Principal’s News - Week 8 Term 1 2026

Over this past term I have thoroughly enjoyed attending the Bert England Aged Care Facility with students from the Janda class. This multigenerational program has included playing games, making craft, and doing puzzles, but most importantly making genuine friendships. It has been so wonderful seeing the elders' faces light up when our students arrive and hearing the children complain when the session ends. A huge thank you to one of our Rockingham parents, Skye, for enabling this opportunity to come to fruition, and I know the Turtles children will enjoy this during Term 2, but Janda are already asking if they can be involved again in Term 3. Such an enriching, community-building, feel-good event for all involved.

I am delighted to inform you that final work is commencing this week at the Karnup property, to adhere to the Bushfire and Land conditions of use the City of Rockingham have placed on the Munja Gardens site. The Baldivis Community Garden group are eager to commence wicking bed workshops with our adolescent students in Term 2. Our students will then be working with these members to set up a number of wicking beds that will be in place for members of the community to use for their personal gardening requirements. Our function centre room renovation is also nearing completion, with painting works, carpeting, a new alarm system, and new Montessori shelves to store our training centre equipment. This venue will then be able to be hired for events and I am very pleased to note we have already started receiving booking requests.

Also, for the Karnup property, we are in the process of completing a Development Application for the City of Rockingham to approve the installation of windows and doors to the chapel, as well as completing the fit-out of the rooms at the rear of the chapel. These rooms will be smaller break-out spaces for Montessori training and the chapel will be utilised for our playgroups. Although we do not have a timeframe for this approval, with the continued growth in the Turtles class, we are looking to be able to open the dividing wall between Turtles and Dugongs in the very near future and will then relocate the Rockingham Infant Toddler Program to the Karnup site.

-Vanessa

Principal