Dear Parents/Carers,

I want to thank you for your support throughout what has been a very unusual school semester. The COVID-10 pandemic affected our entire community and has presented us with extraordinary challenges in managing schooling the first half of 2020. I am pleased that together, we have been able to make the best of this situation and ensure your child’s safety and continuity of learning.

With the regular attendance of many students being lower over this time, the breadth and depth of the curriculum covered throughout Semester 1 may have been reduced. As mentioned previously, schools’ were advised that there would be no A to E grades on this year’s Semester 1 student Reports.

Staff have worked together to develop comments that will assist you with understanding how your child is progressing.

Reports will be distributed today online.

Schooling is once again returning to normal as our students are engaging in the regular curriculum, in their usual classroom environment. Semester 2 Reports will reflect this and therefore provide the usual, more detailed information on your child’s progress and achievement.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we work together to provide the best learning opportunities for our students.

Due to the COVID-19 situation at the start of Term 2 all schools were granted an extra Pupil Free Day which for us will be at the commencement of Term Three.

Could families note that Monday the 20th of July will be a Pupil Free day? Students will recommence on Tuesday the 21st of July.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Congratulations to all of our students who have received Honour certificates in the last weeks of term. It has been wonderful getting them together each week and having our student councillors read and present them their awards. We hope the phone photos have enabled you to see the recognition we wanted to give to these students.

As we move into term three we will look at how we can further recognise the great efforts of students.

Our whole school set a goal for the last part of Term Two, to work towards a goal of 1500 faction card points. I am very pleased to say that as of Thursday lunch time our students had exceeded the goal which was an opportunity to have a ‘Free Dress’ day and an extended lunch Break. I was very proud of the efforts of all of our students in reaching this goal.

There have been many workers around the school during the past week.

Our three flag poles have been put in. We have a new set of goal posts for football on the oval. With the completion of the resurfacing of the court area the fence is now being replaced and should be completed by the holiday Break.

Our school is celebrating its 120th Anniversary in 2021 and one of our proposals is considering the establishment of a Nature Play area with more climbing equipment in the area behind and adjacent to the cricket nets. At this very early stage of idea gathering we would like to hear from anyone with expertise or contacts in this area. Part of our current climbing equipment will be moved across to this area to make way for some onsite parking that is being developed in the paving area as you come in the gate at the bottom of Hope street. The car entrance will be alongside the current driveway/gate entrance we use to walk in and leave the school. Parking needs of schools are currently being addressed with this government maintenance stimulus funding.

Tom and his photo team were out recently to undertake our 2020 school photos. It was great to be able to accommodate them onsite this year.

Another activity we were able to be involved in was the Winter Sports carnival. Students from years 5 and 6 travelled across to Winterfold to compete in the sports of Football, Netball and Soccer. Thank you to Mr Truong, Mr Robinson, Mrs Foster, Abby and Ashleigh for their efforts with coaching and umpiring on the day. Our students won the B Netball and came second in Football and Soccer. Benji won the longest football kick competition and Oscar the Soccer juggling competition.

I was very proud of the way our students represented the school. They did a brilliant job!

Mrs Speedie and her team have reintroduced Breakfast Club on Tuesday mornings which has been very popular.

Bev and the Canteen committee have done an excellent job in getting the menu up and going again. The students have been really excited to see this recommence.

Looking forward to Term Three we hope to be able to run our carnivals and other events.

With the increasing number of students on the Grounds after school in play areas around classrooms there has been an increase in noise and some injuries. As staff are preparing for the following day could I ask parents after catching up with friends to move from these areas around 3:15pm and perhaps meet again at the oval? Thanks for your understanding and assistance with this.

What a fantastic effort from Julie and her team of volunteers who recently undertook a ‘Busy Bee’ in the gardens. This follows up another on the grounds in the Sensory garden held a few days

before, after school, by Stephanie and her team.

The efforts of everyone was very much appreciated as we weeded, mulched and pruned our way around our various beds. Approximately 80 hours of volunteer work was undertaken.

Thank you from all of our school community!

On behalf of the staff, have a wonderful Break with your family during July!

Glenn Rondoni

PRINCIPAL

School News

Winter Intersport Carnival