Over the course of this year we have had to make many adjustments to classroom teaching teams and roles across the school. Due to COVID-19 and other events beyond our control, we have engaged a number of regular relief and contract teachers to fill and step into classes at very short notice. I would like to take this opportunity to thank two of our regular relief teachers: Mrs Jen Thompson and Mr Maurice Devereux. Both of these teachers have been flexible, reliable and extremely dedicated to ensuring our students have a consistent face in front of them, sometimes during very challenging conditions. Both have actually come out of retirement to teach with us; Mr Devereux on the Grade 3 Blue with Mrs Flude, and Mrs Thompson on Grade 2 Blue with Mr Young. Thank you both for your commitment and wonderful sense of humour throughout the year.

This year we have reached two years of consistent enrolments over 350 students. This means that our Assistant Principal (AP) and our third Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) roles can now be made permanent to our school. I would like to congratulate Mrs Elizabeth Vince who has been through the selection panel process and has successfully the AP substantively. We are very lucky to have Mrs Vince’s skills and passion and would like to congratulate her for winning this position. The third AST role is currently still in progress, as is the acting AST role for Mrs Sheehan, who is leaving on maternity leave early in Term 1 2021.

Class structures for 2021 are now locked in, and our teachers are super excited for students to meet their new teachers in their new classrooms next Wednesday at 1:45pm for Step Up. Below is a map of where each class will be located. You will notice there are a few significant changes to the teaching teams and spaces next year. Our school is constantly evolving and changing to suit the needs of each cohort. I am committed to ensuring that we always consider every learner in our school, and that every decision we make about education, environment and staffing always comes back to improving student outcomes. As we move into more composite classes next year, our teaching teams have already begun planning and designing a guaranteed curriculum across the entire school to support all of our learners to thrive. Class placements will go home with reports on Monday 14th December.

Kinder Possums: Mrs Lucy Morgan

Kinder Wombats: Miss Jade O’Neil

Prep Blue: Miss Shannon Hill

Prep White: Ms Danielle Bath & Miss Purdie Hudson

1/2  Blue: Mrs Katie Hedge and Mrs Stacey Price

1/2 White: Mrs Burdon

1/2 Black: Mrs Teresa Lewinski and the new acting AST

1/2 Navy: Mrs Rebecca Kaiser and Mrs Andrea Curran

1/2 Red: Miss Ashley Swan

3/4 White: Mr Peter Stephens

3/4 Blue: Mrs Linda Flude and Mrs Tamara Bloomfield

3/4 Navy: Mrs April Tinker

5/6 Navy: Mrs Michelle Isaac

5/6 White: Ms Vicki Doyle

5/6 Blue: Miss Teresa Street and Mrs Jacquie Moore

Music: Mrs Amanda Brown

HPE: Mr Vinnie Kamano

Kitchen/Garden: Mrs Deb Morgan

Japanese: Mrs Anita Wedd

You will note that next year we will be introducing an official Kitchen Garden program to our school. Mrs Deb Morgan is very excited about establishing this program and will be looking to involve our school community, through the School Association and other ways, to ensure that it is truly a community garden. The classroom space will be run our of our current Music building, which is adjacent to the existing garden. Over the school holidays this space will be transformed into a fabulous kitchen learning space to accommodate the new initiative. Our Music program will be run out of Ms Doyle’s current classroom (the blue one near the swings). The Music garden and primary nature play area will also be completed over the break and Brett has been working tirelessly with the School Associations funding to get these areas ready and we can’t wait to see how these spaces all evolve!

As this is the last newsletter for 2020, I would like to say a sincere thank you to all of our school community for supporting us in what has been one of the most incredible years I have ever lived through. Despite the challenges, we were able to share so many successes, both academically and from a health and wellbeing perspective across the school. Last night, our teachers looked through some data which demonstrated the incredible amount of whole-school growth that we have achieved in Maths, and next week we will do the same for Literacy. This school is full of dedicated educators, teachers, teacher assistants, office staff, cleaners, groundsman, professional support staff and, of course, students. I am so very proud of Lindisfarne Primary this year, and can’t wait to see what 2021 will bring us. I wish you all a relaxing and safe break, and look forward to seeing you all in the new year.

Warm regards,

Kel Innis