Latest News

From the Principal

Dear Waddington Families,

It is difficult to believe that we are already at the halfway point in Term 1, 2025. The start of the year has been positive – thank you so much to the parents who came along to watch the Chung Wah Associations fabulous Lion Dance. The students still talk about it. I was told that the more lettuce thrown by the Lion that I can catch, the more luck we have. I managed to grab a fair bundle, so fingers crossed we have the best year yet! 

The goal that drives all educators is of course, student outcomes. Although the Department measures student outcomes by their curriculum attainment, we understand that there is a whole child. We work hard in a holistic way to understand that children need to feel ready to learn, feel safe emotionally and physically, have realistic targets and challenge themselves at the right time. Getting uncomfortable is part of building resilience which we all need to face the inevitable difficulties that come along. Waddington Staff are soon to embark on the second module of our Berry Street Education Model training at Balga PS on Friday 28^th March. This is noted in your calendar as a Staff Development Day. This will upskill staff on positive relational classroom management strategies that promote students to stay on task and learn effectively. 

In the coming weeks, I will be looking at our student attendance and punctuality. Students in classrooms is a priority for me. I understand that sickness happens, and of course, time at home is needed to recuperate. However, absences build which accumulates into hours of education that a child has not had access to. This puts them at a disadvantage to their peers, creating a gap in learning, which as they move up through school life becomes harder and harder to close. Please come and chat with me or Mrs Fairhead if you have any concerns or need support with your morning routine. 

Congratulations to our student leaders who received their badges on Friday. This is an exciting opportunity for them. I would also like to say a big well done to all of the Year 5 and Year 6 students who prepared and delivered their speeches to a large audience of staff and students. This is no small feat. Everyone who participates is to be commended. This is absolutely one of those times when a measure of success is not measured by the outcome, but by having the courage to take part.

A quick reminder for anyone who has not completed the Be You survey that was sent out a few weeks ago. A link will be attached to this letter. This is anonymous. The purpose is to find out how we can support you more effectively, what is working/not working. As your community school, your voice influences how we operate and is important.

A few changes in dates for you to note: Harmony Day was going to be held on the 21st March, however this still falls inside Ramadan which will mean that some of our families and students will not be able to take part in our annual whole school picnic. The new date will be sent out as soon as possible so that you can plan ahead. Also, the ANZAC assembly will be held on Wednesday 9^th April at 1.45pm. You are all invited to attend this special event. 

Please follow us on Facebook and check out our website for the latest news and upcoming events.

With warm wishes to you all,

Ms Katherine Chivers 

Principal

From the Administration Team

Term Planner

Please see below important dates for Term 1 2025. They are subject to change so please keep up-to-date by checking the school website calendar regularly.

Important Dates

10 March 2025 – Newsletter 2 published

12 March 2025 – NAPLAN testing commences

24 March 2025 – NAPLAN testing ends

25 March 2025 – Family Afternoon Tea 1.45pm – 2.30pm

28 March 2025 – Staff Development Day – Students do not attend

9 April 2025 – ANZAC Day assembly 1.45pm

11 April 2025 – Term 1 2025 ends

28 April 2025 – Term 2 2025 commences – Staff and Students return

Clean up Australia Day – Thank you!

A big thank you to all the students who participated in Clean up Australia day on 28 February 2025. Your efforts are appreciated!

IMPORTANT – Student Update Forms and Reminder of Unpaid Billing items

Today students will be bringing home a printed copy of their student details and a reminder of unpaid billing items.

Please check your child’s bag, review all the information, make any corrections, sign/date and return to the front office by Monday 24/03/25. Even if there are no changes to your details, please sign/date and return to the front office by the same date.
 
We need to ensure we have correct residential addresses and contact details for all families in the event of an emergency.

For any unpaid billing items, payments can be made via direct transfer to the bank details below or cash at the front office (correct money preferred as the office is unable to give change in most instances).

Student Health Care at school

Please see below important information regarding how the school can care for your child where they have medical / health conditions.

Grab a Bag – Gold Coin Donation – 19 March 2025

Mark this in your calendars! Come along and pick up a bargain, whilst helping the school at the same time.

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.

Attendance – Everyday counts!

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!

Room 9 – Learning about Colours, Spiders and How Things Move!

Term One is a busy time in Room 9, as we start school back (some of us for the first time) There is so much to remember but we have grown in our confidence and capabilities already.  We have gone from needing reminders to now completing the morning routines and tasks, like writing our names and practising our fine motor skills all by ourselves. During our morning circle we enjoy singing the Wanjoo song, our singing voices are really starting to shine.

As part of our Literacy program we are learning about the structure of a Nursery Rhyme. We walked into class after one weekend and Incy Wincy had made his home on one of our pin up boards! We have learnt the rhyme with actions, and in the following weeks we try to create our own rhyme by changing a part of Incy Wincy. We have created spiders out of hand prints and webs out of wool. At the playdough table we have enjoyed making 8 legged spiders with pipe cleaners and googly eyes.

In Visual Art we have been focusing on naming colours as well as labelling them as primary and secondary. We have investigated the process of colour mixing with various mediums – coloured water, paint on paper towel and textas on coffee filters.  We went on a colour hunt around the school, matching colour cards to objects or structures.

During Science we have been focusing on how things move. We have investigated how objects can be pushed and pulled. We took some pictures in the playground of us pushing our friends on the swings or pulling them on our trikes. We then moved onto being able to describe how a push and pull change an objects direction. As a class we made a human pinball machine, as we stood in a circle and moved a ball around. In small groups we then made a pinball game on a tray with blocks to investigate how a marble would change directions if it hit a block.

We really enjoy building and playing in the dramatic play corner with our friends. There have been many delicious meals created and shared in our kitchen. We can now describe the food we are making to our friends, and include the ingredients we used to make it. Our block towers are growing taller alongside us as we are learning to place the last few blocks really carefully, otherwise our tower seems to topple!

In Room 9 we love to care for living things. This is a big part of respecting our classroom and community. We took part of schools clean up day, picking up rubbish, pulling some weeds from our garden and watering. There are so many ways we get to practise our cutting skills when trimming the dead leaves, maths skills when counting the birds on the fence and literacy skills when describing the spider we are looking at under a magnifying glass.

Learning really is everywhere and we are so eager to learn everything there is to know!

Community Notices

KidSport

KidSport enables eligible Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 years to participate in community sport by offering them financial assistance of up to $500 per financial year towards club fees.

Eligibility

All Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 with a valid Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.

Amount available

• KidSport application: $500

How Kid Sport works

Parents and guardians can apply for KidSport online.

KidSport applications are assessed by the local government in which the child resides or by the KidSport team at DLGSC. If an application is approved, the KidSport team will email you a voucher (unique to the child). The voucher code needs to be provided to  your KidSport Club when registering. Vouchers can be used as payment for registration, membership or participation fees. Where the KidSport Club has opted in, vouchers can also be used for essential uniform and equipment costs. All vouchers are valid for 90 days.

KidSport can be applied for online and applications are assessed within 10 business days.

If an application is approved, the parents will receive a code (unique to the application) via email.

The code needs to be provided to the club so that the approved amount can be deducted from the registration fees.

Contact the KidSport team on 61 8 9492 9911 or emailing kidsport@dlgsc.wa.gov.au.

For more information about the program and to apply go to the KidSport website – http://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/kidsport.

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 Programs

Please see below flyers for various programs and activities around the City of Wanneroo that may be of interest to families.

Roseworth Child and Parent Centre – Term 1 2025 Timetable

Please see below flyers for the Roseworth Child and Parent Centre Term 1 2025 activities.

From the Principal

Dear Waddington Families,

Welcome to Term 1, 2025!

The year has started with settled classes and learning happening from Day One. Waddington Staff spent time at the beginning of the year reviewing our data from 2024, and setting targets for students accordingly. It is important as a school that we have clear direction and, in alignment with our vision, provide the quality learning opportunities that all of our students need in order to reach their highest potential. The Western Australian National Curriculum (WANC)  is going through a period of change, with some updates to learning areas and some of the language used in describing these strands of learning. We have met as a whole staff to review these changes and will be implementing the updated English and PE WANC from this year. 

The Waddington P&C will be holding their AGM in the coming weeks. I will advise you of the date and time when it has been confirmed. If anyone is interested in joining this, please could you let me know. We are needing more parents to help run this, otherwise we may need to cease operating. The P&C has played an important role in facilitating events at Waddington, and provides much needed funds to purchase resources for our school. They meet once a term for an hour to discuss general business, and then more frequently when an event such as the Mothers or Fathers Day Stalls, or a Sausage Sizzle are being planned. 

Waddington Staff will be continuing their own learning journey through the Berry Street Education Model work. This is whole school community trauma-informed practice to create a culture where all of us are, and feel safe and ready to learn. The current focus is on consistent and predictable routines, students and their classroom creating a Ready to Learn chart, and a daily Yarning Circle. This provides structure and tools for students to reflect on their own feelings, work out how to settle themselves if they are not feeling to great, share feelings and exchange ideas in a safe space. 

Thank you for your understanding around our change in the car park use. It has been a much safer place for our students, particularly at the end of the day. If you need to access the school during the day, the pedestrian gate will not be padlocked; just unlock the bolt, but please remember to close it behind you. 

Thank you also, to those who have purchased a Faction colour T shirt. If you have not already bought one, you can see an example in the front office. Our new Factions are Marloo (blue, was Meeka) and Kawlool (green, was Kala). These examples will also be shown during the parent information sessions being held after school this week. Messages of the schedule have been sent out on Class Dojo and via School Messaging Service. Faction t-shirts can be worn on Mondays only. Only plain t-shirts, please with no patterns, badges or hoodies.

Unfortunately our school uniform shop has run out of stock in some sizes, hence the delay in filling the orders that families have placed. We apologise for this, and hope the uniform delivery from the supplier will be arriving this week. We will keep you posted regarding any updates regarding when the order arrives.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Parent Information Sessions this week. As always, if you have any questions, please telephone or come in and have a chat. 

With warm wishes to you all,

Ms Katherine Chivers 

Principal

From the Administration Team

Term Planner

Please see below important dates for Term 1 2025. They are subject to change so please keep up-to-date by checking the school website calendar regularly.

Important Dates

17 February 2025 – Newsletter 1 published

17 February – 21 February 2025 – Parent Information Sessions (as per Class Dojo and MGM Outreach text messages)

21 February 2025 – GRIP Student Leadership Conference (Student Leaders)

24 February 2025 – Ear Health Screenings (Library)

28 February 2025 – Schools Clean Up Day

3 March 2025 – Public Holiday – Labour Day – Staff and Students do not attend

10 March 2025 – Newsletter 2 published

12 March 2025 – NAPLAN testing commences

21 March 2025 – Harmony Day

24 March 2025 – NAPLAN testing ends

28 March 2025 – Staff Development Day – Students do not attend

9 April 2025 – ANZAC Day assembly

11 April 2025 – Term 1 2025 ends

28 April 2025 – Term 2 2025 commences – Staff and Students return

Uniform Stock Update and New Sports T-Shirts

Unfortunately our school uniform shop is still waiting for stock to arrive from our supplier, hence there has been delay in filling orders that families have placed in the past few weeks, particularly for polo shirts. We apologise for this and will let families know as soon as the new stock arrives. We will distribute those orders with items on back order as a matter of priority.

As another reminder, Waddington have changed their faction names and colours this year. Our new Factions are Marloo (blue, was Meeka) and Kawlool (green, was Kala). Faction t-shirts can be worn on Mondays only. The t-shirts must be plain with no patterns, badges or hoodies. For families who have not already bought one, you can see an example of both faction t-shirts in the front office. These examples will also be shown during the parent information sessions being held after school this week.

Schools Clean up Day – 28 February 2025

Clean Up Australia inspires and mobilises communities to improve and conserve our environment, eliminate litter and end waste. More than 22 million Aussies have participated in Clean Up Australia activities and events over the past three decades. Today our focus is as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as it is removing what has already accumulated. 

A School Clean Up is a great way for our students to learn about the impact of rubbish on their local environment while playing an active role in their school.

Waddington PS will work together to Clean Up our school grounds on Friday, February 28th.

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.

Attendance – Everyday counts!

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

Welcome to the new school year. My name is Melanie Arnison and I am the School Health Nurse who visits your school.

School Health Nurses work in schools to promote healthy development and wellbeing so students may reach their full potential. A major part of my work is focused on early intervention and the School Entry Health Assessment program.  Additionally, the nurse can be contacted at any time throughout primary school if you have concerns about your child’s health, development or wellbeing.

School Health Nurses serve as a health contact point for children and their families, providing information, assessment, health counselling and referral. They also work in partnership with schools to support teachers in health related curriculum and can assist in the development of health care plans for students with complex and chronic health needs. The services provided are free and confidential.

My work days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8.30am – 4.30pm (except Mondays when I finish 2.30pm). Please contact me on 0439 061 628 or my email is Melanie.Arnison@health.wa.gov.au if you would like to discuss any concerns/issues regarding your child(ren).

Ms Mel Arnson

School Nurse

Room 5 – Learning and Growing as School Leaders

Welcome back to a brand-new school year in Room 5!

We have had a wonderfully calm and settled start, getting back into routines, organizing our belongings, and reconnecting with friends after the holidays. It has also been great to welcome new classmates and begin building strong friendships. Our classroom is already coming to life as we decorate different areas to make it a space that reflects our learning and creativity.

One of the highlights of the term so far was the Chinese New Year Lion Dance performance. The energy, colours, and rhythm of the performance captivated our class, and it was a fantastic way to celebrate cultural traditions and start the year with excitement.

A big part of our mornings in Room 5 has been our Yarning Circle. Each morning, we greet each other with eye contact and take part in activities like sharing our strengths or talking about special celebrations. This has been a wonderful way to build stronger connections and start our day with a sense of community and respect.

We’ve also kicked off Morning Fitness with some exciting new activities, including balloon volleyball! These sessions have been a great way to wake up our minds and bodies, while also having fun and working as a team.

A key focus for our class early in the term has been preparing for Student Leader speeches. We have been working on building confidence in public speaking, learning how to present our ideas clearly, and practicing in front of our peers. This week, students will be delivering their speeches, and we are looking forward to seeing their leadership skills shine.

To top it off, our newly elected Student Leaders will have an exciting excursion at the end of the week, attending the GRIP Leadership Conference. This will be a fantastic opportunity for them to develop their leadership skills, collaborate with students from other schools, and bring back valuable ideas to our school community.

We are off to a fantastic start and cannot wait for the exciting year ahead, especially with Camp later this year! It’s going to be a year full of learning, growth, and memorable experiences.

Here’s to a great 2025 in Room 5!

Community Notices

KidsSport

KidSport enables eligible Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 years to participate in community sport by offering them financial assistance of up to $500 per financial year towards club fees.

Eligibility

All Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 with a valid Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.

Amount available

• KidSport application: $500

How Kid Sport works

Parents and guardians can apply for KidSport online.

KidSport applications are assessed by the local government in which the child resides or by the KidSport team at DLGSC. If an application is approved, the KidSport team will email you a voucher (unique to the child). The voucher code needs to be provided to  your KidSport Club when registering. Vouchers can be used as payment for registration, membership or participation fees. Where the KidSport Club has opted in, vouchers can also be used for essential uniform and equipment costs. All vouchers are valid for 90 days.

KidSport can be applied for online and applications are assessed within 10 business days.

If an application is approved, the parents will receive a code (unique to the application) via email.

The code needs to be provided to the club so that the approved amount can be deducted from the registration fees.

Contact the KidSport team on 61 8 9492 9911 or emailing kidsport@dlgsc.wa.gov.au.

For more information about the program and to apply go to the KidSport website – http://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/kidsport.

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 Programs

Please see below flyers for various programs and activities around the City of Wanneroo that may be of interest to families.

Roseworth Child and Parent Centre – Term 1 2025 Timetable

Please see below flyers for the Roseworth Child and Parent Centre Term 1 2025 activities.