Relieving Principal Message

It has been a very positive and productive start to our new school year. 

 We welcomed our new year 7 students, who look smart and proud in their school uniforms each day.  The transition to high school is a huge undertaking for our young people and we congratulate the way in which they are all adjusting and seeking out support as and when they need it. 

I would like to acknowledge some of the truly outstanding achievements which already have our teachers and community bursting with pride.  

Luke Rees in year 9 has been selected as the newest DOVES Student Minister’s Council member for the Rural North Directorate.  

Noel Arafat in year 12 has been welcomed and accepted into Youth NSW Youth Parliament and he will be representing the Northern Tablelands electorate.  

Sophia-Rose Markham was also selected into the youth Parliament AND was the overall winner of the Regional Lions Club speeches competition! A shout out to Sophie Parsons who played for NSW CHS in Maitland, she was her team’s highest scorer and they played off for third and fourth position.  

Well done to Skye Vaughan who received an Academic Achievement Award from the University of Sydney, she will receive her award on Monday – great work. 

Congratulations to all our promising leaders of today and tomorrow.

Our school captains have also come into the new school year demonstrating their vision and passion to affect positive change in our school community, driving initiatives and events which work to increase our sense of community and connectedness.  They are already rousing student and school support to make our school representation at the Autumn Festival a memorable and fun event. For Valentine’s Day, they donned some Greek costumes to deliver very entertaining messages and songs to staff and students, all to raise money for our dedicated school charity Dolly’s Dream. Well done team, you are amazing leaders and keep the dedication and enthusiasm coming. 

The environmental group participate in many fundraising activities that brings awareness to the importance of recycling and raise funds which go directly towards resources for our students. Thank you for your hard work.

The swimming carnival was an incredible success thanks to the efforts of all our dedicated staff, in particular our PDHPE faculty who lead all of our sporting events with such passion and enthusiasm, it is infectious to us all! Well done house Fraser who were the winners overall. But when we have such a great day together as a school, we’re all winners!

A reminder that NAPLAN is coming up in March, for years 7 and 9. Please refer to our school website events section for the examination schedule.  Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. 

As a school we paid tribute and celebrated the illustrious career of Carol Green, a very respected and pivotal person in our school and broader community.  She received her retirement medal as she steps back from her role as Head Teacher Aboriginal Education, though will still be a present member of our school in her driving HSC school attainment as a mentor and tutor. Carol Green is an inspiration to us all and the face of our International Women’s Day celebrations. The theme of this day is ‘inclusion’.  Carol has worked tirelessly with inclusion at the very heart of her work, and we hope she stays connected with us for still a long time to come.

Many thanks to P&C committee for a strong start to the year, we welcome new members and appreciate the ongoing collaboration to achieve the very best for our students. Remember to place your lunch orders through the parent and community section on our school website.  All the profits go straight back into helping our students, so check out the specials and place your orders!