Thank you to all parents and students for using regular email rather than direct message in SEQTA.

I have asked staff not to read emails in the evenings and not to respond to emails at night – and not to send emails to parents or students at night expecting, or hoping they will be read that evening. We are all part of families – and that time is important. While teachers often mark in the evenings, dealing with emails after 6pm is an unnecessary and unproductive activity when they should be unwinding ahead of another day at work.  The same should apply to weekends and public holidays.

As staff, we always endeavour to reply to emails within 24 to 48 hours of receipt. Please factor in evenings and weekends when anticipating a reply from teachers. Teachers will extend the same courtesy to families.

I would also like to thank families for their support of a School where mobile phones are not in evidence: while some phones have been confiscated, it is a joy not to see students on phones at every opportunity. There are sighs as phones are put away at the start of the day – and some students grab for their phones at 3:20pm with relief at being re-united. Most students are managing really well without a phone as a constant companion and source of music all day long. Thank you parents for your support.

Bruce Titlestad

Head of Secondary School