Principal's Update

 Dear Families,

Last week, I had the privilege of attending Grade 6 camp. At the end of the week, I could not have been prouder. Our children were incredible and embraced all of the experiences offered to them. At every place we attended, the guides and staff commented on the positive and respectful way our children behaved. So a big thank you to our kids.

I am also in awe of our staff who take the time to organise camps and excursions across the school year to ensure our children have rich and diverse learning experiences. Thank you to our Senior staff for having me along for the ride.

As you will have seen, our building project continues to move along. We arrived back from camp to see another slab laid outside the 3/4 space, and the steel is being erected on the STEAM centre. It is so exciting to see all the progress.

Please keep an eye out for a request for help with our old convent bricks for the build. To get them ready for on-site transport, we are looking for help stacking them onto new pallets at the local builders' yard, where they are currently stored.  We will send out a message about this soon.

Teachers are currently completing end-of-semester reports, which will be released on PAM in the last week of term. One of the things I ask you to check on reports is attendance percentages. School attendance is important. Research shows that reduced attendance affects children's academic outcomes as well as their social and emotional wellbeing.  This time at school includes arriving on time and not leaving early. We are noticing an increase in children arriving late and being collected prior to the end of the day. We do know that, at times, this is unavoidable, and we understand that; however, we also see the impact of time away from school on our children. We would also appreciate it if any unavoidable changes to pick-up arrangements were made before 3.00 pm each day. At times, we can receive up to 10 phone calls between 3 and 3.25. Notifying all the children and staff of these changes takes time and often interrupts learning. We really do appreciate your cooperation with this, and we only raise this because we want to maximise learning opportunities for your children.

May the weekend ahead be a good one for your family

God bless

Louise