Dear Families,
This week I had the privilege of watching the year 1 and 2 students perform a wonderful play that they had been practicing for the last few weeks. It was truly a delight to see them perform as a team in a confident way and share their storytelling with the younger reception students. I would like to congratulate them all on their learning, incredible vocabulary and oral language skills.We had a really great turn out for the school tour this week with many new families coming to Basket Range Primary to see our fantastic learning environment. They were able to participate with the reception students in a Music lesson with Bethany that showcased student engagement and participation in the arts curriculum at its best.
Over the past few weeks we have also seen a few developments to the grounds with the stone wall being finalised by Ian Westmacot our very generous stonemason. Ian has demonstrated such fantastic craftsmanship and has very generously worked on this wall around his other work commitments. We are collecting donations from our school community of produce and items to put together a gift basket for Ian as a small token of our appreciation. Thanks to those that have already generously donated items, we are still accepting donations into the front office this week.
This coming week is Reconciliation Week where the theme for 2021 is: More than a word. Reconciliation takes action. This theme urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action. Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians: as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures. In 2021 we celebrate twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey: the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our commitment to action this week is to have all the classes rotate through the indigenous garden area this coming Thursday to prepare the area for planting and the distribution of mulch. We look forward to this significant event as part of our schools Reconciliation Action Plan.
The consultation process for 2022 and beyond is making steady progress. This week Josh Geers Governing Council Chair, Nanette Van Ruiten Education Director and myself, came together to look at staff consultative feedback, draft External School Review Report and we also discussed the prospect of having a community forum on Tuesday of Week 8. More details will follow in the coming weeks as to how as a community we can come together in a positive way to look at the important aspects of our school as we move into the next phase of student learning.
Have a wonderful weekend. I know the students and staff have earned a well deserved break this week. Kind Regards Sybila
