21 November 2014

From the Principal

Graduation

This week is a big week for our Year 7 students and a historical week for our school. At the end of the week our Year 7 students will be moving over to Ashdale Secondary College to begin their transition into high school. This will be the last cohort of Year 7's to ever attend our school and we will miss their enthusiasm and energy. The Graduation Ceremony and lunch, which was held on Wednesday, was a fantastic event and congratulations go to Mr Taddei, Mr Keunen and all the staff who played an active role in making this event so successful. On Thursday the Year 7 students went on their final excursion to The Maze. This was a great opportunity for them to spend some informal and relaxed time enjoying each other’s company as their time at primary school comes to an end. On behalf of the staff and students of our school I wish all our Year 7 students the very best for their transition time at Ashdale Secondary College and for all their future studies.

Vacation Requests

Parents who wish to take their child on extended holidays during school time are required under the Education Act to consult with the Principal prior to the vacation being taken. School attendance has strong links with student performance which is why this consultation is required. If you are planning on taking extended holidays please send me a letter, email or give me a call.

Arrival Times at School

We ask that students do not arrive at school before 8.15am (preferably 8.30am). This is because there are no teachers on duty. If your child does arrive early they are required to sit outside my office until I dismiss them at 8.30am to go to class. Students are still required to wait at the office even if their parents are with them. We need to have this consistent approach in order to ensure students who arrive early remain safe.

P&C Recipe Books

Members of our P&C attended the Graduation Assembly this week to sell copies of the recipe book. This is an excellent Christmas gift so please consider purchasing one (or a few).

P&C Busy Bee

Our P&C have a busy bee planned for this weekend. They will be laying some limestone blocks on the northern side of the school to reduce the hazard caused by parents parking on the grass area. This grass area is used as overflow parking for pre-service teachers and other staff and should not be used by parents. I have studied the flow of traffic around the school and have not found it to be too much of a problem as long as parents do not remain parked in the kiss-and-drive area and remember to demonstrate patience and care when driving and parking.

Student Belongings:

It is important that students have their belongings clearly labelled so that if they are lost they can be easily returned. This includes items such as jumpers, lunch boxes, water bottles etc. Staff cannot be responsible for ensuring every child keeps their property safe. Please remind your child that they are responsible for the safety of their own belongings.

Remembrance Day

Last week (on the 11th) staff and students gathered around the flag pole for a short period and remembered members of the armed forces who had served our country in times of war. This was a simple but powerful ceremony which helped reinforce the importance of remembering our fallen. Lest We Forget.

Have a great weekend.

Steve Bevan
Principal

2015 Booklist Requirements

Booklist requirements and Voluntary Contributions and Charges Booklets have been sent out for 2015.

Please read all the information on these forms and place your order by 19 December 2014 to be in the draw for $100 visa card.

Please contact OfficeMax on 1800 004 427 with any queries.

2015 Kindy Parent Meeting and Student Orientation

We are getting ready to welcome our new Kindy students for 2015. On Monday 24th November we are holding a parent meeting from 6-7pm in WLA1 in the Kindergarten Block. Parking is available in the Kindy carpark in Lockeport Approach. The teachers will provide information on the Kindy program and how to ensure a smooth start for your child.

On Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December the children will have a 1 hour orientation visit to Kindy (times have been sent in letters for families). Parents will meet in the library to listen to some guest speakers.

Baby News

Congratulations to the following staff members on the birth of their babies.

Lainie Beccegato – Alexis, Sally Price – Max, Louise Mayvis – Max and Toni Saddington – Fletcher

WORM JUICE FOR SALE

Earlier this year the Sustainability Committee bought two nice big worm farms. Pre-Primary students from LLA3 and Year 5 and 6 students from GLA4 attended an incursion where they learned about worms, worm farms and why worms are good for our gardens. The incursion was run by Kevin Smith from The Worm Shed. Since the incursion the Pre-Primary students have been busy feeding the worms their fruit and veggie scraps and shredded paper. The worms have been turning those scraps and paper in to Worm Juice and we are ready to start selling it to you!

Why should you buy Worm Juice ? Worm Juice is a fantastic organic fertilizer for your garden. Worm Juice has been made from recycled plant material so you are helping us reduce our organic waste at school. We also sell our Worm Juice in recycled cartons so you are helping us reducing landfill waste. Finally, by buying Worm Juice you are providing us with money to keep our school veggie garden going.

Sold? Great! Come and see Mrs Burkitt or Miss McNamara in Pre-Primary before or after school to buy a bottle.

Each bottle is $2

2015 School Term Dates and School Development Days

School Banking

Parents please note that there will be NO School Banking on Tuesday 25th November

Buddy Club Request

We are looking for donations of a few items for our lunchtime Buddy Club sessions. If you have any spare craft materials, pencils, glitter glue, scissors etc these items will be appreciated. Please drop into the library.

Year 1 Sand Pit Toys Request

If you have any spare old pots and pans for play time in the sand pit, plus any plastic kitchen utensils, plastic vacuum cleaner hoses, retic. Piping etc these items can be brought to the Year 1 Block.

Thank you
Rita Fordham

Uniform Shop

The end of Term 4 is fast approaching so it is time to get your school uniform orders in for 2015. We are now fully stocked so should be able to meet all order requirements. We traditionally get very busy in the last weeks of Term 4 so now is the time to come in and avoid the queues.

We are also offering a new Micro-Fibre Short which will be available in sizes 2 – 16. This unisex, light weight short is perfect for the summer months and looks great with the Madeley sports shirt. Stocks are limited at this stage however if they prove popular can have them delivered on short notice which will minimalize delays.

Julie Hewitt
Uniform Shop Co-Ordinator

West Oz Wildlife Incursion Experiences

By Geordie and Sienna from DLA 3

On Thursday November 6th DLA 3, DLA 1 and Blue and Purple Kindy went to an incursion. The wildlife company, West Oz Wildlife, came to Madeley Primary School.

We saw a koala, two snakes, a dingo and a bobtail lizard. We learnt lots about the adorable Australian animals. ‘Yapper’ the dingo was so cute. He was five months old so he was just a baby. Judah the koala was a bit naughty, but definitely cute. He kept wanting lots of cuddles. Honey the snake was soooo long, scaly and squishy. The other snake was a Stimson’s python and was much smaller than Honey. It had an adorable, small face.

We got to pat, touch and hold some of the animals. The snakes were scary! We had a great time. Thank you West Oz Wildlife.

Red and Blue Kindy

We enjoyed a visit from the West Oz Wildlife group.

The children have been learning about Jungle/Zoo animals and Australian animals and the children had a wonderful time interacting with the wildlife and hearing about them.

They were very lucky to be able to touch a koala, meet a dingo and a puppy called Yapper and have Honey the python around the necks of the bravest Kindy kids!! We also met a bobtail lizard called Bob.

Silver Kindy

We had a great time on Monday visiting some wildlife animals that are in our country. The children were able to touch a koala, dingo, bobtail lizard and have honey the python snake around their necks. We learnt new facts about each animal which the children then discussed in their oral retells.

The children have been learning about wildlife animals each week exploring different books and using the Ipads to research further about each animal. The children have then followed this up with a piece of art work relating to the animal that we were learning about that day.

Year One – MLA3 Boomerangs!

In Year One for History this semester we have been learning about Aboriginal culture and the roles of family members. We were very fortunate to receive a donation of boomerangs for the students to paint and learn to throw. The students really enjoyed learning about Aboriginal art and the meanings of different dot painting symbols to create a story. We would like to thank the Bailey family for donating the boomerangs.

Miss Cherie Dowling and the Year Ones in MLA3

“Which Season is the Best?” – MLA1 And MLA2 Assembly

On Friday the 7th of November MLA1 and MLA2 performed their assembly about “What season was the Best”? Dressed up in our costumes and we waited patiently as the excitement in the undercover area grew, but which season would be the best? After reciting poems and facts, dancing and trying to convince everyone that our season was the best, we came to the conclusion that ALL of the seasons were important, special and unique and that’s “What makes them beautiful”.

Celebrating National Short Film Award

Congratulations to Yves-Monique on her recent success with fellow students from Filmbites. They won the Best Primary Production Award at the Australian Teachers of Media Awards for the short film titled Action/Romance. Well Done!

Scholastic Book Club

As the school year draws to a close we would like to thank all of the School Community for their continued support of the Scholastic Bookclub. This year the school has benefitted from books and resources to the value of $2500.

We would like to thank Geraldine Taseff for donating her time and for all her help over the past 2 years. Her contribution is greatly appreciated.

Thanks also to all the parents who assist with the brochures throughout the year. As the school grows it is a huge help to get the brochures out on time.

We wish you all a safe and wonderful Christmas and look forward to your continued support in 2015.

Tracie Simpson
Book Club Co-Ordinator

School Holiday Programs/Local Events

Don’t forget to check out the Local Events section in the newsletter for School Holiday Programs. We have received information from the City of Wanneroo and ECU, check out the flyers for details regarding activities including Paintball, Soccer Tournaments, Sporting Challenges and Excursions to Perth Zoo, The Maze and Adventure World

P&C News

Busy Tomorrow Morning?

Can you spare some time tomorrow morning Saturday 22nd November to help lay limestone blocks on the northern corner of the school? This is to keep our kids safe and prevent cars crossing the footpaths. From 8am, bring a shovel & gloves, the more helpers the faster it can get done - hope to see you there.

Cookbook Sales

The P&C will be selling the “Madeley on a Plate” cookbooks from Monday 24th to Friday 27th November in the school grounds before and after school – cash and eftpos facilities available. It would make a great Christmas present idea!

Mariesa O’Donnell
P&C Secretary