From Nick Mellington

It has been a full and rewarding few weeks across the school, with a strong focus on both student learning and the continued development of our teaching practice.

Our NAPLAN assessments have now concluded, including all catch-up sessions. While we experienced a somewhat rocky start with the Writing assessment on Wednesday due to technical issues, I was incredibly impressed with how our students responded. They demonstrated real adaptability and flexibility, approaching the challenge with maturity and resilience. Most importantly, they went on to produce some outstanding pieces of writing, which is a credit to both their effort and the preparation provided by our staff.

It has also been a pleasure to welcome our Foundation students into full weeks at school, now that their Wednesday resting schedule has concluded. They have settled in exceptionally well, quickly adapting to the routines of school life and demonstrating a strong start to their learning. It has been wonderful to see the quality of work they are already producing across their classes.

Behind the scenes, our teachers have continued to invest heavily in their own professional growth. The reintroduction of Steplab as a coaching platform has been a particular highlight. This has provided staff with structured opportunities to reflect on and refine their classroom practice, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for all students.

It has also been fantastic to see a strong culture of collaboration building across the school. Staff have been recognising one another through ‘shout-outs’ for effective practice and our leaders have been engaging in regular ‘drop-ins’ to support and learn from each other. These small but powerful actions are helping to strengthen consistency and shared understanding across classrooms.

This work will continue into Term 2, as we further build our collective capacity, particularly around our core routines. By staying focused on high-impact practices and supporting one another, we are well positioned to continue improving outcomes for every student.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support,

Nick Mellington

Deputy Principal 

Student Learning and Professional Practice