22 December 2022

Final Principal Report for 2022

Dear Illawarra School Community,

Unfortunately, due to testing positive for Covid last weekend, I haven’t been present at school for the last week of this term.  As mentioned on many occasions, I believe that 2022 has been a very successful school year.  This is the result of the staff’s hard work and dedication to ensuring that all students are provided quality learning opportunities, and the preparedness of families to work in partnership with the school to maintain, and in many instances, further enhance the school’s culture that promotes learning.

To the grade 6 leavers, I wish you well and hope you continue your successful and happy approach as learners, making learning a lifelong pursuit along the way.  You have continued to set a wonderful example for the students that will follow in your footsteps and your legacy of being kind, inclusive and happy will be reflected upon fondly in years to come.

To all students, Illawarra Primary School will always be about you as your presence and the responsibility we have to support your social, emotional, physical and academic needs gives us great purpose, and to witness your success as learners, provides us such joy. Please continue to dedicate yourselves to your learning, even when it gets hard.  This learning will hold you in great stead as you progress through life. Also, don’t forget the importance of having fun and making sure you include others in the activities that are important to you. Your commitment to inclusion is Illawarra Primary School’s greatest achievement.

To the teaching staff, past and present, thank you for your dedication to the profession and commitment to the Illawarra Primary School community.  Teaching is demanding work but also very rewarding, particularly when as a staff we focus on and commit to the important and essential aspects of education, as well as treating each other respectfully and with great empathy.  To the support, administrative and facility staff, thank you for helping to create the environments that enable the unique learning opportunities that exist at Illawarra.

To the Illawarra School Community, thank you for providing me the opportunity to be principal of your school for the past 11 years.  It has been a great privilege and I have benefitted so much personally and professionally from the experience.  Please continue to foster and cultivate the positive environment in which your children are educated. They deserve nothing less.

Finally, to Cathryn and Michael, I have been so fortunate to work with you over the past seven years.  Our leadership has always been a partnership based on trust, understanding and friendship.  Due to what we have achieved together as a leadership team, and your ongoing commitment to the students, staff and school community, I leave with a great sense of satisfaction knowing that the school will continue to thrive.

Farewell everyone.  Have a safe and happy Christmas.

Nick

Farewell to our wonderful staff

We fondly farewell our esteemed leader Mr. Donnelly and wish him all the best in his future endeavours, knowing he has left Illawarra a healthy and happy place in which to work and learn. We also farewell our leaving staff Terri Coombes, Deb Doole, Cathy Graney, Jess Dwyer, Kristen Anstice, Emily Jardine and Damien O’Toole and thank them for their contribution to our school during their time here.

To all of our families we hope you have time to refresh, switch off and be together over the break (and hopefully experience some summer weather!) and look forward to seeing familiar and new faces in 2023.

Prep to Grade 2 Music Assembly

Featured are some photos from the Prep – 2 Music assembly on Monday afternoon with each of the early childhood classes performing an item as well as the junior choir. A highlight was the play ‘Mad Magpie’ showcasing the acting and musical flair of grade 2 students and brought to life by Mrs. Hunn (Library teacher) and Mr. O’Toole (Music teacher). We thought it was so good, it should go on the road and tour schools around the state!

Farewell to our Grade 6 Leavers!

This week has certainly been action packed for our Grade 6s with the Big Day Out, Leavers Dinner and Leavers Assembly happening over the past few days. Thanks must go to Chris Waugh and Michael Hayen as well as the grade 5/6 teachers and the grade 6 students for their combined effort in bringing this special assembly together.

Congratulations to the following winners of awards presented at the Leavers Assembly yesterday, they and their families must be incredibly proud.

Grand Onyas - Charlie Wilson and Ruby Fishwick

Respectful Student Award - Rose Chamberlain, Juliet Jordan and Flynn Tracey

Make a Difference  Award- Lucy Page

Congratulations also to all of the students moving onto the challenge of high school for their hard work and persistence during their last year of primary school. The increase in maturity and focus throughout the year has been very evident in all of our grade 6 students and as a school staff we are very proud of them and hope they will pop in from time to time to say hello.

This years Grade 6s were the first to complete a time capsule with Mrs. Peterson (Art teacher) which will be added to each year by subsequent Gd 6s. Please see photos of students working on this included in the newsletter.

No doubt students and families will be looking forward to a slightly slower pace of life over the summer before the excitement of beginning high school.

Lastly, Blake Pickett (a grade 6 student) has summed up his experience of Primary school which we thought was worth sharing with the wider school community with his permission.

Goodbye Illawarra

My time at Illawarra has come to an end

I’ve driven all the teachers around the bend

In Kinder I had Mr David, he was Dramatic

In Prep Mr Tom, he was a IT fanatic

In grade one I had the lovely Mrs Joy

She gave me a great year - it was perfect for this boy!

In grade two Mrs Shaw put me to the test

It turns out she really did know what was best

Grade 3 Mr Fitz it was a really nice guy

He made us write a poem about the sky

Then I went to Grade 4 with the brilliant Mr S

(once for book week he wore a nice dress)

He let me do Pythagoras out in the bushland

We built a great tepee it was so grand

In Grade 5 I had Mr Cooke

He tried to teach us by reading a book!

Grade 6 Mr Bloor was the very best teacher for me

He goes for Liverpool and my Rubik’s cube moves were too quick for he

Mr Hayen taught me hard maths it was mostly fun

He challenged my brain and wouldn’t let me stop until I was  done

Sometimes he called me over the PA  - his voice was cross

I hoped it was for an award but…. I was in trouble with the boss

Mrs KB was so nice to me

She helped me with problems I had among a few friends or three

Mr Donnelly doesn’t want to be principal without me

He’s leaving Illawarra maybe he will follow me?

Mrs Isles has the best job at our school

I have loved PE and health it is always so cool

I’ve done coding and maths competitions and choir and band

Enjoyed lots of excursions down to the sand

I’ve been Daily PE Leader, done triathlons and made important friends

My best memories are of camp, and soccer and laughing no end

How lucky I have been to be understood

By a school like Illawarra – it’s been so good!

By Blake Pickett

Grade 6 2022

Thank you Blake!

Grade 6 Time Capsule

Office Opening Hours

Merry Christamas from the Admin Team ! 

Our office will be open during school holidays from Tuesday 3 January between 9:00am to 3:00pm daily

Have a safe and Happy Christmas with all your beautiful famlies 

From Kelly, Cassie and Carmen 

School Uniform Sales

Calender of Events