Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome
Welcome to this addition of our newsletter. I write this on the eve of our 2021 Spirit of Banksia evenings. Spirit of Banksia is our opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students throughout this year in both our excellence programs and our classrooms. It also avails us the opportunity to recognise and thank the members of our staff and community that contribute to making our school the special place that it is. Tonight, we will witness on stage, our high performing bands, choir and dance troupe in the culmination of this year’s work as they provide high quality entertainment and we will reflect upon the achievements of our Academic and Sporting Excellence programs, publicly acknowledging individuals and teams who have represented our school. What we won’t see, unfortunately, tonight is the resilience and resolve our students have built over the past two years in dealing with adversity, changes and challenges associated with education in a pandemic. There have been many occasions over the last two years where students have practised or trained for competitions and events only to have them cancelled or postponed. This, for our students has been extremely disappointing and it would be understandable to lose heart and give up but we have experienced very little of this. Giving up is not the Banksia way. Not for our students, not for our staff and not for our community. We have maintained our high expectations and standards of excellence through all challenges and I am extremely proud of the Banksia that we are and what we will display in the coming evenings. I know you join me in wishing our performers well and congratulating the students and staff who have achieved their personal excellence this year.
COVID Plans
As our borders open and we begin to travel interstate again, the chance of COVID19 cases emerging in our community will increase. At this stage, we are unsure what this will look like moving into the school year, however there are some steps we can take to make sure we are well informed of any changes to the start of 2022. Please ensure that student contact details (phone numbers and email addresses) are up to date by forwarding any changes to the office staff before the end of the year as this will make any communication to our community easier and more direct. It is also advisable to join our official school Facebook page as alerts will be posted there when necessary and student permission to access online platforms through media permissions is also required. (This is usually completed during enrolment but if you are unsure, please check with the office staff).
End of Year Events
As our school year draws to a close, there are many events taking place in our school. Over the next two nights we are having our Spirit of Banksia Performances as stated previously. Next week we begin our sector and behaviour awards ceremonies while in the last week of school we also have the Year 6 handover and clap out, Year 6 Graduation ceremony and Party Day. With the exception of Party Day and the Year 6 Graduation, the expectation is that students wear their formal uniform to any parades or awards ceremonies. This reflects our school values of Pride, Unity, Respect and Excellence and provides these special times the importance they deserve. If you are experiencing any issues with placing your student in a formal uniform for these events, please contact your class teacher or the office for assistance. Please also make sure you keep up with any news flashes about these events to ensure you are informed of times and locations!
Colour Explosion
Yesterday we finally hosted our Colour Extravaganza for 2021. The weather was kind to us and we had an extremely fun afternoon and all involved had a great experience. Thankyou to the members of the P&C and the volunteers who came to work and help out. You made the students experience even more enjoyable!
Mrs Heidi Haydon
Acting Principal