Principal’s Report
Little Learners Love Literacy Program
It is hard to believe that the end of term is fast approaching. When we reflect on the term as a whole, there is so much to celebrate. Together, we have achieved a great deal, and the many special events held throughout the term have helped create a positive and successful start to the year.
As I show prospective families around our school, they consistently comment on the warm and welcoming atmosphere. They notice how engaged and articulate our students are in their learning, and the strong, respectful relationships that are evident across all areas of the school.
A particular highlight this term has been spending time in our Prep to Year 2 classrooms and observing students during their phonics learning. This is our first year implementing the Little Learners Love Literacy program, a structured synthetic phonics approach. This evidence-based program supports students to understand the relationship between letters and sounds, building their confidence in reading (decoding) and spelling (encoding) words. During these sessions, it is impressive to see students confidently applying their knowledge of letter–sound relationships to blend sounds and read words, as well as segment words for spelling. Using mini whiteboards, students actively practise writing words, receive immediate feedback and make quick corrections, allowing for high levels of engagement and participation as they build confidence and independence.
We thank our families for their support with our changes to take home reading. In our Prep to Year 2 classes, our take-home readers look different from those used in previous years. Our readers are now decodable texts, which are carefully aligned to the phonics skills students are learning in the classroom and selected based on point of need identified through ongoing assessment. While these books may appear simpler and include more repetition, this is intentional. The repetition helps students practise and consolidate their knowledge of letter–sound relationships, building accuracy, confidence and fluency in reading. By reading texts that closely match what they have been explicitly taught, students experience greater success and develop strong foundational reading skills. We encourage families to continue enjoying a wide range of books at home, as rich reading experiences alongside decodable texts help build a love of reading and deepen comprehension.
We also thank families for their strong participation in our recent parent–teacher interviews. We hope you found this time valuable to connect with your child’s teacher, gain insight into their learning progress and have any questions answered. While these formal opportunities are important, we know that our home–school partnership is strengthened through ongoing communication throughout the year.
Congratulations to our 2026 Student Voice Team Representatives
At Friday’s assembly, we were delighted to present our student voice representatives with their badges. Each student stepped forward with pride and enthusiasm, ready to contribute to making our school the very best it can be.
Our Student Voice Team is made up of elected representatives from each class, led by our Year 6 Student Voice Captains and supported throughout the year by Gaylene Hawkins, Eliza Griffiths, Megan McGowan, and Rebecca Bertrand. The team meets regularly to discuss what’s happening around the school, offering valuable insights into the perspectives of students across all year levels. They also brainstorm ideas to continually improve the school and explore fundraising opportunities to support various charities. We look forward to working with the 2026 SVT throughout the school year. [insert photo of me with the SVT]
Gizmo & Responsible Pet Ownership
Last week, our prep students engaged in the responsible pet ownership incursion that the rest of our school completed late last year.
We know the skills learnt through this opportunity will help not only with their interactions with Gizmo, but also with as they interact with animals outside of the school environment.
Gizmo has continued to be a positive presence across our school this term. It was with great pride that he joined us in our staff photo!
We can’t wait to get our photos this year. Gizmo will be taking some personal leave for the remainder of the term. We wish him well with his upcoming desexing procedure and look forward to welcoming him back next term.
Every Child. Every Opportunity.
With courage and commitment,
Allyson Kocaj
Principal
