In 2017 Halidon Primary School became an Independent Public School. With this opportunity the staff completed a visioning process to determine our common beliefs which became the starting point for our 2017-19 Business Plan. With the success of becoming an Independent Public School the school community decided to rebrand the school developing a new differentiated identity within the community, continuing to maintain our 30 year reputation of excellence.

The change to the logo is significant and is extremely meaningful to all Halidonians. The representation of the owl relates to the two species of owl that reside on the school site – the Tawny Frog Mouth Owl and the Boobook owl. With our association with the Friends Of Yellagona we have been granted an owl nesting box to be located on our site later in the year. The yellow crown of the owl holds many meanings – it is the Lillyarrie flower featured in our previous logo incorporating our 30 year history, it is also open pages of a book depicting the endless supply of knowledge and finally it is a sunrise signifying our new beginning.

At Halidon Primary School we believe that four factors are essential for continual improvement:

• strong, shared leadership;
• high levels of expectation and teacher efficacy;
• a positive and supportive learning environment where we nurture the social and emotional well-being of our students; and
• developing partnerships with our school community.

Our focus for our first Business Plan is to maintain the high standards of teaching and learning practices aimed at improving student learning. The whole school is currently in the process of formulating our business plan for 2017-2019. A feature of our school is the collaborative, inclusive and whole-school approach to improve student learning. Furthermore, our involvement in the Woodvale Learning Community of schools extends our partnerships into the community providing smoother transitions for our students.

As an Independent Public School we would like to invite prospective parents and businesses to partner with us and share our journey as we:

• continue to implement current and effective methods of teaching and learning incorporating the latest technologies;
• ensure our students are adequately prepared for 21st century thinking;
• remain at the forefront of innovation; and
• develop collaborative partnerships that strive for continual improvement.

I invite you to explore our website further or make an appointment for a school tour.

Helen Demiris
PRINCIPAL