Principal Address

Dear Families,

What an incredible week it has been celebrating Book Week. 

The costumes were outstanding and the creativity, colour and effort that went into them was brilliant. Thanks to all of you as parents for your support and effort in making this a great day. A huge thank you also goes to our visiting author who not only entertained but also informed and encouraged our students to continue their love of reading. It was such a blessing to have Carla Fitzgerald with us. 

Most of all, I want to acknowledge Mrs Auckett who for 26 years has faithfully organised Book Week at HPCS. Her tireless effort and commitment have made these weeks so memorable for generations of students and we are deeply grateful. 

I want to share how proud I am of our school this week. It has not been an easy one with many staff away, heavy rainfall, virtually no outdoor play, road closures, changes to bus routes, a four hour power outage on Thursday and no internet for most of the week. Despite all this, instead of grumbling or frustration, what I saw was a remarkable sense of community. Students enjoyed board games at lunch, umbrellas were shared, our year 6's ran a games session in the gym, staff and students supported one another and there was a genuine joy in making the best of things together. A special moment for me was when two students arrived late on Thursday, drenched from the rain and without costumes for the book parade. A staff member and some older students, in the middle of juggling many things, quietly raided the prop cupboard so they would not feel left out and organised costumes for these two students. That to me is the kind of school I want to be, “a school that sees”. The doors of Christian community swing on small hinges, small acts that show God’s love to one another. 

Parent Prayer Group

Next week our parent prayer group will be meeting after chapel. This has been a wonderful space of encouragement and support, and we are so thankful for those who faithfully gather to pray for our students, staff and families. All are welcome.

Father’s Day

The following week we will be celebrating Father’s Day with some exciting activities planned. On Friday 5 September we will host our Father’s Day Chapel followed by our very first Father’s Day watermelon eating competition, something I think may become a bit of an institution! Sign up to participate using the link provided. https://forms.gle/71ep1XK7dt4ugL3o6

Our Father’s Day Stall will also be held on Thursday 4 September and I will share more details on that next week. We know this time can be challenging for some families and I want to be mindful and sensitive to the different circumstances within our community. Obviously, I am aware of a few individual circumstances. If there are other students who may need some support during the week please let me know. 

A quick reminder that there are no lunch orders next Friday.

My door is always open.

Mr Joe Britton

Principal