Gwynne Park Education Support Centre eNewsletter

Principal’s Update

Dear families,

It has been a busy couple of weeks at Gwynne Park ESC. Science Week has provided students the opportunity to engage in a number of hands on activities looking at the variety of aspects of science enquiry. It has been great to see our school community come together to support the IEP Meeting’s held on the 24^th July 2024 to support development of our students IEP outcomes for Semester 2. Your child’s IEP will be sent home today.

Last week we farewelled Ms Yuna Jo (ES3) as she embarks on Maternity Leave. We wish her all the happiness and health on the arrival of her baby in September. Supporting Ms Jo’s leave, we welcome Suzanne Fieldgate (ES3) to the position.

I am looking forward to welcoming all of our families on the 6^th September 2024 at our Sports Carnival organised by Ms Boynton and Mr James. Students and families will have the opportunity to order food and drinks on the day, for lunch, with a sausage sizzle run by our amazing P&C. Additionally, we will have raffles available, that will also be drawn on the day.

Please find below a letter reminding families of the importance of attending school. If you have any questions regarding your child’s attendance or need further support, please contact Candice Burns (K-2) or Liz Golightly (3-6) to discuss this further.

Click here to download the Information For Parents Attendance At Primary School flyer

Our school board is looking for new parent representatives. We meet once a term, for an hour, and would love for YOU to join us! If this is something you are interested in, please fill out the nomination form below or on our website and hand into administration. If you have any questions about what the role involves, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Click here to download the Nomination Form

The United Workers Union is scheduled to have a meeting 21^st August 2024. It is important to note that some of our staff members will be in attendance, school will be run as usual. Further details and information about the meeting are provided below. If you have any questions, please call.

Click here to download the Unions WA Public Sector Alliance Event flyer

Please see below in the information about applying for 2025 School Bus Services. The School Bus Service is a service run by the Department of Transport. If you would like assistance with your application, please phone the school on (08) 9391 4050.

I wish you all a safe and joyful weekend with your families and look forward to seeing our students back at school on Monday.

Kind regards,
Natasha Naylor
Principal

Important Dates 2024

Term 3
Makuru (Blue) – Season of Fertility – June to July
Djilba (Purple) – Season of Conception – August to September
Wednesday 21 August – Book week Parade
Friday 6 September – Sports Carnival
12 September – R U OK? Day
Wednesday 18 September – Assembly 9am
Thursday 19 September – Wear Footy Colours Day
Friday 20 September – Last Day of Term

Term 4
Kambarang (Yellow) – Season of Birth – October to November
Birak (Red) – Season of the Young – December to January
Monday 7 October – School Development Day
Tuesday 8 October – Students return
Friday 25 October – Day for Daniel
Wednesday 11 December – Assembly 9am
Thursday 12 December – Last Day for Students

Year 1 – ES2

Kaya Wandjoo (hello, welcome) ES2 families! Welcome to Term 3, 2024. It’s amazing to think we have already completed 5 weeks of engaging learning and discovery! This term, our entire school is immersing itself in the theme of Australia. Our students have been deeply involved in exploring this theme, from learning the Noongar language to identifying native animals and iconic tourist destinations across our vast country. On Friday, July 19th, Gwynne Park Education Support Centre celebrated Pyjama Day with great enthusiasm. This event was not only a fun and cosy day for everyone but also a meaningful occasion as we raised funds for children in foster care. Then, on Thursday, July 25th, we marked the 100 Days of School milestone with a delightful celebration. Students and staff alike joined in by decorating white T-shirts and participating in a vibrant parade. Congratulations to our prize-winning students, and a big thank you to everyone for making the day special! We also participated in a colouring competition for the Your Move campaign. While ES2 didn’t win this time, we’re looking forward to showcasing our creative spirit during Book Week, which is just around the corner. Speaking of books, ES2 has been enjoying a fantastic experience over the last two weeks, joining Room 8 during their Library time. Our students have been captivated by listening to stories and exploring books from the fiction shelves, making it one of their favourite activities of the week. Looking ahead, we are excited about our upcoming visits to Don Simmons Reserve and Perth Zoo in the next 5 weeks. We can’t wait to share more updates with you in Week 10. Yaankga (thank you) for your continued support! From Mrs. Abbott and the ES2 Team.

This term, Room 17 has participated in lots of fun activities that we would like to share with you.

In English, we have been studying ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and writing our own stories about ‘very hungry’ things that go around eating a lot – we have elephants, goats, playdough, cruise ships and Shayni’s going around eating things, getting stomach aches, and turning into something else. They are very creative stories!

In Week 2, we celebrated our 100th +1 days of school with a parade in the undercover area. We made shirts with 100 fingerprints on them and enjoyed completing Maths activities related to the number 100. Room 17 have taken over the recycling program across the school on Friday mornings. We are collecting, sorting, and graphing the recyclable materials used across the school and have raised some money using the Containers for Change scheme.

Our Science and HASS programs have been all about the food chain and the environments where different plants and animals can be found. We have learned about producers, consumers, and decomposers, and about what you can find in the savanna, forest, rainforest, and desert biomes.

The highlight of our term so far has been our trip to AQWA in Week 2. Ms Heasman drove the bus to Hillarys and we spent the day exploring the aquarium, looking at the fish, sharks, stingrays and turtles. Everyone enjoyed the touch pool, where we felt the interesting textures of starfish, Port Jackson sharks and a very friendly cuttlefish. The most exciting part was the underwater tunnel where we got a close look at the amazing sea creatures. We were all very tired by the end of the day!

Tim Horton & Room 17 Staff

Cliffton and Jaxon learning
to graph the materials

**Eva and Cliffton meet some clownfish**

**Gurfateh helps sort recyclable materials**

**Jaxon and Elijah looking at the fish**

**Mr Horton, Cliffton and Jay underwater**

Year 2 – ES4

Dear Families,

We hope you're doing well. We’re already in Week 5 of Term 3, and we have some exciting news to share about what we’ve been doing in class!

Literacy and Numeracy

We’re learning letters and their sounds from the Letters and Sounds programme (Phases 2 and 3). We’re also learning how to put these letters together to make words, which helps us read and write better. We remember the main characters from our weekly book, which helps us enjoy the story more. We’re also practising writing sentences together as a class.

In math, we’re learning the days of the week and the months of the year through fun activities and games. We’re also learning about Australian coins and how to tell time by making our clock model.

STEM and Art

In technology, we’re learning to type our names on an iPad and take pictures with the camera tool. Our cooking and crafting lessons are helping us become more independent as we follow recipes and create delicious dishes. We’ve also been making musical instruments from natural and man-made materials, and we can’t wait to show them off! In art, we decorate characters from our book of the week using different materials.

For our 100 days of school celebration, we designed special T-shirts and turned them into artwork. We also thought about what we wanted to be when we grew up and made cardboard shirts to show our future jobs.

HASS and Health

In HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences), we learned to find our country on the world map. Now, we’re learning about the continents around us and how to recognise them. We’re also practicing good hygiene by washing our hands before and after cooking. We’re learning to stay healthy by recognising the signs of dehydration and drinking plenty of water. Plus, we’re making tasty recipes each week, which is helping us become more independent.

I’m so proud of how hard our students are working and how much they’re learning. As we continue through Term 3, we’re excited for all the fun and learning ahead especially our special assembly performance!

Thank you for staying in touch with us. We look forward to celebrating our students' achievements together.

Warm regards,
The teaching team of ES4
Aditya Singhal (Mr. S), Mrs. Davey, Ms. Anna, Ms. Lintern, and Mrs. Batula.

This term during Sport lessons we have been practicing the various games that students will be participating in during the Sports Carnival. This has included bean bag relays, long jump, parachute games, long hit and pool noodle gallops. These games involve a wide range of fine and gross motors skills as well as teamwork. Many of the students have shown a lot of enthusiasm for these games and I'm sure their practice will pay off at the Sports Carnival in Week 8.

Ms Boynton, Mr James, Ms M & Ms Beckett

The students all settled quickly into the routine of being back at school after holidays. It is wonderful to see all their excited faces as they come into class each day. The Kindy students are now coming for three full days, they have adjusted well to the extra day.

In literacy we have been reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear? and Dear Zoo. They painted a snake picture in green and yellow to match the snake in Dear Zoo. Also collaged a Polar Bear with white tissue paper. In science this semester they are observing what happens when materials are mixed. Last week they mixed two colours of paint to make a new colour then painted with cotton tips onto paper. In maths we are focusing on only counting each item once as they count a collection of items.

Social skills are an important part of our daily program. The class follows a play-based program giving students the opportunity to learn through play. Especially sharing, taking turns, co-operation, role play, using items in the intended way, caring for each other, and self-regulation skills. To link to protective behaviours students have been dressing dolls to ensure private parts of the bodies were covered.

Thank you to all the parents for supporting your students in developing their independence in everyday life skills. This flows through to the school environment. Students are less reluctant to help their friends pack away when they have finished playing and everyday routine tasks. Skills such as unpacking their bags in the morning, opening their own lunch boxes, and starting to open packaging by themselves, supports them to develop lifelong skills important for their future schooling.

Thank you to the ongoing dedication and support the classroom assistants give to the students and myself every day.

Jan Collier and classroom staff.

Hello,

My name's Suzanne Fieldgate. I've been doing some relief work and now I'm in ES3 till the end of the year. I'm passionate about working in Early Childhood and have 3 young children of my own. I enjoy exploring new places with my family on the weekend. I look forward to working with you all.

Suzanne Fieldgate

Year 4/5 - Rm 18

Hello Families,

I have thoroughly enjoyed observing the students' progress and getting back into the rhythm of Term 3. They have shown great responsibility in supporting one another in the classroom, following instructions and engaging actively in learning.

This term, the students had fun cooking pinwheels, Weetbix slice, and vanilla biscuits, which they enjoyed tasting. For media arts we have joined Room 17 and had so much fun making two frame animation flip books.

In Science, we’ve been investigating producers, consumers, and decomposers. For HASS we are learning about the main biomes of the word and what type of plants and animals live in specific biomes. In Numeracy students have been completing two-digit addition.

I look forward seeing our students flourish throughout this term.

Miss Nelson and Room 18 Staff

At the start of this term, students reviewed the concept of safe and unsafe touch. A safe touch is a type of touch that helps you or makes you feel cared for and important. These might include high fives, helping someone to stand up, or putting on a bandaid. An unsafe touch would be a touch that hurts your body or feelings such as, hitting or kicking. The students are understanding that no one should touch them unless they want to be touched and give permission. No one should ever touch the private parts of their body (unless there is a really good reason, like going to the doctor). This has led into lessons about trusted adults and seeking help if students experience any kind of unsafe touch. Students are currently learning about the trusted adults in their lives.

Ms Boynton, Mr James, Ms M & Miss Beckett

Hello families,

This term, our ES5 students have embarked on an exciting journey through the rich and diverse theme of Australiana, exploring our unique culture and wildlife through both literature and art. The students have been fully immersed in the stories that bring the Australian bush to life, and it has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm grow with each new experience.

Our literary adventures began with the beloved classic Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan, where students delighted in the mischievous antics of the animals working together to outsmart a dingo. This was followed by Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles, a humorous tale that captivated their imaginations as they learned about identity and self-acceptance through Edward’s journey. We also explored the charming Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, which offered a whimsical look at the day-to-day life of one of Australia’s most iconic animals.

Beyond reading, the students have been channelling their creativity through art, inspired by the stories and the native Australian animals they've encountered. They have been working on various projects that capture the essence of the bush, from creating collages of emus to crafting wombat masks inspired by the stories that have been explored.

Everyone is eagerly looking forward to consolidating their learning with a special visit to the Australian Bushwalk at the zoo. This excursion will provide a wonderful opportunity for students to see some of the animals they've read about in their natural habitats, further deepening their connection to the theme. It promises to be an educational and memorable experience that will bring their classroom learning to life in a truly unique way.

We are so proud of the curiosity and creativity that the students have shown throughout this term, and we are excited to see how their understanding of Australiana continues to grow during our visit to the zoo.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you in the weeks to come!

Ant James and Staff

Hello Parents and Carers,

On our professional development day staff got to visit Kings Park Education Centre where we were educated on Indigenous culture and language and how to embed this in classroom instructions. We have since added some of the key Noongar words into our daily speaking and listening sessions. On Tuesday during music, we have been learning some key Noongar words and listening to Dreamtime stories and music. We have also been constructing nature-based artwork. The children have been enjoying these sessions.

The student has also been enjoying Thursday afternoon bike riding. There have been some fine afternoons where we could go and enjoy the sunshine. To our surprise we have some new bikes to ride, which has been a bit hit with the students.

Yours sincerely

Mrs. Lori and all staff from room 19

**Kayleah and Ranvijay enjoys riding the bikes.**

Year 6 - Rm 15

Term 3 in Room 15 has got off to a flying start! We had a visit from Armadale ESC Deputy and the future year 7 teacher for our students who will be attending AESC next year, they are showing lots of excitement for what is to come! Transitions for AESC students will begin in week 7. We will send Seesaw reminders closer to the time. Parents are responsible for dropping off at AESC and collecting at the end of the session. Byford and Atwell transitions to occur in term 4, details to come as we receive them.

In Literacy, we have been exploring persuasive writing. So far, the class have tried to persuade us to all go to Cannington Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, change to a 3-day weekend, blow up the world, and whether pineapple does or doesn’t belong on pizza (it doesn’t by the way). We are continuing to work on our persuasive language skills and how we can use these skills in general life activities.

We have been learning about time, fractions, and money in Math. The students have particularly enjoyed our fractions activities. We have been using food to help partition into halves, quarters, eighths, and even sixteenths.

Each Friday, we have been jetting off on community access. It has been great to see how the students interact with each other in the public. We always make sure to clean up after ourselves after eating recess in the food court, putting rubbish in the bin, and putting chairs and tables back if we have moved them ready for the next group to use.

We are getting excited for camp; it is coming up quickly. Please make sure paperwork is in ready to go. Please reach out if any questions.

Thank you,

Mrs Agius-Kaukau and Room 15 staff

Term 3 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/games 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 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday’s.

Wednesday’s this term is a girl’s group of 4 students working together to problem solve and team building whilst on Friday’s Ms Donovan takes 2 students to enjoy an afternoon of sensory play and engagement!

Student Support Officer
Sonia Candeloro-Ms C

Pre-Primary / Year 1 – ES3

It’s crazy to believe we are halfway through term 3 already. Time flies when you are having fun and having fun is what we do in ES3. So far this term we had pyjama day during week 1. With the weather being so cold, it was nice to be in our winter wear with our snuggly dressing gowns and Ugg boots. Following this we celebrated 100 days of school. Students each decorated their shirts and proudly showed them off at the assembly. Hunter even won a prize for best dressed. From week 3, students have been loving going to Shipwreck Park at Sienna wood. They love the swings, slides, climbing and flying fox. This not only helps our students access the community, but further improves their gross motor and play skills. In Maths we have been learning about money, time, and positional language. Students have loved sorting coins and adding coins to purchase items during role-play. In literacy we have been reading a range of Australian texts, including dreamtime stories. We have been making a range of craft which we are proudly displaying in the classroom, as well as learning to sequence the story. We look forward to seeing what the next 5 weeks bring for our little learners.

Great job everyone – ES3

Kaya/Hello, families. I have enjoyed watching the students’ progress and getting back into the swing of things for term 3. The students have demonstrated that they can care for their belongings, follow instructions, engage in learning, and support each other in the classroom.

The students enjoyed cooking pin wheels, Weetabix slice and vanilla biscuits to taste. In our garden students have watched the strawberries, peas and rhubarb grow and soon they will be ready to pick. The students were eager to ride on the public transport bus to the Armadale Library and Memorial Park to explore and play on the equipment.

During Art we have learnt about Piet Mondrian geometric shape art and the students have created their own modern taken on geometric art, to display at the Kelmscott Agricultural Show next term. In Sciences have been looking at different materials and seeing if they are translucent or opaque. During Numeracy the student have taken part in online Studyladder and have enjoyed the challenge to reach bronze and now working towards silver or gold.

Thank you to all the staff, in room 16. You been very productive, and you are very much appreciated.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well.

We would like to inform you that student update forms will be sent home with your child next week.

These forms are essential for ensuring that we have the most current and accurate information about your child.

Please take a moment to review and complete the forms and return them to the school by 6/9/24.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated as it helps us maintain effective communication and provide the best support for your child.

Along with the student update forms we will also be sending put Payment reminders, please keep an eye out for these forms in your child’s bag.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact the school office.

Finally, we are excited to announce that we will be having a “Wear Your Footy Colours to School” Day on 19/9/24. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to show their support for their favourite football/Sport teams and celebrate the spirit of the game.

On this day, we encourage all students to come to school dressed in their favourite footy team’s colours. Whether it’s an AFL, soccer, rugby, or any other football team, we want to see a vibrant display of team pride!

Please ensure that your child’s outfit is appropriate for school activities and that they wear comfortable shoes suitable for play.

We look forward to seeing all the colourful and enthusiastic displays of team spirit!

Kath Chamberlain

Manager Corporate Services

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.

Community Information for families

City of Armadale Community Health and Wellbeing News and Events

Please see below some upcoming community health and wellbeing events and services being offered within the City of Armadale.

HEALTH EVENTS

Seville Grove Community Group

Come along to this monthly gathering and have a yarn, share stories, and find ways to live a happier and more meaningful life. Running on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, this event is open for all members of the community, no bookings required and morning tea will be provided.

Click here for more info.

21 August | 10:00am - 12:00pm
Seville Grove Library

Meditation 4 Week Evening Program

Join us for this FREE four week Meditation and Mindfulness beginner program. Learn how to calm your mind and clear your thinking with meditation that works for you. Places are limited and bookings are essential.

Click here to secure your spot now!

Thursdays | 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Starting 29th August | Bakers House

Meditation 4 Week Daytime Program

Join us for this FREE four week Meditation and Mindfulness beginner program. Learn how to calm your mind and clear your thinking with meditation that works for you. Places are limited and bookings are essential.

Fridays | 10:00 - 11:00am
Starting 30th August | Frye Park Pavilion

Click here to secure your spot now!

Walk & Free BBQ

The Fathering Project invites you to come along and celebrate Father's Day with a walk/ride/scooter around Champion Lakes, followed by a BBQ Breakfast! Father's, father figures, families, and friends all welcome!

Tickets are FREE but you must register for catering purposes.

Click here for more info and to register.

Saturday 31 August | 8:30am
Henley Drive Carpark, Champion Lakes

Have Your say!

The City is committed to maintaining a healthy, safe and sustainable community for everyone, and as such, is seeking input from you to help develop its third Community Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Share your thoughts and you can go into the draw to win some great prizes!

Click here to enter. (PDF)

Click here to download the Community Health and Wellbeing Plan Survey

OTHER NEWS

Sound Healing Event

This series is for all women, including busy mothers, businesswomen & those in need of some time for self-care. We have tried to make this series as affordable as possible; registrations are essential.

Date: Tuesday September 3^rd, 2024

Times: 2:50 Registration
3:00-4:00 sound healing followed by light refreshments.

Venue: Mills Park Centre, 86 Brixton St, Beckenham WA 6107

*DOORS CLOSE AND HEALING STARTS AT 3:00 SHARP

Cost: $35.00 (sound healing & light refreshments incl)

BYO mats, blankets, pillows, eye mask etc

Click to book: What’s On – Women’s Health & Wellbeing Services (whws.org.au)

Disclaimer: In line with Equal Opportunities ACT, please be aware that our events are specifically designed to service and empower women. Therefore, participation is strictly limited to individuals who identify as women. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we aim to create a safe and supportive space for women.

Click here to download the Sound Healing flyer

Street Doctor has a second location!

The Street Doctor service is now available at two locations within the City of Armadale! Street Doctor is a FREE healthcare clinic for vulnerable people and people at risk of or experiencing homelessness within the City.

For more info, visit the website here.

Armadale Crafters

Click here to download the Armadale Crafters flyer

August Recipe Recommendation

A three-step curry that has a flexible ingredients list so you can use up any leftover veggies and it’s still delicious. Check out this affordable dinner to add to your next weekly meal plan.

Click here for the recipe.