Newsletter

Aspire to achieve together

Issue 13

Term 4 

Thursday  24 October, 2019

Principal's Message

Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for term four.

This promises to be a very busy term with our school really beginning to move into “full forward” mode.

We have already hosted some wonderful events such as Musica Viva and our Multicultural day and it was lovely to see all of our school community enjoying these activities.

In addition, I look forward to seeing all of our parents and families at events coming up in the future. These include orientation events and a Teddy Bears Picnic for our new Kindergarten students starting in 2020, class assemblies, our year 5 / 6 camp, year six high school orientation activities and graduation events, school photos, our Pre Primary excursions to the Rio Tinto park, our school musical (over two nights), interschool athletics carnivals,  as well as P and C and School Board meetings.

In addition, teachers will be hard at work preparing Semester two reports for your children. Busy times indeed.

I am looking forward to spending some time at our year 5/6 camp next week at the Ern Halliday Camp School. It promises to be a great week for our students and they will be undertaking activities such as archery, rock climbing, abseiling, orienteering, caving and beach walking. All in a very controlled and well managed environment in the heart of the suburb of Hillarys. Good luck to all of the students and staff attending.

The last day for students this term will be Thursday December the 19th with staff finishing the next day.

Our School Board, through our Chairperson, Michael Wiltshire, has been in close consultation with the City of Armadale in regard to the issue of traffic and parking in and around our school. There will be some new initiatives announced and put into action in the coming months designed to make it safer for our children to come to and leave school. More on this later.

As the weather improves, can I encourage families to walk with their children to school if you are within a short to medium distance and to take advantage of the Rossiter Pavilion Parking opportunity which the City of Armadale activity encourages our school community to use.

Exercise is an excellent choice for us all and you will be setting a great example for your children in choosing the option to walk, particularly whilst the weather remains mild.

See you at the gate.

Noel Morgan

Principal.

School Photos

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The school Photo Order Envelopes have been issued today to all classes. Please click on the download button below for full information and ordering instructions.

School Photos

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Term 4 Planner

Attached is the Term 4 planner. It can also be found on the school website.
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Count Us In

H.E.A.R.T.

Honesty  /  Effort  /  Attitude  /  Respect  /  Teamwork

Congratulations to all the students who were awarded certificates at the recent assembly for displaying the H.E.A.R.T attributes.

News From The Classrooms

Musica Viva Incursion

On Friday 18 October 2019 all students in Pre-Primary to Year 6 were given the opportunity to experience and interact with live music. Singer/trumpeter Adam Hall & The Velvet Players brought their foot-stomping, hip-wiggling, shoulder-shaking “little big band” to Aspiri Primary School for the first time! The undercover area was transformed into a performance space complete with a stage, drum kit, flute, clarinet, electric keyboard, trumpet, saxophone and trombone! For many students, it was their first ever live music performance and it did not disappoint!

All classroom teachers were hard at work during Term 3, teaching their students about classic Rhythm & Blues of the 1940s and 50s and inspired by soul icons James Brown, Ray Charles and Harry Connick Jr. The incursion was directly aligned to the WA Music Curriculum and allowed students to see, listen and move to all of the songs they have been studying during their music lessons.

Musica Viva In Schools has been bringing the very best live music to Australian schools for over 35 years and is one of the leading providers of music education in Australia. They specialise in bringing the best nationally and internationally acclaimed performers direct to schools: interactive, dynamic and culturally diverse groups that perform a wide variety of musical styles.

A big thank you to Mrs Atherton for organising the incursion and we hope to welcome Musica Viva back again in 2020.

The Art Room

Pre-Primary Visual Arts

 

At the start, students looked at different images of urban and landscapes, which really got them excited!  In each image, we talked about the different lines, shapes and colours that we could see and named the things we could spot: mountains, valleys, roads, rivers, dirt, trees, houses, etc. Students practiced their lines first, by painting as many different lines as possible on A3 paper and then filled the spaces in between with the primary colours of yellow, red and blue only. Then they were given another A3 paper and different photos to choose from as inspiration and were asked to create a colourful painting full of lines and shapes. At the end, when their paintings had dried, the students went over their shapes with colour pencils to add effect that can catch your eye and draw your attention into it. Throughout this process, students were encouraged to experiment with the materials, use their observation skills, be creative and, most of all, have fun! Just look at their wonderful work!

Massed Choir Festival

On the last day of Term 3, The Aspiri School Choir performed in the prestigious Massed Choir Festival held at the Perth Concert Hall. They joined with 10 other schools from the Perth metropolitan area and all students represented Aspiri Primary School with pride. The students looked fabulous in their brand-new choir uniforms which have been generously provided by the school. A big thank you to Mr Morgan, Ms Evans, Ms Snowden, Miss Steel & Miss Graham for attending the concert. They were extremely impressed with the quality and high standard of choral music that was exemplified on the night. The students have all expressed the joy and excitement they experienced singing at such a renowned venue and the choir, directed by Mrs Atherton, hope to take part in the festival again in 2020.

Subway Lunch Order Form

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Uniform Concepts Term 4 information

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Vac Swim Programs

VacSwim offers swimming lessons for children aged five to 17 years during the January school holidays. Lessons are conducted at pools and open water venues across Western Australia.
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Swooping Magpies

The City of Armadale has recently been made aware of an aggressive swooping magpie located near the primary school.

Magpies are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act and therefore removing the magpie or its nest is illegal. The City has installed warning signage in the area to notify pedestrians of magpies in the area.

Further information on swooping magpies can be found on the Department of Parks and Wildlife website

https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/plants-animals/animals/living-with-wildlife/35_magpies.pdf  

or by phoning your nearest Parks and Wildlife Office. 

A Message From The School Nurse

Healthy Eating - Tips for Parents

Go shopping with your children and allow them to choose the healthy foods that they enjoy eating. For example, ask children to choose some of the fruit and vegetables.

Shop twice a week - fresher fruits, vegetables, breads and meats are more likely to appeal to the whole family.

Buy in season - seasonal fruits and vegetables taste great, are better quality and are better value for money.

Select small pieces of fruit - younger children prefer smaller pieces of fruit as they are easier to handle.

Choose quality - try to avoid bruised fruit or vegetables.

Encourage variety - so that your child does not get bored with their food.

 Ten tips for parents:

1.    Give children a variety of different foods

2.    Offer nutritious snacks, like fruit, yoghurt, crackers and cheese

3.    Encourage your child to eat breakfast

4.    Ensure that the family eats together at least once a day

5.    Pack your child’s lunch at home.  Let your child help.

6.    If your child refuses a new food, don’t make a fuss.  Try again several times.

7.    Listen when your child tells you they are full

8.    When your child is thirsty, encourage them to drink water.

9.    Allow your children to help with planning and preparing healthy meals.

10. Plan physical activities for your family

 Sleep

School-aged children need 10 -11 hours sleep a night. Getting a good night’s sleep will help your child to be more settled, happy and ready for school, and will strengthen his/her immune system. Here are some sleep tips;

  • Have a bedtime routine – this will help your child wind down from the day.
  • Keep the bedroom dark, cool and quiet - this will help your child drift off easily. 
  • If your child has a restless night or bad dreams, it may be because the day’s events and worries are still rattling around in his/her head.  Help your child to settle and relax for sleep by promoting good sleep habits. 

Remember, medication is not the answer to children’s sleep problems. 

Contact your local Community Health Nurse, Jessica Wheatcroft on (08)9391 2235, or go to www.raisingchildren.net.au for more information.