Message from the Executive Administration Team
Dear parents and caregivers
This morning, parents and caregivers will have received an email in relation to the implications of the recent announcement by the Premier on moving to Phase 5 of the WA Roadmap to Recovery. We look forward to welcoming parents and carers back into classrooms at drop off starting tomorrow. It has been a long road to get to this point and I am certainly grateful for the way our community has handled the raft of changes and restrictions that have been thrown our way by the pandemic over the past 14 months. We have worked together to keep our school safe and open for learning and for that we thank you.
Teaching and Learning
Outdoor Learning: We love seeing our students using the outdoors as their second learning environment. These Year 3 students were engaged in a fractions scavenger hunt during maths, moving around the playground to find carefully placed clues. Their challenge was to then record the fraction in its simplified form on their sheet. Great work, Year 3s!
Leadership
STEAM: Last Thursday, self-nominated STEAM student enthusiasts from Years 3-6 competed in the very first Keen2STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Churchlands Network Schools Challenge Day. Wembley teams were awarded champions in both the Year 3/4 and 5/6 category, followed by Champion School for 2021!
On the day, students competed in teams of 6, demonstrating exceptional collaboration and perseverance as they worked through the design, scientific data, and coding challenges. Dr Bruce Webber, who is an Ecologist and CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools also spoke to the students on the day, which was hosted by Churchlands Primary School. One of the challenges presented was to design a solution to address the threat of cane toads in the environment. One group of Wembley students used Micro:bits, solar panels and temperature sensors to design a trap and another used a design solution based on their knowledge of the cane toad’s behaviours and adaptations. In another challenge, students designed a vertical water garden and also tested the pH levels of soils to determine the best type for planting specific vegetation. We were very proud of the students’ ability to work together to achieve a shared goal and the creative thinking demonstrated in their designs and solutions.
A huge congratulations and thank you must go to teachers Leila Sugden, Sue Webber and Rochelle Stacey for their work leading up to event. Over several months, Leila, Sue and Rochelle have been collaborating with STEAM teacher-leaders from local schools in our network to get this event off the ground, planning their challenge for the day and working with students at lunchtimes to identify participants. It was a huge commitment!
After the STEAMing Ahead Challenge Day at St Mary’s Anglican Girls School ended, there has been a real void in our network for students to have the opportunity to extend themselves in an interschool STEAM competition. I managed to visit the event for a little while on the day and it was very exciting to see how well our Year 3-6 students were drawing on the creative habits of learning – they were being so collaborative, persistent, inquisitive, disciplined and imaginative. Well done to these students but also to all our teachers who have worked so hard over the past several years to embed a culture of STEAM learning in our school.
Learning Environment
Loose Parts Play: In 2019, we introduced Loose Parts Play for our Year 1-3 students in the junior playground. We have a dedicated storage area to house all the different items that encourage free-form, imaginative outdoor activity and enable students to be creative and engage in role play at break times.
What is Loose Parts Play, I hear you ask?
Loose Parts are materials that can be moved, carried, redesigned, lined up and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. They are materials with no specific set of instructions that can be used alone or combined with other materials. Students use pots and pans, kitchen utensils, material, tubing, crates, buckets, crates and timber to play shops, create cubbies and do digs in the sandpit.
We need your help as our stocks have become rather depleted! Over the holidays, if you are clearing out the kitchen cupboards or garage and have loose parts items and materials that you would like to donate, please save them for this play area.
The items can be dropped off before school to the loose-parts storage area opposite the junior playground and new climbing frame. Please make sure the items are safe to be used by children.
Community Engagement
World Environment Day:
On Saturday 5 June, it was World Environment Day and to mark this special day, our local Bunnings store contacted the school to donate a tree. We finally took possession of our new tree which was planted this morning by our Year 6 Eco Captains. Thank you to parent Natalie Landmann who assisted us with selecting the right tree for the location, which is now in the play area opposite the administration building. Thank you to Bunnings Subiaco for the donation. We look forward to seeing our Fuschia gum grow in its new home!
Collaborate, Connect, Communicate.
Yours in learning
Executive Admin Team
Tamara, Alan, Rachel and Melinda
Churchlands Schools Network Keen2STEAM Challenge Day – Champion School 2021!
Last Thursday, self-nominated STEAM enthusiasts from Years 3-6 competed in the Keen2STEAM Churchlands Network Schools Challenge.
Wembley PS teams were awarded champions in both the Year 3/4 and 5/6 category, followed by champion school for 2021!
We look forward to hosting the event in 2022!
Crazy Hair Day
A huge thank you to all the families who tizzed, teased, coloured and decorated their hair and donned wigs for Crazy Hair Day last week! The kids looked fantastic and reports are that they had a lot of fun. The day raised more than $1,600 for the Year 6 camp, which is a wonderful result.
Canteen
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers required for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday both this and next week. Please help us get through the Term.
Busy Bee – End of Term Clean Down
Our Busy Bee is on Tuesday 29 June for our end of term clean down. Tea, coffee and sweet treats to get us all through the defrosting, cleaning and fabulous jokes and chatter – plus lunch to reward our excellent cleaning skills and shiny fresh kitchen.
Trust us when we say cleaning has never been more fun than at our canteen clean up day!
Year 6 Interschool Lightening Carnival – Picnic Boxes $8.50
The Year 6 Interschool Lightening Carnival is this Friday 25 June. We have Lightening Carnival Picnic Boxes available for pre-order before 8.15am on Thursday 24 June. There will be no normal menu available. Students to collect from the canteen at 8.30am before departure.
- Ham and Cheese Roll, or
- Cheese and Tomato Roll
- Delicious Berry Muffin
- Juice Bomb
- A sneaky treat
Available on Quickcliq or cash sales at the canteen.
Geena
Canteen Manager
Library News
Borrowing over the holidays
Students are encouraged to borrow over the holidays – they can even borrow EXTRA books, as it’s a good opportunity to catch up on some reading especially on these cold days. Parents are also welcome to come into the Library and choose extra books for their kids.
The State Library is hosting a free event with Australian Author/Illustrator – Leigh Hobbs on Saturday 31 July.
Leigh Hobbs was the Australian Children’s Laureate, 2016-17. He is best known for his children’s books featuring his characters Old Tom, Horrible Harriet and Mr Chicken. Old Tom has been adapted into an extremely popular TV series and Mr Chicken goes to Paris was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Leigh has won every major children’s choice award in Australia.
Check out the details in the link below:
https://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats-on/families-children/mr-chicken-goes-state-library-hour-leigh-hobbs
Jill Jordan / Library
Mark Lee Football Coaching (Soccer) – Term 3 Program
We are delighted to be back in Term 3!
- Thursday 5 August to Thursday 9 September (6 weeks)
- 7.30am – 8.30am
- $119 per child
For further information kindly email or phone.
Best Wishes
Mark & The MLFC Team
Mark Lee Football Coaching
0430 788 703
Twitter – @MarkLeeFC
Chess for Life – Master Chess Class Term 3
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – PLEASE NOTE – NO NEW MEMBERS WILL BE TAKEN THIS TERM.
Only members from Term 2 and any past members wishing to re-join may attend due to our club championship starting next term and carrying into Term 4. This makes it not possible to teach new students during Term 3 and 4.
Welcome back, to all current members and past members of the club wishing to re-join in Term 3. Sorry no new members taken this term
Chess For Life Master Chess Club will commence in Term 3 for current members only on Friday 23 July, first Friday back in Term 3 in the library.
TIME – During the lunch break.
If your child orders from the canteen on Friday, please clearly write CHESS across the bag.
Parents of current members and past members only – please book your child in for Term 3 ASAP so I am able to gauge numbers.
Current members only Link:
TRYBOOKING LINK https://www.trybooking.com/BSLDS
(Please click on or copy link into your browser)
Bookings close 30 July. No Bookings will be taken after this date.
(The chess fee is a Term fee. The cost is based on a seven week term, with Weeks 9/10 free of charge, but those two weeks will also cover any school closures sick/excursion days etc that I, the school or a student need to take and carry over to the next Term.)
Thank you for all your support.
Jack South
Chess for Life
Ph: 9271 1006, Email: jacksouth@iinet.net.au