Principal's report

My favourite thing to do on a Monday morning is to visit classes in the Primary and the Secondary and last Monday I had the opportunity to spend some time in Kindergarten. It was an opportunity for me to see how the students have settled into school life and watch how our teachers engage and inspire our students to learn. Similarly, in the Secondary I came across many engaged students in all classes, who were contributing their ideas in the learning process. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful learning environment, which is created through dedicated teachers who are constantly looking to enhance the learning of our students.

Transitioning to Secondary school can be a challenge, but in conversations with Year 7 students during the week, they have indicated that they are enjoying high school. They seem particularly responsive to the great variety of learning across a wide range of Key Learning Areas, with different teachers and in subject specific rooms. I look forward to watching our Year 7 students develop the skills of independence and organisation, with the support of teachers and parents.

I would recommend the 7-10 Information Evening on Monday 24th February to all parents, especially Year 7 parents. One of the things that happens when students start Year 7 is a greater level of autonomy and this, combined with puberty, can be a challenging time for parents. Having a way to stay in touch with what is happening at school can help your child be more successful at school and we believe that having an understanding of our Google Classroom and calendar, is a way that parents can have a proactive conversation about school with their child. There are also supportive resources that we will demonstrate to parents, that will enable them to assist their child at home. Should you be unable to attend the meeting, we would be happy to meet with you personally, as we believe that investing time as a parent into supporting your child through their education, sends a positive message about the importance of school.

Our Learning and Support Team (LaST), comprising of Mrs Karen Honeyman, Mrs Nicole Griffiths, and Mr Scott Taprell and Mrs Audrey Brown, meet fortnightly to ensure that students who require additional support are identified. Resources and opportunities are developed to ensure all students reach their potential. It is a busy time for our LaST teachers, who will be developing learning plans and identifying students to participate in a variety of programs. If you are concerned about your child’s progress, or feel that they have additional learning need, please contact Mr Taprell or Mrs Brown to discuss your concerns.

Both Primary and Secondary Swimming Carnivals were held in the past fortnight and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our parent volunteers who assist us on such occasions. I would also like to thank our organisers Mrs Jane Quigley and Miss Liz Simpson for creating such a wonderful atmosphere. Our students have a way of showing support to each other on these days and this was certainly the case this year. There were many outstanding individual results and I look forward to celebrating their results at our Assemblies. Please see some of our Primary swimming photos on the following page, the Secondary photos and results will be published in our next Newsletter.

Congratulations to Heidi Townsend for her selection in the Under 18 NSW Girls Hockey Team. Heidi has shown great determination and trained hard to reach this elite level in her chosen sport.

Secondary Awards

Merit

Bronze