Issue No. 12: 22 August 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Welcome to our first Schoolzine newsletter. We are excited to be moving to this new format which allows us to link all our media platforms together so that they will connect to each other to help efficient communication and organisation. The Schoolzine format is used widely by other schools and provides many features which we know will be of great benefit to our school community. We look forward to learning about how to implement all of the features into our structures and processes and to bringing you lots of additional features. We welcome your feedback so that we can continue to learn and improve what we do to refine our new newsletter format. Work on our new website is continuing, and it should be more current during the next few weeks.

NAPLAN Results

Last week we were incredibly proud to receive our latest whole school NAPLAN results which show very clearly that our school improvement plans are on the right track. Our student gain results are most impressive across all areas with very high gains shown for student progress. Most notably, our grade three results show mean scores above the Australian average scores in four out of the possible five test areas. Of course NAPLAN is just one test on one day, but its results do provide useful individual and school-wide data to help us plan our next priorities to further improve our students’ learning outcomes.

At the beginning of this year we started a school-wide project to investigate the teaching and learning of key concepts in mathematics. The MAT.X initiative provides time for teachers to learn and plan collaboratively then work with their students to teach new mathematical concepts. Feedback from peer teachers is also part of this initiative.

We have also introduced a school-wide focus on phonemic awareness which is one of the important component skills in learning to read, write and spell. These skills are sometimes called The Big Six. The focus on phonemic awareness will form a short part of the literacy learning sessions in each class each day and will assist children with their spelling, writing and reading. Both of these initiatives are targeted responses to our data and to differentiating the learning according to our students’ learning needs.

Support Staff Awareness Week

Last week was Support Staff Awareness Week and provided an opportunity for us to acknowledge the amazing work of our support team and to thank them for the huge contribution they make to our students’ success. Members of our support team at PPS are highly skilled and dedicated and make an enormous contribution to our school. We thank them for their work and congratulate them for their expertise in their particular area.

Resilient Youth Australia Survey

During the past few weeks students from grades 3 – 6 have completed the Resilient Youth Australia survey to provide important data about their connections with their friends, resilience, emotional wellbeing, health and happiness. The survey is based on the 40 Developmental Assets which is the set of qualities and attributes a child needs to develop to be happy, successful and confident as they move towards adulthood. The survey provides useful data for us about children’s engagement in school. We know that when children feel more involved and motivated by their learning they are far more successful so this data has led to some exciting new and optional programs being offered at PPS. Recent examples include: Schools Triathlon Challenge, Esk Band, Girls’ Group, Robotics and Future Minds. The survey is anonymous and only data at grade, school and Connect 6 level is available. Noteworthy results will be shared when the report is available towards the end of this term.

Local Hero Georgia Baker

Our school community sends best wishes to Local Hero, Georgia Baker as she recovers from heart surgery to correct hereditary supraventricular tachycardia. We wish Georgia all the best as she puts her energy into her recovery and makes her way back into training for her next goals on the bike. Get well soon Georgia!

Book Week Connections

There was much excitement today as children assembled on the netball court to share their favourite books and ‘connections’ to book characters and stories. Children were invited to bring their favourite book to celebrate Book Week and to bring some kind of connection to the book. This concept recognises the “making connections” part of comprehension. It was amazing to see the creativity and effort some children had taken, and the huge variety of books as favourites was a delight. Congratulations to everyone who took part!

Thank You to Our Wonderful Volunteers!

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who have been busily sewing our new badges onto uniforms so that we now have a good supply of items for sale with the new logo already attached. Although the stitched-on logo is not ideal, it was the best arrangement to get us through the transition period between the old stock, and the new items with the logo already embroidered in place. No new uniform can be ordered until the old stock in the uniform shop is sold.

Key Dates for 2017

TSTS Competition

Congratulations to all students who entered the Tasmanian Science Talent Search

Education Act 2016 Implementation

More Information

Milo/Milkshake Parent Help Urgently Required

Milo / milkshake Tuesdays are continuing and we thank our current parent helpers for supporting and volunteering their time. The ongoing fundraiser is for all year 3 / 4 students who will have the opportunity to attend the Perth Primary bi-annual camp in 2019. 2017/2018 fundraising from milkshakes/milo will go towards the 2019 camp.

A significant amount has been raised over the previous years to reduce the amount families paid per student for the 2017 camp.

Parent helpers are required from our current year 3 / 4 students on Tuesday mornings (9:45 am -11:30am). Please contact the school office if you can help, to keep this fundraiser continuing.

Class Awards

Happy Birthday

Celebrating birthdays this newsletter are:

Christopher, Jorja, Gemma, Chelsea, Leyvi, Daniel, Mathew, Rylen, James, Isabelle and Andrew.

Inside the classroom ………….

Kinder News

Fire Station Visit

On the afternoon of August 29th, Kinder will be visiting the Perth Fire Station and learning all about the work that fire fighters do for our community. Yellow group children and their parents are more than welcome to join us as are other parent helpers. Please let me know if you’re intending to come.

Hagley Farm Visit

On Monday 25th September, Kinder will be heading out on an excursion to the farm at Hagley Farm School and Environment Centre. Children will need to bring a packed lunch and drink, a coat and a plastic bag. As we would like all children to be a part of this special day, green group children will attend on Monday (excursion day), Tuesday and Friday of that week (week beginning 25/9- no attendance on Thursday 28/9). Please let me know if you are interested in joining us for parent help on this day.

Mrs Van Est’s Leave

Mrs Van Est is taking some leave to visit her family in the USA for the last 5 weeks of term. From the 28th August to 29th September, Christen Richards will be working in Kinder Shephard on Mondays and Tuesdays. We wish Mrs Van Est all the best for her extended holiday and welcome Mrs Richards to our team.

Art Project

During the next couple of weeks, we are fortunate to be working with local artist Annette Clark on her UTAS project “Elements in ‘e’motions”. Students will be making and creating their own spheres using paper and twine. They will decorate the spheres with their favourite colour and recycled materials in mind. It would be great if you could assist your child to collect recycled materials that are your child’s chosen colour and bring them to school. Examples may be unused items around the home, bottle top lids, food packaging or magazine cut outs. The spheres are going to be displayed in the UTAS art gallery at Inveresk. I will let you know when I know dates!

Father’s Day Afternoon Tea – Red Group

Just a friendly reminder about our Father’s Day Afternoon Tea on Thursday 31st August at 2pm and that Red group Dads (and/or the men that share the role of Dad) are more than welcome to attend with their child at 2pm. Please RSVP by Monday 28th August.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to discuss these with us.

Andrea Shephard – Kinder Teacher

Foundation GC

Numeracy

We have been busy counting shapes and making patterns!

1-2R

Wombats

After reading ‘Diary of a Wombat’ by Author Jacki French, students wrote their own diary and these are their wombat sketches to do with the diary entries.

5/6 Sport

Football

Maths Relay

Congratulations to those students who participated in the state-wide Maths Relay competition on Sunday. This is a competition for primary school students who compete in a range of maths problem solving challenges against teams from other primary schools.

Country Gold Trials

Congratulations to many of our Year 5 and 6 students took part in the annual Country Gold selection trials last Friday. While not everyone was selected in the final Northern Midlands East teams all students should be proud to be chosen to represent Perth Primary and look to continually improve and most importantly have fun. Selected students will now train with their respective teams over the next month before competing at the Country Gold Carnival on September 21 and 22.

Congratulations to the following students:

Football – Alexander, Jamie and Jayden
Netball – Frejah, Mackenzie and Liana (reserve)
Soccer – Brodie, Harry, Lachlan, Klarissa, Emily, Tarni-May and Kayla
Hockey – Millie, Orland, Jack, Ashtyn, Melody, Taylor and Caden

Literacy News……..

Kindergarten and Enrolments for 2018

Kinder enrolments for 2018 are open!

Although 2018 seems to be many months away we have started some preliminary planning for next year. Kindergarten enrolments and enrolments for other grades are now being accepted. We would also appreciate hearing from families whose enrolment status will change for 2018. Please let us know if you are not intended to be with us in 2018, or if you know of a family who is intending to enrol so that our information is as accurate as is possible. Forms may be collected and returned to the office.

Connect 6 Corner…….

I’m excited to join the learning community at Perth Primary School as leader of the Middle Years Literacy Project for the Connect 6 group of schools. My role is to support teachers to improve literacy learning outcomes for students in Grades 4 to 8. The project brings together teams from Kings Meadows High School and its 5 feeder primary schools: Perth, Longford, Evandale, Glen Dhu and Youngtown. Our project focuses on the links between students’ wellbeing and engagement, and their literacy learning outcomes in the transition from primary to high school. My role includes working in classrooms to provide at-the-shoulder support and feedback to teachers. I’m also working with groups of students, whose input will shape the teaching and learning in our schools. We will use student feedback to inform our practice and increase student engagement by building a deep understanding of the needs of adolescent learners.

Jeanette Papageorgio

School Nurse Information

Breakfast – The most important meal of the day

Breakfast, as the word suggests, literally means ‘breaking the fast’.

After going 10-12 hours overnight without food, children’s energy reserves are low and their bodies and most importantly their brains, need food.

Without breakfast children (and adults!) become irritable, restless and tired. You may have noticed your child’s behaviour is more challenging when they are hungry. This will make learning in school difficult for our children.

Children who eat breakfast are more likely to:

• Have improved concentration and memory
• Stay focused all day
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Improved behaviour

Apart from providing children with body and brain ‘fuel’, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fibre.

Breakfast on the run

Breakfast ideas to keep tummies happy and full:

• A wholegrain cereal and a small fruit juice
• A tub of yogurt and a banana
• A bag of dry cereal mixed with trail mix
• Fruit or dried fruit
• A fruit bun
• Toast and a glass of milk
• A boiled egg
• Porridge
• Piklets

Juanita Du Vergier
Primary School Health Nurse

Fundraising Group Update

Earn & Learn

PPS is excited to participate in the Earn & Learn promotion. We have boxes at Kings Meadows and City Woolworths supermarkets. Also boxes are located at the office and at Kinder. Attached is a sticker sheet to be filled out remembering only to stick on the required amount per sheet please. Thank you for supporting this program as it provides PPS great resources for our school children.

School Banking

School Banking day is Wednesday

Remember, Wednesday is School Banking day and students should bring in their weekly deposit.

For every deposit made at school, students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for an exclusive School Banking reward item in recognition of their regular savings habits.

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school, raising 5% on every deposit made through the school (to a maximum of $10 per individual deposit).

If your child has lost their book, they can bring their money to school in a sealed envelope with a note on the next School Banking day. We will issue them with a replacement.

Thank you for supporting the School Banking program at Perth Primary School. We would also like to thank the wonderful parents who volunteer as our School Banking Co-ordinators and process our banking every week.

Student Hours

School Routine

9:00 – 11:00 Morning classes
11:00 – 11:20 Recess
11:20 – 12:40 Class time
12:40 – 12:50 Supervised eating of lunches
12:50 – 1:25 Play time
1:30 – 2:50 Afternoon classes
(2:45pm Dismissal for bus children)

School Times

9:00am – 2:50pm (Foundation – Grade 6)

Children should not arrive before 8:30am as no responsibility can be taken for them prior to the beginning of playground supervision at 8.30 am. Classrooms are open from 8:30am. Children who need to be at school earlier than 8.30 am should be booked into OSHC. Please see below for details.

Outside School Care Hours (OSHC)

Children Travelling By Bus

Changes to children being on or off the bus requires notification to the school office by a parent or caregiver either in person; in writing (child’s communication book or note); or by phone (no later than 2.30 pm). As this is a busy time in the afternoon we appreciate your help allowing the bus to depart on time.

Tissues

As the cooler weeks continue a friendly reminder to parents that although the school has tissues for emergencies, it is a parent responsibility to supply tissues for their child when they have a cold.

Visitors to the School

It is a department requirement that all visitors to the school are required to sign in and present their WWVP card and sign out when they leave the school grounds. Parents needing to drop something to their children can do so via the office.

PPS Support Staff

Community News……

Term Dates

T2017

Term 3 Monday 24th July - Friday 29th September
Term 4 Monday16th October - Thursday 21st December (students finish)
Student Free Day Friday 3rd November 2017

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