Newsletter 7th February 2024

Principal's Message

Welcome Back!  It was lovely to see everyone start school last week.  Predictably it was quite a hot start given the heat wave but fortunately all our classes have air conditioning, many having refrigerated too. 

The staff at Kensington Primary School are excited to welcome you to a new school year filled with opportunities to learn and engage!  

Getting into the habit of daily attendance is more important than ever. It helps to:  

• reduce stress
• make it easier to connect with friends and teachers
• support learning
• Please call us if you need help with attendance. Phone 6436 8448 and ask to speak to one of the deputies (Mrs Brook for K-2 students and Mr McNerney for Year 3-6 students) or the principal.

We are working to make our school environment a place where everyone can be safe, healthy and learning.  We will do our best to listen and partner with you so that our children have a successful year. Do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns. 

• Please make sure we have your correct email and the best phone numbers where we can reach you.

Term Planner

While you can find a term planner below, we no longer update this 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. SZapp is the place to go to ensure you are up-to-date.

Classes

We welcome all new and returning students and staff.  The class structures are as follows.  We will introduce you to the new teachers this week and the other new staff in the next newsletter.

Communicating with Staff

Please be aware that any urgent communications should go through the office as teachers do not access their emails and See Saw while they are teaching.  We ask our staff to acknowledge emails within 5 business days (they usually do this much earlier but some staff are not full-time) and to respond to the issues within 10 working days.  They usually do so much earlier too.  During holiday periods you will need to allow much longer as they are not required to be able to access their emails during this period.  Thank you for your patience and consideration.

See Saw

SeeSaw is the classroom communication app that we use.  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 previously). Do not download the ‘class’ app.  Just download the ‘family’ if you haven’t already.

Classroom teachers will be in contact with you to give you login details.

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.  Failure to do so may lead to your child not receiving their lunch on time.

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 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 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. 

Protective Behaviours

All schools are required to teach students protective behaviours.  We do so across the year to keep these important behaviours fresh in the children’s minds.  You can access a parent protective behaviours handbook on our school website along with the regular school parent handbook (Parent Information Handbook - Kensington Primary School (kensingtonps.wa.edu.au) or below, for more information.

2024 Contributions and Charges Information

Please find the Contributions and Charges information for 2024 in the flyer below.

Pedestrians Accessing the Kiss and Wave Drive Through Gates

We encourage all parents and children to use the pedestrian gates to access the school, rather than the gates used by cars to drive through the kiss and wave.  Apart from holding up traffic, this can be unsafe for children especially, who don’t always have the ability to process the traffic information in a timely manner.

Mobile Devices

Please note that the school has a Mobile Devices policy as part of our Positive Behaviour Plan.  This policy states that children should not use personal mobile devices during school hours.  This includes smart watches.  Students who use their smart watches inappropriately (including being distracted by looking at things on them) will run the risk of having them confiscated and given a yellow behaviour slip.

Honours and Values Awards

Upcoming Events

NAPLAN

Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in NAPLAN testing this term.  Parents of students in those year levels should have received a brochure providing information on NAPLAN. In future newsletters we will publish a timetable of the testing so parents know when tests will be conducted.  There will also be catch-up testing for students that miss a test session.

If you wish to withdraw your child from the testing, please speak to your child’s teacher or Clint McNerney.

What's Been Going On

Music News

Senior Choir begins this afternoon at 2.00pm.  All students in Years 5 and 6 form the Senior Choir.  It is important that everyone brings along a display book or document folder for their music.  

The first Band Rehearsal for 2024 is on this Friday.  We begin at 8.00am and band members need to remember to bring their band book.  Last year's band folder is perfect because we will review some of last year's songs.

Junior Choir begins next Wednesday morning commencing at 8.15am.  Junior Choir is open to any students in Years 3 and 4 who would love to come along each fortnight and sing with enthusiasm.  Please place your choir display book in your school bag on Tuesday afternoon so that it is ready for Wednesday morning choir.  

Sport News

Welcome back to school! Please ensure that all students have a hat, water bottle and appropriate footwear for PE lessons. If your child is unable to participate in a PE lesson, can you please let me know by email Raema.Stanford@education.wa.edu.au or via your classroom teacher.

Edu-Dance

Edu-dance commences on Thursday for PP- Yr. 2 students. Concerts will be held on Thursday of Week 9. Permission, information and payment is via consent2go.

Faction Swimming Carnival

The carnival is on Thursday 29^th February. All Year 5 and 6 students and invited Year 4 students will attend. Permission, payment and the program will be via Consent2Go. Nominations for events have been completed in PE lessons. Students who have passed Stage 5 will participate in swimming events, those who have not passed Stage 5 will participate in events in the inside pool.

Selections for the interschool carnival will be made from the faction carnival. The interschool carnival will be on Tuesday 12^th March.

Sporting Schools

We have been successful in gaining Sporting Schools funding this term. Some students will be involved in volleyball sessions and later in the term tennis sessions.

Sport Carnivals Dates 2024

VPASSA Inter School Carnival Dates 2024

Winter Community Sport

Registrations are now open for local community winter sports.
Follow the link on the c sport’s website to sign up.

Japanese News

Kensington Primary School is pleased to announce that following a successful visit in 2023, a group of primary school students from Japan will again visit Kensington Primary School for one week Sunday March 24 to Saturday March 30 at the end of Term 1, 2024! 

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from families who would like to host a visiting Japanese student (9-12 years of age) during this visit.  A remuneration will be paid to host families to assist with living expenses for the week.  Please email Margo.Whittle1@education.wa.edu.au to register your interest. 

If you emailed me last year, thank you. We still need a few more families.
Many thanks
Whittle sensei

School Board

Open Board Meeting Term 1, Week 3 (12^th February)

Every year we advertise an open meeting for anyone who is interested in attending a School Board meeting.  It is an opportunity to find out what happens at a meeting, especially if you are considering nominating for a position on the Board.  This meeting starts at 5:30pm on Monday 12^th February if you wish to come along.

School Board Elections

The School Board currently meets twice a term - on the third and ninth Monday of each term at 5:30pm in the staffroom.  Claire Stone is the current chair of the school board.  There are some vacancies on the board this year.    

SCHOOL BOARD

The school board consists of a balanced mix of teachers, parents, and community members. Parent and community members provide an integral link between the school’s academic and administrative staff and the community, informing the decision making and direction of the school.  We have several parent-representative positions vacant for 2024, so I encourage you to consider nominating. The positive influence that the parent community has on the school, through sharing their experiences, knowledge and desires for the parent community to ensure informed decisions are made in the best interests of the students, is inestimable. In setting and monitoring the business plan for the school, it is a great way to learn about how the school operates, its challenges and its successes. If you would like to get involved in continuing the positive development of the school and share your, and your fellow parents’, experiences to guide the school, I encourage you to consider nominating for the school board.

If you are interested in finding out more, please consider speaking with the principal, or any of our current board members.  A list of current board members can be found on the school website. 

Our School Board – NOMINATIONS OPEN

If you are interested in nominating yourself, please complete the nomination form linked below and return it to the school by Thursday 22nd February.  Below 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 School Board - Kensington Primary School (kensingtonps.wa.edu.au)

P & C News

Welcome to the 2024 Kensington P&C - we have a few things on the go for Term 1 already and more to come. If you would like to join the P&C you can take on an official role, join the fundraising team or volunteer when you have time for events (every bit helps support the school). At the AGM nominations will be taken for committee positions, we will review the list of projects being funded from the wishlists and plan for Term 1. Everyone is welcome to join: February 20th, 7:30pm in the staff room.

Classroom WhatsApp groups

Have you joined the Kensington Primary WhatsApp community?  This is where you will find the parents group for each class, the class rep group and P&C group. Please join on the QR code below.

Year 6 Fundraising 

The Year 6 fundraisers are in full swing and appreciate your support: Icey pole sales will commence this Friday 9th February on the oval - please bring your $1 coins.

🎬 Once again the KPS P&C will be starting the school year with this popular event! Please register early and look out for our event sponsors coming soon.

🐥Migration will be aired on the big screen on the school oval.  Bring a picnic rug or low chairs, and enjoy a great school community event, raising funds for our 2024 Year 6s. 

🌭🍔 BBQ and snacks for sale from 5.30pm, 23rd February 2024. This event is BYO, plastic cups only please. 

Gates open at 5.00pm with the movie commencing at 7.30pm.  Children 2 years and under are free.  

Family and friends welcome!

UNIFORM SHOP AT VISTA STREET KINDY

We have set up a temporary shop for Term 1 at Vista Street kindy - Open Thursday mornings 8:20 - 9am. Online orders are still available (and preferred).

Uniforms

Follow the QR code for a direct link to the uniform shop to order online. Include your child’s name and classroom and we will deliver the following Thursday. Easy as! Happen to have ordered the wrong size? No problem, we are happy to exchange, just leave the tags on. 

Wondering what to do with uniforms you’ve outgrown? Leave them in the red donation bin located next to Room 7.

Reminder - the uniform shop has moved to the donga with the bright mural next to the staff car park.

Containers for Change

Community News

The Commissioner for Children and Young People invites all WA children and young people aged under 18 to share their views on the environment through an online survey. 

The survey is completely anonymous and will take about 5-10 minutes to complete.

Have your say before Friday, 1 March 2024.

Access the survey here.

Code Camp

Code Camp are offering a weekly coding After-School program, starting in Term 1. Code Camp After-School allows kids to hone their creative skills and keep practising through weekly sessions over the term! Our fun and engaging content ensures students learn new creative skills in a safe, educational environment.

Please note, the school is only providing a venue.  The school is not responsible for the program.

Please find the booking link HERE