28 June 2024

Principal’s Update

Dear families,

What a term we have with so many opportunities to come together and share experiences across the term. Thank you to Uncle Adrian, Ms Derschow and family members for your support of NAIDOC Day and Room 17,ES5, ES3 for leading our assembly on Wednesday. The assembly items were amazing and congratulations to all of our certificate winners for Term 2.

Parent Teacher IEP Planning Meetings will again be held on the 24^th July 2024. If you have not already, please book these in with your classroom teacher. Please make a time to come in and meet with your child's teacher to discuss your child’s learning goals for Semester 2. When we work in collaboration with our families our student receive the opportunity to fulfill their potential and outcomes.

Wishing you all al lovely school holiday break and I look forward to welcoming you all back on Tuesday 16^th July 2024.

Kind regards,
Natasha Naylor
Principal

Year 1 – ES2

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Over the past six weeks in Room ES2, we've had an incredibly exciting end to the term filled with enriching experiences and memorable events. On June 5^th, after two weeks of thrilling swimming lessons, our students were treated to a Constable Care incursion, where students watched a special puppet show emphasising road safety. Seeing puppets wearing helmets and learning to look both ways when crossing the road was both educational and fun for everyone involved. Just two days later, on June 7th, we welcomed Muddy Gully for a mud exploration incursion that sparked a range of emotions as students squelched mud between their fingers and toes, creating lasting memories of messy fun.

One of the highlights came on June 18th when Farmer Mick brought his Farmyard on Wheels to school. Students across the Early Years block had the incredible opportunity to touch, feed, and hold a variety of animals including miniature horses, goats, geese, sheep, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and baby kids. The joy and excitement were evident, leaving smiles plastered on everyone’s faces long after the animals departed.

As we approached June 26th, GPESC celebrated NAIDOC Week with great importance and reverence, acknowledging and honouring our First Nations families within the community. Led by our wonderful AIEO Ms. Taneale Derschow, each class engaged in a series of NAIDOC-themed activities that were both enlightening and inspiring, fostering a deeper appreciation for Indigenous culture and history.

As the term draws to a close, all the staff in ES2 extend warm wishes to our students and their families for a safe and restful holiday break. We eagerly anticipate reconvening next term with the exciting theme 'Australia' awaiting us, ready to embark on new adventures and learning experiences together.

Warm regards, Mrs Abbott and the ES2 Team.

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Year 4/5 - Rm 17

By the time this article is published, we will have been at school for 93 days this year – 93 morning greetings, 93 English lessons, 93 groups of 6 hours to learn, make friends and have fun – and what fun we’ve had this term!

I would say our highlight has been our Enterprise project. This term, we have designed, tested, revised, created and sold chocolate bark around the school. Each student designed their own sweet treat and a survey was undertaken across the school to see which flavour sounded the tastiest. Elijah’s ‘Switch’ bark (inspired by the Nintendo console with it’s red and blue colours) won, and we spent two sessions making 4kg of chocolate bark (filled with cookies and M&Ms) to be bagged and sold to staff across the school. We’ve heard from lots of staff that it was delicious, and it’s been fun to take the EFTPOS machine around the school to take payments for our creation. We’re looking forward to next semester to open our chocolate bark ordering to families, as well – be on the lookout for our next creation called ‘CocoCrunch’!

We’ve also had several trips to Don Simmons Reserve as part of Community Access. We’ve been going with Room 18 and engaging in lots of play at the playground… once we’ve walked around the entire reserve first of course!

Our latest book that we’ve covered in Literacy was ‘Fearless’, about a dog who is the opposite of his name. This led to each student writing about a time when they were brave, and why they were brave – such as going shopping when it is busy, or riding a bike when they are still learning.

In Maths, we have been learning about the value of money (which is important for our Enterprise project), and in Science we have been making rivers and ‘jelly mountains’ to model the process of erosion and weathering.

As reports come home, I would like you to reflect on the progress your child has made this semester. Each report contains stories of amazing achievements that each student should be proud of. I can’t wait to see what they will learn in Semester 2.

Have a happy and safe school holidays, and we’ll see you in Term 3.

Tim Horton and Room 17 Staff

Year 2 – ES4

Dear Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. It's hard to believe we're already at the end of Term 2, wrapping up a fantastic Semester 1. Here are the highlights of our exciting learning journey together:

Literacy: This term, we delved into understanding our community and the helpers around us by reading books like "Kindness Makes Me Stronger" and "When I Grow Up." We improved our reading, writing, and speaking skills by identifying letter sounds and practicing tricky words through music and dance. We also enjoyed dressing up as our favourite community helpers and discussing our future aspirations.

Numeracy: We confidently tackled even and odd numbers, learned to measure using informal methods, and compared objects to understand their lengths. We explored 2D and 3D shapes, noting their sides and corners, and practiced single-digit addition through engaging role plays and hands-on activities.

HASS, Health, Personal, and Social Capabilities: We celebrated ANZAC Day by making poppies and designing medals. For Mother's Day, we created beautiful succulent pots from recycled materials. The Constable care incursion provided us an insight on road safety and how to be careful when crossing the road with an adult. The recent farm animal incursion was both fun and informative too, helping us understand the lifestyle of Farmer Nick and his pets. This experience inspired us to think about the possibilities of having our own pets to care for. We improved our road safety knowledge, practiced good hygiene, and learned to express our needs using communication devices. Our swimming lessons were a hit, helping us overcome travel anxieties and navigate the school confidently.

Art and STEM: Our creative side shone as we crafted musical instruments from recycled materials with indigenous-inspired designs. We participated in NAIDOC week art activities, explored magnetism, and programmed Bee-Bots, enhancing our listening skills and creativity through OSMO activities.

Thank you to all our families for their incredible support and ongoing communication. We look forward to more achievements together in Term 3, 2024.

Warmest regards,
Aditya Singhal (Class Teacher) and teaching team of ES4.

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Physical Education

In Physical Education students have been very engaged with the mostly unfamiliar sport of totem tennis. This term has seen great improvements to their reflexes, and coordination. Some students have advanced quickly past initial safety training to playing competitively against others. It has also been great to see such engagement with riding on the bike track. Most students are working on pedalling, steering and braking using trikes, as well as bikes with training wheels. Focus for these students has been on riding at safe speeds and safe stopping distance. Some students have been begun riding two-wheel bikes for the first time. Building on their gliding and balancing skills as well as recognising hand signals these students have worked hard and should be congratulated!

Matt & Jasmine

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Kindy / Pre-Primary – ES1

I have recently finished writing the reports for semester one.  This gave me the opportunity to reflect on the achievements all the students have made since the beginning of the year.  Lots of small steps adding up to huge achievements.  From sitting on the mat, staying seated while they eat, engagement in work tasks, learning to share and take turns, increased communication, starting to play together, building friendships, and following simple instructions.  They are all superstars.  we are all proud of what they have shown they can achieve.

I recent weeks we have been reading Walking in the Jungle and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  They collaged a crocodile then made a background scene using a dye wash, and torn paper to make water and the jungle vegetation.  They have also completed a layered artwork of a bear in a cave.

This term there have been lots of incursions. Shirley from the Armadale Library came in week 9 to read a story and sing some songs as a part of the Kindergarten Better Beginnings Program.  She left a bag of goodies including books for the Kindy students. Muddy Gully came to visit on a Pre-Primary day, 3 of our students got to play in the mud.  There has also been a visit from a farmyard, there were chickens, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs, a pony, a goat, a sheep, baby goats and lambs to give bottles.  Last Friday there was a disco that the Pre-Primary students got to attend.

As a part of our science program the students had the opportunity to touch, smell and look at a variety of natural materials.  This included seed pods, nuts and cones, herbs and leaves from different plants.  They have been using blocks of different sizes, shapes and types including wooden, magnetic, connecting and Duplo.  Block play supports creativity and problem-solving, social interaction and collaboration, fine motor and gross motor skills, cognitive development, mathematical awareness, language and literacy skills, self-control and persistence all while they are having fun.

It has been a very long term, two weeks longer than first term, I know the staff are looking forward to having a break, I’m sure the students are as well. We look forward to seeing all their smiling faces at the start of next term.

Jan Collier and the amazing Education Assistants in ES1

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In the Spotlight…….

Hello,

I am, Sharon, the new school psychologist covering for Ella while she is on leave. I am new to the Department of Education although I have been around for many years providing psychological services in many settings. I have a strong clinical background and a passion for all things psychology and often refer to myself as a "psychology nerd". Having a son who is about to begin his educational journey next year it felt like a natural career progression to move into the field of school psychology. I look forward to working with the awesome team, amazing students and their fabulous families here at the Gwynne Park Education Support Centre. 

Year 4/5 - Rm 18

Hello Families,

Term 2 has flown by, and we have had a term filled with lots of learning. It has been wonderful to see all our students grow with their communication and independence.

 Students in Room 18 have enjoyed buddying up with Room 19 and going on their excursion to Donn Simmons Reserve. Our students had so much fun flaying with their peers and on different equipment.

For our Classroom Enterprise on Friday, our students have been making bath fizzes, we have enjoyed experimenting with different recipes to find the best one.

Room 18 has been learning how to make 3D art. Students were proud of their efforts and were surprised how their art project turned out.

Our student participated in the Telethon incursion this semester learning about sugar and how much sugar is in the drinks we consume; this was an eye-opening experience and our students enjoyed participating in the activities they had planned for us.

On behalf of myself and the Room 18 staff we hope you have wonderful holidays and will see you in Term 3.

Miss Nelson and Room 18 Staff

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Protective Behaviours

Students have continued working on their understanding of emotions, creating their “helping hand” network and learning about their “circles of trust”. Also students have extended this and previous learning with regards to online safety. Especially talking about the dangers of interactions with strangers online in games or social media. And in any kind of image or other media sharing online. It has been great to see so much student engagement and commitment to being safe.

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Year 2 – ES5

Hello families,

What an exciting term we've had in ES5! Our class has been buzzing with fun and educational activities that have kept the students engaged and enthusiastic about learning.

The children had a fantastic time improving their swimming skills and building water confidence during our swimming lessons. It was great to see their progress and enjoyment in the pool.

We also had a special visit from Constable Care, who taught us valuable lessons about safety and making responsible choices. The interactive session was both informative and entertaining, leaving a lasting impression on the students.

Our Muddy Gully incursion was a hit! The children embraced their creativity and had a blast engaging in sensory play with mud. It was wonderful to see their imaginations come to life through this hands-on, messy activity.

The Farmyard on Wheels visit brought the excitement of the farm to our school. The children loved interacting with the animals and learning about farm life. This experience was both fun and educational, providing the students with a deeper understanding of the world around them.

We also celebrated NAIDOC Week with a range of activities that honoured and explored the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This meaningful and enriching experience was appreciated by all.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to more exciting adventures and learning opportunities next term!

Best regards,
Ant James and Staff

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Year 2/3 - Rm 19

Hello Parents and Carers,

This semester has flown despite this term being 11 weeks. It has been a pleasure to write the reports and see how far the students have all come with their outcomes. The children have all done their self-reflection and they have impressed me with how honest they have been regarding their work ethic. They will be bringing their workbooks home as most are full of work.

The students had a few incursions including AFL sport and some students were chosen to participate in the Auslan choir.  The students have been participating well during maths activities. They have been focusing on graphing and they have learned to read pictographs and count data.  They have been completing peg pictures which requires a great deal of concentration.

In HASS enterprise, the students have been creating a recipe and making dog biscuits as part of their enterprise lessons. The dough is made, and the students roll and cut the biscuits out. When they are cooked, they pack them into bags and paste the label on the bag. The biscuit samples have been trialled by staff with their own dogs and so far, the biscuits have proved to be well liked by our samplers. The dog biscuits have made $190 to date. In November the students will participate in the Market Day event where they will sell their product to other schools. We are very much looking forward to this event.

It has been very cold and wet and so the coming holidays will be a welcome rest for the students. Enjoy your holidays and keep warm.

Regards Mrs Lori and staff room 19

Year 6 - Rm 15

As term 2 draws to a close, we reach the halfway mark of our final year of primary school. Next term we will hopefully get some information regarding year 7 transitions. We have lots of exciting things to come for the rest of the year!

Community access excursions to Don Simmons Reserve Park on Fridays were a success, the class had our final visit for the term in week 10, we even cooked a sausage sizzle with most students having a go to help cook. All students helped to make sure we left the area clean and tidy for the next community group to use. Next term we will continue community access using either the school bus or public transport – more details to follow week 1 term 3. Students had a great time at our disco on Friday in week 10. It was great seeing everyone having fun and joining in dancing with their peers.

Graduation shirts arrived and all students are looking fabulous wearing them around the school. Year six camp details are in the process of being organised, a flyer went home with all students, please let me know if you need another copy, more details for camp will be out soon. This will be a great time for all students, we always have lots of fun on camp (yes, we can bring some lollies, we have been asked this one a lot ). If you have any queries/questions about camp please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,

Mrs Agius-Kaukau and Room 15 staff

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School board

Dear families,

Our school has been fortunate to have a wonderful school board. A lot of the board members tenure have come to an end, and the school is looking for Board Parent nominations. The board meets once a term.

The Board is an essential element of a school and we are seeking dedicated parents to support the schools vision and directions.

If you would like to nominate to become a member please come see our admin team at the front office.

Farm Animal Incursion

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Pre-Primary / Year 1 – ES3

Wow, what a busy end of term it has been. After week 5, ES3 spent some time getting back into routine, following our interm swimming lessons.

This term we have been learning all about community helpers. We have been very lucky to have some amazing incursions to celebrate our community heroes. In week 8 we had Constable Care come out and use puppets to talk about being safe. In week 10, we met Farmer Mick and his fury and feathered friends during our Farmyard on wheels incursion. The students loved meeting, holding and feeding the animals. We are also hoping to have the Fire Brigade come out and the Police to show us their vehicles and perhaps we can turn on some sirens or use the hose.

In week 10, we had a glow disco. The students loved listening to the music and running around with glow sticks. In week 11, we celebrated a range of activities for NAIDOC week conducted our first ever assembly item by singing two songs in Noongar. Thanks everyone for an amazing term. We are all so proud of the accomplishments our wonderful ES3 students have achieved. Have a happy and safe holiday.

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Year 4/5 - Rm 16

Kaya/Hello, Families,

Another term has passed us by, and we say farewell and happy travel to Kelvin. We also see Sterling moving to Room 18 next term, who we will miss too.

The students in Room 16 have enjoyed their last excursion to Donn Simmons Reserve, they have demonstrated that they can walk together in a group, crossing the road safely while practising the Stop, Look, Listen, and Think. During cooking, students made egg in a hole, sweet bread sticks, and apple pikelets which were the student’s favourites.

For our Classroom Enterprise on Friday, the students have been working hard in the classroom Cookie Lab & Co. Going around to classrooms to take orders from staff, making cookie mix jars, delivering, taking cash, and now using the EFTPOS machine to complete orders.

Students are practising mathematic skills to understand the concepts of subtraction. They are also collecting containers for change from other classrooms, to sort into categories and analyse which containers has more or less than. Then use a bar graph to display data.

During Literacy, we continue to visit the school library to choose books. The students have been listening to stories and working on answering questions for comprehension, describing characters, and creating sentences to progress to creating stories next Semester. 

In STEM the students have planted strawberries and rhubarb. Hopefully we get to make strawberry and rhubarb pie, Yum! Happy Holidays, and we will see you next term.

 Ms Williams, Mrs Hurter, Ms Bloxsidge, Ms Nairn

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Front Office

Contribution Payments for 2024

Thank you to those who have made payment for this year’s contributions.  Statements have been sent home by mail to advise any amounts outstanding. These funds help support your child in their classroom with resources for their learning and in maintaining our school bus to transport our students to swimming lessons and other educational activities. Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.

Community Information for families

City of Armadale Community Health and Wellbeing News and Events

Please see below some upcoming community health and wellbeing events and services being offered within the City of Armadale.

EVENTS

Breast Health

17 July | Piara Waters Pavilion 

Join us at a FREE community information session delivered by BreastScreen WA covering topics such as breast cancer and risks factors, breast cancer screening and being breast aware.  

For more information, and to register, visit the website here.  

Dale Break!

Every Tuesday until 2 July
4.00pm - 5.30pm
Armadale Arena, Townley Street

FREE breakdancing sessions! An exciting program where young people can learn the basics of breakdancing with members of The Lavers. 

No pre-registration required, just drop in!

OTHER NEWS

Street Doctor has a second location!

The Street Doctor service is now available at two locations within the City of Armadale! Street Doctor is a FREE healthcare clinic for vulnerable people and people at risk of or experiencing homelessness within the City. 

For more info, visit the website here. 

Armadale Crafters

BreastScreen WA is visiting Armadale!

From now until August 23, BreastScreen WA will have their mobile van parked at Haynes Shopping Centre (near BCF and Petbarn).

If you’re a woman aged 40 years and over, make your appointment now for a FREE screening mammogram.

Go online or call 13 20 50 to book. 

June Recipe Recommendation

With sweet potatoes in season, this is a perfect hearty soup to try out this winter. Filling on its own or serve with some grainy bread, you've got yourself another delicious one-pot-wonder. 

For more great recipes, click here!  

Share your healthy food experiences

East Metropolitan Health Service is looking for people to join a community consultation project and take part in digital storytelling.

The sessions will be held at 3 workshops over 3 weeks, and up to ten people will be chosen for the project and reimbursed for their time. 

For more info click here (PDF).

Girl Power

Today our young girls are growing up in an ever-changing and complex world.  Our Girl Power workshop aims to support girls to celebrate their individuality and identify their unique strengths.

Through fun activities, we guide them in how to identify and develop positive relationships and navigate friendship challenges. The girls are taught practical means to help them sleep better, handle anxiety and overwhelm, and negotiate their emotions in real-time, by understanding a growth mindset to become more resilient.

Girls come away from a Girl Power workshop knowing themselves better, understanding the power they have over their own lives, and with increased social awareness.

Please click to FIND OUT MORE or see flyer attached.

Byford Peer Group

Art Club