Deputy Principal News

Cross Country

What a wonderful Cross Country carnival! Students demonstrated the PBL value of resilience, trying their personal best as they ran the sodden course from the overnight downpour. It was fantastic to see house spirit in full swing, with the sea of each house colour following along the sidelines, yelling out encouragement, coaxing their team mates to keep going.

Congratulations to our 2025 winning House, Nepean House, who defended their title from last year’s Cross Country event. House points were: Nepean 2033, Norfolk 1982, Philip 1222.

Each carnival is a reminder of the wide, community support that the school receives. Thank you to the businesses who decorated their workplaces in house colours; the parents and community members who took time out of their schedules to support the carnival through volunteering and cheering on our students; our school leaders and seniors for an early start to their day setting up the course and placing out signs the night before; and all members for staying behind afterwards to pack down all the carnival equipment. In particular, thank you for supporting the change in schedule at short notice.

Please see carnival results below:

Annual Improvement Plan Update: School Priority 3 – Culture, Community and Inclusion

The strategy focus for our School Priority 3 is to enact the Joint Commitment Statement with fidelity to pursue meaningful opportunities to embed and integrate Norf’k language and culture into whole school practices.

Working towards the implementation of this focus has involved creating the new school leadership position of our Student Cultural Leaders, with two secondary and two primary leaders. Gaining feedback on what a thriving school culture should ‘look like’, ‘feel like’, and ‘sound like’ within our school has been undertaken with staff providing an extensive range of initiatives to be implemented over a three-year plan. This was presented to the Council of Elders to gain feedback, insight and support of suggested initiatives. Based on this, a draft three-year plan has been constructed, and Student Cultural Leaders will work with staff, students, the P&C and the Council of Elders throughout the implementation. Our P&C has already pledged financial support for the creation of artworks to signify our eight foundational families as the pillars of our community on the eight COLA pillars. We thank the contribution of stakeholders to our plan thus far and extend a broader invitation to the community for support in the implementation of the plan. Key initiatives for 2025 include:

• COLA pillars representing eight foundational families
• New student booklet explaining school values and Norfolk culture and traditions
• School values in Norf’k language
• Welcoming barbecue for new families
• Entry/ school signage in Norf’k language
• Building names in Norf’k language
• Weaving, wreathmaking and cooking as part of the school curriculum
• Totem pole in entrance garden depicting landmarks
• Collating of school history to create a learning walk within the school
• Living history on school website
• Exploration of Norfolk texts and music embedded into the school curriculum
• Elders and community members visiting classes to instil deeper understanding and appreciation of Norfolk culture
• Exploration of representation of Norfolk art in a revamped school uniform.

Regards,

Julia Cullen

Deputy Principal