Principal's Report

Dear Skye Families,

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Meet the Teacher and Twilight Sports event last week. Seeing so many families in classrooms reflecting on student strengths and then navigating the 'Amazing Race' stations with friendly competitive spirit was a fantastic way to kick off the term. 

Our Direction: The 2026 Annual Implementation Plan

This year, our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) marks a significant milestone as we enter the final year of our current School Strategic Plan. We are doubling down on our commitment to two core goals: maximising every student’s growth in literacy and numeracy, and empowering our students to be independent, self-regulating learners.

To achieve this, our school is focusing on two Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) that will shape the daily experience in our classrooms:

1. Enhancing Teaching Practice Through PLCs

We are further embedding Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), which are collaborative teams of teachers working together to constantly refine their craft. This means:

• The Skye PS Instructional Model: Every teacher will be planning and delivering lessons that follow a consistent, high-impact structure.
• Knowledge-Rich Units: Our teams are adapting and implementing specialised units and consistent maths fluency routines to ensure all students have a strong foundation in core literacy and numeracy skills.
• Real-Time Assessment: We are strengthening how we use formative assessment, short check-ins during lessons, to immediately adjust teaching to meet your child’s needs.

2. A Positive Climate for Wellbeing and Inclusion

A child who feels safe and supported is a child who is ready to learn. This requires ongoing strengthening and refinement of our multi-tiered approach to supporting student wellbeing. This involves:

• Tier 1 Support for All: Every classroom teacher consistently applying 'Tier 1' wellbeing practices, creating a predictable and positive environment for every student.
• Clear Referral Pathways: We are refining how we identify and support students who need extra help, ensuring there are clear steps for timely behaviour support and personalised intervention plans.
• Data-Informed Care: Our teams will be using attendance, behaviour, and wellbeing data more effectively to prioritise support for students who need it most and to measure the positive impact of our programs.

To view the 2026 Annual Implementation Plan in summary form, please click on the file link below.

2026 School Review

In tandem with the AIP, we will undergo a formal School Review in Term 2. This happens every four years and acts as a 'health check' for our school. An external panel (including the school reviewer, Senior Education Improvement Leader, and two Principals) will visit us to observe classrooms and speak with staff, students, and families. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come since 2022 and to begin mapping out improvement goals for the next four year strategic period. I look forward to sharing more details of the School Review in the coming weeks.

The Fathering Project: Pizza and Planes!

The excitement is building for our official Fathering Project launch this Tuesday, February 24th. We have been absolutely blown away by the response; we currently have responses from approximately 200 fathers and father-figures and 250 children!

It’s shaping up to be a big night of connection, pizza, and high-flying paper plane competition. We are thrilled to welcome special guest Rodney Eade to help us kick off this partnership and celebrate the vital role that positive male role models play in our students’ wellbeing.

Celebrating Our 2026 Student Leaders

A major highlight of last week’s assembly was the official badge presentation for our 2026 Student Leadership Team. It was a proud moment as we introduced our new School Captains, Vice-Captains, and House Captains to the community.

Stepping into a leadership role is a significant responsibility, and these students have already shown they have the empathy and integrity to lead their peers well. Please join me in congratulating them as they begin their journey of service to our school. 

School Captains: Eleanor Cavey and Ruairi James

Vice Captains: Lola Bella and Jack Sanderson

Thorpe House Captains: Olivia Hinton and Xavier Stannard

Freeman House Captains: Erisa Keenan and Aariah Ngawini

Webb House Captains: Ruby Rickard and Quinci Plunket-Jones

Waugh House Captains: Parkes Thomas and Luka Sloan

Have a wonderful fortnight!

Warm regards,

Tim