Bliss, delight, happiness and joy - there are so many more words that could describe the sounds that we heard on Monday as our Kinder to Year 6 students re-joined us for their first day back in their class groups.  The energy was something that we hadn’t seen before. Where we may typically have nerves mixed with excitement for many students at the start of the school year, the connections already established between students and staff meant this felt more like a reunion where many of our students (and adults) just couldn’t wait to reconnect.

I heard stories from many parents of children getting up as early as 4:30am in eagerness for the start of the school day! Whilst I am sure that the return to the routines of school will provide a transition that will be different for all students, with some feeling more confident about this return than others, please know that our school staff are very well placed to make this return to school as positive and supportive as possible.

Our school has a COVID safety plan that outlines the stringent hygiene and safety standards that we have set and will meet on a daily basis. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that our community can feel confident that Penguin District School has taken all of the possible steps to provide a safe and clean environment for all. If at any stage you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office and have a chat with our senior leadership team. Again, I would like to thank our students and staff that have adapted so well to these new routines.

Spending some time in Year 2 during the week, I was asked to share some artefacts from my time as aschool student (all those years ago!) and start some conversations about how school and education have changed over time. We went on an item hunt and found the old school bell, paintings of the Penguin State School, looked at honour boards and found a time capsule suspended from the ceiling in the library. We also talked about how health practices have changed over time. Some parents/grandparents would remember school milk and I can recall needing to line up with other students and brush my teeth after lunch. Our students have picked up new routines with sharing of items, handwashing and hygiene without any issue, just as students of the past adjusted to their routines of the time. Certainly, the past few months will be a period of history that we will look back on and consider how our actions contribute to keeping others safe by prioritising wellbeing.

Mat Grining

Principal