Newsletter - Issue No.109

Mrs Gallagher – Principal

Welcome

I would like to take this opportunity, on the first newsletter of the year, to welcome all the families to East Butler Primary School. We have a wonderful school where our priorities are teaching respect, responsibility, resilience and most of all we focus on the teaching, learning and assessment program.

The school has sailed off to a smooth start, and whilst our business plan is being finalised, the school is heavily focussed teaching strategies to maximise student learning. We know it is going to be a successful year.

Staff

East Butler has always been known for having very compassionate, hard-working teachers who take teaching very seriously. There have been some excellent teachers joining the team this year. We welcome:

                Mrs Dania Potgieter to a full time Kindy position.

                Ms Caroline Thorp our Pre-Primary teacher

                Mrs Avril Bolt teaching Year 1/Pre-primary

                Ms Kelly Budding in Year 1

                Mrs Marissa Palacios/ Mrs Lisa Crosling in Year 2

                Ms Victoria Swan in Year 2/3

                Mrs Amy Utley/ Ms Marietta French in Year 3

                Mr Sam Boon in Year 3/4

                Ms Kym Retallack in Year 4

                Mr Matt Jakowyna and Ms Heather McEloney in Year 5

                Mrs Joe Peskett in Year 5/6

                Mrs Karlie Gilchrist in Year 6

                Mr Shon Fry in Technology

                Mr Aaron Wheatley in Science

                Mr Heath Seymour in Physical Education

Open Night

On the 12 March, the school will be holding an Open Night to display some of the work the children have done. We are proud of your children and want to display some of their test results and assessments too. We will start the evening with a small concert type of presentation followed by open classrooms where parents and carers can look at the work the children do. Please keep that night from 5pm to 7pm clear as we would love to see you all there. Our P&C is planning to add a sausage sizzle, a drink and this will be lovingly prepared by our volunteer parents. It proves to be a great night for you and your children.

Bike Racks

We are so proud to announce that Mrs Utley was one of four teachers who applied for a rebuild of the bike racks at the back of the school. At present the bike area just have some bent metal pieces to lock the bikes onto. Mrs Utley has won a total rebuild where there will be spaces for bikes and scooters to be locked and they will be enclosed by locked gates. It is going to be fantastic in protecting the bikes, and giving peace of mind to students using the new bike enclosure as their bike will be safely locked away.

Thank you so much Mrs Utley

Wendy Gallagher-Simeons
Principal

Deputy Principal

We have had a wonderful start to the year with the classes settled and students ready to learn and engaging positively with each other at play. We have commenced our Positive Behaviour in Schools aligning and consolidating our beliefs and actions across the whole school. We are focussing on Learning, Resilience, Respect and Responsibility. At our first assembly we presented Spencer from Room 8 with the Aussie of the Month award who had demonstrated all the aspects of Navigating learning. Well done Spencer!

More information about Positive Behaviour in Schools and all the amazing information and tasks students are doing will be shared clearly with parents throughout this year. We look forward to working with you all and continuing to build our great school. Keep an eye for the Tweet (Bird) awards your child may bring home and celebrate their fantastic effort with them.

It is very exciting to have our Choir recommencing this year, being lead by Mr Wheatley. Thank you Mr Wheatley, we look forward to watching our students grow and developing their singing and teamwork.

All of our fantastic ongoing projects including Achievers WA, Pocket Forest, Breakfast Club, Sustainability and Gardening groups and Community Garden have commenced and are really making progress. Well done to all staff, students and volunteers involved!

Michelle Head
Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal

Congratulations to our 2024 Student Leaders

East Butler Primary School is delighted to announce the selection and appointment of an impressive team of student leaders to serve our amazing school this year.  We will have a formal presentation of student badges at our next assembly in Week 8.

Congratulations to these students, and we have confidence in them to fulfill their roles to the best of their ability.

Faction Captains

Congratulations to our Faction Captains who were voted in by their peers.

Blue Faction:

• Jaxon, Room 11
• Cumorah, Room 11

Green Faction:

• Christopher, Room 9
• Noah, Room 11

Gold Faction:

• Olivia, Room 9
• Violet, Room 11

Red Faction:

• Sienna, Room 11
• Dempsey, Room 9

We look forward to working with these students throughout 2024

Michael Williams
Deputy Principal

Manager Corporate Services

Thank you to all the families that have paid their 2024 Contributions.  These funds support your child’s education by enabling the school to purchase extra materials, services and resources.  Although the school receives funding for the curriculum, it does not cover the extra learning materials purchased by the teaching staff.

All voluntary contributions received are directed straight back into the classroom, further enriching your child’s educational opportunities.  The more contributions we receive, the more we can offer the children – so every penny counts.   It equates to .86c per week throughout the year or $1.50 per week based on the school term days. 

Suzanne Goulding
Manager Corporate Services

Kindy News

Wow what a start we have had in Kindy!  We have been so busy in Room 3 settling into our Kindy environment.  We have been very brave separating from our family members and are having fun filled days playing games while getting to know our new friends.

We have been learning lots of routines and expectations. We have learnt to demonstrate our whole body listening in the classroom when paying attention by remembering that we have to listen with our ears, keep our hands still and “catch our butterfly”, switch on our brain, keep our mouth quiet, cross our legs and have a caring heart. We practise this everyday by looking at our whole body listening posters, singing songs, and talking about making positive “green choices”. 

We have learnt how to paint using paintbrushes. We practised this by remembering not to mix the colours and wiping the paintbrush before using so that it does not drip, We had a great time painting our first artwork in Kindy!

We have been having a go at holding a pencil and writing our names. We are learning how to hold the pencil correctly and had great fun drawing a self-portrait.

We collaged glittery stars to put up in our class to remind us about the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star rhyme we learnt using a story map. We are having a fantastic time learning all the different nursery rhymes.

We can’t wait to learn and have more fun!

Mrs P and Mrs Smith

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Special News:

Pocket Forest

The Year 6s from Room 11 were able to enjoy some quality time working with Dr Grey in the Pocket Forest on Wednesday, 21^st February. Working collaboratively, they were able to make a difference to the appearance of the area by removing weeds that had grown and collecting rubbish that had blown in. Using a range of instruments, they were able to measure and record soil temperature and moisture and monitor the growth of the plants. Employing their keen observation skills, students tracked and recorded any visitors to the forest, both those by land and those who flew in to watch them work.

Karlie Gilchrist
Room 11

National Ride 2 School Day

On Friday 22^nd March we are joining hundreds of schools across Australia celebrating riding, walking, scooting and skating to school in recognition of National Ride2School Day (NR2SD).

We are using NR2SD on Friday 22nd March as an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to give riding, walking, skating or scooting to school a go, and to celebrate all the regular walkers and bike riders in our community.

We want to use this day to normalise walking and riding to school and to recognise the many benefits these activities generate by helping our families kick start a new habit or routine including active travel to school. 

Live too far to walk or ride the entire way to school? Why not drive to a nearby park such as Kahana Park and then walk or ride the rest of the way?

Colour Splatacular Fun Run

All students are invited to participate in the Colour Splatacular Fun Run on Friday 22nd March 2024.  Kindy students who are not normally at school on this day are also welcome to attend, however must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  This year the colours will be a mix of powder and slime making for a fun and messy event!

Don't forget to wear a white t-shirt on the day and bring a towel along.

IF DO NOT WISH YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHER OR THE SCHOOL OFFICE BEFORE THURSDAY 21ST MARCH 2024.   

Dates to Note:

School Development Days in 2024  

Friday 31^st May 2024
Monday 15^th July 2024
Monday 7^th October 2024

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club is available to all students every Tuesday and Friday from 8.00 am until 8.20 am in the Undercover Area next to the Canteen.

All students are welcome to come along and we look forward to seeing you there!

ACT, Belong, Commit

Have you ever noticed how good it feels to help others or set and achieve personal goals?

Making our health a priority and improving our mental wellbeing in 2024 is a great idea! Setting a goal is the first step in making a change.

Some tips to get started include:

1. Choose our approach:By setting a positive frame of mind, we are more likely to achieve our desired outcome.
2. Set mastery goals as well as performance goals:Performance goals (e.g. learning the piano in six months) may work for short-term objectives and are measurable. Mastery goals (e.g. learning each of the major piano chords) is a smaller, milestone achievement that can keep us motivated.
3. Set well-defined goals:Try using the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed). An example of this is “I will do 30 minutes of jogging, 5 days a week, for the next 4 weeks."
4. Have an action plan:Specify where, when, and how a goal will be implemented. 
5. Plan for setbacks:Anticipate barriers and challenges that may interfere with action plans and decide how you will overcome them.

Your Move

Your Move school – benefits of Your Move

We are a member of the Your Move Schools program.

Your Move encourages students and their families to get active by walking, scooting and riding to school. Making a small behavioural change a few times a week can result in huge benefits for your child and the community, including:

• Reduced congestion, travel times and parking problems around schools;
• Improved safety for everyone at drop-off and pick-up times;
• Reduced carbon dioxide emissions around the school;
• Lifelong improved health and emotional well-being due to instilling positive exercise habits at a young age;
• Improved concentration and academic performance;
• More sustainable and cost-effective transport outcomes, such as reducing the need for investment in parking that may only be utilised for a short period each day, and reduced road infrastructure maintenance costs.

We earn Your Move points by posting stories and photos of our active transport adventures on the website; these can translate into grants to fund active transport facilities and activities for the school and other rewards. If you’re interested in volunteering to be part of our school’s Your Move program, get in touch with our Your Move Champion Mrs Utley

SunSmart

OFFICE NEWS

Voluntary Contributions

Thank you to those parents who have already paid their voluntary contributions through the booklist and other methods– this certainly helps the school to ensure that resources are made available to the various year groups for this school year. Please remember that you are always welcome to enter into a Payment Plan with the school.

Online Payments to the school

Online payments are our preferred method of payment.  If you would like to make an online payment to the school (for contributions, excursions, etc), please use the following bank details:

Can you please ensure you provide the student’s name and what the payment is for when you make any payments.  More information is below regarding paying money to the school.

Daily Absences

If your child is absent from School, can you please advise your child’s name, room number and reason for absence.  This number is accessible 24 hours and we would be grateful if you could please notify us as early as possible of any absence or lateness.

Late for School?

If you have students who arrive late for school please sign them in at the office on the Ipad and ensure they collect a late slip to hand to their teacher.  This will update the system and ensure that you do not receive a text message advising that they are absent from school.

Connect

Connect is a fantastic tool for the school to keep in touch with families of East Butler Primary School.  If you are not receiving Connect messages please contact the front office and we will be happy to help.

In-term Leave

For any in-term leave, a form is required to be submitted to the school.  This form is available for printing below or in hard copy from the front office.  If you are taking your child/ren on holiday during school, the absences will be marked as “unauthorised vacation”.  This is a Department of Education directive.

Lost Property

The lost property box can be found in the Administration block.    The P&C have kindly offered to go through the lost items every week and return any named items to the students’ classrooms.  At the end of every term any items still remaining in the box will be donated to charity.

SCHOOL DATES 2024

MEDICAL PLANS

If your child has a medical condition which requires a medical plan, we would like to refer you to the documents below.  Please complete the relevant plan for your child’s medical requirements. 

If your child is taking medication on a permanent basis, please complete the Form 2 Generic Health care plan. Should your child require short-term medication (i.e. antibiotics, Panadol) please come to the office to fill out an “authority to administer form”.  All medication is to be kept at the office.

If your child requires a long term plan, this will need to be signed by their doctor prior to bringing it into the school.  Once we have the information we will then draw up a plan and circulate this information amongst the staff at East Butler Primary School to ensure that the medical needs of the student are met in accordance with their personal plan and Department of Education Policy.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Triple P Parenting Program

Triple P is the parenting program that helps make raising kids easier. It gives you tips and ideas to help raise happy and confident kids; see more of the behaviors you like and less of the ones you don’t; and have better relationships with your family.

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is available to parents and carers of children in Western Australia, thanks to the Department of Education, Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Country Health Service, and the Department of Communities. Private providers also deliver Triple P.

Free Triple P Seminars are being offered in various locations. Other Triple P programs may be available in selected regions, with more to come in the future. Most providers offer free sessions. Some sessions may be offered in a virtual/video conference format.  Please follow the links below to Triple P courses available near you.

Saver Plus Community Program

What is Saver Plus?

Saver Plus is a free online community money skills program funded by ANZ and the Australian Government, and delivered by The Smith Family in WA:

• helping people to hit their savings goals,
• develop life-long savings habits, and
• receive up to $500 in matched savings from ANZ to assist with school expenses.

The Saver Plus community program has helped over 55,000 Australians take the stress out of back to school time. It’s free for eligible people to join.

At Saver Plus, we pair you with a savings coach while you budget and save over the next 10 months. You attend online workshops to learn tips, tricks and information to grow your budgeting and savings skills. Once you reach your agreed savings goal, ANZ matches your savings dollar-for-dollar, up to $500. You can use that money towards education costs such as uniforms, text books, laptops or extra-curricular activities such as sport or music.

You could be eligible to join Saver Plus if you:

• have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
• are at least 18 years old
  
• have some regular income from work (you or your partner) including casual, part-time, full-time or seasonal (we also accept child support and carer’s payment as income)
• have a child at school or attend vocational education yourself.

If you’re eligible, start now and we’ll help take the stress out of next year’s back to school.

To find out more, or to apply, go to www.saverplus.org.au or call  1300 610 355 

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying: what is it and how to get help

Cyberbullying is bullying that is done through the use of technology. For example, using the Internet, a mobile phone or a camera to hurt or embarrass someone is considered cyberbullying. 

What does cyberbullying look like?

A cyberbully can be someone you know, or a stranger. They might send mean or hurtful text messages through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, or through sites where people can ask / answer questions.

Cyberbullying can also involve people sending photos and videos of you to others to try and embarrass or hurt you.

People spreading rumours about you via emails or social networking sites or text messages.

People trying to stop you from communicating with others.

People setting up fake profiles pretending to be you, or posting messages or status updates from your accounts.

How you can be safe from bullies online

Do not share private information like passwords, name and address, phone numbers with people you don’t know. This can also include sharing of photos of yourself, your friends and your family

Do not respond to messages when you are angry or hurt. Log out and stop messaging if you feel you are being harassed.

You can block, delete and report anyone who is harassing you online and on your mobile.

Find out how to report bullying and harassment on each of the different social networks that you use.

Keep a record of calls, messages, posts and emails that may be hurtful or harmful to you.

Set up the privacy options on your social networking sites like Facebook in a way you are comfortable with

Get help

Lawstuff provides legal information to children and young people in Australia. 

You can also go to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Cybersmart Program

If you have been bullied or witnessed others been bullied and need help, you can contact Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800), which is a free and confidential, telephone counseling service for 5 to 25 year olds in Australia.

Lifeline (13 11 14) is a free and confidential service staffed by trained telephone counsellors. 

The Australian Human Rights Commission (1300 656 419) has a complaint handling service that may investigate complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying

OSH Club

Achievers Club WA

Installing the Schoolzine App

Our Newsletter is available through the Schoolzine App on your Apple or Android device.  This is a great way to keep in touch with everything going on at East Butler Primary School and we encourage you to download the app.  The details for downloading are as follows: