Primary News

Preparing Our Hearts: The Gift of Advent

This past Sunday marked the beginning of Advent, a sacred season of preparation and anticipation as we journey toward Christmas. In our busy world, where Christmas decorations appear in November and carols play in shops for weeks, Advent invites us to pause and prepare our hearts for the true meaning of Christ's birth.

The word "Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival." During these four weeks, we prepare not only to celebrate Jesus' birth in Bethlehem but also to welcome Him more fully into our daily lives. Each Sunday, as we light another candle on the Advent wreath, we mark our progress through this season of hope, peace, joy, and love.

For our school community, Advent offers a wonderful opportunity to slow down amidst the holiday rush. Rather than being swept up in the commercial frenzy of gift-buying and parties, we can focus on what truly matters: growing closer to God and serving others. This might mean participating in our morning prayer with a focus on preparing and waiting, showing extra kindness to classmates, or helping our families prepare spiritually for Christmas.

The violet candles on our Advent wreath remind us that this is a penitential season, a time for reflection and spiritual growth. Just as we wouldn't skip preparing for a special guest's arrival at our homes, we shouldn't skip preparing our hearts for welcoming Jesus.

At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God's own love and concern.

 Mother Teresa

End of Year Reports 

Over the course of the year all parents/guardians have been afforded time to meet with their daughter’s classroom teacher on three separate occasions as well as being sent a Mid Year Report. We also pride ourselves as a Primary to be a place where open conversations between parent and teacher is a natural and important thing. We now conclude the school year with an End of Year Report being sent out to all families Prep - Year 6 on Wednesday 17 December. Even after multiple touchpoints, the End of Year Report captures the complete arc of learning across all subjects in one place. It shows where your child is succeeding and where support is still needed. 

Important Changes to Social Media Laws in Australia - What Parents and Students Need to Know

From 10 December 2025, new laws will come into effect that change how young people in Australia can use social media.  Australia has introduced a minimum age of 16 years for creating or keeping accounts on major social media platforms. This means that children under 16 will no longer be able to have accounts on platforms like:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• Snapchat
• X (formerly Twitter)
• Threads
• Reddit

The good news is that students can still access messaging apps, online games, and services for education and health support like Google Classroom, YouTube, Headspace and Kids Helpline.

The Australian Government has brought in these changes to protect young people during an important stage of their development. Research shows that many young people have been exposed to harmful content online, and parents have told the government that online safety is one of their biggest concerns.

What Should Families Do?

We encourage families to:

• Talk openly with your children about online safety
• Discuss how they can stay connected with friends in other ways
• Explore age appropriate apps and platforms together
• Remember that these changes are designed to support young people's wellbeing

If you have questions or concerns about these changes, please don't hesitate to contact us at the College or you can get further information by visiting the eSafety Commissioner's website at esafety.gov.au

How it looks in the Year 4 - 6 classrooms

Over the last couple of weeks of term Years 4 - 6 students will work through a series of modules with their class teacher.  The course has been designed by Paris McNeil who is an online safety educator, Paris has worked with thousands of Australian students and youth organisations to develop skills for managing the social media ban. She leverages her legal training to distill complex regulations into clear, practical guidance. As a Gen Z member, Paris deeply understands students' experiences and how to help them adapt to this change.

Please contact your daughter’s teacher if you want further information about what they have been doing in this space. 

What the next three weeks will look like.

As previously mentioned these last few weeks of term are a busy time for all and the juggle is tricky.  It is important to note that Celebration Evening on 10 December for Years 5 and 6 is compulsory, and our Nativity on the 15 December for Kinder - Year 4 is also a compulsory event. Both events have had communication sent out to all families.  If you are unable to attend then an email must be sent to Lyndal Tewes (Celebration Evening) or myself (Nativity). As you can appreciate, these events are an important part of our school year.  

Celebration Evening Uniform Check 

Over the last couple of weeks Year 5 and 6 students have been spoken to by their class teachers if it was deemed that their uniform needed adjusting. On Monday we met as an Upper Primary and I spoke to all girls about the importance of this occasion and a final check was made.  The biggest concern across both year groups was the inappropriate socks being worn - especially in Year 5. Students were reminded that socks are to be folded down white socks with no logos.  Any concerns please contact your daughter’s class teacher or myself.