Dear families

It is wonderful to be at school for the final term of 2021.  Where has the time gone?  I have begun my Christmas shopping because I sense that 25 December will be here before I know it!  If the shops are anything to go by, retailers and online shops also think that Christmas is fast approaching.

Term 4 is incredibly busy so I would encourage you to keep an eye on newsletters, Connect notices, and the school app for updates, instructions and reminders. 

P&C Association meeting 

This meeting is next Wednesday 27 October 2021 at 7.00pm in the new staffroom.

Colour Run

This important fundraiser for the P&C Association is on the afternoon of Friday 5 November 2021.  For those Year 6 students who are attending Belridge Secondary College for transition, don’t worry they will be back at school with plenty of time to participate.

Colour Run information was sent home last week so you can set up an online fundraising page.  You will use the fundraising page to select your prizes once the event is finished.

The online leader board is interesting to watch.  Well done to all of those who have a fundraising page.    The current class leader board is:

School Development Day

Don’t forget that the School Development Day is on Friday 12 November 2021.  No children come to school on that day.

Swimming lessons

This week information for families concerning swimming lessons was sent home.  The key dates are:

All swimming lessons are taking place at HBF Arena Joondalup, except Year 6 who are going to Mullaloo Beach.

Please make sure that you complete all the relevant forms and return them to the school and make payment by Monday 1 November 2021.

Year 6 Campers

Our Year 6 campers set off today for four days of fun and activities in Dwellingup.  Together with Miss Mercer, Mr Cutler, Miss Amanda, Mrs Egan, Miss O’Connor and Mr Easther, the children are up for a great week of abseiling, raft building, sport activities and archery to name a few. 

The children have been very busy packing to make sure that they have everything that they need.  Going by the size and amount of luggage, children have more than enough for four days.

I would like to thank all of the staff for the work that they have done to make the camp happen.  A very special thank you to Miss Mercer and Mr Cutler who have given so much time before, during and after school, as well holiday time, to triple check the lists.  Organising a camp is a huge undertaking and would not be possible without dedicated staff.

Assembly update

The next assembly is Tuesday 26 October and will be presented by the senior ESC classes.  Assembly commences at 2.15pm.

School grounds – more work has been done

Whilst it is still a way off, the new playground by the basketball courts is looking good.  It is brightly coloured and has all of the trimmings.  We are waiting for the softfall to be installed before we can let the children get into it.  Going by the number of faces that are pressed against the temporary fencing, everyone can’t wait.

There are slides on the bank in Nature Play and these are a hit with the children.  Day 1 of the term saw children queued for some slide action. 

Our ESC colleagues have invested in improving several spaces around the school including a seating area around the tree on the oval and better garden beds around the grounds.  We are very grateful for the commitment to making the school look great and for children to have more spaces to play and sit in.

Family budgets

I am very mindful that Term 4 is an expensive one for families.  Payment for the Year 6 Camp, swimming lessons, fundraisers, and Dodgeball competition (for selected students) stretches any family budget.  If cost is the only thing that is preventing your children from participating in any of the school events, come and talk to us in the office.  The conversation is confidential.  Our only focus is making sure that children can participate.

Thank you

The school holiday clean presented some challenges that even the best planning could not be accounted for.  I would like to thank all staff for doing a great job of cleaning classrooms and spaces where the children eat, play and learn.  A special thank to Mr Neil Knobbe, Cleaner in Charge, who oversaw the work and problem solved throughout the week.

Squid Game

‘Squid Game’ is the most streamed Netflix series in Australia.  The series is classified as Matured Accompanied (MA15+) and children under 15 should not watch MA15+ material unless they are in the company of an adult.  As a result of ‘Squid Game’ we are seeing a number of versions of the games in the school.  We will be actively redirecting the children to play something else and to make positive choices about how they spend their recess and lunch times.  Staff will also be quick to end an overheard conversation about ‘Squid Game’.

On Wednesday 22 September the School Captains held a Golden Ticket movie afternoon. The purpose of the movie afternoon was to encourage children to be respectful, responsible and safe. The School Captains handed out over 200 Golden Tickets and only 15 students were pulled out of a hat to win those tickets. The winners got to choose one friend to watch the movie with them. All students who attended got to enjoy an ice-cream sundae, popcorn and a juicebox whilst watching the movie Luca.

Selected Indonesian students’ work samples will be displayed at Joondalup Public Library from 23 October - 6 November. The display is part of Languages week celebration. We would like to say a big thank you to Sally Sibley for granting us permission to display the work samples.

Food Sculpture

Cupcakes

More great artwork has been completed on the science theme, 'food different by design'. The students viewed the work of Wayne Thiebald, who is well known for his artwork of food. 

The Year 6 students sculpted cupcakes out of clay and were coloured with an underglaze and sealed with a clear glaze.

Eggs

Following on from the 2D artwork of fried eggs the students in Year 1 sculpted eggs using clay. They rolled two different size pieces of clay into spheres and then flattened them, and then joined together. Once fired the students used underglaze and glaze to paint the egg.

Mugs, Pots and Vases

The Year 5 students created a mug, pot or vase out of clay. They sculpted a face on what they created and were glazed in a coloured glaze.

By now you should have received all the information on the Colour Explosion School Fun Run, taking place Friday 5 November at 1.45pm! Students will need to wear a WHITE t-shirt to school on the day as they will be covered in non-toxic, biodegradable colour powder from head to toe! There are some awesome prizes to be claimed and all funds raised will go back into our schools. Get fundraising today by creating your profile here - https://myprofilepage.com.au. Donations due before 4 November.

Orders for Book club are now open and can be placed online using LOOP. https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

Please see the link below for issue 7 of Book club.

https://www.scholastic.com.au/media/6530/bc721final.pdf