From The Principal

2009
We have all been very busy here at school getting our school prepared for the New Year. 2008 has been an incredible year and our school has had some amazing results. We were state finalists in Showcase with our Early Literacy Intervention programs with our school being awarded $6 000 in funding. This money will allow us to continue our programs into bigger and better formats. We are the state and national champions for Robotics Junior Dance. Our school was one of the higher performing schools for the Years 3, 5 and 7 NAPLAN (national assessment program for Literacy and Numeracy) results. Our school opinion surveys for staff, parents and students are the best ever this year. I have had many parents complement me on the way the school makes a difference to our students and I believe that this is a joint effort between our community and our school. One parent wrote, "the difference between my daughter's previous school and Pacific Pines is incredible. Here the teachers really care about all of their students. This school is amazing." Thank you for all of your support for 2008. I believe that this school can achieve even bigger and better things in 2009.

STAFFING FOR 2009
There will be some changes to our Administration staff for 2009. Firstly I would like to congratulate Angela Gooley for being selected as the Acting Principal at Upper Coomera State College for the first six months of 2009. Angela will be in charge of the Prep to Year 6 section of the school with over 1100 students. This is a real tribute to Ang's ability and on behalf of the school, I would like to wish her all the best. She has been with me since the school opened in 2002 and has supported me and this school in all of the decisions that we have made during this time. Ang and I have worked together since our days at Broadbeach State School in 1999 and I will greatly miss her and her excellent leadership and management of the many different areas of the school that she has been involved in. Ang has been integral in the creation of the culture of this school and has had a huge input into what it is today. You can't keep a good woman down so I am fully supporting her as she starts to move through the promotional trail. Upper Coomera is very lucky to gain her as its primary principal. You never know, she may get very homesick and return (wishful thinking).

Cindi Dare has worked at Pacific Pines since September 2007 as an acting Deputy Principal replacing Shirley Hadwen who is Acting Principal in charge of the Prep school at Varsity College. Cindi applied for a permanent Deputy Principal position as there isn't one here at this particular time. This is because Angela and Shirley still have their substantive positions here until they gain a permanent promotion. You could say that Cindi was in the right place but at the wrong time. Cindi has been successful and has been appointed as a permanent Deputy at Canungra State School at the start of 2009. I would like to wish her all the best and thank her for the great job that she has done here at Pacific Pines. My staff love working with her and her sense of humour has brightened our days on many an occasion. I know that she has really enjoyed her time with us and has made a difference to our school and its students.

Shirley Hadwen will continue to act as the Principal in charge of the Prep School at Varsity for the first six months of 2009. We cannot determine what will happen until that time. Shirley is doing an incredible job there so the Director of the College wants her to continue in the role until a decision is made regarding the future of this position. I would like to think that Pacific Pines Primary is a school that nurtures leaders of the future. I now have two of my permanent deputies in charge of large and exciting campuses and an Acting Deputy achieving a permanent position.

Leanne Cridland has worked closely with me to interview potential candidates to replace Ang and Shirley for the first part of 2009. We will be having Mrs Chris McNeilage acting in Angela's position. Chris is joining us from Merrimac State School and comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience from her previous roles in Technology and Acting Deputy positions at various schools. Mrs Naveen Lim will be replacing Shirley. Naveen has been working at Kimberley Park State School as an Acting Deputy and has also been working in Central Office in the Early Phase Curriculum. I know that you will all welcome Chris and Naveen to our wonderful school. I will also add that they are thrilled to have been chosen to work here.

Melissa Macmillan will be leaving us just for 2009 to work in the school office at Gaven State School. This will be a great opportunity for Melissa to work in a different office environment and to share her skills with a neighbouring school. I would like to wish her all the best and thank her for the wonderful way that she cares about our students and staff at this school.

STAFF PERFORMANCE
On Thursday 4 December many of our staff performed a spectacular rap dance in the "Pacific Pines Has Talent" competition. Many cool moves were made and they brought the house down. Well done staff!

CLASSES FOR 2009
As usual, students will find out what classes they are in on the first day January 27 in 2009. The lists have been started and will not be finalized until the last week of the school holidays. This is because there is a lot of movement during the holidays and I am enrolling in the last week of the holidays. Please note that we are encouraging a book pack drop-off on Friday January 23 for Prep to Year 2 only from 9am to 10am. I am liaising with District Office to gain another modular for the start of 2009. I have alerted Facilities about using the Music Room and Special Education Room for classrooms. It appears that there will be some movement after Day 8 due to the increased enrolment for next year. Please inform the school office if your child is leaving this school. It will make my job a lot easier. Expect that changes will again occur with classes due to increased growth. I am lobbying for the school boundary to be brought in a great deal to encourage a slowing in enrolment growth. Remember when you enroll in a school of high growth you must expect changes to classes to occur.

BOOKLISTS
Apparently there has been some confusion with payments. Brodies did indicate that payment must be made on ordering and then have contradicted this on the front of the order form that says that payment can be made on pickup on Monday and Tuesday January 19 and 20 2009 (only by payment methods listed- NO CASH). You can pay upon pickup after Christmas. Parents who support the technology contribution will be offered tenders for our computers first when we turn them over in two years time. This will be a great opportunity to buy a decent machine at a very reasonable price. You support our school- your children benefit!

P&C ASSOCIATION
Did you know that six people including myself are the sum total of the P&C? This means that six people represent over 1230 students and over 800 families. Is this because you don't have the time to support your child's school, you don't want to get involved in the school's direction; you have faith that we are all doing a great job? Whatever, this cannot continue. Next year, this has to improve. I will be sending out surveys regarding meeting times etc early in the year. Please look out for these and support our parent body. Thank you to all of the community volunteers (over 150) who give up their valuable time to make a difference to the students at Pacific Pines. I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to Kristi Walsh, Karina Braidotti, Alison Furness, Blythe Maxwell, and Patricia Girling for their amazing support of this school. You are very lucky to have these people working for your children.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
On behalf of the staff, thank you for another fantastic year at the best school in Queensland. I want to thank all of our students, staff and parents for helping me to showcase this school to our community and beyond. What happens at this school is unique. No other school in Qld can boast the achievements that this school has made. Personally, I am looking forward to being the elected Chairperson of the Principals of Alliance 18 which incorporates all schools in Coomera, Pacific Pines, Biggera Waters, Coombabah, Arundel, Oxenford, Tamborine, and Gaven . As an alliance, we will all be working to achieve bigger and better results for our children-our most precious commodity. Please take the time to thank your child's teacher for going beyond expectations. My heart is with this school community and I would like to wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year. "Together we can achieve miracles."

See you in 2009

Regards,

Kathy Edwards
Principal