Welcome to the end of the second week of the school year.  Time does fly by when you are keeping busy. 

As a school staff as part of our four-year review cycle we developed a document called our Design Principles - in essence a set of 'to-die-for' statements about how we go about operating.  The key mantra is every teacher makes every minute count for every child. In the busy-ness of life it is so important we take advantage of every moment and not get caught in the many distractions that can consume both our physical and emotional energy.  As educators and parents we have to balance the see-saw of knowing when to push our children hard or to put in more support.   Unfortunately it seems no one has written a fool-safe 'Dummies Guide to Child Rearing' book.

Next week on Ash Wednesday our faith story welcomes the season of Lent, the period of time when we prepare for Easter.  As Australians we sometimes get confused with the celebration of Ash Wednesday in the Catholic Church because we relate it to the horrific bush-fires also called Ash Wednesday.  As a Year 3 student back in 1983 I experienced the trauma of the day when this natural disaster interrupted our Ash Wednesday church service, hence the nickname given to that fire event.  In this newsletter I've also included some information for parents to read which explains the link between Pancake Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

This week we highlighted Safer Internet Day on Tuesday and I hope parents took advantage of some the resources available to feel a little more educated on the topic.  We know that our online world has both positives and negatives, however the risks associated with our children interacting in that space are significant.  As a principal I cannot stress enough how critical it is that parents, particularly of primary aged students, are extremely conscious of what our children our doing, saying and are experiencing online.  My door is always open to parents if they had any concerns or questions about this growing issue in society.

Last week's newsletter contained information about our learning enrichment programs including each classroom's timetable, providing the information which included what day students would wear their sports uniform.  Can I thank families for their swift attention to this and the increased compliance around unfirom.  It has been pleasing to see families organising those additional items or replacements for items that are worn and are in poor condition (eg.hats).  The uniform shop has a good range of new and used items, including shoes.  If you require assistance or support please reach out to the school, especially Mrs.Campbell.  If you are having issues with your child around compliance please see me and I can have a gentle conversation with them!

On behalf of the staff we thank you for your continued support.

Enjoy your weekend, Dave