While the principal was busy preparing for the two events, the Prep 100th day and Grandparents Day, Healesville Primary School students gave her some surprise presents.
It was Australian Primary Principals Day on Friday 1 August, which was to acknowledge principals and share the appreciation for the incredibly valuable work they do every day.
At the local primary school, Tracey is not just a principal, but a friend, mentor, educational leader and crisis navigator for the whole school community.
She is well known around the school for her caring and friendly personality.
Two school captains Matilda and Macey handed gifts to Tracey on behalf of the students.
“It’s good everyone’s chipped in to make something special for Tracey and seeing how much everyone appreciates her,” Macey said.
“She’s helped all of us be very confident. She’s just really amazing … the way she speaks to you, talks to you and greets you.”
“She’s very deserving of it,” Matilda said.
“She makes you want to come to school.”
They gave a bouquet of flowers, cards written by each class and special artwork done by Grade 5s and 6s.
“We’ve been looking at a book that has a lot of Aboriginal artwork in it, so we thought that we could take some of the things we learnt from that book and put them into it,” Matilda explained about the artwork.
Tracey has led the school on an important change journey, building a positive school culture based on the school’s values and implementing significant change in the school’s teaching practices based on the Science of Learning, leading to improved student outcomes.
Tracey inspires the staff and students to be their best, and she lives out her motto of ‘Together we make a difference’.
As a result of her hard work in making a warm school atmosphere, many students choose to have lunch and a chat with Tracey as a reward for the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support initiative, where students can choose rewards for tokens they earn.
The principal was touched by the special presents.
“It was lovely. The girls brought this to me on Friday, and it’s just beautiful,” she said.
