Term 1 Week 3 - 22 February 2023

Newsletter Articles

Calendar of Key Events

From the Principal…..

Newsletter – Term 1 Week 3

Dear Parents and Carers,

A big welcome back to all our wonderful families, it has been such a settled start to the year and we thank parents for their help in preparing children for coming back to school.

Our newsletter is one way we share information about our school, this goes out once a month alongside a calendar which will keep track of upcoming events. We also encourage parents to ensure that they are connected to Schoolzine and our Facebook page as we also use these as a form of information sharing.

Welcome to our new staff

We are excited to welcome some new staff in 2023, Ms Nicole Shepherd joins us as teacher in Grade 1-2, Mr Gary Rossiter joins us as our new groundsman and we also welcome back some familiar faces in Mrs Amelia Woods (1-2), Mrs Virginia Tempest (Education Support Specialist) and Mrs Kathy Lockwood (Kinder TA).

New additions to our School

Our children were very excited to return to our playground to see some new additions. We have installed a Gaga Pit next to 5-6A which is proving to be very popular. It is an outdoor version of dodgeball which our students are really loving. We have seen wonderful sportsmanship, team play and kids having lots of fun! A big thank you to our School Association for donating money to the school to help with the cost.

We have also moved some of the rocks around in the 5-6 area to encourage more collaboration and interaction at our outdoor play and learning times. The students seem to be enjoying the changes and are appreciating the shade that our beautiful trees provide.

Our sandpits have been refilled with beautiful fresh sand and we have purchased lots of new sandpit toys which are proving very popular.

We have also installed a water bubbler near our toilets to enable our children (and the community) access to fresh, cool water in our playground. It is great to see it being so well used.

Welcome BBQ

On Tuesday we held our Open Classrooms and Welcome BBQ, unfortunately I was unable to attend as I had to be at a Northern Midlands Sport meeting but wanted to thank families for taking the time to visit. We are also grateful to our School Association for their support in organising and paying for the BBQ.

Sharing of Learning

In the last 12 months, there have been a number of changes to the way reporting to parents has occurred. This has been the result of a feedback from teachers and families around the purpose of reporting. As a result, a major focus of reporting in 2023 will be sharing evidence of learning with families as opposed to the traditional written report. Seesaw is a safe and creative digital platform that enables students and teachers to share work, collaborate together and give and receive feedback. It can be accessed through a computer or smart phone.

Each child will have their own portfolio that is used to demonstrate their learning throughout the year. Individual student portfolios are only accessible to that child’s parents. Teachers are also able to use the program to share information, photos and activities with the whole class, small groups of students or individuals.

You may have already received a personalised invite from your child’s teacher which will enable you to access your child’s portfolio. As this is a new program for our teachers as well, not all classes are set up at this point but will be in the near future!

Alongside this, we will hold our traditional parent/teacher conversations at the end of Term 2 and Term 3. Information about this will be sent home early in Term 2. Our teachers are committed to ensuring the best outcomes for all our students and encourage parents to make contact if they have any concerns or important information that requires sharing. If you would like to speak to your child’s teacher, I would encourage you to email them or contact our school office to find a mutually convenient time.

Safety around our School

School Crossing

Unfortunately, we found out last year that the main street crossing no longer meets the criteria for a manned crossing, the marked crossing will remain however there will be no flags or crossing guard. For those families who use this crossing, please take the time to remind your child about safely crossing the road. On a positive note, we were successful in working with the Northern Midlands Council and Department of State Growth to get a crossing and flashing lights installed in Fairtlough Street. We strongly encourage our parents to set the example to our students around using the crossing at the beginning and end of the school day. Unfortunately, we still have a number of parents walking children across the road in front of our school bus and other cars, please make use of our crossing so we can help educate our students about road safety.

Bike and scooter riding

It is wonderful to see so many families using pedal and foot power to get to school. A reminder that helmets are a necessity and that the footpath in front of our school is a ‘walk your bike/scooter zone’ for the safety of our pedestrians at these busy times for our school.

Covid Update

All Department for Education, Children and Young People sites are maintaining COVID-safe measures. These measures include encouraging COVID-safe behaviours, maintaining safe sites, engaging with families, managing risks related to activities on sites, school travel and vulnerable students.

We continue to thank parents for keeping children who are unwell at home. We are also continuing our focus on hygiene with regular hand washing and cleaning. Our teachers are making the most of outdoor learning opportunities and all learning spaces have air purifiers.

RAT tests are still available at our school office and whilst masks are not mandated, staff and students are still supported to wear them if they choose.

Duty of Care

Just a reminder that we do not have any supervision or duty of care for students on school grounds prior to 8:30am and after 2:50pm. Our classrooms will be open at 8:30am for students and families. We ask that students do not remain at school unsupervised outside of these hours. Unfortunately we have had some issues over the holidays with vandalism and graffiti and while we have installed good security cameras, we would encourage anyone who is on site outside of school hours and witnesses any undesirable behaviour to report immediately to the police. Thanks for your support in looking after our school.

Daily PE

We have a very enthusiastic group of Grade 6 students who are keen to be our 2023 Daily PE leaders. Our first group started last week and it was wonderful to see our students so engaged in physical activity in the morning to prepare them for a day of learning ahead. I would like to commend our leaders for their organisation and motivation in running the program, it has been a fantastic way to start the year!

Specialist Lessons

In 2023 we have made some changes to the specialist lessons we are providing. We received some feedback from our families and also our students about what they found engaging which also aligned to the Australian Curriculum. As a result, we will continue to have PE with Mrs Fleming on Thursdays and Fridays. Mrs Batty will be taking HaSS alongside IT, she has planned some very engaging learning sequences which involve the curriculum area of HaSS but also opportunities to extend students IT skills. We have purchased a number of new laptops which means every class will now have between 12 – 15 devices allowing for a ratio of 1 device per 2 students in all classes. Mrs Clayton will be taking our Prep – Grade 1/2 classes for music and our Grade 2/3 – 6 classes for Art. Towards the end of Term 1, we will also be hosting the LYTE Theatre Company who will be completing a drama residency at school. All our classes will have the opportunity to work with the drama group over the week.

School Association

We are extremely lucky at Perth to have such a supportive, engaged School Association made up of parents and staff members in our school. Our School Association meets once per term to learn about, discuss and provide feedback about our school. They are a very supportive group and we always welcome new faces. Our AGM will be held on Tuesday, 28th March 2023 at 7pm at school. If you are interested in joining this group, please see Mrs Rosevear in our office who can provide you some more information.

Medical needs at our School

Thank you to the many parents who have updated medical action plans with their GP’s for the new year. We understand that this is sometimes a difficult task getting appointments so do appreciate your efforts.

We also have a number of students in our school who have severe allergies to nuts and nut products, as such we consider our school ‘nut aware’. We ask parents to support us by not packing any food into school lunches that have nuts.

Assembly Roster

Assembly is an important part of our school program, it gives students the opportunity to practise the important skill of public speaking as well as providing a wonderful opportunity to share the work we are doing in classes with our school community. Our assemblies begin at 2pm in our school hall.

Leadership Opportunities

Next week, our Grade 6’s will be presenting their leadership speeches to their peers for consideration for the roles of School Cabinet, House Captains and Vice Captains. Whilst we provide a number of leadership opportunities for our students, these are our most prestigious with member of Cabinet representing our school at community events and also having input into decision making at our school. Each class will also have the opportunity to elect class representatives which make up our School Cabinet.

Our House Captains and Vice Captains also have a leadership responsibility in our school supporting students at our school sports carnivals and other sporting activities offered at school.

I look forward to working with our leaders in 2023, they have already demonstrated many great leadership qualities and believe that they will be great role models to others in our school.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and will begin on March 15, 2023.

It is a nationwide measure through which parents/carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.

NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time – individually, as part of their school community, and against national standards.

The results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.

NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. Each teacher will have the best insight into their students’ educational progress. Parents/carers can use NAPLAN reports, along with other school assessment reports, to discuss their child’s strengths and areas for improvement with their teacher.

Scholastic

Issue I closes on Friday 24 February 2023.

Abbi Dean
Principal

Student Assistant Scheme (STAS)

Families who have been in receipt of STAS in 2022 will receive correspondence from the Department regarding STAS for 2023. You do not need to reapply. If you have a child enrolling in Kindergarten please have them added. Contact for STAS is 1800 827 055 or stas@decyp.tas.gov.au

STAS application forms are available from the school office for new enrolments or families whose circumstances have changed and wish to apply for 2023. Families can also apply online on the Department's web page at www.decyp.tas.gov.au

To be eligible the parent/guardian must have a current:

• Services Australia Centrelink Health Care Card,
• Services Australia Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card,
• Services Australia Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card, or
• Department of Veterans' Affairs Pension Concession Card.

Launching into Learning

Launching into Learning started on Friday 7 February with our Pop-Up session. It was great to see so many parents and children attending. Our first Launching into Learning sessions start on Friday 24 February. No bookings required.

Term Dates 2023

Perth Primary School Student Attendance Data

Canteen News…..

Happy Birthday

Coopar C, Madelyn D, Asher K, Charlie N, Cooper N, Lucy S, Ignatia V, Libby C, Bodhi L, Charlie P, Jamie M, Sonny D, Koby A, Kobe B, Evie M, Ollie F, Pippa R, Levi M, Mathew S, Dex W, Archie D, Brae-Lee T, Maeve B, Zac B, Taylah C, Logan D, Ryan C, Charlotte W, Amelia B, Oscar G, Rubi A, Azhara V, Archie R, Zachary H, Chaise M, Lincoln S, Jack W, Armani D, Theo R, Phoebe B, Liam D, Marlee E, Zeke N, Lola W, Logan H, Bailey W, Mrs Batty, Mrs Delphin, Mrs Wyatte, Mrs Whyman

Community News

2023 PPS Support Staff

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