Newsletter No 13 Date 23rd August 2019
Every day from
8am
MERRIWA NEWS
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…
Dear Families,
Merriwa Reads Over 8 Million Words
We have a new reading programme! Lexile Reading , part of Literacy Pro, is
making an incredible difference to our reading. At the beginning of the year we
set a target for our Year 3 to 6 students to read a million words in 2019.
So far your children have read over 8 Million Words!
The children read library books at their level for their reading programme,
followed by a lexile quiz. Congratulations to Rooms 21 and 22 for the most
improved and most words read last fortnight. The Pre Primary to Year 2 students
have a home reading competition which was won by Room 7 again. Help your child to win by reading at home.
Look At the Amazing Events at Merriwa (Mostly Free!)
We offer incredible programs and activities here at Merriwa. Here are a few
recent ones:
NAIDOC Day
Cockman House visits by the Year 2 students
Kalamunda History Museum visit by the Year 3 students
Glen Swift, a visiting author read and presented his latest book to our Year
Five and Six students. Thank you to the City of Wanneroo Libraries.
SCi Tech visited for National Science week.
Constable Care came to help the students learn how to keep safe.
3D Printers Solar Car Challenge at Clarkson Community College for Year 6
Science Team
SKIPS Mental Health Workshops for Year 6 students
Edith Cowan University Senior Extension Science Group Old Ways New
Ways, learning about traditional Aboriginal and cutting edge modern
science.
Triple P Parent Workshops
Kind Regards, Mrs Sue Waterhouse PRINCIPAL
VISIT OUR
WEBSITE
www.merriwaps.
wa.edu.au
For parent information
23rd August
Assembly
Room 19
P & C NEWS
Learning Journey
Cake Stall
Donations of
cupcakes, cookies,
muffins needed!
More information to
follow.
4th September
Jumps and Throws Day
6th September
Faction Athletics
Next Pizza Day
Wednesday 11 September .
Order forms will be sent home next
week.
Kind Regards Karen Macri—Principal
Athletic Carnivals The students are busy preparing for two big events in the coming weeks. Our very inclusive Merriwa Schools
faction carnival is taking place on the oval on Friday 6th September. All parents and carers are encouraged to
attend to support students in novelty events and year level running races.
In the following week the students of the ESC will be involved in an interschool carnival hosted at Beldon ESC.
There are several education support centres attending this fabulous day of novelty games and running races.
Again parents and carers are welcome to attend.
Car Park concerns
Please be advised that you will not be allowed access to the staff car park without a
valid ACROD pass. You cannot use this area to pick up or drop off your child.
Showcase Several staff attended the showcase event at the WAESPAA
Conference last week. Our Kiosk proved to be very busy with great
feedback given about the programs we offer here at Merriwa ESC.
Upcoming Events Faction Carnival Friday 6 September
ESC Interschool Carnival Tuesday 10 September
Please note the ESC assembly has been moved to next term – Friday
25 October.
Merriwa ESC News
Year PP-2 HOME READING
Junior Champion
Class Award Year 1/2
Room 7 AGAIN!!
Best participation in
HOME READING PROGRAM
Year 3 - 6 LITERACY PRO
Merriwa Primary
School
Total Words Read 8 380 104
Senior Champion
Class Award 242 241
Year 4/5 Room 22
Senior Rising Stars
Award Year 3/4 Room 21
Byron Leonard
203 285
Keren Mbafumoja
214 936
Highest Scoring
Students
Attendance
The school has just completed our semester 1 attendance. Our
attendance for the semester is significantly lower than our
targets. To get the most out of a good education, children
need to go to school every day. School attendance has a
major influence on education outcomes. Research shows that
every day missed affects your child’s achievement. Your child’s
NAPLAN scores are reduced for every day missed. If you child
attends 90% of the time, we regard them as attending
regularly, but if they attend 90% of the time, they miss:
1 day a fortnight.
1 week a term or
4 days a year.
1 year by the end of year 9.
If they attend 80% of the time, they miss
1 day per week.
40 days per term.
8 weeks per year.
2 years by the end of year 9.
For semester 1, this year, we had only 63% of our students at-
tending on a regular basis. This dropped from 74% for semester
1 last year.
If you are having trouble with regard to school attendance
please contact your child’s class teacher to discuss your
situation.
Jeff Hoskins Associate Principal
On Tuesday 13th August the year 5/6 classes had a visit from local
author Glen Swift and Sharon Carnegie from the Clarkson Library.
Glen told the students stories, read one of his books and performed
magic tricks! All of the students enjoyed listening to Glen and
some even got to act out part of a story. Thanks Mrs Perkins for
organising the visit.
CITY OF WANNEROO STORY TELLER
Mobile Phone and Electronic Equipment Policy
Recently children have been wearing watches to
school that have the capability to communicate and
record photos and videos.
Our policy on mobile phone and communication
devices falls within the School Education 2000,
Regulation 70. Student mobile phones, or electronic
equipment brought to school are to be given to the
teacher or the front office for safe keeping during the
school operating hours 8.30am to 2.40pm.
If a child is seen with a mobile phone or electronic
device they will be required to hand it to their teacher
of the front office where it can be collected at the end
of the school day.
The policy is about protecting the safety of all students
in our care and maintaining good order in our school.
In the case of emergencies your child can be
contacted via a message at the front office. Our
contact number is 62062340.
Jeff Hoskins
Associate Principal
Our 2019 NAIDOC celebrations were held on Thursday 15th August. The whole school participated
in activities designed to celebrate indigenous culture under the theme Voice, Treaty, Truth. We were joined
by representatives from ECU's Centre for Indigenous Australian Education who shared some indigenous
games and hunting skills and the Butler College Indigenous girls dance group. We created individual sand
murals, rainmakers and Australian animal scratch artworks. For the first time ever on NAIDOC Day, we got to
meet some furry and scaly native Australian animals. As usual, one of the favourite parts of the day was the
food tasting where we tried sauces and chutneys made from native fruits and vegetables on our sausages
and delicious damper and jam made by our wonderful parent volunteers! A great day was had by
all! Thank you to Mrs Duffill and her team for organising the day.
NEWSLETTER RAFFLE I have read newsletter 12. Parent signature________________________________
Child’s Name ____________________________________________ Room No.__________________
Congratulations to the last winner Logan Jose-Hansen
If your child was born between 1st July 2015- 30th June 2016
registrations are now open to enrol in kindy. Please see the front office for application forms and return completed forms to the office with copies of Birth Certificate, Immunisation Records, Proof of Address and $40.00 for
Voluntary Contributions.
Cross country interschool Our Merriwa PS students performed extremely well and can be very proud of their efforts in the first Cross
Country carnival in the North Coastal District Sporting Cell. The students who trained hard in the mornings
before school were rewarded with high places in their races. Every person finished their race strongly and
never gave up. Special mention must go to Baoyi Wang, Aguk Makuei and Jack Murray who filled in at the
last minute for three students who were injured that week.
Below are the place getters for the top 10 (and a couple of 11th).
Narteisha Winmar Year 4 – Second place
Jade Winsor Year 4 – Third
Keren Mbfumoja Year 4 – Sixth
Donrichie Tribunali Year 4 – Tenth
Sophie Williams Year 5 – Second
Connor Robertson Year 5 – Sixth
Jeremiah Kori Year 5 – Ninth
Gus Waaka Year 5 – Eleventh
Olivia Williams Year 6 – Second
Elisha Pickett Year 6 – Tenth
Chantalee Hanekom
Year 6 – Eleventh
Titchiang Chol Year 6 – Third