Principal Report 

Welcome back to school!

I have lost count of how many times we have done this now. The one thing that happens every time we do come back is the whole school clicks back into a normal routine. The students love being here. The teachers love teaching. The rest of our staff pull together to support the students and teachers. And...the sickbay gets busy with ice-pack and band-aid requests ; ) Normal service resumes!

It has been great to hear children running around. They have so much energy to burn. I am sure as I finish this newsletter that it is going to be a great weekend for everyone as you all take advantage of the extra freedoms that we have worked so hard to gain back. 

I want to share our combined thanks as a staff for the way you have embraced the restrictions we have in place around the school. It has allowed us to operate as freely as we can. The masks look like they are here for a little while longer...but we hope in the next week or two we can start to re-schedule the events we have had to postpone. The school disco and the trivia night are our highest priorities. Bringing the community back together is a big goal!

Teaching and learning

We have started our Science mini-lessons with students. The preps are the first in line for these. Today they looked at materials through the eyes of the 3 little pigs. It was fun to be part of the lessons. 

African music will return on Tuesday for 1LH and 34A. The drums have arrived. I am expecting the students to master the beginning of 'The Lion King' by the end of term. No pressure.

Our new intervention program is in place for grade 3, 4, 5, 6 students and will start next week with Joy Smith. Thank you to the teachers and Helen Plunket for helping Joy get started. 

In week 6 we will be hosting the postponed 3-way conferences. These will be online using Zoom. Details will be shared next week. Bookings will be the same, through Compass, with families using Zoom to talk to their teachers. SSG's for those families on the PSD program will take place the week prior using Zoom. 

Camp for grade 5 and 6 students will take place next week. It was a big relief to find out that we can safely offer that event!

Buildings, Environment and Sustainability

We have taken advantage of the unexpected time that our local trades have had due to the lockdown, and we have pushed on with some school updates. The new fence line at the front of the school s complete, as well as the entrance started. The entrance is not finished but we do have a picture of how it may end up looking.

And the gym has been resprayed in an ironstone colour. I think we can all agree it needed some love! The next stage is to clad the gym walls with a plyboard creating a new look that will feel rustic and natural in line with our setting. The idea was inspired by a school in Maroondah. 

We are also overhauling the school website. Watch this space for a new more modern, and most of all, informative website.

Finally, I wish you all well over the coming weekend.

Stay safe.

Craig