NPPS Newsletter MAY 2024

Principal's Message

I hope this message finds you well and filled with the same sense of pride that I have as I reflect on recent events here at North Perth Primary School.

Firstly, I want to extend a big thank you to all our parents for their incredible support and participation in recent activities. Our recent Noongar music incursion with Gina and Guy was a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with and appreciate Indigenous culture, and I was delighted to see the enthusiasm and respect shown by all involved.

Our 1988 Dress Up Day was a wonderful success, with students and staff alike embracing the spirit of the occasion with their amazing costumes. Thank you to all parents for your creativity and effort in helping to make this day memorable for our school community.

Additionally, our ANZAC service was a fitting tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country. It was inspiring to witness our students paying their respects with such sincerity and reverence.

In other exciting news, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of our new school website. Please take a moment to explore the site and provide us with any feedback you may have. We're also proud to announce that all honour boards from 1922-2014 have been uploaded, with the most recent additions coming soon. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our school's rich history and achievements.

NORTH PERTH PRIMARY SCHOOL WEBSITE

For parents of prospective Kindergarten students, please take note of the information below regarding enrolments and appointments with Corrina Cook. Ensuring a smooth enrolment process is essential to avoid any disappointment, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TODAY

I'm delighted to share that our Early Childhood playground will soon be enhanced with the installation of a shade structure. This initiative aligns with our commitment to promoting sun safety and ensuring the well-being of our students.

I would also like to shout out to our new P&C Exec Team as they have sought feedback and insights from the parent community and launched their 2024/25 strategy. Exciting times ahead.

As always, I'm immensely proud of our school community and the dedication shown by students, staff, and parents alike. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to all the exciting opportunities and achievements that lie ahead for North Perth Primary School in collaboration with our school board and P&C.

Andrew Streeton

Staffing update

Year 1 Room 12

We're delighted to introduce Miss Katherine Pirone as the newest addition to our teaching team at North Perth Primary School. Miss Pirone will be the Year 1 Teacher in Room 12, stepping into the role previously held by Miss Cornish, who has made the decision to relocate to London. Miss Pirone officially commenced her duties on Monday; however, she has been actively involved in the transition process over the past few weeks, collaborating with Miss Cornish and getting to know the students. We extend a warm welcome to Miss Pirone and look forward to the positive contributions she will bring to our school community.

2024/2025 Teaching Pool

We are excited to share that the establishment of the Kindergarten to Year 6 Teaching Pool is nearing its final stages. This pool will serve as the primary resource for filling any fixed-term or permanent teaching vacancies that arise in 2024 and for offering positions for the upcoming year, 2025. We extend our sincere gratitude to our Board Chair, Daniel Smith, for his invaluable contribution as a panel member. His dedication and insights have been welcomed, ensuring a transparent and equitable process.

Thank P&C DAY

On Friday, May 24th, we'll be celebrating Thank P&C Day as part of National Volunteers Week at North Perth Primary School. To mark this occasion, we will be hosting a breakfast from 7:50am to 8:30am, extending invitations to all parent volunteers and staff members. We encourage you to join us as we express our deep appreciation for the invaluable contributions of our P&C and parent volunteers.

This event presents a wonderful opportunity to connect and build relationships across the school community. A variety of breakfast options will be available in the hall, and a complimentary coffee van will be stationed near the undercover area.

Please RSVP below to assist us with catering arrangements.

We hope to see you there.

RSVP HERE

ANZAC Service

On Wednesday 24 April 2024, our school commemorated the ANZACs at our ANZAC Day Service. The service allows us to remember not only the original ANZAC’s who served at Gallipoli and the Western Front during the First World War, but all Australian men and women who served, who are currently serving and those who have lost their lives for our country. The service was conducted by our student councillors who spoke with confidence and clarity. A highlight of the service was having both our school choir and string ensemble preforming for the first time this year. Mrs Haines has done a wonderful job this year getting students prepared for the performance. The choir performed a piece titled 'In the Silence' by Australian composer, Glyn Lehmann beautifully. Ms Jade Martin our ensemble conductor expertly, led the strings through the piece titled 'Simple Gifts' written in 1848. It was a moving service which we concluded with each student laying a sprig of rosemary at the base of our flag poles.

Music Incursion

Last week we had a wonderful incursion from the award winning singer-songwriter duo, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse. Gina and Guy had students singing, dancing and laughing along as they shared their songs in Noongar language. Students sung along with songs including: 'Wanjoo' - a welcoming song, 'Bindi Bindi' - a song about the butterfly, and 'Keyen Koodjal Daambart' - a noongar counting song. Head to Gina and Guy's YouTube channel to explore more of their music or search for them in your regular music app. In music class, students are currently learning the National Anthem translated into Noongar language which will be debuted at the assembly in Week 6 to mark Reconciliation Week. Students will continue to learn music in Noongar language throughout the term which will be shared at an assembly later this term.

1899 Dress Up Day

On Thursday 2 May 2024, North Perth Primary School embarked on a journey back in time to 1899. Students and teachers dressed up in their finest attire to commemorate our 125th Anniversary and to raise money for our Artist in Residence program. It was heartening to witness all the effort parents and students went to putting together their traditional costumes. Although blackboards are no longer a fixture in our classrooms, many teachers provided students with glimpses into classrooms from the past through activities from the bygone era. The day was a great success, allowing students to deepen their connection with our school’s rich heritage. In total, we raised $231 towards our Artist in Residence Program.

Artist in Residence - 125th Anniversary Project

The 125th Anniversary Art Project involving our Artist in Residence, Jodie Davidson has begun. Our artist is working with students to create a unique sculptural work that will stand in the now vacant garden space to the east of the newly reopened entrance to the school, facing Angove Street.

Jodie is working with Mrs Hanlon and our classes to develop a project that is unique to our school, and that represents what being 125 years old means to our current students. A thank you to those parents who came and helped Mrs Hanlon with preparing cans for the Year 1 and 2 students to emboss.

Classes have started the program with some drawing exercises to gather ideas and inspiration for our collaborative sculpture. They have worked on connecting the hand and eye. Students learned about drawing with a 'sharp eye' and not letting the brain tell them what they should draw. Trusting in one's eye is a real skill! Students' practices this by drawing without looking at their paper, drawing with their non-dominant hand and also creating single line works.

In their second session, students started to manipulate wire to create elements that will be used in the sculpture. This was new for most students and proved to be a bit tricky, involving use of tools and a trial and error approach. This sculpture will be a unique work with all parts being developed and made by students.

Carpark

As we strive to ensure the safety and convenience of all members of our school community, I'd like to kindly remind everyone about the use of the carpark at the end of Olive Street.

Please be advised that the carpark located at the end of Olive Street is designated for staff use only. We kindly ask that parents refrain from using this carpark, as it is essential for our staff members to have convenient parking options.

We understand that finding parking can sometimes be challenging, but there are sufficient 3-hour parking options available surrounding the school. We encourage parents to utilise these parking spaces to help maintain the functionality of our staff carpark.

Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated, as it ensures that our staff can efficiently carry out their duties without any unnecessary disruptions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Attendance

North Perth Primary School is striving to increase attendance of all students. The School Education Act 1999 requires parents to send their children to school each school day unless there is good reason for non-attendance.

The importance of attending school cannot be understated. There is a direct and measurable relationship between student absences and student achievement. The more a child attends school the better their outcomes. If your child attends school 90% or more of the time, they are deemed to be a regular attender. This equates to missing school no more than once a fortnight.

A student attending 90% of the time will miss:

  • 1 day per fortnight
  • 1 week per term
  • 4 weeks per year
  • 1 year of schooling by the end of year 9.

A student attending 80% of the time will miss:

  • 1 day a week
  • 2 weeks a term
  • 8 weeks per year
  • 2 years of school by the end of year 8
  • 3 years of schooling by end of year 12

Parents are required to notify the school within three days of any absence. Applications for vacation during school time must be approved by the Principal. Please contact the office if there are any issues that you wish to discuss or would like further support in ensuring your child’s attendance at school every day.

Kindergarten Enrolments 2025

We have commenced taking applications for enrolment for the following programs;

  • Kindergarten 2025 Children born between 01/07/2020 to 30/06/2021
  • Pre-primary 2025 Children born between 01/07/2019 to 30/06/2020

Application forms are available from the school office and Kindergarten applications close on Friday 19 July 2024. Please visit our website to make a suitable appointment time.

We ask that you bring with you for photocopying, your child’s;

  1. Birth Certificate (original or certified copy, an extract or equivalent identity documents)
  2. Two documents to support usual place of residence
  • Proof of ownership of property (purchase agreement/settlement papers/current rates notice) or current lease agreement
  • A current utility account

3) If both parents/guardians are born overseas, please provide child’s passport details or citizenship certificate.

4) If your child was not born in Australia, you must provide evidence of

  • Date of entry into Australia
  • Passport or travel documents
  • Current visa subclass grant number (if applicable)
  • Current visa subclass number expiry date

Please note: Students already attending Kindergarten at North Perth Primary School this year, are required to apply for 2025 and re-submit a current council rates notice if your property is owned or an updated lease agreement. Also, please provide a current utility account as proof of residential address and if your child has received their 4 year old immunisations, the updated AIR which is available from Medicare, for photocopying.

Once you have completed your application and have the supporting documentation, please contact our School Officer, Corrina Cook, to make arrangements to submit your application.

Voluntary Contributions

Contributions from parents play a vital role in supporting our school's resources and initiatives. The $60.00 voluntary contribution goes towards leasing iPads and acquiring interactive whiteboards, enriching the learning experience for our students.

Containers for Change

Our recycling has continued with great results across classrooms this term. We have now raised 5,239 containers for change in the past 7 weeks. This puts us at just over 10% of our target of 50,000 containers for the year. Well done to Rooms 1, 5, 9, 10, 12, and 13 for each bringing in more than 200 containers so far. Thank you for your continued support in this initiative to help promote recycling and raise awareness within the school community. If you have any containers for change, please continue bringing these in with your child to their classroom.

Warm regards, Chris Dombrowsky

Key Upcoming Dates

  • Monday 20 May - Kindergarten Health Screening commences
  • Friday 24 May - Assembly
  • Monday 27 May - Drama Stars WA Incursion commences for Kindy & PP students
  • Friday 30 May - Protective Behaviours Incursion commences for PP, Years 2 & 4 students
  • Monday 3 June - Australia Day Public Holiday
  • Tuesday 18 June - Second Hand Uniform Opening

2024 Term 2 Planner

Key Dates for Later in the Year

  • Friday 19 July - Kindy 2025 applications close
  • Friday 30 August - Athletics Carnival Year 1-6
  • Wednesday 4 September - Early Childhood Sports Day
  • Monday 14 October to Wednesday 16 October - Year 6 Camp at Woodman Point
  • Wednesday 27 November - Night of Celebration
  • Monday 9 December - Year 6 Graduation Ceremony

CLICK HERE for the link for Code Camp

P&C NEWS

COMMUNITY NEWS