Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers,
Policy Review:
After a review of our school Behaviour policy in 2021/22 by our school PBS [Positive Behaviour in Schools] committee, staff and School Board, this policy is now available on our school website. It has various components that include: Positive Behaviour Support, Good Standing Policy modelled on Department requirements, Preventing and Managing Bullying and our Mobile Phone policy. Our next review date will be at the end of 2023. If you have any queries, please have a chat to your class teacher or a member of our Board.
Dogs of school grounds:
There has been an increase in the number of dogs coming onto the school site at drop off and pick up times. For the safety of all students, we request that dogs not accompany you when entering the school grounds. Thank you for your understanding regarding this requirement.
RATS Tests.
Our thanks to all of you who have been able to pick up your supply of RAT tests for each student. Packs can be picked up from reception. If you are unable to get in, please let us know and we will organise other arrangements to get the tests to you.
COVID:
Like all schools, White Gum Valley has been impacted with staff and students being away over the last two weeks. The NAPLAN testing has been interrupted with daily catch-up sessions put in place. The department has given schools an extension of an extra week so these tests can be completed.
It has been difficult to obtain relief staff to cover our teaching and non-teaching staff who have been unwell. I however would like to personally thank all of the staff, for their flexibility and resourcefulness in enabling us to support our students. We are still a few weeks away from things beginning to settle so would like to thank you as parents for your ongoing understanding as well.
Semester One Reports:
Staff recently spent time together to review how we construct and write our reports to parents. There is a department requirement to write a description for Literacy and Numeracy as well as a summary comment at the end of the report. As a whole school, we have decided to add a general comment for the other learning areas, to inform parents of the content of learning that has been covered. Student grades and achievement are established through moderating common assessment tasks, given to the students along with other data sources, to check on their understandings.
As we get closer to the Reports being released, please contact your child’s teacher to catch up, if you would like to see how they are progressing. Let your teacher know if a call, online chat or coming in would suit you best so a time can be organised.
School Photo Day - Friday 27 May.
Please remember to return the envelope to school before the day of the photos scheduled for Friday, 27 May.
Rotary Can Collection.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this cause organised by the Rotary Club of Fremantle. There is still time to bring a can in, with your children to drop off in the basket located in the reception area.
Walk to School Day.
We celebrated this event in wet conditions, but managed to make the most of the event to encourage students to walk more. ‘Your Move’ umbrellas were the prizes today in the raffle. A snack was available to students before they headed off to class.
Grounds Work:
Work is progressing well on the new Nature Playground. We hope to have this finished in the next two weeks. We also have a new set of posts being installed on the basketball courts and during June there will be some game markings being put down on the bitumen. You may have noticed that we have installed marine board in the passageway to Hope Street, this is in preparation for mural artwork, inspired by the local White Gum Valley environment. This initiative is part of our RAP [Reconciliation Action Plan.]
Labelling of Clothes:
PLease check on the legibility of labelling on school uniform items like jackets! This will enable us to find the owners of misplaced clothing. Thank you for your assistance with this.
Board Meeting:
At our recent Board meeting we covered the following items: Module 1 of the Board training for new members; reviewed the finances up to May; discussed recent COVID initiatives; discussed the school Business Plan pillar on reviewing our teaching processes; and the work staff have been doing reviewing report writing and how grades are allocated; and had some preliminary discussions on surveys we would like to put in place during the year. Members of our Board: Daniel Gretton [Chair], Lee McIntosh, Teresa Matassa, Megan Bankes, Ellie Walker, Kate Reid, Sam Tingle and Glenn Rondoni.
P&C Day:
Our school community would like to thank all of our P&C executive, workers and committee members led by Mrs Courtney Costen for their efforts this year supporting the school. From providing a wonderful canteen facility to organising our school uniforms, undertaking fundraising initiatives and working with the school with gardening, sustainability and grant writing initiatives the members have been just fantastic in assisting the school. Add to this the role of the class parents and the work of the P&C executive to bind all of these services together. We are very fortunate to have such an active group.
To celebrate the work of the P&C the students have written, Thank You cards. We also hope to have a celebration when the playground is officially opened.
Glenn Rondoni
Principal