Principal Piece with Justin Harrison Term 2 Week 2 2021

Even though we are already into week two, I would like to welcome all students and staff back from a well-deserved holiday. I do hope everyone took the time to relax, recharge and spend some quality time with friends and family. A special welcome must go to the new students and families who have started their educational journey here at Toolooa.

Due to the disruptions at the end of last term, interim reporting timelines were extended for year 7,8,9 and 10 to allow students to complete missed assessment after the holidays. Reports for years 7, 8,9 and 10 will therefore be posted and emailed out to parents/caregivers this week so check your inboxes and mailboxes. Year 11 and 12 reports were completed, emailed out and posted out before the holidays. If you have not received your child’s report, please contact the office.

As per my address on last week’s full school parade, it is imperative that all students sit down and reflect on their term one report card and set goals for this term and the remainder of the year. To support all student’s through this process, I encourage all parents/carers to spend ten minutes with their child reflecting on their report, paying particular attention to those areas where there has been successes and address those areas where improvement is needed. Finally, I encourage all parents to take the opportunity to have a parent teacher interview with your child’s teacher on the Wednesday the 5th May, 2021. Parent teacher meetings can be booked using our online system SOBS. Please access the booking site via our school website: http://toolooashs.edu.au. If you cannot make that evening, please contact the office to arrange another time that suits.

At Toolooa SHS, we take great pride in our senior student tracking, support and intervention processes that lead towards outstanding QCE attainment and more importantly, a successful transition to further education, training or employment. As part of our commitment to supporting all Year 11 and 12 students and parents as they navigate through their senior phase of education, Mr Thomas and his senior schooling team will be making contact with parents of any child who is currently deemed "At Risk" or "On Watch" on their QCE pathway. More specifically, a discussion will take place to identify concerns, discuss support options and/or intervention processes that will support the student moving forward. In addition, can I please encourage all parents/carers who are unsure or concerned for their child in the senior phase to contact the senior schooling team to arrange a time to discuss your concerns?

Parents/Carers of students in Year 7 and 9 would have received a letter outlining the upcoming NAPLAN Tests which will take place between the 11th and 13th May. At Toolooa, we view NAPLAN as a test that can provide us with an idea of just how far students have progressed which in turn, informs our own teaching practices, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy. It is an expectation that all eligible year 7 and 9 students sit NAPLAN; however, parents are encouraged to contact the school if they have any concerns or questions regarding the tests. I wish every student all the best and look forward to seeing the progress that they have made since enrolling at Toolooa SHS.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". On Tuesday 27 April, Toolooa SHS held its annual ANZAC Day Ceremony whereby, we as a school, took the time to commemorate and remember all those who lost their lives in service to their country, in all wars. Every year, Toolooa SHS has a tradition whereby we as a school have a strong commitment to the ANZAC spirit, both at a school and community level. Unfortunately, due to restrictions this year, Toolooa could not invite distinguished members of the community to be part of our parade. Having said that, on behalf of the school community, I would like to thank our long servicing staff member and veteran, Mr Trevor Davis, for his contribution to the ceremony and to all students for their exceptional behaviour and level of respect shown throughout the service. Finally, to those students and staff who attended the Dawn Service and March, I thank you.

This week is Guidance Officer appreciation week. We would like to acknowledge the hard work of our 3 Guidance Officer's, Jenny Morris, Silke Hetherington and Tim Lowe. They go above and beyond to support all the students and staff at Toolooa.