Newsletter 26th August 2020
Principal's Message
Business Plans – 2021-2023 – Exciting Developments Coming
As we head into a new phase of school improvement planning, we have appreciated the feedback we have received from parents, students and staff. This will be discussed at the next staff meeting and the next school board meeting. There are a number of items we are looking at for inclusion in the next business plan. This includes the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing as well as academic standards:
- How to continue our early childhood (K-2) focus on play based learning into the middle and upper years (Year 3-6)
- How to ensure students get the break times they need– time to play freely – within the school day
- How to expand our nature play focus (I delivered a professional learning session on this with the staff at our recent School Development Day)
- How to support students in taking risks and managing challenges to develop resilience and perseverance
- How to provide clear communication avenues and engage with the community in a fair and reasonable way
- How to balance the modern needs of a technological society with the need to encourage and support students’ physical and mental health.
- How to develop cultural and environmental citizenship
- How to ensure we live out our values
Some of the strategies we have started implementing across the school (but it is still early days) are:
Walker Learning – researched, play-based and personalised learning approach in the early years
Back to Front Maths – a teaching approach that asks students to experiment with unfamiliar concepts and make connections to familiar maths. It challenges students to think and to focus on the concepts rather than just trying to get things ‘right’ for the test.
Loose Parts Play – we are currently setting up the facilities to run loose parts play during break times. This is the opportunity for children to play with objects in an unstructured way that encourages creativity, critical thinking and exploration. We hope to have this up and running next term, however, we are still exploring how to staff it now that the chaplain has left to do her Masters.
Literacy – maintaining our explicit instruction approach to teaching writing: Talk 4 Writing (K-2) and 7 Steps to Writing Success (Year 3-6) with moderated assessments using Brightpath and introducing the MultiLit program called InitialLit (explicit reading and spelling program) in the PP (and into Year 1 and 2 next year), building on from the Kindy PreLit program.
Maths Enrichment (Yr 2-5) and Remediation (Mini lit) programs
We also have continued running the small group targeted phonic support programs such as the MultiLit program called MiniLit which we began in 2017. Mrs Michelle Farrow and Mrs Denise Jetta run these programs. We have maintained our Maths Enrichment program, which I expanded in 2017 to cater for more students. Ms Elise Pedley runs this program.
Poppy's reflection on the Blanket Activity
As you will know from a previous newsletter, our Year 5/6 students engaged in an experience to teach them about Aboriginal history in WA. The students found it very moving and engaging. I previously published some of the thoughts of students from S3 but would like to share with you some thoughts from Poppy in S2.
Staff Uniform
The staff are organising a new staff uniform polo shirt. They have included a symbol borrowed from the Aboriginal culture to represent ‘together (staff, students and parents) we achieve’ – with a Noongar translation of that motto (Danjoo ngalak warminy). Take a look. We are hoping that by next term, at the latest, we will have a uniform that artistically represents our school, complete with banksias too.
Phase 4 of the WA COVID-19 roadmap continues
Based on the latest health advice, Phase 4 of the WA COVID-19 roadmap has been extended until Friday, 23 October. The new tentative start date for Phase 5 will now be Saturday, 24 October. A final decision on whether Phase 5 can proceed on this date, or if it can be brought forward, will be made in October. Schools are to continue to follow the Phase 4 Operating Guidelines until further notice.
So, while we are in Phase 4 it is important we are ready for any new wave of COVID-19 by maintaining our hygiene, physical and social distancing measures. This will put us in the best position to combat a second wave, should one eventuate. Re-introducing these measures after the commencement of a second wave would be too late to prevent it widely spreading, so maintenance is vital. So we ask everyone, while on the school grounds to:
- Maintain hand hygiene
- Ensure 1.5m social distancing
- Use the 2 square metres rule to calculate how many people can fit in a space
- Get a COVID-19 test if you have any symptoms and then self-isolate until you get the all clear
Picasso Cow Competition Winners
Winning entries were announced during yesterday's assembly and the winners were presented with a certificate and some tasty dairy prizes.
Year 4 students would like to thank everyone for their creativity and inspiration in naming our Picasso Cow.
We love that she is a Queen
Our school is situated on Banksia Tce and the banksia is our school's logo
MOOnlight always shines brightly
and Coco-Rose rolls off the tongue and is delicious and cosy like a warm hot chocolate.
Felice –Year 6, S3 -Winning name was: Banksia
Lucas –Year 6, S4 -Winning name was: Queen
Scarlett Pre-Primary 1 -Winning name was: Coco
Maxwell –Year 1, Room 1 -Winning name was: Rose
Elizabeth –Year 4, room 10 -Winning name was: Moonlight
Queen Banksia Moonlight Coco-Rose
Values and Honour Awards
An attitude of treating ourselves, others and all living things with dignity and courtesy. Treating others as we want to be treated.
Classroom Foyer Display
S1 Information Reports
Over the past 4 weeks, the students in S1 have been working on writing an information report on an animal of their choice. The students had to conduct research on the school iPads about their animal's habitat, diet, and the early stages of their animal's life. The students also discovered many additional mesmerizing facts about their animal. They had to write a plan, first draft and good copy before presenting their final copy, along with some wonderful drawings of their animal. The end products look fabulous and I think the students are very pleased with their efforts.
Teacher Callen Toner
S2 Persuasive Techniques
Persuasive Techniques used:
- Rule of 3 (eg Facts)
- Power of 1 (personal story)
- Rhetorical Questions
- Call to action
- Emotive language
Teacher Maria Andrews
Sports News
Inter School Cross Country
We had a very successful Cross Country meet with our whole team running well. The time and effort they put into training paid off. 60% of our runners came in the top 10. There were some standout Year groups: Year 6 Boys all runners were in the top 10, Year 3 Girls all top 11, Year 4 Girls all top 12 and Year 4 Boys all top 12, Year 5 Boys all top 14 and Year 5 Girls all top 16. We had some great individual efforts with the following place winners.
1st Place Winners: James Year 3 Boys, Ava Year 4 Girls, Zakaria Year 5 Boys, Marcus Year 5 Boys, Andy Year 6 Boys.
2nd Place Winners: Charlotte Year 3 Girls, Katya Year 4 Girls, Lawson Year 4 Boys, Matilda Year 5 Girls, Ethan Year 5 Boys.
3rd Place Winners: Kieran Year 5 Boys, Alec Year 6 Boys.
4th Place Winners: Zara Year 3 Girls, Lincoln Year 4 Boys, Ava Year 5 Girls, Beau Year 6 Boys.
Final Team Scores:
1st | Kensington | 922 |
2nd | Lathlain | 739 |
3rd | Millen | 687 |
4th | Victoria Park | 631 |
5th | East Victoria Park | 545 |
6th | Bentley | 194 |
Thanks to the parents who came and supported us at the carnival and followed the Covid safe plan.
Congratulations to James Year 3 who competed in the State Cross Country Carnival and came 2nd in the Mixed Year 3 race which had 353 competitors. Super star effort James!
Faction Carnival
Get excited, Faction Carnival Week is next week. The program outlining the weeks events is below and the competitors are listed on the Sport notice board outside the staff room.
SEDA Soccer
SEDA, which is a sport development Secondary School, is conducting soccer clinics at the school for all students on Tuesday in Weeks 6, 9 and 10. The clinics are part of their development program.
Running Club
Running club continues on Tuesday and Friday mornings on the oval from 8.00am – 8.30am. New runners are always welcome. There will be no running club on the Friday of the Faction Carnival.
Raema Stanford - PE Teacher
Music News
We are in need of a couple of people to help set up and pack down the large speakers and sound system for the two sports days next week. We particularly need help from 7.00am - 8.00am on both Thursday and Friday. Please contact the school office or Lynette.Dewing@education.wa.edu.au if you can help on either or both of these days.
P & C News
While COVID-19 has been a stumbling block for the P&C to continue fundraising and social activities, these are beginning to start up again. The P&C will be supporting the Faction Athletics Carnival with a sausage sizzle lunch. They are also looking at having our popular colour run early in Term 4. Thank you to all those parents working hard behind the scenes.
You may not be aware that it is the P&C that organises the Friday lunch orders, the CBA school banking, the uniform shop and the netball teams before school (the basketball, cricket and tennis are privately organised and just use our facilities). Any enquiries about these areas can be directed to the P&C through their email address – kensingtonpandc@gmail.com
Community News
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