Book Week and Literacy Week

We have decided to combine Book Week and Literacy Week together this term. Students are participating in a number of interesting activities this week with our theme being 'CHAMPIONS READ!'

Activities include a book mark making competition, book chalk art on the school pavement, a book character dress up and parade as well as classroom based activities which will be displayed in the school Hall.

School Start Times

Below is the content of a letter I sent home to all parents today which is very important. We will not compromise when it comes to student safety. While our school grounds are relatively enclosed and 'protected' from the outside community we cannot take responsibility for the safety of children left unattended. Besides 'strangers' that could enter the school unnoticed early in the morning there is also the risk that students injure themselves or others through their own actions e.g. throwing equipment, playing games etc. Our staff cannot and will not take responsibility for student safety outside the accepted school hours.

SCHOOL START TIMES

It has come to my attention that there are a growing number of students arriving at school well before the start time of 8.40am with some students arriving as early as 7.30am. This poses a safety concern as children are left unsupervised for up to 45 minutes every morning. It is also very unfair on the child who must sit (not play) for a long time in the Hall which, at this time of the year, is very cold and uncomfortable.

Students should not arrive at school before 8.15am as we do not provide any formal supervision prior to this time. The only exception to this is on Wednesday mornings when we run a Breakfast Club commencing at 8.00am. Parents are responsible for the proper care and supervision of their child prior to this time. It is not acceptable to leave your child unattended at our school before these times.

The school does not provide before school ‘child minding’ or ‘baby sitting’ and cannot be expected to supervise students who arrive early. Parents who need to work should arrange alternate care for their child before school. This could include a relative, close family friend, neighbour or another reliable parent. There are also a number of ‘before school’ care programs which could be accessed if required.

Parents of Kindergarten and/or Pre-primary students are required to wait with their child and hand them over to the classroom teacher at 8:40am. Kindergarten and/or Pre-primary students should never be left unattended or in the care of another child.

The safety and comfort of your child is of utmost importance to us. For this reason we ask that you support the school in this matter.

Issues with Blogger

The digital world is certainly very interesting and alluring. It has the potential to motivate us and enhance the way that we communicate. I set up this blog in order to facilitate communication between school and home and to keep the community better informed about what is happening at our school. I have been blogging since late 2011 from school and from home. However, last week I was surprised to discover that the Education Department had blocked the Blogger website which meant that I could no longer view the blog from a school computer. When I asked why? I was told that the site was not secure in that it allowed students to access possibly inappropriate content.

You will notice at the top of the page (just above the title 'Mr B's Blog Spot') there is a link labelled as 'Next Blog'. If you click this link it will take you to another random blog on the Blogger website. This means that with one simple click you could be exposed to any kind of material including foul language, explicit pictures and/or text etc etc. Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who like to express their warped and degenerate opinions and ideas online where any unexpecting person can come across them.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility to both protect and educate our children about the dangers of the online environment. We do not allow students to use the Blogger website for creating blogs as there are others available which are more suitable for students e.g. Edublog. Obviously, if we had allowed this it would no longer be available anyway - as it has been blocked. We also provide regular reminders to students about what they should do if they come across anything offensive or inappropriate i.e. tell an adult and turn it off.

My blog was not intended to be for students. It is provided for the parents of our students and the wider adult community. The Blogger site also provides a platform for blogging that is easier to use than others that I have found. My intent is to continue using this site until I have the time to research and locate a better one. I ask that if you share my blog with your children that you supervise them while they are viewing it. If you have any concerns or problems please post a message or visit me at school.

Art Project at Grenville Reserve – ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’

We have been asked by Bridget Norton to be involved in the creation of a public art work at Grenville Reserve. Bridget is the artist contracted by the City of Stirling to create the work which will consist of a large Tuart tree sculpture as well as a wall mosaic/digital photomontage which will cover 50 square metres of the east wall of the new building being constructed at Grenville Reserve. Student art work will be digitally photographed and will be used to create the photomontage. We look forward to this opportunity for our students to be involved in an exciting local project which will have their individual work permanently on display.

Newsletter front page 9 August 2012

Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members

Last week our school choir participated in the Western Australian Government Schools Musical Society concert at Burswood Entertainment Complex. The students in our choir did a magnificent job of combining complex dance movements with excellent singing. Many thanks go to Mrs Mount-Bryson and Mrs vanderWal for all the time they put into planning and preparing our choir for this event. My thanks also go to the parents who supported our choir by purchasing tickets and attending the concert.

At Tuart Hill Primary School we seek to develop and maintain high standards. The wearing of school uniform is one way that this high standard is displayed to the wider community. School dress requirements play an important role in promoting a positive image of our school and creating a sense of identity and a common bond among students. As well as this, the wearing of school uniforms:

o Promotes safety by making students easily identifiable during school activities

o Keeps the cost of clothing within reasonable limits for parents

o Removes peer pressure to wear the latest fashion

o Helps students learn the importance of appropriate presentation

Our school dress code has been endorsed by the School Board and all students are expected to wear the correct clothing to school. We ask all parents to support our school in this matter. If you have problems with supplying the appropriate clothing (including the red school hat) please contact the school so we can support you.

The NED Show was a great success and students have certainly taken in the message shared during the show:

N = Never give up

E = Encourage others

D = Do your best

Over $2000 of NED merchandise (yo-yos, strings etc) were purchased after the show. Many thanks go to our Year 7 helpers, Bianca and Saffy, who ran the NED shop and did a magnificent job.

WA Government Schools Music Society Concert 2012

Last night I went to the Burswood Entertainment Complex to see our school choir perform as part of the WA Government Schools Music Society concert. This is the 5th year that students from Tuart Hill Primary have participated in the WAGSMS event.

Over the years I have noticed that there has been a move away from more traditional choir items (singing with a few actions) towards items that mix singing with complex dance movements. It is important that schools focus on producing a quality performance in both areas and not let their dancing overshadow their singing. Tuart Hill students did a great job at moving around the stage while also singing both tunefully and with enough volume. Their performance was polished and wonderful and I want to thank all our choir members for the hard work they put into preparing for the night. Special thanks also go to Mrs Mount-Bryson and Mrs vanderWal for the work (above and beyond expected) they did at getting the students ‘performance ready’. I also want to thank the parents and family members for attending the Burswood last night and cheering on our choir.

Talking with your school

Recently I went on some training provided by the Standards and Integrity Directorate which explored the topic of 'Accountable and Ethical Decision Making'. This is mandatory training for all principals in government schools.

A useful flyer which I obtained at the training is entitled 'Talking with my school.' It outlines the process that parents can use if they have a particular enquiry or concern. At Tuart Hill Primary School we have an 'open-door approach' to handling concerns or issues that may arise. As Principal, I listen and try to deal as effectively as possible with problems or complaints which may occasionally arise. My aim is to produce a win-win situation in all circumstances.

If you have any concerns then I encourage you to follow the process outlined in the flyer with an initial meeting with your child's teacher followed by a meeting with me. In most circumstances this is enough to resolve any concerns.

 

 

 

 

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