Dear Parents,

We have had a positive and productive start to Term 2 and we are all so proud of our students who completed their NAPLAN today. The teachers did a wonderful job of ensuring the children were well prepared for what NAPLAN would look and feel like for each individual child, providing them with the support they needed to engage with it in a positive and relaxed way. The thoughtfulness of the staff provided some excitement for the children as they waited each day to see what ‘treat’ they received as a reward for a job well done. Whether it was a cake – because NAPLAN is a ‘piece of cake’, some smarties because all of the children are ‘smarties’, or whatever other creative way they celebrated, the result left the children excited and proud of their achievements. While we know that NAPLAN is merely a snapshot of what each child is capable of doing, the experience of dealing with structured testing and challenging themselves with several consecutive days of testing are significant achievements in themselves. Walking past each classroom throughout each day and seeing all of the students committing themselves to the task at hand was most impressive and made me feel so proud of all of our students.

It has come to my attention that some of our students are sharing with their parents that they have ‘been in Mrs Broeren’s office’, or ‘Today I went to the Principal’s office’, with the response from parents that their child must have done, or been involved in, something significant to have spent time in my office. Please rest assured that this is not necessarily the case at all. It is my commitment to all students, staff and parents that my office is an open door for anyone who would like to speak with me. Your child may have chosen to come and discuss a concern they have, be informing me of a struggle of their own or that they have noticed another child having, they may be feeling sad, upset, angry or a range of other emotions that they feel I can support them with. My office is a safe space for all who need it and my commitment and priority every day is to be available for each of you and your children. Many children make the choice to come and have a chat. At times some of your children want to share with me that they are feeling a certain way and need support to regulate their emotions.

There are times when teachers ask me to have a chat with a child, or a group of children, to help them to develop skills and strategies to support their friendships and decisions. It is much more productive for either Julian, our Deputy Principal, or myself to have these discussions as we are in a position to give your children the time and commitment needed as it can often be a lengthy process. With the best of intentions, skills and support, teachers have so many children with whom they work that time is often not on their side when it comes to getting to the bottom of a child’s concerns. That’s where we are able to step in and support the teachers to support your children. Therefore, I assure you that there are a vast number of reasons and purposes for your child to have ‘visited the Principal’s office’ on any given day. If your child spends time with Julian or myself and we believe it would be helpful for you to know about our discussions, we will, of course, be in touch with you. If your child has been in my office and you have not heard about it from me, please do not be concerned. At St Mary’s we firmly believe in the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. Together we are that village for each of your children. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me. Your child is always encouraged to share any conversations with you that they have with us. It is so important that we work together to enable us to provide the best possible support and learning environment for your children.

Keep warm and well.

Kind regards

Lisa Broeren