Welcome back to all students, staff and families for the 2024 school year. The beautiful weather has mirrored the wonderful first days. Classes are quickly settling into the swing of things and students look very happy to be back. A very special welcome to our new Reception children and their families as they start their latest adventure. We also welcome all of our students and families who are new to our school.
I have been fortunate enough to take on the role of Principal for Term 1 as David Pitt moves on to a new position this year. We wish him all the best at his new school. For the past 7 years I have been the Principal at Mallala Primary School with most of last year being in the position of Curriculum Lead for the Gawler 1 Portfolio, of which Kapunda Primary School is a part. In this role I was involved in a couple of visits to Kapunda Primary; being able to observe in classes, meet staff and students and see the wonderful teaching and learning that occurs. These visits made me extremely excited to take on this role when it was offered. As is Department for Education process, the ongoing Principal position will be advertised for 5 years within the next few weeks with an outcome prior to the end of the term. In the meantime, I look forward to getting to know the students and meeting families as we go about our daily business.
My surname can be a bit of a mouthful so students tend to call me Ms O, however I am perfectly fine with them calling me Sharon if they feel comfortable to do so.
Staffing has remained fairly consistent with a few new additions who have also settled in well to the team. Nicole Lindner has a Year 1/2 class in Room 11 this year. I had the absolute pleasure of working with Nicole at Mallala and know that she will be a great asset to Kapunda. We also welcome Tyler Perrotta who is in Room 13 with a Year 5 class. Tyler will be familiar to some as he completed a contract and TRT work here during 2023. Charlie Collins, Jess Hahn and Jessica Capes have joined the SSO team and have already demonstrated their great skills at working with our children. The Kapunda team has already made all of us ‘newbies’ feel extremely welcome. A full list of staff is provided below.
2024 School Improvement Plan
We have been fine-tuning our plan for this year, to ensure that work started last year and in its early stages is embedded across the school – in all classes and all year levels. Whole school practice is essential for our students’ learning as it provides consistency and builds on their prior knowledge and understandings. Our plan has two goals focusing on Grammar and Numeracy. These were identified through data review as areas to further develop. Kapunda Primary School students traditionally demonstrate strong achievement and we aim to continue to build on this, enabling all of our students to reach their own highest potential.
The new Strategy for Public Education identifies Areas of Impact that focus on deepening the support and opportunity for our students. These Areas of Impact are – Learner Agency, Equity and Excellence, Wellbeing and Effective Learners. None of these are new to what we already do, however we always aim for continuous improvement in the way we achieve this. Schools are required to begin the process of weaving these into our current plans by choosing one area that will enhance and build on current work. At Kapunda Primary, we will be increasing our own understanding and planning ways to increase Learner Agency within our students. Further information will be provided throughout the year. A modified version of the 2024 School Improvement Plan will also be made available to families during this term.
Governing Council and AGM
Our Annual General Meeting and election of Governing Council members will be held this term with the date confirmed once Governing Council meets in Week 3. All members of the school community are welcome to attend our AGM where we will review our progress and reports from key stakeholders including the Principal, Governing Council Chairperson and KOSHC.
We very much welcome all interested parents/carers to nominate to join our 2024 Governing Council. This is an opportunity for members of our school community to contribute to collaborative decision making and improvement across our school. Meetings are generally held twice per term, in Weeks 4 and 8. Members play an important part in the decisions and management of the following sub-committees: Finance, Grounds, KOSHC, Uniform and Parents and Friends. Within this newsletter you will find information about Governing Council and the sub-committees. If you wish to nominate for Governing Council or a sub-committee, please complete the nomination form that will be provided in the next Newsletter and via Audiri. Hard copies of nomination forms will also be available at the Front Office.
I sincerely look forward to working with the staff and students and meeting with families.
Sharon
Sharon Okmasich
Principal (Term 1)
