From the Principal
Dear NPS Families
This morning DECYP employees received an email from our Acting Secretary, Ginna Webster to remind us that today is UNICEF World Children's Day, so it therefore seems fitting that today I focus on the ongoing learning and growth of our students at NPS.
Firstly, I would like to share Ginna's words with you as the reference to children's rights and the inspiration we can gain from them really resonated with the values I hold that led me to a career in the education sector.
Hi everyone,
Today, we celebrate World Children’s Day, UNICEF’s global day dedicated to the incredible young minds that inspire us all. Children are at the heart of everything we do, and this year UNICEF is urging us to listen to the future. By truly listening to our children, we honour their right to self-expression, embrace their visions for a better world, and ensure their voices shape our actions today.
Children and young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are powerful agents of change right now. At DECYP we are committed to involving and empowering children and young people through our Participation and Empowerment Priority.
Children’s rights are human rights, and it’s our responsibility at DECYP to protect and champion these rights every day. This year is particularly special as we mark the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Thirty-five years ago, nations, including Australia, agreed on 54 rights that every child under 18 should have to live a safe, healthy, and happy life.
As we reflect on this milestone, let’s continue our commitment to advocating for and raising awareness about the rights of every child. Together, we can create a world where children can live bright lives and have positive futures. Warm regards, Ginna Webster (Acting Secretary)
Whilst within the education sector it is widely acknowledged that a strong focus on the teaching and learning of English & Mathematics is vital for student achievement, this can at times lead to the many other areas of student achievement being pushed to the background.
At NPS we work hard to ensure that students have diversity within their learning, whilst also ensuring that all vital areas of the curriculum are covered by offering a range of experiences. Every experience a child receives builds on their understanding of the world around them and their ability to understand their own learning styles, interests and ways to grow and achieve.
This year one of our school goals has been working on ways to build 'student voice' into the everyday operations of school. I am continually amazed at the insights and ideas that children will raise when given the opportunities to do so, and whilst we develop processes such as student leadership, monitors, inquiry-based learning, encouraging students to identify individual learning goals etc., there is still much to be done in this area for us to truly gain valuable knowledge and ideas from our young people in achieving our part to 'create a world where children can live bright lives and have positive futures'. Building on processes and learning initiatives to further build 'student voice' will continue to be a priority goal at NPS.
The learning experiences we are able to offer will always align to the resources we have available to us which at times are limited, we are therefore extremely appreciative of all external agencies for the support they offer us, and especially to the work of our School Association who work extremely hard to support our resources to make improvements that greatly benefit our school community.
Please enjoy this very small snapshot of some of the learning and growth offered as part of the NPS learning experiences...
Karen Monaghan| Principal