20 March 2024

Principal’s Report

Our vision is to foster every individual’s academic and social development driven by high expectations for success and aspirations for them to become resilient, respectful individuals.

Kaya Families,

This term started wonderfully, thanks to your support. Our classrooms quickly adapted to learning routines, as structured last year. Our senior students successfully attended their swimming lessons at Yanchep Lagoon, and our student leadership team took part in the leadership conference. We have seen ongoing development in our sustainability initiatives, with each class nominating Wastewise Warriors and our community continuing to support the Containers for Change program. Our School Board has convened to ensure we meet our stated expectations. Our P&C continues to plan and develop initiatives to support our school through our community. All these factors contribute to making our school a great place for learning.

Our staff are consistently reviewing and refining our Positive Behaviour System to engage students in their learning, as we believe students learn best when their individual needs are explicitly catered for in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment. We have a clear process in place to ensure that all students are aware of and adhere to our school’s expected behaviours. We have already celebrated the first group of students who received wristbands for exemplifying our school values of Respect, Responsibility, and Safety. Classrooms have been enjoying their ‘We Did It Rewards’, earned through faction tokens. This week, two students from each classroom, who consistently display our school values, will be invited to the Principal’s Lunch.

Teacher, Parent and Student Interviews

A final reminder school will be closed early on Friday 22^nd at 11:45am for our Parent/ Student/ Teacher interviews. Please ensure you have booked an interview time with your child’s teacher through the link below:

This is a shared opportunity for teacher, child and parent to discuss expectations, and aspirations. Interviews will be conducted in your child’s classrooms. The school will be closed at 11:45am on Friday 22^nd March so please ensure you have planned for your child’s pickup. TheirCare is available on school site if you wish to contact this childcare provider for your child’s after school care.

NAPLAN

Students in Years 3 and 5 are sitting NAPLAN from the 13^th – 22^nd March. During this time students will be completing the tests online, using school laptops. All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards. As a school we value the data provided to inform our teaching directions. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress. We do not impose any pressure on our students, it is a snapshot assessment. Please be mindful that your child may experience some anxiety over the tests. It is important to reassure them that NAPLAN is a learning experience.

Further information can be obtained at NAP - For parents and carers

Harmony Week and Easter Hat Parades

Harmony Week will be celebrated in the final week of this term. Events during the week will be used to promote the wonderful diversity of culture within our school community. As part of our Visual Arts program Mrs Defty and the students have been working on a display that captures our diversity and brings us together to create a sense of belonging, inclusivity. There will be a display in the Early Childhood and the Library. Students will be taking photos with their classes, whilst they visit the library and families are also welcome in the library to take photos. We would love to see any photos taken, to share as a community.

Kindy and Pre-Primary students will be celebrating Harmony Day and Easter Hat Parade on Tuesday 26^th March at 2:10 pm, in the Kindy lawn area, parents are welcome to attend. Students are encouraged to wear cultural dress or wear orange to celebrate Harmony Week.

Year 1 – Year 6 students will celebrate Harmony Day and Easter Hat Parade on Thursday 28^th March at 8:45am in the undercover area. The assembly will begin with a Kapa Haka performance, P&C Easter Raffle and then the Easter Hat Parade. Parents and friends are welcome to attend. Students are encouraged to wear cultural dress or wear orange to celebrate Harmony Week.

Consider adding a touch of your culture to the Easter Hat this year. This could be in the way of colour, animals, patterns, materials used or hat designs.

Community

We are delighted to announce our partnership with ECU Children’s University. This program aims to inspire a passion for learning beyond the classroom. It works with young people to nurture their aspirations, discover new passions, develop new skills and above all, have fun! The program provides opportunities for CU children and their families to engage with the local and wider community to participate in fun and engaging learning activities offered by validated CU Learning Destinations. Students enrolled in CUA are issued with a ‘Passport to Learning’, which records their individual learning journey. After 30 or 35 hours of learning, the children’s participation is recognised through the award of certificates presented at a graduation ceremony held at Edith Cowan University.

ECU will be presenting an information session on Friday 22nd at 11am in the undercover area, all year 5 and 6 students will be invited to this presentation. Parents are welcome to attend this session to find out more about the program.

Term 1 Events  

Please ensure you have access to Seesaw to keep up to date with all the events occurring this term .

Save the dates;

• March 22^nd: - 11.45am - Early school closure for Parent/ Student/ Teacher Interviews
• March 25^th – 28^th Harmony Week
• March 26^th - 2:10pm Kindy & Pre Primary Harmony Easter Hat Parade
• March 28^th - 8:45am - Yr 1 – Yr 6 Harmony Easter Hat Parade and Easter Raffle – Last day of term
• March 28^th: Last day of term

Term 2 Events 

• April 15^th: - Students commence Term 2
• April 24^th – ANZAC Service at 1.50pm
• April 25^th – ANZAC Day (PUBLIC HOLIDAY)
• April 26^th – Staff Development Day – Students do not attend on this day

Louise Carroll
A/Principal

Term 1 Calendar

Term 2 Calendar

Merit Awards

Congratulations to the following students who received Merit Awards at the last assembly.

Room 1: Fox, Angus
Room 2: Atlas, Flynn
Room 3: Isaiah, Beau W
Room 4: Asher, Ruby
Room 7: Indi C, Imran, Braxton
Room 8: Lily, Nathan
Room 9: Moon,
Room 11: Mason, Ashleigh S
Room 12: Mila, Memphis
Room 13: Jenna, Jaxson
Room 15: Michael N, Haneet
Room 17: Daniel D, Uc,
Room 20: Leon, Jiya

Behaviour Focus

Congratulations

Check out these awesome students from Room 13! They are the first students in the whole school this year who have completed a row of 10 holes for the Somerly school value of Responsibility. This means that they have been awarded 10 Gotcha cards for demonstrating responsible behaviour since the beginning of the term. They received their Responsibility wristbands from Mrs Williamson last week. We are so proud of you! 

As the term has progressed more students have been recognised for their efforts to display the behaviour focus within the school. Congratulations!

School Chaplain

Hello, my name is Sophie and at the beginning of the year I started as the new Chaplain at Somerly Primary School. My role is to support and care for the needs of our students and wider school community. I am passionate about supporting kids with their social and emotional wellbeing.

This term I have been meeting many of the fantastic students, families, and staff in our school and helping with breakfast club and the community pantry.  

Breakfast club is currently being held on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:15am-8:45am. 

The community pantry (located next to the canteen) is open to our school families every day during drop-off and pickup times. We welcome donations of non-perishable food items and personal hygiene products that are unopened and within their use-by dates.  

Suggested Items: 

1. Meal kits: macaroni and cheese, instant noodles, Cup a Soup 
2. Tinned fruits, vegetables, fish, beans and soup 
3. Jars/sachets of sauces (Pastabake) 
4. UHT milk or Milk powder 
5. Ready to eat snacks, muesli bars, crackers 
6. Rice, oil, pasta, condiments, spices, tea, coffee, sugar, flour 

I hope that everyone has a good last week of term and restful school holidays, 

Sophie – School Chaplain  

School Board

Dear Parents and Community Members,

I am both delighted and deeply honoured to step into the role of Chairman of the Board at Somerly Primary School, a place very close to my heart. Beyond my professional experience as a consultant software engineer, I am first and foremost a father to three wonderful children – all proud Somerly students. This personal connection strengthens my commitment to ensuring the school continues to be a nurturing, vibrant, and forward-thinking place for our children to learn and grow.

Being a member of the board, I am devoted to guiding our decisions to serve the best interests of our families and their children. I am deeply committed to supporting every child and family in our community. My goal is to foster a nurturing and sustainable atmosphere where each child feels appreciated and heard, ensuring they have the chance to thrive on their unique path to success.

As we embark on this journey together, I am committed to leveraging my professional skills and personal passion to make meaningful contributions to our school’s mission. Your insights and aspirations for our school matter greatly to me, and I am eager to collaborate with you to build on our strengths and address our challenges. Let us work together to create an educational environment where our children are empowered to excel academically, thrive personally, and contribute positively to their communities.

Undertaking this new role, I am cognisant of the considerable contributions of Mr Arthur Ventham, our outgoing Board Chairman, and wish to express my sincere gratitude to him. Mr Ventham has set a high bar with his jovial spirit and the exceptional ability to unite our community – a legacy I am deeply honoured to carry forward.

I am excited about what the future holds for Somerly Primary School and am looking forward to engaging with many of you in the coming months. Together, we will nurture a school community that celebrates diversity, champions sustainability, and prepares every student for a bright, responsible, and inclusive future.

Warm regards,
Harry Turnbull
Chairman of the Board

P & C

P & C Easter Raffle

Students Late to School

Please ensure that your child arrives to school at the appropriate time, classroom doors open at 8:30am. If children are at school before 8:30am they are expected to wait in the undercover area. Please also make use of the before care facility, TheirCare. Any student arriving after the siren should present to the office for a late pass.

Not Feeling Well?

If your child is not feeling well before school, please keep them home and notify the office by phoning 6206 4200, sending an SMS to 0437 480 486 or emailing somerly.ps@education.wa.edu.au.

Late Collection of Students

Somerly Primary School has a student finish time of 2.45pm each day. If your child has not been picked up before 3pm, you will be required to come to the front office to sign them out.

CONNECT AND RESPECT EXPECTATIONS

COMMUNITY

Somerly Playgroup Open Day

Somerly Playgroup is hosting an Open Day on Monday, March 25th, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM. Parents with children aged 0-5, come and explore what our playgroup has to offer! Enjoy sensory and outdoor play, art and crafts, stories, and Easter games. Meet current parents and children and get all your questions answered. We look forward to seeing you there.