Nhamirri Walal,
Last Friday we hosted our ANZAC Day assembly. A huge thank you must go to Tania Jones for organising a meaningful and respectful commemoration. It was wonderful to see how thoughtfully staff had prepared our students for the occasion. We were also pleased to welcome so many parents and community members who came along to share in the day; the turn-out was truly heartwarming. Our school captains and vice captains represented NPS with great pride, attending both the dawn service and the midday service to lay a wreath on behalf of our school, with many other students in attendance too!
Last week we also held our school photos. This year we made some changes in response to feedback from staff and families, including adjusting the time for sibling photos and returning to the traditional whole-school group shot format (less preschool). A special well done to Bec Robinson, who did a terrific job coordinating the day; thank you, Bec!
Looking ahead, Mother's Day is just around the corner! We would really appreciate the support of dads in our school community coming along to help serve our mums at our Mother's Day breakfast. Many of our staff are also mums themselves, and we would love to treat them too. You don't need to be on our School Council to lend a hand; all are welcome, so please reach out if you'd like to get involved! If you are a mum, please consider attending this special event, allowing us to serve and celebrate you. There are some great prizes too 😊
On Wednesday, approximately 20 of our students took part in the interschool swimming competition, competing alongside students from other schools across our region. A big thank you to Rick and Julie for accompanying our students to the pool for the day. Well done to all of our swimmers for their excellent effort and exemplary behaviour; you represented NPS with pride!
We are also very excited about some wonderful transition opportunities underway. Jake and Luke will be taking some of our Year 5 and 6 students over to Nhulunbuy High School to work alongside Clontarf, as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the student transition journey to high school. This is the first of a series of excursions planned, and we look forward to sharing more as these visits progress. Meanwhile, our preschool is about to begin their visits to the 'big school' as part of their own transition to school program. During these visits, children will familiarise themselves with the school environment, participate in our PMP program, and begin building relationships with our staff.
As a school, we are working hard on identifying ways to share student goals and ways to support learning at home. In addition to parent-teacher interviews, reports, ILPs and EAPs, we have also been sharing goals through Dojo and in communication folders. You'll also see more contributions in the newsletter and on our Facebook page from our staff. If you have specific feedback or ideas, please don't hesitate to let me know — a lot of effort is going into communicating with families and we would love for it to be meaningful.
I'll keep reminding families about the World Teachers' Day NT Excellence Awards while the nomination period is open. We have so many incredible staff at NPS, and I know how much it means to them when someone takes the time to highlight their great work. Last year, Fransina Venter (Inclusion Educator) and Tania Jones (Leader in Education) both won in their respective categories, with several (deserving) other staff also shortlisted. We would love to see even more of our staff celebrated this year.
The awards recognise the outstanding contributions of teachers, specialist teachers, early childhood educators, principals, leaders, and support staff who are making a difference in the lives of NT students across the Territory. There are nine categories:
• Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educator of the Year • Corporate Based Support Person of the Year • Early Childhood Educator of the Year • Inclusion Educator of the Year • Leader in Education of the Year • Primary Educator of the Year • Principal of the Year • School Based Support Person of the Year • Secondary Educator of the Year
Nominations can be submitted on the World Teachers' Day NT Excellence Awards website (https://wtdawards.nt.gov.au/). If you have any questions or trouble accessing the site, please email TeacherAwards@education.nt.gov.au. Nominations close Sunday 31 May 2026.
Finally, next week we have the exciting news that Kris and Rosie will be visiting our school all week! Years T–2 will work with Kris, who will showcase the students' animated drawings as part of East Arnhem Live. Students in Years 3–6 will be painting banners and making lanterns. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school and we are so excited to be included!
Monday is a public holiday in recognition of May Day. May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is observed on the 1st of May each year and is a day to celebrate the contributions of workers and the labour movement. In the Northern Territory, it is a public holiday honouring the achievements of working people and the ongoing efforts to ensure fair and safe conditions for all workers.
We hope you enjoy the long weekend with your families and we will see you all on Tuesday!
Warm wishes,
Rachel Blundell
Principal
