Newsletter 22.4.15 - Cottesloe Primary School
Transcription
Newsletter 22.4.15 - Cottesloe Primary School
C O T T E S L O E P R I M A R Y S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R Cottesloe Primary School Newsletter ISSUE NUMBER 6 WEDNESDAY 22 WHAT’S ON THIS FORTNIGHT? WED THUR nd April 2015 MON TUE 27 Apr 28 Apr 29 Apr 30 Apr 1 May FRI 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May ANZAC DAY Public Holiday 4 May ANZAC CEREMONY We will be holding our ANZAC Ceremony at school this Friday 24th April commencing at 9.30am. All parents/grandparents/carers welcome to attend. We ask that you send a flower or flowers from your garden (long stem please) with your child on the morning of the ceremony so that we can make up some wreaths and posies for the children to place at the base of our flagpole. Please deliver to the resource room (just past the office). Thank you. Mrs Simpson & Mrs Mitchell FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK Welcome Back I trust you have enjoyed some quality family time over the holidays and Easter vacation. It is amazing to see how much taller some students are after a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation! A new term commences and we have some staffing changes - situation normal at Cottesloe Primary. Kate Fitzpatrick has been appointed Deputy Principal at Mt Claremont Primary School for term 2. This is a wonderful opportunity for Kate who well and truly deserves the chance to develop and hone her leadership skills. I feel very pleased and proud that the opportunities and guidance she has been offered at Cottesloe Primary have been recognised by the Region and she has been offered the position. Kate’s replacement web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au email: [email protected] C O T T E S L O E P R I M A R Y S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R will be Sam Pallas. Sam completed her long term Practicum at Cottesloe Primary last year. Sam is a very hard working, passionate and skilled teacher. She has already completed a number of days relief with Kate’s Year 5/6’s and has developed positive relationships with the students already. Ms Tess Becket has extended her leave from 7 weeks to the full term. I am very pleased that Mrs Regina Low will take over her teaching duties for that time. Welcome back Regina. Paul Healey, school Gardener, is currently on leave. John Tichborne, cleaner, has reduced his cleaning time and has taken on gardening duties. Finally, Sensei Spicer will be modifying her roster at Cottesloe Primary. She will be delivering the same lessons on Mondays and Fridays. Jemma was successful in winning a Japanese Language teacher position at another school. Having an additional staff member on site on Friday offers Cottesloe Primary greater flexibility meaning we have a win - win situation. Striving to bring about improved pedestrian safety and parking, I met with Kevin Poyton, Mosman Park Council CEO and Matthew MacPherson, Manager Technical Services, to explore other ways to ensure the safety of our students in the area. Matthew will liaise with Donovan Norgard from Peppermint Grove Shire to improve signage and line marking as well as investigate other strategies to make the area safer. To assist, I ask that you complete the attached survey (a hard copy has also been sent home with the eldest child today) and deliver to the Red Box or return email by Thursday 30th April. The survey seeks information on the means and routes students/families currently use to get to school. My thanks to Councillor Wesley Davies for facilitating this meeting. Many of you will have seen some large branches were blown down during the storms of the first week of vacation. I have arranged a safety audit of all trees on site. This may result in some radical action but hopefully the integrity and look for our site will be maintained. The community will be informed of any action. Morning Routines Like your homes, it is important classrooms have calm, predictable and productive morning routines. Staff have reported that classrooms are often quite chaotic between 8.30 and 8.50, due to the number of people in rooms. To assist your child’s teacher create a smooth start to the day and build your child’s independence I ask that you drop your child at the door (or school gate) and allow them to enter the room independently. During this time students will be asked to complete a daily routine which may involve getting set for the day, changing reading books and/or completing revision tasks. This allows for a smooth and calm start and sets the tone for the rest of the day. It also allows students to develop their independence and take responsibility for getting themselves organised in the morning. Of course, if you need to pass on a bit of information pertinent for the day to your child’s teacher, please quickly pop in. Remember, longer discussions about your child’s progress and learning will require you to make an appointment with the relevant staff member. Please don’t get the impression we do not want parents and helpers in the school, your assistance and participation is crucial! The tone of togetherness and friendship is very much a part of our school ethos, in fact it sets us apart from other schools. We web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au email: [email protected] C O T T E S L O E P R I M A R Y S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R encourage and need community participation as well as your cooperation in ensuring a smooth start to your child’s day. After School on the Nature Play Parents are reminded that they are responsible for supervising students playing on the school site after school hours. If students are not supervised they are to leave for home immediately. The rules of safety, not throwing rocks, only using sticks for building, not weapons, not climbing trees, still apply. A number of students run around the school buildings which affect the work going on inside classrooms and the office. I ask that you closely supervise your children during after school plays. Staff will be focussing on promoting good manners this term. Please assist us by guiding and reinforcing the appropriate behaviour of your children. Wifi in School A part of our strategic direction is to improve facilities and to increase the effective use of learning technologies in the school. To do this we have implemented an “iPad trial” which has proven popular and educative for staff and students. To grow the program we need to improve the connectivity of and access to devices around the school. Wifi is seen as the most efficient and flexible way of doing this. I have asked the P&C to consider funding the school upgrade of the required infrastructure. A parent has raised concerns about the use of wifi in schools. Please review the contrasting points of view in relation to the use of wifi, from WHO, Australian Federal Government (Australian Radiation Protection Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and wifi in schools.org, a group that highlight the dangers of wifi. Flu Season To protect the student body from illness this season please ensure that if your child becomes ill, keep them away from school. Please also ensure immunizations are kept topped up and updated, especially your own. The more time children spend at school the more they should learn. The healthier they are the better they will learn. Another busy term lies ahead. I hope to see you around the school soon. Graham Dart Principal Cottesloe Primary School Ph Mob Web 93842426 0408914923 www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au email: [email protected] C O T T E S L O E P R I M A R Y S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R APPLICATION TO ENROL FOR 2016 – NOW OPEN Applications are now open for Kindy, Pre-Primary and Year 1 enrolments for 2016. Application forms are available from the office or can be downloaded from our website www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au on the ‘Contact Us’ page. Applications will remain open until Friday 24th July 2015 but we would appreciate forms being returned as soon as possible so that we can anticipate staff needs for 2016. Critical and Creative Thinking The Disadvantages Key is the focus for our thinking this week. We often accept the inadequacies of many products, without really considering how they can be improved. See if you can improve on the design of the following by first listing the disadvantages and then suggesting some improvements. Try this; List the advantages and then the improvements to a shovel. Or List the advantages and then the improvements to an umbrella. Try using a table; The Disadvantages The Improvements You will probably be using the Habits of Mind “Thinking Flexibly” and “Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision” as well as “ Finding Humour” and “Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations”. Show your teacher the best ideas!! Denise Johnston web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au email: [email protected] C O T T E S L O E P R I M A R Y S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R Talk on the Way to School I take the kids to school early and I pick up some of the kids a few days a week. I find it a good time to ask questions about school. This worked out well for Tim with regard to his maths. When we started to talk I asked him, 'How was maths?' He told me it was really easy and somehow I knew there was some trouble, because he wasn't being challenged. Turns out he was in the wrong maths class and I was able to change it at the school. -Craig Serjeant • • • Time in the car is a great way to stay connected with your child. Ask about school and how each subject is going. If you have concerns or questions talk with your child's teacher. Thoughts? Join the discussion on the website. We love to hear from you too! The Fathering Project Team NEWSLETTER ITEMS If you wish to submit an item for inclusion in our newsletter could you please send to Jenni Mitchell, School Officer by Tuesday afternoon of each week or by email to [email protected] web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au email: [email protected]