23 May 2014

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Community,

We have come to the end of yet another busy week and are nearly half way through the term. NAPLAN testing has been completed. Parents of students in Years 3, 5 and 7 will receive an individualised report in September. PEAC testing will be conducted with the Year 4 students on the 29th and 30th May. These formal testing situations are often hard for children who have a difficulty with anxiety.

Anxious children tend to see the world as a dangerous place. They fear getting hurt, either physically or socially. They can feel anxious even when there is no actual danger. The way children deal with their anxiety can make it worse. If children keep avoiding the things that make them anxious they do not learn helpful ways to cope and their anxiety may keep growing. Everyone gets anxious in certain situations. In children, fears and worries are not unusual. If anxiety is extreme, it can stop children learning well, joining in with others and enjoying life.

A child with anxiety difficulties may….

• seek reassurance often
• avoid situations they feel worried or scared about
• try to get others to do the things they are worried about
• tell you they have physical pains
• dislike taking risks or trying new things
• have lots of fears
• get upset easily
• have lots of worries

Parents and carers can…

• Teach children to be brave by showing them you believe they can do things and encourage them to have a go even when they are scared or worried. You might remind them of a time when they were brave and it worked.
• Break larger goals into small steps that children can succeed with, and praise their success using specific language to the success.
• Teach children helpful self-talk. Instead of saying to themselves, “I can’t do this,” encourage them to say, “I’ll give it a go.” Help them to see by worrying less they can do more and feel better about themselves.
• Help them learn relaxation skills. Breathing slowly to calm down and imagining yourself coping in a scary situation are really helpful ways of managing anxiety. Doing it with them is a fun way to start.

If you have concerns your child is over anxious talk with your child’s classroom teacher about how your child is managing at school and investigate the resources the school can offer such as Donna Bray, our school psychologist and the services provided at the school by OnPsych.

Danielle Stitfold
Principal

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability

All schools nationally will be part of a project about students with disability and/or learning difficulties. In August we will be asked to provide the number and learning needs of children at our school. Information about the different types of needs and the programs and resources the school uses to overcome barriers and support children with special educational needs will be collected.

Our involvement in this project will help Governments and the Department develop better policies that acknowledge the level of resources needed in school to meet the needs of all students in Western Australia. Further information on the project is provided for parents and carers by accessing the following link or visiting the website.

ICT Across the Ashdale Cluster Schools.

Madeley Primary School along with our cluster schools has a vision of 21st century learning with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist…using technologies that haven’t been invented…in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet. To hold information-age jobs students need to think deeply about issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, communicate clearly in many media, learn ever-changing technologies, and deal with a flood of information. The rapid changes in our world require students to be flexible, to take the initiative and lead when necessary, and to produce something new and useful. The Ashdale Cluster ICT Statement is included for your information.

Kindy and Pre-Primary Children Arriving and Leaving School

In the interest of young children’s safety we strongly recommend that our Kindy and Pre-Primary students are handed over in the morning and afternoon between adults.

• Before and after school is a busy time with many people moving around the school and near busy traffic. It’s easy for young children to get distracted, lose their way and end up in an unsafe situation.
• Handing over children between adults provides an opportunity to pass on important information about the children’s experiences and needs e.g. accidents, sickness, worries.
• Staff are busy preparing for the day before school and may not be in the classroom until the door is opened.

Please let classroom staff know if your child is being picked up by someone other than their parent and ensure their contact details are known to the front office.

Starting Kindergarten 2015

Kindergarten information packs and Expression of Interest forms are available from the school office for collection.

Kindergarten enrolments commence at the beginning of Term 2 and close at the end of July 2014. Children with a birth date between 1st July 2010 and 30th June 2011 are eligible to apply to commence Kindy in 2015.

After the closing date on Friday 25th July 2014 the Expressions of Interest are reviewed and letters are sent to parents confirming if a place in Kindy is available.

Play and Learn Programme 2014

Information and application forms are also provided with the Kindy pack regarding the popular Play n Learn sessions which are held as an introduction to Kindy later this year. Parents interested in attending the Play and Learn sessions are required to have their Kindy Expression of Interest and Play and Learn application forms returned together by Friday 27th June 2014 (a month earlier).

The Right Balance – Incursion

As part of our Positive Education Program at Madeley Primary School we have a performance incursion coming to the school on 11th June. All students from Pre-Primary to Year Seven will be attending. The cost for each student is $4.50 which needs to be placed in a money envelope and handed to the classroom teacher by Friday 6th June. As the performance is at the school no ‘permission slip’ is required so we can save some trees.

The Right Balance is a dynamic and engaging performance that provides young people with strategies for building positive relationships. Students are taken on an interactive journey of discovery filled with easy to remember strategies for dealing with frustration, bullying and the difficulties in sustaining relationships. The show inspires students to adopt positive attitudes towards finding the right balance of self-control and assertive behaviour, needed for building and maintaining healthy relationships.

Term 2 Dates and Holidays

Anzac Ceremony

Our Anzac Commemorative service on Friday 11th April was a beautiful and moving ceremony run by a fantastic group of year seven Student Councillors under the direction of Mrs Chester. As invited guests arrived for the service they were warmly greeted by students and taken to the library.

Among the invited guests was The Mayor, Tracey Roberts from the City of Wanneroo and Councillors from the City of Wanneroo , Local Members of Parliament and representatives from Madeley School Board, the P&C, Ashdale Secondary College and Bendigo Bank.

The welcoming address was given by Rani and Ashleigh who explained the history behind ANZAC Day. They then invited everyone to sing Advance Australia Fair with pride. The significance of The Wreath, The Flag, The Last Post, Reveille and The Ode were explained by Amber.

Our guest speaker was Mrs Edna Johansen who spoke about her life as a teenager during the war and about the significance of Anzac Day. She also explained how important our role is in passing these traditions on to future generations. Many of the Student Councillors had the opportunity to speak with Mrs Johansen after the ceremony and they were so touched by her warm and caring nature.

Chloe, Lauren, Ana and Amber then moved into position to prepare for the wreath laying.

Following the laying of wreaths from invited guests, a representative wreath bearer from each class came forward to lay their class wreath. This was followed by individuals who chose to lay their own tribute at the flag pole.

Montana then asked everyone to stand for The Last Post, the one minute silence and the playing of Reveille. During Reveille Lachlan raised the Australian flag from half-mast to the mast head. Renata read The Ode and Ashleigh spoke about how fortunate we are to live in a land of peace. She then referred to the dove as representing the universal symbol of peace.

Ana, Lauren and Rani then entered the ceremony carrying the Australian, the Aboriginal and the New Zealand flag. Jhy and Mitch followed behind each carrying a large white box draped with the Australian Flag. The boxes were placed in front of the flagpoles to the sounds of ‘We Are Australian’ whilst ten magnificent white doves were released. The doves circled over the ceremony as students, staff and parents were able to reflect on the meaning of ANZAC Day.

Miss Stitfold gave the closing address before student councillors introduced themselves to guests and escorted them to the library for morning tea.

As the students dispersed, the moving sounds of Louis Armstrong’s ‘Wonderful World’ were played and everyone left with a feeling of pride and emotion remembering the soldiers who fought for our wonderful country.

We would like to thank those guests who laid wreaths at the ceremony and additional thanks to the following guests for their kind donations of books to the Madeley Primary School Library.

Madeley’s ANZAC Wreath Travels to Gallipoli

Following the ANZAC Ceremony Miss Stitfold was approached by Trish Baker, grandmother of Pre-Primary student India. Mrs Baker mentioned that she and her husband would be travelling to Turkey the following day and asked if it would be possible to take the class wreath on their travels.

They were only travelling with hand luggage so the wreath was carefully ‘dismantled’ to fit into the limited space. Once they arrived the wreath was put back together like new. They photographed the wreath in many significant locations at Gallipoli including ANZAC Cove, The John Simpson Memorial and The Lone Pine Memorial.

WAKAKIRRI – Does Madeley have a story to tell? The search is on!

Our school is performing in the 2014 WAKAKIRRI Primary School Challenge - Australia’s Search for the Best Story! Our Story Dance Performance will include the students from BLA 1 and BLA 2 who are very excited to be taking part.

They will be participating in an unforgettable experience; by being involved in the creating, preparing and performing of our Story-Dance item – A story told to music using creative movement, dance and drama.

Show time is coming up so we’ve been busy rehearsing and putting our Story together with the students.

We would love the support of parents so if you can help in any of the following ways, please contact Sherree Gull at sherree.gull@education.wa.edu.au In the meantime, visit the website www.wakakirri.com for more information and updates.

Perhaps you;

• Can assist with props and set making. For our item we need a small go-kart chariot (or something similar), large cardboard trees and a large cardboard sun. We also need help painting props.
• Are able to arrange some catering for rehearsals and performance day.
• Have contacts for transport (students and/or props & sets to the venue on show day).
• Can help with fundraising & sponsorship.
• Could encourage your child, get involved and ask how it’s going.
• Stay tuned to the website www.wakakirri.com and subscribe to keep updated with the Wakakirri Story.
• Purchase tickets to the show to see your child and school perform LIVE at a professional theatre.
• Have skills you can offer the group; costume making either sewing or glittering, makeup and hair designing.

We look forward to sharing our 2014 Wakakirri Story with you!

Phys Ed Report

Interschool Lightning Carnival

Our senior soccer, netball and football teams have now been chosen and the teams are training hard in preparation for their first match next week. Good luck to all our teams, and thankyou to all the students who had the courage to take part in the selection trials. The fixtures are:

Champion Boy/Girl Medals

As you have now been informed, the medals that have been previously awarded to those students who accumulate the most individual points at the Faction Carnival will no longer be awarded. This has caused much debate and some criticism from some parents. We are endeavouring to encourage our students to compete for the love of competing and associated health benefits. We don’t want to create a culture where students only involve themselves in competition if there is a reward attached. Also, it has been pointed out that at the Olympics, if an athlete wins 3 gold medals they don’t give them a fourth to acknowledge how well they’ve done. They already know.

Having said that, we do acknowledge that sporting competitions are very different to a classroom context. We do not pit our students against one another in our classrooms. On the sporting field we do, and we feel it is imperative that we continue to keep score and foster an environment where the students learn to accept both winning and losing appropriately. The main aims of the Faction Carnival are:

• To take part
• To try your best
• To set personal and team goals
• To compete against your peers
• To have fun
• To accept winning and losing

A big focus is the team games and relays which foster camaraderie and teamwork. This is why we award double points for these events.

I’ve had a number of parents’ question why we are still giving out Book Awards at the end of the year when we no longer give out medals at the carnival. Academically, these 2 books are the only formal public acknowledgement we give for the year. In contrast, at the Faction Carnival the student who places in an individual event receives:

• A ribbon
• Points for their faction
• Publicly acknowledged on the dais
• Selected in the interschool team
• Possible further acknowledgement and rewards at the Interschool Carnival

If you have any questions regarding our new direction, please make an appointment with me. I am more than happy to discuss any concerns.

Mr Moon
Phys Ed and Positive Education Co-Ordinator

LIBRARY NEWS

Scholastic Book Club

At Madeley Primary School we have Scholastic Book Club brochures which are sent home with Family Representatives (the eldest child) twice a term. This is usually a pack of approximately 6 different brochures which has books suitable for Kindy age children all the way through to teenagers.

The catalogue at the front of the pack will have the date when the orders are needed to be returned by. Generally the books arrive at school approximately 2 weeks after the order closing date.

Orders/payments should be placed in the Scholastic order collection box which is on the front counter in the School Office. You can also hand the order into your child’s classroom teacher, but please ensure the order is placed in an envelope or plastic money bag and identified as ‘Scholastic’.

You may also pay online or over the telephone and then place the order form in the box with the receipt number recorded on it.

Term 3 is a little different with only one set of brochures sent home at the end of term. This is due to the school holding our week long annual Book Fair. This will be held during Week 5 from Monday 18th August. More information will be sent home with students nearer to this time.

The Scholastic Book Club Co-Ordinator is a parent volunteer - Mrs Tracie Simpson. Tracie distributes the brochures; collates the orders and liaises with Scholastic on the schools behalf.

Although there is no obligation to place an order, the School Library benefits by receiving 20% of all sales. They use these funds to purchase books and resources for the different areas of the school i.e. science, literacy, maths etc. This amount varies but the school generally receives approximately $1800 per year.

If you require any information about an order placed and not received, please contact the school office and they will follow it up for you.

Storytime Chair

The library would like a Storytime Chair to encourage the special experience of shared story reading. If you or someone you know is redecorating and has a chair that is comfortable, sturdy and clean that you would like to donate please send us a photo and contact details. We can then make a choice if we have more than one and coordinate delivery. Class teachers may also use donated furniture to set up alternative learning spaces in classrooms and wet areas.

Thank you Donoghue Family

We have recently received the welcome donation of a collection of board games from the Donoghue family. These are stored in the library and utilised during lunchbreaks especially during the upcoming seasonal wet weather.

If anyone has board games in good condition but no longer in use they will be happily received by Mrs Jashari or Mrs Cabrera in the library.

GIFTED AND TALENTED: Primary Extension and Challenge (PEAC)

The PEAC Program provides part time extension and enrichment for exceptionally able students in Years 5, 6 and 7. PEAC offers a range of courses that provide the most able students with work that is intellectually challenging.

All students in Year 4 will have the opportunity to be assessed for suitability for the PEAC Program. Students who are performing well at school are possible candidates for the program.

There are some students in Year 4 whose potential is not so easily recognised. There may be students who are underachieving at school and there are some students who demonstrate certain skills and abilities more at home than at school. Together, we can ensure that all students who have the potential for high academic performance are identified.

Testing at Madeley Primary School will occur
on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th May

There will be two tests. The first test will measure the student’s ability to recognise patterns and to predict with speed and accuracy. The second test will measure each child’s ability to apply their knowledge and learning. The scores from the test will be used in the selection of students for PEAC courses and extension programs during 2015.

If you do not wish your child to be included in the PEAC assessment
please notify the school in writing by Tuesday 27th May

P&C NEWS

The P&C would like to thank Kim Anderson for his years of leadership and support as the head of our school. We wish him every success in his new ventures and all the best for the future.

P&C Submission Approvals

At the last committee meeting the P&C approved the following submissions:

• Lexile reading program licence $300
• Big Universe licence $900
• Guided readers $2500
• Home readers $2000
• Manipulatives for Maths $2000
• Maths board games $1000
• Physical Education tents, ribbons and medals for the sports carnival and timing gates totalling $1280
• Bin art supplies $300

Total submissions approved $10,280

P&C Fundraiser Disco

This terms P&C Fundraiser is a disco on Friday 13th June – put the date in your diary and we will provide more information closer to the event.

Madeley Cookbook Stall

The P&C will also have a Cookbook stall at the Kindy and Pre-Primary art show on Thursday 29th May 6-7pm. Any Kindy or Pre-Primary parents who wish to purchase a book please come and see us at the stall on the night. It will be cash sales only. Cookbooks are still available for sale from the office at $25 each and again are for cash sales only.

A Special Request

The canteen laptop is getting old and needs replacing. Before we spend our hard earned fundraising dollars to buy a new one we thought we would ask if anyone in our school community has one they could donate. It needs to be able to run Windows 7 on it. Please contact Rochelle Kelly if you can help at mandrkelly@iinet.net.au Thank you.

School Banking at Madeley

Held in the library before school each Tuesday from approximately 8.45 am. Account opening packs are available for collection and children can make deposits before school.

Accounts are available with the local Bendigo Bank and Commonwealth Bank

Model Rail Exhibition 2014

The Australian Model Railway Association’s Western Australian Branch Inc. will present its Annual Model Railway Exhibition in the Royal Agricultural Society’s Exhibition Centre over the Western Australia Day long weekend.