Principal's Report 

ALMOST THERE

Keeping track of time has been challenging in a year where our normal routines have been disrupted.  We finished term 2 with great optimism and a general feeling that we could manage COVID and keep students at school.  However things started to get a bit shaky early this term and few were surprised when the announcement was made for schools to commence remote learning from week 4.

So we’re finishing off our seventh week of remote learning, which is a long time for children and young families.  We’re proud of how everyone has handled the circumstances., including students, staff and parents.

Particularly for regional areas, the signs are looking good, in terms of the spread of COVID 19 and we are once again optimistic about having staff and students back at school for an extended period.  Hopefully schools will operate in a COVID normal way from week 2 of term 4 through until the end of the school year.

You have our assurance that in that time we will do our best to look after the wellbeing of everyone in the school community (staff, students and parents/carers).  We are using this week to plan for finishing off the year successfully, both in terms of teaching and learning, but also in terms of everyone enjoying being back at school and getting to have some fun.  Dave and Scott use the Teaching and Learning and Wellbeing sections of this newsletter to outline plans for transitioning back to school and issues specific to their areas of responsibility.

Our School Improvement Team is meeting tomorrow to discuss the updated Department of Education and Training guidelines for schools, which will determine what we can and cannot do in term 4.  We will provide an overview for parents in the first newsletter of term 4, but expect arrangements to be very similar as the first few weeks of this term, which will include:

• Parents staying off-site unless absolutely necessary
• Friday broadcasts continuing in the place of assemblies
• No excursions (including swimming programs)

We do expect to be able to have school photos taken mid-term and hope to run a modified version of the Grade 6 Graduation.  Any event which has traditionally involved the gathering of parents and community members will either be put aside for 2020 or adapted to meet health and safety guidelines.  

As mentioned previously, expect details in the first newsletter of term 4.  Right now, everyone is looking for and is most deserving of a break.  Thanks again for your support and efforts throughout the term and fingers crossed we’ll get some sunny and warm weather as we reconnect with friends and family over the break.

PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2021

This stage of the calendar year is very important, as we get serious about planning for the following school year.  This includes determining how we would like to structure our school and planning for a recruitment process to match.  This is all founded on enrolment projections, as this determines what the school can afford to run.

If you have a child to enrol for prep in 2021, please get that in a.s.a.p..  Enrolment forms can be found on the school website and can be sent in electronically.

We are getting closer to determining the sort of transition process we can safely run for our 2021 preps.  Those with a prep enrolled for 2021 will receive updates as details are sorted.