Primary School 9398 7233 www.wirrabirra.wa.edu.au Ed Support 9398 1936 www.wirrabirraesc.wa.edu.au SCHOOL PURPOSE To provide a learning environment in which students are given the opportunity to develop their individual potential and to acquire skills, attitudes and knowledge to enable them to become responsible members of a changing society. Mon 13 May School Board Meeting—5.30pm P&C Meeting—7pm Tues 14 May NAPLAN begins for Years 3 & 5 students Wirrabirra Playgroup (0-4 years) 9-10.30am in D2 Thurs 16 May Assembly hosted by B2 & B3—2pm Fri 17 May Pirate Day Sat 18 May Election Day Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser Tues 21 May Wirrabirra Playgroup (0-4 years) 9-10.30am in D2 Thurs 23 May Faction Cross Country REMINDER: SCHOOL CLOSES EARLY 2.30pm EVERY WEDNESDAY Newsletter No. 6 9 May 2019 FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK Dear Parents, Carers and School Community WARM WELCOME TO TERM TWO How quickly the year is progressing and we still have so much to achieve. The term has started well with our juniors heading off to swimming, the Year 3 & 5 students preparing for their first NAPLAN online and all classes busily teaching and assessing for reports coming home this term. Congratulations to all students who earned enough Eco points to have a Disco last night to start the term with a positive event. Thanks to all the staff who stayed back or returned to support the students and make the evening run smoothly and safe for all. Well done to our Councillors who hosted the discos, showcasing what great leaders they are. Thanks Mrs Melvin for your organisation and work with the Councillors. NAPLAN – NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN LITERACY AND NUMERACY Next Tuesday our Year 3 and 5 students will commence their NAPLAN testing which will run for a week with follow-up sessions. All students will be working in the computer ICT Hub with their teachers following a schedule of testing. Mrs Svean and I will be there to support and help out with any network and organisational issues. To better support your children please be mindful that children learn and perform to their best when they are well rested and start the day with breakfast. They have all been prepared very thoroughly for the online testing by their teachers and just need your reassurance to read carefully, don’t rush and do their best. It is most important that your children attend all testing sessions and are at school by 8.25am for a smooth start to the day. Please give me a call or see your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or wish to find out more about the testing program. WA RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS TEACHING SUPPORT At the last P&C meeting and School Board meeting, I introduced parents to the work we are doing with White Ribbon Australia and Starick Services looking at WA Respectful Relationships Teaching Support. This is a program for public primary and secondary schools that supports teachers to teach students about respectful relationships in the context of family and domestic violence prevention. It builds on our existing WA Curriculum, Positive Behaviour Support and PAThS focus at Wirrabirra and supports a whole school approach to promoting respectful relationships. The reason we are participating in this program is that family and domestic violence touches every community. It affects all geographic locations, all socio economic statuses, all religions, all ages and all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In Australia 1 in 4 children are exposed to domestic violence. As a school community we can play an important role in breaking the cycle of violence and stopping it before it occurs. We can teach students how to recognise violence against women and build respectful relationships. By participating in the program our teachers will develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and community partnerships to teach age appropriate content about gender equality and respect across all learning and curriculum. The program will also enable us to adapt our existing programs and practices and work with our school community to ensure we change any norms, cultures and attitudes that support, condone and/or excuse family, domestic and gender-based violence. Being one of the first schools in Western Australia selected to have access to this program provides us with a great opportunity. Not only will it benefit our students, but our whole community. If you have any questions about the program, I would be very | happy to offer a meeting to run through the work to be covered. Please give me a call and I can set up a time to meet. I welcome your support for this program and the learning we undertake to promote respectful attitudes and behaviour in our community. Regards, Steve Richards, Principal Wirrabirra School is an ALLERGY FRIENDLY SCHOOL. What does this mean? It means that we will respect the individual needs of students who have identified allergies (with care plans) to such products as nuts, kiwi fruit, milk and eggs to name a few. In particular, food products that have nuts or are made from nuts should NOT come to school - ie: peanut paste, Nutella and nut bars. Our canteen is “nut free” and “kiwi fruit free” to accommodate individual students with special needs.
Transcript
Primary School 9398 7233 www.wirrabirra.wa.edu.au
Ed Support 9398 1936 www.wirrabirraesc.wa.edu.au
SCHOOL PURPOSE
To provide a learning environment in which students are given the opportunity to develop their
individual potential and to acquire skills, attitudes and knowledge to enable them to become
responsible members of a changing society.
Mon 13 May School Board Meeting—5.30pm
P&C Meeting—7pm
Tues 14 May
NAPLAN begins for Years 3 & 5 students
Wirrabirra Playgroup (0-4 years)
9-10.30am in D2
Thurs 16 May Assembly hosted by B2 & B3—2pm
Fri 17 May Pirate Day
Sat 18 May Election Day Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
Tues 21 May Wirrabirra Playgroup (0-4 years)
9-10.30am in D2
Thurs 23 May Faction Cross Country
REMINDER: SCHOOL CLOSES EARLY 2.30pm EVERY WEDNESDAY
Newsletter No. 6 9 May 2019
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Dear Parents, Carers and School Community
WARM WELCOME TO TERM TWO
How quickly the year is progressing and we still have so much to achieve. The term has started well with our juniors heading off to swimming, the Year 3 & 5 students preparing for their first NAPLAN online and all classes busily teaching and assessing for reports coming home this term. Congratulations to all students who earned enough Eco points to have a Disco last night to start the term with a positive event. Thanks to all the staff who stayed back or returned to support the students and make the evening run smoothly and safe for all. Well done to our Councillors who hosted the discos, showcasing what great leaders they are. Thanks Mrs Melvin for your organisation and work with the Councillors.
NAPLAN – NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN
LITERACY AND NUMERACY
Next Tuesday our Year 3 and 5 students will commence their NAPLAN testing which will run for a week with follow-up sessions. All students will be working in the computer ICT Hub with their teachers following a schedule of testing. Mrs Svean and I will be there to support and help out with any network and organisational issues. To better support your children please be mindful that children learn and perform to their best when they are well rested and start the day with breakfast. They have all been prepared very thoroughly for the online testing by their teachers and just need your reassurance to read carefully, don’t rush and do their best. It is most important that your children attend all testing sessions and are at school by 8.25am for a smooth start to the day. Please give me a call or see your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or wish to find out more about the testing program.
WA RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS TEACHING
SUPPORT
At the last P&C meeting and School Board meeting, I introduced parents to the work we are doing with White Ribbon Australia and Starick Services looking at WA Respectful Relationships Teaching Support. This is a program for public primary and secondary schools that supports teachers to teach students about respectful relationships in the context of family and domestic violence prevention. It builds on our existing WA Curriculum, Positive Behaviour Support and PAThS focus at Wirrabirra and supports a whole school approach to promoting respectful relationships.
The reason we are participating in this program is that family and domestic violence touches every community. It affects all geographic locations, all socio economic statuses, all religions, all ages and all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In Australia 1 in 4 children are exposed to domestic violence.
As a school community we can play an important role in breaking the cycle of violence and stopping it before it occurs. We can teach students how to recognise violence against women and build respectful relationships. By participating in the program our teachers will develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and community partnerships to teach age appropriate content about gender equality and respect across all learning and curriculum.
The program will also enable us to adapt our existing programs and practices and work with our school community to ensure we change any norms, cultures and attitudes that support, condone and/or excuse family, domestic and gender-based violence.
Being one of the first schools in Western Australia selected to have access to this program provides us with a great opportunity. Not only will it benefit our students, but our whole community. If you have any questions about the program, I would be very | happy to offer a meeting to run through the work to be covered. Please give me a call and I can set up a time to meet.
I welcome your support for this program and the learning we
undertake to promote respectful attitudes and behaviour in our
community.
Regards, Steve Richards, Principal
Wirrabirra School is an ALLERGY FRIENDLY SCHOOL. What does this mean? It means that we will respect the individual needs of students who have identified allergies
(with care plans) to such products as nuts, kiwi fruit, milk and eggs to name a few. In particular, food products that have nuts or are made from nuts should NOT come to school - ie: peanut paste, Nutella and nut bars. Our canteen is “nut free” and “kiwi fruit free” to
accommodate individual students with special needs.
PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER NO. 6
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back to Term 2. The term has got off to a great start with B4 and B5 starting swimming lessons on the second day back. Miss Nikki has been down at the pool to take photos and is in the process of setting up the display board with these. Make sure you keep an eye out for when the display changes. Photos will also be posted on our website in the next week or so. http://www.wirrabirraesc.wa.edu.au
During the holidays our staffing was finalised. We welcome two new staff members, Mr Wayne McGill has been appointed for 3 days a week (Wed/Thurs/Fri) in TLC, Miss Mikayla de Mol has been appointed fulltime and is in B5, this will reduce to three days a week next term after Miss Chelsea Hose returns from leave. Congratulations to Mrs Anna Meyer and Miss Caitlin Cameron, both have been granted permanent status. Anna is currently working fulltime in B1 and Caitlin is in B4 for three days (Mon/Thurs/Fri). Congratulations and welcome to our new staff.
Next Friday 17th May, Ms O’Brien in coordinating for the school to celebrate Pirate Day in May. For a gold coin donation children will be able to come dressed as a pirate. There will be pirate activities happening throughout the day including a walk the plank parade for the children to show off their costumes. All funds raised will be donated to kids brain cancer research and the Year 6 camp happening later in the year.
We continue to get messages via John and Debbie from the school
bus. Unfortunately, we cannot accept these message and still
require you to notify the school directly if there is information you
need us to know. If your child will be absent you need to notify
the bus that your child will not be on it for that day and notify the
school of the absence. There are several ways you can get mes-
sages to the school: text message on 0438 960 869 – this is moni-
tored from 8:00am to 4:00pm, phone the school on 9398 1936,
Election Sausage Sizzle We will be holding a Sausage Sizzle at school during the federal election on Saturday 18 May from 8am-2pm. Lots of people will be coming to vote at our school so it’s a great opportunity to promote the school and do some fundraising. We need some help running the stall and would appreciate anyone who can assist for an hour or two on the day. Please put your name down on the roster in the office if you can help. We would love to get someone from each classroom helping.
We will be serving sausages in buns, breaky burgers, soft drinks and cupcakes. If you can’t help on the day, you can still help by donating cartons of soft drinks, serviettes, sauces and onions. We are also looking for a business to donate the buns, sausages, bacon or eggs so if you know someone who might be able to help, please let us know. The more we can get donat-ed, the more we can make for the school. This year’s goal is to purchase some outdoor fitness equipment.
Book Club
Keep an eye out for the Scholastic Book Club catalogue which your child will be bringing home soon. We have started up the book club again after requests from parents. This is a great opportunity to build on your book collection, and the more you buy, the more rewards we earn to buy books for the school. Ordering is easy - it's all done online and your books will be delivered to school.
Teacher Awards Don’t forget, if you have a teacher or staff member you would like to recognise for a job well done, you can fill in a nomina-tion slip for a Certificate of Recognition in the front office, or email us. The awards are presented at assemblies and it really makes the staff member’s day to be recognised for their great work.
Support the Canteen Bek does an amazing job in the canteen feeding our children. Volunteers are always needed so please don’t be shy in offer-ing your help. Kids love it when they see their mum/dad/grandparent working in the canteen – and we love it too! Even if it’s just popping in for half an hour in the morning to help take orders, it makes a big difference to Bek. Of course, you can also show your support by ordering regularly and purchas-ing from our special themed menus we have throughout the term.
Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you enjoyed your break and are ready to tackle any obstacles to your learning at school, or your progress at work and in home life.
While reflecting on the obstacles and challenges that life invaria-bly brings, I also thought about the many wonderful moments and rewarding experiences that help us get through the difficult times. Something that generates good feelings and has the pow-er to change the way we view life and relationships is ‘the gift of giving’. Every day most of us give and receive gifts that are intan-gible. These gifts may come in the form of encouragement in times of need, good advice, a smile or a helping hand, or by being honest or patient with others. Whether a gift comes wrapped in brightly coloured paper or is intangible, giving has a wonderful circular effect. When a gift is given the benefit flows to the re-ceiver and in the opposite direction back to the source – the giv-er. It is the recipient who receives the gift and yet it is the giver who experiences the fruit of their own generous action; the posi-tive feeling. The effect of such giving on the giver can be pro-found as in the case of a woman named, Cami Walker, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She was soon frequently in and out of emergency rooms as she battled the neurological con-dition that left her barely able to walk and put enormous stress on her relationships. In her desperation to find relief she turned to a friend who suggested she give away 29 gifts in 29 days. It did not matter what the gift was, but their giving had to be genuine and mindful. At least one gift had to be of something that she had little of in her life. Many of her gifts were simple – spare change, a phone call, even a tissue. Yet these acts of kindness were life changing. Cami eventually wrote a book about the posi-tive impact on her view of life and her medical condition.
In 2008, a British government think tank called ‘Foresight’ issued a report called ‘Mental Capital and Wellbeing’. The report noted that giving to neighbours and communities was cited as one of the five critical elements of wellbeing and mental illness preven-tion. In an article called ‘It’s Good to Give’ (Ode magazine, Dec 2011 Vol 8, issue 6; odewire.com), author Diana Rico notes ‘…the word “community” comes from the Latin communis, which means “bound together”, and that word in turn has as part of its root the word munus, meaning “gift”. So, giving is the glue that binds us as a group, creating a system of exchange and acknowl-edging our need for each other as humans.
May you experience the ‘gift of giving’ this term.
