Having just spent ten glorious days in the South Island of New Zealand (The Land of the Long White Cloud), I was reminded once again of the beauty of God’s creation. The snow-capped peaks and the fiords of Milford Sound, the lakes and green pastures dotted with ewes and their newly born lambs (many had twins and triplets) – every turn in the road brought a new delight. It was so good for the soul.

I trust you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed a break from the normal routines of preparing school lunches, the tyranny of weekly timetables and the time constraints which accompany the school term.

But here we are at the dawn of the final nine weeks of the year which will be the busiest term – as it always is.

Changes to awards at end of year concerts

A decision has been made this year to present the class awards at separate events rather than at the Christmas concerts which are held in the last week of Term 4.

This will allow the presentations of awards to have their own focus on two separate dates so that the recipients can be honoured in a special way. Letters with all the details will be sent home early this term so you can claim these dates in your diary.

The Christmas concerts will continue to be in Week 9 – Monday for Prep – Year 2 students and Tuesday for Years 3 – 6. More information about class items and costumes will be coming home soon. Both concerts are shaping up beautifully and promise to be a wonderful conclusion to the school year.

College uniform

Even though it is Term 4 we will be “holding the line” in terms of College uniform. It was very encouraging to see that uniform infringements from the end of last term have been addressed over the holidays. Regular uniform checks will continue to be held throughout Term 4. Please remember to send a note if any uniform items are incorrect and are in the process of being addressed.

I have found during my 17 years at the College that there is a strong correlation between uniform standards and student behaviour. The respect which students demonstrate by wearing their school uniform with pride is usually also reflected in their attitude towards school, staff and each other.

Thank you for your support in maintaining such a high standard of uniforms from Prep to Year 6 throughout the year. On a regular basis people comment to me that when they see our students down town at the shops or other places in the area, they present themselves well in their uniform. We value this type of feedback and will continue to monitor students’ uniforms throughout the term.

REMINDER – Phone calls to Admin and messages for students

Periodically I send a reminder through the newsletter that any changes in arrangements for end of day or other information should be given to teachers by note if possible. We have a 24-hour turnaround for emails so teachers may not have a chance to read them after 8:00am. Therefore, if it is a message which can be given in the morning, a note which the student can give to the teacher would be more effective.

If an emergency comes up during the day, we understand that it may be necessary to phone the College Admin and the message will definitely be passed on to the class teacher. Apart from an absolute emergency, all phone calls to ask Admin to pass on a message to students, must be made by 2:30pm to give time for it to be passed on. Please understand that every phone call to a classroom interrupts teaching and learning and the flow of the lesson. Every interruption impacts. Even in management, we try to minimize calls to the classroom by including in the daily notices any messages for individual students. We would really appreciate your assistance with this.

Cheryl Bryers, Head of Primary