20 September 2024

Principal’s Update

Kaya families,

It has been a great Term 3 with students and staff celebrating and raising awareness for Book Week, National Indigenous Literacy Day, RU OK Day, and the Starkick Carnival.

Our Sports Carnival has been rescheduled to the 18^th October 2024. I am looking forward to seeing all of our families join us on the day. Sausage Sizzle orders through the P&C will be carried over to the day.

I am excited to share with you all that the school has been successful for the Creative Schools Grant. The grant will focus on developing a Picture Book in collaboration with a resident artist, writer, and teacher for our school community. The book will capture the talents and strengths of our students and be a resource to celebrate who we are as a GPESC community. The book will be given to students (current and prospective) to also aid in a successful school transition. The project will commence in April 2025 and finish in November 2025 with an art exhibition. More information will be shared in 2025 about the opportunity.

Congratulations to all our award winners from Assembly this term and our PBS Superstars! Well done on demonstrating our school values of perseverance, excellence, safe and communication.

Have a great holiday break, enjoy the weather, and see you all in Term 4.

Natasha Naylor
Principal

Year 1 – ES2

Greetings to all our wonderful friends and families! We are thrilled to share the latest highlights and celebrations that Room ES2 has enjoyed over the past few weeks. On Tuesday, 20th August, our Community Access excursions to Don Simmons Reserve began. During these outings, our students have been actively developing their gross motor skills, social interactions, and road safety awareness while enjoying the fresh air and outdoor activities. Just a day later, on Wednesday, 21st August, Gwynne Park Education Support Centre and Gwynne Park Primary School came together for the much-anticipated Book Week parade. Students from both schools joined in the fun, dressing up as their favourite book characters and celebrating a love of reading. On Wednesday, 4th September, we celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day with ES4, where both classes shared stories and showcased a beautiful artistic display, celebrating Indigenous cultures and their contributions to literacy. Our week of activities continued with RUOK Day on Friday, 13th September, when students showed their support by wearing bright yellow. As part of the day, students crafted small yellow flowers, with each petal representing something that brings them happiness. You can find these lovely creations on the noticeboard outside Gwynne Park Primary School. Finally, to top off the term, all five Early Years classes took an exciting trip to Perth Zoo on Thursday, 19th September. It was a day filled with laughter, excitement, and new discoveries as students explored the animal exhibits and enjoyed the adventure. The fun doesn't stop here, though—next term, GPESC will be learning about different celebrations from around the world, and we can't wait to share more exciting news with you in Week 5 of Term 4. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

From Mrs. Abbott and the ES2 Team.

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Year 4/5 - Rm 17

The end of the term has snuck up on us and it’s time for our last set of school holidays before the end of the year. We have been very busy this term and would like to share some of our highlights with you.

In English, we have been studying the texts ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ and ‘Whale Watching’. Our activities have involved inventing our own aliens and which underpants they like and using pictures from our AQWA trip to describe different sea creatures.

In Maths, we have been working on addition, subtraction, and multiplication. We’ve used surfing teddy bears, flying insects, and jars of lollies to work out the answer to a variety of problems. We’ve also been learning about paying for items with coins and notes, using different combinations.

In Science, we have continued to learn about the adaptations that different animals have to survive in their environment. We’ve learned about polar bears, platypuses, and sloths! Our Digital Media class with Room 18 has us learning about animation, and we have started our own animated film called ‘The Very Koboorl-wirt Weitj’, a.k.a. The Very Hungry Emu. We have also been learning about coding on Fridays, which involves solving puzzles and directing a cat across a terrain, picking up coins to reach the finish line.

We’ve also had some fun event days! The Book Week parade and Indigenous Literacy Day were filled with some great activities. We dressed up and did our walk for Book Week, and on Indigenous Literacy Day we read the story ‘Tom Tom’ and used paper craft to make a pond with some grass, a campfire, and crocodiles.

Congratulations to this term’s award winners, Jay and Mason. You should be proud of your efforts! Have a happy and safe break,

Tim Horton and Room 17 Staff

Year 2 – ES4

Dear Families!

Can you believe we’re already in Week 10 of Term 3, It’s been a fun and busy time in our class, and we’re excited to share what we’ve been up to!

Literacy and Numeracy

We’ve been learning letters and sounds, continuing with Phase 2 and moving up to Phase 3 in the programme. We’ve had fun using these sounds to talk about pictures and their description. We’ve also enjoyed reading Dreamtime stories as part of NAIDOC Week and National Indigenous Literacy Day, helping us connect with Aboriginal culture. As a class, we’ve been working together to write sentences during our predictable chart writing sessions.

In Numeracy, we’ve been revising our knowledge of days of the week and months of the year, confidently counting to 50 and above and from 50 backwards, to get the hang of numbers and their sequence. We are getting confident with Australian money identification and their values. We’ve had a blast using math games on the smartboard to make learning fun, during our digital technology integrations. We’ve also started learning how to tell the time to O'clock while learning and differentiating analogue and digital clocks.

STEM and Art

In technology, we’re learning to type our names on the iPads and take photos. Our cooking and craft sessions have helped us get more independent as we follow recipes to make yummy food. We’ve also learned how to control robots using iPads, which has been super cool! In art, we’ve been making characters from our weekly books using different materials. Working on our colouring skills by staying inside the lines to create masterpieces.

HASS and Health

In HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences), we’ve been learning about the continents and their shapes and matching the names on the world map. We even visited Perth Zoo, where we saw animals from all around the world. Afterwards, we made fun zoo-themed crafts, including drawing the animals and their keepers.

In health, we’re practicing good hygiene, like washing our hands before eating and cooking. We’re also learning how important it is to drink water and listen to our bodies. We had an amazing time performing at the school assembly, spreading the message "Seatbelt Keeps Us Safe" to remind everyone about road safety with the "Buckle up song".

We’re so proud of everything the kids have achieved this term. They’re growing and learning so much! Thanks for all your support, and we can’t wait to celebrate even more success in Term 4.

Warmest Regards,
The ES4 Teaching Team (Mr S, Mrs Davey, Ms Anna, Ms Lintern, and Mrs Batula)

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Physical Education

Cycling is a life-long skill that builds independence and resilience. Over the past few weeks, we have had some great successes with some of our students transitioning from 3-wheeler trikes to 2-wheel conventional bikes – without training wheels or supports. Beginning mostly independently on a “balance” bike, students learn to concept of balancing on the 2-wheel bike while not needing to navigate pedalling too. First students master “gliding” which is moving on the balance bike without touching the ground. When they can regularly “glide” over 5 meters, they are ready to ride a pedal bike. Beginner users of conventional bikes do need 1-on-1 help to ensure safety through using brakes, using feet to prevent the bike falling over, and avoiding gaining too much speed going down hills!   We will continue to build on these skills next term and look forward to many more conventional riders by the end of the year! It has been a real pleasure to see students willing to try something new. These students should be congratulated on their perseverance and excellence. We have been impressed with how fast they have learnt these new skills!

Ms Boynton, Mr James, Ms M & Ms Beckett

Kindy / Pre-Primary – ES1

This term has been a very busy one.  It’s hard to believe we are three quarters of the way through the year already.  Everyone is tired and looking forward to having a break with their families to recharge for the remainder of the year.  We recently farewelled Mrs Thompson, she has retired after working at the school for 21 years.  We will all miss her.

In science, they have continued to observe what happens when materials are mixed.  They had fun using droppers filled with coloured vinegar and adding it to a tray of bi carb soda.  There were some curious expressions as they watched the vinegar bubble.  In the playground some of them played with ooblick which is a mixture of cornflour and water.  The resulting mixture is both a solid and a liquid.  The students enjoyed feeling the ooblick and letting it run between their fingers.  Some of them made a solid ball then watched as it turned back into a liquid that poured through their fingers.

In literacy our focus books have included From Head to Toe, Duck Apple Egg, The Cow That Went Oink and Where is the Green Sheep. They have completed a range of activities including artwork related to the stories.  In maths one of their goals is related to the position of objects, students are starting to grasp the concept of following instructions to move an object to a new position. 

Developing independence is a priority in the classroom.  It is great to see the progress they are all making.  From carrying their own bags, then unpacking them, getting and putting away their lunchboxes, learning how to put on their own socks and shoes, and packing away items when they have finished are some of the skills they are practising. Even though their bags might be big it is important for them to take responsibility to carry them.  This all helps develop independent life skills for the future, and to not rely on someone else doing everything for them as they grow older, and progress to the next stage of their school years.

Wishing everyone a break filled with fun and happiness.  We look forward to seeing their smiling faces next term.  Thank you for the support of the amazing team of Education Assistants who are all dedicated to supporting all the students to achieve to the best of their ability. 

Jan Collier and ES1 staff.

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In the Spotlight…….

Hi! I’m Sarah, the Student Wellbeing Officer from Anglicare. I’m here every Monday to support students in building confidence and resilience through small group, strength-based sessions. During lunch and recess, I run fun and engaging activities where students can practice their social skills. I also work closely with families and the school to connect them to a variety of services offered by Anglicare. I love art, LEGO, and exploring the mysteries of the deep sea and outer space!

AIEO

Kaya parents and carers,

In term 3 our whole school joined in National Indigenous Literacy Day held on 4^th of September, showcasing Indigenous Authors and Illustrators. Each class were given a book to read, create and complete an activity, and share the activity with other classes. It was so amazing to see all the classroom displays.

We also had Binar Futures come and share fortnightly workshops with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, where they help build confidence, self-determination, culture, and mentorship. Our students all enjoy their time with the Binar mentors, and we look forward to them returning in term 4 with more exciting things to come.

Year 4/5 - Rm 18

Hello Families,

On Wednesday, August 21st, Gwynne Park Education Support Centre and Gwynne Park Primary School united for a wonderful Book Week parade themed around "Reading is Magic." The event was a hit, with fantastic costumes and a heart-warming display of students cheering each other on and enjoying the atmosphere.

We also celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day with Room 16. Both classes engaged in a story reading session followed by an activity where we created bumblebees and coloured in Australian animals for a display.

On Friday, September 13th, some of our students participated in Starkick Football. It was a lively day filled with running and kicking the ball, and everyone had a great time.

In our enterprise project, we initially aimed to share our homemade bath bombs. Unfortunately, production challenges led us to pivot to making bird feeders instead. We’re excited about this new direction and look forward to sharing our creations soon.

Our students have been thriving in their literacy skills, slowing down handwriting and focusing on neat handwriting. We have been learning about suffixes and how they can change and add meaning to a root word. We have been learning to highlight informative text to help us create a fact file on Australian animals and help find adaptations linking to HASS. Students have also been learning about the Biomes in which these animals live and have been exploring other animals such as sloths and polar bears.

In maths, students have shown resilience in using a protractor to measure angles, with this information they have been learning to identify if the angle is acute, obtuse, or a right angle. Students have thoroughly enjoyed Studyladder. It is amazing to see their determination and perseverance to complete tasks to earn points that earn certificates, and their excitement and love of learning when they earn a certificate.

Room 18 Staff and I hope everyone has a lovely holiday and we can’t wait to see everyone in Term 4!

Protective Behaviours

In protective behaviours this term students continued to build on their understanding of public and private, safe and unsafe touch, “no go tell” and trusted adults. Students have learned about how to be safe around strangers in the community. They have explored how to identify and ask a Community Helper for help (instead of a stranger) if they are lost. Students have been taught that any new “friends” they might meet online are usually strangers. They have learned to stay safe online by not sharing private information such as images online with strangers. They have also worked on how to respond to cyberbullying.

Mr James, Ms Boynton & Miss Beckett

Year 2 – ES5

Hello families,

This term in ES5 has been filled with exciting learning and memorable experiences! We wrapped up our “Australiana” theme with an incredible excursion to Perth Zoo. The students loved seeing the unique Australian animals up close and learning more about our country's amazing wildlife. It was the perfect way to end our unit!

In the classroom, we’ve been exploring money concepts and drama through play by setting up our very own ES5 supermarket! Students took on different roles, practicing buying and selling items, handling money, and learning valuable life skills – all while having lots of fun.

One of the most special highlights of the term was learning about and sharing our diverse backgrounds and cultures with one another. Each student had the chance to tell their classmates about their family traditions and heritage, helping to create a stronger sense of connection and understanding within our classroom community.

It’s been a fantastic term, and we’re excited for what’s to come next!

Ant James and Staff

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Year 2/3 - Rm 19

Hello parents and carers,

Term three has gone so quickly and the students are ready for a rest and a holiday in preparation for the final term of 2024.

Room 19 students have been working hard on their assembly item called the ‘Trepak Song’ or the plate dance as we have named it. This is because the students will be performing the song using plates as percussion instruments. We have added a storyline. The students are pretending to be cooks in an Italian kitchen, cooking spaghetti, when a customer complains that the spaghetti is cold. This doesn’t go down too well with the cooks who go into a frenzy and break out into the plate dance. Spaghetti is flying around the kitchen everywhere. The students have been practicing all term with pretend spaghetti stuck to their plates and they are excellent at following the choreography.

The students have been creating a lot of paper artwork this term by following visual directions to assemble a collage or paper model.  We have had some terrific results displayed in and outside our classroom.

Have a restful break and we will see you all next term.

Mrs. Lori and room 19 staff

Year 6 - Rm 15

What an amazing term three we have had! Our students have been working hard to learn new skills and try new things. It was fantastic seeing our students who will be attending Armadale ESC next year begin their transitions to high school with enthusiasm and confidence. Byford and Atwell transitions will begin next term.

During Literacy, we have continued working on our persuasive writing skills. The arguments made have been interesting and the language used has improved over the term. We will begin looking at some informational writing next term linked in with our HASS outcomes.

There has been a lot of fun activities explored throughout our math sessions, cooking and partitioning food for fractions has been enjoyed by all. It has also helped us practice our knife skills.

In Media Arts, we have been practicing taking photos and making videos, then using the iMovie app, we have been putting together a little movie. We will continue working on this next term and will hopefully have some mini movies we can share with you all via Seesaw.

Week 10 will see the class attend the Year 6 ESSN camp. We will share pictures once we return from camp.

Have a safe and happy holiday and we look forward to seeing you all return for our final term of the year.

Thank you,
Chloe and Room 15 staff.

Pre-Primary / Year 1 – ES3

Welcome to ES3’s term 3 newsletter. It’s hard to believe we are ¾ of the way through the school year. The last 5 weeks have been so busy and have just flown by. This month has been brimming with exciting activities and events for our class! In Week 5, we dove into Science Week, where students engaged in hands-on experiments and interactive learning that sparked their curiosity. Week 6 brought the magic of Book Week, with students immersing themselves in captivating stories and creative book-related activities. We joined mainstream with the parade and Hunter won the prize for best dressed and Toby and Holden won golden tickets to a sensory experience with others from around the school. Although our much-anticipated sports carnival was unfortunately cancelled, we made the most of Week 8 by celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day, deepening our understanding of Indigenous cultures and stories. Within our class, we focused on the Rainbow Serpent and Big Rain Coming, where we joined with ES3 for some outdoor activities, including making rain, washing windows, and leaf art. To cap off an eventful term, we’re looking forward to our Week 10 zoo excursion, where the entire early childhood will explore and learn about wildlife in an enriching outdoor experience. It’s been a month full of learning and fun!

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Year 4/5 - Rm 16

Hi Families,

Room 16 has been busy in the last half of term 3 with the Book Week parade, National Indigenous Literacy Day, RUOK Day, Starkick Football, and completing orders for our classroom Cookie Lab & Co biscuit mix for enterprise. We missed out on travel training to Armadale Library and Memorial Park in week 6, due to the weather so hopefully we get to go again in term 4 weeks 3 and 6. We also want to give a warm welcome Mr Littleton in room 16 while Ms Williams is on long service leave traveling.

In art, we have been painting pinecones and we’ve made some weaving mats. The students enjoyed cooking while learning to be safe when use a hot frying pan.  The students have focused on Geography, knowing facts about Australian animals, continuing the animal theme into drama, and acting out how animals move, jumping kangaroos and walking like an emu. In Science, Ms Mbewe is teaching Biological Science the students have been learning about plants and how they grow from seed.

We continue to practice riding bikes around the bike track and trying to remember to slow down around the corners, to be safe. In Maths, the students have challenged themselves in Studyladder. Jeremia with a bronze trophy, Ebony with a gold certificate, Noah with a silver ribbon, and Kaitoa with a silver ribbon, congratulations to everyone for achieving your personal best.

We look forward to more events happening, in term 4 with the ESSN Soccer Carnival, our school Sports Carnival, Day for Daniel, and the end of year celebrations. Take care on your holidays and I will see you next term in week 3.

Dianne Williams and Room 16 Staff

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Front Office

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well.

I can’t believe we are heading into Term 4 of 2024! With this in mind, we will be sending home information regarding next year’s Voluntary Contributions and Charges soon. This will provide you with an overall amount related to the cost of educational experiences, incursions, and excursions that will be requested in 2025.

Booklists will also be available next term on the school website under the ‘For Families’ tab.

If you require a paper copy, please contact Administration.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community!

Kath Chamberlain
Manager Corporate Services

Payments to the school 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

Yoga and Meditation

Always wanted to try yoga? Kookaburra Yoga, together with the City of Armadale and LiveLighter are offering a limited number of FREE Yoga and Meditation classes this Spring. Even if you have no knowledge or experience of yoga, everyone is welcome! Bookings are essential.

For dates and to book, visit the website.  

Starting 6 September | Various Times
Kookaburra Yoga, Bedfordale

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.

18 September | 10:00am - 12:00pm
Seville Grove Library

World Suicide Prevention Day Event

Come together and join us as a community to acknowledge World Suicide Prevention Day. It will be a morning of fun activities with local community organisations, live painting by Aboriginal Artist Blueyesart and so much more! All are welcome. 

10 September | 9:30am - 12:00pm
Armadale District Hall, Armadale

Seniors Hiking Program

Are you over 60 and interested in spending more time outdoors? Join Hike West for an enjoyable, accessible introduction to bushwalking, where you will have the opportunity to walk alongside existing club members and develop your bushwalking skills and confidence.

15 September | 9:00am
Settlers Common, Bedfordale

Older Person Mental Health First Aid

Join us for this two day course which will teach you to recognise mental health problems in adult persons aged 65+. Learn skills like how to have a conversation about mental health and how to assist in a crisis.

Morning tea and lunch provided and bookings are essential. For more info and to book, visit the website. 

24 & 25 September | 9:00am - 4:30pm
City of Armadale, 7 Orchard Ave

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 – 19th September | 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 – 20th September | Frye Park Pavilion

Click here to secure your spot now! 

FREE Yoga

Did you know there is FREE outdoor yoga offered in Hilbert? Join Live Life Get Active at one of their sessions to start or continue your health journey. 

Sessions are available at 5:15pm and 9:30am, and run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during school terms. 

To find out more and to register, visit the website. 

nom! Children Program

Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-5 years? Join us for this FREE five week healthy eating and cooking program where you'll learn the tools to create positive eating experiences for the whole family!

Places are limited and bookings are essential.

Fridays | 9:30am - 12:00pm
11 October - 8 November 
Creyk Park Pavilion, Kelmscott

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!

OTHER NEWS

The Art of Saying Thank You Card Making

Join us to learn about the well-being science and the “how” of saying “Thank You” and create beautiful, heartfelt “Thank You Cards” that spread joy to both the giver and the receiver and foster a deeper sense of connection. All the materials for creating thank you cards are supplied.

26 September | 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Bakers House, Harrisdale

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 Highland Gathering and Kilt Run

Join us to celebrate all things Scottish at the largest Highland Gathering event held in WA! There will be the Perth Kilt Run, Scottish market stalls, highland dancing, bagpipe competitions, meet and greet Scottish dogs and so much more!

For more info visit the website

Armadale Crafters

September Recipe Recommendation

Spring is a great time to cook with cabbage because they will be at their tastiest but also at their lowest price. 

Try this tasty tray bake recipe from LiveLighter!

Click here for the recipe!

Share your healthy food experiences

East Metropolitan Health Service is looking for people to join a community consultation project and take part in digital storytelling.

The sessions will be held at 3 workshops over 3 weeks, and up to ten people will be chosen for the project and reimbursed for their time. 

For more info click here