Primary News

Well these first few weeks of Term One have flown past. Staff have been working hard to help students settle into their courses and have been providing support for parents and supervisors. We have welcomed lots of new students and I daily hear staff working to get to know and understand the heart of our students. Thank you to everyone who has been so gracious and understanding of the demand on teachers’ time early in the year - they are getting back to everyone as quickly as they can.

While our staff are scattered between Perth and Albany, we’re grateful to have the ‘DE Hub’ (formerly known as the MACA Centre) which provides a fantastic gathering point for us all whether we are online or meeting in person. There is an enclosed patio area that has been tidied up for us and turned into a little cafe style lunch or meeting place. We’re feeling very blessed and are adding to the plants regularly. The next challenge is to make sure we can keep them all alive!

NAPLAN preparations are underway with schedules and practice test information being sorted and sent out very soon. Staff of Year 3 and 5 students have reorganised the weekly timetables to ensure there is time available for these events. We encourage all students to ‘have a go’ and do their best with the tests. NAPLAN can provide great information to parents and the school about student progress but these tests are just one measure that we use to track achievement. Test taking skills are valuable life skills to build and NAPLAN is a great opportunity to help develop these so students build confidence over the years. Teachers will do their best to encourage students and keep the process as relaxed as possible.