From the Principal
Dear Waddington Families,
Thank you all so much for your support with getting tired students through last week’s swimming lessons. The timetabling of the double lesson was out of my control, and while I appreciate that it saved us money on bus fares, the children were quite tired. However, they reached new levels of resilience and showed fantastic persistence, trying their best and following instructions. This highlights the importance of keeping up high expectations for our students; we must try not to limit ourselves by what we believe we can achieve, but look at what we actually can, and do, achieve.
At this time of the year, we keep learning and high expectations front of mind. With five weeks to go, there is work still to be done. Reports will be coming home to you in Week 9. In alignment with Department of Education Directives to reduce teacher workload, schools have been issued with strategies to simplify the report format. In consultation with other schools in our network, a decision has been made to continue with subject area grades as usual, but not include subject area comments. There will be a general comment only. Any student who has specific learning area goals will have already discussed these with the class teacher. I have asked that reports are given to you a week earlier that before, to provide you with the opportunity to make a time, if you wish, to meet with the class teacher and discuss the report. Please come and see me if you have any questions about this new format.
Another exciting project is our Culturally Connected Community Mural. To celebrate and acknowledge the diversity of our community, we consulted with parents who felt that having their country represented in art form would be a valuable contribution to building a sense of belonging. Last week, I sent out a message with a QR code link for you to send in a flower or plant from your home country that we could include in the mural. Thank you to those who have responded. If you have not, please scan the code below and submit your response.
Thank you for your ongoing support for our school community. I will send out the Community Survey links at the end of this week. I appreciate that this is a lot of information, but your contributions and insight helps us understand how we can work more effectively to support you, your child, and provide the environment in which every student reaches their highest potential.
We look forward to welcoming you all to our Community Christmas Carols on Friday 29th November.
With warm wishes,
QR Code for mural contributions.
Ms Katherine Chivers
Principal
From the Administration Team
Library News
We have a range of picture books in our library that are bilingual representing many of the languages spoken by our school community. We are continually working to expand this collection and have recently purchased more books on the recommendation of parents at our Family Afternoon Tea.
For this term, we are trialling keeping the library open from 3:00pm – 3:30pm on Thursday afternoons for families to come and borrow one of our bilingual books. Miss Smith will be in the library to assist parents to choose a book with their child. We would like to thank Miss Smith for offering this service to our families.
Please note: Children must be accompanied by an adult and this is not a session for general book borrowing.
Planning for 2025
Just a reminder for families to notify the school if they are not returning to Waddington PS next year. This assists the school with planning for 2025. If your child(ren) will not be returning to Waddington, please drop into the front office as we have copies of the forms sent out earlier this term for families to notify us in writing if they won’t be returning. Thank you in advance.
Term 4 Planner
The term planner is updated regularly and below are some important dates to be aware of for Term 4.
Please refer to the Term Planner page under the ‘Community’ tab for the most up-to-date events for the term (but this may be subject to change so please check regularly).
Important School Dress Code Reminder
We have noticed a number of students wearing thick chained necklaces to school. Our School Dress Code Policy states that necklaces and bracelets can not been worn at school. Please see below an excerpt from our policy outlining our expectations with regards to general presentation (including the wearing of jewelry). We appreciate your cooperation with this matter.
General:
- No necklaces/bracelets to be worn apart from that with religious significance
- Sleeper and stud earrings can be worn
- Long hair to be brushed and tied back neatly
- Make up, nail polish and fake nails are not appropriate
Important Dates
11 November 2024 – Newsletter published
12 November 2024 – School Board Meeting 1:45pm
13 November 2024 – Kindy Transition Session and Morning Tea 8:50am to 11:00am
20 November 2024 – Artist in Resident
20 November 2024 – Family Afternoon Tea (Staff Room) 1.45pm to 2.30pm
22 November 2024 – P&C Colour Run
27 November 2024 – Art in Resident
27 November 2024 – Thank you Morning Tea
28 November 2024 – Science Incursion Room 5 and Room 8
29 November 2024 – Christmas Carols & Art Exhibition
2 December 2024 – Newsletter
6 December 2024 – Wildcats evening game
9 December 2024 – Book Awards
11 December 2024 – Graduation Dinner
12 December 2024 – Term 4 ends for students
13 December 2024 – Staff Development Day – Students do not attend
Family Afternoon Tea
Please see the flyer below for our last Family Afternoon Tea for the year.
Important Reminder – School Carpark Area
We ask families to please refrain from using the disabled parking bay when dropping off or collecting children. This is not a general parking area and must only be used by those who are eligible to use it. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Free internet for unconnected families with school-aged students
School Student Broadband Initiative provides free home internet for unconnected families with school-aged students until 31 December 2025.
The Australian Government School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) is offering free home internet for eligible families with school-aged students until 31 December 2025.
To be eligible, families must:
- have no active broadband service
- have a device capable of accessing the internet
- live in premises where they can access a standard NBN service
- have a child living at home who is enrolled in an Australian school.
The free broadband starts from the day the service is activated with a participating internet provider. Families will not be placed on a paid service by the internet provider at the end of the free service without consent.
For more information and a list of participating internet providers, visit NBN Co School Student Broadband Initiative or call 1800 626 269.
If you think you are eligible and want to self-nominate for the free broadband offer:
- call the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm Australian Eastern Daylight-saving Time)
- visit the School Student Broadband Initiative website.
For technical support in more than 100 regional and remote communities throughout Western Australia, contact your local Community Resource Centre.
Everyday counts!
From the P&C
Just a reminder of the up coming P&C events this term. Please have a read and mark these dates in your calendar!
TERM 4 2024 P&C ACTIVITIES
P&C Colour Run – Term 4 Week 7
P&C will be running A Colour Run on Friday 22 November. Please see the letter below outlining how to create an online fundraising profile and the amazing prizes students can redeem for their fundraising efforts!
From TheirCare – Before and After School Care
Look what our students have been up to with TheirCare this term.
Breakfast Club – Thank you Woolworths Mirrabooka!
We would like to acknowledge with thanks Woolworths Mirrabooka for supporting our schools breakfast club, our students appreciate you!
From the School Nurse
Building Resilience
Resilience is the ability to cope with difficult situations and ‘bounce back’ when things go wrong. Young people need to develop resilience in order to navigate life’s ups and down. As a parent, you can help your child to become resilient by giving him or her opportunities to learn and practice new skills, for example:
- Allow your child to solve some of their own problems. Learning to deal with issues builds skill and confidence. Don’t jump in to fix things, unless the situation has got out of hand.
- Arrange a fun, child-friendly activity each week like a trip to the park, play date with a friend or watching a favourite movie. Regular ‘ups’ provide a bank of positive emotions to buffer against life’s ‘downs’ that may involve disappointment or conflict.
- Help your kids to think positively. If your child is frustrated by a difficult maths problem, say, “I know that question was hard today, but yesterday I saw you solve a hard problem. You kept trying until you worked it out.”
- If you have a disagreement with your child, the most important thing to do is to reconnect and repair the relationship. Let your child cool down then offer a hug or words of support. This has benefits for your child’s mental health as well as their ability to deal with relationship problems throughout their life.
For more information about raising a resilient child, go to www.kidsmatter.edu.au or http://raisingchildren.net.au or contact your local Community Health Nurse.
Ms Mel Arnson
School Nurse
Room 5 – Our School Leaders
As we approach the end of Term 4, it’s amazing to look back on all we’ve achieved! This term has been filled with engaging activities and meaningful learning experiences for our Year 5 and 6 students.
In the classroom, our students have been sharpening their persuasive writing and debating skills. They’ve been learning to craft compelling arguments, support their viewpoints with evidence, and express their ideas with confidence. This has led to some thoughtful discussions and impressive writing pieces on topics they feel passionate about, helping them develop strong language and persuasion techniques. In Maths, they have been applying their equation-solving skills to tackle more complex word problems, enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Meanwhile, our class is in full swing preparing for a special Harry Potter-inspired performance at the Christmas Carols event. From crafting the storyline and script to making props and sound effects, students are taking charge of every aspect of production, and rehearsals are well underway. We can’t wait to see many families there to support these budding stars of the stage!
This term’s Interschool Athletics Carnival at Warriapendi PS was a highlight, with our students showing fantastic sportsmanship across a variety of events. Their dedication to training and teamwork shone through, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts. During swimming lessons, Room 5 students handled the longer sessions admirably, showing respect, having fun, and building confidence and safety in the water.
Our leadership program is thriving as well, with our student leaders stepping up to lead workshops for younger students. In an exciting collaboration, they will join student leaders from East Kalgoorlie Primary for a leadership incursion hosted by yLead on Tuesday, 19th November.
Looking ahead, there are still plenty of memorable events on the horizon! Our Year 6 students are eagerly anticipating their graduation activities, which include the Outback Splash Excursion, Graduation Ceremony, and Graduation Dinner. They’ll also get a taste of high school during upcoming orientation days. We’re thrilled to celebrate all they’ve achieved this year!
Community Notices
WA Rent Relief Program
Please see below a new program created by the WA Government, Anglicare WA and Vinnies. Call 1800 979 777 for further information.
City of Wanneroo: Keep Our Kids Safe on the Road – School Crossing Survey
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The City of Wanneroo is reaching out to ask for your help in making our roads safer for students in the City of Wanneroo. Your valuable feedback is crucial to our efforts to improve road safety and promote walking and cycling to school in your local area.
We’re conducting a survey to better understand the challenges and find solutions to create safer environments for our children to get to school.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at: https://yoursay.wanneroo.wa.gov.au/projects/your-move-school-crossings-research
The survey asks the name of the student, but if you prefer not to share this information, simply enter “N/A” in that field.
Your input will help us create safer routes for our students. The survey will be open from the 4 November to the 1 December.
Thank you for your time and support.
City of Wanneroo
Roseworth CPC – 10 year Anniversary
Please see below a flyer for a free event happening Thursday 14th November 2024.
Tuning into Kids 6-week program
Please see the flyer below for the above free program.
Free parent workshops (online) Term 4 2024
Please see the link to some online parent workshops for this term.
Online parent workshops Triple P and Child and Parent Centres Term 4 2024Download
Wanslea – Bringing up Great Kids (Term 4)
Please see the flyer below for term 4 free parenting workshops being held at the City of Stirling (Mirrabooka).
Please click on the link below to register if you are interested in attending.
https://events.humanitix.com/bringing-up-great-kids-workshops-term-4-2024
Better Health Program – FREE Government Funded
Please see below details of a free 10 week program for families, just register via the details in the flyer.
Saver Plus Program
What is Saver Plus?
Saver Plus is a program for people on lower incomes. It’s about enhancing financial skills, to develop (and keep) good savings habits. Since 2003, Saver Plus has supported more than 60,000 people to start saving. This program can assist in saving for educational expenses such as books/supplies, uniforms/shoes, sports fees/gear, lessons/activities and camps/excursions.
Families can check their eligibility and receive a call back please include our enquiry link – Saver Plus – Enquire Now or they’re welcome to call our national number 1300 610 355 and a local coordinator will contact them directlly.
Saver Plus has helped overcome the barriers around education expenses. And sets families up for a brighter future.
To be eligible You must have all of the following:
- A Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
- an eligible Centrelink payment*
- Be studying yourself OR have a child in school (can be starting school next year)
- Have regular income from work (either yourself or your partner)* including Carers Payment / Child Support / Cash in hand
- Be 18+ years old
- Agree to join in free online financial education workshops called MoneyMinded
- Not completed Saver Plus previously
* Many types of income and Centrelink payments are eligible, see the Saver Plus terms and conditions for more information.
