Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families

Farewell to our Graduating Class of 2024

The graduation of our Year 6 students marks a significant milestone, not only as they bid farewell to their primary school years but also as they prepare to embark on the next chapter of both their educational journey and life beyond.

On Wednesday evening, December 18th, our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony was a truly memorable event—exciting yet emotional—for our students, families, staff, and the entire school community. It was a time to celebrate the achievements of our Year 6 class of 2024 as they concluded their final year of primary school.

It was heartwarming to see so many come together for this special occasion, with over 160 attendees gathering to celebrate our graduates. Together, we reflected on their primary school journey and applauded their hard work and accomplishments.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to our staff for their exceptional efforts in organising the event and to our parent volunteers, Jo and Lucy, for their invaluable support in setting up the gym. Your dedication, creativity, and passion added a special touch to an already remarkable evening. Thank you so much for your time and commitment.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to recognise the remarkable achievements of our students. It has been both an honour and a privilege to serve as Principal in their final primary school year, to grow, learn and walk beside them!

As our graduates move forward into the future, I wish them all the very best. May the road ahead be filled with endless opportunities and success. Here is a list of the award recipients on the night:

Community and Leadership Award (Presented by Julian Hill, Federal Member of Parliament):

This award acknowledges outstanding service to the school community in a leadership role that has a demonstrable positive impact.

Congratulations to: William McPherson

Community Spirit Award (Presented by Belinda Wilson, State Member of Parliament):

This is awarded to a student with amazing resilience and determination, being an epitome of community spirit.

Congratulations to: Shyah Por

Principal’s Award:

This award is presented to a student who consistently demonstrates the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Relationships and Resilience in their actions and words. As ambassadors of our school, he has demonstrated school pride through his interactions with all members of the school community.

Congratulations to: Aiden Chiswell

ACE Foundation Awards:

Each year the ACE Foundation lead by the Board Chair Dr. Leon Shapero has provided our school with six awards. These students have pushed themselves through challenging situations, demonstrating our school values in their learning. They have had to be brave and risk takers. In class, they have demonstrated focus, motivation, making significant all-around progress in their learning.

Congratulations to these students:

Respect - Mika LOLESI

Relationship - Scarlett PEARSON

Resilience - Caitlyn HENDERSON

Responsibility - Tenzin GURU

Encouragement - Adrian ADAMS

Community - Susanna SACHIN

2024 School Dux Award:

The School Dux awards are presented to students who have achieved outstanding academic results across all curriculum areas.

Congratulations to: Susanna Sachin

SSV Sport and Academic Awards:

This award is presented to students that have shown excellence in both sport and with their academic studies.

Congratulations to: Safun Ghulam and Kravitz Vailoaloa

Specialist Awards:

The Specialist Awards acknowledge the exceptional talents of students in a specialist area of the curriculum.

STEAM Award	Dean Meester
Visual Arts Award	Louraine Obena
Performing Arts Award	Leo Bi
Kitchen Garden Award	Haleema Abdul Kaffar

Amazing Year 4s!

This term, Year 4 students have been exploring Geography as part of their Humanities curriculum. They have been learning to identify and describe the unique characteristics of various places and environments. Students are now able to explain the functions and features of different climates and vegetation around the world, understand the connections between Australia and other regions, and discuss the sustainability of natural resources.

Last week, the students showcased their learning in an exciting expo for Year 3 students. They presented their projects through PowerPoints, posters, and dioramas depicting deserts, oceans, and rainforests from different parts of the world. We are incredibly impressed with their dedication and effort.

Great job Year 4 students!

Christmas Raffle

I want to say a huge well done and thank you to our fabulous Maramba community on the fantastic fundraising efforts with our Christmas raffle. Maramba has raised $1224 in tickets sales and since our community generously donated all of the goodies, this is 100% profit. What an outstanding effort! Big thank you to our Friends of Maramba group for organising it and a special mention to Raelene Anderson for putting all the raffles together in their beautiful boxes and themes, dedicating considerable time and energy.

2025 Lunch Time Clubs - Request for Donations

Our Lunch Time Clubs program is set to become a vibrant and exciting feature of our school’s break times in 2025. We have an experienced and passionate Physical Education teacher joining us full time next year who will run regular sports activities with the different year levels. We will also run a LEGO and Hot Wheels cars club so we are requesting donations from the community. If you would like to donate any LEGO or Hot Wheels cars and track sets, can you please bring them to the School Office before the 20th December 2024. We thank you for your continued support and generosity.

With a variety of clubs and activities, we will be able to offer our students numerous opportunities to explore new interests, develop skills, and discover hidden talents. Whether they are passionate about art, sports, music, or reading, our lunchtime clubs provide a creative and supportive environment for students to thrive, make new friends, and enhance their personal growth. We are excited to see how these clubs will empower our students to engage in meaningful, fun, and enriching experiences!

2025 Key Dates

Curriculum Day 1	28 January
First day of school for all students in Yrs 1-6	29 January
First day of school for 2025 Foundation students	30 January (9am - 12pm until 7 February)
Foundation students start full time	10 February
Getting to Know You Parent Teacher Interviews	11 and 12 February (3:30pm – 5:30pm)
Whole School Photos	26 February
Curriculum Day 2	7 March
Common Professional Practice Day	9 May TBC
Curriculum Day 3 – Assessment and Reporting	10 June
Years 5 and 6 Camp	4 August until 6 August
2025 School Fete	15 November
Curriculum Day 4	28 November
Term 1 dates	29 January – 4 April
Term 2 dates	22 April – 4 July
Term 3 dates	21 July – 19 September
Term 4 dates	6 October – 19 December

We would like to wish our school community a safe and happy holiday break. Wishing all the students, teachers and parents a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kind regards,

Moniba Ehsan and Stephanie Sharp

Principal and Assistant Principal

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the Students and Staff who will celebrate their birthdays last, this week and over the holidays.