The greatest challenge is one of accommodation. For the last twelve months the school has been operating at its peak capacity and 2010 has begun with full enrolments in all year levels. The school has been restricting enrolments to students from the local area of the school and siblings of students already enrolled. With full capacity, this policy will need to be maintained throughout 2010 and beyond. With full enrolments, programs have needed to be carefully managed. In particular, 
extracurricular programs such as the Band program has needed to expand to now comprise three complete concert bands, in addition to the highly successful jazz ensemble and the newly created and immensely popular percussion group. Increased Sports programs too, have needed to be carefully planned alongside other programs.
Resourcing of all learning areas and programs has needed to be carefully considered. Interactive whiteboards are in eleven internal learning spaces and shade cover provided for the outdoor learning area. In addition to the financial support shown by individual parents, the role of the school’s parent body, the South Coogee Parents and Citizens’ Association, has been vital in providing financial support to the school, as has been the continued presence of the Out of School Hours Care Centre and the long-day care Learning Centre on the site, which both provide significant funding through separate licencing agreements.
The opportunities are endless. The size and diversity of programs has increased, giving more children greater opportunities to explore their expanding worlds and to achieve higher learning outcomes. Curriculum related musical productions, excursions, visiting performances, choirs and academic competitions are all part of the mix.
Like all schools in 2010, South Coogee Public School is moving closer towards the adherence to a national curriculum, a process which has already commenced through national literacy and numeracy assessments in Term 2 for Years 3 and 5 students and for Kindergarten students during the later part of Term 1.
Underpinning all of this is the unchanged social context of the South Coogee community, which remains 35% of its 540 students coming from a non English background and nearly 10% of students from families linked to the Australian Defence Forces. Physically, the school site is the envy of many of its neighbours, with ample flat, grassed and well-treed grounds and well away from main roads.
I remain feeling privileged to lead such a vibrant learning community of supportive and interested parents, compassionate and committed staff members and willing, happy students, serving such a diverse social-economic community and within the broader inclusive context of public education. I invite you to explore this website and perhaps understand a little more why so many parents have continued to make South Coogee Public School the school of choice for their children.