Newsletter 1 – Week 1, Term 3, 2021 – Correction of dates for: Parent Reading Workshop, Tuning into Kids Parent Workshop Emotion Coaching

Message from the Executive Administration Team

Dear parents and caregivers

Welcome back to Term 3, thankfully returning to Phase 5 conditions with relatively few restrictions in place – except the rain of course! It has been very wet and the grounds have taken a bit of a battering but we have escaped any serious damage.

Long Jump Pits: You may have noticed, the new (large) long jump pit has been installed over the holidays. As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the costs were quite considerable but with community help from parent Don Frost to manage the project, we have managed to save funds that can redirected to other school priorities. I can’t thank Don enough for the hours he put in over the past few weeks, attending site, digging and testing in the rain and managing contractors. It was above and beyond and it is so appreciated. Thanks also must go to Mr Jon Bowman and Don’s band of Year 4 parent helpers who shovelled in the remaining sand this past weekend – Andrew Ross, Matt Santich, Dale Keighley and Ben Staples. Due to the weather making the turf particularly soft, there has been some damage to the turf which will be repaired in the coming days. Thankfully the double sized pit is now in place and will be ready to use next week for long jump practice for the upcoming athletics carnivals.

School Leadership: As confirmed last term, I will continue in the principal role for Term 3. I am also pleased to confirm that Dr Melinda Harris will continue in the deputy principal role this term, working Tuesday – Friday. We are very thankful to have Dr Harris on the team, who has extensive experience in school leadership.

The principal role for Wembley PS has now been advertised and the process will be finalised this term with a commencement date at the start of Term 4.

Save the Date: Book Week Parade – Wednesday 25 August 9am on the school oval. Look out for the upcoming P&C fundraiser to take the stress out of organising your Book Week costumes and be sustainable at the same time!

 

Teaching and Learning

Inquiry: This term’s inquiry focus is on Sustainability which inevitably leads to solutions through a STEAM approach (with and without technology). At the end of last term, the Year 1s in Room 8 got started and conducted a mini-inquiry into bees, learning all about their features, habitats and why bees are so important to our environment. This mini-inquiry then led to a well-thought out proposal from the students to install bee hotels on the school grounds – fabulous! A proposal I will certainly take into consideration – thank you Year 1s!

Save the date: Inquiry and STEAM Showcase Afternoon – Friday, 17 September 3:30pm.

 

Leadership

Student Representative Council: As mentioned last term in the newsletter, Senior Teacher, Hannah Cox, our Year 6 prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl have been working hard in the background to set up our very first Student Representative Council (SRC). The SRC will represent the student body and give a voice to all students, with a representative from every classroom in Years 3-6.

 

In the last week of term, despite lockdown and lower student numbers, the Year 6 leadership group continued on to lock in as many student representatives as possible. In Year 3, a few candidates were away so we are finalising those candidates this week. Year 3s will be announced in next week’s newsletter. I commend all students who put their hand up to be considered. It takes courage and personal motivation to put yourself forward. Even if those students didn’t succeed this time, I hope they won’t be discouraged and will attempt again next year. I am pleased to congratulate the following students for their commitment to active citizenship by being elected to the first SRC!

Student Representative Council (Year 4-6)
Room 20	Room 21	Room 22
Ayanna	Claire	Ella
Room 16	Room 23	Room 25	Room 24
Charis	Zephyr	Harper	Ben
Room 14	Room 15	Room 17	Room 18
Adlyne	Sasha	Angus	Isla

 

Community Engagement

The Fathering Project: Next Tuesday 27 July at 7pm will be the launch event for this community initiative. We encourage all fathers and father figures to attend. Rory, State Manager for The Fathering Project will speak and there will be a social opportunity to connect with everyone who attends. Should there be sufficient interest for the launch we can then move forward with setting up the Wembley chapter. Please sign up to attend here.

Parent Reading Workshop: We are also looking forward to welcoming parents (PP and Year 1 only) on Thursday 22 July 2021 at 9.00am-10am for a workshop on how we teach reading and spelling based on evidence and current best practice. We are thankful we can begin to offer parent workshops again now that restrictions have lifted.

Tuning into Kids Parent Workshop: A further workshop is also currently taking registrations focused on supporting parents with social and emotional challenges. Facilitated by psychologist Tracy Hart, the workshop will explore strategies to help you to:

– build a foundation for emotional wellbeing in your children
– understand and regulate children’s emotions
– ‘tune in’ and respond to common upsets
– respond to common fears and worries
– ‘coach’ friendship ups and downs
– respond in helpful ways to anger and fighting

Following the seminar, there will be 12 spaces available for a small-group, five-week Emotion Coaching workshop series in August and September with Tracy Hart specifically for 5-8 year-olds. This workshop series will be held at Wembley PS (cost $150 for five weeks, paid direct to Tracy). One subsidised place will be available for a family experiencing financial hardship.

Should there be sufficient interest, there will be further Emotion Coaching workshop series’ for other age groups. Please RSVP to attend the free seminar being held on Thursday 29 July in the School Library at 6:30pm here.

We are looking forward to a great term ahead at Wembley PS – stay safe and dry!

Collaborate, Connect, Communicate.

Yours in learning

Executive Admin Team

Tamara, Alan, Rachel and Melinda