Dear Parents and Carers

On Sunday we celebrated Fathers' Day and I hope all of our dads had a very good day. Last Friday we celebrated the occasion with ‘Donuts for Dad (and Mum)' at morning car line drop off. It was a very happy way to both start the day and wish our fathers a very happy Fathers' Day. My thanks to all the staff for their support, Anne Perkovic for the great photos (available to see on our Facebook page) and to Maryanne Armstrong and Steph Burns for their great work in coordinating the morning.

Leonie Anstey Digital Visit

Last week Leonie Anstey, our Maths coach, paid us a digital visit and worked with some staff in the areas of pedagogy and maths concepts. Leonie brings a great deal of lived experience into schools and she is a wealth of wisdom and practical advice. Her visit was very fruitful and the staff have benefited a great deal from her skill and coaching. Leonie visits us again early next term.

Confirmation

Last Thursday we held our Confirmation retreat day and it was an excellent day. My thanks to our 5/6 team and to Steph Burns, our REC, for providing our students with an opportunity to reflect upon and deepen their faith, leading up to the Sacrament itself. The students are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation next week and in Week 10, with the cohort spread over 4 nights, due to COVID-19 restrictions. I wish our students and their families the very best and I look forward to celebrating with our students as they take this very big step in their faith lives.

Hats and Helmets

A reminder with the advent of spring that children are required to wear hats while at school, when they are outside. A reminder too, for safety reasons, that children are required to wear helmets if they are riding to and from school. Please ensure that your child has a helmet if he or she is riding to and from school. Thank you for your support.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Over the last few weeks, our Assistant Principal, Sean Rutledge, has been working with teachers and students concerning some exciting new technology we have in the school, our virtual and augmented reality goggles and software. The students have the opportunity to virtually visit over 1000 sites around the world, and see and study in detail, sites that would otherwise be largely inaccessible (especially in these restricted travel times). Similarly, the augmented reality options allow students to ‘populate’ their reality with any number of virtual realities, including, for example, dinosaurs. Last night at the Community Council meeting Sean demonstrated their use for the Community Council members. This technology serves as a great tool to engage students in any number of subject areas and it serves as a great tool to provoke and encourage questions. It is part of a larger plan to enhance our STEM capabilities. My thanks to Sean for his leadership and work in this area and to all staff for their support.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal