NPPS Newsletter September 2024

Principal's Message

As Term Three draws to a close, it's a pleasure to reflect on the many exciting events and achievements we've shared as a school community. This term has been packed with activities, from our various excursions that brought learning to life beyond the classroom, to the thrilling Athletics Carnival and the Early Childhood Sports Day, where our youngest students displayed both enthusiasm and budding athletic skills.

Book Week was another highlight, with students and staff celebrating their love of reading through creative costumes and engaging activities. The cross country events and swimming lessons gave students more opportunity to show their sporting prowess.

Thank you to everyone—students, parents, and staff—who contributed to making this term such a success. We look forward to more adventures and achievements as we head into the final term of the year.

Planning for 2025 - Preparing for Growth

As we look ahead to 2025, we are excited to see our school community continue to grow. However, this expansion also presents challenges, particularly in accommodating our increasing student numbers. To address this, we have planned the installation of a new demountable classroom, which will be placed according to our Master Plan (see link below). The Department of Finance is overseeing this installation, and we are hopeful it will be ready in time for the new school year.

In the event that the demountable classroom is not installed on schedule, we have a contingency plan in place. We may temporarily utilise a new Early Childhood classroom at Kyilla Primary School to ensure all students have a suitable learning space in the short term. We are doing everything possible to have all students on site at the commencement of the year, and we will keep you updated on this situation as it develops. Our priority is to have the least amount of impact on families as possible. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to provide the best environment for our students.

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Composite Classes

Composite classes, which combine students from two year levels, are a necessary part of our school structure due to fluctuating student numbers and the need to use our resources efficiently. While the idea of composite classes may seem challenging at first, they offer several educational and social benefits and are common practice in most schools.

These classes provide opportunities for peer learning, where older students can reinforce their own knowledge by helping younger classmates, while younger students benefit from the guidance and support of their older peers. Teachers in composite classes often employ flexible teaching strategies, catering to a range of abilities and promoting independent learning skills. This learning environment fosters a sense of community, collaboration, and adaptability—valuable skills for all students.

Composite classes are an effective way to ensure all students receive quality education, despite the varying sizes of our year groups.

Grounds Sub Committee

I’d like to extend my gratitude to the Grounds Sub Committee—Lisa McGann, Nadia Tamigi, Lisa Montgomery, Nathan Calleja, and Daniel Smith—for the time and effort invested this term in developing the school’s Grounds Master Plan. You can view the plan via the link below.

MASTERPLAN

Heart of the School Project

In Stage 2 of the master plan, you'll notice that the ‘grassed’ area next to the undercover assembly area is set for an upgrade. We are currently consulting with staff and students to gather ideas on how they envision using the space and what features they’d like to see included. Parents are also invited to share their feedback at the upcoming P&C General Meeting on Monday, 14 October. We hope to see you there.

School Development Day Survey Results and Future Planning

Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent School Development Day survey. Your feedback has been invaluable in guiding our decisions. After reviewing the data, the School Board has carefully considered your input and decided to keep the School Development Days as the first day of each term in 2025.

As we continue to prioritise meaningful professional development and balance staff well-being, we may conduct another survey in 2025 to gather updated insights from staff. This ongoing dialogue helps ensure that our planning aligns with the needs of our school community. We appreciate your continued engagement and support.

Education Assistant Appreciation Week

We are incredibly fortunate to have an amazing group of Education Assistants working at our school. Their dedication and passion is continually evident in the positive interactions they have with our students, parents and teachers on a daily basis.

Our Education Assistants assist in creating a warm and supportive environment that helps our students feel safe, valued and excited to learn. They demonstrate commitment, patience and flexibility to cater to the students and schools varied needs.

We wish to thank them for being a vital part of the NPPS team and for making a real difference to our community.

We hope you had a happy Education Assistant Appreciation Week!

Staff Update

Finally, we wish our wonderful music teacher, Mrs Haines, all the best as she takes leave for two terms. Mrs Haines is expecting her third child, and we will look forward to welcoming her back in Term 2 next year.

I have encouraged all staff to disconnect during the school holidays to relax and recharge. Term 3 has been incredibly busy, and it's important that we take care of ourselves so we can continue to give our best to our students each day.

Andrew Streeton

Music News

Massed Choir Festival - First Rehearsal

On Wednesday 11th September, our Year 4-6 choir students attended their first Massed Choir rehearsal at Churchlands SHS along with the 12 other primary schools involved in their concert. Students from North Perth PS worked hard to rehearse the 11 pieces they will be performing for this prestigious concert in Term 4. Well done to our choir students and thank you to the parents who helped us out with this excursion.