Welcome back to Term 2. It has been a fantastic start to the term, with students and staff returning with a strong sense of energy and purpose. There has already been much to celebrate across the school, particularly the respectful and moving ANZAC service, thoughtfully coordinated by Mrs Karen Rogers. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to reflect, show gratitude, and demonstrate our school values in action.

I would also like to acknowledge the outstanding performance by our school choir, under the expert guidance of Ms Sharon Haigh. Their confidence, talent, and pride were on full display, and they represented our school with distinction.

We look forward to a busy and productive term ahead, filled with rich learning opportunities and continued success for all students.

Public School Review

Last week, Marangaroo welcomed a Director of Public School Review and a visiting Principal to undertake our second one-year return review as part of the 2024 Public School Review process. At the beginning of this second year, we had 11 outstanding recommendations remaining from the original 19 identified in 2024. I am very pleased to share that we were able to demonstrate sustained improvement across all of these areas and, as a result, Marangaroo Primary School has been returned to the standard three-year review cycle.

This is a significant achievement and reflects the collective hard work, professionalism, and commitment of our staff and the wider Marangaroo community. I am incredibly proud of this outcome and the clear, measurable progress that has been made over this period.

Changes to Reporting to Parents

At the beginning of this year, the State Government and the Department of Education announced changes to the Reporting to Parents process that occurs at the end of each semester. As a result, families will notice some adjustments in the reports issued at the end of this term:

There will be no comments provided for student achievement and progress in English and Mathematics.
The overall comment will be shorter than in previous reports and will include a brief statement addressing progress in English and Mathematics.
Students will receive an overall grade in all learning areas, with the exception of English and Mathematics. In English, Speaking and Listening, Writing, and Reading will continue to be reported separately. In Mathematics, Number and Measurement and Geometry will be assessed in Semester 1.

These changes are part of a system-wide approach to streamline reporting while maintaining clear and meaningful information for families. We strongly encourage all families to attend the Reporting to Parents meetings with classroom teachers on Friday 12 June, as these provide an important opportunity to discuss student progress, ask questions, and work in partnership to support learning. A booking form for these meetings will be included in the next M Chat on Tuesday 26 May.

School Closure Dates for Reporting

As mentioned above, Marangaroo Primary School will be closed on Friday 12 June to students to facilitate our Reporting to Parents meetings with families. Following our M Chat at the end of Term 1 regarding the proposed out of school care option for this day, we received only three expressions of interest. Unfortunately, this level of response is not sufficient to make the service viable at this stage.

To ensure all families have the opportunity to provide input, we will be re-sharing the survey link for any additional responses. The survey will close on Friday 22 May, after which we will communicate the final outcome with the school community. Please note that if the service does not proceed, arrangements for student care on this day will remain the responsibility of families. The school will not be in a position to provide supervision or alternative care.

Expression of Interest for OSHC on Term 2 school closure day, Friday 12 June. – Fill in form

Canteen

The P&C will be conducting a community consultation process over the next fortnight to determine the financial viability of our school canteen. At present, the canteen is not financially viable, and this process will help guide decisions about its future. We encourage anyone who would like to contribute to speak with Mardia (Preident), Dom (Vice President), or Hollie (Secretary) before or after school, or alternatively, you can provide your feedback via email at marangaroopandc@gmail.com.

Please be aware that one possible outcome of this consultation process may be the closure of the canteen. We strongly encourage all families to have their say so that the P&C can make an informed decision that reflects the needs and priorities of our community.

Uniform

As we move into the colder mornings, we have noticed an increasing number of students not wearing the school jumper or an appropriate blue alternative. We ask for your support in ensuring that students are dressed in line with the school uniform policy each day. Staff will be more closely monitoring uniform compliance, and families may receive communication if their child is not wearing the correct uniform.

Interschool Sports

At the beginning of this term, I met with the other schools in our sporting network to review and strengthen our interschool program. As a result of this collaboration, it has been agreed that all schools will now offer the same sports, allowing for a broader and more consistent interschool schedule. From this year, all schools in our network will offer the following sports: AFL (9-a-side), Soccer, Basketball, and Netball, with one team entered in each sport.

Marangaroo’s interschool fixtures are scheduled as follows:

Friday 15 May – Away vs Hudson Park Primary School
Friday 22 May – Home vs Boyare Primary School
Friday 5 June – Away vs Dryandra Primary School
Friday 19 June – Home vs Nollamara Primary School

All games will commence at 1:30pm and conclude at approximately 2:20pm. The home and away season will conclude with a Lightning Carnival, currently scheduled for Friday 26 June (date subject to change depending on weather conditions). This carnival will be shared across two venues, with Nollamara hosting Basketball and Soccer, and Marangaroo hosting AFL and Netball. Participation is by selection and Mr Lee will be issuing permission slips to selected students this week and they will need to be returned early next week.

Little Mayne’s Academy

I have been in discussions with former Fremantle Dockers player Chris Mayne regarding the possibility of running AFL skills sessions at Marangaroo Primary School for six weeks during Term 2 after school. These sessions would provide students with an opportunity to develop their skills, teamwork, and game understanding in a structured and engaging program.

The cost of the program is $25 per session. A flyer with further information can be found in the Community Notice Board section of this M Chat. For the program to proceed, a minimum of eight students is required. If you are interested in your child participating, please email me at Adam.Beilken@education.wa.edu.au by Wednesday 13 May. If sufficient interest is received, families will then be directed to the booking link provided on the flyer to enrol in the sessions. Please note that at this stage the program is not yet confirmed, and enrolments cannot currently be made.

Toys and Sporting Equipment

We are seeing an increase in fidgets, toys, and sporting equipment being brought from home. While these items can be enjoyable, they often distract students and disrupt learning time in both the classroom and playground. They can also lead to issues when lost, broken, or shared, resulting in disagreements and unnecessary interruptions to learning. We ask for your support in ensuring these items are not brought to school unless approved by the classroom teacher for a specific learning purpose. If they are brought to school and become a distraction, staff will take them and return them to students at the end of the day.

Important Dates

8 May – Mother’s Day Breakfast in the Undercover Area from 8.00am.

15 May – Interschool Sports v Hudson Park PS (Away). Games start at 1.30pm.

21 May – Western Australian Symphony Orchestra Free Incursion 11.10am – 11.55am

22 May – Assembly hosted by Echidnas classroom

Interschool Sports V Boyare Primary School (Home). Games start at 1.30pm

Walk Safely to School Day

Mr Adam Beilken

Principal

Health and Wellbeing

Walk Safely to School Day - Friday 22 May

Tough Stuff Program - Year 6

Triple P Parenting