Principal's Report

Dear SEPS Families, 

It is hard to beleive this is Week 6 and we are heading into June next week. Preparations are all well under way for an exciting Term 3 as we look forward to our performing arts term but it seems coming around far too quickly! SEPS Academy was launched last Friday and we held our first proper sessions today. There was defintiely a buzz in the air as students moved off to their chosen activity. 

CAMP

Apologies for missing the previous newsletter as we were heading home from camp after an amazing week in Canberra with our Year 6 cohort. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful parent helpers who supported us throughout the week and survived 12 hours on the bus. It is a big ask to be away from families for 5 days. Thank you all for your time and willingness to make camp a great experience for our students. 

This was our first trip to the ACT for a few years so was a good opportunity to review the agenda and make some tweaks for next year’s trip. All of the places we visited were engaging, inspiring and full of in interesting information. The only thing we would change is the opportunity to spend a bit more time at each site. The accommodation was good but not great, so we will be looking at other options moving forward. We received several comments everywhere we went on how well behaved and knowledgeable our students were. They were a great group to spend time with and were excellent ambassadors for our school. Their parents should be very proud! 

STAFFING 

It is with mixed emotions that we farewell our much-loved Mrs Ferguson this week. Mrs Ferguson works as our Disability Inclusion Officer and also teaches Foundation on a Wednesday. She has recently purchased a new home, which is very exciting means that she has been snapped up by a school much closer to home. I know it was a difficult decision for her, but it will be the best for her young family. We wish her all the best and look forward to keeping in touch and hearing what a great impact that she is having on her new school. 

We welcome back Mrs Leal, who will be returning from family leave to replace Mrs Ferguson in the Foundation team. We are currenlty seeking to fill the Disability Inclusion Office role however in the meantime, Mr Daley will be ensuring that we keep DI processes running smoothly. If you have any concerns regarding disability inclusion or student support group meetings, please do not hesitate to contact us.    

PRINCIPAL FOR THE DAY

Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of spending the day Isla, who was our Principal for the Day after her family won the auction at the parent gala. Isla was a superstar in the office and completed lots of admin jobs for us. She was very impressed with the staffroom fridge and agreed that sititng at a desk reading hundreds of emails each day is the most boring part of the job!

I also had the pleasure of hosting morning tea with our first group of token winners. Students have been receiving coin tokens when they are caught demonstrating one of our positive behaviour focus areas. Each coin earns them house points and their token goes into the draw for morning tea with me. I am continually surprised that this is viewed as a drawcard. My grandson assures me that it is a sought after event at his school too, so I am happy to oblige.  

Names were drawn at assembly and our first 5 winners joined me in the conference room for some juice and biscuits. They advised me that fairy bread and slices of pink lady apple might be a nice touch for the next group. I thought they would be eager to get outside with their friends but we spent the full half hour chatting away and sharing stories about families, favourite foods, holidays and our pets. Apparently one of our mums makes better hot pot than any restaurant so I have requested the recipe!! 

A couple of students were concerned that their parents might not like them having a biscuit so we phoned home and were given the go ahead for them to indulge in a small treat. I was very impressed at how responsible and how honest they were in considering their parent’s wishes. In the event that you would prefer your child not join in for morning tea with a biscuit, please contact the office. Students are welcome to just eat what is already in their lunchbox if that is your preference. 

CURRICULUM DAY 

Just a reminder that next Friday is a pupil free day. Staff will be attending our 2nd Curriculum Day for the year. We will be heading down to the Peninsula for the day to participate in Cultural Training at Willum Warrain (‘home by the sea’) Aboriginal Association in Hastings. Willum Warrain is the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and is a gathering place where Aboriginal people come together to realize community aspirations and forge shared identity. The sign on the front gate reminds us that it is a place of hope and healing. We look forward to sharing some time with elder, Uncle Peter who will guide us through a cultural immersion experience. We look forward to sharing some of our new learning with our students and families as we continue to strive to make SEPS an inclusive and safe space by practicing tolerance, empathy and respect for all.  

Have a wonderful fortnight ahead!  

Jane Briffa