Principal's Report

Dear families,

Thank you for all of your patience over the past few weeks with all of the construction happening on our school grounds. We are eagerly awaiting the completion of the new drop off area, which should be completed by the end of Term 4. We understand the additional traffic during the afternoon pick up process have only added stress to your busy lives. In saying this, I have seen an increase in patience and understanding from our school community in supporting each other during the surge of traffic in the afternoons alongside limited parking spaces. Thank you for raising to the occasion, putting the needs of students first and by setting an example to our students. We will continue to have disruption to our everyday lives at school for the next year but thereafter we will have amazing new buildings where our students will learn in state of the art facilities. 

It was such a wonderful experience to have been part of our sports day and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s Colour Fun Run. We promote healthy life styles for our students and families and invite our families to be part of the STEPtember inclusive virtual event that challenges you to STEP UP - whenever, wherever, and however you like from the 1st to the 30th of  September. Please join a huge community of over 130,000 Australians and take 10,000 steps a day, your way, for people living cerebral palsy. You can sign up via the following link: https://www.steptember.org.au/join/rockhamptonnorthspecialschool

Alongside our physical health we also need to look after our mental health. Sometimes a good coffee and the chatter with a good friend goes a long way towards mental health. Bron will be parking her Coffee Van, 4U2U, at our school on Friday the 9th of September to provide our families with coffee and conversation time. All families are invited to join our Coffee and Conversation morning from 9:00 to 10:30.  

On Thursday the 8th of September our school will have a focus on R U OK? We need be encouraging each other to invest more time in our personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks through friends, family and colleagues. Let us be alert to those around us, have a conversation if we identify signs of distress or difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they're in crisis. By starting a conversation and commenting on the changes you’ve noticed, you could help that family member, friend or workmate open up. If they say they are not OK, you can follow conversation steps to show them they’re supported and help them find strategies to better manage the load. If they are OK, that person will know you’re someone who cares enough to ask. A friendly word and a caring smile goes a long way in brightening up each other’s day. We never know what is happening behind the scenes in somebody’s life and just that kind gesture may make all the difference for that person that day. Smile and the world smiles with you 😊. If you would like more information on RUOK please follow the link: https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

Thank you to our families who attended the Community Engagement afternoon last week. As I walked through the classrooms I have noticed the hard work that our staff and students have put into getting our classrooms ready for our families. Student work was displayed on tables and also up on classroom walls. I understand that it is not always easy for our families to attend engagement afternoons and we are seeking  your input into how we are able to increase family involvement in our school. Please be on the lookout for a survey that will be send out in the coming weeks. Additionally, my door is always open for feedback and celebrations.

Kind regards,

Dehlia