Welcome Back to Term 2!

I hope you had a chance to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather over the school holidays and spend some quality time with your family.

Over the past three weeks, I’ve been warmly welcomed by our students, staff, and families—thank you! If you see me around the school, please feel free to stop and say hello. A special thanks to the parents who attended our recent drop-in sessions; it was a pleasure speaking with you and seeing connections forming among families. If you'd be interested in more of these sessions, I’d love your feedback via this short survey:

https://forms.gle/aigJcy788vq4MT8u5

I’d also like to take a moment to introduce myself to the wider school community. I began my teaching career in Melbourne in 1998 and moved to Canberra in 2003. Since 2004, I’ve worked as both a teacher and school leader in the ACT Education Directorate. I’ve taught at Higgins, Florey, and Kingsford Smith School and later served as the EAL/D Executive Officer, supporting programs across the system.

My leadership roles at Duffy, Mawson, and Forrest Primary Schools have shaped my passion for inclusive, culturally rich learning environments. At Mawson, our team introduced a bilingual Mandarin program, reflecting my strong belief in the value of bilingualism and maintaining home languages. Most recently, I served as acting principal at Forrest Primary for 10 months.

I’m thrilled to now lead this inclusive, culturally diverse IB World School—a role that brings together the things I’m most passionate about in education.

ANZAC Day Assembly

Thank you to our specialist team for collaboratively organising a meaningful and respectful ANZAC Day assembly. This important national occasion gives us the opportunity to honour the past, present, and ongoing sacrifices made by servicemen and servicewomen.

Two of our Year 6  students also shared thoughtful essays on what ANZAC Day means to them—contributions that added a powerful personal element to the ceremony.

 

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all students who participated in our Athletics Carnival—it was a fantastic day of energy, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship. A special thank you to Mr O’Dwyer for his flawless organisation and to all the parents and carers who volunteered their time to support the event.

A heartfelt thank you to the CWSC P&C for hosting a beautiful Mother’s Day breakfast last Friday. It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying breakfast together, creating cards, and selecting special gifts for mothers and significant women in their lives. We are grateful to our dedicated parent volunteers for making this event so special.

Staff Professional Learning: Dr Shelley Moore

In Week 1, members of our leadership and teaching teams had the privilege of learning with Dr Shelley Moore, an internationally respected educator and researcher in inclusive education. Based in British Columbia, Canada, Dr Moore shared practical strategies and inspiring stories that deepened our commitment to creating truly inclusive learning environments. Her visit was a reminder of the incredible work our staff do every day to support all learners.

Kind Regards

Laurel