The start of the year continues to be full of energy, connection, and all those wonderful little moments that make it so easy to come to work at Magill School. Alongside the excitement, there has also been plenty of growth, adjustment, and the steady work of students settling into new routines and challenges for the year ahead.

A real highlight of the past few weeks was our Acquaintance Night, which saw an incredible turnout from families. It was fantastic to see our grounds and classrooms full (and yes … noticeably loud ... a very different acoustic profile to what we're used to during the school day), conversations flowing, and such a strong and special sense of community. Nights like this are incredibly valuable. They help build relationships between families, students, and staff, which is one of the strongest predictors of a successful year. When children see the important adults in their lives connected and comfortable in the same space, it builds confidence, belonging, and trust.

It was wonderful watching families explore the school during our scavenger hunt ... even if the motivation may have been driven almost entirely by the promise of a Zooper Dooper at the finish line. Hundreds on hundreds of Zooper Doopers were cut out in preparation, which is the sort of task that really makes you reflect on your career choices midway through number 187 when your thumbs start to go numb. Fortunately, frequent "quality control checks" of the icy treats provided some immediate relief and helped maintain morale. We were also lucky that a cool change arrived at exactly the right time, which felt like a small but very welcome reward from the universe after what had been a particularly aggressive stretch of heat.

Events like Acquaintance Night are more than just a calendar item ... they strengthen the partnership between home and school, create a sense of belonging, and set a positive tone for the year ahead. Thank you kindly to everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success - and a special mention to our wonderful volunteers, who stepped in to guide students and families, cut Zooper Doopers, and more.

Onto my job title for a moment. Literacy is something we care deeply about ... partly because it sits at the centre of everything students do at school, and partly because once you start noticing how much language impacts learning, you can't really unsee it.

Reading and writing aren't just "English skills". They are thinking skills. They're communication skills. They're life skills. When students develop strong literacy, it changes their confidence, their independence, and their opportunities.

One question we sometimes hear from families is why children are asked to read the same book more than once. While it might seem repetitive, rereading is actually one of the most powerful ways to build reading fluency. When a text becomes familiar, the brain doesn't have to work as hard to decode each word ... this reduces cognitive load, allowing children to focus more on meaning, expression, and understanding. As fluency improves, so does comprehension and confidence. Students begin to sound smoother, understand more deeply, and feel more successful as readers. This is something we practise regularly at school through reading fluency routines, where students revisit texts to build accuracy, pace, expression, and the ability respond to punctuation. Of course, this doesn’t mean students only read the same books - they are always exposed to a wide variety of texts - but rereading is one of the fastest ways to build the fluency that makes all reading easier. In short, rereading isn’t "doing the same thing again and again to bore your child" - it’s strengthening the pathway that turns effortful reading into confident reading.

Speaking of reading, many families may not realise that parents and caregivers are welcome to borrow from our school library. We offer dedicated borrowing times for adults so you can support your child's reading at home, discover new books together, or simply enjoy reading yourself!

Parents/caregivers can have their own borrowing limit of 4 items, and the loan period is 14 days.

Families are welcome to visit the library at the following times:

Morning Borrowing: Monday and Wednesday - 8:25am - 8:40am

Afternoon Borrowing: Tuesday and Thursday - 3:05pm - 3:20pm

These times are great opportunities to:

Catch up on missed borrowing times
Help your child choose additional books that suit their interests
Explore new authors or series together
Build a routine around reading at home
Model that reading is something people do for enjoyment, not just homework

Research consistently shows that children who have access to books at home and see adults reading develop stronger reading habits and confidence. In short - access matters.

We encourage families to take advantage of these opportunities whenever it fits your routine. Our library team is always happy to help with recommendations or guidance. In addition, there is a small collection of books in a parents collection, covering a range of topics which may help with topics like divorce, blended families, grief and parenting guides.

That's all for now. Thank you for the many ways you all support your children and our school community. The partnership between home and school truly matters, and we are grateful to work alongside you in helping our students grow, learn, and thrive this year.

Mike Shortt

Assistant Principal

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