Penola 2025 – Issue 01

I’m not sure where this year went, but somehow, we made it to the end. It has been a very challenging, yet rewarding year and now, we all get one of the longest summer vacations I have seen for a while. The students return next year on Wednesday 5 February. The staff will return on Monday 3 February and the office will reopen on Tuesday 28 January. I take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and holy Christmas where you get to enjoy time with your loved ones. I wish our departing staff members and families all the very best for the future and I look forward to welcoming our new staff members and families into our beautiful community in 2025. Please find attached the staff list for next year.

Penola 2024 – Issue 21

I’m not sure where this year went, but somehow, we made it to the end. It has been a very challenging, yet rewarding year and now, we all get one of the longest summer vacations I have seen for a while. The students return next year on Wednesday 5 February. The staff will return on Monday 3 February and the office will reopen on Tuesday 28 January. I take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and holy Christmas where you get to enjoy time with your loved ones. I wish our departing staff members and families all the very best for the future and I look forward to welcoming our new staff members and families into our beautiful community in 2025. Please find attached the staff list for next year.

Penola 2024 – Issue 20

We are now into the final weeks of the school year and we will be very busy with our usual end of year activities. Firstly, I would like to thank the parents who attended the Annual Community Meeting for the School Advisory Council and the P&F. Both bodies are important functions of our community and their efforts are greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, we have been advised by CEWA that due to increasing costs, our school fees will have to increase next year by 4%. Please note that this is the first increase here in three years and it works out to be around $1.50 per child per week extra. Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our school community.

Penola 2024 – Issue 19

We are getting to the business end of the year and the teachers are busy writing their reports. I will spend the next couple of weeks reading them which is always a rewarding task as I get to see how well everyone has done this year. As well as reports, the teachers and the leadership team will be undertaking the enormous task of mixing the classes for next year. We use a very good software product to make sure we get it as accurate as possible. There are many factors that go into getting the balance right and once it is complete, the students will get the chance to meet their new classmates for next year in the final week of the year. Occasionally, after the transition day, we get calls from parents requesting that we move their child. Please note that once it is set, we don’t move any children as one small move can completely throw the rest of the class out of balance. In the coming weeks, all students will be asked to name five of their friends who they would like to be with next year. We guarantee that every student will get at least one of their selections. Most students get more than one of their choices. A big part of our Cooperative Learning philosophy is we like the students to learn the vital social skills of making new friends and working with different people. This is an extremely important life skill they will need as they grow older.

Penola 2024 – Issue 18

Welcome back to the final term of the year! I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Lisa Liebregts for doing a great job in my absence. I know Mr Tim Maxwell and the rest of the staff supported Lisa in a wonderful way as I was enjoying a fabulous holiday exploring Spain and Portugal. On Monday this week, the staff had a reflection day at the Mary MacKillop Centre in South Perth. We spent time learning more about the life of Mary MacKillop and what type of person she was. One thing that stood out was her immense resilience. She dealt with incredible adversity, and yet she remained strong. What was the secret to her resilience? It was her prayer life and trust in God. Mary spent time in prayer and meditation and this is something we too, are going to spend more time focusing on this term.

Penola 2024 – Issue 17

Welcome back to the final term of the year! I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Lisa Liebregts for doing a great job in my absence. I know Mr Tim Maxwell and the rest of the staff supported Lisa in a wonderful way as I was enjoying a fabulous holiday exploring Spain and Portugal. On Monday this week, the staff had a reflection day at the Mary MacKillop Centre in South Perth. We spent time learning more about the life of Mary MacKillop and what type of person she was. One thing that stood out was her immense resilience. She dealt with incredible adversity, and yet she remained strong. What was the secret to her resilience? It was her prayer life and trust in God. Mary spent time in prayer and meditation and this is something we too, are going to spend more time focusing on this term.

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