Principal's Message
Welcome back to Term 2. It has been fantastic to see our students return from the school holidays so positively, ready to learn and reconnect with their peers. There has been a strong start across the school, with students settling quickly back into their learning.
We concluded Term 1 on a very meaningful note, with our Year 5 and 6 students participating in a Mental Health Workshop Day facilitated by external organisations, The Man Cave and The Big Sister Experience. These sessions provided students with valuable opportunities to explore topics such as emotional wellbeing, resilience, respectful relationships, and strategies for managing challenges. Experiences like this are an important part of supporting the whole child, helping our students to build confidence, self-awareness, and positive coping skills that will benefit them both in and out of the classroom.
A key focus for us continues to be the importance of predictable routines and clear expectations. This work is closely aligned with our staff professional learning in the Berry Street Education Model, which emphasises the importance of creating safe, supportive, and consistent learning environments. Predictable routines provide students with a strong sense of safety and stability, allowing them to feel confident, engaged, and ready to learn. When students know what to expect each day, they are better able to regulate themselves, build independence, and achieve success both academically and socially.
Alongside this, our staff are beginning to implement changes to our literacy block informed by recent professional learning in the Orton-Gillingham approach. This work will strengthen our whole-school literacy program by supporting a more structured, systematic, and synthetic phonics approach to reading and spelling. We are excited about the impact this will have in ensuring all students are supported to develop strong foundational literacy skills.
Last week, we were incredibly proud of our school leaders who represented our school at the Seaford RSL ANZAC Day ceremony. They showed great respect and maturity while laying a wreath and singing the national anthem. It was a meaningful opportunity for them to honour those who have served our country, and they represented our community with pride.
Term 2 is shaping up to be a busy and exciting term. We look forward to celebrating Mother’s Day with our community, as well as a range of engaging incursions and excursions that will enrich student learning. We also have our Athletics Day coming up, along with our much-anticipated Family BINGO Night—events that bring our community together and create lasting memories for our students.
To ensure these events can continue to run successfully, we rely heavily on the support of our parent and family volunteers. Your involvement is truly invaluable. Whether you can offer a small amount of time or assist with a specific event, every contribution makes a difference. We warmly encourage anyone who is able to support to reach out to the school. Your help is greatly appreciated and directly benefits our students.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Warm regards,
Stephania Johnson-Turner
