It's been another busy two weeks, with plenty happening in and out of the school gates. 

The athletics carnival in Maitland was a great experience for students, staff and spectators, as the children not only gave their all in their events but made new friends from other schools along the way. 

I'd like to thank the families who helped transport all of the children to and from the stadium, and for cheering on all the children, not just your own. These kinds of experiences create lifelong memories for the children, so thank you for supporting them all to be involved. 

A special congratulations to our ribbon winners and to Ella, who achieved the 11-year-old girls' champion title with an impressive first place in each of her individual events. 

Another highlight from the past week was attending the Tomaree Learning Community Education Week event at Tomaree High School on Tuesday night. See the article further in this newsletter to learn more about our Bobs Farm award recipients. 

Not only did we watch some fabulous performances, but we also recognised many important people in our schools, from students and staff, to community members and initiatives. 

One thing that really stood out to me was the number of Bobs Farm students and families who attended, not because they were receiving an award or performing themselves, but because they wanted to be there to watch and support their friends. These acts of pure friendship and community are the things that help make Bobs Farm people special. 

It was a great opportunity to see some of the amazing things happening in the public schools in our area, but also to collaborate on performances and activities. I've already begun talks with the high school to bring some of their various initiatives to share with our students, and the collaboration with the AUSLAN choir will continue, with future events already in the pipeline. 

In other news, the water continues to plague us and will, no doubt, for some time to come. As you know, though, it does very little to dampen the creative spirits of our children, who make the most of the opportunities they have. We've also been impacted by some poor internet connection and technology challenges, which we know our Bobs Farm families know all too well. It's meant, though, that we couldn't share our Film By The Waters creation with you all during our spontaneous showing in Week 2, so we will set aside another opportunity down the track to share it with our families. Stay tuned! 

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the outpouring of lovely comments and thank-you messages I received from the community on the recent Principals' Day. It was something I didn't even know existed until reading some of the heartfelt and positive messages I received, especially on the school's Facebook page. 

This job is one of the most rewarding I have had in my career, since I get to lead such a remarkable school community of students, staff and families. I appreciate every single one of you for all you do to help make coming to school every day such an absolute delight. I hope it's just the start of many more opportunities to come, as I truly feel at home at Bobs Farm!