From the Principal
Dear Waddington Parents/Carers,
Welcome to Week 6!
It has been a huge couple of weeks for students with swimming and we sincerely thank all of our parents/carers who have been ensuring students are getting to school with their towels, bathers, goggles etc. Students are showing a lot of COURAGE in the lessons when learning new skills, a lot of RESPECT in their behaviour and they also showing RESPONSIBILITY with their belongings. So many of our Waddington PS school values are on display!
We have some very exciting news to share with you! We are currently in negotiations with TheirCare Outside of School Hours Care (OHSC) and we are organising after school care to start Term 1, 2024! This is something we know a lot of you have been waiting for. At the moment, we will just have after school care for Term 1, but if we have enough families sign up, we may be able to expand to before school care and holiday care. If you are interested, please get in contact with us at the front office and we will write your name down to contact once the agreement is finalised. Please tell your friends and family and if they are wanting a school that offers this service, we are able to provide it starting next year! WE WILL BE THE ONLY SCHOOL IN KOONDOOLA THAT OFFERS THIS SERVICE so please spread the word. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school.
I am thrilled to share with you the outstanding achievements of our students in this year’s NAPLAN assessments. It is with immense pride that I announce our school’s exceptional performance, which not only reflects our commitment to academic excellence but also underscores the dedication of our entire school community.
In the areas of Reading, Writing, and Spelling, our students have not only met but surpassed expectations, outperforming like schools. In Year 5 Spelling, our students were only 0.62 points away from the National Average. This achievement is a testament to the unwavering efforts of our teachers, who have embraced a pedagogical approach centred around explicit direct instruction (EDI). By providing targeted and focused guidance, our educators have empowered each student to unlock their full potential, allowing them to excel in these crucial literacy skills.
Equally noteworthy is our remarkable performance in Numeracy, where we have once again shown success. This achievement highlights the effectiveness of our teaching methods and the emphasis we place on cultivating a strong foundation in mathematical concepts. It is especially gratifying to note that our Year 5 students have demonstrated exceptional proficiency, showcasing the fruits of their hard work and the exceptional teaching they have received.
Furthermore, I am delighted to share that our Year 3 students have come within a mere 1.22 points of achieving parity with like schools in Numeracy. This achievement reflects the incredible dedication of both our students and teachers, who have worked tirelessly to bridge this gap. It is a testament to our school’s commitment to ensuring progress for every student, regardless of their starting point.
I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our entire school community for their unwavering support, dedication, and collaborative spirit. Together, we have achieved remarkable results that underscore our school’s commitment to fostering a love for learning and academic excellence. As we move forward, let us continue to embrace our shared mission of nurturing well-rounded, confident, and high-achieving individuals. We need all of our parents/caregivers to keep sending students to school every day to ensure that they have access to the comprehensive learning our school is providing.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude for your support in our endeavour to promote healthy eating habits among our students by encouraging nutritious recess and lunch options. Your partnership plays a vital role in fostering an environment that nurtures not only physical well-being but also optimal learning outcomes. Research consistently demonstrates the profound impact of nutrition on student learning and concentration. By providing your child with wholesome, balanced meals, you are empowering them with the essential nutrients needed for sustained focus, enhanced memory retention, and overall improved academic performance. Our wonderful Student Wellbeing Officer, Amy has created and placed some posters around the school showing some of the different options you can provide your child. Your commitment to sending healthy options to school not only contributes to their growth and vitality but also instils lifelong habits that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
Kind regards,
Jemima Tomlinson
Principal
Friendly Schools – How to approach your childs school about the issue of bullying
Last week on Wednesday, our students participated in SuperHIRO day which is all around raising awareness of bullying and what we can do to prevent it. As you are aware, Waddington PS is a Bully Free Zone and we have been committed to ensuring our students feel welcome and safe at our school. Some of the current measures we have introduced to ensure this is our new Bullying and Good Standing Policies (which can be found on our website). We also use the Friendly Schools Plus Program in our Social and Emotional Curriculum to ensure our students understand what bullying is and isn’t, and what they can do to stop bullying. Parents play a crucial role in this as well and we can work in partnership to ensure students feel heard. See below for some strategies on how you can interact with our school if you are concerned that your child is experiencing bullying:
From the Administration Team
Term 3 Planner
The term planner is updated regularly and below are some important dates to be aware of for this term.
Please refer to the Term Planner page under the ‘Community’ tab for the most up-to-date events for term 3 (but this may be subject to change so please check regularly).
Important Dates
21st August 2023 – Interm swimming – PP to Year 6
22nd August 2023 – Interm swimming – PP to Year 6
22nd August 2023 – Edudance
23rd August 2023 – Interm swimming – PP to Year 6
24th August 2023 – Interm swimming – PP to Year 6
25th August 2023 – Interm swimming ends – PP to Year 6
28th August 2023 – Year 5 / 6 Camp
29th August 2023 – Year 5 / 6 Camp
30th August 2023 – Year 5 / 6 Camp
30th August 2023 – P&C Father’s Day Stall and Raffle (Kindy A students)
31st August 2023 – Butterworth Park opening walk – Room 8 students (Years 3 and 4)
1st September 2023 – NAIDOC celebrations with Balga SHS
1st September 2023 – P&C Father’s Day Stall and Raffle (Kindy B, PP to Year 6)
1st September 2023 – 10.30am – 12.30pm – Ready! Set! Kindy!
4th September 2023 – Edudance
8th September 2023 – 10.30am – 12.30pm – Ready! Set! Kindy!
11th September 2023 – School Photos
Superhero Foods in disguise!
Room 1 – George the mischievous dragon and more!
Wow, what an action-packed exciting Term it has been for Room One…and we are only halfway through, with so much more to look forward to and so much more learning to do!
It all kicked off with the discovery of a nest in our classroom. It wasn’t too much later that we found out it belonged to a dragon named George. He knew our classroom would be the perfect home during the winter months. Each day he writes a letter to the students and hides it somewhere and each day he gets up to a bit of mischief. We thought Mrs. Tomlinson might be a bit upset with having a dragon in the classroom so we wrote a letter to convince her that he would make the perfect classroom pet. And now students in Room One will have the opportunity to write their own persuasive text on an animal they think would make the perfect pet.
George the Dragon gave us inspiration for our assembly item and we were so proud of the way Room One students practiced and then performed on the day. They all showed so much courage!
We are so pleased with the progress students are making and how well they are working in their Literacy and Numeracy groups. Students are working really hard to achieve their personal goals and to continue to build on skills and concepts learnt so far. They took great pleasure in sharing their news last week and always enjoy answering questions from their peers. Room One also had the chance to dress up as their favourite super hero character for a very important day, ‘Bullying No Way Day’. It was great to students putting a lot of thought into the activities they completed on the day. A highlight was a ‘connection chain’ made that reached from one side of the room to the other.
Students have also been super excited with the start of swimming lessons. It is wonderful to see them getting themselves organized and the enthusiasm they demonstrate during their lessons.
All this and we still have our sports carnival and our Edu Dance performance to look forward to. Students are really showing their moves during the Edu Dance lessons on Tuesday mornings. They are going to be little stars at the school performance at the end of this term!!
Never a dull moment in Room One and that’s just how we like it!
Community Notices
Saver Plus – The Smith Family
Like many families in WA, your family may also be experiencing the impact of cost-of-living challenges. Saver Plus helps empower families with money skills and assist with school expenses by rewarding them for saving.
What is Saver Plus?
Saver Plus is a free online community money skills program funded by ANZ and the Australian Government, and delivered by The Smith Family in WA:
· helping people to hit their savings goals,
· develop life-long savings habits, and
· receive up to $500 in matched savings from ANZ to assist with school expenses.
Please note an Eligibility criteria applies.
It takes a village!
Please see the flyer below with some information for families with children aged 0 to 5 years who have been living in Australia for less than 5 years.
Stirling Leisure Centre – Junior Sport Competitions
Please see below some flyers for upcoming sporting competitions for basketball and soccer that may be of interest to families.
