What a fantastic start to Term 3! We have had some great things happening here at Gympie Special School already this term.  

A huge welcome to our new Deputy Principal, Chrissie Hansen. Chrissie has been the Deputy Principal at Palmview Special school for the last 2 years, following 8 years at Rosella Park Special School in Gladstone. Chrissie is a very experienced Special School educator who comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience and we are very happy to have her on our staff.  

I was absolutely impressed with our students at our Sports Day in week 1. Our first time with 3 Sports Houses: Red House Mari (Kangaroo), Blue House Dala (Mary River Lung Fish) and Green House Gigam (Cockatoo) went really well and students embraced their new colours and mascots. Age Champions were awarded their medallions on a special parade last Friday – check out our Facebook post to see the photos.

Last Friday, we celebrated Schools Tree Day as part of Planet Ark’s National Tree Day held annually at this time of year. This event is Australia’s largest tree planting and nature care event and we were excited to join in for our second year of planting. All classes planted trees, shrubs or ground covers within our school grounds. We have started to cover the slope near our playground with a range of trees and it is going to be amazing in a few years’ time.

Thank you to all of those who have already completed the Parent/Caregiver Survey. If you have not had a chance to complete the survey yet, please note that the online surveys will remain open until Friday, 12 August 2022. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about what our school does well and how we can improve.

To have your say, check your email for an invitation from the Department of Education titled School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2022. 

Can’t find your invitation?  If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

This term in week 8 we have our school review. Every Queensland state school is reviewed by the Education Improvement Branch (EIB) at least once every four years. The reviews play an important part in how the department supports school improvement. They provide schools with independent feedback, tailored to their context and needs. Principals use the review findings to work with their school community and assistant regional director to develop clear actions to move the school forward.

Reviews are conducted by experienced educators trained in the use of the National School Improvement Tool, a nationally recognised framework for reviewing teaching and learning practices. Reviewers look closely at each school’s performance data and speak with a wide range of staff, students, parents and community members to get an accurate picture of the school.

Feedback from parents and the community is an important part of school reviews, with everyone encouraged to have their say. If you are interested in speaking with a member of the review team, please let us know.

Warm regards,

Sarah