9 March 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents/Caregivers

OUR SCHOOL VISION IS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN BECOMING STRONG, THOUGHTFUL AND INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS WHO ASPIRE TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE. OUR ETHOS OFFERS STUDENT CENTERED EDUCATION THAT IS FOCUSSED ON BOTH THE PRESENT AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS.

As we come to the end of Week 6 our Early Childhood teachers are completing their On Entry Assessments and these reports will be available to you soon. A big thank you to our Year 5 and 6 students and staff that have been participating in the in-school swimming program. You have been learning some essential skills and have done it whilst remembering our school values.

COVID Update

We thank all the parents and students for being so accommodating with the wearing of masks for year 3-6 students, in class. Although, we all have education at the forefront we must follow the regulations. We will continue to provide students with masks that do not have one.

Teachers have been teaching ‘good mask habits’ to students and explicitly showing them how to wear them. Teachers are using a common-sense approach with the wearing of masks allowing students to remove them when specific teaching and learning requires it and put it back on afterwards. They will continue to facilitate brain breaks during learning to take children outside. This will ensure they can safely physically distance and remove masks for quick burst physical activities.

As you may have heard over the weekend, WA Health has updated the rules for close contacts of COVID-19 cases linked to schools, based on public health advice.

Effective immediately, household members are no longer required to quarantine with a child who is identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

We understand that a parent or carer may still need to stay home to care for a child quarantining, but the rest of the household, including siblings who have not been identified as close contacts, are not required to stay home.

As a household member of a close contact, it is important to take extra precautions where possible, including:

• minimise physical contact with the close contact
• sleep separately from the close contact
• use a separate bathroom from the close contact, if possible
• wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• cover coughs and sneezes
• regularly clean all surfaces (such as tabletops, doorknobs and bathroom fixtures) by using household disinfectant or diluted bleach solution
• wear a mask in shared areas or when caring for other members of the household

It is important that members of the household monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, and if symptoms develop, get tested immediately. If a person living in the house tests positive to COVID-19, all household members are close contacts and must self-isolate.

Harmony Day Videos – ‘We Need You’

Thank you to all the families that have supported our Harmony Day video initiative, helping us to recognise and celebrate our cultural diversity.

It is not too late to create your video. All we need is a short 30 second to 1-minute video to share with us about your nationality and culture. We will join these together to create a video for all students to watch on Harmony Day. If you have some cultural dress, you can wear that would be fantastic, but completely optional. Some things you could share would include

• Where you’re from
• Something interesting about living there or the country
• What is the traditional dress or food?

These videos can be emailed directly to the school’s email address somerly.ps@education.wa.edu.au

P&C AGM - We Need Your Help!

The P&C is a group of parents and community members who work together to improve our school. The P&C is also a forum for discussion and the exchange of information between the school and parents.

The AGM will be held on Tuesday 15th March 2022 at 6pm in the Undercover Area – masks will be required. At the AGM the P&C elects the Executive Committee which consists of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, presentation of the financial report and the President’s report. If we are unable to fill these positions, we will not have a constitutional P&C. We would not be able to run activities such as discos and the Wednesday sausage sizzle.

We are looking to develop the membership of the P&C as many hands make light work, so we are seeking a parent to represent each year level in the school. This would involve seeking support from fellow parents for P&C activities, communicating teacher requests at meetings and welcoming new families.

I would also like to extend my thank you to the P&C for providing us with stage skirts for use on our assembly stage.

Second Hand Uniform

Please remember as we head into the colder months that our school uniform, including our sports and polar fleece jackets are available from Uniform Concepts in Clarkson.

If you are cleaning out your old school uniforms, please note that we always welcome donations of second hand uniform. We use these uniforms to support families in need and for students who may need them for various reasons throughout the school day. Donations can be brought to the front office.

New students

I would like to extend a warm welcome to Lilly and Marley who recently commenced at Somerly Primary School.

Zoe Hadley-Hawley
Principal

Stars

Behaviour Focus

Our behaviour focus for Week 6 is:-

PLAY AREAS RESPONSIBILITIES

• We are back at our class when the second siren goes sitting in two lines
• We seek help when we need to solve problems

Students Late to School

If your child arrives late to school, they are missing critical morning routines and learning activities. The school day begins at 8:40am and students will be considered late if they do not arrive by this time. If your child arrives after 9:00am you are required to enter through the front office and provide us with a reason for the lateness. A late slip will be printed for you to give to the class teacher.

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.

School Photos – 22nd and 23rd March 2022

Photo Day is almost here!

Before Photo Day:

• Individual Order Forms will be handed out to each student
• Photos can be ordered online at www.3p.net.au
• Shoot Key: ML6T47P
• After Photo Day a Late Fee may occur

Photo Day:

• Students need to bring their own Order Form when being photographed, whether they are ordering photos or not
• Please ensure correct uniform, hair neat and tidy
• Preferably no large side/high ponytails, it may be cropped out

Sibling Photos:

• Sibling Photos will be taken at the photo area before and after school
• Students cannot be not be collected from class
• Order only on eldest child’s Form, unless ordering multiple sibling packs

After Photo Day:

• Digital Downloads available at www.3p.net.au after delivery
• Any queries? Contact 3P on (08) 9250 6244

Voluntary Contributions

Voluntary Contributions play a significant role in providing resources for students in the classroom. The continuing partnership between the school and parents is vital to ensuring that all students receive a level of education sufficient to carry them forward in today’s society. Voluntary Contributions are utilized to purchase books, resources and equipment for classroom use and to support our school in the delivery of quality educational programmes. To enable the school to continue to deliver our excellent educational programmes, we urge you to consider paying your Voluntary Contribution at your earliest convenience.

Voluntary Contributions for 2022 is set at $60. However, if you pay before the end of Term 1, you will receive a discount of $10.

Would you like a night at the Joondalup Resort?

Thanks to the generosity of Mark Folkard MLA, Member for Burns Beach you could be checking in soon!

We have a voucher for a one night stay for two people with breakfast included on a date of your choice.

To be in the draw to win this fantastic prize, simply pay your Voluntary Contribution before the end of Term 2. If you have already paid, you are automatically in the draw.

Draw will take in Term 3.

You can pay by cash or EFTPOS in the front office any day between 8:30am and 3:30pm. Alternatively, you can also pay by direct deposit to Commonwealth Bank – BSB 066 040 - Account No. 19902052. Please enter surname and room number in description field as a reference.

Waste Wise Schools

Gardening Club

The foundations of our community garden have now been implemented. With new rich vegetable soil in our garden beds, laying pea gravel in our garden and implementing compost bins to help with our continuous rich fertiliser. We have now started planting some carrot, mixed lettuce and cauliflower seeds. Thank you to all our students for all their hard work.

Thank you staff, students and our Somerly families for your participation in our weekly challenges. So far this term we have collected 7899 containers raising a massive $789.90. We have now allocated $500 of these funds to our school Chaplin who will be purchasing 25 $20 food vouchers for our families in need. We will be continuing our challenges to support our community.

Our winners for our challenges in weeks 4 & 5 are

Challenge three winners Room 15

Challenge four winners Room 18

Thank you and good luck with week 6 Challenge!

World Sleep Day

From the 2021 Health and Wellbeing Census that was given to the Year 4 – 6 students, it was identified that sleep patterns and routines were difficult for some students to identify. From this census the 2022 Health Committee are organising events throughout the year to specifically focus on the needs of the students. During week 7 students will be learning some great strategies to assist with creating positive sleep patterns and ways to become more mindful. To celebrate Sleep Awareness Week, students and teachers will be encouraged to wear their pyjamas on Friday 18th March. We look forward to seeing everyone in their pyjamas.

Learning Focus

PLP

In Block 3 for PLP Gross Motor/Life Skills, students washed and pumped up the bike tyres this week, ready to commence bike riding skills.

Year 3 Health

In health lessons, Year 3 students have been focusing on healthy lifestyles for healthy minds and learning Sneeze Safe awareness. Here are their portraits fighting off the spread of germs with tissues covering their mouths.

P & C

Wednesday Lunches

Please note, there will be no Wednesday P&C lunch until after the P&C AGM on 15th March 2022. A message will be sent to families confirming the date of the first P&C Wednesday lunch in due course.