Term 3 Planner

Below is our Planner for next term.

Enrolments for 2015

Who needs to enrol?

All school-aged children must be enrolled in school and attend every day – this is the law.
In Western Australia, children can start their education in Kindergarten. Compulsory schooling starts the following year in Pre-primary.
All children must attend school up until they are 16 years old. Sixteen and 17 year olds must be enrolled in school or a training organisation, be employed or be in a combination of school/training/employment.
You need to apply to enrol your children in school for 2015 if they are:

• starting Kindergarten – 4 years old by 30 June 2015
• starting Pre-primary, the first year of compulsory school – 5 years old by 30 June 2015
• starting Year 7, the first year of secondary school in 2015
• starting Year 8
• changing schools.

To enrol your child in public school for 2015, you will need to submit your application for enrolment by Friday 25 July 2014.

Every child from Pre-primary to Year 12 is guaranteed a place at their local public school.

For more information please visit the Department of Education website 

Waste Wise students

Mrs Snart received a very nice letter from the coordinator of the Waste Wise Schools Program thanking her and our students for the  'fun and inspiring' way they participated in the workshop on June 12. Our school is a recognised leader in sustainability education and the Waste Wise program is an important part of this.

Junior Primary Adventure Garden Maps and Drawings

During WA Week, students in PP to Year 7 participated in a garden design competition. Younger students drew pictures while older students produced maps.

Teachers selected the best drawings and maps from their class. They are currently on display in the Hall.

Principal's Report to P&C

Our latest P&C meeting was held on Wednesday night. It was great to see the number of parents and community members who attended. Below is the report I tabled at the meeting. 

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT TO P&C

18 June 2014

1.       School Question/Answer Meeting

Our third meeting was conducted on June 5. We had 5 families represented. A lot of positives were expressed. Some useful discussion was held. The next meeting is scheduled for Term 3.

2.       Staffing Update

·         Ms Flajt is still unwell and will be absent until the end of Term 3

·         Mrs Middleton will replace Mrs Brown in Room 8 until the end of Term 3

3.       School Camp

The camp was very successful again this year. Students had the opportunity to learn new skills and challenge themselves through the activities they participated in. Many thanks got to Mr Ralph, Mrs Donald, Mr Raschilla for attending this year’s camp and to Mrs Snart for her planning, organization and attendance at the camp.

4.       Department of Education Website

Parents can access a broad range of information about our school and our school system from the Department’s website e.g.

·         Year 7 transition to secondary schools in 2015

·         Future term dates

·         Available specialist programs

·         Enrollment information

·         Independent Public Schooling

·         Australian Curriculum

·         Policy documents (use search tool)

5.       National Quality Standards in Education

In 2015 the NQS are to be progressively implemented into Western Australian schools. All Early childhood education programs to Year 2 will be required to meet the NQS. Information about NQS can be obtained at the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority website: www.acecqa.gov.au

6.       Allergen Aware NOT Nut Free

Some parents have formed the belief that we promote the school as being ‘nut free’. As this is impossible to ‘police’ we do not promote this message. However, we are allergen aware and ask that parents consider the health of other students by not sending known allergens to school.

7.       School Board Meeting

Our next School Board meeting is on June 25 commencing at 5.30pm. All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Parent Q&A Meeting

Our third Q&A meeting was held for interested parents after assembly today. A range of questions were asked and some useful discussion held. Penny Roberts Craig, P&C President, attended the meeting and shared information about the P&C. These meetings are informal, short and great for sharing ideas or getting information about our school and its operations. We will hold more Q&A meetings in Term 3. Dates will be advertised in our newsletters.

Warm Fuzzy Bags

As part of our celebration of WA Week students have been participating in a range of whole school activities. One if these is the "Warm Fuzzy Bay" activity. The purpose of the activity is to provide students with the opportunity to send positive written messages to others within the school. Students decorated a brown paper bag to reflect who they are as a person. They were assigned a secret buddy to send daily messages too. They were also permitted to send positive messages to others in their class or across the school. This activity is very popular and helps us further develop the positive climate that already exists within our school.

Year 6/7 Camp

Our Year 6/7 students attended their school camp last week. The camp was held at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp. The camp grounds are located on Whitfords Avenue, Hillarys, approximately 1.5km north of the Hillarys Marina. The site is identified in most roadmaps and is situated between Flinders Avenue and Angove Drive.

 Students participated in many team building games. They also visited the Fisheries Department to learn about how to care for our local fish populations and their environment. As part of their visit they were shown how to dissect a fish in order to identify its age.One of the instructors was Glen Jackovich (ex-West Coast Eagles premiership player).

Year 7 in Secondary School

In 2015, Year 7 public school students will move to secondary school.

The move will provide your child with the same opportunities as children across Western Australia, giving them access to specialist subject teaching and facilities needed for the Australian Curriculum. 

As a Year 7 student in a secondary school your child will be introduced to new and more demanding mathematical concepts including formal algebra and geometry, and will study biological and physical sciences including mixing chemicals using specialised equipment. They will also have access to a diverse range of learning experiences such as computer science, robotics, food science, woodwork and metalwork.

The move will provide exciting new opportunities for your child. Our school and staff are working hard to prepare them for the transition.

If you have any questions I encourage you to visit the Department’s parent website at det.wa.edu.au/schoolsandyou or make a time to meet with me or one of my leadership team.

Balcatta Senior High School school tours and information sessions.

As part of the transition process for Year 6 and 7 students, Balcatta Senior High School is offering parents the opportunity to visit the school. Parents of students who may wish to enrol at Balcatta SHS are encouraged to attend.

Question & Answer Meeting

Yesterday I held another Q&A meeting after the school assembly. We had 5 parents attend the meeting with a range of interesting and relevant questions. We discussed ways to support students who were having difficulty as well as the upcoming NAPLAN tests and Mother\Daughter meetings. The next Q&A meeting will be after the assembly on June 19.

NAPLAN 2014

NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. It is important to remember that NAPLAN tests are not pass/fail tests. NAPLAN tests provide very valuable information, but there are no consequences for individual students for poor or good performance. At the classroom level it is one of a number of important tools used by teachers to measure student progress.

For more information go to Parent/Carer Support

Tuart Hill Primary School is now on Twitter

To help with our ongoing commitment to keeping our school community informed we have created a Twitter account. Our username is TuartHillPS. By following us on Twitter you will recieve up to date information on events and activities at Tuart Hill Primary School.

Public Education Budget 2014 - 2015

The State Government has released the latest budget for Western Australia.

The State Government will spend $4.58 billion on primary and secondary school education in 2014-15, an increase of $187.7 million or 4.3% on 2013-14.  While there is a requirement to maintain teacher numbers in 2013-14, the Budget provides for an additional 550 teachers in 2015.  

Please click on this link to see more information. Public Education Budget 2014-15

2013 School Annual Report

Our school Annual Report for 2013 is now available online. Schools Online

Date Change for School Disco

Our dance lessons commenced today. Students have had a wonderful time learning old favourites as well as new dances. These lessons are conducted on Friday's in Term 2.

Dance lessons will culminate in our School Disco. The date of the Disco has changed from Wednesday July 2 to Tuesday July 1. We look forward to seeing everyone at this wonderful event in a few weeks time.

Term 2

Here is our Term 2 planner. Please check our monthly newsletter, website or email for any changes to the activities shown here. A copy of this planner was sent home at the end of last term.

Our first newsletter will be sent home in Week 2.

This term is NAPLAN term. Students in Year 3, 5 and 7 will participate in the testing in Week 3. For more information please visit this website: http://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/naplan.html

Question & Answer Meeting

Today I held the first of our Question & Answer Meetings for parents. I had 6 parents who came to the meeting after the School Assembly this morning. We had a good time discussing positives about the school as well as exploring other issues including parking, drop-off and pick-up concerns, LOTE and ways to get information from the school when you need it. We had some parents from non-English speaking backgrounds who were very keen to find out more about our school operations.

An interesting question that was asked regarded whether a parent should speak their own language at home or English. Educational research suggests that students who are learning English and who maintain and develop proficiency in their mother tongue usually do better in school. For this reason parents should continue to use their own language at home.

A good strategy to help a child develop their English is to read a lot of age appropriate books written in English. This will improve their reading ability as well as develop language proficiency. However, they should also practice reading in their mother tongue as well.

For more information on ways to help your child develop better English please contact the school. 

Transition to High School for Year 6 and 7 Students

In 2015 students who are currently in Year 6 and 7 will attend high school. We are currently in a process of planning for this transition to ensure that all students are suitably prepared for the move. Parents of Year 6 and 7 students need to ensure they keep informed about transition activities through our newsletter, flyers and this blog.

The Department of Education has created a very useful webpage for parents to gain information about the transition. Year 7 in Secondary School

Our P&C 2014

The P&C Annual General Meeting was held this week with over 30 parents and staff attending. This was a wonderful turn out which we hope to maintain throughout the year. Many thanks go to Karina Wells who has been our P&C President for over 12 months now. Karina has decided to step down from the role in 2014 but we thank her for all her work. Karina is a very active member of our school community and she will be continuing as the coordinator of the Uniform Shop.

Many thanks go to all the people who have volunteered in the roles listed. Without these people there would not be a P&C. All parents are encouraged to get involved in and around our school. If you don't know how then please talk to one of the people below or one of our admin staff. If you would like the email or phone number of one of these people please contact the office. We would love to see you!

2014 P&C Members

 

President:

Penny Roberts Craig

 

Vice Presidents:

Nick Mortimer

Robert Damhuis

 

Secretary:

Liz Manumua

 

Treasurer:

Catherine Kidd

 

Executive Members:

Betty Green

Gaylia McQueen

Kellie Withers 

Tanya Woodard 

 

Uniform Shop Coordinator:

Karina Wells 

 

Uniform Shop Assistants:

Natasha King 

Gabbi Potter 

 

Canteen Manager:

Rebecca Gelok 

 

Canteen Chairperson:

 

Canteen Committee Members:

Tina Taylor 

Sarah Robinson 

Catherine Kidd 

Penny Roberts Craig 

 

Fundraising Coordinator:

Tanya Woodard 

 

Fundraising Committee:

Gaylia McQueen 

Dianna Beeck 

Julie Hosking 

Wade Robinson 

Liz Manumua 

Liva Saena 

Tracy Vaatuitui 

 

School Board Representative:

Julie Hosking 

 

WACSSO Conference Delegates:

Betty Green - 9349 2805

Melanie Damhuis 

Marisa Lister 

 

Changes to Term Planner - Swimming Carnival

The date of our school Swimming Carnival has changed from March 7 to March 14 as it clashed with the Leeuwin training excursion organised for our Student Councillors.

Healthy Messages from our School Health Nurse

Jo Luplau is our School Health Nurse. Her role is to support parents and the school in the health assessment and care of our students. Jo sends through helpful information on a range of different topics.

Head lice

Tips for preventing head lice

Check your child’s hair regularly for head lice and eggs (‘nits’). Use a metal fine tooth ‘nit’ comb and plenty of hair conditioner applied to the dry hair, to make the task easier and more effective. To help children sit still for this, offer distracting activities, e.g. play a favourite video, provide games, encourage reading, offer a head massage

Tie long hair back. Braid long hair and/or put it up if possible.

Consider applying hair gel or mousse. These do not prevent or repel lice but may help to keep stray hair strands from contact with other heads.

Avoid sharing combs or brushes.

Remind your child to avoid head-to-head contact with other children, e.g. when working at the computer with others, or when playing, or hugging.

If your child has head lice please notify their teacher.

For more information:

·        The Head lice Fact Sheet available from the school

·        Visit  www.public.health.wa.gov.au/2/261/2/head_lice_fact_sheet.pm

Bike safety tips

Riding a bike is great fun and good exercise for children and teens. Here are a few tips to keep your children safe while cycling:

·        Always supervise children under 10 years of age.

·        Teach your child the rules of the road before they ride by themselves.

·        Riding in the driveway should not be encouraged – it is a common place for nasty accidents. Children need to know that driveways can be dangerous. Teach your child to stop at the end of the driveway, look, listen, and think about whether it is safe to cross 

·        Make sure your child has a helmet that fits correctly. Helmets should be worn at all times when riding. Parents should set a good example by wearing a helmet themselves.

·        Make sure your child’s bike is in good condition.

·        Fit bikes with appropriate reflectors.

·        Make sure your child wears bright coloured clothing when riding.

For more information visit www.kidsafewa.com.au/

How to keep your child safe online

Protecting your children from harm is just as important online as it is in the real world. As a parent or carer, you can play an important role in helping children have safe and positive experiences online.

The internet offers an exciting world of experiences for children and the whole family. It can be entertaining, educational and rewarding. However, using the internet also involves risks and challenges.

Children might be exposed to content that is sexually explicit, violent, prohibited or even illegal. They may also experience cyber bullying or be at risk from contact by strangers.

Children may - unknowingly or deliberately - share personal information without realising they may be subject to identity theft, or that they are leaving behind content that might not reflect well on them in the future.

Talk with your kids about the risks, and answer their questions or concerns about things they find on the Internet. For more information visit:http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/home_users/protect_your_children

How much physical activity should my child be doing?

Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.  But more is better, so encourage your child to be active for up to several hours each day. 

Children need a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.  ‘Moderate activity’ is any activity which is similar in intensity to a brisk walk e.g. bike riding or active playing. ‘Vigorous activity’ is any activity which makes your child “huff and puff” e.g. organised sports, ballet, running or swimming laps.

Any activity that requires your child to expend energy should be encouraged. Go tohttp://raisingchildren.net.au/nutrition__fitness/school_age_nutrition.html for more information.

Immunisation - information for parents

Immunisation programs in our community are designed to keep everyone well and safe, especially those people who are most at risk, such as babies.

Parents or legal guardians who do not immunise their child should note the following:

·        In the case of a Measles or Pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak, Western Australian schools are required by the Department of Health, to exclude students who have not received the appropriate vaccination.

Please make sure your school-aged child is fully immunised and that you have provided a copy of the ACIR immunisation record to the school.

Did you know that as parents you can ring the National registry or go to the web site to check out your child’s immunisation status? All you need is your Medicare number. Phone1800 653 809 or access the web site: www.humanservices.gov.au or emailacir@humanservices.gov.au

My name is Jo Luplau and I am the Community Health Nurse who visits your school.

Community Health Nurses work in schools to promote healthy development and wellbeing so students may reach their full potential. A major part of my work is focused on early intervention and the School Entry Health Assessment program.

Community Health Nurses serve as a health contact point for children and their families, providing information, assessment, health counselling and referral. The services provided are free and confidential.

f you have a concern about your child’s health or development, please contact me on

0400 896 949

Sun safety

With the hot weather approaching, it is important to talk to your children about sun safety and teach them good sun protection habits.

·        Slip on some sun-protective clothing – that covers as much skin as possible

·        Slop on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF30+ sunscreen. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and every two hours afterwards. Sunscreen should never be used to extend the time you spend in the sun.

·        Slap on a hat – that protects your face, head, neck and ears

·        Seek shade

·        Slide on some sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards.

Extra care should be taken between 10am and 3pm when UV levels reach their peak.

For more information see the Cancer Council website: www.cancer.org.au.