Dear families

Thank you for coming to Wednesday night’s parent information session.  It was wonderful to have the support of so many families who came to find out about their child’s class and to meet the teachers.  There has been lots of very positive feedback about this year’s different format from that of previous years.

Smoking ceremony

This morning a smoking ceremony was held as a significant acknowledgement of the end of 2020 and a welcome to 2021.  Thank you to Nick Abrahams who conducted the ceremony and to all of those families who attended.  Thank you also to Ms Natalie Hatton, Joondalup ESC principal, for helping to make this event possible.

Clean Up Australia Day

Today all of the staff and children participated in Clean Up Australia Day.  Clean Up Australia Day is a National event with the purpose of making a difference to the rubbish in our own neighbourhood and promoting the bigger message of living more sustainably.  Mrs Sandi Bennett has been a driving force in the organisation of this event and we appreciate her passion and leadership.  Thank you also to the staff and students who helped to make the school grounds and surrounding street that little bit more rubbish free.

Key dates for the diary

There are some important dates that you need to set aside so that you and your children can be ready for action.

School Development Day

Just a reminder that there is a School Development Day in Term 2 on Friday 23 April 2021.  This is the Friday before the Anzac Day long weekend.  The date has been selected as it allows the Kindy to Year 2 teachers to participate in a two-day course on a different way to teach writing. 

Student update information forms 

Thank you to all of the families who have returned the student update information forms.  We appreciate that you have done this quickly as being able to communicate with families is critical. If you have not yet handed in your update forms, please do so next week.

Connect for families

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, the school has been exploring a new way of communicating with families.  We have decided to move to Connect, which is a Department of Education approved and supported platform for communication that allows for information to be shared from the teachers to families and vice versa.  Connect is also a platform that can be used should we ever have to go back to learning at home.  (I don’t want this to happen and have no inside gossip that this is on the horizon but we need to be prepared.) 

In the coming weeks you will receive information about how to login onto Connect and set your own password.  Teachers are participating in some important training on Tuesday afternoon so that they know how to get started.

State Government Election Sausage Sizzle and Cake Stall

On Saturday 13 March 2021 the P&C Association are organising a cake stall and sausage sizzle.  As Joondalup Schools is a polling station for the upcoming State Government election, we have the opportunity to capture a wide audience who love nothing more than a sausage sizzle and take home treats.  Information about how you can support the P&C will be sent home very soon.

The Year 5 children from Mrs Young’s class participated in the RAC Imagine Program.  The children went to South Perth to learn about the past, present and future technologies in transport, mobility and road safety.  The children were able to take part in the following activites:

• Ride the Intellibus (the bus without a driver)
• Take a tour of the Old Mill
• Explore AV technology and the future of transport
• Use coding to explore road safety
• Watch the RAC helicopter in action and create a recycled sculpture. 

The children had a wonderful day.  A huge thank you Mrs Nerelle Phillips who made it possible as such short notice.  Now that Room 12 are experts, they are looking forward to working with their friends in Room 13 on some special projects.

Significantly the presenters of the program have provide excellent feedback about our students – interesting and intelligent questions, engaged in conversation, keen to participate, top quality behaviour and a genuine enthusiasm to learn.  Nothing makes me prouder than hearing that others see the brillance that I see every day!  Well done!

Science…a way to unlock answers.

Science is a way of organizing what we already know and learning more by asking questions and experimenting to find out an answer.

Science is all about getting answers to those questions that children are so good at asking…repeatedly -

• Why?
• When?
• Where?
• What?
• Who?

There are a lot of different branches of science and throughout each term in 2021, PP-Year 6 students from JPS will explore the branches of:

• Biology: the study of living things
• Chemistry: the study or solids, liquids and gases
• Physics: the study of energy
• Astronomy: the study of the solar system

Students in Year 2 and Year 4 started their Biology unit looking at how living things grow and change over time with a game of ‘Guess Who’. Students had to use their observation skills to predict who the staff member was pictured in the following photos…can you guess who?

Remember…you need to provide a reason to support your prediction!

Mrs Phillips

Science Teacher

Primary Colour Abstract

The Pre- Primary students have been introduced to Primary colours and the element of line. After viewing the work of Piet Mondrian, they created these striking abstracts.

In Visual Arts we have been looking at some of the animals native to the Joondalup area.

Frog Kweeyar/Kooyar/Kwooyar

There are at least six species of frog native to the Joondalup area.

The students in rooms 7 & 8 viewed the artwork of John Olsen before drawing frogs. They were given two minutes to draw a frog in oil pastel. The focus was on structure and feeling. The following week the students took their time to draw a frog using oil pastel and then sprayed yellow and blue dye on the page.

Willy Wagtail - Djidi Djidi

The willy wagtail - djidi djidi is one of the native birds in the Joondalup area.  

The students in rooms 4, 5 & 6 did an observed drawing of a willy wagtail - djidi djidi. The drawings were outlined in felt pen and then coloured with watercolour pencil. A printed background was created using leaves, acrylic paint and a gel press. The cutting out was very tricky, even for the adult who helped out with this!

Carnaby's Black Cockatoos Ngo-lak the White Tailed

The Carnaby's black cockatoos - Ngo-lak the white tailed are iconic birds in Southwest WA. They are known as a 'harbinger of rain'. 

This threatened species is often seen flying overhead and heard making very noisy calls. The students in rooms 12 and 13 created silhouettes in felt pen of the Carnaby's flying overhead.   A warm afternoon sky was added in soft pastels.

Mrs Sweet

Art Teacher

What does your YouthCare Chaplain do?

A YouthCARE chaplain cares for the social, emotional and mental wellbeing of students, families and staff. This support helps students achieve their potential, both academically and in their social and family lives.

A YouthCARE chaplain is there for the whole school community. Our role is not just about helping the kids. We also support teachers, parents and families, providing pastoral care and showing people that they really matter.

A YouthCARE chaplain builds relationships with the students, parents and staff to be a trusted listening ear in times of need. Confidentiality is important in all pastoral care situations, unless a situation may hurt them or someone else, in which case, will be reported to the principle as required by the Department of Education and by law.

A YouthCARE chaplain empowers people, helping to build resilience to work through challenges.

A YouthCARE chaplain is there to help when things aren’t going well, to be a supportive person to encourage and to offer hope.

A YouthCARE chaplain is available to students, parents and staff to talk through issues, to celebrate successes and to refer to outside agencies where necessary.

A YouthCARE chaplain is involved in most school activities like sports carnivals, excursions and other special events. This is a great time to build relationships with students, families and teachers.

A YouthCARE chaplain will run various programs in the school that will help students improve social skills, conflict resolution, inclusiveness, respecting others and learning about themselves.

A YouthCARE chaplain understands that everyone is different and is inclusive of all individuals and their belief systems. We reach out to those in need by providing services aimed at inspiring hope.

A YouthCARE chaplain is not a teacher. Chaplains come along side students so students know there is someone independent to turn to.

Your YouthCARE chaplain, Amanda Wendt is available Mondays to Thursdays 8am-3:30pm