Dear Parents and Carers, 

I am delighted to share that this term has started with great energy, enthusiasm and a renewed focus on learning growth.  Over the past few weeks, our executive, middle leaders and teaching staff have engaged in learning walks where they visited classrooms and spoke to our students asking them to reflect on their ability to be ready to learn as well as their engagement within the lessons. I can honestly say that the feedback has been that our students, your young ones, have overwhelmingly returned with a fantastic mindset, demonstrating their commitment to growth as both learners and people and working in positive partnership with their teachers.

Two of the highlights so far have been our 2025 Swimming Carnival and our 2026 Year 7 Open Night. It was wonderful to see so many of our students embracing the broader school experience and attending what was, a brilliant swimming carnival. Our student leaders stepped up and encouraged all of our students to participate, whether competing or simply getting involved. It is their positive involvement in extracurricular experiences like this that allows our students to develop confidence, teamwork skills, and a sense of community outside of the classroom.

Our 2026 Year 7 Open Night saw an outstanding turnout from prospective families and students. It was inspiring to see our school community come together and showcase the incredible opportunities that we have to offer daily. The strong attendance affirms our reputation as the school of choice in the Shoalhaven with our students being our greatest advertisements. Their passion for learning, pride in their school and their willingness to share their experiences with the families are testament to the positive culture we have cultivated and the true leadership of our senior students. 

This term we have also placed a strong focus on Cumulative Learning Growth, particularly with our Year 11 and 12 students. This approach encourages our students to focus on developmental progress, ensuring each day that they leave the school having learned something new or having improved their ability with a particular subject or skill. This reinforces the idea that “if we can create a culture where everyone believes that they can improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be better, there is no limit to what we can achieve.” (Dylan Wiliam)

To support this, we have been engaging our senior students in discussions about effective learning strategies, resilience, planning and goal setting. We want them to understand that growth happens over time and that success us achieved through small, deliberate and consistent steps. By fostering this mindset, we aim to prepare them not only for their upcoming assessments but to be lifelong learners. At times, parents can feel isolated from their child’s senior learning as the HSC experience is one that may be very different to the one we experienced. It is important to note that you do not need to be the expert on English or Extension Mathematics, simply being present for your young learners and engaging in positive conversation about their growth, organisation, attitude and goal setting will foster stronger connections between home and school and set them up for success. 

As the term progresses, we look forward to continuing this momentum with you and seeing our students reach new heights. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss ways to further support your child’s learning journey.

Thank you for your constant support 

James Eirth

Acting Principal