Principal Report

Dear families,

I would like to share a BIG thank you to the staff and parents that joined the recent grade 34 and 56 camps. Without the support of 'time' from volunteers the camps would not proceed. 

In the latest education agreement, all staff are paid time in lieu when any event falls outside of the normal working day. The additional costs for this are not included in the camp costs for families. The additional costs are also not covered in other budgets. It makes covering the acquittal of time accrued on camps tricky for us. We have explored several different ways to manage this, however all outcomes have an impact on the day to day running of the school.

In 2023 and 2024 we had already confirmed our camps and paid deposits. We made the decision to run camps both years so that we did not have any current students missing a camp opportunity. With the George Wood theatre being renovated in 2023 we did not hold a school production and therefore did not have camps and a production to find time for.

Next year we will return to the George Wood Theatre for our school production. This will be our one big event next year that will accrue time in lieu for all staff. 

We are not in a position to cover time for camps and time for a school production. We have had a tough decision to make and have decided to 'rest' camps for 2025 in terms of an overnight component. We will be organising an activity week of events at the end of the 2025 and will be seeking input from families and students on what this may look like. 

In 2026 our camps will be back on track again and we are asking for families to share their voice in where the camps may be that year. Please add your name to this link if you would like to join a focus group. https://forms.gle/h7SxbMPQNpx3ak777

The good news is that a new agreement will be in place for 2027 and there is hope that the costs of camp time for staff will be worked managed in a different way so that we do not have to make decisions about what we can and cannot afford to run. 

If you have any questions regarding camps or the school production, feel free to make a time with me.

Craig