Willunga Primary School Newsletter

Hello Willunga Primary community and welcome to our first (new look) newsletter for 2019.

We have had a great start back with teachers and students quickly adapting to their new classrooms and undertaking our two week focus around Powerful learning and Growth mindset.  Last week was also Water Safety & Swimming lessons for our year 3/4 students, so a very busy return to school!

Hopefully your children have come home talking about their brain being a MUSCLE that they need to GROW.  This Powerful Learning focus links with our STEPS in helping students believe that they can, and will progress, with time and effort.

The STEPS provide a framework to build learning power through:

• Stamina – persisting with your learning, managing distractions, staying focussed on the task at hand and going the distance

• Teamwork – getting along, actively listening, showing respect, doing your bit and seeking and providing feedback
  • Enthusiasm – being motivated, excited and interested in learning, showing curiosity, asking questions and enjoying learning
    • Planning – thinking carefully, organising your resources, setting goals, being flexible when things change and managing your time
      • Stretch – Being brave, take on challenge, believe you will progress and take risks

I look forward to seeing our students continuing to build their learning power over the course of the year. One of the most important understandings in powerful learning is that to learn, we have to fail, if we are not failing, we are not being challenged or stretched or trying something new. 

Remember that FAIL = First Attempt In Learning 

Ali Colbeck

Principal

Each year we have a term focus that is supported across the school and in all classes. 

This year, we are delving deeper into the foci from 2018 to consider 'What is..."

• Sustainability - Term 1
• Anti Bullying - Term 2
• Culture - Term 3
• Community - Term 4

Working with these concepts across the whole site, gives us an opportunity to build common language and ideas.  We work through a set curriculum, developed on site, or explore similar themes.  We found this extremely useful around the anti-bullying program and used this common understanding to build our whole school pledge and develop our 'I Include' program. 

This term's focus, 'sustainability', is vitally important for our children to understand.  It will be their role to hopefully repair the damage to our community, waterways and planet.  Understanding how small changes can be impactful (think local, act global) is a major discussion point.  In 2019, this important work is led at our site through the focused  work of a sustainability student action team, led by Karen Matthews, developed further with our environmental SSO, Carmen Schapel, and taught within our health program with Mogann Nair.   We began with our nude food days every Wednesday and hope to see this expand across the week.  More information around supporting a sustainable focus will be contributed by Karen Matthews in each newsletter.

SeeSaw App

A focus for Willunga Primary School over the past few years has been increasing communication to our families.  This has been successful, with consistent increases in the Parent Opinion survey each year.  Now that we are communicating day to day events, we are considering ways to share classroom activities and learning with our families. 

In 2018, the Learning Sub Committee suggested we use the app, Seesaw.  Quite a few classes were already using this in 2018, so to support this, we have purchased the admin license for Seesaw, and set up all classes.

For many of our staff, this is the first time they have used a tool such as this to communicate with families.  In 2019, teachers are developing these skills and it may take us a little while until we are all up and running! 

We are asking our families to please support us by:

• downloading the app
• reading the parent information sheets that are sent home with logon information
• commenting appropriately on learning activities
• being patient while we fit another new 'thing' into our busy learning program!
  

For the time being, we will continue to run Skoolbag, but hope that in the future we can use Seesaw for all family communication.

Another excellent app we use is Qkr,  which allows you to easily manage all payments to the school, including lunch orders from the canteen.

We value volunteers at Willunga Primary and ask that you see Carmen in the front office for a volunteer booklet, that clearly shows the process.  Carmen will also arrange a meeting with Karen Matthews for an induction program. 

A reminder that anyone on site after 9.00am, must be signed in through the front office and have completed the volunteer process. 

We welcome a number of new staff to our learning team in 2019.

• Ineke Rumball, returning from maternity leave, is teaching a Reception class.
• Jo Beazley,  teaching a  year 3/4 class. 
• Brooke Heath, teaching a year 3/4 class.
• Julie Brown, teaching a year 4/5 class.
• Lauren Langley, 1 day a  week in a year 1/2 class
• Nic Newbold, 1 day a week in a year 3/4 class

We have also expanded our staff in the Canteen and OSHC and welcome Rachael Patterson to the canteen and Helen Jackson to the OSHC service.

           

We are generally open before school from 8:30am and until 3:15pm after school. Students can also access the library at recess and lunch, and at class times when sent by their teacher.  Borrowing is for a maximum of two weeks and students are able to ask for a time extension if required. We do ask for a contribution towards the replacement cost of lost or missing books so that we can maintain our great collection, and seek your support for developing student responsibility in looking after school property. P.S. If found after paying, I am happy to reimburse!

           

Year 5 students are invited to register their interest in joining our Instrumental Music program this year. The department provides a music teacher for half a day a week on a Monday to teach either woodwind or brass instruments. You may have seen our band perform at assemblies in the past.

The value of learning an instrument is described in this clip from Dr Anita Collins who is the person involved with the TV show ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ and the collection of old instruments. Click on the link https://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng

Interested students can collect the enrolment form from Ms Matthews.

           

This term there are a few opportunities for students to participate in district level sports:

• Swimming Trials – Monday February 25. Paul Crate has spoken to interested students already, so look out for the letter with details and consent forms.

• Track & Field – Tuesday March 19. Paul will be running selection and training sessions over the next few weeks.
  • Cross Country – Thursday April 4. Sandy Graham will be the team coach / manager for this year. Selections will occur in a couple of weeks.

Anyone with experience in athletics events / long distance running is invited to assist with either team. Leave your name at the Front Office.

Knockout sports occur in term 2 and 3: AFL Football (boys & girls), Netball and Soccer.

The basketball carnival is held in week 1 term 3.

Parents are always welcome as coaches / managers; just speak with Karen Matthews.

Items we are seeking to get the loose parts play started:        

Kitchen Items

Grater

Bowls

Jugs

Utensils

Saucepans

Cake tins / oven trays

Colanders

Construction items

Paint brushes

Pvc pipes

Low tables

Milk crates

Rope

Large pieces of material

Sitting spots

Stumps

Logs

Large branches

  Let Karen Matthews know what you can donate (larger items) or drop off your donations at the Front Office.

           

Whole school focus this term, building on our start in 2018, we are digging deeper –

• Why do we need to consider sustainable practices?

• What are the best sustainable practices?

• What are the benefits of sustainability?

• How can we be more sustainable – home and school?

The classes will engage in a range of activities exploring these questions across the term. Alongside of this we are implementing different whole school programs:

• Nude Food Wednesday

• Vegetable garden will start up again

• A new Tree Propagation group at lunchtime Tuesday

• Recycling of paper and card continues

• Recycling other items in the council yellow bins

 You can support all of this at home in different ways:

• Discuss with your children what sustainability is and why it needs to be a topic of conversation

• Examining your recycling practices against the council information: http://www.onkaparingacity.com/onka/living_here/waste_recycling/recycling_disposal_guide.jsp
  • Think about packaging when you shop.
    • Packing Nude Food lunches on Wednesday (or all week!) including your own lunch
      • Checking out ‘The War on Waste’ https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/war-on-waste/ and other digital resources

The Class of 2018 celebrated the conclusion of their primary schooling back in week 9 of term 4. There was much excitement as the students arrived at the dinner prior to the presentation, with many compliments given to the collection of dressed up students. The presentation started with an Acknowledgement of Country from Jye, and all the students entering the hall with introductions by Ali Colbeck and Lisa Gray. One of the highlights are the student dances, especially when they invite family members up to join them. Our MC’s, Jazmine W, Tia A and Lochie J were fantastic keeping the show on track. This year’s Valedictory Speech was presented by Maya G, Phoebe C and Elani P and included both funny and fond memories of their time in primary school. There are some very talented students here at Willunga, as you can see from the students already mentioned, with others receiving awards.

We congratulate the following:

Award	Winner
Academic	Elani P
PE	Phoebe C Myles A
Arts	Paige B
Jamieson Award Students showing range of values	Emma S Caleb M
Mawson Award (presented by Leon Bignell) Outstanding Environmental Students	Elani P

We wish all the students well as they embark on the next part of the schooling journey.

At the Final Assembly the following day the following awards were presented:

Lorri Dillon               Branson H

Pentland Shield       Bassett 690, Atkinson 625, Baxendale 610, Jarbada 595

Congratulations!

                     

The ‘Australian Road Rules’ give direction on parking restrictions and that which drivers of vehicles are required to comply with.  The rules that are most prevalent to school parking and those which our Community Safety Officers enforce compliance with are as follows:

• Vehicles must  not stop in a NO STOPPING ZONE, even for a few seconds to pick up your child.
• Vehicles may stop in a NO PARKING ZONE for three minutes of less to pick up a child who is waiting nearby. You must not park or leave the vehicle.
• Vehicles must not double park, or stop in the line of traffic, to pick up or drop off a child.
• Vehicles must not stop in a bicycle lane.
• Vehicles must  not stop in a Bus Zones
• Vehicles must not stop within 20 metres before a crossing or 10 metres after a crossing.  
• Vehicles must not stop within 10 metres of an intersection or junction without traffic lights.
• Vehicles must  not  park over driveways

• Vehicles must  not  park on the verge

 Community Safety Officers recognise that vehicle movement around schools create high risks zones for pedestrian safety and will engage and  educate drivers, along with issue fines for illegal parking if appropriate in the circumstances.

We welcome Helen Jackson, a Qualified OSHC educator, to our team.

You will see Helen Monday to Thursday, come and say hi!

Our focus is on welcoming new children and their families to OSHC. Activities such as group games, portfolio books and 'about you' sheets have been provided for children to participate in so we can all get to know each other. We also have been going over our routines and safety guidelines with the children for reminders and so everyone is aware. Children who have been attending OSHC for a while have been assisting and welcoming the new children and making them feel they belong.

 HATS!

Please keep an OSHC (sun safe) hat in your child’s bag so they have access to it each time they attend OSHC as some children need to keep their school hat in their class.

 FRIDAY 15th FEBRUARY IS A STUDENT FREE DAY (THIS FRIDAY) - WE ARE OPEN!

If you require care for this day, please contact us on 0438 761 656 call or text, or come in and add your child’s name to the list.

 Belinda Filkin - Director

Well the sun literally shone down on us last night, with the best weather of the day turning up to help us celebrate our annual Open Night. It was fantastic to see so many people taking the opportunity to visit classrooms and tour the school.  We are very proud with how the school is looking and operating, and clearly you were impressed too. 

A huge thanks to the community stall holders who attended.  We love the connection to our vibrant community and an opportunity to showcase some of the many opportunities available in and around Willunga.  

Thanks for the support:

Willunga CFS (pictures on their fb page) https://www.facebook.com/WillungaCFS/

Willunga Netball club

Willunga Soccer club

Dean Rowe, organiser of Judith’s Walk

Willunga Tennis club 

Willunga Primary's very own Orchid Club 

Tribe FM 

Willunga Recreation Park 

The AGM was a success with many people staying on after the Open Night.  The AGM provides an opportunity to look back at 2018 and share our success and focus for learning at the school. At the AGM, the 2019 Governing Council was elected and we said farewell to some 2018 office holders.  A special thanks to Sarah Moore for her work as chairperson.  It is very much appreciated. I would also like to thank Karen Martin, Karen Tucker, Deb Saunders and Nadine Carroll for their time on Governing Council.  

 

The work of the Governing Council and sub committees is a vital component in the effective management of the school. Nominations are currently open for the following sub committees:

Finance Advisory Committee

Fridays Week 3 & 7 @ 8:00am

OSHC Advisory Committee

Mondays weeks 3 & 7 @ 9:30am

Learning Committee

Mondays weeks 2 & 6 @ 3:15pm

Parent Connection Committee

Tuesdays weeks 2 & 6 @ 9:30am

Grounds Committee

Fridays weeks 2 & 6 @ 9:00am

Canteen Committee

Mondays weeks 2 & 6 @ 2:00pm

 The annual report will be available online once endorsed by the Department for Education.