Dear Parents & Friends,

As I begin to draft this newsletter, it is a very peaceful time in my office at 7.30am in the morning and there are no problems to solve, the sun outside is speckled through the trees and it is a beautiful time to sit and reflect about our Listening Assembly.

Firstly, I was amazed at the response from parents to the invite. We had over one hundred acceptances, by far the largest group I have facilitated this process for. I must admit, the promise of great food from The Chef and I would have really helped here.  In addition to this, I had more than half the staff volunteer to come and help facilitate the process.  We must never forget the commitment given to the school by the staff at St Paul’s.

I’m sure some would have also come simply because they were inquisitive and wanted to see where this would go. However, after the event, I know that the community genuinely wanted what was best for the school and their children and this was very evident in the outcome. It was very clear about what was valued by the community as well as the new ideas that can make our great school an even better school. 

The next step in the process is for me to meet with the President of the P and F and complete the report that summarises the Listening Assembly outcomes so that we can share them with the rest of the community.  Further discussion about the outcomes will also form part of the agenda in future P and F meetings.

On another matter, as I go out to dismissal each afternoon and look into the carpark I now see the speed humps installed, slowing vehicles down and making this area safer for our students and families. This was an initiative that generated some discussion at a P and F meeting and was followed up at council and has had a positive outcome.  A special thank you to those involved who made this happen.  However, the speed humps don’t prevent people from stopping in the middle of the roadway and dropping their kids off rather than parking their car first and walking their children through the carpark to the safety of the school grounds.  As parents, there are times when we become so focused on dropping off the kids and getting to work that our common sense radar is switched off and dangerous behaviours such as this can take over.  This is just a reminder, not to become one of those parents who place convenience before safety!

Go gently,

Michael Reardon
Principal