From the
Principal's Desk
Sheri Evans
As we come to the end of Term 2, I am delighted to share with you a summary of our school's activities and achievements over the past few months.
SEMESTER 2 REPORTS AND PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Twice a year, formal reports are sent home with information about your child's academic achievements as well as attitude, behaviour, and effort. Their teacher may also add comments about their strengths and areas for improvement, as well as a request for a parent interview if necessary.
Please note, that Semester 1 reports have been distributed to parents/guardians via Connect. Please make sure that you download the reports as the link does expire.
If you are experiencing any difficulties accessing Connect, please see our lovely reception staff.
PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Teachers have allocated times for Parent-Teacher Interviews in Week 10 and 11. Parent-teacher interviews provide an opportunity for valuable discussions about your child's progress and development. Please take advantage of this opportunity to meet with the teacher and discuss their reports.
Our Specialist Teachers in Music, PE, Visual Arts, Science, Italian and Technologies are also available for interviews. You can book interviews with the Specialist Teachers via https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/r3r6g
Please note that we will be closing these bookings on the 24th of June so you will need to book your meeting time before then. This allows teachers to plan for the half-day close.
HALF DAY CLOSE
As advertised our school will be closed from lunchtime (12:00pm) on Wednesday 26th June to allow staff additional time to meet with parents to discuss the end of semester reports.
Parents are required to indicate (using the link below) whether they will be either
- picking up their child from school,
- granting permission for senior students (Years 5&6) to walk home,
- granting permission for senior students (Years 5&6) to collect their brother/sister, or
- attending OSHC - Camp Australia.
https://forms.office.com/r/q7yVCWfaEW
We will provide limited supervision for those children remaining at school, although they will not be supervised by their classroom teacher or participating in the normal school timetable. If you intend on picking up your child sometime after 12:00pm and before 3:00pm you will need to go to Reception to sign your son/daughter out.
Note: No child will be dismissed at 12:00 pm on Wednesday 26th June unless we have received permission via the online link or QR code below.
There will be no traffic wardens at the school crossings when students are dismissed.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the school administration office if you need clarification on any of these matters.
WISHING MRS BEATRIZ CLARK A HAPPY RETIREMENT
I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt retirement message to Mrs Beatriz Clark, our esteemed EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect) teacher. Mrs Clark has been an integral member of our teaching team for 11 years and is recognised for her passion for supporting students in their language acquisition journey and promoting and celebrating cultural understanding and inclusion. She has also had a significant impact beyond the classroom because of her dedication to welcoming families who are new to Willetton and/or Australia to Burrendah Primary School. During her time, she was worked in partnership with the EAL/D team and the P&C to host several community events, morning teas and celebrations that have helped many adults and children feel special, valued and part of our community. We thank Mrs Clark for her unwavering commitment and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.
GOODBYES AND WELCOME
As we reach the end of Semester 1, we will be seeing a few staffing changes.
We would like to wish Mrs Julie Scaramella the best of luck as she explores a new opportunity. Mrs Scaramella has been offered a 6-month promotional role with a fixed-term contract at Campbell Primary School for the remainder of 2024. She is excited to try this new adventure and will be taking some long service leave as well. They say a change is as good as a holiday and we hope that Mrs Scaramella enjoys the opportunity to try something new while also spending more time with the family.
We will also be saying goodbye to Mrs Swee Khee Cheah. Mrs Cheah was one of our EAL/D Education Assistants. Mrs Cheah has been at Burrendah Primary School for 17 years and has been a valued team member. She has decided to turn her attention to caring for her elderly parents and family in the foreseeable future and take a break from her work.
We are also wishing Mrs Sheldan Adam, one of our early childhood education assistants good luck. You may have noticed she is pregnant and expecting her first baby in early August. We would like to wish her and her husband the best of luck in the coming months and look forward to her visiting with the new baby when she is ready.
We would like to also welcome some new staff to our team:
Mrs Habiba Ahamada will be joining us in the role of EAL/D Teacher on Tues/Weds/Thurs in Term 3. Mrs Ahamada has had a very diverse range of teaching experiences starting her career in France and moving to Australia in 2016. In Australia, she has taught in Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth with experience in both bilingual and mainstream schools and Intensive English Centres (IEC). She has qualifications in TESOL, LOTE and ESL.
Jianye Wei will be joining us in the role of Ethnic Assistant as part of the EAL/D Team. Jianye speaks fluent Mandarin, and she has a very diverse range of educational experience. She was a teacher in China before moving to Australia in 2017 where she has worked at Curtin University as a research assistant with the School of Education, Senior Mentor STEM and NASA Outreach Program, and Lecturer in the field of Molecular and Life Sciences. Interestingly, Jianye is also a published author and conference presenter.
Mrs Elyse Bonser will be returning to Burrendah Primary School from maternity leave. She will be teaching in Rm 23 on Tuesdays while Mrs Harries takes some long service leave. We are excited to have Mrs Bonser return, she is well known to parents and carers and a wonderfully passionate teacher.
KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS 2025
Kindergarten Enrolments for the 2025 school year close on Friday 19th of July.
Children born between July 2020 to 30 June 2021 are eligible to enrol.
Places are limited so get your applications in early for your best chance at enrolling your Kindergarten child in one of the most sought-after schools in Willetton.
Please visit our website for more information http://www.burrendahps.wa.edu.au/application-form-k-6
CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Mrs. Bain and Mr. Vinci for their outstanding dedication in leading our running club and organizing the cross-country events this term.
Their commitment to promoting fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship among our students is truly commendable. The success of these programs reflects their planning, hard work and passion for nurturing our students both on and off the field.
Looking ahead to Term 3, we have an exciting line-up of sporting events planned, including our annual sports carnival, the interschool carnivals, and the continuation of the SLAM series. These events are designed to enrich our students' physical education experience and promote sportsmanship.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
On Tuesday 19 June, I had a wonderful meeting with a committed team of our extended BPS community partners to discuss local traffic management for the Willetton area (particularly the areas surrounding Burrendah Primary School, Willetton Primary School, and Southlands Shopping Centre).
In recent months the City of Canning have been conducting a feasibility study on traffic management options for the area with a priority on promoting the safety of the large number of young pedestrians. It was a productive discussion with all agreeing on a way forward. While schools do not manage local traffic or safety zones in the area, we welcome the opportunity to be part of discussions and provide feedback from our perspective.
Thank you to all involved, especially the wonderful Councillor Shen Sekhon for Beeliar Ward, who is on our School Board and a wonderful advocate for our school and community.
• Mayor Patrick Hall JP – City of Canning
• Mr Warren Bow – Director Infrastructure and Environment
• Mr Ashley McKinnon – Manager Infrastructure, City of Canning
• Mr Ryan Gibson - Service Lead Transport and Design Engineering, City of Canning
• Mr Trevor Hunter – Principal, Willetton Senior High School
• Ms Sheri Evans – Principal, Burrendah Primary School
• Cr Shen Sekhon – Beeliar Ward Elected Member
THANK A FIRST RESPONDER
On Wednesday 19th June, we thanked our first responders by dressing up as a superhero or a fireman, police officer, nurse, doctor, paramedic, or other emergency personnel trained to assist in time-critical, often life-threatening situations.
We were absolutely thrilled to see so many of our students dressed up in amazing costumes, uniforms, and clothing to raise awareness of the mental health and wellbeing of our first responders.
39 per cent of emergency responders are diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point in their life. They are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at a rate two times higher than the general population.
Our students brought a gold coin donation, raising $437.85 which will be sent to Fortem's Service Delivery. Fortem is Australia's leading mental health and wellbeing support provider for first responders and their families. They focus on early-intervention — nurturing resilience to boost mental health and wellbeing in the face of tough conditions. That way, our first responders become bendable, not breakable.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
We would like to wish our families a happy and safe holiday. We remind our community that the school will hold a Staff Development Day on Monday 15th July and students return Tuesday 16th July 2024.