Some words from the Principal

I hope you all enjoyed a shorter week last week with the Cup Monday.  Its so hard to believe that we are over the halfway hill of Term 4. 

Kindness Day  - Wednesday 13th November

We enjoyed celebrating Kindness Day on Wednesday with some scavenger hunts around the school for Kindness quotes, classroom activities and a wonderful whole school mural where students were part of the picture! A big thank you to Ms Gemma Wild who led this whole school event, with support from the Student Leadership Wellbeing Captains. 

Kindness is one of the Karoo Values  Kindness - with courage and connection we belong.  In a world where we can be anything, be kind. 

2025 School Captain and Leadership Roles Begin!

Today marked an exciting step in our selection process for the 2025 School Captain and Student Voice roles! Some Year 5 students presented their speeches to peers and staff, showcasing their passion, ideas, and dedication to leading our school. We’re looking forward to interviewing shortlisted candidates in the coming weeks and then Mrs Kuusela, Mrs Hoffmann, Mrs Phillips and I will be interviewing the shortlisted candidates. 

At Karoo, we believe that all Year 6 students have the potential to be leaders, whether as captains or as part of one of our leadership groups. In 2025, students will have the chance to join teams like the Smile Squad, Tech Team, Setup Squad, and Green Team, where they can contribute to school life in meaningful ways.

Our leadership program encourages students to develop their confidence, responsibility, and teamwork skills. We are proud of all the students who are stepping up, sharing their voices, and embodying the values that make our school community so strong. Best of luck to all our future leaders!

Thankyou Afternoon Tea for Parents / Carers- Thursday 12th December 2pm-3pm

We are thrilled to invite all our wonderful parent helpers to a special afternoon tea on Thursday, 12th December, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the staffroom. Please mark this date in your diaries, and keep an eye out for invitations coming home with your child today.

This event is our way of saying a heartfelt thank you to the parents and carers who have dedicated their time and effort to support their children’s learning throughout the year. Whether it’s helping in classrooms, volunteering at events, or assisting in countless other ways, your contributions make a huge difference to the educational experience at Karoo.

Your support embodies our vision of partnership, showing our students that we all work together to support their growth and success. We believe in a strong school-community connection, and your involvement demonstrates to our children the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and shared goals.

We hope to see you there so we can celebrate all you do for our school. Thank you once again for being such an integral part of our Karoo community!

Safety on roads around Karoo to keep your children safe

We all share the responsibility of ensuring that our school is a safe place for everyone. Unfortunately we are still very concerned about parking and traffic practices around our school. Our wonderful crossing supervisors (Stuart and Sue) recently counted the amount of illegal U-turns in one morning being committed along Murrindal Drive - they stopped counting at 15. Not only is it incredibly unsafe, it is creating unnecessary hazards. 

We have also noticed that the two-minute drop-off zones on Karoo Road are not always being used as intended. This morning we reviewed it again and out of the eight spaces available, only two were free. These zones are essential for keeping traffic flowing smoothly and ensuring safe access for all families, and we ask everyone to be mindful of the time limit.  Unfortunately it has also been reported that at times toddlers have been left in cars during drop off.  Leaving a child, especially a toddler, unattended in the car is never advisable, even for a short time.

In light of recent tragic events, we encourage all parents and carers to follow these safety guidelines closely. Let’s work together to protect the well-being of our children and the whole school community by parking responsibly and following the road rules. 

Warm regards,

Danielle Heatley

Principal