From the Deputy Principal

We have a saying in our house when we feel overwhelmed...we stop and remind ourselves to 'hurry slowly'.  It's a reminder to stop and refame, stop and plan or stop and envision before we hurry ahead again.  It's giving ourselves permission to stop rushing ahead and take a moment.   

It is well into Term One and it is a good time to stop and take stock.  It's a time we sometimes see students get tired and have a shorter fuse than usual.  We see some students feeling overwhelmed by assessments.  We sometimes see students start to make silly choices about their behaviour.  

Whilst this is all completely normal, it is a good opportunity to sit back and reflect on what we envisioned for this year and how well we are working towards our goals.  I recently had a conversation with a student who was feeling overwhelmed and my advice was to hop off the 'merry-go-round' and spend even just one hour reframing their approach.  Create a study plan. Ask teachers questions. Make time to go to Academic Support or Homework Club.  Consider whether they could really fit in playing sport for three different teams in one week.  The usual cry followed...'I don't have tiiiiiime to do ANY of that, I just need to get things done.'   My response?  You don't have time NOT to reframe, because if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you always got.  

So, a reminder, hurry slowly.  Sometimes taking time to consider where we are going means we get there more directly and in better shape.

International Women's Day

On Monday we celebrated International Women's Day at our assembly, followed by morning tea.  Thank you to the families who were able to join us for this special event.  We heard from Liz Stewart, Head of Breaksea Boarding House who inspired us with her story of saying 'yes' to every opportunity and we heard some reflections from our students.  

International Women's Day is not just about women—it is about making sure everyone has the same chance to do remarkable things, no matter who they are. We are so lucky at our school for all of the equal opportunities we have and the way every single person is encouraged to be their best selves in the ways that are right for them. On this day, we remember that when we support each other, we can all achieve anything!  - William Irving

International Women's Day is a special day to celebrate girls and women all around the world. It is a time to remember how strong, smart, and brave women are. We celebrate women who have done amazing things in history, like scientists, leaders, and artists, and we also cheer for the women in our own lives, like mums, teachers, and friends. - Appin Rivers

NAPLAN

To families with children in Year Three, Five, Seven and Nine, thank you for your support with helping your child prepare to sit NAPLAN this week.  It has been great to see our testing sessions running smoothly and students getting to understand the need to be prepared in advance: remembering headphones and charged laptops, which room they are in for testing and being on time.  We look forward to supporting all our students as we head towards the finish line on this round of testing.  Whilst none of our students will ever be defined by a number or test result, when we get student results we spend time exploring those to gain further insight into the needs of individual students and whole cohorts of students in order to inform our teaching and learning.

Mrs Emma Franklin | Deputy Principal