25 February 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal's Message

Every Day Counts – Attendance Matters

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child's education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

Why it's important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Getting in early

Attendance patterns are established early – a child who is regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates. It's vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school.

What we can do

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they're ill. It's vital that they're only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.
Holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term if it can be avoided.
"Day off" – Think twice before letting your child have a "day off" as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with their classroom teacher as early as possible.

Champion Christmas Holiday Readers

Congratulations to the following students in Pre-primary to Year 4 who completed the Holiday Reading Program over the Christmas holiday break. Thank you to our parents who urged them on!

Three Year Old Pre-Kindy Playgroup Registration

Mrs Alison Johnston and Mrs Lisa Wilson will be running the Three year Old playgroup beginning in Term 2.

The playgroup will commence in Week 2 of Term 2 and run on each Tuesday for 6 weeks of each term. Mrs Alison Johnston and Mrs Lisa Wilson, both experienced and well loved early childhood teachers, will run the program, taking turns on alternate weeks. Both teachers are giving up their own time to run the sessions, in an unpaid capacity.

Parents will stay with their child from 9.30-11.30 each Tuesday. A fee of $ 60.00 per term is payable at the school front office and must be paid before the commencement of the playgroup each term. Part of this fee goes towards being registered in Playgroup WA and covers insurance.

Parents are required to complete a registration form at the front office, and they will receive play group guidelines. To be eligible to attend the playgroup, children need to be turning three this year. Siblings are not allowed to attend unless they are babies who are not yet crawling. It is advisable for potential parents to secure their child's position, with payment, as soon as possible as places are limited.

Parent Interviews

Parent interviews for students in Years 1-6 will be held in Term 1. The aim of these interviews is to discuss your child's progress with their classroom teacher.

Please note the following dates:

Discussions will be based upon:

• Your child's academic progress in Literacy and Numeracy
• The Mangahigh mathematics program (Yrs 1-6)
• The Reading literacy-Pro (Lexile) program (Yrs 4-6)
• Reading Eggs/Eggspress (Yrs 1-3)
• Behaviour management
• Homework, attendance and uniform policy
• Good Standing policy (Yr 6)
• Faction passports

Where possible, parents are requested not to bring their child to the interview. Interviews will be 10 – 15 minutes in length. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend these interviews as they will provide valuable information regarding student progress. This week, letters have been sent home for parents to secure an interview time.

Meet Our Student Leaders

Congratulations to the following Year 6 student leaders who have been democratically elected student councillors for Semester 1 at Butler Primary School: Calvin Willsea, Jeffery Jy Witt, Jada Harland, Erin Muir, Chelsea Te Whata and Merryn Temple. In the photograph below our Head Girl, Isabelle Wood, and Head Boy, Kian Gregory, stand with our new councillors.

Isabelle, Erin, Calvin, Jada, JefferyJy, Chelsea, Kian and Merryn

Good Standing Policy for Year 6 Students

The Good Standing Policy provides a system that assists in ensuring that our Year 6 students maintain a satisfactory level of attendance, course participation and behaviour. It also aims to help Butler Primary students prepare for the transition from Primary to Secondary School where student sare expected to develop more responsibility and self control.

The Good Standing Policy does not replace the Behaviour Management Policy, but provides a specific framework or standard of behaviour expected in our senior students in order to maintain their 'Good Standing' status. A student's Good Standing record may be incorporated into school references requested by private schools from time to time.

Maintaining Good Standing requires:

• Completion of class work, assessments and homework
• Behaving in a way that is appropriate and inclusive of staff and student rights (as indicated in the Behaviour Management Policy)
• Satisfactory attendance and punctuality
• Adherence to Butler Primary dress code
• Adherence to the School Rules (as indicated in the Behaviour Management Policy)

Achievement of 'Good Standing' allows students to attend incursions, excursions, school camps, graduation lunch and other activities organised by their class teachers. Year 6 teachers will discuss the Good Standing Policy at parent interviews.

School Hat for 2016

Due to the number of parent requests and skin cancer research, the School Board has endorsed an important change to the uniform policy at Butler Primary School. The P&C is also very supportive of this uniform change. As of the 2016 start to the school year, all Butler students will be expected to wear the navy blue, wide brimmed fabric school hat.

Caps will no longer be part of the uniform as caps offer less sun protection to the sides of a child's face, ears and back of neck. Wide brimmed hats of colours other than navy will not be accepted as the appropriate school uniform.

Navy blue fabric wide brimmed hats with the Butler School emblem, can be purchased from Lowes Clothing store at 36 Ocean Keys Boulevard, Clarkson and they have stocks in ready for families to purchase.

School Siren Times for 2016

The School Advisory Board has endorsed the following siren changes for the commencement of 2016. Please note the earlier school start and finish time. The Pre-primary classes will adopt these new siren times, including the same recess and lunch breaks, from Week 5 of this term.

Art Rooms Exhibition- Save the Date

Butler Primary School is having an art exhibition in our art rooms! On the 14th and 15th of March, both art rooms will be open for an exhibition of art works from each child from Years 1-6. The art "galleries" will be open from 3:00-5:30pm on both evenings. We are eagerly anticipating the opportunity for our parents and friends to come and view our first term's work. Please come to view and appreciate your children's work and their creative ideas in this gallery setting.

Miss Lee Cox and Mrs Karen Rowlinson

Wanted-Website Designer

Butler Primary School is looking for, amongst our talented parents, a professional website designer who would be happy to be involved in updating the Butler Primary School website. If you are that person, or know of a talented Butler parent, please call the office.

Kindy Students Meet Eve

The kindy children in PP5 have had an exciting time learning about the letter "A" and the sounds it makes. During Week 2 of their first year at school, they enjoyed interacting with a friendly Alpaca called Eve. The children showed Eve around the classroom and playground, telling her the rules for safe play. The children also practised their fine motor skills, trying to pick up floating apples with tongs and sewing around apple shapes. They made and counted play dough apples to put on a number tree, and discovered many things that begin with the "A" sound.

Mrs Alison Johnston

Homework Requirements, 2016

Homework helps students by complementing and reinforcing classroom learning, fostering good lifelong learning and study habits, and providing an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning.

Year 1 – 3 Students

To meet requirements for homework, Years 1-3 students need to:

• Read every night, from Monday to Thursday, for a minimum of ten minutes.
• Read a minimum of 1 book per week. The books can be a take home reader or a book in the Reading Eggspress library. Parents need to regularly sign their take home reading records.
• Reading Eggs-Complete a minimum of 2 maps per term. Each map consists of 10 lessons. Students on Reading Eggs are still expected to read 10 books per term(Yr2&3 only).
• Reading Eggspress-Once students have completed Map 12 on Reading Eggs, or at the teacher's discretion, they then progress to Reading Eggspress. It is expected that students read a minimum of 1 book from the Reading Eggspress library a week. If students were on Reading Eggspress the previous year, then they continue with this program. (Yr 2&3 only)
• Regular learning of spelling lists and reading of sight word lists is also strongly encouraged.

In Mangahigh, a program that has replaced Mathletics, there will be some set homework.

Year 4 – 6 Students

Homework for senior students:

• Should include daily independent reading.
• May include extension of class work, projects and assignments and research.

Homework may involve:

• Set tasks required for subsequent lessons
• Repeating or completing work given in class for the day
• Continuing work on assignments/projects
• Revision of class work
• Wider reading to cover both novels and further research

Maths Years 4/5

Students will complete one written maths assignment that will be due each fortnight. This work will be marked in class or by the classroom teacher.

Maths Year 6

Students will complete one written maths assignment that will be due each week. This work will be marked in class or by the classroom teacher.

Literacy Years 4-6

• Year 4-6 students will complete the following tasks:
• Literacy Pro Home Reading Program- a minimum of 4 books per term
• Spelling practice
• A short grammar activity, fortnightly in Years 4 & 5 and weekly in Year 6

LITERACY-PRO (LEXILE) READING PROGRAM

Literacy-Pro (Lexile) is the home reading program for Year 4 -6 students. Students are awarded a Literacy-Pro level after sitting an online test in school. Thereafter, they select books at this level and, after reading each one, sit a quiz to check their comprehension. Quizzes are always completed at school under the direction of a teacher or Education Assistant. Students need to gain at least 8 out of 10 to pass and on doing so will be awarded Literacy-Pro points. Accumulation of points, in increments of 10, is rewarded through Butler's Faction Passport system. High achievers are also rewarded at the Senior Book Award Assembly. Students are expected to read a minimum of 4 Literacy-Pro books each term.

MANGAHIGH- ONLINE MATHS

Mangahigh is an online game-based mathematics program which encourages students to work and think harder. Students are able to participate in competitions and challenges with each other and other schools.

The P&C funds Mangahigh across the school. All students from Years 1-6 have access to this program throughout the year, including holidays. Teachers are able to set specific tasks that complement content being covered in the classroom. Teachers can track and analyse individual and class progress. Mangahigh is accessible on computers, tablets and phones.

Reading Eggs and Eggspress Rollover for 2016

Once again, our K-3 students will be participating in Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress for ready students.

K, P and Year 1 students work through Reading Eggs maps. Year 2 and 3 students work through the eBooks and quizzes in the virtual library of Reading Eggspress. Some Year 2 and 3 students may need more consolidation on Reading Eggs before they have the confidence to independently read the EBooks in Reading Eggspress.

This year, our older students from Years 4-6 will have the opportunity to access the program during class or home time to complement their reading program and for the middle and senior primary teachers to access some brilliant reading resources for the delivery of their reading lessons.

Letters to parents with login information have been sent home.

Mathematics at Butler Primary School

Butler's roving reporter wandered into a number of classes who were engrossed in their numeracy block activities. What was most surprising to see was the students interacting with each other and discussing their learning! Room 2 students were working in pairs, learning and practising how to count by twos with unifix cubes and then writing the numerals onto postit notes. Room 3 students were watching how to count out their unifix cubes to match numbers. They would then try on their own or with a partner. In Room 4 students were enjoying a game of matching cards to numerals and were practising writing their numbers to 100. Older students in Room 13 were having a great time playing a dice game in their groups and writing down their results. Learning about numbers certainly is fun at Butler Primary School!

Zones of Regulation

Year 1 Room 1 students with their teacher, Miss Vanessa Connor, were busy discussing their moods in the Zones of Regulation program that is running in many classes across the school, supporting students' mental health and wellbeing.

The Zones of Regulation program is a systematic, cognitive behaviour approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete zones. The Zones of Regulation program provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of, and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts.

The Zones of Regulation is designed to help move students toward independent emotional regulation. The program incorporates social thinking concepts and numerous visuals to teach students to identify their feelings/level of alertness, understand how their behaviour impacts those around them, and learn what tools they can use to manage their feelings and states.

Room 1 students discussing their moods in the Zones of Regulation Program

2016 Pre-Primary On-Entry Assessment Program: Information to Parents

During Term 1, Weeks 3-6, all Pre-primary students will be involved in the Department of Education's state wide On-Entry assessment program.

The main purpose of the program is to provide teachers with the opportunity to collect information on essential literacy and numeracy skills of each child as well as collecting school data for school improvement purposes. The information collected will assist teachers in developing informed and intentional teaching f programs, reflective of student needs.

While we would like each child to be involved, exemptions and withdrawals are available. If you wish to have your child exempted or withdrawn please contact your child's class teacher. If you require further information, please contact the school.

NAPLAN-Information for Parents

National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy

Year 3 and Year 5 students will participate in National Literacy and Numeracy Testing in May (Week 3, Term 2) and the specific dates are in the NAPLAN INFORMATION FOR PARENTS link. All students throughout Australia are expected to participate in the testing. They will be assessed in language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation), writing, reading and numeracy. Your child's NAPLAN report will be issued through your school at a later date.

Although we encourage all students to participate in the testing, parents have the right to withdraw their child. If you wish to withdraw your child from the tests, you will need to sign a parent/carer withdrawal consent form before 2.4.2016. Please contact Deputy Principal, Deb Hamblin on 95621804 for further information. Parents can also access the NAPLAN website :

Parent Parking and Automated Gate

It is great to see that more families are walking their children to and from school or parking in the community centre car park and walking their children from there.

The school gate, opposite the administration building, is now automated and for security reasons will be closed from 9:00am to 2:30pm. Parking is available outside the school grounds. A walk- in entry gate is available and is located to the right of the gate.

Parents, please be aware that the student drop off area, entered from Tollesbury Ave, is for diagonal parking only. It is not built for cars standing stationary in the roadway waiting to pick up or drop off students. There have been several near misses recently where students have run to enter the car whilst another car has overtaken the stationary car. This also has caused unnecessary traffic congestion. The school has erected "No Stopping" signs and painted "No Parking" on the road surface to assist with making this area a safer place for our students. Cones have now been placed in this area as a reminder to our families.

Parents are reminded that parking is not permitted on grassed kerbside areas around the Pre-primary car park and along Tollesbury Avenue as well as the brick paved median strip in Cambourne Parkway. At times, parking fines and warnings have been issued by rangers. Please download the map below for parent parking information.

From the Library

Welcome to 2016. The Library opens every morning at 8:20am and closes every afternoon at 3pm, except on Friday when it closes at 2:45. Upper Primary students (Years 4-6) are encouraged to utilise these before and after school times to exchange their Lexile books.

No Library Bag - No Borrowing

Please ensure your child brings his or her library bag to school on their library day. Children will not be able to borrow unless they have their library bag. Unfortunately, too many books are taken home without being in library bags and become ruined. These books have to be destroyed and replaced, at great expense.

Save the Date

The 2016 Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the Library from the 24th to the 26th of May. This is a perfect opportunity to purchase books and stationery for your children at a reasonable price. It is also the only fundraiser the Library conducts and all proceeds go directly to our school Library.

Mrs Doris Pengelly

Canteen Corner

Mrs Shelley Siakia, canteen manager, would like to remind our families that it is necessary for them to change their children's room numbers, due to the new school year, on online ordering.

Please click below to access the mouth-watering and delicious Summer menu.

Butler Out of Hours School Care

Butler's YMCA provides affordable care before and after school every Monday to Friday.

Chaplain's Corner

HELLO Everyone!

I hope you are well and enjoying Term 1 so far. It has been a busy but great start to our year. The Life Ed Incursion bringing valuable and vital information and education to our students.

OUR VALUES -

FRIENDLINESS

Friendliness is being kind and welcoming to others.

RESPECT

Respect is to have consideration for others and admiring their achievements.

INCLUSION

Inclusion is involving everyone, and making sure they are treated fairly.

Our Breakfast Club will be starting up again in Week 6! (Friday 11th March)

When: Friday mornings at 8 am
Where: PP 8

Have a fantastic fortnight everyone!

Kind Regards,
Mrs Hunter

P&C News

Our Annual Easter Egg Raffle is fast approaching! Your tickets will be coming home shortly.
Please can every family donate an Easter prize and drop off to the canteen or front office by Thursday 17th March?

The Easter Raffle will be drawn on Monday 21st March.

The next P&C Meeting will be in Week 7, at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 16th in the staffroom.
Many thanks from the Butler Primary School P&C Association

Andrea Brennan

Community News

• If you would like information on the North Coast Rangers Christian Football club:

• Butler Art Mural Celebration Invitation to families:

• Warwick Senior High School is advertising their Year 6 Information evening and School Open Day: Their highly successful Approved Specialist Programs include-
  - Netball (Netball WA endorsed)
  - AFL Football (WAFC endorsed)

Their prestigious school based programs include-

• Academic Extension
• Dance Elite
• Music

Warwick SHS accepts out of boundary enrolments for specialist and school based programs. As testament to the quality and success of their programs, the school has students travelling from Yanchep and Fremantle to participate in their esteemed programs.

• The Arena Swim Club is based out of HBF Arena in Joondalup and Squads run all year round. We cater for all age groups of swimmers from 5 year olds, up to elite WAIS level swimmers.

The Arena Swim Club is offering all interested children under the age of 12 years the opportunity to have 2 FREE Training Sessions as of February 16th 2016. These FREE Training Sessions will provide the opportunity for children to see if they enjoy Squad Training before they commit to joining the club.

• Butler Dental Clinic is a family friendly and community orientated practice. Access the link for more information regarding their services.

• Belridge Senior High School has a cricket skills testing day for Year 6 students who are invited to apply for their 2017 Specialist program in cricket. More information is available by accessing the following flyers.

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