Principal's Pen
Hello, Kaya Families and Caregivers.
Welcome back to Term 3. It is great to have everyone return and start straight back into the learning.
NAIDOC WEEK
What a way to finish Term Two! Our NAIDOC Week celebrations were more than a calendar event—they became a living example of how confidence, resilience, and learning from each other are woven into our daily teaching and learning.
This year’s theme, “Strength, Vision and Legacy: 50 Years of NAIDOC,” inspired students across all year levels to engage deeply with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Our Dardy Yorgas and Mooditij Boys led by example, showing what strong leadership and teamwork look like in action. Their commitment to learning and sharing their culture set a tone of respect and pride that resonated throughout the school.
Collaboration with BINAR added another layer of connection and achievement. Over the term, students worked together, learned from each other, and finished the semester by showcasing their growth. The highlight was a collaborative performance and celebration, where classrooms came together to share what they had learned. It was a moment of genuine pride, with students stepping forward confidently, supporting one another, and demonstrating resilience through shared stories and cultural expression. These experiences show that when we honour culture and encourage teamwork, our students grow not just academically, but as confident, resilient learners ready to shape their own legacy.
Thank you to families who attended the ceremony. As a strong sign of support for the work we are all doing as a team we were honoured to have in attendance, alongside other special guests, the Director General of Education, Jay Peckitt, Rohan Smith, Assistant Director of Education, Eleanor Hawke, Coordinator, Aboriginal Education South Metro and the Honourable Matt Keough, Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel and Federal Member for Burt. All were impressed with the high level of learning that was on display and particularly the confidence and sense of pride that the children had. Everyone should be very proud of their efforts.
Across the week the children and community enjoyed the basketball, netball and football games that were played. There were great displays of team work and good sportsmanship and great to see families attend to watch the matches. Well done to everyone who took part.
Turning Pages, Achieving Goals: Celebrating Student Progress
At Neerigen Brook Primary School, we are proud to share the strong progress our students are making in Literacy and Numeracy. Our recent NAPLAN results highlighted significant growth in spelling for both Year 3 and Year 5 students. These results reflect the dedication of our students and staff, as well as the impact of our targeted programs such as: Spelling Mastery, Stepping Stones, and InitiaLit.
Each of these programs plays a unique role in building the core skills our students need. Spelling Mastery provides a structured approach that helps students develop confidence and accuracy in spelling. Stepping Stones supports mathematical understanding, while InitiaLit lays the foundation for early literacy. Together, these programs are helping us create a consistent and supportive learning environment.
One of the most encouraging signs of our progress is the growing number of students who are engaging with daily reading. This semester, we have seen a notable increase in children reading 50 to 100 books. To celebrate this achievement, Mrs Barrett will be taking around 40 students on an excursion to the Armadale Library in Week 3. This event is not just a reward—it’s a recognition of the effort and commitment our students are showing every day.
As a Real Schools partner, we are committed to evidence-based practices that build both academic achievement and a positive school culture. Our staff continue to work together to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed, and we thank our families for their ongoing support.
Together, we are building a school community where every child can thrive.
Staffing Update
This term I would like the community to join me in welcoming Mrs Judith Pescodd to our school in the role of Deputy Principal. Mrs Pescodd is Deputy Principal at Woodlupine Primary School and will be working across both school sites throughout Semester Two to provide opportunities for our students to lead Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning at another school. Under the guidance and support of Elder, Sydney Phillips, this will be an opportunity to develop a collaboration and build connection for our students through the sharing knowledge and skills. This also creates the opportunity for our students and staff to work with Woodlupine AIEO, Sharon .......... as we continue our learning throughout the year. We are looking forward to the opportunities that this collaboration will bring and the genuine leadership opportunities that this work will create. Please look out for Mrs Pescodd and introduce yourself.
Whole School Celebration
This term over the course of two days, the whole school will be visiting the Perth Zoo. I am very proud of our staff and students, of the work that they have put into the learning across the first semester and the building of strong routines. We don't do this alone. Thank you to families who work together to ensure we share consistent messages and work to create and sustain calm, safe and engaging learning spaces that respect all children and focus on their right to learn and the teacher's right to teach. To enable the two Kindergarten groups to attend, we will split the remainder of the school across the two visits. The Perth Zoo is a wonderful place to visit, with so many links to learning and it is a goal for all of our students to attend. To do so, all children will need to maintain their Good Standing and demonstrate safe, positive behaviour at school. Please speak to your class teacher if you have any questions. Thank you in advance to the family members who will be attending to support their child to join their peers in this whole school event. This learning opportunity is made possible through the Cultural Arts Grant, with most of the cost of this excursion will be covered for families. We are all looking forward to this day out.
REAL SCHOOLS
This year we have commenced our partnership with REAL SCHOOLS and staff and students have embraced the learning. Parents and caregivers have the opportunity to learn more about the partnership by attending a parent information session this Wednesday, July 30 in the PLC Hub, starting at 1.30pm. Please follow the link for further information.
Please join me on Wednesday, come and warm up with a coffee or cup of tea and meet Merrilee Wright who will be leading the session.
Book Week Dress Up Parade
On Thursday 28 August we will be celebrating Book Week. The theme this year is "Book an Adventure". Many of us love to dress up for the parade so if you are one of those people, start your thinking now! This is a fun event for many, but please remember that character costumes don’t need to cost money and many book characters wear clothes that can be found at home. The important aspect of the parade is for each child to know about the character they are dressed up as and the book the character comes from. Celebrating the world of books and Literacy is exciting and please remember that it is not compulsory to dress up as some children do not enjoy that. They can enjoy watching the parade with their class.
Thank You
Thank you to the families that have paid their voluntary contributions this year. We encourage all our families to make this payment if possible, as all the money go directly to supporting your child’s education. Progress payments are welcome and can be paid at the School Office or by direct deposit into the school bank account. Our students regularly share their thoughts as to how we can improve our school facilities and the learning programs. One way to do this is through the Brilliant Kids Morning Tea. Every term, at least two students are selected from each classroom to attend a morning tea that is hosted by the Executive Leadership Team. The students selected are those that have shown a commitment to their learning, demonstrated our school values of BEST and have worked consistently across the term. During this session, they discuss the things that are working well in our school and make suggestions for improvements. A combination of the voluntary school fees and student voice will be shared later this term. Watch this space for further exciting news!