19 April 2024

Principal’s Update

Dear families,

As Mrs Naylor enjoys a couple of weeks of long service leave, I will be your acting Principal for the first two weeks of this term. It has been a busy start to the term with students settling back in well to routines and school life. We have been so lucky to have had some sunshine as we start to approach the winter months. The beginning of the term marked the start of Djeran (season of the adulthood)

Djeran season at last sees a break in the really hot weather. A key indicator of the change of season is the cool nights that once again bring a dewy presence for us to discover in the early mornings. The winds have also changed, especially in their intensity, with light breezes being the go and generally swinging from southerly directions (i.e. south east to south west). Many flying ants can be seen cruising around in the light winds. Djeran is a time of red flowers especially from the Red Flowering Gum (Corimbia ficifolia), as well as the smaller and more petite flowers of the Summer Flame (Beaufortia aestiva). As you travel around the Perth area, you may also notice the red 'rust' and seed cones forming on the male and female Sheoaks (Allocasuarina fraseriana). Banksias start to display their flowers, ensuring that there are nectar food sources for the many small mammals and birds that rely upon them.

As you may be aware, the Department of Education is negotiating with the State School Teachers’ Union (SSTUWA) and Principals’ Federation of Western Australia to reach an industrial agreement. While these negotiations are still ongoing, the SSTUWA has proposed industrial action for half a day on the morning of Tuesday 23 April.

I want to reassure you that despite this action, our school will remain open. We have arranged supervision and endeavour to maintain teaching and learning with modified activities. However, there may be some disruption to normal teaching and learning programs.

The Department of Education has assured me that they are working as hard, and as fast as they can to reach a resolution with the unions. Every effort is being made to minimise future impact on all schools.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner our P&C will be running a Mother’s Day Raffle with a host of amazing prizes to be won. If you would like to be in the running, raffle tickets will be sent home with your child. If you would like more tickets, please contact our front office staff.

Friday the 24th of May 2024 is P&C Day, on this day we recognise our amazing P&C for the work and fundraising they do within our school. If you see our P&C members around, please extend a 'thank you' it does go a long way. We are looking forward to supporting them moving forward with specific funding projects that provide opportunities for our students.

As we head into the cold and flu season, thank you to families for advising us when your child is sick, this helps us to ensure we are following our attendance guidelines.

Why is going to school so important?

• At school, many concepts such as literacy and numeracy are taught in a sequence. Missing school means missing out on learning – which can often make it difficult to catch up later. This is particularly important in the early years when essential foundation skills are being taught.
• Going to school every day helps children learn the important life skill of ‘showing up’ – at school, at work, to sport and other commitments.
• Research from the Western Australian Telethon Kids Institute shows that every day at school counts towards a student’s learning. Students who attend regularly, generally do better at school and in life.

As a responsibility to students’, we have attendance guidelines to follow. If your child has not attended school, please advise us why as soon as you can. If we are not able to contact you after three days our Badged Attendance Officer will follow up with you, then further with a home visit if we haven’t been able to contact you by day five.

Please see attached information about the importance of attending school.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe. I look forward to continuing to support all your children in their Primary School Journey.

Kind regards,

Candice Burns
Principal

Contribution Payments for 2024

Thank you to those who have made payment for this year’s contributions, invoices and statements were recently sent home 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.

Payments can be made direct to the office via cash or EFTPOS or payments can be made via direct deposit to the school account;

Account Name: Gwynne Park Education Support Centre
BSB:       016-253
Account: 3408-74468
Narration: Students Name

Payment Plans can also be established to help with the contributions and if required to assist with payments for excursions. Please speak to the ladies in the office.

Swimming Lesson Fee’s for 2024

Thank you to those who have made payment for swimming lessons so far. A reminder to all families that swimming fees are due 29^th April. Payment can be made in the school by cash or EFTPOS, alternatively they can be transferred into the above bank account. Please remember if you are transferring to the account to put the students name and swimming as the description.

Information for families

City of Armadale Community Health and Wellbeing News and Events

Parenting course

Communicare Parenting Workshops Term 2

Please find attached the Communicare Parenting Program for Term 2, 2024, which commences from the end of April.

There are many programs available for parents living in the South East Metro area this term, including:

• Circle of Security
• Toilet Training
• Protective Behaviours
• Little Sprouts
• Kids & Anxiety
• Tuning into Kids
• And many more