Welcome to Term Two, 2023.  The first term seemed to fly by and I trust you were able to enjoy some time off over the Easter break. On Wednesday we celebrated ANZAC Day with two services.  At the Primary service Conor Macken (Y5) played the last post and did it beautifully.  These are important events as we help students remember the past and determine to try to make the future better.

 Many of you will recall our announcement nearly 2 years ago about a new administration building.  Like so many projects at the moment, this has had numerous delays, but we are hopeful of commencing the project at the end of this term.  The demolition of our current building and the new building’s construction on the site will cause major disruption to pedestrian flows around that key area.  We have plans to re-locate all staff who work in that area and set up a temporary reception area in the classroom block next to the current building (A Block).

We are also looking to renovate the top floor of the library block to better accommodate our Enrichment team.  This will necessitate creating a new space for our counselling team.  Our site has some challenges because of the proximity of the bush with a bushfire zone encircling our property and in fact covering significant parts of it. We are working with the architects to find a way to place more buildings on the site that meet the bushfire prevention regulations.  As we are near capacity numbers-wise, we now need to be smart about how we utilise our limited space to best accommodate students and all the activities that take place in our school.

Education is reliant on buildings but not limited to or by them. It is what takes place inside buildings that really matters. Recent research has shown how buildings and surrounds can aid learning, but quality teachers are still the key element in successful learning in school. That is why we are developing and enhancing the work we do with our teachers to grow them professionally.

As we partner together this term, remember that good partners are open with each other, respect each other’s roles and are civil even when disagreement occurs. May this term be marked by the strong and healthy partnership we share together to enhance the growth and development of the children entrusted to us.

Phillip Nash

Principal