Principal Update

I had the privilege of coming to school last Sunday afternoon to be entertained by our students who learn a musical instrument in our OHMP. 

We listened to students singing, playing flutes, a trumpet, drums, piano and guitar lead by our very talented and dedicated music teachers. The courage and skills of our students once again made me feel very proud. Their consistent effort to learn the code of music and to create beautiful sounds from their instrument is incredible. Our Out of Hours Music Program is organised by a small team of parent volunteers and I would like to thank them for their work, without which this program would not be able to continue. I know they are looking for volunteers for next year so please consider this small time commitment to ensure this program can continue. 

The student free day last week was very valuable for staff to set directions for 2026 and start the learning process. We started with a presentation from the Leading Literacy team, which included activities about cognitive load, best teaching practice in English and an analysis of some literature. This was followed by a celebration of the work of our Curriculum Implementation Groups where each group shared their achievements for the year and set priorities for next year. We finished the day with a presentation from two speech therapists and a psychologist with a session on Autism with a focus on girls. This provided us with more knowledge and also some good strategies to use in the classroom. It was a really informative and positive day. 

Last Thursday with no students on site we had our arborists come and complete maintenance on our trees, which is a yearly check we do. Unfortunately, they let us know that the cyprus trees on the Yarralea St boundary are diseased and are dying. They cut away many branches to make them safe but let us know that they will need to be taken out as the disease is across all of them. This is a shame but we will replace them when that time comes. 

At this time of the year we like to let parents know about the events for 2026. Each year level will have excursions and incursions throughout the year. This is a user pays charge and so if not paid we will assume you do not want your child to attend. The second column of information is for our outdoor education program which includes the Year 2 dinner and sleepover onsite as well as the off site camps. The charge for the camps is based on this years amounts so may change for 2026.

School Activities include Excursions/ Incursions and Camps

It was great to see lots of families yesterday afternoon for our annual Art show and Writer’s Festival. The quality of the work was astounding so we hope you set aside plenty of time to read the work and take in the creativity. Thank you to the teachers for supporting the students and a big thank you to Michael for all his work with the Art Show.

You might have noticed our grounds officer, Peter, busy keeping the yard neat and tidy and getting the little jobs done. Peter works at APS two mornings a week and it is a great relief to Shane to have someone else to attend to the numerous things that happen in a school.

I would like to remind parents that the area immediately outside the gates is for accessible parking and not for general use. There are signs and markings on the road to signify this area. We have noticed quite a number of cars parked there and blocking the use for students who need direct access into school. Please be thoughtful about others when stopping outside the school. 

Have a great week

Kind Regards

Melissa Mackenzie

Principal