Dear Parent and Caregivers,

WELLBEING FOCUS
This week on assembly we revisited our last fortnightly focus around Growth Mindset and I was so impressed to see that 3A again had taken that on board in their classroom and were using it to continue the discussions at this busy assessment time. 

This fortnight, I talked about the need for all of us to have some coping strategies in our toolkit to help us to self-regulate and manage our emotions when we are under pressure to ensure that we could engage and participate to the best of our abilities.  I was able to align this a  program we are using in our school called the Zones of Regulation, where students learn that the optimal zone for learning is the green zone and go on to learn some strategies that they can use to assist them to remain or get back into the green zone when things happen.

Using your strengths to develop these coping strategies is a great way forward as strategies may be different for each of us.  They might look like reading, meditation, listening or playing music, drawing or colouring, positive self-talk or accessing some personal support.

PLANNING RELEASE
Currently as well as finalising end of semester assessment and preparing student progress reports for Semester One, our teachers are also being released from class to undertake team planning sessions to ensure all members of each planning team are on the same page around the Australian Curriculum units of work and how they will be implemented and assessed next term.  Mrs O’Malley, our Head of Department-Curriculum is facilitating these sessions with our teachers.

STAFFING CHANGES
As you are aware, Ms Leanne Haslam has taken a role at another school to broaden her experiences and our new temporary Business Manager has commenced this week.  Her name is Mrs Melinda Spurrell and she comes to us from Nerang State High School.

Mrs Jodie Roberts, our additional A02 in the office 2 days a week was fortunate to pick up some extra days at her base school.  Mrs Renee Ovey has commenced at our school this week supporting Mrs Spurrell and Mrs Coats in the office on Wednesday and Thursday each week.

This week we learned that Teacher Aide and Defence School Mentor, Mrs Jody Kellin will be leaving us towards the end of next week to take up other employment.  She will finish up next Thursday.  There will be a recruitment process for the DSM position in the coming weeks.

FROM THE CLASSROOMS
Last week I was invited to visit the Yr 3 classes as they were creating their visual art works from a range of environmental materials such as sticks, rocks, leaves, bark etc.  It was wonderful to see how engaged the students were in the activity and how well they had planned the pieces and how animated they were in their discussions about their pieces and their meaning. Well done Yr 3!

Till next time,
Mrs Anne Robinson
Principal