Our new buildings are in place and the construction barriers have been taken which has created a new feel to our school. We still have work to finish off with some painting and other extras to be done but in terms of construction, the big work has been done. We will organise an ‘open day’ or evening for our parents and community to visit the school to see the improvements that have taken place – it’s a big change and quite impressive! It’s a huge bonus for our school and our community.

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, with the major building works complete, it is timely to revisit our school focus areas, values and beliefs. And we did just that at a whole school assembly in our Drama Centre last Thursday. We were also joined by Ms Tameeka Rush (Beaufort Primary School Principal) and her Year 6 students, most of which will join us next year.

We had guest speakers for each of our values and beliefs that sit under our Focus Areas of; Respectful Relationships, High Expectations and Excellence.

Respectful Relationships

Trust – Councillor for the Pyrenees Shire, Mrs. Tanya Kehoe

Respect – Rhiannon Goossens

Care – Ms. Jackie Kerr

High Expectations

Commitment – Councillor for the Pyrenees Shire, Mr. Damian Ferrari

Responsibility – Jeff Debast

Motivation – Mr. Troy Cunningham

Excellence

Dedication – Our School Council President, Mr. Colin Gerrard

100% Effort – Jaelyn Brand

Determination – Ms. Kate McGinty

As Principal, I gave an overview of our Focus Areas. I explained that they developed from a collaborative approach, which involved input from our students, teachers, parents and our community – we didn’t just pull them from the internet! I also made comment about why they are important to me in everyday life and that I believe they can also assist students in being more successful in their own lives – not just while they are at school.

Each of the speakers explained why their particular Value or Belief was important to them and we were provided with some ‘real life’ examples of how their lives have been impacted. It was interesting to listen to each of the speakers’ perspectives and we were fortunate to be able to hear from our successful community members, all of which attended our school for their secondary education. It was also terrific to hear from our students and teachers who gave us insight into themselves as people and the importance of the various values. Thank you to all who were able to share their experiences on the stage – we very much appreciate their valuable input!

We have already continued the Values and Beliefs conversation in some of our classes and will continue the discussion through Form Group, Assemblies and classwork. It is very important to us to embed the behaviours associated with our Focus Areas in our everyday actions and attitudes to ensure we can continue to be successful as individuals and as a school, now and into the future.

Outdoor Education