From the Principal

Return to onsite learning

The timeline for everything these days seems so warped, but it is only 7 school days since we welcomed all students back onsite. It has been a mix of emotions for everyone involved and obviously the report of a positive case at school introduced another level of disappointment, uncertainty and confusion. 

However, when I visit classrooms and speak to children in the yard, it is clear that being back around friends and in the school environment is by far preferable to the lockdowns we have all endured. 

It is not easy for students to transition back into onsite learning: the large numbers of people, the increased noise and activity, and the increased work demands will require some time to adapt but teachers are focused on helping students reconnect to each other, to school and to their learning. 

I understand that the experience or the fear of students needing to quarantine due to a positive case is of great concern. The reality is that it is highly likely that all schools will experience more positive cases over the next few weeks of school. 

Please note that the main thing to remember is that if anything affects you or your child, you will be contacted directly. This means that as a general rule, 'No news is good news'. There are limits to what can and can't be communicated to the school community but we will do all we can to ensure student health and safety moving forward. 

School Review

Today marks the first day of our 4-year school review. It has been a tale of two realities, with the activity and excitement of 2018 and 2019 being perfectly counter-balanced by the volatility of the last two years. 

We will be looking at all the changes and achievements over the last 4 years and look closely, with external experts, at what we can aim to improve over the next 4 years. 

It has been an interesting reflective experience this year preparing for the review with parents participating in the Appreciative Inquiry in May, teachers undertaking a full assessment of our progress in July and then data and information collated over the last few months. 

I am immensely proud of the hard work teachers have undertaken to ensure consistency in our teaching practices over the last 4 years. It was the key recommendation coming from our last review and with important work from our middle leaders and teachers, we have completely overhauled the planning, teaching and assessment structures to ensure high quality teaching and learning can take place in every classroom in every year level. This work means that it a child's experience during the year is not a matter of chance based on which teacher they are allocated, because all teachers are working together to ensure consistency in every classroom. It is the sort of unseen work that matters but can be hard as a parent to identify. 

As I have always said to students, the purpose of assessment is to find out two things: what you've done well and can be proud of; and what you can do to improve in the future. We are not scared of exploring areas for improvement because that is the only way we will continue to grow. The school reviewer will report to School Council who, in turn, will report back to community early next year. I am very proud of the hard work undertaken by everyone in the school over the last 4 years and look forward to planning for our next steps moving forward.