Kaya families

Welcome to Term 2 and the month of May.  I am not sure what is a greater surprise – one school term is complete or that we are in the fifth month of 2022.

Last week several new staff commence their teaching and education assistant appointments at the school.  Each of them has done exceptionally well navigating the nuances of a new school and are making their mark on the classes.  Thank you to the ‘regular’ staff who have provided valuable support to ease the transition for these staff members and the students.

COVID-19 update

We ended last week with new operating guidelines for COVID-19 which has resulted in some changes for everyone.  It is worth remembering that just because we have moved back to ‘normal’ COVID-19 is still in the community.  Everyone needs to abide by the close contact rules and remain at home if there is a positive COVID-19 test.  We will maintain cleaning levels and continue to use air purifiers in classrooms. 

Masks are not required for any one at school.  The decision to wear a mask is personal.

As the close contact rules have changed students, families and staff can expect less disruption caused by changing teachers and education assistances. 

Families are welcome to assemblies, face-to-face meetings, and being in classrooms before school for books and puzzles.

Please remember to keep children home if they are sick.  The school will contact families if children become unwell during the day.  If your children contract COVID-19, please notify the school.

The eased restrictions means that many of the clubs and choir enjoyed by children can return.  Please look out for information in the coming days.

Mother’s Day stall

This morning items from the P&C Association’s Mother’s Day stall sold very quickly.  Never fear, the stall will be back on Thursday morning from 8.00am in the undercover area.  Be quick!  Everything costs $5.00.

P&C Association meeting

There will be a P&C meeting on Wednesday 11 May at 7.00pm at the school.  Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Road safety and parking around the school

Unfortunately, some children have shown some risky behaviour when crossing the roads around the school and there have been some close calls.  Please help us to keep children safe by:

• Reminding them to look before crossing the road and walk to the car. We will reinforce this message to children in our lessons.

• Drive slowly and carefully around the school. The legal speed limit is 40km/h in school zones.  Children are unpredictable and can dart out between parked cars, misjudge how fast an oncoming car is moving, and be easily distracted.  By driving carefully, adults can be ready to react if a child is not paying attention.

• Only park in the designated areas.

• Considering becoming a traffic warden as there is a shortage of adults who would like this paid job. If you have the time, energy and meet the job requirements, it is worth applying to WA Police.

Mobile Phone Usage policy

In line with the Department of Education’s ‘Student Mobile Phones in Public Schools’ policy, Joondalup Schools’ policy has been reviewed and is included in this newsletter.  Mobile phones, including smart watches, are not required at school. 

Please email me at joondalup.ps@education.wa.edu.au if you believe your child needs to have a mobile phone so that permission can be given, and we have a central record of who has a phone at school.   Any phones or smart watches that are brought to the school will be stored in the classrooms and returned at the end of the day.

Should a child need to contact a parent during the day, the staff help children do this and vice versa.  The school will continue to forward message to children as needed throughout the day.

Exemptions will be granted for those children who a medical need.

What are the staff doing?

This is a question that is only asked occasionally because the answer is obvious - teaching, talking, listening, problem solving, marking, planning, and meeting.  The job is not as easy as that, but it is what most people would say.

In the coming weeks the staff have several things that they will do in addition to the obvious:

Writing business plan - We will be using staff meetings to get this important document written but there may be times when staff needed to be out of their classrooms to do some refinements.

Learning about the Curriculum Support Material – The School Curriculum and Standards Authority has published support materials that provide further detail about what needs to be taught in each year level.  Teachers will be working in year level groups to look at these materials to see how they can be used as planning tools. 

Engagment and de-escalation behaviour training – Some of the staff are due for a refresher course and others are completing this training for the first time.  Team Teach, as the program is known, helps staff to develop skills to maximise engagement and manage escalating behaviour. We want to be able to pre-empt  where something might go wrong, how to intervene in the most calm and supportive manner, how to minimise everyone’s distress, and what to do if the situation puts the safety of the child and others at risk.  

Sustainability planning – Mrs Phillips and Mrs Bennett are working of the school’s sustainability.  We have lots of elements of recycling, a wonderful garden, and a school commitment but we need to pull the multiple aspects together into a clear program. 

School Canteen

Did you know that the school canteen operates every day of the school week?  If you want a healthy, yummy and fuss-free recess or lunch, the canteen is the place to go!  Please support the canteen by using it regularly and consider volunteering.  

School uniform

Children need to wear a school hat all year round.  As it gets colder make sure that your children have a school jumper or jacket.  Please talk to the school if you need assistance.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to mums and grandmothers who love and nurture children.  Enjoy being spoilt by your loved ones.