A Message From Anna 

Hello everyone and welcome back to school for Term 3!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few days at Box Hill North Primary School and Kindergarten, especially meeting so many new friends. Thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome in your school community, whether it be by smiling at me, or introducing yourself, or even just by waving if you happen to walk past the office while I’m at the desk.  I am so impressed by the commitment to learning displayed by students, staff and parents. It is already clear to me that staff and parents set high expectations for student learning, and support students to achieve their best each and every day. Thank you to our parent community for providing students with everything they need at home, so students can focus on their learning whilst at school. 

Thank you to Ainslie for stepping in as Acting Principal for the end of Term 2, and for the support she has provided me with in my first days at BHNPSK. Thank you also to all the staff, students and parents who have answered a multitude of questions over the last week. I have learned so much in four days, and cannot wait to continue learning over the rest of Term 3. 

On Monday, when I asked a student, “What made today a good day?” he replied, “The work!” This was music to my ears, as those two words told me more than he intended. Without meaning to, he told me that his teachers set work that was differentiated to his point of need; he told me that his lessons were engaging and challenging, and that he felt a sense of satisfaction in completing the work he was set; he also told me that, if he needed help, he knew how and who to ask for it. But more than all of that, he told me that he enjoyed learning, which is the most important thing for a principal to hear on their first day at a school. Just quietly, I was even more excited to hear that the specific work he found most rewarding was during a Maths lesson, which told me that the work our staff have recently completed to develop numeracy teaching and learning is having a positive effect on student engagement. Well done everyone!

I’m looking forward to seeing students and staff in their pyjamas tomorrow, and encourage parents to get into the spirit and wear their PJs to drop-off or pick-up. I’ll see you at the gate in my dressing gown and slippers. Staff and students are all looking forward to a very cosy day!

As I get to know the Box Hill North community over the next term, I encourage you to pop by the office and introduce yourself when you get the chance. If there is anything in particular that I can help you with, I am always happy to set up a meeting to find out more about our students at BHNPSK.

Anna