From the School Leadership Team

A warm welcome back to Term 3!

What a joy it is to welcome back all our families as we begin Term 3! We hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating holiday break and are ready for another exciting term of learning and growth. A wholehearted thank you to Vicki and our GGOSH team for their efforts in running a fantastic vacation care programme over the holiday break.

We concluded Term 2 on such a positive note with our spectacular Glow Week celebration. It was truly heartwarming to see so many families join us to witness and celebrate the incredible learning and creative projects our children produced throughout the week. The enthusiasm and pride on both the children's and families' faces was absolutely infectious, and it served as a wonderful reminder of why we love being part of this vibrant learning community.

We extend an especially warm welcome to our mid-year Foundation families who are joining our school community this term. It has been amazing to welcome such a large group of new families, and we are thrilled to have established a separate mid-year Foundation class to accommodate these wonderful additions to our school family.

The smiling faces of these new children as they settle into our school community have brought such joy to our days. Watching them form new friendships, explore their classroom environment, and begin their educational journey with us has been truly special.

Term 3 promises to be filled with unique and enriching experiences. We are particularly excited about the upcoming visit from our friends at Eisugakkan this Thursday. This cultural exchange represents one of the most treasured partnerships our school enjoys, offering our students invaluable opportunities to learn about different cultures and build meaningful connections across borders.

The week will culminate with a special camp experience on Friday at AFL Max, where some of our students and our visitors will come together for activities that celebrate friendship, teamwork, and cultural understanding. These shared experiences create memories that last a lifetime and broaden our children's perspectives in the most wonderful ways.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the generous homestay families who have volunteered to host our international visitors over the coming weekend. Your willingness to open your homes and hearts exemplifies the spirit of community and cultural exchange that makes our school so special. This rich cultural experience is truly a blessing, and our school is fortunate to have such dedicated families who help make these meaningful connections possible.

As we embark on Term 3, we carry with us the momentum and joy from our successful Glow Week, the excitement of welcoming new families, and the anticipation of our upcoming cultural exchange. These experiences remind us of the incredible community we have built together – one that celebrates learning, embraces diversity, and supports every child in their journey.

We look forward to another term filled with discovery, growth, and the special moments that make our school community truly exceptional.

Welcome back, everyone! Here's to a wonderful Term 3.

Volunteering in the School

We appreciate many families giving of their time and expertise to volunteer in the school, whether it be with our school canteen, P & F Events, school camps, GLOW Week or classroom assistance. A reminder to please ensure that your WWCC details are up to date, along with RAHN and VSC training. Further information on our volunteering requirements is available from our website.

A few reminders

Please be reminded of some of our key events coming up:

Term 3

Thursday 24 July - Eisugakkan students visiting from Japan
Friday 25 July - Opening Service 8.50am
Friday 25 July - Saturday 26 July - optional camp with Eisugakkan students at AFL Max for Year 5/6 students
Saturday 26 July - Sunday 27 July - Eisugakkan students homestay
Monday 28 July – P & F Meeting at 7.00pm in the Admin Building
Tuesday 5 August – School Photos
Saturday 9 August – P&F Bingo Night
Wednesday 13 August – Principal Tour 9.15am
Thursday 14 August – Year 5/6 SACSA Netball
Friday 15 August – Year 3/4 SACSA Netball
Friday 15 August – Pong A Thon
Tuesday 19 August – Book Week Parade
Tuesday 19 August – Middle of Term (MOT) Breakfast
Friday 29 August – Date Night
Monday 1 September – Father’s Day Stall
Thursday 4 September – Mark Le Messuirer – managing anxiety and big emotions in children 7.00pm to 8.30pm in the Worship Centre
Friday 5 September – Pupil Free Day – show day
Wednesday 10 September – Year 3/4 SACSA AFL
Wednesday 10 September – Principal Tour 9.15am
Wednesday 10 September – Exhibition viewing for Parents
Thursday 11 September – Year 5/6 SACSA AFL
Friday 12 September – SAPSASA Tennis
Friday 12 September – Messy Church
Friday 19 September – Special Person’s Afternoon

Our full school calendar can also be viewed on the school website.

Will Wallace

Principal

EVALUATION: We have the evaluation visit scheduled for August 6th – 8th which is from Wednesday to Friday in Week 3. The visiting team representing the IB are Brendan who will be online for the visit. Michael will be here face-to-face for the 3 days. A timetable will be established for various groups from the school to meet with the Team. Earlier in the year, many families took part in surveys that we used to determine our community views on the program and school. In these surveys, parents and carers were asked if they would be willing to meet and chat about the various areas. These parents will be contacted in the following days to see if they are available to meet with the evaluators. The time set aside for this is Thursday, August 7th between 2.00pm and 3.00pm. If anyone would like to join this group, please contact me.

Jayne Zadow

Director of Teaching and Learning, PYP