Having missed the final week of school last year I was more than thrilled to welcome our students and their families through the gate on Tuesday morning. As usual, there were mixed emotions but also an overwhelming feeling of excitement to be back. Many of our parents stayed for morning tea to celebrate the beginning of the new school year and I look forward to further opportunities where we come together as a community this year. Our next interaction will be next Tuesday evening for our ‘Meet the Teacher’ Parent Information meeting, which will give families the opportunity to understand the expectations of your child’s class and provide an opportunity for you to ask questions to support your child. We have shifted our family picnic to later in the term to combine with our Twilight School on Thursday March 30; stay tuned to future newsletters with more information on this event.

This week particularly welcomed our Foundation students who settled beautifully for their first year at school as well as our 10 new students across higher year levels who were warmly welcomed by their class peers. I look forward to working with these new students who will attend the ‘Newbies Club’ with me each Friday for Term 1. ‘Newbies Club’ is one of the strategies we use at Bairnsdale Campus to ensure these new members of our Community are feeling safe and it also give the students an opportunity to share their thoughts about life at their new school.