School News
Room 2
This week’s assembly was led by the Year 5 and 6 students in Room 2.
In the classroom, the students had been learning about the importance of knowing and understanding Australia’s history and also understanding the meaning and purpose of reconciliation. Ms. Tash (our wonderful Aboriginal Education Officer) also came to the class and shared her own personal family stories. The students then used this year’s Reconciliation Week theme of ‘Be a voice for generations’, to centre the assembly around. They looked at the power of words; their definitions, what those words mean for reconciliation and the things that they can do to contribute to a positive future.
Fairness, Learning and Wisdom, Anti-racism and Bravery, Unity, Representation, Change and Action.
Student’s ended their assembly by singing ‘I am Australian’, with Kira singing the final chorus in Noongar.
National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week
Room 9 enjoyed participating in National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week. We read lots of stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and had some lessons out in the Yarning Circle, where we spoke about what 'Being a Voice for Generations' means to us. We loved painting each other's feet to make footprints. The footprints are symbolic, showing that we Stand Together as Australians.
Room 3 - Years 5/6
This term, Room 3 have been learning about Biological Sciences. We have been exploring the ways environments and living things interact. Students have investigated the physical and behavioural adaptations of plants and animals, as well as different biomes (ecological communities) that we have on Earth.
What was the coolest fact you learned about plants or animals this term?
| Tama: Isn’t it amazing that some animals’ fur changes colour each season? For example, the Arctic Hare turns white in winter to blend in with the snow, and brown in summer when the snow melts. | Nancy: I found it interesting that what you would think to be a useless tail was actually helping the Lunar Moth survive. By deflecting the echolocation waves of a bat, it sends the waves elsewhere and confuses the bat in the process. |
| Biara: I found it so cool that plants can explode their seeds, which is a smart and fun way to make sure that their plant species thrives. | Harriet: I think it’s interesting that bats use pitcher plants as homes and then return the favour by giving the plants nutrients out of their poo. |
| Samson: Did you know manatees fart to move along? It’s so weird. | Joel: I liked the plants that exploded seeds. |
| Max: The plants that shoot their seed out like a cannon. | Bill: The plant that explodes and flicks the caterpillars away. |
| Blue: Axolotls can regrow their limbs up to five times. | John: That African Hunting dogs only have four claws instead of five like other dogs. |
| Orlando: I liked how prey animals have eyes that are on the side of their heads so they can detect predators. | Jakob: I liked how animals camouflage to hide in the environment. |
Overwhelmingly, it was the Texas Horned Lizard that took everyone’s breath away, for perhaps a kind of gory reason…
| Atti: I like how it cuts off the circulation of the blood in its head, making pressure build up in the blood vessels around its eye. Then they burst. It can shoot blood in different directions at predators. It can shoot it 1.5m away! | Dane: I liked how it camouflaged in its environment and looked like the ground from above with its spikes. |
| Tyler: I loved the shooting blood lizard as it is very good defense! | Issy: The lizard! It was such a unique adaptation. |
| Anna: The blood with the lizard, it was so cool. | Momo: I liked how the lizard squirted blood out of its eye, it made me think, ‘Whoa’. |
| Zahara: The lizard with the blood because not many other animals can do something like that. | Melania: The lizard blood! It was so cool. |
| Elliott: The lizard blood because it matches what I can do! [Editor’s note: Elliott can turn his eyelids inside out 😊 ] | Lily: The lizard. I was really surprised at what it could do. |
| Charley: The lizard because I didn’t know it could do that! |
As part of our integrated topic, we have been learning about writing informative texts in English. Last week, we created our own fictional animals and will be writing a report about their adaptations and habitat. Room 3 are an incredibly imaginative bunch, and we hope you enjoy their brilliant creations in our next newsletter edition.
Miss Edmonds and Mr Truong
Library News
PBS News
This Term, the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Team has introduced a new student role that we will be trialing for the remainder of the year. This role is called the Class ROS Representative. The purpose of this role is for the students in Years 3, 4 and 5 to have more input in our positive behaviour program and for the PBS Team to receive more student feedback.
The Class ROS Representative is required to attend meetings in their own time with Mrs Walker (approximately every three weeks), share feedback with their class, offer suggestions during the meetings, commit to this role for the rest of 2023 and demonstrate our school expectations (respectful, organised and safe).
Students were asked to nominate themself for the role. Voting then took place in each classroom (year 3, 4 and 5).
We’re pleased to let you know that the following students have been elected:
Room 7 – Sabine
Room 8 – Mary
Room 9 – Sophie
Room 1 – Ashley
Room 2 – Sophia
Room 3 - Elliott
Mrs Wright and Mrs Walker
Honour Certificates
Room 1: India and Charlie
Room 2: Kira, Harry and Sophia
Room 3: John and Nancy
Room 5: Sophia and Evie
Room 6: Frederick, Hamish, Alby and Hugo
Room 7: Ii'esha and Natalia
Room 8: Miel and Ella
Room 9: Jude and Iris
Room 10: Otto
Room 11: Evie and Sietta
Room 12: Lyydia, Benny and Micah
Attendance Matters
Congratulations to Room 8 and Room 10 who respectively won the Week 4 and Week 5 Class Attendance competition. Fynn, from Year 5, won the fortnightly individual competition, earning some amazing stationery. Well Done Fynn!
Many thanks to our families who let us know of a reason for an absence. This allows us to update our records.
You may have received a letter this week asking for an explanation for an unexplained absence over the last couple of weeks. Many thanks for returning them as soon as possible. This will allow us to update our records.
We encourage you to keep up to date with what the eSafety Commissioner is making available to parents. You can access their resources via https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources , which include family tech agreements, information sheets and activites the whole family can complete. They also offer advise on tips to be aware of when purchasing technology gifts for your family; these include, virtual reality, robotic toys, drones, gaming memberships and many more. There is a very informative video regarding Digital Technologies and Mental Health, which explains how to support a young person’s wellbeing when using social media apps.
Please let us know if you find anything particularly useful and we’ll share the resource with our community.
Applications for Enrolment of Students in Kindergarten and Pre-Primary 2024
KINDY 2024
If you know of any families in our area who will have a Kindy aged child next year, please advise them we are now taking Applications for Enrolment. These are available from the office or can be downloaded from our website
www.whitegumvalleyps.wa.edu.au
PRE PRIMARY 2024
Students currently attending at Hazel Orme Community Kindergarten will be requested to fill out a new Application for Enrolment, which can be collected from Hazel Orme Kindergarten or the Front Office, to be considered for enrolment in the White Gum Valley PS Pre Primary for 2024.
Applications for both Kindergarten and Pre-Primary 2024 close Friday, 21 July 2023. Families will be contacted shortly after this date regarding their application.
YEAR 1 2024
As Pre Primary is compulsory, all existing Pre Primary 2023 students will be automatically enrolled into Year 1 2024 - no further enrolment action is necessary.
If you have any queries regarding enrolments, please contact the School Office on 9435 6900.
E-Safety
WGV Good Standing Policy