Newsletter 23rd February 2022
Principal's Message
COVID Preparations
The school is preparing for a variety of different scenarios should we have an outbreak impacting our community. We will be letting you know what our plans entail over the next few days. Please ensure you have all the different communication tools (see below) and we have your most up-to-date contact details so that we can provide you with timely information. Keep your eyes open for this information later this week.
Online Capability at Home Survey
A final reminder to parents to please complete this survey. We apologise for the technical glitch that occurred when some people couldn’t view the first question of the survey asking for students’ names. We will be contacting parents whose children we cannot identify from the survey or those who have not completed the survey very soon. To save us all some time, if you haven’t completed this survey (that takes less than a minute to complete), we ask that you please do so now.
It is vital information as, in the event of a lockdown, we must be prepared to pivot to online learning, if necessary. For this reason, we need to know your online capability at home.
See Saw
SeeSaw is the classroom communication app that we will be using. It is vital that parents download the “family” version of this app so that they can receive communications from their child’s class teacher, if they haven’t already done so (many people will have used this last year). Do not download the ‘class’ app. Just download the ‘family’ if you haven’t already.
Seesaw works well on any computer or device. Bookmark the website app.seesaw.me on your computer and download the Seesaw Family app on your phone or tablet. |
Updating SZapp and Lunch Order Subscriptions
Just a reminder that you will need to update your child(ren)’s classes on the school app, SZapp, and the online School Lunches Online site. On the SZapp app you go into Manage and unselect the old classes and select the new classes. If you order your child’s lunch from School Lunches Online, please ensure that you update his/her classroom details on their website so that their lunch can be delivered to them.
Consent 2 Go (not an app – you will receive emails)
Please ensure that you have responded to the ‘invitation’ to update your child’s information on the new Consent 2 Go platform and provide permission for the third party apps and online services we wish to use with your children. If you need a new email ‘invitation’ to be sent to you, please contact the front office on 6436 8448 and we will be happy to send that to you. You will be given further opportunities throughout the year to update/confirm your child’s information on Consent 2 Go prior to any class excursion or at any time you wish.
We now ask you to make payments online through Consent 2 Go for any school event your child is to be involved in. This enables you to give consent for your child to attend the event and pay for it at the same time.
Contributions and Charges
The Contributions and Charges for 2022 are linked below. We are now accepting payment at the front office. We are not doing upfront payments, parents that have credit from 2021 would have received a letter to ascertain what they would like to do with that credit. If you have not returned this form please do so at your earliest convenience. We now offer online payments through Consent 2 Go for all excursions and 'incursions'. This will mean you can arrange this payment at the time of giving your consent for your child to participate in the event.
Year 6 2021 Gift
Last year’s graduating class, as their gift to the school, worked on or funded several projects. We thank them for their contribution to the mural on the donga near the library. Its theme of bird and plant-life matched the work the Year 6 Student Councillors took on – to protect and encourage birdlife at the school. Thanks to Mrs Brook for organising this mural with the Curtin University artist in residence program.
You may also have noticed that we have installed signs around the school to label the different buildings with the six Noongar seasons – starting at the office with Bunuru and ending at the senior block with Birak. See if you can spot the other four seasons. This was a gift to the school from the 2021 Year 6 class. The artist was Liz Narkle from Koolangkas Kreate.
The Student Councillors also developed a series of informative signs which are now located on the Music block’s end wall (Kambarang). You can find out more about the local birdlife and how to help if a bird is struggling. Thank you to the Student Council for this gift.
Annual Reminders
We are required to provide everyone with some annual reminders.
While school starts at 8:50am each morning, we are happy for students to arrive at 8:30am when classroom doors open to allow students time to setup for the day and participate in before school sessions such as reading. This enables everyone to be ready for the start of the day. Students who arrive before this time must be seated in the quadrangle area and must not interrupt the teachers’ preparations for the school day (K-P students must be supervised by the parents before 8:30am). We can only guarantee supervision from 8:15am onwards. Students should not arrive at school before 8:15am. All students who arrive after 9am must report to the office so that we can record attendance without interrupting the classroom teachers’ lessons.
All students who have to wait at the end of the day for pickup must wait with Miss Jones at the kiss and wave (or with their gate duty teacher). Any students who have not been collected by 3:15pm will be taken to the office for collection. We are happy for students who are being directly supervised by the parents to play on playground equipment after school. Supervising other people’s children, without consent from their parents, is not compliant with legal requirements. Equipment cannot be used before school (except by clubs who have been licensed to use the school site for training) and the oval is out of bounds before and after school.
All visitors to the school must report to the office first. This includes parents who are attending the school after the start of the school day. Students will not be released from their classroom without a slip from the office. This is a safety precaution to ensure only people who have the right to access students do so.
We have completed a deed of licence with OSHClub and allow them to use the undercover area before and after school each day so we must avoid this area altogether to allow them to run their program uninterrupted. Please access the quadrangle via the gate near the library rather than through the undercover area.
For safety reasons students are not allowed to ride their scooters, skateboards or bikes on the school grounds. Students are asked to walk these items instead. We also ask that parents follow the same rules as good role models.
Children are allowed to climb trees but they should not climb higher than a teacher can reach (approx. 1.5m).
A reminder that all student absences must be explained either in writing (by the SZapp app or by email) or by speaking to the school/class teacher (who will record the explanation in writing). All families taking vacation leave outside of school holidays must also write to the principal seeking authorisation. In the absence of this request, these absences will be recorded as unauthorised. It is important to note that authorisation for absence due to vacations is also dependent on past attendance, length of absence and plans for maintaining your child’s education. Australia has mandatory school attendance, so authorisation is important.
The staff car park is not available for dropping off students in the mornings or picking up students at the end of the day. It is a small car park and our staff can’t all park there because it is so small. It is also difficult getting out during peak times (especially if others are trying to get in) so please do not use the car park. While I realise that often people think that when they do it there is no harm, but if everyone did it, of course, there would be chaos. It is also not safe for children to be in this area as backing cars don’t always see small children and children can move quickly and unpredictably. Thanks for your support on this.
It is a condition of entry that you abide by the school rules and the directions given by the principal or her delegates. Please be aware that the principal has no control over what occurs outside school grounds, such as on the roads surrounding the school. The school cannot enforce road rules or control the parking on the side roads, nor can it actively control traffic on those roads. The school is, however, in charge of the kiss and wave on the school grounds.
Term Planner
We no longer produce a one-page Term Planner document. Instead you can find our calendar on the website or the SZapp. It is a great idea to subscribe to the calendar so that it can sync all activities to your online calendar, and automatically update information as sometimes event details change.
Values and Honour Awards
Respect
An attitude of treating ourselves, others and all living things with dignity and courtesy. Treating others as we want to be treated.
Sports News
Faction Swimming Carnival
The carnival is on Thursday March 10th at Aqualife 10.30am – 2.30pm. Attending students are to wear their bathers to school with their shorts and faction T shirts. Students are to take food, water, hats, towel and sunscreen with them for the day’s events. All Year 4 – 6 students and some invited Year 3 students will attend. Consent2Go will be sent out this week so please check your emails and respond with permission and payment. The program for the day is shown below. Students will swim in their nominated events. Competitors will be selected from the faction carnival to swim in the interschool carnival on March 17. Parents are welcome to attend - you must sign in at the front desk and follow COVID protocol. Cost for spectators is $2.00.
Winter Sport
Check out our local community sport clubs for their winter registrations. Information will be on their websites.
School Board
School Board Members Wanted- Nominations Open
We are still looking for more parents to join the School Board so we have extended the nomination due date to 3rd March. Please consider nominating for this position.
The School Board will be meeting twice a term - on the third and ninth Wednesday of each term at 5:30pm. Brendan Joss is the current chair of the school board. There are some vacancies on the board this year. If you are interested in nominating yourself, please complete the attached nomination form and return it to the school by Thursday 3rd March. Attached is also an information sheet which gives potential nominees an overview of the board and how it runs. Below is a list of functions of the board as outlined in the Department’s policy. Please note – all Board members are now required to give consent for the Department of Education to undertake a National Police History Check into their backgrounds.
The functions of the school board are:
1 to take part in:
- a) establishing and reviewing from time to time, the school’s objectives, priorities and general policy directions;
- b) the planning of financial arrangements necessary to fund those objectives, priorities and directions;
- c) evaluating the school’s performance in achieving them; and
- d) formulating codes of conduct for students at the school;
2 to determine in consultation with students, their parents and staff a dress code for students when they are attending or representing the school;
3 to promote the school in the community;
4 to approve:
- a) charges and contributions for the provision of certain materials, services and facilities;
- b) extra cost optional components of educational programmes;
- c) items to be supplied by a student for use in an educational programme; and
- d) any agreements or arrangements for advertising or sponsorship in relation to the school;
5 to provide advice to the principal of the school on:
- a) a general policy concerning the use in school activities of prayers, songs and material based on religious, spiritual or moral values being used in a school activity as part of religious education; and
- b) the implementation of special religious education;
6 with the approval of the Minister, or the Minister’s delegate the Director General, or sub-delegates the Deputy Director General, Schools or Regional Executive Directors for government schools in their regions to:
- a) take part in the selection of, but not the appointment of, the school principal or any other member of the teaching staff.
The board cannot:
1 intervene in the educational instruction of students;
2 exercise authority over teaching staff or other persons employed at the school;
3 control or manage the school unless the intervention is by way of performing a function prescribed for incorporated councils or boards (see section 3.3- Incorporated councils or boards); or
4 intervene in the management or operation of a school fund.
The council or board must comply with any conditions imposed on it by the Minister pursuant to section 130(3)(c) of the School Education Act 1999, and any directions issued by the Minister pursuant to section 135(1) of the School Education Act.
An induction process is provided for all new members. If you have any questions about the function of the board or what is expected, please email the principal at Kensington.ps@education.wa.edu.au
You may wish to check out our website https://kensingtonps.wa.edu.au
Click on "Our Community" then "School Board"
Containers for Change
We have a wheely bin and/or a wool bale in the quadrangle where you can deposit containers, help the environment and fundraise for the school all at once. We hope, with sufficient support from everyone, to expand this program.
Community News
Reds Volleyball Club - Term 1 2022 Spikezone at Kensington Primary
Reds Volleyball Club is commencing a new Spikezone program at Kensington Primary this term! Spikezone is a volleyball program aimed at developing primary school students from Years 3-6 in a fun training and match environment. Register now to join in the fun!
Register Here: https://www.redsvolleyball.com.au/spikezone-kensington-ps/