From the Principal 

Welcome back to Term 2! I hope you all had a wonderful break and took the opportunity to spend time with your loved ones, especially if you celebrated Easter or Eid with your families during the break.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who made Open Day last Thursday a success. We had a great turnout of families who were interested in learning more about our school. The staff and students who gave tours and shared their experiences were exceptional, and we received a lot of positive feedback. Our School Captains, did a fantastic job of representing our school by welcoming visitors and I would like to thank our 2 Year 8 Sport Captains; Jemima and Elle for speaking at the presentations onsite.

Our Music students had an exciting adventure during the break, as they travelled interstate to Newcastle to compete in a national competition. Organising interstate trips remains a challenge, but we're grateful to the staff, committees, and the Department of Education (DE) for their support and preparation. Some of our Music students will soon be heading off to South Australia to compete in the Generations in Jazz competition. We wish them the best of luck and hope that they have great experience.

Our Year 10 Italian Exchange program also started during the break. 10 of our Year 10 Italian students travelled to Rome to spend time with families. A big thanks to Jocelyn Hill and Angela Cappelli for travelling with the students to meet the DE supervision requirements. We look forward to hearing from them how their time in Rome went and how improved their language skills (and love of Italian food) are.

Fortunately, the weather held off until after our Whole School Assembly today, which made for a successful event outdoors in North Park. It was a wonderful opportunity for our whole school to come together and start the term off on a positive note.

I would also like to highlight 2 dates when afternoon classes will be cancelled for students. The first is Week 5, Thursday 25 May, to continue our Berry Street Education Professional Learning for staff. Feedback on the first half-day training was very positive and we look forward to our staff learning more about the Model. 

The second date is in Week 6, Wednesday 31st May when we hold our Course Expo for all Year 8 to 11 students to assist in preparing for selecting subjects for 2024.

COVIDSafe measures are still in place in all schools and remain the same as those communicated at the start of the year. The Compass newsfeed remains available to read for those requiring information on reporting and isolation requirements. With the colder weather now returning, we may start to see more disruptions as staff and students are required to isolate. Thank you for your ongoing support in reminding your children about implementing COVIDSafe measures both at school and in other settings.

As always, I'm looking forward to seeing our families at events throughout the term, including our upcoming Movie Night, The Innocent at Westgarth Cinema on 18 May. You’ll find more information about it in this newsletter.

Chris Jones

Principal