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Newsletter 2

Dear Parents and Carers

New Parent Welcome Morning Tea – Friday 1 March All new parents to the school are invited to our “Welcome Morning Tea” on Friday 1 March 9.00am – 10:00am in the staff room. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the Principal, Deputy Principals, P&C President, Chair of our School Board and members of both the board and P&C.

I look forward to meeting lots of parents and new families on Friday 1 March.

New Members of Staff Welcome to our new Teacher Ms Jessica Power Year 5 and Education assistants Michelle Owen and Catherine Webb. They are a welcome addition to our professional team and we look forward to their contribution to our learning program throughout the year.

Visitors to Rostrata Primary School Yesterday we hosted two teachers from Nulsen PS in Esperance who visited in order to closely examine the programs and teaching our teachers are implementing across junior primary, in particular; Letters and Sounds, our CARE Program, Moving on With Literacy and how we engage our occupational therapist and speech pathology supports to strengthen the work of our teachers.

They were extremely impressed on many levels and are excited to return and incorporate what they have seen and learnt. Thank you to our teachers who so kindly shared and supported teacher colleagues from a school so far away. Next week we are hosting the Principal from Christmas Island DHS who has come to look at matters to do with the school board, business planning and reporting on school performance.

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Edu Dance Classes commenced their Edu Dance lessons last week and have been quickly learning their routines. So far the dances seem to be very energetic and the students are enjoying both the music and the dances they are learning. Later this term we will be holding concerts at school for parents to attend and the dates and times for these will be announced shortly.

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iPads in Years 3 and 4 There has been a strong up take from students bringing their IPads to school in Years 3 and 4 and our focus has, and will continue to be, that the use of these devices is as tool to add value to children’s learning and to enhance the instruction by teachers. Our students find them extremely engaging and they are highly motivated to use them in ways that enrich their learning.

Action Research The action research programs conducted by Professor Brook, are continuing this year and commenced this week for teachers in Year 3, 4 and 5. This program has enabled teachers to become familiar with how instructional technology is being used in

best contemporary teaching practice. Through the action research, teachers then apply this in their classroom

teaching and measure and report back to the study group, how they engaged the technology, the beneficial outcomes they achieved and cite the changes in their teaching practice.

Charges and Voluntary Contributions for 2019 We have mailed out the Charges and Voluntary Contribution information to all families earlier this week. There is a range of information provided in with the statement which we urge you to read carefully.

Please be aware that with so many students there may be quite a queue of parents if you come into the office to make payment so we urge you to make use of the alternative methods of payment such as Direct Deposit or using the drop box in the front office.

For those students that are participating in EduDance this term, please take that into account when viewing your statement.

Payment by Week 6 of Term 1 would be greatly appreciated.

Building Fund for 2019 The parent donations of $10 per child to the 2019 building fund will be directed to erecting a shelter for students at the Kiss and Go zones. There will be conversations with the City of Canning and other agencies to ensure we have the best Kiss and Go arrangements before these are erected. Unfortunately, the City of Canning does not have a Travel Smart officer and this position in other City Council’s is a good conduit to Road Safety groups that can both advise and suggest grants that we can apply for.

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Use of Concraige Way Thank you to the many parents who have been using the Kiss and Go in Concraige Way and following these few request that really help with the traffic flow and road safety for all users;

Observe the clockwise direction flow of traffic Use the Kiss and Go as a drive through and parking elsewhere Consider our neighbours by keeping their street verges free and parking elsewhere Coming 10 minutes after the close of school to avoid the traffic

Please note that Concraige Way and Tansor Place are two way streets and local residents have the right to come and go freely. The clockwise flow of traffic is a Rostrata initiative to assist parents minimise the congestions and create a safer environment for all who use this area. Your ongoing cooperation is appreciated and has certainly made a difference to the flow of traffic. Thank you.

P & C General Meeting The Annual General meeting was held on Monday night and well attended, including many new parents who came along to join the P&C and get involved with the school.

The Office Bearers are;

Tristan Cameron – President Mark Little – Vice President and WACSSO representative Martin Greenacre – Secretary and Jon Caulfield – Treasurer

In addition, there are many committees and numerous parents have filled these important “behind the scenes” roles as well. Thank you to the dedicated Rostrata parents who have put themselves forward to support the school through the work of the P&C for 2019. The staff greatly appreciate the efforts and support of the school community we receive through the P&C and look forward to this continuing throughout this year as well.

School Disco Tomorrow night is the Back to school disco. The junior discos commence at 5:30pm and the senior disco begins at 7:30pm. We ask that parents collect children straight after the disco as students will not be released until their family is there to collect them.

Camp Out The Dad’s and children camp out on the school oval is on Saturday, 9 March. This has been an extremely popular event in the past and extremely well organised by our Dad’s group. If you still need to register, please contact dads@rostratapandc.org.au

Don’t miss out on the wonderful chance to spend a night under the stars with you kids, just around the corner from home and the chance to meet other dads and their children.

Labour Day Public Holiday – Monday 4 March The Labour Day long weekend is at the end of week four and please note that the school will be closed for this public holiday and reopen on Tuesday 5 March.

BARRY FRANCE

School Principal

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School Board

Hi everyone and welcome back to school in 2019. I hope you all had a well-deserved break, though it probably seems like a long time ago now! A warm welcome also to all of the new parents and carers, and students.

At the end of 2018, our school board had a mega-meeting (see photo attached), as we had both incoming and outgoing board members attend. I would like to thank David Meyer, Maree Shaw, Helen Scott, Jon Langford, Damian Carter and Kim Carter for their dedication and hard work for the school board over many years. I would also like to welcome Janice Seale, Michael Gotti, Sara Eldred, Kwang Ngui and Veronica Linares Zelada who will join myself, Barry France, Cindy Wells, Raj Hadinnapola, Khim Teh, Leslie Lowe, Liezl Ferreira and Tristan Cameron in 2019. I look forward to working with you all.

We still have a vacancy for a community representative to join our board. It cannot be a parent or staff member and we would like someone is connected with the Rostrata community and who is interested in contributing to our board. If you have any suggestions, please email me at board.rostrataps@gmail.com

The school board's role is to work in partnership with the school to:

establish and review the school's objectives and priorities; ensure sufficient financial arrangements to meet those objectives; evaluate the school's performance in achieving those objectives; formulate codes of conduct for students at the school; and promote the school in the community.

Our school board has established the following sub-committees to meet these objectives - business plan, school policies, community engagement and governance and risk. In 2018, our school board was involved in a number of activities including infrastructure issues (building upgrades and maintenance, new classrooms), refresh of school branding, school uniform changes, continuous monitoring of the 2016 to 2018 business plan, including considerations for the next business plan, successful implementation of NAPLAN online, review of instructional technology and revised BYOD program, reviewing and monitoring enrolments and funding, review and refresh of numerous school policies and nominating Courtney Johnston at the WA education awards.

Our first board meeting of the year will be on 18 March 2019. If you have any questions or concerns that you wish to raise with the board on these matters, please email me or speak to one of our board members. I look forward to reporting back on the many activities we will undertake this year.

Cheryl Chan

Chair, Rostrata Primary School Board

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Chaplain

Introducing

As a YouthCARE Chaplain, my role is to support the spiritual, social and emotional well-being of the students, irrespective of their faith or beliefs and with respect for individual families’ convictions. My role is also to provide support in the day-to-day matters that affect the school community. More simply, if at any stage, life is not easy, then I am available to talk with, to listen, and to provide encouragement and support. Another thing that I can do is provide information on community activities or support agencies in the area for students and/or their families.

This is my fourth year as Chaplain at Rostrata Primary School. In 2018, I was able to support the school community by:

1. meeting with individual students (when requested) and discussing topics such as grief and loss, anxiety, anger management, and friendship issues.

2. facilitating the Rainbows Grief and Loss Program (parents nominated their children to attend a weekly 45min small group to work through their feelings in relation to issues such as parental separation/divorce, or the terminal illness of a family member).

3. facilitating the Gelato Club (teachers recommend students for a 5-week lunch time group where they practice social skills that can be used in the classroom and playground).

4. providing additional social/emotional support for students recommended by teachers.

5. facilitating friendships and providing a ‘place to belong’ for quieter students through a weekly lunchtime craft session.

6. mentoring the Year 6 Peer Mediators.

7. encouraging staff to consider their own health and well-being and supporting them during the busy periods of the academic year.

8. engaging with parents/carers during casual conversation at the end of the school day, and providing fortnightly newsletter items.

9. facilitating ethical and charitable initiatives by the school community.

If you would like to make an appointment for your child or yourself to meet with me, please contact the school office, find me at school on a Monday or Tuesday, place a note in the labelled box in the office, or email Louise.Lathbury@youthcare.org.au

Student participation in the chaplaincy program is voluntary. If you DO NOT want your child/ren to have one-to-one involvement with the chaplain, then please register your intention at the office.

The roles and responsibilities of school chaplains can be viewed at: http://www.det.wa.edu.au/studentsupport/behaviourandwellbeing/detcms/school-support-programs/behaviour-and-wellbeing/wellbeing/pc/school-chaplaincy-program.en?tab=Main&page=2

Louise Lathbury

Chaplain

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Italian News

Parliamo italiano!

The Year 3 students have really embraced using the Italian language during the first two weeks of term. They have been listening attentively to learn how to greet classmates and myself in Italian. Bravissimi!

I’m equally impressed by the wonderful students greeting me in Italian when we pass each other at school. Learning a new language is a challenging exercise for the human brain but one that can reap great benefits. Speaking to yourself in the mirror is a good way to make sure your facial expressions match what you’re saying or pretend to have a conversation. Remember Languages Online offer great interactive games and activities for you to practise your language knowledge https://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/italian/Italian.htm

A presto, Signora Rechichi

Kindy Possums and Koalas Enjoy Outdoor Play in a Giant Box

The Kindy children have made a great start to the term enjoying making new friends and playing outside in this giant cardboard box full of cushions and books. A giant box can provide so many fun learning opportunities for children to use their imagination and creativity!!! So please feel free to donate any large boxes to Kindy when you purchase your next large appliance.

Amanda Everett

Kindy Possums

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Canberra Excursion – AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION

Our School captains will be travelling to Canberra in March 2019 to undertake an educational tour of the national capital. The captains have been given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $240.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Rebate program towards these costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school at the completion of the excursion.

Garden News

We have had a great start to the term. Our delicious cherry tomatoes and spring onions have been a nice sweet addition to our Mexican Wraps.

The Year 4 students are enjoying the introduction to the Kitchen Classroom.

We will be needing parents in weeks to come for their practical lessons, at the moment they are doing theory.

Keep an eye on the roster in your classrooms for their first practical lesson.

Looking forward to seeing you in the Kitchen.

Vickie Richards

Kitchen Specialist

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Choir

CHOIR RESTRUCTURE AND AUDITIONS 2019 Last year we experienced a unique situation with our Senior Choir. As we had a high number of Year 3 students from the previous year who continued as Year 4s it unfortunately resulted with no positions available for new members. To prevent a recurrence of this situation the decision has been made to restructure the two choirs. In the past the Middle Choir consisted of Year 2 and 3 students and the Senior Choir was made up with students from Years 4, 5 and 6. This year our Middle Choir will involve Year 3 and 4 students and the Senior Choir will consist of students from Years 5 and 6. Auditions commenced this week during class music lessons. The audition involves singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and pitch matching. Students who were in the choir last year do not need to audition again if they would like to continue this year. At the end of the auditioning process, approximately week 4, the children will be notified if they are successful or if they have been invited to audition again next year. Rehearsals will be held in the music room as follows: Middle Choir: Monday – 2:10-3:00pm Senior Choir: Tuesday – 8:30-9:15am Our choir uniform is worn during performances. Blue pants/shorts/skirt and black shoes (not sneakers) make up our uniform. The school will supply the students with a choir shirt. Due to the fact that rehearsals are held during school time students will miss some class activities. Please be aware that your child’s classroom teacher may request that this work be completed at home. Once a position is accepted, the children are given a probationary period of the first two rehearsals whereby they can decide whether or not to continue. You will be notified should your child choose not to continue. Upon acceptance of a position in the choir it is expected that students participate for the full year. They will be required to sign a contract to endorse this commitment. A copy will be sent home for your records. As children live busy lives please discuss with your child the level of after and before school and weekend commitments they currently have so that an informed decision about whether to accept a position or not is made. As we undertake several performances during the year at various venues, photos and/or video may be taken by staff or the general public. Therefore, it is a requirement that permission is granted from parents for photos to be taken and published. Unfortunately, if consent is not given students will not be able to participate in the choir program. The only cost involved will be for bus trips to and from a performance venue and the purchase of a pair of black shoes (if they do not already own a pair). I look forward to a great year of singing. Leanne Darby Choir Director

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Sport News

Welcome back, Sports Fans! A hale and hearty “HELLO” to everyone returning to Sports News for 2019. We have literally hit the ground running in terms of all things sporty and have a huge line-up for this term. DATES TO REMEMBER: Senior Swimming Carnival – Week 9, 3rd April SCISA Summer Carnival – Week 9, 5th April EduDance concerts – Week 10, 9th and 10th April RUNNING CLUB Running Club has started up again for 2019. All students from Year 3-6 are welcome to join in (younger students MUST be accompanied by a parent and do not have their laps recorded by the Running Club). Running Clubbers meet every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8am on the school oval. Congratulations to these two Running Clubbers who have recently reached milestones: Kian H – 200km Karin H – 200km SPORTS CHALLENGE – INDIVIDUAL THROWING AND CATCHING CHALLENGES Improve your hand/eye coordination with these simple yet fun challenges that you can practise at home, at the park or in the playground. All you need is a tennis ball (or any sort of small ball). Repeat these challenges 10 times each:

Throw with one hand, catch with two. Throw and catch with one hand. Try it with both your left and right hand. Throw and catch above your head (make a “bowl” with thumbs together) Throw and catch down low (make a “bowl” with pinky fingers together) How many times can you clap your hands before you catch it? Bounce the ball, spin around and catch it. Throw under your leg and catch. Can you think of any more challenges?

SPORTS QUIZ Name a sport that begins with the letter ‘X’. Linda Vedel, Amy Wyatt & Suzie Leach Phys Ed Specialists

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