Principal's Report
This term has been flying by very quickly with lots of things to celebrate. Students have been busy learning and completing their work and teachers are wrapping up the units of work as we head into report time. Our Wakakirri and Choir students have been working on their acts for these exciting events coming up early in Term 3, and many students have been taking part in SAPSASA events. We are proud of all of the different experiences we offer to students at OLOR and know that by providing a well-rounded experience we are helping all students be more engaged, enjoy their opportunities and catering to their individual differences.
Last week we welcomed Todd Murfitt from Cybersafe Families, who ran workshops with our Year 3 to Year 6 students, as well as a parent workshop for our families. Students heard about how to keep themselves safe online, the dangers of sharing too much on the internet, and the challenges that our students face growing up in the online world of today. Our parent workshop heard about the importance of keeping an open, honest and trusting level of communication with their children, which can help support our kids if they run into trouble. Sadly, the online world is not always a safe one for our kids to be part of. Increasingly, we are seeing students coming to school tired, stressed and with a decreasing ability to concentrate, much of which stems from their online life and habits. As Todd suggested, we encourage all parents to talk about this with their children, set boundaries around use and appropriate app and website access, and model to their children about how to enjoy the real world as much as they enjoy the online one. The Cybersafe Families website https://cybersafefamilies.com.au/ is a great source of information, as is their Facebook page.
Teachers have been busy preparing end of semester reports for all students, which will go out at the end of Week 9. While these reports use an A-E reporting structure, it is important to remember that all students have a different starting point and finishing point, and what is most important is the individual progress that each child has made. We also need to remember that these grades are different to when we attended school, and a ‘C’ grade means that the student is achieving what is expected at their year level. This is a cause for celebration.
I also remind parents to look at their child’s Attitude & Effort for each subject, and the comment, as these give a better indication of how each child is going and what more they can do to reach their individual potential. I know reports time can be stressful for some students and families, but it is just a snapshot of what a child has achieved and who they are. We should celebrate every aspect of their lives and be proud of who they are becoming as they grow up in many different ways.
I thank the teachers for their effort with reports this year, as they take considerable effort and extra time for the teachers to complete on top of their normal workload. I thank them for their professionalism and their efforts in presenting a comprehensive snapshot of what each student has achieved.
Do you know anyone who is due to start school next year that might be interested in coming to OLOR? If so, get them to get in contact with us as we would love them come to Bright Start from next term to get to know the school. Bright Start is a great way for students to get used to the school environment and learn some of the routines and structures that are a bit different to what they may have encountered at kindy or childcare. It is also a great way for the school to get to know the students before they start in Foundation, so we can manage the supports they might need and put things in place to make sure that their school experience is a positive one. We love welcoming new students to the OLOR family!
With three weeks left of the term, we look forward to finishing strong and all the events still to come. These include visiting performances, more SAPSASA events, a SAPOL road safety visit, class Masses, and our Junior Primary excursion. There is never a dull moment at OLOR!
Principal