Message from the Executive Administration Team

Dear parents and caregivers

We are continuing to experience increasing numbers of COVID in the school environment. I thank parents and caregivers for continuing to monitor for symptoms closely and keep children home and test should any develop. I empathise with our families isolating at home and send best wishes from the whole community for a smooth recovery.

As we come into cooler weather, it is also expected that cases of the flu and colds will also rise. Prior to the pandemic, it has always been the case that students should stay home when unwell to prevent sickness spreading. I realise that it isn’t always convenient for families and we all have work and family commitments. Now, more than ever, we do need students to attend school only when symptoms have resolved. We are doing our best to prevent the spread of illness and keep as many children at school as possible. As a school, we will exercise common sense in all situations and will consult with families as required on a case by case basis should your child be experiencing symptoms that are recurring and not deemed to be contagious by a health professional. There are no easy decisions in a pandemic, but every single one is made with the intention to keep school open for learning while also protecting the health of staff and students.

Free Rapid Antigen Tests: Over the past few days, a team of parent volunteers have been assisting the school to distribute the 20 free RATs for each student that have been provided by the WA Government. I can’t thank Ashe Seaton, Susan Havlin, Lauren Barendrecht and Natalie Ramsey from the P&C enough for springing into action at short notice to assist. I also thank every single parent who signed up for a shift to assist. In National Volunteer Week and with P&C Day on Friday, it is so timely to be able to share my gratitude for all that the P&C do. The final collection time run by the volunteers was today. Any RATs not collected by Kindy families will be sent to the classrooms to hand over at pick up or drop off time. Please contact the front office if you have not received your free RATs by the end of this week.

Learning Environment

UV Meter and Sun Smart Policy: I am thrilled to announce that after years in the making, we finally have our long awaited solar powered UV meter on site. We are awaiting its connection to the network but it is very exciting to be one of just 10 schools in WA who have a UV meter on school grounds. Just in time, the School Board has also endorsed our brand new Sun Smart Policy after almost a year of consultation. Initiated by a passionate presentation to the School Board by parents Suzie Turner and Lisa Oliver, the policy ensures that as a school and community we are using UV readings to guide decision making and we make sure everyone understand the risks of sun damage and how to protect themselves. Suzie, Lisa and physical education teacher, Kathy Watson, then worked together to develop the policy with input and feedback from staff, students and the School Board.

With one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, research shows that sun exposure in childhood is a key contributor to its development. Please take the time to view the new policy on the school website here. A key change that is included in the policy, is that wide brimmed hats are required to be worn by students with the only optional months being June and July when the UV index is at its lowest. If students do not have a wide brimmed hat, they will be redirected to a shaded area to protect them from the sun. Staff will commence raising awareness with students around the new policy and will support its implementation.

 

Community Engagement

Kiss and Drive: With the rainy days increasing into winter and the Kiss and Drive being used more frequently, I encourage all families to keep student safety at the fore. We have had a few near misses recently. On the school website, we have a new page with some key information to guide the use of both Kiss and Drive areas to keep children safe. You can find the page here. One of the most helpful things parents can do is to pull in as far forward as possible to ensure that queues don’t form across driveways and Grantham St, and never park in the bays and leave your car. Thank you for assisting to keep the area flowing safely.

Good Standing Policy: One of the functions of the School Board is to help formulate and review school policies. A policy review cycle is in place to guide this process and each meeting, the Board considers whether further reviews or changes need to be made to existing policies. Every school is required to have a good standing policy that aligns with the school behaviour management policy. If you have ‘good standing’, a student is following school agreements, reflecting school values and engaging in school positively.

The Good Standing Policy is reviewed every two years. Over the past several months a fairly significant re-write was undertaken to provide more clarity and a transparent process for students, staff and parents/carers to follow and keep the school environment safe. We follow a restorative model, with the intention to always give students the opportunity to reflect on decisions that have disrupted the education of themselves or others, impacting on their physical and/or mental health. However, we also need to have clear consequences when these opportunities have resulted in subsequent poor decisions.

Student voice has driven this re-write with the 2021 Student Representative Council providing the new ‘Three Point System’, process for potential automatic loss of good standing and the conditions under which good standing can be reinstated. I thank former WPS teacher Hannah Cox for working with the SRC last year and the staff and School Board for their input.

I encourage you to read the new policy here. Teachers will be commencing awareness of the new policy in the coming weeks and teachers will continue to send home reflection sheets to ensure home-school communication when a student has been asked to reflect on their behaviour. A healthy school culture is our shared responsibility and I thank parents and caregivers for working with us to guide our young people towards positive choices and upholding our values.

‘Collaborate, Connect, Communicate and Care’.

Yours in learning

The Senior Leadership Team

Tamara, Milani, Rachel, Stacey and Natalie

Library – National Simultaneous Storytime 2022

We are all set and enthusiastic about the forthcoming National Simultaneous Storytime next week – Wednesday 25 May!  The picture book this year is ‘Family Tree’ written by Australian singer and songwriter Josh Pyke and illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh.

It will be read across the school by each class – some read by teachers, maybe a student or even a surprise reader! We LOVE this delightful book – easily adapted to appeal to Kindy students through to Year 6.

Family Tree  – “It started with a seed, and that seed was me.  And over time, laughter filled my garden…..”

A heartfelt celebration of family, community, and the seasons of life to cherish and to share.

Jill Jordan and Kym Devenish

Library

Library – 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge

We are excited to get involved in the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge.  It is open to all students from Kindy to Year 10.  The challenge is simple – just read 12 books by 9 September!  This is purely a ‘reading for pleasure’ challenge.   It could be a novel, a graphic novel, newspaper or poetry!  Whatever you enjoy reading.

Join the adventure!

You can help your children sign up via the website, choose their own avatar and log all the books they read over the course of the Challenge. Weekly prizes will be awarded to students who log a book that week, with major prizes drawn when the challenge ends.

Books don’t have to be in English – children are encouraged to read books in their first language.

We will also be giving away free books over the next few weeks to some lucky students to encourage the enjoyment of reading.

Sign up your children on the website to begin their magical journey. There is a downloadable reading record for students who cannot access an online account – just come and visit us in the Library and we will help you

Start TODAY!!

Jill Jordan / Kym Devenish

Library

P&C General Meeting – Tonight via Zoom

Please join us at tonight’s General Meeting to see what your P&C is planning for the rest of 2022. All are welcome. If you want to be able to vote on any motions, please join the P&C before the meeting by paying your $1 on Qkr.

Topic: P&C General Meeting

Date:  Tuesday 17 May 2022 (tonight)

Time: 07:30 PM Perth

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5988128307?pwd=Y3hEL3AzV1Y0YkUrRWtNWlRpZ3VUdz09

Meeting ID: 598 812 8307
Passcode: 741443

Lauren Barendrecht

Secretary

WPS P&C Association

Canteen – Covid impact on our Canteen

The inevitable has happened and we have a case of Covid within a staff member’s home.

This means we will be running on a restricted menu this week to ensure our canteen can remain open and manageable for those at the helm.

Rest assured, none of our staff working are close contacts and we take food handling and safety procedures seriously.

Recess remains the same throughout the week, though our lunch options are restricted to toasties and sandwiches with drinks and frozen treats still available.

Pies and sausage rolls will also be available on Fridays menu.

What is important and greatly appreciated is your support.

A full volunteer roster for this week will relieve a great deal of pressure.

Our casual employees are already rostered on to cover the absences, so please, if you can manage to free up a few hours this week, please sign up here  as soon as possible so we know our days are covered.

Thanks for understanding everyone!

Genna

Canteen Manager

Cross Country

Our Faction Cross Country Carnival will take place on the school oval in Week 6 on Wednesday 1 June.  Years 4, 5 and 6 students will be first, from approximately 9am to 10.30am.  Years 1, 2 and 3 students will take place after recess from approximately 11.15am until 12.30pm.

Parents and spectators are welcome.  Any parents that can help on the day, please contact Roula Felekis on drfelekis@hotmail.com

Interschool Cross Country will take place in Week 8 on Wednesday 15 June at City Beach Oval.

Starting at approximately 11.30am, bus will depart school at approximately 11am.

Parents and spectators are also welcome at this event.

Training will continue this week.  It runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings starting at 7.45am.

Please meet at the gate of the oval. Training is open to PP to Year 6 students and will run until Week 8.

Choir members are encouraged to attend choir on their respective morning and come to cross country training on the other mornings.

If it is raining, training will not take place.

Jonathon Bowman

Physical Education Specialist

School Student Photos – Week 8

Kapture Photography will be taking class, individual and family photos in Week 8 this term on Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 June.

This week all students will be given an individual order form from their classroom teacher with instructions on how to order your child/children’s photos.

More information will be given closer to date.

Ordering can be done online at www.kapture.com.au

Stacey Hunter

Deputy Principal

Sausage Sizzle and Cake Stall on Election Day 21st May

Wembley P&C Committee and Year 6 families  are holding a sausage sizzle and cake stall on the day of the Federal election, Saturday 21 May, 2022.

The funds raised from the stall will be used towards Year 6 Camp and other end of year activities.

Come along and get your Democracy Sausage!

Wembley P&C would like to thank Wembley SupaIGA and Bakers Delight Wembley for supporting this event

Children’s Crossing – Jersey Street

The traffic warden who has been temporarily covering the children’s crossing on Jersey Street near Ruislip Street most days has advised that they will be unavailable to work for the next 6-12 weeks.

Unfortunately there is no relief staff available to cover the position at present.

Please take care and be vigilant whilst crossing without a warden present.