Principal's Report

Enrolments and 2026 Planning Reminder

If you are aware of families intending to enrol in our school for 2026 who haven't done so yet, please encourage them to do so as soon as possible, including families with siblings looking to join our Foundation 2026 group.

If your family is intending to move on in 2026, we're sorry to see you go, but we also greatly appreciate notification as early as possible so we can plan for staffing and classes more accurately.

Devices at Robbie Mac

Roberts McCubbin Primary School has a long tradition of leading the way in education—whether through our early focus on student wellbeing, the introduction of phonics well ahead of recent state-wide curriculum changes, or our innovative work in technology and STEAM.

Just as we like to anticipate new and better ways of doing things, we also continually review research, trends, and feedback to refine our programs. Last year, we began phasing out “bring your own device” (BYOD) iPads in Foundation and Year 1, instead providing school-owned sets when needed. After monitoring the positive impact of this change, and with an eye to easing financial pressures on families, we have decided to gradually phase out BYOD across the school.

What this means for families:

• From 2026, students in Foundation, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 will use class sets of school-owned devices when needed—for example, to enhance learning tasks, for access to information, for typing practice, and for other explicit technology skills.
• From 2027, this approach will extend to Year 4, and will continue year by year until all levels use school-owned devices only.
• Students currently in Years 3–6 (and many Year 2s) who already bring iPads may continue to do so. Students without their own devices will always have access to school-owned options to ensure equity.

We are also investing in new laptops for Years 3–6. With improved quality and lower costs in today’s market, we can bulk purchase devices more affordably than before, meaning we can steadily build up our supply in a cost-effective way, supported by Voluntary Parent Payments.

As always, we acknowledge that families may have a range of views about decisions like this. Please be assured that every decision is made with one guiding principle in mind: what will best support the learning and wellbeing of our students.

Parent/Carer Opinion Survey

Thank you to the parents/carers who have already completed the annual Department of Education Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey. Your feedback is truly appreciated and informs many strategic planning decisions each year. The survey remains open until the 19th of September so there's plenty of time left if you haven't had a chance to do it yet!

You can access the survey via the QR code below and choose from a range of languages. An email was sent via Compass to all parent/carer/guardian emails on Monday - this email contains the PIN necessary to access the survey. If you can't find this email in your inbox, please let the office know. We'll resend again next week as a reminder.

Fathers and Special People Coffee Morning

Yesterday saw a wonderful gathering of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other special guests for our annual coffee morning and classroom visits. A huge collection of guests saw our coffee van barista very busy throughout the morning, with students doing a craft activity alongside their special people.

As always, tireless PFA member Carolyn was at the heart of the organisation of this event, we are so lucky to have people like Carolyn to drive our community celebrations throughout the year. Thank you!

Sunsmart Reminder – Hats Required from September 

As part of our school’s Sunsmart policy, the official Sunsmart period is now active. We expect that all students will begin wearing their hats, will 'no hat, no play' enforced from the beginning of Term 4 and any high UV days between now and the end of Term 3. Please ensure your child’s hat is clearly labelled and brought to school each day. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe in the sun.

Peter Watson

Principal