Principal's Report

Dear families, 

Thank you to everybody who attended our culminating events over the past few weeks. A culminating event is an opportunity for students to showcase their learning and also to reflect and evaluate the work that they have been doing. Our whole school theme for the semester was fantasy texts and our students have learnt to write and produce their own stories. There is a sense of excitement across the school as families walk through our school gates and engage with their child’s learning. The staff and students are all proud of the work that they have been doing and appreciate the interest you have shown. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everybody who attended these events and I hope that we will continue to support and grow the level of community engagement. 

You will receive your child’s report this week so please take time to discuss their reports and celebrate the learning with them. 

This week is Refugee Week and is Australia’s peak annual activity to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Refugee Week is a unique opportunity for us all to experience and celebrate the rich diversity of refugee communities through theatre, music, dance, film and other events. This year’s theme is ‘Healing’. Australia and the rest of the world have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hit the reset button on how we behave towards one another. The importance of human connections has been underscored by the pandemic and such lessons can help us in so many ways.  We can all draw upon shared hardship to heal wounds, to learn from each other and to move forward. Healing can occur through storytelling, through community and also through realisation of our intrinsic interconnectedness as individuals.  In 2022, we encourage individuals to utilise Refugee Week as time to heal together and emerge a more fulfilled and connected society. Please see the following link for additional resources on Refugee Week: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/refugee-week-theme-2022/

In the search for holiday fun with the family, it can be difficult for parents to think of great school holiday activities. With all the hard work parents do during the school term, it can be so easy to lose track of time and miss out on planning kids school holiday activities. So whatever kind of holiday fun you and your family love, here are a few suggestions: 

1. Create a home cinema: rent, download or buy the children’s favourite movie, get some snacks such as popcorn and pizza at the ready, dim the lights and sit back and enjoy!

2. Create a puppet show: dig out your old socks and the crafts box and have fun creating puppet characters. The endless stories that the kids create will keep their imagination occupied for hours.

3. Go for a picnic: choose a park or a woods, perhaps somewhere that you have never been before, and go and explore. Take a picnic and find the perfect spot for when you all need a rest.

4. Do some gardening: let them help you with the gardening, even better if you have flowers or vegetables to take care of. Not only is it an educational activity that helps to teach children about nature and the environment, but they will also no doubt love getting muddy and discovering insects.

5. Go on a bike ride: strap on your helmets and explore the countryside on your bikes. A fun activity for all the family.

6. Hold your own Sports Day or Indoor Obstacle Course: make it as easy or as hard as you like based on your children’s ability, or better still, let them help you set it up and suggest ideas. Use bits of string to create a “laser maze” for them to crawl through, masking tape to mark patterns or areas on the floor that they have to navigate through or repurpose some toys such a hula hoop or play tunnel that they have to complete as part of the trial. All you need is a few props such as bean bags, skipping ropes or even an egg and spoon. Make it extra fun by presenting a homemade trophy to the winning team.

7. Create your own treasure hunt: hide things round the house and create a list of all the items that are hidden for the kids to tick off as they find them.

8. Build a den: every child loves building a den or fort. Use bedsheets, boxes and cushions to create somewhere they can hide, play with their friends or just relax. You can even add fairy lights for an extra cosy feel.

9. Put on a fashion show: create a catwalk and let them dress up in some of your clothes or fancy dress. Grab the camera and take some photographs for them to look at afterwards. You may even capture some great shots to be framed and put up on the wall.

10. Get creative and design your own t-shirt or sweatshirt: dig out some old t-shirts/jumpers or buy some cheap plain ones and get creative with anything you can find to decorate them. Pom poms, pipe cleaners, stick on letters, glitter… the kids will love unleashing their creativity and creating their very own, unique clothing.

11. Bake a cake: a group activity that is lots of fun, especially when they get to lick the bowl afterwards! Whether you decide to bake one big cake or lots of little cupcakes, decorating them is always lots of fun! You could even take them round to friends and family to show off your creations. Although I am not so good at baking, this activity is one of my favourites. 

Holidays are such a special time to catch up with family and friends. So, please share with me what you are doing during the school holidays and send through your favourite photos. I love talking to students about their holidays and if I have a few photos as starting point that will be amazing. 

Thank you to all of our amazing staff, students and families for another successful term. I am very proud to be part of our school community and to be working with you to make our school the place to be. 

Have a lovely holiday, travel safely and stay warm. 

Kind regards,

Dehlia