In the blink of an eye another school term has almost
passed us by. I would like to take this opportunity on
behalf of all staff to thank our parent community, especially our Parents and
Friends Asociation and associated volunteers, School Council and classroom
helpers for the fantastic support we have received throughout Term 1.
It has been an unusual term in some respects for
government schools as the stalemate between the state government and the
various representatives of employees in the education sector unfortunately
continues.
After two years without an agreement being reached, all
staff at Highvale remain hopeful that an appropriate resolution will be
forthcoming in the short term.
On that note I would like to thank Highvale staff for
their outstanding and continued commitment to our students. Whilst there has been some rescheduling of events
and meetings this term, our school has continued to thrive.
The yearly trend of outstanding academic results as
measured by our teacher judgments and NAPLAN scores supports the fine work our
teachers do every day and the wonderful home/school partnership that
exists. Whilst this is extremely
pleasing, great schools do so much more than focus purely on literacy and
numeracy results.
Many members of our school community will be well aware
of the significant work our teachers do to develop social skills within our daily teaching through our School Values,
restorative practices, the Better Buddy program and school events such school
sports, camps and our musical. Engagment in learning is another
significant factor which we constantly look to enhance. Our whole school approach to teaching with a
focus on effective assessment, explicit teaching of concepts and opportunities
for students to make choices about their learning are at the core of our
collective work.
When writing this piece I reflected upon some of the
significant student leadership and extra-curricular opportunities provided for
our students beyond the classroom. At
last count they included the following: Waverley Links Enrichment and
Leadership program, Leadership and
Multicultural Program (LAMP), Student Representative Council (SRC), Debating
Club, HPS Choir, GREEN Team, Active Art, Big Science Little Scientist program,
Instrumental Music and Band program and Active After School Communities
Sport. Whilst this list is not
exhaustive it certainly reflects the provision of a broad range of
opportunities.
Even with all of this, to create a learning environment
where students truly value their education and give their best, a strong
parental presence and contribution is essential. I am a strong believer that students value
learning more when the significant adults in their life are actively involved
and supportive. The involvement of
parents at Highvale is strong and growing.
Our aim is to continue to provide and explore new opportunities for
parents and friends to be actively involved in our school. If you have ideas that you would like to
share I would welcome your suggestions.
Steven Richardson, Principal
