14 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Perth NAPLAN recognition

I am delighted to share the news that Perth Primary School has been recognised by ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority) for demonstrating substantially above average gain in reading and numeracy achievement, measured by NAPLAN. This wonderful result recognises the focused work of our staff over the past few years. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate students, staff and parents for being a part of this learning journey and their continued dedication to student growth and improvement. This prestigious recognition demonstrates the quality of the teaching and learning experiences offered at Perth Primary.

PPR Reports

Throughout the year you will be updated on your child’s progress through a range of ways including written reports and a parent teacher meeting. The first reporting communication went home last Friday. These reports are progress reports designed to give an indication around how your child has settled into the new school year with regard to their organisation, listening, initiative and ability to work with others. It is important to be involved in your child’s education and to know how your child is progressing with their learning. Please speak with your child’s classroom teacher if you require any further clarification.

Student Absentees/Attendance

Consistent attendance at school is critical to achieving education outcomes, keeping students engaged in learning and to gain the skills and knowledge needed for success both now and later in life.

If for any reason your child is unable to attend school please notify the office via SMS or by phone before 9:15am. There is also an absentee form available for use on Schoolzine. Click on the link below:

Our weekly attendance is displayed as a percentage just inside the office entry foyer. It has been pleasing to note that our year to date attendance is currently sitting at 96%. We aim to keep attendance at this level.

There are some changes to the Tasmanian Education Act in relation to student absences that came in to effect on 1 July 2017, all designed to improve the standard of education across the State. Under the new Education Act, as of the 2018 school year, absences are either authorised or unauthorised. One particular type of absence that must now be recorded as an ‘unauthorised’ absence, is leave for family holidays. Please see below the attached information on Authorised Absences in this newsletter as it contains some very valuable information.

School Nurse

We are most fortunate to have our school nurse Juanita working with us again this year on Thursdays. Juanita works in classrooms focusing on a variety of health education areas such as nutrition, being sun smart and washing hands properly. She supports students in many ways including on a 1-1 basis or within a small group. Juanita will complete health checks for Kindergarten students during Term two. Please come and have a chat with Juanita when you see her at Perth. She is always out and about with her fruit platter every Thursday lunchtime. We thank the Lions Club for their continued support in providing fruit for our students. We have a planned “Nude food day” which will be held later in the term.

Athletics Carnival

Last week the 3-6 Athletics Carnival was held at the Perth Football Ground. This was an action packed day with students involved in a wide range of track and field experiences. Congratulations to all students for excellent levels of participation, sportsmanship and teamwork on the day. Our winning house was Bramich closely followed by Hirst. Lyons House was awarded the Georgia bear for their high level of sportsmanship and collaboration throughout the day. A number of athletes from the carnival will be selected to represent PPS on 28th March at the Northern Midlands Athletics Carnival.

A special mention to Mr Eeles for the many hours work in ensuring the carnival success and for all the support from staff and parents. Thank you also the Northern Midlands Childcare students for cheering and supporting from the sidelines. Your cheering was most appreciated by students as they ran by.

School Association

The School Association ran a very successful cake stall at the Community Centre on Election Day. Thank you to all families who cooked and donated many delicious items. Your support for the school is greatly appreciated. A special thank you to Mel and Abby for their work throughout the day on the stall.

The SA was also active at the Athletics Carnival providing sausages and drinks, along with tea coffee and home-made food. Thank you to all the volunteers who worked in the canteen throughout the day. Funds raised will go towards supporting quality Arts programs at PPS.

The AGM for the School Association will be held tonight, Wednesday 14th March at 7:00pm. All community members are welcome to attend.

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

The 2018 National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence will be held on Friday 16th March.

Student Cabinet and Parliament members will be working together to drive this important message and to lead in the production of a large banner depicting the safe and supportive environment at Perth Primary. This banner will be displayed in the hall foyer.

If you would like further information about the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence please visit the link below.

Book Capture Project

We are very excited to be one of the first schools involved in the ‘Book Capture Project’ supported by UTAS. A dedicated committee of readers has been selected to get this project underway and worked with Mrs Adams and Mrs Muir from UTAS last week to prepare books for release. These books are going to be left for others to capture, read, review and then release! This project encourages reading and students are also encouraged to ponder the question “Where’s the maths?” More information can be found at the link below.

Reading message - at home and its value

The famous quote by Doctor Seuss …. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." is accurate in so many ways!

Reading opens up so many opportunities for students and it is such an exciting moment when a young child reads their first book or decodes a written message. We highly value reading at Perth and across the school we have a number of tight practices. Home reading is one of these. The early childhood classrooms are a buzz in the mornings with students changing their books and recording what they have read. This a great independent task that builds responsibility as a before school activity. Whilst this is not as obvious in the Primary grades our older students all record their nights of reading but in different ways. Student’s effort with reading is acknowledged and celebrated throughout the year in a variety of different avenues. We look forward to encouraging and recognizing students as they reach 100 nights of reading.

 

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Principals award last week in Assembly in acknowledgement of their leadership skills both within and outside the classroom - Lachie, Abby, Danika, Ella, Adele, Seth and Sophie.

Jenny Clements
Acting Principal

Class Awards

Happy Birthday

Celebrating birthdays this newsletter are:

Charlie, Chloe, Dekoda, Brydon, Gizaye, Annika, Will, Stacey, Hayley, Mrs Craw and Mrs Maloney.

Canteen

School Association Nominations

2018 Classes Names

Change of Uniform Shop Hours

Outside School Care Hours (OSHC)

PPS Support Staff

Community News

Entertainment Books are coming.........

Pre-order online your Entertainment Books

Learn to Swim

Term Dates

Term dates for students in 2018 are:

Professional Learning Days: - students not at school

Friday 13th April
Monday 23rd July
Friday 2nd November

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