14 December 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.

This is our final newsletter for 2022, and I would like to take this opportunity to again say thank you to all, for your support within our school community.

Book Awards

On Friday 12th December our students came together, along with staff and proud families to celebrate the Book Awards.

This was a special day to honour those students who have worked consistently throughout the year, always demonstrating our values of Respect, Responsibility and Safety and in doing so, achieving excellent results either as academic progress or excelling in a particular specialist subject. I would also like to acknowledge all students who have achieved their personal bests.

During this event, we recognised and thanked our 2022 Student Leadership Team. I have watched them flourish throughout the year as they thrived in their various roles. It has been an honour to work with them throughout the year. Thank you to all the members of our Student Leadership Team - you gave students a voice and you supported them and created wonderful memories. We know that you will achieve wonderful things in life.

We also announced our Student Leadership Team for 2023 - congratulations to the students selected for these roles. They presented a speech to our Year 3-6 students and their teachers, who then voted to select their preferred candidates. I have faith that they will be able to uphold the expectations that have been set by the Leadership Team before them.

Events in the Final Week

We were so fortunate to be able provide our students with Good Standing Reward events in the final week of term, Year 6 Outback Splash, We Did Rewards, Faction Reward activity, and Whole School Reward - fun play.

We also had an opportunity for our Choir, under the direction of Ms Ritchie to perform Christmas Carols at Ocean Keys Shopping Centre.

Reports

On Tuesday your child(ren)’s reports were sent by email. Please talk to your children about the reports and celebrate their successes and efforts. Focus on the things they have been doing well or improved upon. If you wish, ask them to think of a goal with you that they can work on for next year.

Transition

We coordinated a transition session on Wednesday afternoon. This session provides all students and teachers an opportunity to see their new classrooms and meet their peers. Many students are anxious about the changes in the new year, they worry about their teachers, their friends, where they will play and if the work will be too hard. We use this transition session to give them an opportunity to have some social time together - a meet and greet. Please reassure your child they will get to play with their friends, and they can look forward to making new ones.

We have spent a great deal of time planning classes for 2023. Class lists have been placed on the library windows. Due to our predicted enrolment numbers, we do have split classes, these classes will cater for both curriculum year levels.

Year 6 Graduation

On Wednesday we celebrated the graduation of our Year Six students from primary school. We congratulate all the 2022 graduating Year Six students and wish them all the best for the future. We hope they take with them some fond memories of their time in primary school, and we eagerly await hearing of your future successes of which we are sure there will be many.

During the Graduation Ceremony, some students were recognised for their excellent contributions to their primary schooling years. We would like to congratulate these students for their outstanding success.

Final event for 2022

• Christmas Concert - Thursday 15th December 8.45am. All classes will assemble in the undercover area to perform and listen to other classes perform a chosen song. We welcome families to attend and join in the Christmas celebration, as the final event of the year.
• Last Day of school – Thursday 15th December

2022 Reflections and Thank You

As the year ends, we take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who have made our school year as wonderful as it can be. There are people we just don’t get a chance to stop and say thanks. Please take a moment and stop to say thanks to anyone who has given you support, time or just been there and made things better. People like the Cross Walk Attendants, before and after school Carers, Cleaners, Gardeners, Chaplain, Clarkson Canteen, Relief Teachers, Mentors, Education Assistants, Teachers, P&C members, Breakfast Club, School Board Members, Front Office staff - Thank you!

School Board

Our School Board is chaired by Mr Arthur Ventham. Our Board is a group of individuals who provide sound governance and considered leadership to review school policy, planning and budgeting. I thank all the Board members for their time and commitment.

Somerly Primary P&C

Thank you to our enthusiastic and diligent P&C, led by President Dee Bell. Thank you to all the members of the P&C for your support with Breakfast Club, Sausage Sizzles, Mother’s and Father's Day stalls, Easter raffles, The Fathering Project, Discos, Year 6 camp, graduation and much more behind the scenes. Your contributions to the school this year have been excellent, and we are truly grateful. We look forward to the wonderful things being planned for next year.  Please feel welcome to join this amazing team next year.

Staffing

The staff of Somerly Primary School set high expectations and standards for themselves and their students. They are caring, dedicated and engage in continuous learning for the best interests of their students.

As at the end of every year, unfortunately we have several staff members who leave us. I consider it a privilege to offer my thanks to these staff members on behalf of the Somerly Primary School community. In different ways, each of them has contributed so much, impacting the lives of many students. I thank them for their valuable contributions and wish them the very best in 2023 and beyond.

The following teaching staff will be leaving us - Jane Pavlinovich has now permanently transferred to a school closer to where she lives. Elle Walker has won a contract in Roebourne District High School as Curriculum Coordinator. Louise Geldart will be beginning motherhood in 2023 - we wish her all the best with her new addition to her family. Sarah Russell, Sophie Wilson, Nicolette Killian, Ryan Koppl and Sam Cox - we thank them for their commitment and contributions and wish them all the best with their new adventures. Zoe Hadley-Hawley will be on maternity leave during Term 1 and will return at the start of Term 2. I will also acknowledge Education Assistant staff members and Special Needs Assistant staff members on fixed term contracts who at this stage have not had positions confirmed - Faye Taylor, Angela Donnelly, Karen Garvey, Jackie Plewright, Katie Walkerden & Joan Riordan we hope to see them all back in 2023.

We would like to welcome new and returning staff to Somerly Primary School for 2023. Leanne Sneddon is returning to full time teaching in Year 3, Ros McLevie is returning and will be teaching in Year 5, Jo-Anne Avery will be full time in Year 1/2, Belinda Ochieng will be returning to 4 days a week in Physical Education and Christina Palidakous will be returning part time later in the year. Newly appointed staff for 2023 include Silvia Caratazolo in Year 6, Cameron Robinson in Year 6, Jessica Dunn in Pre-primary.

I would like to make special mention to our School Administration Team. Pam Lok and Sue Rose in the office for their enduring work and who are always the welcoming friendly face of the school, also Janet Metcalf and Naomi Facey who assist in the office part time, continuing to offer a warm and friendly welcome to our school. Our Deputy Principals Katia Bue and Heather Barnwall, who work tirelessly to drive school improvement, support families and staff and ensure the school runs smoothly.

Our school Chaplain, Elle-May Wong is leaving us at the end of the year on maternity leave, we wish her all the best. She has worked assiduously with our school community providing caring and nurturing support to all who needed a little extra. Whilst Elle-May is on leave we welcome Estelle Van Niekerk, an experienced Chaplain from Youthcare, who will step into the Chaplain role for 2023.

Christmas Hampers and Support

Once again, our lovely Chaplain Elle-May has organised a donation of Christmas Hampers for families in need of something special. The Christmas holidays are a wonderful time, but we know that for many families it can also be a time of stress and uncertainty. I would like to thank Elle-May and the team at True North Church for their support of Somerly Primary School.

For those that find getting through the holidays difficult, courtesy again of Elle-May and the True North Church, Oz Harvest boxes will be available from 115 Collective Cafe, please do not hesitate to approach them for support.

I would like to thank our hard-working Education Assistants, Teresa Sanders, Gail Esson and their Wastewise Warriors who have put in so much effort and drive to ensure our Wastewise programs are sustainable.

They have successfully developed our community garden to produce crops to provide to our community. The garden looks amazing, please take a moment to go and visit the garden before the end of year.

Times ahead, 2023

Outside School Hours Care

Our school has partnered with an independent provider called TheirCare to provide exceptional Outside School Hours Care services for our school community. The program is available for all children at Somerly Primary School from 6:30am until 8:30am in the morning and from 2:45pm until 6:00pm each school day.

During School Holidays and Pupil Free Days, the service will operate 6:30am until 6:00pm.

Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website:

Families are eligible for a Government Rebate called the Child Care Subsidy which can reduce the cost per session by up to 85%.

For more about TheirCare:

City Of Wanneroo Parking

The City of Wanneroo will be installing parking signage around the boundaries of the school to create a safer area for our children to access the school safely before and after school. Please see information regarding parking around schools at this website.

School Parking Brochure - City of Wanneroo

Important Key dates for Term 1 2023

• Office re-opens on Wednesday 25th January 2023
• Staff return to school Monday 30th January 2023
• Students return Wednesday 1st January 2023
• Weeks 3 & 4 - 13th to 24th February - Year 5 & 6 students will be attending swimming lessons at Yanchep Beach. The estimated cost is $50.  Notes will be sent home in week 1. Please take note of this cost for the start of the year.
• Weeks 5 & 6 - 27th Feb to 10th March – Pre-primary to Year 4 students will be attending swimming lessons at Wanneroo Aquamotion (except for 6th March, which is the Labour Day public holiday). The estimated cost is $55.  Notes will be sent home in week 3.
• Weeks 7 & 8 - NAPLAN for years 3 & 5 - Notes will go home during week 4 to inform parents of the process involved.
• 24th March – Parent/Teacher meetings afternoon, school closes at 11:45am. Bookings will be made available online.  We hope to host the event in classrooms.
• Last Day of Term 1 - 6th April – The P&C are hosting a Colour Fun Run. We are looking forward to this fundraising event.
• Term 1 school holidays 7th April – 26th April.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing you all back for the amazing things Somerly Primary School has install for 2023. Thank you for all your support this year, we appreciate all the things you do for Somerly Primary School.

New students

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

Louise Carroll
Principal

Stars

Behaviour Focus

Our behaviour focus for Week 10 is: -

RESPECT
ASSEMBLY

• We use audience manners to look, listen and respond.

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.

A huge thank you to all the families that came to our end of year Fathering Project event last Wednesday. We had a turnout of nearly 40 people! Soccer, volleyball, board games and a BBQ on a warm summer evening was just the ticket for closing out the year.

The Fathering Project is always welcoming new faces. If you are a father figure within our school community, keep an eye out for next year’s events. We advertise via this newsletter, SeeSaw and our What’s App group. You can join our WhatsApp group by using the QR code here:

Use this QR code to join the Fathering Project WhatsApp group to keep up with event details.

Wishing you a safe holiday season.

Mr Daniel Gane

Learning Focus

Art Projects Completion

Over the past few weeks, we have been enjoying this glorious sunny weather and have been able to work on the final completion stages of our Reflection Space painting area and Mental Health Week Blue Bench. I am so proud of the amazing artworks that the students have designed, and it has truly created such as special part of our school. The Blue Tree Bench Project has also been developed further over the past few weeks and will be seen in its new Reflection Space, to be enjoyed by all students and staff. The dedication and commitment from the following students involved in these projects is to be commended, as they have put their arty passion into the projects throughout the whole process from designing, entering the Reflection Space Competition, sketching, and finally painting their designs. Congratulations to Pre-Primary Aubrey, Year 1 Jodie, Year 2 Kaiya, Year 3 Aryan, Year 4 Kelvin, Year 5 Alia, Year 6 Ella A and Year 6 Jessika A. I would like to personally thank Julie and Bunnings Mindarie for their very kind donations of art equipment and supplies throughout the year. To conclude, I wish to say a huge thank you to all the staff involved in supporting these projects - as the saying goes; teamwork makes the dream work!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday and I am looking forward to many more amazing arty adventures in 2023!

Miss Defty
Art Specialist Somerly Primary School