Principal's Report

Halfway Through Term 4

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through Term 4 — the summer break will be here before we know it!

This time of year always brings a mix of reflection and anticipation. I find myself constantly reading, thinking, and discussing ideas about education — what works, what doesn’t, and how we can keep evolving as a learning community. I never want to find myself in an echo chamber; instead, I’m committed to staying curious, challenging assumptions (including my own!), and ensuring our approach remains contemporary, evidence-based, and deeply relevant for every learner in our care.

Four Events In One Day!

FAMILY OPEN MORNING / WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY / YEAR 2 IMMIGRATION

DAY / YEAR 3 ARCADE GAMES EXPO – OCTOBER 31 WAS A DOOZY!

What a day! Four events in one — I’m still not entirely sure how we managed to pull that off!

It was such a pleasure to be welcomed at our Family Open Morning. My only regret was not having time to speak with everyone personally, but I’m so looking forward to many more opportunities to connect.

Thank you to the Wellbeing Team for organising such a warm event, and to Bromley's Bakery for the delicious breakfast treats.

The leadership team also hosted a special morning tea to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, recognising the incredible commitment and skill of our teachers. On a personal note, I’d like to thank my husband, who did the baking on my behalf — that’s true partnership!

Meanwhile, Year 2 Immigration Day provided plenty of laughter as students put us through our paces in our “international customs” roles, and the Year 3 Arcade Games Expo was a wonderful reminder of how our IB program fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a genuine joy in learning.

Meeting With Parents

I’ve now met with several groups of parents, including those from Years 3 and 5, and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s taken the time to share their thoughts and ideas. These conversations have been invaluable in helping me better understand our community and the hopes you hold for your children.

Already, a few small but meaningful changes have come from this feedback — such as refining our booklists to avoid repetition and reduce costs. You may have noticed our call for donations of unused dictionaries, allowing us to build class sets instead of asking families to buy new ones each year.

Looking ahead, I’ll be working on a new communication policy designed to better meet the needs of our whole community — more on that early in 2026.

School Concert

Our school concert this year will be on Wednesday 10 December starting at 6pm and concluding at 7.30pm.

The Parents & Friends Association will be organising a sausage sizzle on the night for our families to enjoy.

Working Bee

I’m also excited to announce a Working Bee on Sunday, December 7! Thank you to Year 6 teacher Jameel for coordinating from the school’s end to Lee and Vince for their tireless work maintaining our grounds, and to the PFA — especially Rachel and Nat — for rallying volunteers and helping to make this a community success.

It’s also been wonderful to hear how excited parents are about our ongoing work on explicit teaching. Our teachers and education support staff have embraced these approaches with energy and care, and it’s inspiring to see the difference this is already making in classrooms.

On November 17, our staff will come together as learners, with support from Steph Murphy from the Department of Education, to continue refining our practice and strengthening our collective expertise. I’m deeply proud to lead a school that learns together so wholeheartedly.

Remembrance Day

Our Remembrance Day service was a moving and proud moment for our community. Our Year 6 students led with maturity and compassion, speaking beautifully and supporting younger students with calm guidance as they laid their flowers. They were wonderful ambassadors for our school.

A huge thank-you to our Year 6 teachers for organising such a thoughtful event, and to our guest speaker Grant, who reminded us all of the importance of standing up for others, supporting our friends, and choosing kindness — lessons that matter both inside and outside the classroom.

Proposed Change To The Shape Of The Day

We’re exploring a possible change to the structure of our school day to better support focus, wellbeing, and energy levels. The proposed model includes three 30-minute breaks instead of one short recess and a long lunch.

Under this structure, students would:

Eat earlier at 12:30 rather than 1:30
Have another eating and play break at 2:00
Enjoy more consistent opportunities for movement and social time
Experience sustained learning blocks with fewer long gaps
Benefit from a schedule that’s especially supportive for our younger learners

We’ll trial this new structure for a week before making any decisions. Please chat with your child about the change if you think they’d benefit from some advance notice about the new bell times — sometimes, a little preparation makes all the difference.

Appointment Of Ongoing Assistant Principals

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve successfully completed two recruitment processes to appoint ongoing Assistant Principals (APs), beginning in 2026.

Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning: Naomi Holt.

Naomi is well known to our community as our IB leader, current Acting AP, and Year 6 teacher. Naomi brings deep expertise in curriculum and pedagogy, and we’re thrilled to see her step into this permanent leadership role.

Assistant Principal – Wellbeing: Jennifer Hayes.

Jen joins us from Le Page Primary School, where she led highly successful wellbeing initiatives and made a significant impact on the culture of her school. We’re so looking forward to welcoming Jen into our community in the new year.

These appointments mark an exciting next chapter for our school, strengthening both our academic and wellbeing leadership as we continue to support every child to flourish.

Julia Stoppa

Principal