From the Principal
I would like to start this edition by thanking all of our families for your support this year as we navigated another wave of COVID together and entered into a Distance Learning Program for our students. I must say, it is wonderful that we have moved beyond this for now and are back at school reconnecting with each of our students again and re-engaging with school life.
In 2022, I look forward to where this reconnection can continue particularly with our parents. As a parent myself, I understand the difficulty it has been to not be able to attend school events and activities and to do the normal things we did prior to COVID with our children. However, reconnecting will certainly be a priority for us all in the new year as we continue to build community at RJ across our whole school.
As we wind up the year over the next two weeks, our Year 4 students across both Campuses will enjoy their modified Pyjamarama event, excited Primary leaders-to-be will undertake leadership interviews, our Year 10 students will dive into Service Week, Secondary students will complete their Colour Run & Swim Fun Day events, while our Year 12 students finally complete their HSC year and celebrate at their Senior Formal. We are so grateful to God that His grace has been extended to our RJ community to be able to undertake these events.
With some restrictions still in place for school operations at present, the Executive has still decided to proceed with our end of year Presentation events but with some modifications. These events will be conducted across three afternoons and live streamed so parents can be a part of the award presentations.
The Presentation afternoons will be conducted as follows: Marsden Park Primary Presentation (Monday 6 December) at the Oakhurst Campus Hall, Oakhurst Primary Presentation (Tuesday 7 December) and Secondary Presentation (Wednesday 8 December). All events will be streamed ‘live’ from 1pm. The Heads of Primary and Secondary across both Campuses will provide the details to parents for these events.
Also, parents of our Year 6 and Year 12 students will be invited to attend their respective Graduation Events (Thu 2 Dec & Fri 3 Dec) on Campus with specific guidelines in place. Again, our Heads of Sections will provide further details shortly.
The end of the year also brings news of staff members who may be retiring from teaching, looking at taking on promotional positions in other schools or simply looking to enrich their career experiences as they continue to grow and learn as educators.
As such we will farewell Mrs Narelle Robertson, our Music Coordinator who has enthusiastically given 19 years of dedicated service to our School and community, Mrs Deb Rowe who has faithfully served in our Secondary Learning Support Team since 2010, Mrs Jennifer Jackson who has exceptionally led our Primary Learning Support Team for the last 8 years, Mrs Lyndall Orr who has taught in the Primary years at our Oakhurst Campus since 2014, and Mrs Carmen Etherington from our Marsden Park Campus who is accepting a promotional role at St Paul’s Grammar. We wish our departing staff God’s best for their future endeavours and are grateful that our paths have crossed at RJ.
I am delighted to share with you three new full time Executive Team appointments for 2022.
- Mrs Narelle Taylor Head of Diverse Learning (P-12)
- Mrs Julia Scrimshaw Head of Academics, Learning & Innovation (P-12)
- Mr Luke Sale Head of Primary (Marsden Park)
The Executive Team and Directors recently met with our new staff for 2022 on Zoom to ease them into their induction process. With the growth of the Marsden Park Campus and some staff changes at Oakhurst, we will welcome a number of additional staff to RJ in the new year. A full list of the new staff joining our RJ family and their respective appointments will be provided in my end of year letter to all families in mid-December.
I trust the last few weeks of the school year go well for all and that we look to the Christmas and New Year Season with great anticipation as we celebrate God’s gift of His son, Jesus, as the Saviour of the world.
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. (Isaiah 9:6)
God Bless,
Mr Alan Dawson
Principal