Dear families

It is wonderful to be back at school and we have had a great first two weeks.  Many of the things that make the school a great place to be, such as Running Club, Breakfast Club, school banking and Gardening Club, have restarted. 

P&C Meeting

The next P&C Meeting will be held this Wednesday night from 7.00pm in the library.  Please come along. 

Important dates

As we move into the second part of the school year we have scheduled some key events which I am sure that everyone is looking forward to.  Please put these dates in your diary:

More specific information about times and what is happening will be sent home to families closer to the date.

Staff news

I would like to welcome Miss Charlotte Taylor to the school.  Miss Taylor will be teaching in the Kindy/Pre-Primary class in Room 32.  Miss Taylor will be taking over from Mrs Berry who has been with us for the past two weeks. 

Goodbye Mr Critchley

We would like to wish Mr Rory Critchley all the very best as he begins a new position at School of Special Educational Needs and Disability.

Mr Critchley will be sharing his STEM expertise across the broader Education system. This new appointment is a wonderful opportunity for him , he will be sadly missed by everyone at Joondalup Primary Schools.

A bouquet of thanks

At the end of last term Ms Lisa Ray finished up as a school volunteer at Joondalup Primary School.  A huge thank you to her for her many years of commitment.  During her time, she has seen many of our children start their school journey and been with them until their graduation.  Ms Ray has enjoyed being part of the school community.

Code of Conduct

In the past two weeks we have had a focus on how we are respectful, responsible and safe specifically in the community and eating areas.  We have given out faction tokens and ice cream vouchers to children who are good listeners, take pride in their work, show kindness, help others, are on time and well-organised, wear a bike helmet, use the roads safely, display good manners, put rubbish in the bins, sit down to eat, and only eat ice creams in the undercover area. 

Staff meetings

Next week is a big week for staff as there are a number of staff meetings.  This means that staff will arrive at class at 8.30am (instead of being in there much earlier) or leave as soon as the siren goes.  As the agendas are long, teachers like to maximise the time and get to meetings as quickly as possible. 

Assembly update 

There is an assembly on Friday 7 August from 8.50am in the undercover area and it being presented by the Year 4 children.  As outlined in yesterday’s letter, we need to monitor the number of visitors we have on the school site.  To do this we request that there is only one family guest for each child who is receiving an honour certificate and one family guest for each child in the Year 4 classes. 

Leading school improvement professional learning

On Monday Mrs Perry, Miss Hanrahan and I will be attending the first of a four-day workshop about school improvement.  It is an opportunity for us to think about how our implementation of the school’s business plan during the past six months (and not focus on COVID-19) and what needs to happen next.  Mr Mike Bibby and Mrs Stacey Young will be in the office and available to help children and families as required. 

Swimming lessons Term 4

In the coming weeks families will receive letters and forms for each of their children regarding swimming lessons for next term.  The schedule for lessons is:

Lessons cost between $40 and $60 per student depending on number of lessons, and if they are doing swimming at HBF Arena or the beach.  Please make sure that you pay promptly and all forms are also returned.

I am aware that there are many things that families are currently paying for – swimming lessons, camp, excursions etc.  If you are experiencing any financial difficulties, please come and talk to someone in the office because there are ways we can help.  Family financial constraints should not be the reason why children miss out on school activities. 

ESC is building a yarning circle

ESC is building a yarning circle between the two trees on the edge of the oval by Mrs Young’s classroom.  A yarning circle is a place for talking where people can meet to discuss ideas, share stories, and listen to each other.  Using a yarning circle is an important part of Aboriginal culture and Torres Strait Islander culture. 

Part of the school’s yarning circle will include 16 cut tree stumps for the children to sit on.  This week each class has been working on some designs that will be painted on the stumps.  The children’s ideas are very impressive and I can’t wait to see how they are used.

All about winter

This week some of the children from the PP/Year 1 class shared their writing with me.  They had written about what winter feels like and what they do.  Some of the children liked hearing the thunder, everyone loved a hot Milo or standing by the heater, and jumping in puddles and getting wet is still lots of fun.  Well done to all of the children! 

Parking around the school

I continue to be concerned about parking around the school and the movement of cars especially at the end of the day.  It is essential that drivers are patient and wait for children to move away from the school.  Staff are being extra vigilant about supervising children making sure that they don’t walk behind moving vehicles and that they are aware of their surroundings.  The reality is that the availability of parking spaces around Joondalup Schools is tight, we have a number of families who need access to ACROD bays, and that there is pressure during the peak times from 2.15-3.15pm.  The only way we are going to prevent serious injury is if people look out for children, adults are respectful of other families who do need to get away from school, and everyone waits.