11 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members

P&C

In our last newsletter I talked about the importance of the P&C to the life of our school. This group of dedicated parents reflect the positive community culture that we enjoy here. They also provide important services such as our canteen and organise fundraising activities that support school programs which make a difference for all of our students. The P&C can only continue to operate if they have all of their key positions filled. At present they still don’t have a President or Treasurer which will mean that the P&C will cease to operate at the end of this term. If you want the canteen and fundraising to continue into Term 2 I ask that you seriously consider getting involved in the P&C. Their next (and perhaps final) meeting for 2016 will be held on March 30th commencing at 7:30pm in the Staffroom. I look forward to seeing you there.

School Board

At present I have not received any nominations for the vacant position on our School Board. The role of the School Board was outlined in our last newsletter and a nomination form for the vacant position was included. I have extended the nomination period to the end of next week (18th March) so please consider being involved in this important decision making group.

Positive Behaviour Education

At Madeley Primary School we seek to develop the social and emotional skills of students. The Play is the Way ® games program “…assists teachers to guide children beyond the simple pleasures of playing games to the character building benefits that can be achieved.” Games are played on a weekly basis under the guidance of our teachers. Please visit this link to see the ways that games assist the social and emotional learning of students.

School Development Day

Our School Development Day was held last Tuesday. The focus of the day was on providing staff with training around the teaching of Mathematics and on ways to cater for the needs of students with Autism. Dr Paul Swan provided training in Mathematics and Dianne Searle from the School of Special Educational Needs shared on Autism and writing individual education plans.

Healthy Eating

Our school is a Crunch & Sip school. “Encouraging children to sip water throughout the day in class and eat a piece of fruit or vegies (like carrot or celery) during a morning break is a simple and cost effective strategy for good health.” Parents are encouraged to provide their child with a water bottle and healthy snack every day.

Cyber Safety

The effective use of technology is essential for success in the 21st Century. Our school provides students with many varied opportunities to engage with technology as part of the learning process. Safety in an online world is something that we take seriously and provide instruction in. Some very helpful resources for parents are available via the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner website . We recommend that you take time to look through the available resources and talk with your children about CyberSafety. Attached to this newsletter is an information sheet from Andrew Fuller which may also help you as you talk with your child about being cyber-smart.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming is an essential skill for Australian children which is why we hold lessons every year. Many thanks go to our school community for their support of these lessons again this year. Many thanks also go to Mr Moon once more for his organisation of swimming lessons in 2016.

Before School

We take our duty of care for your child very seriously at Madeley Primary School. One way we care is to ensure that students who arrive early (before 8:30am) are gathered in one place. This place is outside my office where students are required to sit or stand and chat with their friends until dismissed to class. Students are not permitted to sit in other locations even if their parent is with them. Students are not permitted to use the play equipment before school.

Staffing Updates

We welcome Mrs Chester back to school for 2016 and thank Mrs Legg for the work she has been doing in BLA1. Mrs Visser and Ms Waddell have taken up the role of Phase of Learning Facilitators. This is a new leadership role which focuses on supporting staff to further enhance their understanding and skill in order to produce the best possible educational outcomes for our students. We look forward to their leadership this year.

Have a great weekend everyone

Stephen Bevan
Principal

School Calendar and Local Events

Please remember to check the School Calendar regularly for updates. The ‘Local Events’ section at the foot of the newsletter is updated regularly too and includes school holiday activities which may be of interest to you.

P&C News

Easter on the Green

One week to go! The P&C will be hosting Easter on the Green at Madeley Primary School on Friday 18th March 2016 from 5pm-8pm. Entry by gold coin donation.

This is a great opportunity to get to know the school community, raise money for resources and enjoy a night out with your family.

Any help with the event would be appreciated either by the P&C or your child’s classroom teacher.

Masters Sausage Sizzle

The Madeley Primary P&C are hosting a fundraising sausage sizzle at Masters Landsdale tomorrow (Saturday 12th March 2016). The sausage sizzle will run between 8am and 2.30pm.

Please support your school community by coming down to Masters and enjoying a sausage sizzle. All proceeds go back to the school.

Canteen

Madeley Primary has a new Canteen Assistant. The P&C Association recently appointed Jillian Kelberg to the role and we extend a warm welcome to her. Jillian will work with our Canteen Manager, Toni Fussell.

Did you know canteen sales for 2015 exceeded $74,000? That’s a lot of lunches! Our canteen is very busy and volunteer assistance is always appreciated. If you have an hour to spare on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, we encourage you to visit the canteen and speak to Toni.

A reminder that canteen orders can be submitted online. The online ordering systems saves parents finding the correct money and it greatly reduces workload in the canteen.

P&C Positions Vacant

The 2016 P&C office bearers are as follows:

President: Position vacant
Vice President: Paul Wright
Secretary: Aimee Ingram
Treasurer: Position vacant
Canteen Treasurer: Position vacant
Canteen Coordinator: Position vacant
Fundraising Officer: Tania Leach
Executive Members: Steven Young, Sophy Oatey, Jacqueline Murray and Mariesa O’Donnell.

Please note there are still a number of positions that remain vacant. The P&C is unable to continue to operate without these positions being filled. This would also force the closure of the canteen. If you are interested in nominating for a position or would like more information, please contact one of the P&C members or email madeleypandc@gmail.com .

Next P&C Meeting

The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 30th March at 7.30pm in the staffroom. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Any new members of the P&C are reminded to bring $1.00 for their yearly P&C membership, which is to be renewed at the start of each school year.

Get involved in the School Banking program - Tuesday mornings in the Library

The Commonwealth Bank School Banking program provides children with an opportunity to deposit money into their Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account at school each week. The program is about how often your child makes deposits, not how much they deposit.

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives $5 when a student makes their first ever School Banking deposit and 5% on every deposit made through the school (to a maximum of $10 per individual deposit).

A Commonwealth Bank School Banking representative will be at the school on Tuesday 15th March from 8.15am in the Library, with account opening packs and everything your child needs to start banking at school. All you need to bring is your current identification (Drivers Licence or Passport). Siblings are also welcome to bank, but please bring their Birth Certificate.

If your child has an existing Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account they can start banking straight away. They just need to bring their deposit in every week on School Banking day using their Dollarmites deposit wallet.

Ashdale Secondary College ICT Information Evening

For further information please follow this link which will direct you to the Ashdale Secondary College website.

Before and After School Care by Camp Australia

During the last fortnight at Camp Australia, we have been focusing on activities from our Buddy Bear program. Some of the activities children enjoyed were group games and icebreaker games wher all of the children had an opportunity to play together.

Welcome to our new children and their families, we hope they will enjoy their time at Camp Australia too.

Year 6 Netball Trials at John Forrest Secondary College

For details and a registration form please contact Lynn McPherson Tel: 9473 4035 or email Lynn at lynn.mcpherson@education.wa.edu.au

Trial dates are Wednesday 4th and 18th May 2016

Under 12’s Boys and Girls State Hockey Team 2016 Trials

Is your child……?

• Interested in representing WA
• Interested in playing and further developing their skills in hockey
• Born in 2004 or 2005 (i.e. they must be 11 or 12 at 31 Dec 2016)

For further information and the link to nominate please refer to the attached flyer.