The first two weeks have been very busy, many of the children and staff were tired by last Friday.  The heat took its toll and I would like to acknowledge the flexibility and adaptability of the staff and children to do things that kept children as cool as possible.

It has been delightful to see how well the Kindy children have adapted to school life.  They have been quick to make friends and reconnect with those who did Play and Learn together, discovered the playground, and participated in a range of activities in the classroom.

In the past week we have farewelled some families who have moved out of the area.  We have also welcomed new families and I hope that they have a wonderful time at Joondalup Primary School.

P&C Association meeting

Please remember that our first P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 19^th February 2020 commencing at 7.00pm at the school.  Come along and find out how what is happening around the school.

Student Update Forms

Next week all families will receive update forms for their children.  Please check the forms and make any changes required.  You may have moved house, changed your email address, got a new phone number or want different emergency contacts for your children.  Accurate information is very important to the school and makes a huge difference if we want to contact you.  If the form is correct you can just tick the box, sign the form and return it to the office.

For every family that returns their forms, your name will be entered into a raffle for great prizes.

More details will be sent out next week.

New shed

Our new shed, which will be next to the early learning play area, is coming soon.  We hope to move things into the shed in early March.

On-entry assessment

As some parents will be aware, Pre-Primary and Year 1 children are currently completing the On-entry assessment tasks in literacy and numeracy with their teachers and education assistants. The test kits come from the Department and provides the teachers with valuable data that they use in lessons planning.  It is also an important starting point for a conversation with parents about what children can already do and ‘what is next’ in their learning.

Open Night

The school’s Open Night is on Tuesday 3^rd March 2020 and will commence at 5.00pm with a sausage sizzle.  Classes are open from 6.00 to 7.00pm and gives you an opportunity to meet the staff and have a look around your child’s class.  Teachers will be able to answer quick questions about the general running of the class or you can set up a time for a longer appointment to discuss your child’s needs. 

Class information booklet

Each teacher is providing families with a class information booklet. The booklet is a handy reference that tells you how things, such as homework and home reading, operate in the class.

Classroom Visits

Yesterday I visited Year 2, Room 19 and saw some wonderful writing.  The children were writing Valentine’s Day messages for their families.  You will be pleased to know that you are very much loved “to the moon and back" and “to the edge of the planet”.  Dads make great “tickle monsters”, Mums make us “calm” and “look after us”, and brothers and sisters make us laugh and are “fun to be with”. 

Faction Athletics

Mr Lee and all of the children have been busy learning the team games for the upcoming faction athletics carnival.  There has been plenty of throwing, catching and running.  Training during class time will be taken up a notch in the coming weeks.  Please make sure that children have a hat and water bottle every day.

Here are some things that you need to know:

• The main Faction Carnival is on Friday 20^th March 2020.
• Monday 16^th March 2020 - Jumps
• Tuesday 17^th March 2020 - Throws
• Wednesday 18^th March 2020 - Tug of War
• We hope to hold the carnival at school. 
• Children need to wear a faction t-shirt, school shorts and a hat.
• Children need to bring a morning snack, lunch, and a filled water bottle.
• Championship medals will be given to a boy and a girl in years 3, 4, 5, and 6.  Scoring for the medal is based on individual events.
• There will be face paint available on the day of the carnival.  Please do not bring coloured zinc or hairspray to school.

Student Mobile Phone usage

A reminder that students who bring a mobile phone to school are required to hand it to the class teacher at the beginning of the day and then collect it at the end of the day.  For those students who wear smart watches, the watch needs to be switched to aeroplane mode.  The best way for parents to contact students during the school day is to call the office and ask for a message to be relayed to the student’s teacher.  If your child is sick, we will always contact parents.

A copy of the school’s mobile phone policy is attached.

Phase of Learning Team meetings

One of the cornerstones of the school’s business plan is the work of the school’s POLTs and SALT.  POLT stands for Phase of Learning Team and SALT, Specialist Areas Learning Team.  We have POLTs for K-Year 1, Year 2-4, and Year 5-6, and a specialist teacher team.  POLTs and SALT meet regularly to review school plans, plan learning programs together, and use the time to problem solve.  Next week all of the POLT are meeting before or after school.  If your child’s teacher races off after the siren, most likely they are on the way to a meeting so it would be appreciated if you held off on any discussions about your children and their specific needs.

Assembly

The first assembly for the year is on Friday 21^st February 2020 at 8.50am and will be presented by the Student Councillors.  Come along and hear the school news and see who receives the first honour certificates.

Student Behaviour

             Be Respectful                Be Responsible                  Be Safe

Our three Bs are well-known to the children and the staff.  The Bs are the school values and underpin our conversations about behaviour and the expected standard. 

Each fortnight we are having a focus on a specific area in the school and children will receive rewards if they are seen doing the Bs in that space.  Our focus is the eating areas. 

Being respectful means that we leave our area clean and put rubbish in the bin.  We use manners and are polite to those around us.

Being responsible means that bring water to school, sit down to eat, line up at the canteen, wait to be dismissed after the 10 minute eating time, and make healthy food choices.

Being safe means we only eat the food that is provided by our parents, don’t share our food with others, and eat ice-creams in the undercover area.

There will be more information next week about some of the new things that are being introduced or revamped into across the school.