Newsletter 1

From the Principal

Dear Waddington families,

Happy New Year to you all and welcome back to the new school year of 2024.

This is my first newsletter as Principal of Waddington, and I am thrilled to be leading the school. There have been too many improvements and positive changes made by Jemima Tomlinson to even begin to mention. I would like to assure you all that I will be continuing to lead the school along this pathway and grow from the strong foundation that we have in place. The message that I would like you to keep is that of our school vision:

We are a Connected Community striving to provide quality learning opportunities through evidence- based teaching, leading our students to reach their highest potential in all they do.

As we begin the journey into 2024, there are new additions to our staff. We welcome them all to our Waddington family:

Keith Milner – PE Specialist
Ami Nyugen – PP/1 teacher
Greg Longman – Science, Art and Music Specialist Teacher
Vanessa Fairhead – Acting Deputy and Student Services Manager

There are also new additions to our programs that support our students to reach their potential. We are now officially a Story Dog School. Every Tuesday, Bailey and Caitlin will be joining us to work with individual students in the library. Their mission is to make reading fun for children so that they become confident, lifelong readers.

Caitlin and Bailey (the dog)

PE Activities for 2024

Keith Milner, PE Specialist will be facilitating our Running Club before school on Mondays. This will be for general health and fitness, but also to prepare the students for a Cross Country Carnival that will be held in Term 3 in addition to our Faction Carnival.  There will also be a Table Tennis Club for those students in Years 3-6, also on Mondays but after school. This program is fully funded by our Sporting Schools Grant.

Grant successful – Art Project for Waddington students in 2024

During the holidays, I received notification that an application Jemima and I submitted to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) Culture and the Arts WA Creative Learning had been successful. The funding will cover the cost of an Artist in Residence to attend 25 days across 2024 to work on an Art Project with all our students. Jodie Davidson will be here on Wednesdays. The focus for project is the bushland, using natural materials, and exploring processes to effect change. Where possible, the intersection of Science and Art will be explored. This will culminate in an Art Exhibition that will be set up in the Undercover Area on the evening of our Community Christmas Carols.

12 Buckets

12 Bucket will now be with us for three days a week. This means that we can offer places to more students. The mentorship, resilience and relationship building plays a huge part in building a child’s capacity to be able to learn.

After School STEM club

SciTech are holding an after-school STEM club for students in Years 4-6 on Fridays for Term 1. This will be held in the library. Consent forms will need to be signed by parents for students to participate.

Smith Family School Scholarship Fund

This is available to all students whose carer holds a Concession/Pension Card and attendance is at 85% or above. This fund will support you with a payment of $478 per year for a primary student. If attendance is maintained, the Scholarship will remain with your child throughout High School, paying $772 per year.

A final note, please remember that we now have Their Care providing Out of Hours School Care on our site. For families with a Concession Card, Grandparent carers, parents who volunteer at the school, the cost is almost zero. If you wish to book or enquire, please telephone their number.

And so, we move forward as a Connected Community into 2024. I wish you all well, as we all work together with the common vision of leading our students to reach their highest potential.

Kind regards,

Katherine Chivers 

Principal

From the Administration Team

Term 1 Planner

The term planner is updated regularly and below are some important dates to be aware of for first few weeks of term 1 2024.

Please refer to the Term Planner page under the ‘Community’ tab for the most up-to-date events for term 1 2024 (but this may be subject to change so please check regularly).

Important Dates
TERM 1 2024

6 February 2024 – Safer Internet Day

7 February 2024 – Artist in Resident (Art Project with all Waddington students)

9 February 2024 – Scitech STEM after school club 3pm – 4pm (Years 4 – 6)

12 February 2024 – 10am Chung Wah Lion Dance performance

12 February 2024 – Parent Information Session – Room 1 (after school bell)

13 February 2024 – Parent Information Session – Room 5 (after school bell)

14 February 2024 – Parent Information Session – Room 9 (after school bell)

14 February 2024 – Artist in Resident (Art Project with all Waddington students)

15 February 2024 – Parent Information Session – Room 4 (after school bell)

16 February 2024 – Parent Information Session – Room 8 (after school bell)

16 February 2024 – Scitech STEM after school club 3pm – 4pm (Years 4 – 6)

20 February 2024 – School Board Meeting

21 February 2024 – Artist in Resident (Art Project with all Waddington students)

23 February 2024 – Scitech STEM after school club 3pm – 4pm (Years 4 – 6)

Breakfast Club – Thank you IGA Balga and Woolworths Mirrabooka!

We would like to acknowledge with thanks IGA Balga and Woolworths Mirrabooka for supporting our schools breakfast club, our students appreciate your support!

Community Notices

Saver Plus Program

Saver Plus supports eligible families to take some control of their finances by offering a matched savings incentive and financial education workshops.

If parents commit to saving up to $50 a month for 10 months, ANZ will match their savings up to $500 for families to put towards school uniforms, stationery, camps, laptops, sports fees and music lessons.

To learn more about Saver Plus attend one of our online Information Sessions: Register here.

 

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