From the Principal

What a busy few weeks we've had celebrating recognition weeks at our school! Last week, Book Week was a fantastic experience, and we owe a huge thank you to Mrs Riley for organising the Book Fair—the library was abuzz with excitement and colour! The highlight of the week was the parade, where book characters came to life through the students' creative costumes. Each class walked around the oval, and judge Rev. Anne had the tough job of selecting the best dressed from each class. It was wonderful to see so many families and friends come out to watch the parade.

This week, we've focused on celebrating our incredible SAS staff. We absolutely couldn’t do what we do without them—they keep our grounds looking fabulous, our office running smoothly, and our students cared for and supported. And, of course, they provide invaluable support to our teachers. Mrs Callaway nailed it saying, "If the students are the heart of our school, our wonderful SAS staff are definitely the soul. They consistently go above and beyond for our kids and teachers, making our school the special place it is."

On behalf of the teaching staff and families, thank you for everything you do. We value and appreciate all your contributions, both big and small :)

In addition to these celebrations, we also recognised Speech Pathology Week. I was amazed to learn that over 1.2 million Australians have communication and swallowing support needs. At our school, students and staff connect through speech, gesture, sign, communication books, and devices, perfectly aligning with this year’s theme, "Communicate Your Way."

Over the past couple of weeks, we've had the pleasure of welcoming medical students from Charles Sturt University. These future doctors have been visiting our school as part of their training, learning how to best support students with disabilities when they present at the hospital. We are grateful to be involved in this important project and appreciate the time they’ve spent with us during their practical studies.

We were thrilled to welcome Mr. Murat Dizdar, the Secretary of the Department of Education, to our school yesterday. He had a wonderful time meeting our students, staff, and community members, and experiencing our unique learning spaces firsthand.

Finally, I’d like to wish all our fathers, carer fathers, grandfathers, and the significant men in our students' lives a very happy Father’s Day this Sunday, which also marks the first day of spring! Enjoy your family time and the warmer weather (hopefully).

Jodie Pritchard

Principal (rel)