PRINCIPALS REPORT
This newsletter highlights many of the wonderful things happening at John Therry and reflects the vibrant community we are proud to be part of. One great example featured later in the newsletter is the Run Club, which I joined this week alongside more than 20 other staff and students. I really enjoyed the experience—exercise is a great way to start the day, and I appreciate our teachers volunteering their time to make this opportunity available to students. Everyone runs at their own pace, and it was encouraging to have Mr. McGrath and Mr. Bodeker cheering us slower runners and walkers across the finish line. I encourage any interested students to give it a go!
The many excursions, events, and activities included in this edition reflect our commitment to providing a holistic education and creating opportunities for students to discover and develop their strengths and talents.
At the heart of our work, however, is always student learning. Our recent staff professional learning day was a valuable opportunity to work with NESA on curriculum reform and assessment. Our goal—this year and every year—is to ensure growth in learning for every student and to support them in reaching their full potential. We aim to achieve this through a clear, consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school, using high-impact teaching strategies in every classroom. These professional learning days are essential for our staff to learn together, collaborate, and continuously improve our practices to meet the evolving needs of our students.
Attendance Update
It is nice to see that 4 of our Year groups have average attendance above 90% as we make our way into Term 2. The winter months often bring some sickness that affects the attendance rate and we are keen to maintain this above 90% for the whole school.
Our overall attendance rate at present is 91.3%
We encourage parents to monitor attendance in the compass app and discuss this with your chidlren. High attendance rates not only support learning but prepare students for the expectations of the workforce.