After one week of school I can safely report that we have had many happy faces greeting us here at UPS (including parents!). Our staff have been back on deck for many weeks – well beyond the mandated requirements – setting up for the new year. We are confident that the year ahead will be successful and enjoyable and we look forward to catching up with everyone soon.

The first formal opportunity for this will be tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at our Acquaintance Evening. Please keep an eye out also for our upcoming Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast on Friday 14 February.

For new students, starting at a new school can be a daunting task – new places, faces and ways of doing things. I am proud of the way in which our students have welcomed our new students into our community. Likewise I know UPS families will extend a warm and friendly welcome to new families from your child’s class.

Over the next few weeks we will have a chance to more personally welcome our Reception students in their first weeks of school. We have also welcomed students from Year 1 and their families. Some of these families have come from interstate or overseas, making the transition especially tricky. I trust that our new partnership will be rewarding and long lasting.

New students include:

Year 1: Cullen Meyer, Miara Marques de Castro Deus and Ariki Coxon

Year 2: Lucas Flaquer Tippins, Chi Nguyen, Tabitha Darling, Harry Williams, Patrick Clark, Louie Hammersely and Iqra Safirulla

Year 3: Cintia Mailer, Flynn Wandel and Sol Williams

Year 4: Jemima Darling, Xavier Clark, Patrick Flaquer Tippins, Eli Hammersley and Zora Blunk (soon to start)

Year 6: Ella Meyer, Rowan Simmons, Taine Meyer, Lola Sanchez and Charlotte Wandel

Year 7: Christian Vozvotecas

 

We are also delighted to welcome into our school new staff members who will add significantly to our team:

 

Image previewImage previewImage previewImage previewImage preview

  • Lydia Reddecliffe (Year 2)
  • Katie Rowland (Year 1)
  • Lisa Shaw (SSO – Library)
  • Lauren Pask (Year 4 & 5)
  • Morgan Knight (Year 6 & 7)
  • Kay Mathie (PE – on Tuesdays) – photo to come!

We also welcome back the following part time contract teachers and SSOs whose contracts were not finalised at the end of last year: Eliza Kennedy, Anita McCurdie, Sarah Lawrie, Caz Nagy, Manda Cutts (recently returned from Canada), Tania Innocente, Tenille Hartzenberg and Kathie Monterosso.

We look forward to a great year ahead.