Kismet Park Newsletter

Principal's Message

Dear Kismet Park Community,

 

The enthusiasm, engagement, and exemplary behaviour of our students has made for an outstanding start to the year. This solid foundation has allowed our students to quickly engage with their routines and focus earnestly on their learning goals. Our newest prep students have seamlessly integrated into the school community. Their smooth transition is a testament to the dedication of our prep and education support team, who have provided a warm and supportive start to our youngest learners' educational journey.

 

Berry Street Training Completion

We  concluded our Berry Street training on our second curriculum day of school. This final session ensured that all staff members are now fully equipped with advanced skills and strategies to enhance student engagement, well-being, and resilience. The valuable insights and techniques from this training are integral to our continued effort to foster a supportive and productive learning environment.

 

Our Leadership Team

As we embark on 2025, I'm proud to highlight our leadership team, who are instrumental in shaping our school's direction:

  • Louisa Beckenham – Assistant Principal, overseeing curriculum development.

  • Brodie Lane – Learning Specialist Literacy and P-2 PLT Leader.

  • Aleks McGregor – Learning Specialist Numeracy and 3/4 PLT Leader.

  • Donna Matthews – Leading Teacher Wellbeing and 5/6 PLT Leader.

 

Staffing Updates

This year, we're excited to welcome new faces to our team, adding fresh energy and expertise to our school:

  • Rachel Allan joins our Grade 5/6 team,

  • Monique Walsh and Jessica Barry are our new Grade 3/4 teachers,

  • Carli Lake has joined the Prep team, and

  • Luisa Coppola, our new speech therapist.

We are also bidding farewell to valued staff members who are moving on to new opportunities. We extend our deepest gratitude to Daniella Vranesic (returning 2026), Gennetta Arthell (returning 2026), Lisa Jones, Matthew Mann, Christian Bojko, Elena Avignone, Nicole Walters, and Jayne Najda for their contributions and dedication to our school community.

 

Meet the Teacher

Our recent parent-teacher interviews were highly successful, with an 87% turnout from our families. This engagement is a strong indicator of the meaningful partnerships we strive to maintain between our school and home. We appreciate the insights from these discussions and will use them to enhance our educational practices to support our students.

 

Student Leadership Development

Last week, we hosted an afternoon tea with our new student leaders, an initiative part of our broader goal to build our leadership profile. Led by myself, Louisa Beckenham, and Kerryn Green, this effort is aimed at building a robust student  leadership profile that drives excellence throughout our school.

 

Communication Updates

Last year, we closely monitored the engagement with our fortnightly newsletters and noticed that on average, only 8% of our community has been opening these updates, recognising that the time and effort invested in creating these detailed newsletters do not justify such limited engagement. 

 

We are implementing a new strategy to ensure our communications are more effective and respectful of your time:

  • Principal’s Report: Moving forward, I will provide a comprehensive Principal’s Report every four weeks. This report will include key updates, insights, and highlights from across the school.

  • Important Dates: Each week, we will send out an announcement on Compass of important dates to ensure all families are aware of upcoming events and deadlines.

  • Weekly Overviews and Regular Updates on SeeSaw: Our teachers will send out a weekly overview via SeeSaw, keeping you informed about the learning objectives and activities planned for the coming week in addition to 2 to 4 updates each week. These updates will offer snapshots of classroom activities, classroom announcements and student work.

By adjusting our communication strategy, we aim to enhance engagement and make our updates more meaningful.

 

Thank you for your continued support as we move through the term. We’re excited for what’s ahead and look forward to seeing the involvement and enthusiasm of our students, families, and staff.

 

Wishing you a great weekend.

 

Kismet Park Team