It has been a pleasure to witness the way the children have settled into the school year. A part of my weekly routine is spending time in classrooms and I am so pleased to see strong routines and teacher-student relationships being established across Kindergarten to Year Six.

The role of the teacher in the classroom is crucial, as they work to foster positive bonds with students, by creating a constructive classroom environment, treating students with respect, having high expectations and maximising success for every student.

Parents also play a pivotal role in this relationship and I was pleased to see encouraging numbers at our infant information nights and “meet and greet” sessions. Research demonstrates that when a partnership approach occurs, attitudes  and school grades improve. Students also demonstrate better social skills, fewer behavioual problems and a greater ability to adapt to situations and get along.

Thank you to all those that were able to attend the blessing of the backpacks on Sunday at the Immaculate Conception Church. We are so fortunate to have a special connection with our Church and in particular Father Duane and Sr Kerry. This makes St Pius X  an authentic Parish School.

Finally, it was wonderful to see many of you via zoom and in person last night at the Parents and Friends (P&F) AGM. The P and F is the primary formal mechanism for the engagement of parents and allows parents to be co-contributors in the faith life and educational goals of the school.

As we journey into the Lenten Season, I encourage our community to continue to work together for the common interests of our children. Our Welcome BBQ on Wednesday 6^th March will be a wonderful opportunity to touch base with old and new friends and meet our staff in an informal setting.