Newsletter 27th July 2022

Principal's Message

Supervision After School

As you know, once parents collect their children at the end of the day, they take on duty of care and supervision responsibilities even while they and their children are on the school site.  It is important that the children keep within eyesight of their parents so that parents can supervise their children.  It is nice for families to use our wonderful facilities after school hours.  It is important though that supervision is vigilant.  We have had some damage to school property from students playing after school.  We have also had some injuries to students.  Please remember that our equipment is designed for children to use while closely supervised.  The early childhood equipment is designed for kindy and pre-primary students – not older or younger children.  The junior sandpit area and the spida sandpit area also have their appropriate age groups.  We advise parents to stick to the playground equipment designed for their child’s age group.  We also ask that parents be cognizant of the fact that the OSHClub have a licence to use the equipment after school and, because they are paying for this licence, they should have access to this equipment as a priority.  We also ask that those people in the early childhood area vacate the area by 4pm to ensure staff have a quiet work area to complete their planning and preparation, without interruption.

Students whose parents are not able to supervise them after school must go straight home.  We do not provide supervision after school.  After hours care is available, at a cost, through OSHClub.

Mask Wearing

As you also know from the letter sent out last week, while there is no mandated requirement to wear masks, everyone is strongly encouraged to wear them.  If your child forgets their mask, we do have a limited supply of them so they can pop into the office to collect one.   We also still have RATs if you need them and, we are told, an additional supply will shortly be sent to the school for parents to collect.  All the usual measures still apply too – coughing into your elbow, hand hygiene, physical distancing and not attending school when sick etc. 

Board Elections

Tomorrow, Thursday 28^th July, before 4pm is the last time to vote on this election for a parent representative for a 6-month period.  There are two nominees but only one available position.  You should have received a link to the online voting system via your email.  If you have a problem, please see the office so we can help you.  You may need to supply a statutory declaration if you wish to vote but can’t find your emailed link.  Each email link has a unique code so the recipient can only vote once.

Parking

We have received some complaints about parents parking across our neighbour's driveways.  We wish to maintain good relationships with our neighbours and so ask that you ensure you do not block driveways when parking.  We believe the rangers have been contacted, so may well receive more attention from the rangers.  Please also be aware of the parking restrictions around the school and don't get caught parking in "no parking" areas.

Attendance SMS

As you may know, we have started using a new system that automatically sends out SMS notifications to parents each day if their child is absent without an explanation.  If the staff have taken their attendance before 10am each day, any parents of students listed as having an unexplained absence will receive a SMS message.  When you receive an SMS about an absence, reply to the number and make sure that the text includes the student’s name, date of absence and reason for absence. Do not call the number as it is an automated system, using a virtual number which is not manned by a person.

Sample SMS Reply Message: Jane Citizen, 11 Feb, sick

We will be using this SMS messaging system to send any other SMS messages required too.

Refund of Upfront Payments

As you are all aware, we have moved to paying for excursions online through Consent2Go and are no longer taking upfront payments.

Parents of students who had an unallocated credit remaining on their account from previous upfront payments were sent a letter last year asking them to select one of four options to disburse this credit. Thank you to all those who have returned their letter.

Can those parents who have yet to return this letter please do so ASAP, remembering to supply bank account details should you wish for this credit to be refunded to you.

Please contact the office if you would like a replacement letter or have any queries regarding this process.

Building Works

Basketball Courts

You will have noticed that some work took place over the school holidays.  Due to the rain, we have had some delays this term.  Once the bitumen is poured at the spida end of the courts, there will be a 4-week waiting period while it cures.  Once that has occurred, we will lose the use of the courts for a couple of weeks while they coat the courts.  We will try to keep the disruption to a minimum and the kiss and drive should remain in use throughout.

Science Lab

We have been allocated funding to convert a classroom into a Science Lab.  While we do not know when this work will start, we believe it will happen this semester.  The uniform shop end of the music block will be the classroom that is converted.  This will mean that the uniform shop will be relocated to the donga near the office (the one we put a new mural on last year).

Lost and Found

A pair of glasses were handed into the office last week - please collect if these are yours.

Wanted

The Student Council are looking at purchasing and installing a refrigerated water fountain in the senior block and would like a licensed plumber to quote on this. If you are such a person, or know of a reliable person who would be willing to do this, please let the office know either by phone (6436 8448) or email (kensington.ps@education.wa.edu.au).

Upcoming Events

Tree Day

Today is Tree Day for schools.  To celebrate this, we have again worked with the City of South Perth who have donated the trees and shrubs we are planting.  Rooms 1 and 2 are planting shrubs around the donga and outside P1 under the bottlebrush trees.  S1 will be planting some trees on the oval, in between the established trees.  Thank you to the student leaders and Mr Birch, our gardener, for supporting our Year 1 students in this project and to the City of South Perth for supplying these native plants.  Thanks also to the students and staff in Rooms 1 and 2 and S1 who did, or are doing, the planting.

Positive Friendships

Positive Friendships is a program designed to enhance and grow your child’s ability to make strong, healthy friendships that positively impact their lives and the culture of the school. It focuses on equipping them with the right social emotional skills and mindset for them to thrive in any social situation. It is a 6-week program where each week we reflect on the previous week's learning and then add to it. This is an amazing opportunity for your child to further their “soft” skills and grow into the sky-high potential each one of them has.

This term we are running this program for Year 3 students who wish to participate, starting in Week 4.

Baha'i Classes

If you haven’t responded to the emailed Consent 2 Go message about Baha'i classes, please do so as soon as you can.  The classes start tomorrow (Thursday 28^th July 2022).  If you wish to give or refuse permission – click on the yellow button that is labelled “Click here to confirm attendance for NAME”. Please note that, while this button is confusingly labelled, it is also the button to click on if you wish to refuse permission too.  If you do not wish your child to attend Baha'i Religious Education classes, then this button will ensure that you do not get another reminder note when the system presumes you have forgotten to respond.  Please note, we have asked Consent 2 Go to consider re-labelling this button to make clear what this button is for.

Ecomates Competition

Ecomates - a team of secondary students from  Como Secondary College - are running a competition to encourage recycling.  Please see the flyer below.  Competition closes on 10th August.

What’s Been Going On at KPS

Pyjama Day

Thanks to all those students and staff who participated in last Wednesday’s Pyjama Day.  We received gold coin donations of approximately $550 which will be forwarded on to Telethon Kids.

NAIDOC 

This year we had a big Reconciliation Week so our NAIDOC celebrations were a little more low key.  Our classes participated in a buddy activity and an assembly, and then learnt about NAIDOC in their classes.

Foyer Display

Room 9 has been learning about natural, managed and constructed environments during HASS lessons. Our illustrations are of the South Perth Foreshore and Perth City, which show both a constructed and managed environment.

Honours and Values awards

Sports News

Faction Cross Country

Well done to all students on their performance in the faction cross country last Friday. It was fantastic to see everyone giving maximum effort to complete the course no matter where they place. Thanks to S3 and S4 for their assistance on the day. Many senior students ran the course multiple times helping and encouraging the younger students. Thanks to the parents and staff who assisted on the day with set up and pack up and during the events.

Congratulations to our medallion winners: 

Year 6 champions – Ava and Zakaria, runner-ups – Katya and Tyler

Year 5 champions – Charlotte and James, runner-ups –  Zara and David

Year 4 champions – Isabel and Freddie, runner-ups –  Lara and Ted

Year 3 champions – Bella and Maxwell, runner-ups –  Vivienne and Robbie

Year 2 champions – Neveah and Cooper, runner-ups – Scarlett and Hunter

Year 1 champions – Cora and Theodore, runner-ups –  Annabelle and Orlando

PP champions –Summer and Alexander, runner-ups –  Violet and Darcy

Our runners who came 1 – 6 in Year 3 to 6 will represent Kensington in the Interschool Cross Country next Thursday 4^th August at Harold Rossiter Park.

It was a close fought competition throughout the day with Parmelia winning from Cygnet, followed by Investigator and Endeavour.

Thank you to Mrs Stanford and her team of helpers for a well organised and lovely community event.

Senior Sport

Last term we conducted a faction competition during senior sport. The final results were: - Cygnet won the soccer and newcombe ball, Investigator the basketball and a 3-way tie for netball between Investigator, Endeavour and Parmelia. The overall competition was won by Cygnet and Investigator. Well done to all our players, it was great to see our students taking their captaincy roles responsibly as they organised their teams. Thanks again to the staff and the remarkable parent helpers Mel, Janet, Amy and Claire.

Running Club

Running Club is on each Tuesday and Friday morning on the oval from 8.00am – 8.30am. New runners always welcome. Parents of Kindy and Pre-primary parents must attend with their child. Active kids learn better!

Commonwealth Games

Kensington Primary has our very own representative at the Commonwealth Games. Karri Somerville, an ex-student, is in the Hockeyroos team.

Library News

School Board

The next School Board Meeting is next Monday 1^st August.  The Board will look at revising the Community Use policy and creating this year’s National School Opinion Survey which occurs biennially and surveys parents, staff and Year 5/6 students.

The Board will officially farewell the members whose terms finished in Term 1 and welcome the new members with a dinner after the meeting.  The P&C Executive are invited too.

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.

Environment - Containers for Change Competition

Win cool prizes for you and your class, AND help the environment and the P&C!

The Containers For Change Competition continues. Pop your collected bottles, cartons and cans into the bins at school (near the staff room) and email a photo to kpscontainersforchange@gmail.com

Collect at least 10 eligible containers, take a photo and email to the address above.

Students can also take containers to an eligible Containers for Change donation point (e.g. Manning Markets on Saturdays and Vic Park Markets on Sunday).

Scan the QR code below or quote Scheme ID C10350959 to make sure the donation goes to KPS P&C.

Submissions close 19 September, and winners will be announced at the school assembly on 21 September 2022.

Community News