Message From The Principal, 23 Aug 2019

I have been thrilled with the start to the year. The classrooms that I have visited over the past two weeks have been busy and productive places where the student engagement has been exemplary. The new students have settled in especially well and I am very proud of the way the continuing students have welcomed and supported them.

We will continue our processes for monitoring and maintaining student well-being. This system will operate for the foreseeable future and I appreciate your tolerance to the additional emails.

Every day is a great day at Island School. It is important that we maintain momentum and that school and parents work together to ensure that every student:

• Has set academic goals that will guide their development for the coming year.
• Is prepared for school every day by being suitably attired and having all of the materials they require.
• Has re-established a positive peer group. It is important that parents know the names of friends and are comfortable they bring out the best in their child.
• Is spending appropriate time completing homework and studying what they have learnt in class. I am an advocate for publishing a study timetable on the fridge and all family members working to support each young person to develop the skills necessary to stick with it. The schedule should include assessment dates.
• Is attending regularly. Missing school has a major effect on learning achievement and as the term continues students having difficulties can experience anxiety which is often confused with illness. Please monitor closely your child’s days off and if they climb to over 3 in any school term monitor the situation closely.
• Has signed on for extracurricular activities which will add balance to their school life.
• Has established their travel routines.

In addition I ask that you actively support the school’s commitment to celebrating individuality. The area of greatest vulnerability remains the at home online environment.  Parents are asked to be vigilant about their child’s use of technology. If they are concerned by an incident they should contact their child’s Form Tutor.

I feel confident that if we stay alert to these issues we will all be rewarded through strong student achievement at reporting and assessment times.

The demolition works at the Borrett Road campus has accelerated in recent months and it will not be too long before the previous buildings are all gone. The contractors and ESF have done a marvellous job getting the project back on track after some earlier planning delays.

We will continue to provide updates at key stages of the project. Demolition photos can be found here.

Despite the excitement of what the redevelopment means, it is critically important for our student’s sake that we keep our eyes firmly on the here and now.