Staffing updates

Term 4 always provides an opportunity for renewal, as well as new and exciting challenges. This can understandably be mixed with sadness as we farewell staff from our school community. Through our final assemblies we will be acknowledging and thanking a number of staff members that will be starting 2021 in new schools or embracing new opportunities as they may present themselves. Prior to our assemblies, I’d like to make mention of Kirsten Rockliff (nee Moore), Tish Townsend, Dale Good, Brian Hickey, Deanna McMullen, Tracey Walker, Mina Howe and Jenni Maartensz, and thank them for their collective efforts to our school this year and wish them well for 2021. Further to this, congratulations to Ms Maartensz who found out this week that she’ll be taking up a leadership opportunity at Yolla District School next year.

I’m pleased to announce that following the department’s mandatory review period, that Geoff Davis has been appointed to the permanent position of Assistant Principal at Penguin District School. Geoff always has the best interests of learners deeply at the heart of his work and I’m sure that our students, parents and staff will continue to support Mr Davis in his ongoing leadership of our school community, particularly at the secondary campus.

Joining our primary campus teaching team next year will be; Emma Eustace, Elisse Gardam, Maddison Hayward, Damien Rabe, Jenna Langham and Matilda Lutwyche, with Noah Johnstone and Darcy Schake joining our year 7-12 teaching teams.

In next week’s newsletter we will have further staffing information with allocation of teachers to classes for 2021.

In preparation for next year, our current Prep to Year 5 students will be able to meet their new teachers on Tuesday 15^th of December in their classrooms for 2021. Students have also been writing letters addressed to their new teachers offering some amazing insights into their own passions and reflections on what areas they’d like to grow in for the following year. This also provides the teacher with a ‘head start’ with information that can best support the learners in their class next year. It has been a big week for orientations with our new Kinder families welcomed to our school today, Year 6’s having a taste of the secondary campus on Thursday, as well as our Year 10’s enjoying transition experiences at Don and Hellyer College. Thank you to the staff that were able to facilitate these experiences this week.