Newsletter - Issue No.111

Mrs Gallagher-Simeons – Principal

Dear Families

Welcome back to Term Two which always promises to be a very busy term.

Cold Weather

As the mornings get colder, could you please remind your children to wear a jumper or jacket!  I often become concerned when children tell me they do not feel cold when there is an icy cold wind blowing and they are just wearing a T-shirt. Warm school pull overs and school uniform jackets can be purchased at the Lowes store in Ocean Keys for a reasonable price and that store is open 7 days a week. Please make sure that any item you purchase is clearly labelled with the family surname with permanent ink.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Our school is strengthened by our unity in every child wearing our school uniform proudly. All parents support our school by making sure their children are in uniform. THANK YOU!

Sickness

The winter season brings with it the potential for the spread of germs within the School.  In order to keep this spread to a minimum, we would ask that you keep your child/ren at home if they are sick.  If your child has a sore throat, temperature, runny nose or gastro symptoms they must not be sent to school.  We must be doing the right thing for everyone.

School Survey

A Connect Notice was recently sent out asking you to complete our School Survey.  Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey or, if you cannot access the survey on Connect you are more than welcome to come to the office and complete it on our Ipad.   We welcome your input which will add to our school improvement plan. 

Kindy 2025 Enrolments

Kindy Enrolments are now open. If you have not yet enrolled your child for Kindy in 2025, or have friends or family in our local area, please come along to East Butler to complete an application form. You will need to bring up-to-date Immunisation records available from MyGov, two forms of proof of address and a Birth Certificate.

School Development Day

On Friday 31 May 2024, the school will be closed to students because there is a School Development Day. That is the day when staff are able to get together and formulate plans for the school and to upgrade their knowledge in certain areas.

Thank you for observing this day.

WA Day

On the Monday 3rd June, we will be celebrating WA Day. This is a day when families can discuss the meaning of WA Day and enjoy family time together.

Wendy Gallagher-Simeons
Principal

Deputy Principal

Student Leaders

East Butler Primary School is delighted to announce the selection and appointment of our newest student leader, Taliya from Room 12 who will join our existing team of student leaders and serve our amazing school this year.  

Congratulations Taliya!

Tweet Award Winners

Congratulations to all the students in Room 10 and Haylie in Room 12 who are our winners of the Tweet Award.  You have all been doing your absolute best to:

Navigate Learning

Embrace Resilience

Show Respect

Work Responsibly

These student all enjoyed a nice cool Icy pole to celebrate their success.

Well done!

New Secure Bike and Scooter Parking Racks

Following our successful application through Your Move at the end of last year the school was granted $20,000 to upgrade our bike and scooter parking area for students.

We are delighted to advise you that the project is now complete, and our students have already begun to use the new secure bike and scooter parking area.  We are very excited to see more students using their bikes and scooters each day with the peace of mind that they will be kept safe and secure throughout the day!  Students have reported a greater interest in riding and are very excited to show off the new bike racks to their families and friends.

Please take time to come and have a look at our new recently installed bike rack.

Thanks to Mrs. Utley for all of her hard work.

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

Dates to Note:

School Development Days in 2024  

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

2025 Kindergarten Enrolments

We are now accepting applications to enrol in our 2025 Kindy program. If your child was born between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021, they will be eligible to attend Kindy in 2025.  If you have friends or family in our local area with children in this age bracket, please ask them to come along to East Butler Primary School to enrol. 

You will need to bring up-to-date Immunisation records which are available from MyGov, proof of address and a Birth Certificate. 

For further enquiries please contact the front office on 9561 7777.

Special News:

Walk to School Day

It was wonderful to see students and their families taking part in our Walk to School Day last Friday 10^th May.  There was a scavenger hunt and a colouring competition.  Students taking part received a raffle ticket and will go into a draw to win a prize at the next assembly. 

Special thanks to Mrs Utley for oganising the event!

Swimming Lessons

East Butler Primary School will be participating in In-term Swimming Lessons in Term 3. Swimming notes have now been sent home with students. Please check your child’s bag for the note and return it as soon as possible. Our swimming lessons will take place during the first four weeks of term 3 for students in Years 1 to 6.

The dates and times are listed below:

Further details regarding swimming groups, parent helpers and times will be forwarded to families as soon as these become finalised.

Learning to swim is a vital skill for all West Australians and we encourage all our students to attend. Please look out for the forms coming home, have a good read and return the forms and payments ASAP.  We will consider payment plans if needed. Thank you for your time and support.

Physical Education

Embracing Sports Diversity: From Netball to Soccer at East Butler Primary School

At East Butler Primary School, our dedication to promoting sports diversity and fostering a love for physical activity among our students is unwavering. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting an exciting school incursion, where teachers and senior students from the Butler College netball and soccer specialist programs led clinics with our senior students during Tuesday afternoon senior sports. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to receive expert coaching and guidance from seasoned athletes, further enhancing their skills and passion for sports.

The incursion provided a platform for our students to delve deeper into the intricacies of netball and soccer, learning new techniques and strategies under the mentorship of experienced coaches. The enthusiasm and dedication displayed by both the Butler College instructors and our students were truly inspiring, highlighting the power of sports to unite and empower individuals.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce our plans to host more sporting incursion clinics throughout the year at East Butler Primary School. These clinics will expose our students to a wide array of sports, allowing them to explore different interests and discover new talents. By providing opportunities for our students to engage in various sports activities, we hope to instil in them a sense of curiosity, confidence, and camaraderie that will extend far beyond the school grounds.

At East Butler Primary School, we believe that participation in sports goes beyond physical fitness—it fosters essential life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Through our ongoing efforts to promote sports diversity and inclusivity, we aim to empower our students to lead active, healthy lifestyles and become well-rounded individuals both on and off the field.

We are immensely proud of the enthusiasm and sportsmanship displayed by our students during the recent incursion, and we look forward to many more exciting sporting adventures in the future!

Ro Seymour
Health and Physical Education Teacher East Butler Primary School

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

Act Belong Commit

For those of you not aware, East Butler Primary School is a proud member of the State Government Act Belong Commit program. It is a holistic approach to being mentally healthy!

The mental health message of Act-Belong-Commit encourages children and young people to deliberately do things to look after their mental wellbeing. Keeping mentally and physically active, having good friends and helping others or learning new things not only builds self-esteem and confidence, it also can reduce stress and help with academic outcomes.

Act – walk, swim, read, do a crossword puzzle…

Belong – join a group, chat to a neighbour, meet a friend…

Commit – take a challenge, get involved, volunteer…

Further information is available at:

https://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/

To find activities near you, use:

https://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/activity-finder/

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: