Principal's Report

With only a few weeks remaining, we still have plenty going on, along with some lovely celebrations to look forward to. This week, I have a number of important announcements to help finalise 2024 and provide a preview of what’s to come in 2025.

Report Timeline 

You can expect your child’s/children’s reports to be available on the 16th of December. 

Our teachers have been working hard to ensure that the reports coming home are an accurate reflection of your child’s achievement across the year. I would like to acknowledge the significant amount of personal time that our teachers use to complete these reports. The care, diligence and effort they have displayed during the report writing period is greatly appreciated. 

Staffing Profile for 2025I am pleased to announce that our staffing profile for 2025 is now finalised. We are fortunate to have a stable, collaborative, and highly skilled team of teachers who are dedicated to providing the best possible learning and wellbeing opportunities for our students.

It is a pleasure to work alongside such a committed team, and I am delighted to welcome back almost all of our 2024 teaching staff. 

Our 2025 teaching staff includes:

• Pippa Davis 
• Sheena Cronin
• Caitlin Lindsay 
• Catherine Mason
• Rebecca Fraser 
• Jenny Turner
• Lisa Mackney 
• Gabby Kotis 
• Mary-Ellen Dowling
• Bonny Chisholm
• Jenelle Seregin 

We will farewell some of 2024 teaching staff. 

Katherine Ponton, who has been teaching Science this semester, will be moving on. We sincerely thank Katherine for providing our students with engaging and enjoyable Science lessons and wish her all the very best as she takes on greater responsibilities in her other role.

Jess Mills will also be leaving us to give birth to her second child. Jess has been an absolute hit with our preps! Her ability to connect with the children and deliver a hands-on, nurturing classroom experience has made a remarkable impact on their first year at school. We wish Jess and her family all the very best in the months ahead and hope to welcome her back to our school in the future.

2025 Specialist Program

We are excited to announce that in 2025, Performing Arts/Music will become a dedicated subject in our specialist program. As a result of this change, Science will no longer be delivered as a specialist subject. Instead, Science will be integrated into classroom learning and taught by classroom teachers. This adjustment will allow Science to align more closely with classroom units of work and be taught more frequently, ensuring it remains a core focus of our curriculum.

Performing Arts has previously been taught by classroom teachers. However, after reviewing staff and community feedback, as well as curriculum priorities, we believe that transitioning Performing Arts to a dedicated specialist teacher will enhance the quality of learning in this area. This approach will provide students with a more focused and enriched experience in the Performing Arts.

We are confident this change will add significant value to both our specialist program and our broader curriculum, and we look forward to seeing the benefits it brings to our students’ learning.

Health Update

As some of you may have heard, I will be taking some time off at the end of this term to finally have surgery on my foot. The procedure is scheduled for Monday, 2nd December, and, hopefully, it will be straightforward! While the timing is less than ideal, unfortunately, I haven’t had much say in the matter.

If all goes to plan, I am hoping to return for the final week of school. However, I will need to see how my recovery progresses before making any firm commitments.  

In my absence, Jenelle Seregin will be stepping in as Acting Principal.

Planning for 2025 – Family Intentions

As we continue planning for 2025, it is important that we have an accurate understanding of our student numbers for the coming year. If your family is intending to leave the school at the end of this year, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible.

This information is crucial for a number of reasons:

• Class Placements: Ensuring students are placed in the most suitable classes for their learning and wellbeing.
• Staffing Requirements: Aligning our staffing profile to meet the needs of our student population.
• Resource Planning: Accurately allocating resources to provide the best possible learning environment.

We understand that circumstances can change, and we appreciate your communication to help us plan effectively. If your family is moving on, please contact the office or email us with your intentions.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us prepare for another successful school year.

2025 Curriculum Days 

Here are the dates for the 2025 Curriculum Days. I hope this helps with your planning for next year. 

Term 1

29th of January - Curriculum Day for planning and preparation 

21st of February - Berry Street Training.

Term 3 

1st of September - Berry Street Training. 

Term 4

31st of October - Teacher Professional Practice Day 

24th  of November - Mandated Report Writing Curriculum Day 

I hope to see you all in Week 11. 

Warmly,

Tim Mulhall

Principal