Principal's News

The School newsletter will be emailed to families each Tuesday 

via your email address used for your PAM account.

Dear Parents/Carers,

This week I am pleased to let you know that we have been able to relax some of our COVID 19 rules such as the need for staff to wear masks when on Yard Duty and, as of today we have reverted to our regular timetable allowing all of the children to enjoy recess and lunch time together. I am very grateful to our staff who have taken on so many extra duties this year due to the pandemic.

We will continue to insist on the children using hand sanitiser whenever they enter the classrooms and encourage social distancing wherever possible. We must continue to insist on the children and staff being in excellent physical health before being allowed to attend school and will have limits on the people who can visit our school for the remainder of the year.

As you would all understand, advice around school operations has been updated almost continuously this year which has certainly made for some complications. I remain hopeful that we will be able to run our usual “Transition Day” on Tuesday 8 December, however the details still need to be worked out. Parents who have a child in Grade 6 can be assured, as of today, that their children will be spending December 8 at their chosen Secondary School. This will hopefully allow us the chance to move all other grades up for part of the day, so that the children spend some time with next year’s class teacher. This will include the kindergarten students who will be in Foundation with us in 2021. Details will be confirmed  as this date gets closer.

Last Friday was a busy day here at school as we introduced our 2021 Foundation class to their teachers. For me it was also the chance to meet for the first time, parents who will be new to our school next year.

As well as explaining some of the nitty gritty administration details, it gave me the opportunity to speak with these parents about preparing your child for school and about what the aims of our school are for all of our students.

Ultimately, as parents, we would like our children to be successful - but what does that mean and how do we help them to achieve this? Success at school means much more than being able to achieve academic goals.

We would probably like our children to be happy in their life? How do we help this to happen? Material wealth will only take any of us so far, but to have a career that we enjoy and that helps us to achieve financial security might be a reasonable goal. How do we help our kids attain this? I would ask parents to think about their own work life, their workmates. What are the qualities in them that you admire and value, because the boss probably values those qualities too. Are they hardworking, helpful, considerate of other staff and customers? Are they fun to work with? Are they flexible people who can solve problems as they arise? Do they do that extra bit to make sure that something is done right and then share the congratulations for this rather than hoard it for themselves?

These are the people I’ve tried to hire for 25 years, and I reckon I’ve done a pretty good job.

But there is so much more to being happy than career and financial security. What about friendships and perhaps that ultimate partnership in their personal life? Have a look at the qualities above: hardworking, helpful, considerate, fun to be with, flexible problem solver and someone who does that extra bit…. - these people make good life partners and friends too!

So, now the $64,000 question: how do we help our children get here? They copy us! We all know it’s no good telling someone what we want, we have to SHOW them!

This Sunday is the first Sunday of the Advent season, when we prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming at Christmas and so our Gospels have a message about being prepared, making ourselves ready for the arrival of “the master” or a special visitor- and doesn’t that sound familiar at Christmas time, as we prepare our homes for family and friends and visitors form all over (hopefully). At this time of year we remember why we celebrate Christmas and prepare our hearts as well…

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Mk 13: 33-37