FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Term 2 Week 2

ANZAC Day

I would like to start with a heartfelt thank you to our staff, students and families for supporting St Nicholas School in the ANZAC Day March last Saturday. ANZAC Day is such a special day on our calendar and as St Nicholas Principal, I could not have been prouder of our involvement. From our Year 6 leaders right down to our Kindergarten students, our students marched with reverence and respect befitting the occasion. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our school and equally wonderful to hear positive feedback from community members.

A special mention must go to Flynn Coutts and Mrs O’Sullivan for keeping our time on the drums, and to our school captains, Max Collett and Stella Clery, who represented our school at the Parish ANZAC Day Mass, the March, and the Commemoration Ceremony at Town Hall to lay a wreath on behalf of our school.

Celebrating Our Commitment to Learning

I want to extend a sincere thank you to all our parents and students for the fantastic start we have made to the year regarding school attendance. Currently, St Nicholas boasts an attendance rate of 93% and an attendance level of 78%. These figures are a testament to the dedication of our families in prioritising education.

Regular attendance is vital. When students are present every day, they are not only keeping up with their learning, but are also building the social connections and routines that allow them to truly thrive. When we “show up,” good things happen.

Living Well, Learning Well at St Nicholas

Our focus on attendance ties directly into our Living Well, Learning Well framework. This student support framework, utilised across the Diocese of Armidale, is built on the belief that every student deserves universal and unconditional positive regard.

At St Nicholas', we view our school as a safe, productive, and inclusive community where children are deserving of respect and esteem. To support this, we utilise a Multi-Tiered

System of Support:

Tier 1: High-quality instruction and support provided to all students, all the time.
Tier 2: Additional small group or individual support for students who need a more rapid response.
Tier 3: Individualised, assessment-based support for students with high-level needs.

Central to our positive environment are our Rules for Living. We encourage our students to carry these principles with them every day:

I am safe.
I am valued, respected, and cared for.
I am a learner.

By attending school regularly, our students ensure they remain active participants in this supportive culture. We move away from labels like "perpetrator" or "victim". Instead, we use an approach, asking: "How do we support this student to replace an unproductive behaviour with a safe and productive one?".

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every child at St Nicholas' understands what it feels like to be successful in their learning.

Have a wonderful week,

Peter Flynn