events, posters, activities, and broadcast information at https://www.naidoc.org.au/. We also have a wide selection of First Nation peoples' books in the school for the students and staff to explore.
End of Term 2 – Early School Finish and Assembly
Term 2 will conclude at 2.15pm on Friday, 24th June. Please make appropriate arrangements for the safe collection of your child/ren due to the earlier dismissal time. There will be a brief assembly at 2.00pm in the Hub.
Bus Travellers – End of Term Pick Up
The school bus will be collecting our students an hour earlier than normal on the last day of term. This means that the bus is scheduled to arrive at our school at 2.45pm.
Happy Holidays!
As Term 2 concludes, I would like to wish all of our families a very safe and happy holiday. This term has certainly been packed with lots of fun and learning and Term 3 promises more of the same!
I would like to thank you all on behalf of our staff for your continued support of the school.