Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers

As we move through Week 7 of Term 2, we are grateful for the much-needed rain that has blessed our region in recent weeks.

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Last Sunday, it was a joy to celebrate the Sacrament of First Eucharist with 19 children as they received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. This is a significant milestone in their faith journey, and we congratulate each of these children and their families on this special occasion.

A sincere thank you to Mrs Salmon and Fr Paddy for their dedication in preparing the children and organising such a beautiful Mass. Thank you also to the families for their support and commitment, and to the staff members who assisted in any way. A special mention to Mrs Huard, whose delicious cupcakes were thoroughly enjoyed by all following the celebration. We keep these children in our prayers as they continue to grow in faith and deepen their relationship with Christ.

Semester 1 Reports

Our teachers are currently very busy finalising Semester One reports, which will be available to parents via Compass on Friday 26 June. This year, you will notice a change to the grading system, with student achievement now reported using an A–E scale for Years 1-6. While this has changed, it remains a five-point grading scale. Further in this newsletter, you will find information explaining what each grade represents. 

It is important for parents to understand that a grade of C indicates that a student is achieving the expected standard for their year level and is demonstrating sound achievement of the learning outcomes taught to date. Receiving a C grade is common and reflects that a student is progressing as expected in their learning journey at this point in the school year. 

If you have any questions regarding this grading system, please talk to your child’s class teacher.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Following the reports being sent home, parents will have an opportunity to discuss their child's report and progress at Parent/Teacher Interviews on Monday 29th June and Wednesday 1st July. More information regarding bookings will come out shortly. 

Whole School Assembly Review

At last week's whole school assembly, I shared with parents that staff had recently undertaken a review of our fortnightly assembly format. I would like to thank the parents who also provided valuable feedback. As a result of this review, we have decided to continue presenting Class Awards, Yindyamurra Awards and Principal Awards during the assembly.

To ensure each student's achievement is appropriately recognised, award recipients will be called individually and applauded as they come forward to receive their award from their class teacher. We believe this approach maintains the importance of celebrating individual achievements while ensuring assemblies remain engaging and efficient for all in attendance.

Reading remains a high priority at our school, and we greatly value the effort and commitment students demonstrate in reaching their reading milestones. As a result, we have decided that Reading Awards will no longer be presented at the fortnightly assembly as they were often rushed at the end. Instead, students will receive these awards from their class teacher on Friday mornings during assembly weeks, allowing these achievements to be recognised with the individual attention they deserve. Award recipients will also continue to be celebrated on our Facebook page so that families and the wider community can share in their success.

Examples of social media posts:

We have also reviewed the dismissal process following assemblies to ensure it is safe, organised and efficient for all students and families. The revised process is as follows:

1. Students who walk home or travel by bus will be dismissed first through the back of the hall with the duty teachers and will collect their bags from the hooks as they leave.
2. Students being collected by parents who are not attending the assembly will be dismissed next and will wait on the bleachers until they are collected.
3. Students whose parents are present in the hall will be dismissed last.

With the addition of Junior Joeys, we now have up to 177 students and many families moving through the hall and car park area on Friday afternoons. To support the safe movement of everyone, duty teachers will continue to assist with managing the flow of families exiting the hall and entering the car park. This revised process worked very well last week, and we will continue to monitor and refine it as needed.

Thank you for your support and cooperation as we strive to provide a safe and positive experience for all members of our school community. Should you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a wonderful long weekend. Students return on Wednesday 10th June as we have a Pupil Free Day on Tuesday 9th June.

God Bless

Angela Scott