Principal's Page

Kindergarten Orientation

A gentle reminder to all parents of Kindergarten children for 2025, orientation starts Friday and the times are as follows: 

Friday 15th from 9:30 to 11:00

Friday 22nd from 9:30 to 11:00

Friday 29th from 9:30 to 11:00

The orientation sessions are preceded by an information evening on Thursday 14th, from 6pm. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Children are to be signed in at Kenna Hall. Parents then leave the hall via the meeting room, where they select a time for their child's Best Start assessment if they have not done so previously. (Information about Best Start will be provided at the parent information evening on the 14th.) Children will then be collected at 11:00. It is important that you are on time to collect your child as it causes great stress if they are left for a while and we do no wish their first interactions with school to be stressful.

Assistant Principal

Mrs Robyn Petty has decided to take a year away from work. Robyn will not be with us next year. I am sure you will join me in wishing Robyn a fabulous year of rest, travel and fun. An acting Assisstant Principal will be appointed.

New Counsellor

As you are aware, our school counsellor, Mrs Elise Goodwin is on Maternity Leave. Her replacement Mrs Sharnie Willis has now commenced counselling at Catherine McAuley.

Cyber Safety

The area of Cyber Safety is one of growing concern. New laws are being proposed around the use of social media and who can and cannot have an account. At this present time, without the proposed new laws, children under the age of 13 cannot have a social media account. This means that very few primary school students should have a social media account. 

In the next weeks I will be sharing with you further information about how you can keep your children safe. The first step is being aware of what they are doing online and how much time they spend online. Children now do not know a world where cyber space was not a thing an many are unaware of the dangers it can present. The esafety commissioner has developed and mapped resources to the Australian Early Years Learning Framework and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

The eSafety commissioner has a website, the address is below, that has some excellent advice for parents and resources that can be used by parents. 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/early-and-often-still-the-best-advice-when-it-comes-to-online-safety 

Some of the eSafety resources which feature on the website for young children include:

• Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 – a children’s story book about sugar glider twins as they learn the 5 family rules for being safe online
• Early Years professional learning – self-paced online professional learning modules developed with Early Childhood Australia for early childhood educators
• a professional learning program for lower primary teachers – evidence-based advice about how to teach online safety in the classroom, developed with Early Childhood Australia
• Mighty Heroes – a suite of activities featuring Australian bush characters, Wanda the echidna, River the sugar glider, Dusty the frilled neck lizard and Billie the bilby, who help children aged 5 to 8 navigate the online world.

Apology

I need to offer my sincere apologies to  Kristy Portass for leaving her surname out of my 'thank yous' to the parent helpers on Grandfriends Day. I am mortified to have missed my error and hope I don't do it again. Kristy, please accept my apology.

Mobile Phones

Students' mobile phones are not to be brought into the school classrooms under any circumstances. All student phones are to be left at the school office in the morning and collected in the afternoon.

Dates for 2025

Please note some small changes from the previously advertised dates

Have a great fortnight

Jo Flynn