From the Principal

Dear Parents

The students returning to face to face teaching this week is personally helping me to think along the road to recovery and what becomes the “new normal” as we manage our daily lives whether this be at school, the workplace, in the home or through our social interactions within the wider community.

This week has been very refreshing as we return to face to face teaching with over 90% of the children returning to school. I could see the students enjoying the re-engagement with their peers and getting back to some normality with the learning programme. I even had the opportunity to talk and socialise with parent volunteers who came along this morning to run the Mother’s Day Stall. There is light on the horizon, although a number of events have been cancelled or postponed for the term.

The pandemic has been a new experience for everyone and things will be different. We will probably only know how, after reflecting on the lockdown and consequential impact. My thoughts have been around its impact upon school life and learning. During the lockdown there was reference to the many things that had been cancelled but showing love and kindness could still exist. The community’s support for all the changes have reflected this. Two different words are now emerging for me from the experience. They are faith and trust.

There is always hope.

The Remote Learning experience was something very new and introduced in a very rushed and chaotic manner. There is a personal sense, the community had faith and trust in us as educators to provide the best possible solution to continue the learning journey for all the students. For me, the situation highlighted the invaluable role teachers play in the learning process which has been undervalued in my experience within education. I have had many comments from parents reflecting a new-found appreciation of what our teachers and school staff do to enable the students to become capable learners. May these two words faith and trust emerge and grow within our community as we move into the “new normal” in the coming months. We are very fortunate and we should all be grateful for the professional and hard working staff we have here at Nativity.

Some Reminders
1) The drop off and pick up system for the students remains for Week 3 at this stage.
2) Hats- Students require hats during term 2 when the UV rating is 3 or above. Hats are compulsory in terms 1, 3 &4. Students are required to have a hat at school to wear for outside activities when the UV is above 3 or above.
3) Learning Conversations-the online bookings have now closed. All parents should have made a phone interview time. If this hasn’t been done please contact the teacher by email to organise a time.
4) There is a note coming home on Monday regarding the return of Campus Winter Sport.

Wishing all mothers a special day on Sunday.

Kind regards

Greg Haynes
Principal