29 June 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.

NAIDOC 2022 ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’

This week Somerly Primary School is in the middle of our NAIDOC week activities. The 2022 theme ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ is about bringing about systemic change. At Somerly Primary School we are beginning the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). A RAP is a framework to support the reconciliation process, strengthening the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. We look forward to community input on the development of this plan as we set to improve our understandings and cultural perspectives.

I would like to thank our committee and all the staff involved for their efforts and contributions to the events held this week. I would like to thank Mrs Mulder and Miss Defty for their hard work and commitment to ensuring an engaging week of activities for all students. Please read below for more information about the NAIDOC week activities.

Principal’s Lunch

Congratulations to all the students who were selected for the Principal’s lunch which was held last Thursday. The students were selected by their classroom teacher for their exemplary behaviour and wonderful work ethic.

Fathering Project

Last Friday night the 24th June we successfully held our first Fathering Project of the year. The turn out for our movie and popcorn event was excellent and I would like to thank Mr Gane for his organisation. We are really looking forward to developing this group throughout the year to support the fathers and father figures in our community, as they play a vital role in children’s lives. The goal is a self-sufficient group with activities organised by our fathers supported by our school and P&C. If you are interested in managing this group or organising an activity, please contact Mr Gane or myself. Please read below for further information about our exciting Fathering Project.

Reporting to Parents – Electronic Report Delivery Semester 1, 2022

Your child’s Semester One report was emailed out on Monday 27th June. Please check your Trash or SPAM box first if you have not received it, before contacting the school for it to be reissued. Electronic reports mean parents are able to retain a digital record of student achievement. However, as the link to the reports only lasts for four weeks, it is vitally important that parents SAVE their child’s report ASAP.

Vaccination Clinic at Somerly Primary School

The WA COVID-19 Program is going to be providing a clinic at Somerly Primary School to support 5-11 year-old COVID vaccinations. This is an optional clinic and is provided simply as a way of helping families that may not have had a chance and is an easy way to do so.

More specific details will follow, however an information session will be provided on the 20th July, followed by two clinic dates on Thursday 4th August and Thursday 13th October.

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.

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 place 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.

2023 Enrolments

Applications are now open for 2023 Kindergarten program at Somerly Primary School.

Children born between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019 will be eligible to start Kindergarten next year. If your child has a birthdate between these dates, please complete an Application for Enrolment as soon as possible.

Please click on the link below to access our Application for Enrolment. Once completed, please submit your application as soon as possible. Applications close on 22nd July 2022.

End of Term

As the end of Term 2 is almost upon us I would like to thank our staff, students, parents and carers for their outstanding efforts and contributions in Semester One.

I would like to the entire school community a happy and restful holiday and we look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday 19th July 2022.

New students

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

Zoe Hadley-Hawley
Principal

Merit Certificates

Room 1: Hayden and Michael; Room 4: Luna and Zack; Room 7: Nevaeh; Room 11: Danny and Jasmine; Room 12: Myla and Nate; Ella, Isaac, Jenna and Ollie; Room 16: Elsa and Zack; Room 17: Gitta and Isaiah; Room 18: Jesiah and Jozef; MUSIC: Francis

Stars

Behaviour Focus

Our behaviour focus for Week 10 is:-

WHOLE SCHOOL RESPECT

• We speak to others in the manner we wish to be spoken to

Music

In music this term, years 5 and 6 have been learning about nature and soundscapes, using instruments and timing to create the sounds of the Noongar season of Makuru. We have drawn an indigenous background to these soundscapes, using Indigenous symbols. Years 3 and 4 have been learning about musical genres, whilst our amazing Pre-primary to year 2's are naming orchestral instruments and orchestral families, culminating in designing their own instrument. Next term, we will be looking for parents who have a musical talent to share. Please contact Ms Ritchie if you would like to showcase your talents. Choir are hard at work, learning songs to perform next term!

Ms Ritchie,
Music Teacher

Art

NAIDOC Week 2022 – Visual Art experiences

In the lead up to NAIDOC week 2022, art classes have been learning about the many styles of Indigenous Artworks and we have been making some of our own indigenous inspired art pieces.

Year 4 Art class

During visual art class, the year 4 students researched, brainstormed, and finally chose a native Australian animal a ‘lizard’ and have been learning how to both sketch the animal and create a warm and cool coloured painting. By applying the artistic style of a dot painting inspired background to highlight the animal focus point. This project really came to life as the students followed the shapes of their animal.

Kindergarten Dream Time Stories Creations

Kindergarten students have been busy learning about Aboriginal Dreamtime stories this term during HASS lessons and have been creating some Australian native animal masterpieces. The students have learnt about many animals and have created some very special artworks including a turtle painting and a mini turtle collage mobile. Using native leaves found around the school and have based their turtle shell designs inspired by the stories we have read together. The students have had a great deal of fun engaging in these projects along with many more tactile and sensory experiences of weaving and sand art.

Somerly Reflection Space Art Competition

I firstly want to say congratulations to the 7 winners of the art competition. The designs were incredibly detailed, and the colours were so vibrant. I also want to make an acknowledgement to all of the participants who entered their artworks into the competition. We were amazed at the volume of entries and the quality of the sketches that were submitted.

Last week the winners participated in an afternoon of outdoor painting to begin the wooden post creations. The students worked respectfully and sensibly using all of the equipment given. I am very proud of the determination, precision and dedication these students have displayed already whilst working on their project. It is certainly going to be spectacular once completed. Please feel free to check out the progress the students have already made, the reflection space is located next to the Vegetable Garden on school grounds.

Competition Winners:

Pre-Primary – Aubrey Tubig
Year 1 – Jodie Sivyer
Year 2 – Kaiya Butler
Year 3 -Aryan Thakur
Year 4 - Kelvin Parker
Year 5 – Alia Watkins
Year 6 – Ella Allan

Window Display for NAIDOC Week 2022

Over the past few weeks, you will have seen the undercover area window display starting to take shape. This year’s NAIDOC theme is ‘Get up, Stand up, Show up’. As a school community the staff and students have come together in creating the beautiful window display that highlights the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander cultures, flags/colours and artistic styles behind the designs. The students have had great fun participating in placing their hands prints onto the design in creating 2 flags culminating together to create the heart of Somerly Primary School.

Miss Defty
Art Specialist

Fathering Project

On Friday the 24th of June, the Somerly Dad’s Group gathered in the Undercover Area to enjoy a movie, some popcorn and some one on one time with the kids. With about 20 families represented, this movie night marked the beginning of what will become an annual event designed to get fathers into school to help build our sense of community. Fathering Project events are a termly affair, with all fathers and father figures welcome. Keep an eye out for information regarding our Term 3 event!

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday, as this period falls in the school holidays, Somerly Primary School is celebrating NAIDOC this week.

The week commenced with a Smoking Ceremony and Dance incursion performed by The Bindjareb Middars Group from the South West region. The students participated in the dances, learning the moves for the Emu and Dingo, they also learnt a few Noongar words including Kangaroo- Yonga, Emu- Wetj, Dingo-Yokine and Magpie-Coolbardie.

Students and teachers have been busy painting the undercover area windows with indigenous inspired art and the poles in our new Reflection space in the community garden.

Further activities will continue during the week with each class, including Science, Art and Music doing some very special activities, including Indigenous poetry, The Rainbow Serpent story and craft, creating and retelling Indigenous inspired stories using painted stones, beading, Didgeridoo making, Boomerang art and Indigenous toy making.

Kindy students will participate in a sand mural activity with invited Indigenous guests from Butler College to share cultural stories as they complete the art activity.

Somerly Primary Indigenous students will be welcomed to help plant our new Bush Tucker plants in the community garden.

Families are welcome to attend our NAIDOC assembly on Friday 1st July, hosted by our Year 6 students.

We hope you enjoy hearing about and seeing all the special work being completed by the students during our NAIDOC Week.

Mathematics News

Have Sum Fun Online

This term, the school has continued its tradition of entering selected teams in a national online competition hosted by the Mathematics Association of WA, Have Sum Fun Online. Selected students compete in collaborative teams of four in a race against the clock to complete ten NAPLAN style questions with accuracy and speed. This competition tests their problem-solving skills and ability to work with others to form a consensus. This year the school funded two teams in both Year 5 and in Year 6.

I am extremely proud of the students who competed this term. They showed determination and resilience throughout the three rounds of ten questions and have greatly improved their collaborative skills. The results for each team were as follows:

Year 5

Team Gauss came in 12th out of 49 schools with 288 points.
Team Escher came in 35th out of 49 schools with 230 points.

Year 6

Team Lovelace came in 18th out of 56 schools with 246 points.
Team Descartes came in 15th out of 56 schools with 228 points.

Australian Maths Competition

The Australian Maths Trust Competition will be hosted Wednesday 3rd August 2022. Selected students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 will have the opportunity to demonstrate their problem-solving skills in an engaging 30-problem competition. The competition is fully online and more information can be found via the link below:

Notes for this event will be going out early Term 3.

Jodie Brown
Maths Lead Teacher

Book Week

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.

Waste Wise Schools

Gardening Club

We have been very busy in the garden this term planting various seedling which have now started to sprout, and we have started to harvest some of our crops. We currently have cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, mixed lettuce, basil, mint, onions and peas growing in our garden. We have also been busy painting and laying wooden stepping stones for NAIDOC week. Please come and have a look.

P & C