Message from the Executive Administration Team
Dear parents and caregivers
You may have been left wondering why many staff were wearing tutus today when you dropped off or picked up your child. It’s a palindrome date, all about the twos; 22.2.22. So, what better way to celebrate than our staff wearing tutus for a special “Tutu Twosday’! We wanted to brighten up the week and bring a little smile to the faces of our students. It was certainly lots of fun greeting our students at the gate this morning, explaining why I was wearing a tutu over my normal clothes. School is a place for learning but also social connection and fun, we hope everyone enjoyed our tutu wearing today!
COVID-19: The community will be well aware that schools across the state are beginning to be impacted by positive cases of COVID-19 in the student, staff and/or parent populations. Our operational guidelines for this term, updated on 8 February and available on the school website, provide further detail about the risk mitigation strategies in place under the current high caseload settings.
However, as a leadership team we want to be sure the community understands the process, as it currently stands, for the following two scenarios.
What will happen in the event of my child fitting the close contact definition and being directed to isolate for 7 days?
What will happen if there is a positive COVID-19 case in the school?
Under the COVID-19 tab, you will also find the WA school-based information on testing and isolation so you know what steps to follow should a) your child have cold/flu symptoms b) be named as a close contact or c) identified as a confirmed positive case.
I understand that the current guidelines are restrictive in terms of students who present with cold/flu symptoms but are testing negative (PCR or RAT). The current testing protocols state that even when a negative test is received, it is still necessary to keep your child home until symptoms clear. If your child has a recurring or long standing medical condition which can present as cold/flu symptoms, please contact the school office for further advice.
Thankfully, children and most fully vaccinated adults will experience mild symptoms and recover quickly. This has been the experience of many who have already experienced COVID in the community and schools in WA this term.
As a community, we need to be mindful that a positive case has the potential to have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of students, staff and their extended families. There are many families in our community, including staff, who have immunocompromised family members or live with people who would be very vulnerable to being exposed to COVID. I thank you for supporting us to follow the guidelines, including mask wearing on site and keeping children home when unwell. These strategies are in place for all schools to help limit transmission and protect people’s health.
Teaching and Learning
In Year 1, students in Room 10 have been working on counting collections and skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s using counters and games. We love seeing our students working together to help develop their mathematical thinking!
Learning Environment
PP Playground Upgrade: We have encountered a few delays in the PP playground upgrade over the past week due to circumstances outside our control. The contractor has advised that the works should be completed by the end of the week. We hope that the jungle gym area will re-open by next Monday. Thanks to students, parents and staff for their patience.
Engagement and Relationships
P&C: I look forward to joining the P&C meeting by Zoom tonight. I encourage our community to band together and put their hand up to ensure the P&C remains active, strong and a positive organisation for the benefit of your children. We have been able to achieve many things together as a community through this partnership.
If you look around the school at our amazing learning environment, high quality canteen, online uniform shop/distribution and the access to technology without the need for a Bring Your Own Device program, these are all thanks to the work of the P&C.
The P&C also works hard to keep our school community as a welcoming and friendly place. We may have a large number of students but it doesn’t diminish the community feeling evident and without the P&C this would be very difficult. Don’t wait for someone else to put their hand up. If you have the time and feel passionate about the best possible opportunities for your child, get involved tonight and partner with the school leadership team and I to keep Wembley moving forward.
School Board Community Member Vacancy: At the last School Board meeting, held online, we discussed the recruitment of a new community member to join us on the School Board. The composition of school boards includes staff and parent representatives who are elected to their positions. These categories ensure representation of current students and staff at the school. Later this term, I will provide details on the expiring terms of current School Board members and advertise for parent representatives to re-nominate or provide new nominations.
The community member category is quite separate to these elected positions and ensures a diverse voice and skill set informs school directions.
We are seeking expressions of interest from ex-students/Wembley PS alumni who may be interested in joining the School Board. You may know of an ex-student who graduated from one our local high schools, who has, or is, pursuing a career in education or fields important to our school priorities (see Business Plan) and/or has a desire to stay connected to their local community and contribute to the school’s direction.
If you know of a community member (16 years plus) who may be interested in this opportunity, please ask them to complete this short form here to indicate interest in the position. The Principal will then make contact with each nominee to discuss next steps. It is important to note that an election is not required for community member vacancies, the School Board may appoint a suitably qualified person by vote in a meeting. Thank you for helping promote this opportunity with your networks.
Yours in learning
The Senior Leadership Team
Tamara, Milani, Alan, Rachel and Natalie
Non-School Provided Mobile Device Policy
Parents and carers are reminded that students are not permitted to communicate using smart watches, mobile phones and/or personal devices such as iPads during the school day. The school has a policy developed in partnership with the School Board to govern the use of these devices by students. You can find the policy here. It is important to note that smart phone/watch communication and notification alerts must be turned off (set to airplane mode or similar). If there is an urgent need for a student to contact their parents/carers during the school day, students need to let their teacher know and the office can contact you. If your student has recently been given a smart watch or mobile phone, a student agreement must be signed in order to have the device at school. The agreement ensures parents and students are aware of the rules which apply. Please send back the signed copy of the agreement (within policy link above) to school once signed. Thank you for your support.
Sport
YMCC is our local Junior Hockey club at Perry Lakes in Floreat. Wembley Primary has a long history of teams entered in the YMCC Saturday morning competitions.
Junior hockey at YMCC begins with Minkey for Kindy and PP kids then moves into school based team competitions for Year 1 and 2 on quarter fields. Year 3 and 4 juniors play on larger fields in the YMCC Sat morning competition against other schools and also local hockey clubs. We have been running this competition now for almost 20 years.
For Year 5 and up players, YMCC junior teams play in the Hockey WA competitions with home games at Perry Lakes or on our home turf at Shenton College.
For all information please visit our website : www.ymcchockey.com
OR Year 1-4 ages email Kath Shelley our Sub Junior Coordinator on : ymsubjuniorcoordinator@gmail.com
A free hockey clinic will be held on Tuesday March 1, from 7.45am to 8.30am on the school oval for Year 1 – 6 children. Equipment is not needed but if you do have a hockey stick, then bring it along.
Canteen
New Menu Items
It’s hot out there!
Salads are fresh and light for these hot days. We have everything from fresh peach, cucumber and feta, potato and smoked salmon, tomato and nut-free pesto and a superfood broccoli salad.
All passing our healthy eating policy with a green traffic light.
Chicken Bao Buns are now a permanent fixture for this term. We have grilled and marinated tofu buns for our vegetarians and Halal families can safely order knowing we use Steggles chicken.
Cutlery
Whilst it seems trivial, we have increased numbers of children asking for cutlery. We use compostable cutlery which has a higher cost than most disposable cutlery. We will always help out in emergency situations but we thought a friendly reminder to pack a spoon or fork with your child’s lunch would be helpful.
Can you help?
Our canteen is powered by WPS families and our jobs are always simple and enjoyable and what’s even better is that your children love having you serve them at recess and lunch time.
If you can spare an hour or two, please sign up Here
Thank you
Genna
P & C AGM Tonight
P&C AGM TONIGHT at 7.30pm via Zoom
All Wembley families are invited to take part in the P&C’s most important meeting of the year tonight at 7.30pm.
The annual general meeting is when the P&C elects new office bearers for the year, formalises the sub-committees and sets out our calendar of events. It is expected to take around 45 minutes and is open to all families – even if you have never attended a P&C meeting before!
If you want to be able to nominate for a position or vote on any motions, it is important you complete the membership form and pay the $1 membership fee via Qkr BEFORE the meeting.
A huge thank you to the parents who have already returned nomination forms for some of the committee positions. If you are still deciding on whether to nominate for a role or not, you can nominate during the meeting but you MUST be paid up member.
To join the meeting, click the link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85428739201?pwd=QzNEMExSbVJOem02VGRDaXU2MHBUQT09
It is recommended you join the meeting a few minutes early so we can troubleshoot any technical issues before the meeting starts.
For more information about the roles, joining the P&C or the meeting in general, please email pandcwembley@gmail.com
I look forward to see you all tonight.
Tiffany Fox
P&C President (retiring)
Community
If you have any queries regarding YMCC Junior Hockey, please contact
edwardhogg1@gmail.com