Nhamirri Walal,
The past fortnight has been action-packed at NPS, filled with visitors, special events, and rich learning opportunities for our students.
A huge congratulations to our NAIDOC committee, who hosted an outstanding celebration last week. With storytelling, music, dance, art and food, the event brought our whole school community together. It was wonderful to see students from Preschool to Year 6 out and about, proudly participating in and enjoying such a vibrant cultural celebration. Thank you to the many staff, students, and families who contributed — and to the community organisations who joined us and helped make the day such a success.
Over 25 NPS students qualified after strong performances in our school cross country and went on to represent us in the inter-school cross country competition. Mr Mac was proud to report that our students gave it their all and represented the school with pride. Thanks to Rick, Luke, and Tony for supporting the team on the day — and well done to all the students who ran with determination and great spirit.
On Friday, a group of Year 5 and 6 school leaders attended Garma, accompanied by Ms Jones and Mr Tony. Our students joined others from across the region, hearing from guest speakers and taking part in a unique cultural experience. They came away inspired and full of stories. We hope to expand the opportunity next year so more students can attend — the feedback was very positive.
We also had the honour of welcoming some very special guests to NPS. The Northern Territory Administrator, Hugh Heggie, visited and spoke with our Year 5 and 6 students about leadership, courage, and being your best self. Our students did a wonderful job welcoming and hosting His Honour, and we were proud to receive a commemorative coin, which will be displayed at the school alongside a photo of the student leaders who accepted it on behalf of NPS.
Then on Friday, we were fortunate to welcome the Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare, along with the Chief Executive of the NT Department of Education Susan Bowden and other guests. Their visit began in our Preschool, where they heard about our journey to achieving an Exceeding rating and our commitment to meeting the needs of every student. They were keen to learn more about our inclusive practices and our strong focus on literacy and numeracy. A heartfelt thank you to Tania Jones, Holly Harlow, and Sarah Cooper for their outstanding presentations, to our Transition–Year 2 SRC leaders for their warm welcome, and to all staff and students who took the time to engage with our guests. Their visit went longer than expected — always a good sign! — and the feedback about our school and the work we’re doing was incredibly positive.
School Council has their next meeting tonight. In the background, they’ve also been working hard to find meaningful ways to support the school, create opportunities for students, and help purchase items identified by the SRC. Thanks to fundraising efforts, we’ve already been able to purchase a new set of soccer goals and a class set of iPads for Early Childhood — exciting additions that will benefit students across the school.
As always, I am so proud of our students, staff, and families. The past fortnight has been a true reflection of who we are at NPS — connected, curious, and community-minded.
Warm wishes,
Rachel Blundell
Principal
