We have made it to the last day for our students for 2022. It has certainly been another very challenging one for schools.

We were reflecting a little yesterday, remembering how we began our school year with a couple of weeks of learning from home and then trying to get our kids back to learning on campus. We have gradually been returning to some of our pre-COVID school conditions, and I must say how good that is. I know the challenges of the last couple of years have concerned me about how we continue to provide the very best education possible for our kids.

We had an awards program with our Year 3 to 6 students, and as a part of that, we  honoured the academic achievements of some of our students. This program reminded me again how resilient our kids, teachers and families are. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t for one minute think that our energy, creativity and enthusiasm haven’t been stretched or tainted by COVID related issues. However, as those children received awards for being in the top 10 or even 1 percent of students taking part in academic competitions that span Australia and New Zealand, my heart burst with pride.

There was another group of awards this year called the RISE Awards, which were presented to students who have gone the extra mile to show our school values of Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. Again, my heart burst with pride. You see, adversity will often sharpen the focus on what we truly value. I am so glad to say that the difficulties of the last couple of years have brought the importance of our children and their learning into even sharper focus for us.

We recently surveyed families about things we do well and things you would like us to improve. We are working our way through this feedback and will further reflect on it in the new year. However, there was a group of questions at the end of that survey around how our school supported our kids and families during the time COVID has significantly impacted learning and the normal school program. Here are a few pieces of information we gleaned from you.

· 75 percent of families said the school continued to provide effective learning for students that was either good or very good, even when they were not onsite at school.

· 83% of families said that school communication was either good or very good during COVID times

· 79% of families said that the support provided to students for their wellbeing during COVID times was either good or very good.

I thought this sentiment shared by a parent was lovely. “I felt very supported and informed during Covid lockdowns. I very much appreciated a Chaplaincy call to touch base and check on us.”

Why do I share all of this with you? Well, on this final principal’s message for the year, I want you to know how much each child, parent, family member and staff member make this school a very special community.

Thank you.

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas with our kids, and I look forward to seeing you again in 2022.