Newsletter - Issue No.117

Mr Smith – Principal

As we reach the midpoint of Term 1, it’s a great time to reflect on the fantastic start we’ve had and the exciting opportunities still ahead. Our students continue to demonstrate our values of Navigate Learning, Embrace Resilience, Show Respect and Work Responsibly. 

Staff

East Butler has always been known for having very compassionate, hard-working staff who take teaching very seriously. This year we welcome:

               Ms Demi Caetano in Year 1

               Mrs Leah Allen in Year 5/6

               Mr Ed Hammond in Year 6  

               Mrs Vanessa Pickett (Education Assistant) 

 P&C

There was a great turn out when the P&C met in Week 3. Office bearer positions were declared vacant, and we congratulate the following parents for being voted into positions:

President- Danielle Cleine

Vice President- Jamie-Lee Mooney

Secretary- Greg Gilmour

Treasurer- Michelle Bailey

We also welcome Susan Blight, Yuri Choi, Renee Elson, Kristen Maxwell, Nicole Stubbs-Mills, Melissa Rankin, Michelle Wong and May-Anne Quiem.

We look forward to working with this P&C group throughout the year!

NAPLAN

Testing for NAPLAN is happening from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March. This week, parents were provided with our testing schedule. Please review this carefully to ensure your child is at school for each of their tests. 

In preparing your child for NAPLAN, here are some quick tips:

• Reassure your child that NAPLAN is just one way of showing their learning progress
• Encourage a ‘do your best’ mindset rather than focusing on scores
• Encourage reading questions carefully before answering
• Ensure good sleep and breakfast before the test

 We wish all our students good luck throughout the testing window!

Open Night

The School Open Night will be held on Tuesday 11th March from 5pm – 7pm. The evening will start with a short performance from classes in the Undercover Area. Students and their families will then have the opportunity to visit their class and share in the great work that is occurring. Our amazing P&C will be running a sausage sizzle and providing opportunities for parents to sign up and volunteer at events.

We continue to encourage communication between our families and school. If you need to raise any concerns, please book a meeting with your child’s teacher or a member of the administration team. 

Kind regards,

Reece Smith
Principal

Deputy Principal

Work Placements and Professional Experiences

We have some wonderful people visiting and learning from our amazing teachers and sharing their skills starting this term.  Please make them feel welcome when you see them in classes and around the school. We hope they are impressed with all the great things we are doing at East Butler and learn a lot to help them in their career pathways. 

Work Placement

Christie-evie Emmali in Room 5 on Wednesdays

Certificate III and Certificate IV Education Assistant in training

Jessie Coulter in Room 1

Zoe Quinane in Room 5

Lisa Cheshire in Room 7

Stephanie Cook in Room 9

Tiah Gornall in Music & Science

Edith Cowan University Pre-service Teachers

Paige Hester in Room 1

Cheree King in Room 2

Madeleine Ash in Room 5

Edith Cowan Occupational Therapy Students on Fridays

Jessica Hall in Room 1

Naomi Regel in Room 2

Robert Fleming in Room 4

Michelle Bristow-Clark in Room 5

Achievers Club WA

East Butler Primary School is privileged to be the hub of the Butler Chapter of Achievers Club WA. This is a free tutoring service to selected students at East Butler Primary School every Saturday morning during the school term from 10:00 am to 12 noon.

The Achievers Club WA is a charity that helps to give students the opportunity to be the best they can be. They provide free educational support for Years 3-12 in the form of weekly out-of-school mentoring and tuition for selected children who are experiencing learning and/or adjustment difficulties. The tutors are professionals who have been screened to work with and children and have volunteered their time and work with teachers and parents to maximise the support given to these students. This program helps in building self-confidence, trust and a sense of achievement in the students’ personal and educational lives.

I am seeking an Expression of Interest if you would be keen for your child to attend. This requires an ongoing commitment from both you and your child. This means you do not have any sporting or activity commitments throughout the year on Saturdays and as a parent, you are able to drop off shortly before 10 am and collect at 12 noon.

Please email michelle.head@education.wa.edu.au if you would like your child to be involved and are able to commit to each Saturday during the school term. 

Michelle Head
Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal

Congratulations to our 2025 Team of 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. 

Congratulations to these students, we have every confidence in them to fulfil their roles to the best of their ability and we look forward to working with them throughout 2025!

We are announcing our Faction Captains at a special assembly on Monday, 10th March.  Parents of successful students have been notified to attend. 

Michael Williams
Deputy Principal

Manager Corporate Services

Voluntary School Contributions

We would like to extend our gratitude to the families who have already contributed to the 2025 Voluntary Contributions. These funds are directly reinvested into the classroom, enriching your child’s educational experience.

To assist families during the current cost of living challenges, we are offering discounts for families with two or more students. These discounts are available for payments made via cash or direct deposit only and can only be applied in term 1.

Contribution Schedule:

• 1 child:                $60
• 2 children:          $120 (Discounted to $110 when paid in full by the end of Term 1)
• 3 children:          $180 (Discounted to $165 when paid in full by the end of Term 1)
• 4 children:          $240 (Discounted to $220 when paid in full by the end of Term 1)
• 5 children:          $300 (Discounted to $275 when paid in full by the end of Term 1)

As a token of appreciation, families who have paid will automatically be entered into a draw to win a hamper valued at over $150, which includes a $70 Timezone voucher and will be drawn at the assembly in week 10.

Payment Methods:

• EFT
• Cash
• Direct Deposit

Bank Details:
East Butler Primary School
BSB: 066 058
Account No: 10024364

If you have any questions regarding your contributions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kind regards,
Jae Halden
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 focus 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, put in our bubbles, cross our legs and have a caring heart. We practise this everyday by looking at our focus listening posters, singing songs, and talking about making positive “green choices”.

We have learnt how to paint using paintbrushes.  We practised this by remembering to 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 are having a fantastic time learning all the different nursery rhymes. We chose to focus on Hickory Dickory Dock. We are using a story map to recite the rhyme with actions and had fun creating some rhyme crafts.

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

Mrs P and Mrs Smith

In-Term Swimming Lessons

2025 Swimming lessons will take place during the first four weeks of Term 2 for students in Years 1 to 6.  The dates and times are listed below:

Group 1 – Rooms 1, 6, 8 & 10

Week 1 – Wednesday 30^th April 2025 to Friday 2^nd May 2025

Week 2 – Monday 5^th May 2025 to Friday 9th May 2025

Group 2 – Rooms 4, 5, 7 & 9

Week 3 – Monday 12^th May 2025 to Friday 16^th 2025

Week 4 – Monday 19^th May 2025 to Wednesday May 21st 2025

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

Special News:

Clontarf Academy Visit

In Week 3, on Tuesday 18th February, we welcomed students from the Clontarf Academy in Geraldton who ran a football clinic with our Year 6 students. Our students had a great time! Butler College has recently launched a Clontarf Academy, and we can’t wait to see these students come to our school as well.

Thank you to Paul Pitchers, from Butler College, for organising!

Colour Splatacular Fun Run

Students took part in our Colour Splatacular Fun Run today, Friday, 7th March!  

We would like to say a big thank you to our fabulous P&C who have organised this popular event.  We appreciate all the time, energy and hard work you put in with the help of parent volunteers!  We also thank our families for supporting our school and your fund-raising efforts. 

Dates to Note:

School Development Days in 2025  

Friday 30th May 2025

Friday 29^th August 2025

Monday 1st October 2025

Friday 19th December 2025

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club is available to all students each term from Week 2 to Week 9 on Tuesdays and Fridays 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 2025 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 2025

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

Become a Foster Carer

The Joondalup District for Child Protection is currently recruiting Foster Carers, to provide a safe, stable and secure environment to Children who are unable to live with their birth families. The types of foster caring opportunities available are, temporary, short break and long-term care.

There will be an information session held at the Department of Communities in Joondalup, on Tuesday 25^th March 2025 from 6-8pm. I have attached a flyer with the registration details.

Government of Western Australia

Department of Communities

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 behaviours 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: