Dear Parents and Guardians.

It has been a fantastic few weeks in our Primary School. Please do take a look at the Recent Events section to see more from our amazing Inter-house Track and Field Days. Thanks to amazing HOPE team we were able to offer a wide range of track and field activities for all our 600 young athletes, utilising the fantastic sports facilities we have at Nexus. Also in the Recent Events section see images from our Earth Week 2021 celebrations. I would particularly like to commend our group of Year 4 learners, who with support from the community raised over $2,400 from their Swimathon. The money they raised went to a charity called, Books and Bread for Kenya. We are delighted to hear that the money raised have funded a solar panel to provide electricity for a school in Barani village, one of the communities which Books and Bread for Kenya support. The electricity will power a pump at the water well in the village. Betty, the school teacher at Barani village has asked the charity to pass on her heartfelt thanks. Currently Betty pays for the electricity from her small salary, so it is wonderful to know that soon the school children and the wider community will have FREE access to fresh, clean drinking water. An environmentally friendly, fantastic outcome! Thank you also to all our families that joined our Beach Clean Up at East Coast Park.

Today, we had our termly Bug Busting Day. Did you know that head lice are light grey before feeding and dark brown after feeding? They feed on human blood and die quickly when separated by their host! And they cannot jump! These facts and more were shared by our fantastic nurses today as part of our Bug Busting Day. This day is a reminder to all families to do a weekly check to make sure the 'bugs are busted'! We ask that all families check to make sure the 'bugs are busted' this weekend. Research has shown that a regular whole school initiative to eradicate head lice is the most effective way of reducing outbreaks. For more information on how to check and bust the bugs see the Important Notices section.

We know from our own experiences and academic research, that young people who experience positive transitions feel more comfortable, relaxed and valued; more excited and motivated to learn; have good relationships with others and will develop a greater sense of belonging. Therefore, across the Primary School a key focus of our pastoral programme at this time of year is on change and transitions, preparing our children for the next stage in their learning journey. One of the significant transitions is from Primary to Secondary and this week you will notice a new section of the Primary News: Transitioning from Primary to Secondary. I encourage all Year 6 parents to take a look at this section. Sarah Baldock (Year 7 Leader) has even set a Family Challenge for you all!

Next week, school is closed on Thursday to celebrate Hari Raya. I wish all our Muslim families selamat Hari Raya. Maaf zahir dan batin. In Primary School we will hold our own celebrations on Friday, 21 May. All learners are invited to wear traditional Muslim dress on that day, such as Baju Kurong, Baju Kebaya or Jubah, Kain Samping and Songkok.

Coming up, despite the disappointing news of the cancelling of the Year 3 to 6 Day Camps we still have a wide range of events to enjoy. In particular, our Primary Music Recitals and, back by popular demand, 'Everyone Can Sing!'

Finally, below please take a moment to read about our recent Professional Learning Day for staff from Fiona Lewis. Fiona is our current Deputy Head of School and Leader on Whole School Learning and Teaching, and in August will be taking on the role of Head of Primary School. On 1 June, there will be an opportunity to 'meet' Fiona at our Parent Workshop. For details and to sign up click here.

Best regards,

Paul Beach

Head of Primary