Interschool Chess Tournament

This Thursday six girls from our chess club will be attending a girls' only tournament at Loretto College. We look forward to representing our school and having a great day with many other girls from the State.

Year 3 Visit Migration Museum

In Week 7, the Year 3 classes travelled to the Adelaide CBD to visit the Migration Museum as part of their HASS studies on our changing world. We took part in an engaging program that explored what life was like for children in the 19th century before school was compulsory! We got to see various Indigenous Australian tools used in everyday life, see the food the children used to eat, how they used to travel, what they used to write with, wear, and play with. We also got to see what the streets of Adelaide used to look like and learn about it's history.

SACSA Soccer

Last week we had over 50 students represent PPN at SACSA Soccer! We had some great weather for soccer, and saw some amazing skills on display, including some awesome goals and goal saves. Well done to all of our 5/6 and 3/4 teams for a good day out, with some great skills and awesome sportsmanship.

Year 3 Cain's Arcade

This Semester, the Year 3s have been creating arcade games in their Design and Technologies lessons. These arcade games were planned and created very carefully, and then tested and refined to ensure they worked perfectly. Once they were complete, we invited our Foundation buddy classes to come and play them. It was a super fun morning and many prizes were won!

 

Rain, Renewal, and Blessings 

This week, the feel of winter is setting in with temperatures in single units and grey London-like clouds that have graciously yielded much needed rain.  Soon we will have fresh fields of green and revived plant life from the rain.  We have had occasions when it is too wet to play outside but the breaks in the rain have been monitored closely so time outdoors has not been completely missing. As we get close to the last day of term for students and another week to go for staff, the anticipation of a break from weeks of hard work is pulpable behind the smiles and playground sounds. 

The rain got me thinking of our own life journeys where showers can be obstacles to us going places or doing things but the challenges we meet also prepare us for renewal just like the rain renews growth around us.  Rain clears the dust from the air in the same way the hard work during the term comes before the growth we may not yet see but will surely be evident later. 

Each drop of effort staff and students have put in has helped to develop resilience, patience and all the values we have focused on so far this year.  The seeds planted, in some of the students, may be dormant for now but they will sprout and flourish in God’s time.  

The rain is a reminder of God’s provision as stated in Deuteronomy 28:12: “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.” I am reminded that beautiful gardens are not made from sunlight alone.  We need the rain to nourish the roots and sustain life.   

Heading into the holidays, you may be weary.  May the rain remind you to prepare for new beginnings.  What experiences will you embrace knowing every challenge is watering your growth?  How far have you come in your personal journey? Count the blessings of the work of your hands. 

Afternoon PPN Families,

My evenings lately have been filled with crochet. If you’ve ever worked on a crochet project, you’ll know it’s a labor of love. Hours go into each piece, and sometimes you don’t notice a mistake until ten rows later. One missed stitch, one moment of distraction—suddenly, the whole pattern shifts. You’re left with two choices: cover it up and carry on or unravel and rework the rows. Undoing the stitches takes time and patience, but the love woven into the correction makes the final piece even more beautiful.

I recently started crocheting a baby blanket after hearing a friend is expecting. I spent time choosing the colours, the size, the stitch pattern—all intentional decisions at the beginning of something new. But even with careful planning, it’s so easy to get distracted. An audiobook playing in the background, a show that pulls my attention—and just like that, an error sneaks in. It’s a reminder of how often life works the same way.

We make plans. We dream. We try to do our best. But life can be exhausting and messy. We miss a step here, make a misjudgement there. We try to cover things up or fix them in our own strength. And oh, how draining that can be.

But we are not left to struggle alone.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint”. Even when we’re weary and weighed down, Jesus gives us strength for each new row of life. He is our sustainer when our energy is spent.

And just like my crochet project, our lives are ongoing works in the hands of our Creator. Philippians 1:6 encourages us with this truth: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns”. God doesn’t abandon His projects. He doesn’t discard what’s imperfect. Instead, with patience and purpose, He weaves beauty from our unravelled places. He breathes life into us and keeps working—even when we can’t see the full pattern.

So, if today feels like tangled thread or a skipped stitch, remember you are a masterpiece still in progress, lovingly shaped by hands that never grow tired.

Blessings for the rest of this week and hope you have all have a wonderful holiday break,

Pr Andy

Talking about report cards – even when they’re disapointing

In the next week, you will receive your child’s report card. The conversations that follow are not always easy. The below article may help guide your conversations towards constructive and supportive communication, even when you’re feeling disappointed.

A Quick Review

• There are different reasons you might be disappointed in your child’s report card.
• What you say (and how you say it) in each situation matters.
• Focusing more on effort than on the actual grades can help.

Here are some five common report card scenarios and tips for talking about them:

1) Grades have improved, but less than you hoped

You may want to say: “I was expecting to see better results than this.”
Instead, try saying: “Nice! What do you think helped those grades go up?“

Why: Improved grades mean that your child is making progress. Consider that even a little bit can take a lot of effort. Keeping that in mind lets you talk about what’s working well. It opens the door to talk about what might help bring up the rest of your child’s grades too.

2) Grades and behaviour “Need Improvement”

You may want to say: “You’re grounded until your behaviour and grades improve. No more technology!”
Instead, try saying: “I need to take some time to think about this. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Why: When the news isn’t great, you might be tempted to jump to some sort of punishment. You’re no doubt feeling frustrated and upset. However, punishment doesn’t usually help kids do better next time.

Take some time to think about what “improvement” would look like for your child. Be realistic and talk it over with your child. Then come up with a plan to help make it happen.

3) Grades remained the same, but behaviour and effort improved.

You may want to say: “I’m glad to see that you’re putting in more effort. If only your grades were better, too.”
Instead, try saying: “It’s good to hear you’re getting the hang of what you need to do to work hard and behave in class. Let’s figure out how to get better at classwork, too.”

Why: When we look at a child’s report card, grades are usually the first thing we see. But don’t forget to look at teacher comments to learn about other progress your child is making. If school is hard for your child, putting in more effort is a big deal.

4) Some grades improved, but others worsened.

You may want to say: “What happened with the rest of your subjects?”
Instead, try saying: “Your maths and science results look great! What’s going on in the rest of your subjects?”

Why: As students get older, the expectations for learning change. It can be harder to meet these standards in some subjects. One of my children avoids maths because he doesn’t enjoy it. So we’ve created a timetable where he has to nominate maths study time.

Talk with your child about the classes that had lower grades this time around. Ask whether there’s anything about them that’s hard and what would help. Conversations like that teach kids to speak up for what they need in order to improve and to create action to address it.

5) Poor grades in most subjects, even though your child is working hard.

You may want to say: “You’re failing everything?! But you’re working so hard!”
Instead, try saying: “I’m really surprised by these grades. I’ve seen how hard you’re working. We’re going to work together to figure this out.”

Why: If kids are working hard and still struggling, there’s a good chance they already feel bad. Kids in this situation may be scared that nothing they do helps.

Kindly saying that you know they’re working hard can be a relief for children. It tells them you know they’re not “just being lazy.” And showing that you’re committed to figuring out what’s happening can be a confidence boost. It tells them you’re in it together. Establish a study timetable ~ it’s a common problem that kids often don’t know how to study. Create a timetable and enter each homework task, sport commitments, breaks and downtime.

To Sum Up

• Don’t just look at the grades — read the teacher’s comments too.

• If your child improved in one area, talk about what your child did to make that happen.

• If your child is working hard but still struggling, make sure your child knows that you see the effort. Contact their teacher to seek support and answers.

(Source: https://www.literacyforboys.com.au/report-cards-5-common-situations-and-how-you-can-discuss-them-with-your-child/

Mid-year Reports

By early next week you will receive an email containing a link to view your child’s Mid-Year Report. By clicking the link you will be able to access the report on the SEQTA Engage portal or app.

These reports provide insight into your child’s academic progress, along with the engagement and effort they display the classroom.

Please remember that in alignment with the Australian National Curriculum, which we report against, a C Grade means a student is performing at the standard expected for their grade. In other words, a C Grade is a good grade. Receiving an A or B means a student is operating at a level above what is expected for them in that year level.

Please also note that your child’s report will indicate whether the classroom teacher has requested a parent interview. If this is marked as ‘Optional’ you are still able to organise to meet with the teacher.

Adjusted Newsletter Schedule

We are continuing to refine and improve the way we communicate with our school community. Beginning Term 3, the PPN Newsletter will shift to a fortnightly publication, full of updates and insights into our schools learning and activities. Use of Seesaw will continue, and include regular updates and reminders about school wide events, along with communication from your child’s teacher with class-specific information and personal communication as required.

ICAS Competitions

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be closed over the holidays but that FlexiSchools orders can continue to be placed for delivery in Week 1, Term 3.

Music Recital

Choir Performances

2026 Enrolments