Newsletter – Week 9, Term 1, 2022 – Message from Admin Team, Message from the School Board, Non-School Provided Mobile Device Policy, Uniforms, Harmony Day Celebrations, Canteen News, Wembley JFC Auskick Program, YMCC Hockey Club, Mark Lee Football Coaching Term 2

Message from the Executive Administration Team

Dear parents and caregivers

We have had two wonderful school events in the past week; Harmony Day and the Year 4-6 swimming carnival at HBF Stadium.

Harmony Day is about celebrating the cultural diversity within our community. Harmony comes from sharing in empathy, helping different cultures to feel more connected. An amazing part of the day is the incredible offerings from the WPS canteen. Genna and her dedicated team of volunteers did it again with some amazing food on offer at both recess and lunch. Thank you Genna!

     

Our Harmony Day writing competition was also a wonderful way to provide our students with a creative outlet to share their thoughts on what Harmony Day means to them, with the winners announced in last week’s newsletter. They were presented with their prizes and a certificate in our online assembly. A display of all their work has been in the front office, well done to all our students who submitted an entry.

Mrs Hawkes’ Retirement:

I would like to formally acknowledge Mrs Patricia Hawkes who has coordinated Harmony Week celebrations for many years at Wembley PS as our English as an Additional Language (EAL) specialist teacher. Mrs Hawkes is retiring at the end of Term 1 after 46 years in public education and 32 years at Wembley Primary School, commencing at the school in 1990. Mrs Hawkes is a Level 3 teacher and has worked in a variety of roles in her time at the school, as a classroom teacher, mathematics specialist and for the past 10 years working with students from a range of non-English speaking backgrounds.

While we would normally hold a very special assembly to farewell Mrs Hawkes, current restrictions mean we will need to invite Mrs Hawkes back for this at a later date. However, next Monday on her very last day we will be sending off Mrs Hawkes in a COVID-safe but special way at the end of the school day on the basketball courts. Those who would like to acknowledge Mrs Hawkes are welcome to be there just before pick up time. Thank you Mrs Hawkes for your amazing contribution to public education, we will certainly miss you and can’t wait to be able to hold your special event later this year.

Swimming Carnival:

Congratulations to our Year 4-6 students who competed in the Faction Swimming Carnival at HBF Stadium on Friday. On a very hot day, we had students competing in individual and novelty races throughout the day with their peers. There was some excellent sportsmanship and comradery on display. We also had some outstanding individual and team relay performances with two Wembley PS records broken!

Thank you to the huge number of parent volunteers who made the day possible, in particular to Roula Felekis who coordinated our parents on the day and leading up to the event. We couldn’t have done it without you and sincerely thank you. Congratulations to Mr Jon Bowman and Mrs Kathy Watson, your organisation and planning ensured the day went smoothly and calmly. Well done to the parents and teachers for taking out the race at the end too!

Faction Point Totals

1^st – Farmer 361 points

2^nd – Stanley 273 points

3^rd – Winton 239 points

4^th – Jackson 205 points

Champion Boys and Girls

Year	Champion Girl	Runner-up	Champion Boy	Runner-up
4	Mia L	Claire D	Sam W	Blake T
5	Erin C	Stella M and Elise M	John L	Hugh D
6	Sansa T	Luella P	Seb H	Charlie J

                   

 

Positive cases:

Community transmission is now nearing its peak and we are seeing corresponding high numbers in our school population. Thank you for continuing to keep your children home when symptoms develop. As a community, we have been resilient and compassionate. Let’s continue to work together to keep our community safe in the coming weeks.

If any member of your household tests positive, including parents/carers, your WPS child/ren or their siblings, please continue to notify the school as soon as possible. The preferred communication is to wembley.ps@education.wa.edu.au or the SMS attendance system.

The school email address and text message system are monitored over the weekend to ensure we can remain responsive to any cases that require close contacts to be identified.

Please note that the school only conducts contact tracing for the school environment. If you or your child tests positive, please inform those who would be deemed as close contacts according to the WA Health definition. This would include after school play dates, community sport and birthday parties. You can find all the Frequently Asked Questions about close contacts and isolation here.

I would encourage all community members to use official Government guidelines and school information as their source of truth in relation to testing and isolation. The rules shift quickly and while I know the community is doing their best to support each other through the shifting landscape of rules, please encourage each other to go straight to the current guidelines rather rely on advice through online forums and social media. What was current in terms of isolation for positive cases a month ago, has changed and will continue to change in line with the caseload settings. You can find the link here.

While some restrictions are easing in the community this week, for schools there will be a few changes that will come in next term. The Department of Education is releasing Term 2 Operating Guidelines for schools in the coming days. It has been confirmed that the mask wearing mandate will continue in Term 2 for students in Year 3 and above at this stage. However, we will be able to resume in-person parent meetings for case conferences and pre-booked meetings and hold year level gatherings if required. We also look forward to receiving further details about a relaxation on restrictions for choirs and bands. Once the guidelines have been received, the information relevant for Wembley PS will be communicated in next week’s newsletter.

Teaching and Learning

Design Technologies:

The Year 3s in Room 26 have been working on their design skills, learning how to create cardboard joins without using entire rolls of sticky tape. These skills will be applied to their upcoming project, designing and creating severe weather shelters which is part of their Term 2 inquiry.

The class have even created videos explaining how to make each join, linking these videos by QR code to create an interactive display. Amazing work by Miss McWilliams and her class.

 

Engagement and Relationships

Parent-Teacher Interviews:

Most classes will have the opportunity to speak with their child’s teacher either this afternoon or tomorrow for our Term 1 parent-teacher meeting. These meetings are being held by telephone this year due to the current restrictions.

Teachers have a list of telephone numbers from our school database, they will be calling the Parent Guardian 1 contact number on the list, or both parents if previously booked. If this is not the telephone number you wish to be called, please email your teacher the preferred phone number.

We have our only whole school early close of the school year tomorrow. Please collect your child at 12pm tomorrow. If your child is in upper primary and rides, walks or scoots independently to school please send an email to your child’s teacher by tomorrow morning giving explicit permission for this.

School Board:

Nominations have now closed and an election will be held prior to the end of term for the three expiring positions. Each nominee has provided a short bio which will be provided with a unique election link for voting. I thank each nominee for their interest in contributing to school governance.  

ANZAC Day:

Next Friday 8 April at 9am, the last day of Term 1, we will be holding a COVID safe ANZAC Day event to pay our respects to those who have protected our country’s way of life in years gone by. Students will be in their classrooms watching the live event, with Year 6s reading poems and The Year 6 Petite Chorale singing. Former WPS student Ethan Turnbull will also be returning to play The Last Post and Reveille.

While we can’t have parents and special guests attend this event, we want to ensure that we pay our respects ahead of the official day on the 25 April.

Two students from each year level in Year 1-6 will lay a posy of flowers at the base of the flag pole during the service. Thank you to the P&C who is going to help coordinate two posies of flower for each year level for the service. If any parents are able to help with creating one wreath for the Head Boy and Girl to lay at the flag pole, please email tamara.doig@education.wa.edu.au.

Yours in learning

The Senior Leadership Team

Tamara, Milani, Alan, Rachel and Natalie