Principal Report

Principal Message – Week  2 Term 2

Welcome back to a very exciting Term two. I trust you all had a relaxing time over the holidays with your family and are feeling ready for the term ahead.

The children have settled back seamlessly into routines and are more than ready for the new term. Term 2 is a time of consolidation and assessment as we prepare for Semester 1 reports. It is a time where we really begin to see children develop in both their learning and maturity. 

There is no such thing as a quiet term and Term 2 will be busy given it is only nine weeks. I know staff have planned some wonderful experiences for each year level with the highlight being auditions and commencement of rehearsals for the school musical – Shrek Junior!

For our year 5/6 children the term started with camp! School camps provide the perfect opportunity for students to experience positive interactions with each other outside of the classroom, developing new relationships and deepening the existing bonds of friendship.

As I was on long service leave, I was unable to attend this year, but from all accounts our Year 5/6s represented our school magnificently during their City Experience Camp. I can proudly say that no matter where they visited, praise for their manner, their respectfulness, their questions and their participation was duly noted.

I would like to take a moment to comment on how much the children in our senior school have grown as learners and as individuals. Central to the Primary Years Programme is the learner profile and the approaches to learning. These two aspects of the PYP work in tandem and assist children to develop wholistically. In past newsletters, I have mentioned skills required by our children for the future, and I have referred to various articles that cite the need for children to acquire not only academic skills but also what are termed ‘soft skills’ as well as 21st Century skills for their future workplaces. Over the course of the three days, kindness, tolerance, empathy, resilience, creativity, collaboration, cooperation, sensitivity, and understanding where witnessed on many occasions by not only our staff but the public. And I am proud to say that I believe our children are developing and embodying the necessary skills that will hold them in good stead as they move into their secondary years and beyond.

As we begin this term, we encourage you to engage with your children about what they are learning in school. For those of you who may often receive the obligatory grunt when asking “What did you do at school today?” don’t forget the school’s online platform Seesaw, it can provide a nice opening for a longer conversation with your child. It not only gives you a snapshot of your child’s learning to date, but it is also a window into their time at school. By asking them questions, listening to their ideas, and providing them with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real world situations you will reinforce their understanding of the concepts they are learning and encourage them to stay engaged and motivated.

We thank you for your continued support of our school and your child’s education. And we look forward to working together to create an even stronger and supportive learning community over the year.