Newsletter 5

Dear Waddington Families,

As we move through Term 2, the learning is really ramping up at Waddington.

Our teaching staff are working with the data platform Elastik. This platform is widely used across schools in the Swan West Network. It enables us to collect data from On Entry, NAPLAN, and assessments from within the program, to provide detailed insights into your child’s learning gaps and support targeted teaching in Maths and English.

Waddington is also keeping up with other schools in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space, using AI to assess writing skills, maximising teaching time and not marking time.

Outside of the classroom, students are preparing for their first planting of native plants in our Waddington Bush Land. We are proud to be a part of this partnership with the City of Wanneroo, to care for and protect the Land that we share.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the music incursions organised by our music teacher, Mr Longman. We had the pleasure of listening to a String Quartet from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and an opera version of the story of Goldilocks. Our school offers a rich and diverse learning environment, which provides students with experiences to broaden their horizon and consider the many pathways they may follow.

I have always believed that education is like the Golden Ticket to life. Charlie, the character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, found his golden ticket for a visit to the Chocolate Factory. Engaging in education is like finding the ticket to life and all of the amazing opportunities that are out there for our students as future adults. Education is not just about academic results, it is about finding out about ourselves, learning how to be responsible, how to solve problems, how to make a mistake and turn it into a learning experience rather than let it hold us back, how to be a person with integrity.

Ask your child what the school values and our motto is? I believe that they will able to tell you; we say them together every lunchtime because they are important to us. These values guide us and our children, and I hope remain with them as they continue on their journey when they leave Waddington.

Wishing you all a safe and happy week,.

Ms Katherine Chivers 

Principal

From the Administration Team

Term Planner

Please see below important dates for Term 2 2025. They are subject to change so please keep up-to-date by checking the school website calendar regularly.

Important Dates

9 June 2025 – Newsletter 5 published

17 June 2025 – Planting Bushland (Rooms 1, 4, 5, and 8)

18 June 2025 – Assembly – Room 5

25 June 2025 – Semester 1 2025 Report sent home – Kindy students

27 June 2025 – Semester 1 2025 Report sent home – PP to Year 6 students

27 June 2025 – Lightning Carnival Balga PS – Year 3-6

30 June 2025 – Newsletter 6 published

2 July 2025 – Three Way Interviews 11.15am – 4pm

4 July 2025 – P&C PJ & Pizza Day

4 July 2025 – Term 2 2025 ends

21 July 2025 – Term 3 2025 commences – Staff and Students return

4 August 2025 – Staff Development Day – students do not attend

2026 Kindergarten Enrolments now open!

For Waddington families who have siblings turning 4 years of age on or before June 30 2026, we are accepting applications for Kindergarten next year now.

Applications (with all supporting documents) need to be submitted by Friday July 25 2025.

If you know any families in the local area with children also turning 4 years of age in this time period, please encourage them to contact the front office to obtain an Application for Enrolment form.

Please call on (08) 9462 9500, email waddington.ps@education.wa.edu.au or drop into the front office between 8.30am – 3.30pm for further information.

Sing and Grow at Waddington PS!

We are pleased to announce that Roseworth Child and Parent Centre are running ‘Sing and Grow’ at Waddington on Tuesdays afternoons this term. Please see the flyer below on how register for this fantastic progam.

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 8 – It’s all about persistence and growth!

The Room 8 students have had a great start to the year. We have had two ECU pre-service teachers joining us on Thursdays, and the students joined them in making three dimensional shapes and adding money. Miss Lowton and Miss Yates will be coming back in November for two weeks and the class is really looking forward to it.

In Literacy, the students have finished the book ‘Off We Go Around Australia’. This was a very unusual book, containing funny images in a ‘Where’s Wally’ style. The class enjoyed searching for interesting hidden jokes in the drawings, which showed how images and pictures can bring extra meaning to a story. We have now started our next book, ‘Yirra and her Deadly Dog Demon’ and are practicing making our sentences more interesting by adding adverbials, vocabulary, and joining sentences with because, but and so. We are hoping to write a class novel by the end of the year with illustrations.

The Room 8 students have also been working hard on their Mathematics. They have greatly improved with using mental strategies for adding and subtracting, and we will be focusing on multiplication and division in the coming weeks.

In Technology, students have been learning how to write code to make characters move using the block method. Some students have found this very challenging, however, their persistence has been amazing, and as a result, they are improving every week. They are also great at collaborating with each other to solve some of the problems that they encounter. It is incredible to see the class working together to help each other achieve their goals, while understanding that everyone learns at different rates and not to judge what others can or can’t do.

We are looking forward to a great rest of the year.

Mrs Cahill and Miss Porch

Community Notices

Saver Plus Program

Please see below for important information regarding the above program.

Roseworth Child and Parent Centre Programs

Please see below flyers for some programs available for families.

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.

Newsletter 4

From the Principal

Dear Waddington Families

The term is moving quickly, and we are all enjoying the warm, sunny weather. It is lovely to have Mrs Fairhead back with us this term, after a period of absence due to illness last term. Our students have all been working hard from the beginning of term. Hannah Birnie from the Australian Children’s Music Foundation is working with all classes on Wednedsays. They have been using percussion instruments, and learning a school song which will be sung by the Waddington Choir at our Community Christmas Carols at the end of Term 4. 

As the winter weather approaches, please be mindful of students wearing full school uniform. We have fleecy zip up jackets for sale from the uniform shop for $33. Please make your order at the office. Also, name any uniform items, especially the jumpers or jackets. There are a number of items in lost property that are not named, so come and check if you have lost any items of clothing. 

In order for our students to reach their highest potential in school, it is important that they are prepared for their day. Two preparation essentials are a good sleep and nutritious food. Research tells us that children between the ages of three and five years need 10-13 hours of sleep per night and children between the ages of six and twelve years need 9-12 hours of sleep. A bedtime routine, taking away screens, avoiding sugary foods/drinks, having quiet time, all help with falling asleep and staying asleep. I ask that you support us by considering the bedtime routines in your household, and help your child have a successful day. We will be sharing the fruit donated by Oz Harvest at recess times, and in the breakfast club to provide a healthy snack in addition to the food you provide. 

If any families are in need of pantry items, please speak to either Mrs Fairhead or myself. We have boxes of food to help out with mealtimes. 

Also, if anyone holds a concession card, they may be eligible for the School Scholarship Fund. A payment is received for each child in school from Pre-Primary until they reach Year 12, including while they are at TAFE. This is approximately $475 per primary aged child, increasing to approximately $700 per secondary aged child. 

If there is anything else that you need help or support with, please come and see Mrs Fairhead. At Waddington, we understand the importance of being there for our families and the positive impact that this can have on student wellbeing and academic outcomes.

With warm wishes to you all,

Ms Katherine Chivers 

Principal

From the Administration Team

Term Planner

Please see below important dates for Term 2 2025. They are subject to change so please keep up-to-date by checking the school website calendar regularly.

Important Dates

12 May 2025 – Newsletter 4 published

16 May 2025 – WASO Music Incursion (PP to Year 6)

21 May 2025 – National Simultaneous Storytime 10am-10.30am

23 May 2025 – P&C WA Day

23 May 2025 – P&C Crazy Hair & Pizza Day

30 May 2025 – Music Incursion

2 June 2025 – Public Holiday – WA Day

9 June 2025 – Newsletter 5 published

11 June 2025 – STEM Incursion Room 5 (8.45am-10.45am)

17 June 2025 – Planting Bushland (Rooms 1, 4, 5, and 8)

18 June 2025 – Assembly – Room 5

25 June 2025 – Family Afternoon Tea – 1.45pm-2.30pm

25 June 2025 – Semester 1 2025 Report sent home – Kindy students

27 June 2025 – Semester 1 2025 Report sent home – PP to Year 6 students

30 June 2025 – Newsletter 6 published

2 July 2025 – Three Way Interviews

4 July 2025 – P&C PJ & Pizza Day

4 July 2025 – Term 2 2025 ends

21 July 2025 – Term 3 2025 commences – Staff and Students return

Sing and Grow at Waddington PS!

We are pleased to announce that Roseworth Child and Parent Centre are running ‘Sing and Grow’ at Waddington on Tuesdays afternoons this term. Please see the flyer below on how register for this fantastic progam.

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 4 – Learning all about the Human Body and other things!

We have been busy learning and having fun in Room 4.

In writing, we have been working hard writing simple sentences and expanding simple sentences. We have also been learning about persuasive writing, looking at topics such as Dogs or Cats?, and Pizza or Burgers?

In reading we have been focusing on comprehension, while learning about the human body! So far, we have learnt all about skeletal, muscular and digestive systems. Did you know that skin is our biggest organ? Or that there are 206 bones in the human body? We have learnt so many interesting facts.

In maths we have been continuing to work on our simple addition and will be moving to include subtraction. We have also been focusing on partitioning 2, 3, and 4 digit numbers.

In HASS we are learning all about making decisions, why we have rules, and how important communities are.

In health we have focused on positive personal attributes, make sure that you check out our posters on the pin up board outside of our room!

In digital technologies we have been looking at input and output devices. We really enjoy music on Wednesdays with Miss Hannah, we have got to try so many different musical instruments, and we can’t wait to share with you what we have been working on.

We are also excited to be working with the Elders Workshop to create our new room name change, based on Noongar seasons. We are researching, creating a clay piece of art, and then painting the clay. These will then be used to create a poster showing the new name of our room.

Finally, we have been enjoying working on our puzzles. We are getting very good at 300 piece puzzles, so out next class puzzle is going to be 500 pieces!

Community Notices

Saver Plus Program

Please see below for important information regarding the above program.

Roseworth Child and Parent Centre Programs

Please see below flyers for some programs available for families.

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.

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