‘Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently’ 

-     Marie Forleo

Adjusting to new norms

A few months into Australia’s experience with COVID, many of the practices we are adopting as habit have become new norms. It is important, however, that we do not become complacent and we continue to adhere to directions consistently and stay across government information as it comes to hand. I continue to request adults to minimise their time at our school, and practise social distancing when being here is vital.

As a principal, student attendance is never far from my mind. This is because research shows us how vital it is to successful outcomes in education. COVID has thrown a spanner in those works as we were required to have students learning from home for a long time, and now we are also asking families to keep students home at the earliest sign of illness. Even with both of these things said, I continue to implore our families to value the importance of attending unless there are genuine reasons for being at home, namely illness. Our attendance figures spike when it rains. I understand for those who travel by foot that this is uncomfortable, but being at school is so important for the young people in our community. If you accompany your children to school as their means of transport, don the gumboots and raincoat and embrace the childhood wonder of puddles (perhaps on the way home). We continue to call home and check on the wellbeing of non-attenders as a practice, so please expect these calls.

Education Week will look different this year, but we celebrate next week nonetheless. It will be in the style of so much else this year – virtual. I will briefly address our students outdoors after play on Monday before we share video montages in class. We will be sharing these same movies over Facebook each day throughout the week. Please join us in celebrating what has been nothing less than a remarkable year so far, for many reasons.

Weekly I marvel at how fast our Kindergarten children grow. Their development is also a reminder that the next cohort will soon be coming. I remind anyone who is considering 2021 enrolment for their own child in Kindergarten, or if you know of anyone who is, to make contact with our school to start the process.

Stay dry; I hope everyone has a great week.

Kind regards,

Kieren Corbyn (Principal)