AN INDEPENDENT

PUBLIC SCHOOL

From the Principal

The Year 6 Graduation Ceremony and Dance held on Tuesday evening was a wonderful night in which we celebrated the achievements of our amazing Year 6 children. I was extremely proud of the manner in which the children presented and conducted themselves throughout the entire evening. They have all grown and matured so very fast and have demonstrated excellent leadership, citizenship and teamwork throughout the year. With 103 children in Year 6, this was the largest group of students to have ever graduated from Wattle Grove Primary School. Ex student, Dana Thomas, who graduated from our school in 2013 also joined our Ceremony as a special guest and provided our graduates with some very thoughtful and wise messages of her years at high school and now university. It was such a pleasure to have such a very accomplished young adult return to her primary school as part of the Graduation Ceremony. The Year 6s received their Graduation Certificates as we listened to their aspirations for the future. We will have many wonderful memories of our 2019 Year 6 children and the manner in which they have worked together and have been such great student leaders. Many thanks to Fearne and Rafi for their lovely final address on behalf of the Year 6 children and also to the Choir who sang so beautifully on the night. I also wish to acknowledge our very impressive Student Speakers, Rosie and Trent, for their outstanding effort in conducting the Ceremony. Special thanks also to the wonderful parents of our Decorating Committee, led by Mrs Sharmaine Elder, who decorated the venue so beautifully in what were extremely hot circumstances.

A big thank you to our amazing staff who worked tirelessly to ensure that this Ceremony was a memorable one for all the Year 6 children and their families. Special awards on the evening were presented to: Francis Nono – 2019 Award of

Excellence

Jai Urbani – Outstanding Citizenship Award 2019

Fearne Van Beek – 2019 Academic Award

Ruby Henshall – 2019 Sports Achievement Award

Ayala Williams and Te Atawhai Chase – Lesmurdie Senior High School Scholarships

Congratulations to all of these award winners and to all the Year 6 students on their successes and achievements at Wattle Grove. We hope that you have as many wonderful memories of your primary school years at Wattle Grove as we have of you as students. Never give up on your dreams…..you can achieve anything….. enjoy the challenges ahead and continue to be the wonderful leaders and citizens that you are.

Following the Graduation Ceremony, the Graduation Dance was conducted by Humphrey’s Dance School for all the Year 6 children. Once again, this was an outstanding event and the children demonstrated their dance skills extremely well. Parents joined their children on the dance floor for the final dances when they returned after 9.30pm. This was another example of families, staff and students having a lot of fun together.

5th December 2019 The Official Newsletter of Wattle Grove Primary School Term 4, Issue 19

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony

Year 6 Graduation Dance

December

6 Senior Assembly Rm 16 & 19

10 Parent Volunteer Morning Tea

13 Final Assembly An opportunity for the Whole School to acknowledge our 2019 Graduating Class

16 17 18

Dance Parties (Timetable Attached)

19 Last day for students & Ringing of the Bell @ 2pm for Year 6

February

3 First day for students 2020

Early close every Tuesday at 2.30pm

School Security 1800 177777 9264 4771 9264 4632

18 Reports Issued

P&C update, reporting on school activities held in TeP&C update, reporting on school activities held in Term 4.

Presentation of Citizenship Projects by three Year 6 students.

Review of 2019 NAPLAN results and School Targets.

Review of Extra Curricula activities conducted by the School.

Discussion on the School Review scheduled for Term 1, 2020.

School Board Effectiveness Survey. School Board Awards for Term 4.

Deputy Principal Corner

With the increasing prevalence of and access to social media and all forms of screens for children and young people, it is a good time to reflect on the benefits and risks associated with their use. We are aware that many of our students are using social media platforms on a regular basis and almost all students use screens at some point throughout the week. Whilst there are benefits to students becoming technologically competent, there are also risks. The associated problems come to light in school, where friendships are compromised through activity on social media and parents inform us of these situations. This is becoming increasingly more common and is often starting now at Year 4, where students are actually below the legal age for many of these platforms. The long school holidays provide children and their families with more leisure time. It is essential that parents limit the time, and also monitor their children on devices. Issues raised with the school have included: Online bullying: Children will put things online that they would not say to your child’s face. This is very confusing as the bully can seem perfectly friendly the next day at school and children can become anxious about friendships. Time limits: Children becoming argumentative and not wanting to come off devices and games when asked. Setting clear time limits and ensuring follow through is critical. Other Activities: Children not being able to think of anything to do unless it involves devices. The research shows that we get our best ideas when we are bored. It also impacts on reading time. Ensuring your children have a range of activities to choose from once devices are off limits. They will respond particularly well to one-on-one time with parents. There are some great websites for parents to access on a wide range of topics, including this one. https://raisingchildren.net.au

Louise Grainger

From the Year 6 Graduation Decorating Committee.

We would like to thank the following community

members for their generous donation for the use of

their items.

Firstly, Will from The Purple Owl Bistro for allowing the

school to use his large Lily plant.

And to Debbie Brown (a friend of a Yr 6 Mum) for

generously supplying bountiful blooms for our use.

The donations allowed for the night to be more

memorable.

Thank you to the following parents who assisted with

the decoration of the hall.

The committee consisted of Sharmaine Elder, Cherene

Holt, Karen Godfrey, Jodie & Peter Morling, Maria

Kelly, Kristy Brightwell, P&C President Rhia Bradtke

& a blast from the past Annette Biglin (last child

graduated from the school in 2017).

Nothing would have been achieved without the above

people’s generous time and sheer hard work in the

heat to make the night amazing for the children.

Sharmaine Elder

Social Media and Screen Time

City of Kalamunda Implementation of newly adopted Parking and Parking Facilities Local Laws 2019 Implementation of new Local Laws came into effect on 25 October 2019 and as a result of the review, all fees for illegal parking have increased. Any illegal parking under the Parking and Parking Facilities Local Laws 2019 may result in a fine of up to $100 for any offences committed. For further information, please contact the City of Kalamunda, Community Safety Services on 9257 9999.

At the School Board Meeting held on Tuesday, 26 November 2019, the following agenda items were discussed : Principal’s update, including school activities and

achievements during Term 4. Financial Report by the Manager Corporate

Services.

Parking

School Board Update

Many thanks to the Year 6 parents who provided a beautiful supper for all the children and to all the staff and parents who helped with the clean up after the event. Your efforts are so greatly appreciated.

Julie Roberts Principal

Congratulations to these students who were presented with Merit Certificates at the Assembly:

Kindy Room 1 Ananya, Nate, Matilda, Ethan, Mia Kindy Room 4 Ezekiel, Kristy PP Room 3 Emily, Mishika, Tayjas PP Room 9 Yaseen, Brendan, Scott, Rihan Year 1 Room 10 Misha, Anaya, Abeera, Sarah Year 1 Room 21 Jovan, Aadya Year 1/2 Room 30 Ashwin, Heath, Year 2 Room 15 Ashvanth, Jayden, Jett, Amber Year 2 Room 28 Sonia, Jye, Sports Award Room 10, Room 23 Science Award Emily, Theodore LOTE Award Nikki Music Award Room 15 Values Award Compassion Jazzleen, Saoirse

Merit Certificates - Junior

Santa’s Aussie Assistants, Mrs Fletcher, Mrs Chaplyn, Mrs Kealley and Mrs Phillips were able to recruit forty little Kindy ‘helpers’ from the Blue Group to present the last Junior Assembly for Term 4. There were many ‘Santa helpers’ dressed in a variety of red, green and white coloured shorts, skirts and singlets to depict the hot Christmases experienced in Australia. This also included an array of head gear like Santa’s hats, reindeer antlers, wreaths, stars and even a unicorn horn! The students welcomed everyone to the assembly with a bright “Hello” song and then shared some interesting things they had learnt in Kindergarten this year. Did you know that they know their initial letter sounds, can count syllables and identify rhyming words! The audience were next entertained with the upbeat song “Santa wear your shorts” that put a smile on everyone’s face! There were plenty of certificates given out to hard working students from across the junior school. A Big congratulations to the certificate recipients from Room 1 and 4. Well done to Teddy and Emily who received the Science awards and Jazzleen and Saoirse who received the Values awards. This was the first assembly for the Kindergarten and the students did an awesome job, speaking confidently and clearly into the microphone. Thank you to all parents and caregivers for helping to dress the children in their costumes. They looked very ‘Christmassy’ indeed!

Gloria Fletcher

Room 1 & 4 (Blue Groups) - Assembly

School Banking School Banking is held on Thursdays from 8.20am to 8.40am in the undercover (assembly) area.

Canteen Week 9 - open Wednesdays & Thursday. Week 10 Closed To Order, Simply: Go Online – https://quickcliq.com.au/ register, and complete your order before 8.15am; OR In class – Fill out the lunch bag and leave money and your order in the Lunch basket.

Uniform Shop Opening Hours Uniform Shop is open at the following times:

Thursday mornings 8.30am to 9am

Friday afternoon 2.45pm to 3.15pm Please note Week 10 will be the last week for 2019.

In 2020 the Uniform shop will be open on Friday 31st from 9am to 12pm.

Student Requirements 2020 (Booklists)

Student Requirements 2020 (Book lists) Did you know that Ziggies provide a rebate to the school, which goes towards more resources for the students. Please read the ‘How to Order’ carefully : Lists can be returned to school by Friday, 6 Decem-

ber. Orders can be made online at book-

lists.ziggies.net.au. Parents can opt to have orders delivered to your

home. Collection of orders will be from Ziggies Educa-

tional Supplies, 25B Baile Road, Canning Vale. NO SCHOOL PICKUP.

Orders can be collected or purchased from Ziggies in Canning Vale from 6th January 2020 right up until school commences.

Orders are packed and ready for you – no need to spend hours picking supplies off shelves yourself.

P & C

AstenAstenAstenAsten My name is Asten and I am in Year 6 in Room 17 with Ms Balogh, our fabulous teacher. I have been at Wattle Grove Primary School since Pre Primary which is seven years. My whole family lives in Australia but my father’s side is from England. I have one brother and one sister, they are both older than me. My hobbies are riding my bike, doing things with friends, playing games and drawing. I have participated in drama and karate, although I did not enjoy them. MY favourite thing about Wattle Grove Primary School is that it is a good school. There are so many things that are at WGPS that other schools do not have access to. The teachers and students are nice because there are high expectations and everyone gets along better when they are striving for their best. I love how the school has so many different types of events such as Harmony Day, Run for Fun (occasionally) and Book Week. Thank you Wattle Grove Primary School for being a positive memory that I will remember for ever

AlkaAlkaAlkaAlka Hello! My name is Alka Nair. I am 12 years old and have been attending Wattle Grove Primary School since year 4. I have one sibling and my mum and dad. I am the youngest in my family, my sister being 14 and my parents, well, that’s a secret! I also have a year old dog that we adopted last year. I was born in New Zealand but my family was born in India. We migrated to Australia in 2012. Before I came to Wattle Grove, I attended Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School in High Wycombe. I am lucky enough to attend Mr Sanderson’s class in Room 22. I like to read, draw, roller-skate and write poems. I love how Wattle Grove Primary School always welcomes everyone and always helps everyone and anyone. Everyone here is always friendly and funny. It is very easy to make loads of friends and I am forever grateful to have these wonderful people in my life. The representative jobs are fun yet challenging and help us with our leadership skills. I always look forward to do my student rep jobs and look forward to more fun jobs in the future. It will be quite disheartening to leave, but I will look forward to the future years of high school.

MitchellMitchellMitchellMitchell Hello! My name is Mitchell Alcock. I am 12 years old and go to Wattle Grove Primary School. I’ve been here since kindy and have loved all eight years of this school. I have a younger brother and two very caring parents. I’m the oldest child and am proud of it. I was born in Australia and so was my Mum and brother. My Dad, however, was born in England. My main interest is playing soccer. Wattle Grove Primary School is amazing and has shaped me to become who I am today. Everyone here is welcoming and kind. In this school, it’s very easy to make friends and impossible to lose ones. This school is a mix of fun and educational. I learn heaps of valuable information every day in new and fun ways. Being a Student Representative made me realise how important it is to make sure the school works properly. It also made me a more responsible and mindful person. I look forward to going to high school, though I will be sad to leave the place I’ve spent so long in.

BaileyBaileyBaileyBailey I am Bailey Renton, I’m in Room 31 at Wattle Grove Primary School with Mr Sherlock and Mrs Queiros. I arrived here at Wattle Grove Primary School last year in February. At home I regularly assist my mum in caring for my younger sisters, and taking responsibility for their safety. I babysit them when my mum’s not home and I make sure they do the chores they are supposed to do. Last weekend on 22nd November I qualified as a Reiki Master in Forrestfield at their workshop in FIRS Centre. This qualification allows me to heal publicly and teach Reiki. I have learned a lot here at WGPS but writing and spelling are my favourite things to do and I have improved enormously in my two short years here. I love writing narrative stories about mysteries and other scary things. My spelling has also improved a lot. My reading is much better too. I have read all the Talisman series which was really exciting. I have read all of the Aaron Blabey books called “Bad Guys”. So now I’m looking for another series. Music is my second favourite subject. My teacher is Mr Honey and he makes the subject really interesting and exciting. I was in the Senior Choir until term 2 and I found it really interesting and stimulating. Sports is also my favourite thing to do, especially football, basketball, cross country. When we do fitness training in the morning, I also like doing circuits on the oval and playing Golden Child. I enjoy working with young children. I have been known to play with them during recess and lunch breaks and I find it really rewarding. If I was a Student Representative, I would motivate younger children to be aware of the need to recycle.

BonnieBonnieBonnieBonnie Hi, my name is Bonnie and I am in Room 17, with Ms Balogh this year. I have been at Wattle Grove Primary School for my whole school life; I have not been to another school before. My dad’s parents are from Scotland and my mum’s come from England. I have one little brother who’s in Kindy. I’m not really an outdoors type of person but in winter I am a part of Kala-Hockey. I love (an understatement) Wattle Grove Primary School but I mainly enjoyed: How everyone is always happy. All the amazing students and friends that you find here. As a Student Representative, I love seeing the students smile and laugh along with one another and help each other find their feet. I think everyone deserves to smile and be happy. I will love to see this school grow as a community or a family. I hope I’ve served this school well and continue to see students along with staff smile and have amazing lives. Why? Because once you leave primary school, you wish you could go back and do it again.

ThomasThomasThomasThomas My name is Thomas and I am in Room 17 with Ms Balogh this year. I started at Wattle Grove Primary School last year. I know that I have not been at this school for very long but I do know that I love it. My family is originally from Slovakia, my parents migrated to Australia to have a better life. My sister and I were born here. In my free time I like to play videos games, soccer and badminton. I really like how extraordinary Wattle Grove Primary School is. When I first started at this school, everyone was so kind and generous towards me. It was very welcoming and I was happy to be a part of such an amazing school. The teachers treat everyone with kindness and respect. My favourite parts of the school year are the sport carnivals and interschool sport days.

2020 TERM DATES

SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 1SEMESTER 1 STUDENTSSTUDENTSSTUDENTSSTUDENTS

Term 1 Monday 3rd February - Thursday 9th April

Break Friday 10th April - Monday 27th April

Term 2 Tuesday 28th April - Friday 3rd July

Break Saturday 4th July - Sunday 19th July

SEMESTER 2SEMESTER 2SEMESTER 2SEMESTER 2 STUDENTSSTUDENTSSTUDENTSSTUDENTS

Term 3 Tuesday 21st July - Friday 25th September

Break Saturday 26th September - Sunday 11th October

Term 3 Monday 12th October - Thursday 17th December

SCHOOL DAY TIMES

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The school day begins at 8.45am. All children must be in their classrooms and ready to start lessons by this time. If children are late to school, they miss the roll call, morning routines and other activities that set the context for the day. As the school is not officially open until 8.45am, children should NOT be in school grounds before 8.30am. Children/parents who do arrive prior to 8.30am will need to wait in the Undercover Area until the siren is sounded to ensure duty of care. 8.45am School commences 10.30am – 10.50 Recess 12.30pm – 1.10pm Lunch 3.05pm School day ends (Tuesday 2.30pm) School Gates are opened at 8.20am and again at 2.45pm. School Gates are locked at 9.00am and again 3.20pm for security reasons.

Monday 2nd March Labour Day

Monday 1st June WA Day School Development Days 2020 (students do not attend on these days). Term 1 - Thursday 30th January Friday 31st January Thursday 9th April Term 3 - Monday 20th July Term 4 - Friday 27th November Friday 18th December

Last year Wattle Grove Primary School families were

involved in providing food and gifts for Christmas parcels

that were distributed to needy local families.

We are again asking for your help to support this

local endeavour by donating items needed to

make up these Christmas Hampers.

Non –perishable food and gifts for all aged are needed.

Each class has been asked to kindly donate items.

All donations will need to be in by Friday 6th December.

Collection boxes are located in each block.

Thank you for helping and caring!

YEAR 6 GRADUATION LUNCH

YEAR SIX

GRADUATION CEREMONY & DANCE