Welcome to Week 3. What a busy week we had last week, celebrating NAIDOC Week, Grandfriends Day, Mission Week finishing with crazy sock day. All this and time for some great learning too!

Disco - Very Important - Please Read

As you are aware, a disco has been organised for this Friday. There are three different time slots for the various groups. K-2 disco will be from 4:40 - 5:15, Year 3-4 from 5:30 - 6:15 and Year 5-6 from 6:30 - 7:15.

Students enter through the front doors of Kenna Hall, where they get their names marked off by the supervising parents. At the end of the disco, students exit via the side door onto the school bus line area, where they will be marked off when their parents collect them from this area. (by the gates between Kenna Hall and the school building. We ask parents to be prompt in picking up the children as the next disco will be due to start. Make sure your child is signed out before leaving via the school gates.

I will be at the discos. Teachers will not be supervising this event. Some teachers will be present but they are there as parents. Any parent who is supervising needs to have declared they are not a prohibited person. This is done at the school office. Please see Annalisa prior to Friday afternoon if you have not completed this declaration.

NAIDOC Week

What an amazing celebration of our indigenous culture. We started our celebration on Monday by joining in the NAIDOC street march, and a lovely welcome to country performed.

On Wednesday our celebration continued with the NAIROC eisteddfod. I was a very, very proud principal to see our students performing so well. I was not the only one who thought the students performed well - the judges did too, awarding then a gold buzzer and first place. Thank you Jo for choreographing such a wonderful dance and then practising with the students to get them show ready. Thanks also to our wonderful aboriginal education officer, Maddison Griffith-Leonard for all her work in organising this event, and sourcing and making the props. Thank you to Polly Dresins and Liss Ryan for supporting Maddison in her work and to Robyn Petty and Justine Staniforth in helping on the day.

As if this was not enough celebration, Maddison also organised a day of Indigenous sport and activities. If was such a fun day. I hope you have been able to speak with your children about this day. Thank you to Katrina and her team from Orange City Council who made this day possible.

Grandfriends Day

On Wednesday we celebrated out Grandfriends. We started with open classrooms which was very popular with all the grandfriends I spoke with. Grandfriends were then invited to a light lunch and a cup of tea or coffee to be enjoyed with their grandchildren. This lunch was organised by the Year 5 PACE champions so a big thank you to Jane Dellow, Megan Fox and Kristy Portass for their efforts in making this a special moment for both grandfriends and grandchildren. We finished our celebration of grandfriends with a beautiful liturgy organised by the Year 5 teachers and students. Thank you Rowena Livingstone, Jacinta Belmonte, Tasley Mortimer and Mark Sheridan for this moving tribute to grandfriends. Please read one piece of feedback I received below:

Dear Staff,

I would just like to thank you all for the great grandparent's day last Wednesday. After teaching and organising assemblies like this over many years, I realise how much work goes into them. Visiting the classrooms, it was lovely to see the friendly teachers and all the children's artwork. The assembly was most enjoyable. The songs that were chosen were just beautiful, very tear jerking, but just so appropriate for the occasion and I had never heard them before.

Thank you once again to each and everyone of you,

Yours sincerely,

Jenny

Scarecrow Competition

Congratulations to LJ Bender, the winner of the scarecrow competition. We look forward to seeing your wonderful design come to life and taking pride of place in the school garden.

Congratulations to Sarah and Catherine Stone

The very talented Stone sisters have been going from strength to strength in their violin playing.

Sarah has been awarded a scholarship from the Orange Regional Conservatorium for the 2025 ensemble. This was received in recognition of Sarah's achievements this year. She competed in the Eisteddfod in the intermediate strings ensemble and cam in second place. Sarah also played in the under 12s section, which she won and came second in the under 12 years championship. On top of this Sarah also played in the Grade 5 and 6 solos where she placed third. Catherine was given a junior scholarship for violin and she is now in grade 2.

Christmas event

The PACE committee are organising a Christmas event which will incorporate a carol performance by the students. The date of this event has been set for Monday, 16th December from 5-7pm. Details to be sent home soon.

Swimming Program

A gentle reminder that in Week 9 Years 1 and 2 will be participating in an intensive swimming program. Details will be sent closer to the date.

K-2 Gymnastics

On 4 Fridays, 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will be participating in Gymnastics sessions.

Life Education (Healthy Harold)

All students will visit Healthy Harold for a health lesson between 4th November and the 13th November.

Have a great fortnight

Jo Flynn

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