Dear families,

Welcome to our first newsletter of Term 2.

Term 2 is a special time in schools and a time for deep learning. There are fewer of those (important) disruptions to learning and staff and students know each other well. Classroom routines are well and truly established and students have developed the stamina to be able to engage in the learning expectations as they progress through their schooling journey. As we embark on catching up those students who are behind and extending those who are at or above standard, we don’t have a minute to waste. Please work with us to ensure your young person is at school every day so that they can take advantage of the opportunities and rich learning provided to them.

I want to thank you for your attendance at our Big Breakfast on the last day of Term 1. Staff were pleased to see so many families take up this opportunity and found the chance to connect very beneficial. You will have seen in the reporting package we sent home late last term a schedule for reporting for the rest of this year. This term you will be invited in for 1:1 meetings with teachers later in the term (23rd and 24th June) where there is an opportunity to unpack evidence of learning and discuss student progress with our structured approach to literacy. Please mark these dates in your calendar.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the school’s commemoration of ANZAC Day: those who supported students to attend the community service on the 25th, those who organised and participated in our school commemoration last week and for the rich learning taking place in classrooms. The service here at school was poignant, solemn and respectful and represents one of the traditions in this school which make it a very special place.  I also particularly acknowledge Zach from Grade 9 whose speech at the community event led to multiple people expressing to me how impressive it was.

These are the values of our school and Department: Responsibility, Courage, Growth, Respect and Connection. They represent the fundamental beliefs and principles that steer the way we go about our work in this school. They impact every aspect of our school, including how we make decisions and interact with each other and our environment. This term, we are working to further unpack these values into a statement of expected behaviours in our school. We have been working with staff on this and recently students and there will be an opportunity for parents and carers to be involved later in the term. Here are some of our lower primary students’ thoughts about what the value of Courage means to them:

• Going on the bus to school and home
• Leaving mum in the morning
• Trying something you haven’t done before
• Writing and reading tricky words
• Going to Cross Country
• Standing up for our friends if someone is being mean
• Believing in yourself
• Calling our unkind behaviour
• Talking or singing in assembly
• Being strong in new situations

I look forward to sharing the progress of this work with you as the year progresses.

Over the next few weeks we will conduct a fire drill. A drill is an important opportunity for us to test our emergency evacuation procedures and that everyone knows what to do in the case of an emergency. Shortly before the drill we will SMS all families and also post a notice on our Facebook page for members of the community to view.

I hope you adapting well to the change in seasons which seems to have come in a hurry. As always, please reach out if there is anything I can help with.

David Bryant,

Acting Principal