1 March 2024

Principal’s Update

Dear families,

It has been great to see our students settling into their classroom routines so positively. Thank you to all of our families who attended our Parent Teacher Interviews on the 7^th February 2024, it was great to see robust discussions occurring. We were lucky to have Vicki, Deputy Principal from Armadale SHS ESC here to share high school information and answer parent questions. Individual Education Plan’s will be sent to parents and carers in Week 7. If you have any questions regarding your child’s IEP please contact their classroom teacher.

Over the beginning of the term we have had a shade structure built over our Pirate Ship playground. The structure will support more opportunities for break time play in a variety of weather conditions. Additionally, the works around ES5 & ES6 are being finalised. I look forward to the community engagement opportunities we can facilitate in this space moving forward.

Enjoy reading the newsletter and seeing what our classes have been up to for the start of the year. I wish you all a safe long weekend break and see you all on the 5^th March 2024.

Kind regards,
Natasha Naylor
Principal

Year 1 – ES2

Class ES2 is thrilled to share the incredible start to 2024 that both students and staff have enjoyed. Our students have seamlessly settled into new routines, forming bonds with new teachers and friends while adjusting to new uniforms and exploring the intermediate playground. Term One has been filled with exciting activities, from creating erupting volcanoes to sensory play with shaving cream, crafting pinwheels, building family trees, and planting flowers in hanging baskets. Students also had a blast making Honey Joys during cooking sessions and engaging in water play with Mr. James for Fun Friday. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming Harmony Day celebrations on Friday, 1st March, and swimming lessons scheduled for Term 2. As a reminder, ES2 and Room 16 will be hosting the End of Term Assembly on Wednesday, 27th March. We can't wait to see you there!

ES2 staff

Pre-Primary / Year 1 – ES3

Hello everyone and welcome to our first newsletter of 2024. To begin with, ES3 staff wants to commend your children on how well they have transitioned into their new class. For some of our students it is their first time in school, or their first time in full time school. All of our students have adapted very well and we are so very proud of each and every one of them. The beginning of this term has mainly focused on teaching our classroom routine and now in week 5, most of our students have a clear understanding of what this looks like. It’s great the independence to see the independence building with students unpacking their school bags and beginning their daily routine with minimal assistance. Within ES3 we have a strong focus on communication, emotional regulation and social skills. We are beginning to see friendships build and are excited to see students develop turn taking and sharing through games and structured play. As it has been so hot over the last few weeks, we have done a lot of sensory play activities. Students have especially enjoyed water play and playing with shaving cream, jelly and ice.

For Literacy we are learning to listen to stories and recognise initial sounds of words. Other students who know their sounds are focusing on writing these sounds, as well as combining them to read CVC words. For Maths we are focusing on number knowledge, patterns and shape. The students are enjoying learning these core subjects through play based and hands-on experiences. In Science we are learning about living things, and know that Mr James, our DOTT provider, always comes with a fun and exciting new lesson on Thursday afternoons. In Health, we are learning about emotions and how to recognise these emotions within ourselves and others. As the term goes on, we hope to see students learn strategies to help them when feeling in different coloured zones.

It has been an amazing start to term, and we are super proud of all our students for their commitment towards each of our four PBS values; Perseverance, Excellence, Safe and Communication. This is demonstrated by how many pegs have been received and prizes won in the first half of term. Keep up the great work ES3.

ES3 staff.

Year 2 – ES4

Dear Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. It has been an enriching and eventful time in our classroom, filled with learning, creativity, communication, taking ownership and promoting independence since the beginning of the brand-new term 1 2024. All our students have adapted well got into the routine quickly and are showing interest in everyday learning and hands-on activities. The following has been our focus so far this semester in different subject areas:

Literacy 

Our students and teaching team have been on an exciting journey of language exploration. exploring alphabet sounds in different words and signing alphabets with the help of key signs, developing the joy of reading a new book every week during guided reading and self-selected reading sessions, embracing, and learning new words every week, including learning to answer why and what questions related to the story. Predictable chart writing assists them in fostering their confidence in recalling and putting stories in their own words and identifying the main character of the story and its qualities. We are working on improving our vocabulary by identifying and sounding out a new tricky word each week while creating our word wall with a colourful array of language treasures using the letter/sound of the week.

Numeracy

Our young mathematicians have been on a numerical journey, from making the most of number learning smart board activities, which include identifying and arranging numbers in ascending order like on a number line. Sorting even and odd numbers, challenging our brains with finding before and after numbers up to 20, counting fluently to 50 and learning to sign numbers using key signs up to 30. We have also been exploring our capabilities to identify and create different 2D shapes using everyday things like pop sticks and playdough while locating different shapes in the environment around us. It has been fascinating to refresh our memories to get days and of the week and months of the year in order again. The new calendar activity helped us understand why we write the date in the way we do and where their number figures come from.

HASS and Health 

We have been discussing as a class together about Harmony Day, we explored and did our research together to understand its meaning and importance. Also, decorated “doves” which are the symbol of peace and harmony with our personal touches. We also looked at the different modes of transportation of land, water, rail, and air of current times, which will be extended into learning to compare between old and new modes of transport. During health lessons, we identified and located the parts of our body by practising writing their names by using our skills in letters and sounds. We also went through the learning and understanding of how to keep ourselves “Sun safe” during our PBS (Protective Behaviour Support) week, where the focus area was being “Safe”.

Art, STEM and Enterprise

It has been a kind of roller coaster journey so far with our ideas and trying different things with our enterprise creations. We have been tying up our lessons to create something unique and meaningful. Where students have been using recycled material to create musical instruments, and we collected different mini gum-nuts from our school’s playground and used them to create the sound in our musical shakers. Used our artistic skills to create an indigenous-inspired pattern to go on the outside and are learning to get everything together in a presentable manner. We also have been learning to create the main characters from our book of the week story, by providing it our own personal touch as well, using natural and man-made material and adding all types of paint, crayons, and pencil colours to it, to turn it into a magical experience. 

Thank you so much for all your support and ongoing communication to help with the smooth transition of our students to the new classroom environment and routine. We are looking forward to our upcoming achievements together.

Warmest regards,

Aditya Singhal (Mr S), Mrs Davey, Ms Anna, Mrs Batula, Ms Lintern
Teaching team ES4

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Physical Education

This term the lower years classes are doing assessment of fundamental movement skills such as balancing, climbing, jumping, running, hopping and ball skills. Students have been trying out these skills through obstacle courses and ball games. Throughout the rest of the term we will be focussing in on the fundamental movement skills which require some more practice. It has been great to see so much inclusive and safe play in the playground.

In upper years students have also been doing diagnostic assessments of fundamental movement skills especially regarding whole body movement and throwing. This is often within the context of cooperative team games. For example, whole field team games with the giant ball, or teamwork games with parachute and floater ball. It has been great to see some great sporting behaviour, communication and fair play in these sessions.

Claudia, Matt & Jasmine

Kindy / Pre-Primary – ES1

Welcome to ES1 for 2024.  We have had an amazing start to the year, 8 of the 9 students are new to our school.  Our class has 4 Kindergarten and 5 pre-primary students.  Our focus at the moment is engagement, participation, learning to take turns and share, self-regulation and following routine instructions.  It can be difficult for little people in a new environment to settle into the expectations of being at school and to realise that everyone will get a turn with highly desired items.  We follow a play-based program in our classroom as well as explicit instruction. We can already see progress in every student.

The hot weather has resulted in us needing to stay cool and out of the sun, which can be challenging to understand when they need to stay inside and have so much energy to use up.  There are already friendships starting to develop both inside and outside of the classroom, there are even children from ES3 seeking out students from our classroom.

During our morning Literacy block we have a focus book, we do activities related to the book both on the mat and at the tables.  So far we have read Where’s Spot?, and Whose Nose? this book has been their favourite.  Students have been using a story board to help them predict which animal the nose belongs to. 

During Maths we have been matching photos of items, shape pictures and numbers, sorting by colour, and practising counting to 10 as a group. They have also coloured the initial letter of their name with wax crayons, then painted it with edicol dye, the page will be used as the cover of their portfolios.  When the weather is suitable, we take a short movement break outside of the classroom during morning mat time.  Students have the opportunity to use the watering cans to water our plants during this time, they are getting better at pouring the water on the plant.

We are looking forward to sharing an amazing and busy year, filled with lots of fun.  Thank you to the support of parents and especially to the fabulous team of assistants that assist me and the students everyday and always have a smile on their faces at the end of the day.

Jan Collier and staff ES1

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Year 4/5 - Rm 18

Room 18 has had a fantastic start to the year, our students have had many wonderful peer interactions with each other inside the classroom and outside the classroom. We have settled into our new classroom and routines.

In Literacy we have been revising phase 3 and 4 letters and sounds and working towards grasping all the sounds. We have explored new words and have done lots of writing, practicing our sentence structure.

During our maths lessons we have been learning about the attributes of shapes, place value and working on addition and subtraction, skip counting by 3’s and the chance of events happening.

In HASS we have been exploring the first fleet, rules, and laws.  In Science students have had fun looking at magnets and what objects are attracted to magnets.

Our students have enjoyed meeting with room 17 for Music and Dance. Room 18 students have had lots of fun making musical instruments during our enterprise sessions.

We look forward to a fun and exciting Term 1!

 Miss Nelson and Room 18 Staff

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Protective Behaviours

This term the Lower Years classes are learning how to recognise basic emotions such as anger, fear, sadness and happiness.  Students are becoming familiar with these emotions through the use of  symbols, photos, words, dolls, cartoon faces, emojis and real life. There has been a particular focus on how eyes, eyebrows and mouth are used to show emotions. Students have enjoyed creating various facial expressions using a large felt board, play dough and mega-blocks. Students are now beginning to sort between two basic emotions and will be working up to sorting between four basic emotions. 

In the Upper Years, students are extending their understanding of emotions by looking at how emotions are linked to the Zones of Regulation and building their vocabulary of words to describe a wide range of emotions. Students have focussed on recognising appropriate and inappropriate responses to anger and how to regulate themselves when they are angry by using calming techniques. Some classes have started learning to recognise emergencies vs. non-emergencies and will be looking at the process for dialling 000 in an emergency.

Year 2 – ES5

Hello families,

I'm thrilled to share with you the wonderful start we've had to the year in ES5. Our days have been filled with exciting activities, and it's been a joy getting to know each of our students better. Let me share some of our highlights:

Firstly, a key part of our initial weeks has been spent getting to know the students—understanding what interests them and identifying their strengths. This has been instrumental in tailoring our lessons to engage each child fully and support their individual learning journey. It's always amazing to see the wide range of interests and talents our students bring to the classroom.

Collaboration and sharing have taken centre stage in our activities. We've been focusing on working together as a team, which not only helps in achieving common goals but also in learning from each other.

As Year 2 students, developing skills in independence and self-care is a significant focus for us. We're encouraging our students to take on more responsibility for their learning and daily routines.

Looking ahead, one of the most exciting projects we have planned is the Enterprise project. This will be a class effort where we'll design and build a project together, which we'll then sell at the ESSN Market Day in Semester 2. This project is not just about creativity and entrepreneurship; it's a practical way for students to learn about teamwork and financial literacy. It promises to be a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

We're off to a fantastic start, and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the year brings. Your support and involvement in your child's learning journey are invaluable to us, and we're grateful for your continued encouragement.

Warm regards,
Ant James and ES5 Staff

Year 2/3 - Rm 19

Hello parents and carers.

The first term is going so fast it is hard to believe we are already in week five. The students have transitioned well into their new classroom for the school year. They are making new friends with their classmates. This is lovely to see. 

The students have worked hard during Letters and Sounds lessons and the literacy block.  We have listened to the classic stories such as Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks ‘and the Three Bears, Little Red Hen and The Billy Goats Gruff. The students are familiar with the stories and enjoy creating finger puppets.  We have also been playing lots of phonics and listening games on the interactive whiteboard. Students have also been making words and writing sentences and completing their green independent literacy boxes. They have been working towards their chosen rewards each session.

We have a special reward box in room 19. Students must get 20 pegs  to get a pick of the reward box in the principal’s office. Your children have been eagerly counting their pegs and already and a few students have already received a reward. I am very impressed with their behaviour and motivation. 

We have been cooking up a storm during food technology. We have made apple muffins and pancakes. In art we have done marble painting and created a sunflower with a fork.

Thank you to all the parents who I have met with regarding their child’s Individual Education Plan. It’s been lovely to talk with you to discuss your child’s education journey.  

Warm regards Mrs Lori and staff room 19

Spotlight on……. Mr James

Meet: Matt James

Originally trained as a secondary HASS/English teacher, I began my teaching career at the inclusive district high school in Kununurra. I really enjoyed teaching students with extra needs and I returned to Perth to study Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia/ADHD) at ECU. I worked for over a decade with people with Complex Communication Needs and challenging behaviour, under the Microboard system. A Microboard is a group of people in unpaid relationships with a person with disability who meet regularly to support that person to make plans, make decisions, be socially included, be safe and well and to have the life they want. Microboards are usually made up family, friends, former support workers or other professionals and long term community connections. During this time I finished my Masters of Education at ECU, specialising in teaching people with Complex Communication Needs. In my work with adults I observed many long-term friendships with adults with disabilities came originally from inclusion at school. I then worked with K-12 students with very high Complex Communication Needs as the Phys Ed teacher at Castlereagh school. I loved engaging all students in a variety of exciting sports.  This year I am very excited to be part of the team at Gwynne Park ESC and am especially excited about opportunities for helping build long-term friendships through inclusion!

Fun fact: I once starred in 2007 Bollywood film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag as “man reading a newspaper on airplane to Zurich”.

Year 4/5 - Rm 17

Welcome back to school, everyone! It has been so great to meet everyone this term and to see some familiar faces too. The students of Room 17 have started the year wonderfully and I can’t wait to see what they will continue to show us this year.

In Year 4 & 5, we cover a range of subjects throughout our busy week. Our daily Literacy sessions start with Letters and Sounds, which encourages us to use our eyes and ears to listen to, articulate and manipulate sounds and words. Some favourites are our listening activities, such as animal sound boards, and writing letters in sensory materials such as shaving cream. We have also been reading short stories and writing our own sentences to go with the pictures to write our own versions. In Mathematics, we are studying partitioning in the 10s, place value to 100, skip counting by 5s and 10s and identifying if collections are the same or different. Our sessions are busy and keep us on our toes!

In HASS, we have been looking at other countries in the world in preparation for our history unit. We have also started looking at rules and laws and identifying consequences for if these are not followed. In Science, we are using the terms ‘push’, ‘pull’, ‘gravity’ and ‘friction’ to describe how things move. In Technologies we have been cooking delicious meals and tidying up the school garden, as well as making musical instruments such as maracas, tambourines, and castanets. We also have specialist sessions throughout the week. Physical Education and Health is run by Miss M and Protective Behaviours by Mr James. Our wonderful team of Education Assistants is comprised of Mrs DeVries and Miss Hughes.

Thank you all for a wonderful start to the year. Wishing you and your families happiness and safety,

Tim Horton and Room 17 Staff

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Year 6 - Rm 15

Our Year six class have had a busy start to term one. We have been settling into our new routines and getting to know everyone. We have been enjoying integrated play with our mainstream peers during recess and lunch play. For our class Enterprise project, we have been creating pieces of art. We have had some beautiful pieces created so far.

In Music and Dance, we have been exploring different instruments and routines. Students are showing a high level of engagement during these activities, it is great seeing them support each other and encouraging everyone to keep trying their best.

We have been exploring Maths and English learning through sensory activities, hands-on games, interactive games, and iPad apps. Students have been enjoying the range of activities to show their learning. We have been using Seesaw to support revision activities to keep our skills and knowledge current.

We will hopefully have some details soon regarding our year six graduation shirts. I will share info via Seesaw as soon as we can.

Thank you,

Mrs Agius-Kaukau and Room 15 staff

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Year 4/5 - Rm 16

Hello and welcome to room16. We are back and the students have settled well into the classroom routine. It has been great meeting families at the IEP meeting and finding out more about the students. I'm thrilled to say the students feel a sense of belonging and are happy to come to school. You should be proud to hear your child is settling into learning routine and adjusting to the classroom expectations.

The students have participated in activities, learning new and exciting things. In the five weeks we have been together, we have already seen improvements and steps to independence from the students with their life skills. Some of the learning areas the students have enjoyed are cooking, music, dance, gardening, and sport with Mr James. In science the students have been looking at hot and cold with Ms Mbewe. During Math the students are working with numbers and number patterns.

A massive thank you to the team of Education Assistants for a productive start to the year – Mrs Hurter, Mrs Bloxsidge and Ms Nairn are enjoying getting to know and support all the students in room 16. I would also like to acknowledge the specialist teachers, Ms Mbewe for Science, and Mr James the Protective Behaviours and Phys Ed Teacher for the exciting and engaging lessons.

Ms Williams and the staff in Room 16

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MaCS-Mind and Connection Space

Term 1 has certainly started with so many smiles, new and growing friendships and a lot of ready to learn energy!

The students who choose to join our daily lunch club have enjoyed building with lego, making car tracks, drawing, playing with the variety of play houses,  Mario Kart on the switch  (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s) or watching short films on the big screen with their peers .

This term during Satellite program -Emotional regulation and Social Skills; students have become excited with our weekly Bluey lesson around finding your voice, sharing, patience, perseverance and the fun activities that support this. Satellite has decreased its afternoon student numbers from 4 to 2 this year so we can deliver a more direct and intense learning session with the additional support from Ms Derschow Thursday’s and our wonderful Ms Donovan Wednesday’s and Friday’s. 

Student Support Officer
Sonia Candeloro-Ms C

Messages from the Front Office

Contribution Payments for 2024

Thank you to those who have made payment for this year’s contributions.  Statements have been sent home by mail to advise any amounts outstanding. These funds help support your child in their classroom with resources for their learning and in maintaining our school bus to transport our students to swimming lessons and other educational activities. Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.

Information for families

Your Move School Program

Our school is now a member of the Your Move Schools program. Your Move is a Department of Transport program, that encourages students and families to get active by walking, scooting, and riding to school, or catching public transport, more often.

We are one the schools along the Armadale Line receiving extra support to encourage active travel to school. We have some great events coming up this term:

• Wheels Day Wednesday kicking off every Wednesday from 6 March (week 6). Students who walk, ride, scoot or park and walk will receive a sticker.
• National Ride to School Day on Monday, 18 March.
• Bike maintenance and education sessions for a select group of students to build their bike riding confidence.
  

By changing how your child travels to school a few times each week can:

• deliver lifelong benefits
• lower childhood obesity
• establish healthy habits, improve concentration and academic performance
• reduce the number of cars around the school at drop off and pick up times
• helps improve safety and reduces pollution.

Join the Your Move movement! Contact our school’s Your Move Champion, Liz Golightly, to share your walking, riding, or scooting pictures or stories and help us to earn points that can be spent on active transport facilities and activities.

National Ride to School Day on Friday, 22 March 2024

We are joining hundreds of schools across Australia celebrating riding, walking, scooting, and skating to school on Friday, 22 March 2024 for National Ride2School Day.

This an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to try riding, walking, skating or scooting to school as well as celebrating all the regular walkers and riders. We aim to normalise walking and riding to school, and hopefully help our families create a new habit. Join us to celebrate walking and riding on a large scale and to prove it can be done.

Live too far to walk or ride the entire way to school? Why not drive to a nearby park (Don Simmons Reserve) and walk or ride the rest of the way?

Parenting course

Please click on the link below for information:
Online parenting course - help kids overcome anxiety | Triple P (triplep-parenting.net.au)