Celebrating Respect
This week marks the start of autumn, and we can hardly believe we’re already midway through the term! How time flies! As we move into another exciting month, we would like to take a moment to reflect on one of the values that make our school such a special place: respect. Our values are the foundation of everything we do, both inside and outside the classroom. Respect is key to creating a positive environment for all. Whether it’s respecting ourselves, staff, peers, or our environment, it is essential for fostering a place where everyone feels welcome and valued. We encourage students to continue showing respect in all interactions, remembering that kindness goes a long way in building a strong and supportive community.

Collaboration: Working Together for Success
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Penguin District School. Working together with classmates on projects, sharing ideas, and supporting each other makes us stronger and more successful. As staff we do the time. We encourage students to continue collaborating, whether it’s in a team project or simply offering a helping hand to a friend. When we work together, great things happen.

Secondary Surf Carnival: A Huge Success!
The waves were rippling, the sun was trying to shine, and the excitement was palpable as our school hosted its highly anticipated Surf Carnival! This year’s event was a thrilling mix of friendly competition, house spirit, and beachside fun. Students showcased their beach and water skills in various events, with each participant showing incredible enthusiasm and sportsmanship. Beach flags and the wade relay were highlights. It wasn’t just about competition—there were also plenty of activities like beach volleyball, relay races, and a tug-of-war that had everyone cheering.

Building Strong Partnerships
At Penguin, we believe that strong partnerships between families and schools are key to helping our students thrive. Working together, we can support the academic, social, and emotional development of our students both in and outside the classroom.
As we continue to foster these partnerships, we are excited to announce that next week, our secondary teachers will be reaching out to families for an important home contact. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their start to the year, and explore ways to best support their learning journey.
We encourage all families to engage in these conversations as they provide valuable insights into how we can work together to create a supportive and successful learning environment for each student. Your involvement and feedback play a crucial role in helping us ensure that all students feel supported and empowered to reach their full potential.
Teachers will making contact with families via phone. We look forward to connecting with you and strengthening the partnership between home and school.

Shout Outs!
We’d like to give a big shout out to our incredible Educational Facility Attendant (EFA) team, who work tirelessly to keep our school looking amazing. Their hard work behind the scenes ensures that our learning environment is clean, welcoming, and inspiring every day. We appreciate everything they do!

We are very fortunate to have wonderful Canteen Assistants who provide so much more than delicious food to our school community. Your kindness, flexibility and support is highly valued, thank you.

A special thank you also goes to Miss Lutwyche, who has dedicated countless hours creating and editing the Gnomon (School magazine). Your time, effort, and creativity has resulted in something truly special that our whole school community can enjoy very soon. The cost will be $25 and available from the office soon. Thank you!

A big thank you to the Penguin Surf Life Saving Club (PSLSC) for their dedication and volunteering at our Surf Carnival. We couldn't have done it without their support, and we truly appreciate their continued support of our school community.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Penguin Lions Club for their generous support at our Open Classroom and Welcome Back event. The delicious BBQ they cooked for our families brought smiles to many faces and helped make the event a huge success. Their time, effort, and community spirit are truly appreciated.

NAPLAN is Just Around the Corner!
As many of you know, NAPLAN is coming up soon. We encourage all students to approach the testing with a calm and positive mindset. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, but about doing your best.

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 12 and 24 March 2025.

Parent information brochures and other resources

Your questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child:

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website.
Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

Old Primary Campus
Now that the 2025 school year is well underway, I wanted to update you on the process to determine the future of the former primary campus that is now vacant following the redevelopment of our school. 

The Department for Education, Children and Young People has undertaken an initial review of the site to assess its future use. Consultation with key stakeholders is also being undertaken to inform a final decision on the future of the site. This consultation includes discussions with our school and the School Association, with representatives from the Department’s Facility Services team attending our upcoming School Association Committee meeting.

I can assure you that a final decision on the old primary campus has not yet been made and the Department in assessing its future will consider the views of our school and other stakeholders. Importantly, the decision on its future will be based on how best the site is able to serve the provision of education in our region.
The school will remain actively involved in this process which is expected to continue over the next couple of months, and I will share further information with you as things progress.

Seesaw
Seesaw is now active for DECYP schools. You will be able be able to view learning of your child and communicate with your chlild’s teacher from next week. Thank you for your patience while Seesaw was not operational.

Yours in partnership
Angela McAuliffe Principal