20 October 2016

Newsletter Articles

A Note from the Principal

Welcome back from the holidays! It has been great to see our students excitedly catching up with their friends on their first days back after the school holidays. Term Four is always a busy and exciting term. Our P-3 students begin their swimming lessons in Week 3 and our Year 4-6 students have theirs in Weeks 7 and 8. This year, the lessons are held at the Joondalup Arena. Next year, in 2017, our students have the wonderful opportunity of participating in swimming lessons at Yanchep Lagoon. The response and support from our parents in regards to supporting the Interm swimming program is strongly appreciated. As our students often play in pools or go to the beach it is vital that they develop the skills and understandings to keep safe in these environments.

Our teachers are engaged in developing operational plans for 2017 and have analysed NAPLAN data in order to focus on some areas for future focus and development. Presently, our teachers are busy assessing and moderating student's work samples in order to make consistent judgements with reporting. It has been highly rewarding to see the progress that many of our students have made in a range of curriculum areas. The end of year reports will go home with students on Tuesday, 13 December.

As mentioned in the newsletter, if your family plans to leave Butler Primary School at the end of 2016 could you please notify the office? This information will be greatly appreciated and assist the school in planning the configuration of classes for the next year.

Mrs Julie Woodhouse
Principal

New Absentee Messaging Service

Sending a text message to Butler Primary School to notify of your children's absence is now available with many families embracing the ease of this service.

A reminder to families to please send absentee messages through to 0419 091 075 with the all of the following details so that we can correctly update student records:

• Full name of your child/children
• Reason for absence
• Date of absence

Absences are still able to be phoned through to 9562 1804.

As per Department of Education policy, it is the parent's responsibility to notify the school of the reason for your child's absence/s within three days of the absence. Failure to do this will mean that the absence will be marked as "unacceptable reason" affecting your child's education.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Students not Returning 2017

If your child will not be returning to Butler Primary School in 2017, please advise the school office as soon as possible.

Update Student Contact Information

If you have recently changed mobile numbers or moved address, it is important you update your contact information with the office. Please also advise if there is a change to any of your emergency contact information.

Cake Raffle for Matilda

To help us further fundraise monies for the senior students to view Matilda in 2017, we will be holding two more cake raffles this term. The previous raffle in Term 3 saw our school fundraise more than $90. Thank you greatly for your support!

Please see below for upcoming dates to buy more raffle tickets.

Miss Jurgowiak
Music Teacher

Day for Daniel – Friday, 28 October

'Day for Daniel' is a National Day of Action to raise awareness about child safety and protection. Parents, carers and guardians are asked to start a conversation about personal safety in the real world and in an online environment.

This year 'Day for Daniel' is on Friday, 28 October. Students are invited to dress in red to support the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. There will be a gold coin donation which will go towards the foundation.

RSL Poppy Appeal

From Monday, 31 October poppies can be purchased for a gold donation from the school office. Money raised by the Appeal is used to assist both current and former serving members of the Australian and Allied defence forces and their dependents when in need. The RSL encourages all Australians to purchase a poppy and 'Remember in November.'

Information for Parents of Year 5 students.

Department of Education Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance Program.

The Department of Education will be holding an information presentation relating to the Department of Education Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance Programs for students entering Year 7 in 2018. The evening will cover all programs including Academic, Arts and Languages and will be held at Balcatta Senior High School on Thursday, 2 February 2017 at 6.00pm.

If you believe Gifted and Talented Programs are suitable for your child, click on the information below to find out more information.

Revised Swimming Timetable – Pre Primary to Year 3

Please find attached the revised swimming timetable for Pre-Primary to Year 3 lessons beginning on Monday, 24 October.

Online Safety – Parent Workshops

As previously mentioned, online safety is a major concern for everyone as we become increasingly reliant on technology and social media. In order to help our students become responsible digital citizens, there will be a free 'Safe on Social' incursion for students in years 4-6 on Monday, 31 October.

In order to help protect and educate our students as best as possible, we are also hosting two parent workshops on Monday, 31 October. One session will be at 8.35-9.30 and the other at 1.45-2.40 in the staff room. In order for children to use social media responsibly and safely, we must all be educated in the risks and precautions associated when using social media sites. Topics include:

• Using social media with awareness
• Information permanence and managing your digital footprint
• Stranger danger is on digital steroids
• Posting and sharing photos
• Respecting others online
• Safe social networking
• Cyber-bullying
• Privacy settings
• What your posts may say about you
• Identity theft
• Age restrictions and why they should be respected
• Legal responsibilities
• Gaming network dangers
• Popular apps and their specific risks (SnapChat, Musical.ly, Yellow, Tinder, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Gaming, SMS, Facebook Messenger, Omegle, and others)

Everyone is welcome and you do not need to reserve a place.

We understand that not everyone will be able to attend these workshops. Therefore, we have purchased an online subscription where courses are available for parents to learn more about online safety for:

• Lower primary
• Upper primary
• Lower secondary
• Upper secondary.

We strongly urge you to complete these online courses which provide you with information about online safety and how you can protect your children.

To access the course, follow the link below and use the password: bups16

If you would like any further information please contact Amie Turner.

Merit Certificates

Term 3, Week 10 Merit Certificate recipients:

Term 4, Week 1 Merit Certificate recipients:

D6 Assembly, Week 10 Term 3

On Thursday, 22 September the Year 3 students of D6 presented their assembly.

Year 3 students have been working on the theme of storybook superheroes. However, D6 discovered that Australia has its own real-life heroes! The children researched famous and not so famous heroes ranging from Edith Cowan, the first woman parliamentarian, to the Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson. Each of these heroes possessed qualities like courage, resilience, perseverance and responsibility. The class sang the song "Roar" which also reflected some of these values. We realised that everyone of us can possess the qualities of superheroes.

Well done D6. Mrs Murray and Ms Coster are so proud of you!

Room 9 Assembly – Week 1, Term 4

At the Senior Assembly on Thursday, 13 October, the Year 6 students from Room 9 brought their class novel to life! Over the last semester, the students and Mrs Hutchings have been reading the inspiring and moving book, 'Wonder'. A small group of the students performed a section of the book, which took a lot of courage to act out in front of parents, staff and students. Students then shared some of the precepts from the book, which are ground rules in which to guide you through life. These included, "Kind words do not cost much, yet they accomplish much", "have no friends not equal to yourself" and "What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful." Finally, all students performed the song, 'The Middle' which talks about trying everything, bouncing back from bad times and not worrying about what other people say. We hope everyone truly enjoyed the assembly and the important messages we had to share.

Mrs Hutchings

Pre-Primary News

PP1

This year we have become very clever writers in Pre-Primary. When we first came to school most of us copied the writing that the teacher had scribed for us. Now, we are all independent writers! We know that a sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. We also know that a sentence contains words with spaces between them. We are able to use environmental print and can spell words phonetically as well as use some sight words. We practise by diary writing each week and we often like to use fun themed picture prompts to help us with ideas. This week we used a picture that reminded us of the Royal Show. Here is a small sample of just some of the many great writers that we have in PP1!

Mrs Sukiennik and Mrs Griffiths

PP2

In PP2 we have been looking back at our learning goals from Term 2. We have all made so many fantastic achievements throughout this year and many of us have achieved our learning goal that we had set. We have worked so hard and had lots of fun learning this year!

Miss Snowball

PP3

In PP3 we are learning to solve addition and subtraction number stories. The students have been singing songs like 'Five Little Ducks' and playing games like 'musical chairs'. They have also been enjoying many different hands on activities.

Mrs de la Motte

PP4

This week in PP4 we have been reading The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

We have been busy creating story maps, exploring the setting, characters, problem and the resolution. During Art, we have been making masks for our role play which we are really excited to perform to our friends. In the afternoons we have been using loose part materials to construct a bridge for the troll.

Miss Letcher and Mrs Park

Year 6 News

Year 6 Camp

Last Term, from the 22 August, the Year 6 students attended a three day camp at the Ern Haliday Recreation Camp in Hillarys. The children stayed in dormitory style accommodation at the Camp and participated in activities including archery, flying fox, vertical ascent, caving, rock climbing, crate climb and the big swing.

Each day was full with the fabulous activities. The food was plentiful and delicious. After dinner on the first night, we had a disco run by a professional DJ. We also visited the local beach on the second afternoon after our activities.

The children had an awesome time on Camp. They had many opportunities to experience new activities, learn new skills and challenge themselves. Solid friendships were formed and strong memories were made.

Hating Alison Ashley Performance

The Year 5 and 6 students were treated to an inspiring performance on Monday, 17 October at Butler College. The Year 7-9 drama club students performed the play 'Hating Alison Ashley' and the Butler Primary School audience were lucky enough to be the first to view it. The play showcased 19 different actors, some of whom played two or three different parts! The students laughed their way through the two-hour show and took away important messages such as 'no one is perfect' and 'everyone has different strengths'. Thank you to all Butler College staff and students who were involved and Miss McNicholas for her hard efforts in organising a valuable and worthwhile excursion for all involved.

Health Seminar Day

On Monday, 12 September the Year 6 students participated in a special Health Seminar Day. The whole day involved learning about different aspects of their health, listening to presenters, brainstorming and even doing some hands on investigation work.

We had two police officers from the Clarkson Police Station come talk about personal safety, safety while using the internet, making good choices and they also answered questions about their jobs. They even showed us some of their riot gear and Liam got to hold the baton and shield. Nicky, Sashin and Kiara were chosen to have a turn at blowing into a breathalyser. They found that 5 seconds was a long time.

Deanna Howell from the Amanda Young Foundation taught the children about Meningococcal disease and the importance of having good hygiene. The students watched some funny videos and completed a quiz to see how much they had learned.

Steph King, from Positively Mental, discussed the importance of having gratitude. By having 'gratitude in our attitude', we will be happier. The students all had to brainstorm the things in their lives that they were grateful for. It was a very valuable discussion.

In our own classes, we learned about the myths and truths about smoking, and conducted an experiment using straws during exercise that simulated what it was like to exercise with decreased lung capacity. Healthy eating was also a topic we discussed and we looked at what we should be eating to stay healthy. We also listened to a talk from Mrs Thompson about organ donation and transplants.

The students learned a lot throughout the day and really enjoyed exploring different aspects of health. The presenters all commented that our students were well mannered and they were impressed with the level of questions asked. Overall, it was a very successful day.

Year 6 Teachers

2017 Kindy Applications

If you are looking for a place in Kindergarten for 2017 for your child, please contact the school office on 9562 1804 to discuss as we are accepting late applications. If your child was born between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013 then they are eligible to attend Kindergarten in 2017. An application form is available below or from the school office.

When submitting your application we are required to sight your child's birth certificate, immunisation details, proof of residence in Butler and any visas the child may have.

VacSwim 2016-17

Enrol now for VacSwim summer school holiday swimming lessons

It is important for every child to learn to swim properly and develop essential water safety skills. VacSwim December/January school holiday swimming lessons are run by instructors who teach children the skills to be confident swimmers and safe in the water. To enrol or find out more visit the link below

VacSwim provides children from five to 17 years old with opportunities to learn vital swimming and water safety skills.

Enrolments close on Monday, 28 November for the earlier programs and Monday, 5 December for the second January program.

Autism West Symposium 2016

Rethinking Autism – a must attend event for families, educators, health professionals and individuals with autism. The symposium takes place on 4 and 5 November at the Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle.

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

From the Library

Scholastic Book Fair

The 2016 Scholastic Book Fair is well and truly underway in the Library. We will be open Thursday afternoon until 3pm. There are books, stationery items and posters for all budgets.

The annual Book Fair is very important to Butler Primary School. It is the Library's only fundraising event for the year and subsidises the following year's Lexile program and further enhances the Library's collection.

Thank you to all the staff who have volunteered their valuable time and thank you to the parents who have already supported to Book Fair.

Kind regards
Mrs Pengelly

Chaplain's Corner

HELLO Everyone,

WELCOME to Term 4! I hope you had a happy and restful holiday, and are feeling rested and ready for the final term of the year.

Our VALUES for the term are:

SENSITIVITY – the quality or condition of being sensitive. Sensitivity to the concerns of others.
CHARITY – the voluntary giving of help. Kindness and tolerance in judging others. Goodwill.
COMPASSION – deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune.

Some words for thought –

"Happiness not only feels good but it's good for you. We know that happy people on average have better health. Happy people live longer. Happy people have more friendships and are more likely to give money to charity." – Ed Diener (Dr Happy)

I wish everyone a great start to the term and a fantastic fortnight ahead.

Kind regards,
Mrs Hunter
School Chaplain

Canteen Corner

NEW SUMMER MENU OUT NOW!

Hve you tried out our online ordering system at Canteen4Schools

Please make sure all orders are in by 8.35am for to ensure students receive their lunch that day.

The canteen staff love to see orders appearing through the online system! Ordering online also assists the canteen in streamlining their operations including stock management.

Also, a reminder to parents using online ordering to check that your child's room number is correct for this year.

Kindy students are also able to order their lunch from the canteen.

Mrs Siakia
Canteen Manager

P&C News

Next P&C meeting is on Wednesday, 26 October at 6.30pm in the staffroom.

Save the date! The Christmas Disco will take place on Friday, 25 November.

Andrea Brennan
P&C President

BUTLER OUT OF HOURS SCHOOL CARE

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

Parent Parking

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 bricked median strip in Cambourne Parkway or across any footpaths. Please consider the safety of all other road users and pedestrians when parking and leaving schools grounds.

All usual road and parking rules apply around the school and parking fines are issued by rangers (who visit frequently) to those not adhering to the road rules. Please download the map below for parent parking information.

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, helping to ease traffic congestion around the school.

School Siren Times for 2016

The School Advisory Board has endorsed the following siren changes for 2016. Please note the earlier school start and finish time.

Community Events

SurfBabies – Surf Life Saving WA

SurfBabies and SurfKids are fun, interactive 6 week programs aimed at children from 2-7 years of age and their parents to increase awareness, confidence and safety at the beach.

All participants must be accompanied by a parent at all times and classes are altered to suit all abilities. If you're a parent who is unsure of the beach environment then you and your child will benefit immensely. All classes are instructed by fully qualified Surf Lifesavers. This is a great way to ensure everyone feels safer at the beach coming into the summer months.

Hillarys Yacht Club Discover Sailing Day FREE EVENT for the whole family Sunday 23 October 2016. 9am - 1pm

Discover Sailing Day is the perfect way to have a go at sailing on Hillarys Yacht Club Dinghies (small boats) with our experienced, qualified instructors, and go out on our superb members' yachts with the very experienced skippers and their fantastic crew. It a great way to have a go at something you may never have tried or even if you have it's a great time out.

For more information contact Mel via development@hillarysyachtclub.com.au or phone 9246 2833.

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