We are already past the halfway point in term, and the countdown is on with only 4 weeks left until the end of the year!

Over the last few weeks, I have been lucky enough to have some fantastic work sent down from lots of our classes, and I have loved seeing some of the amazing activities going on in classrooms recently! To top this week off, we also had the Tactical Response Group (TRG) visit our Year 5 students, as well as those students in CR2 – they even got to sit inside one of the tactical vehicles!

Next week, I am looking forward to hearing student leadership speeches for those Year 5s wishing to nominate for School Captain and Councillor positions, as well as seeing a new mural take shape on the oval side of our Year 1 block – hopefully this should be completed just in time for our P&C’s movie night!

 I’d also like to acknowledge the work of some of our Year 6 students who, guided by Miss Castleden, presented at the City of Wanneroo’s Youth Leadership Showcase last night and did a fantastic job at sharing the project to reduce litter in the area. Congratulations to Akuany, Lexi, Cody, Dean, Peyton and Katelyn; Miss Castleden, Miss Williams, Mrs Waddell and I were very proud of how you spoke and worked together this year!

Connect and Respect

As we approach the end of the year, it is timely to revisit the guidelines established by the Minister for Education under the Connect and Respect Initiative. These resources provide clear expectations for interactions on school grounds and in communication with students, staff, and other adults. While our teaching staff at Alkimos Primary School are more than happy to arrange meetings with families to discuss any concerns, these meetings may not always be immediate. Staff will organise appointments as soon as possible based on availability.

Recently, we have experienced instances where individuals have approached children who are not their own, interacted inappropriately with other families during drop-off and pick-up times, or engaged with school staff in ways that do not align with the respectful environment we maintain at Alkimos Primary School. Such behaviours are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

We would like to remind everyone that it is never appropriate to address or discipline another child directly. Should an issue arise, please contact the child’s classroom teacher or school leadership for support and resolution.

In addition, we ask that all adult interactions on school grounds remain courteous and respectful. Specifically, the following behaviours are inappropriate during meetings with staff or while waiting for student collection:

• Swearing or using offensive language in the presence of students or staff
• Intimidating or aggressive behaviour
• Inappropriate conduct
• Use of derogatory or racist language

If you have any questions or concerns about these expectations, please feel free to contact the school office to arrange a time to discuss them with me.

Reporting to Parents – Semester 2

This semester, we have reviewed our reporting guidelines to better align with Department of Education expectations, and the practices in the local schools to try and provide a more consistent approach to what is graded, commented on and included in the end of Semester Reports. These changes are:

• Grades are allocated for all subjects, including sub-strands. For example, in English, students will receive separate grades for Reading, Writing, and Speaking & Listening.
• Learning area comments for English and Maths, detailing the content taught in your child’s class this semester. These will not be specific to each student.
• A personalised comment on your child’s attitude, behaviour, and effort, including recognition of special talents, responsibilities, extracurricular activities, etc.
• A personal goal for your child to work towards in the coming semester.
• Teachers are available to meet either prior to reports going home, or afterwards to discuss any questions you have around your child’s achievement in particular areas.

A letter outlining these changes will also be posted on Connect shortly.

Student Achievement

Over the last few weeks, we have had lots of great work sent up to the office; some of these have included:

Hayley and Achan from CR14 who both earned 175 dojo points!

Some superstar Pre-Primary students from ECE6 who have been writing about their favourite characters from the ‘Gingerbread Man’ story!

Also, a huge congratulations to Ela M for her efforts at the WA all school Athletics championships! Ela placed 1^st in hurdles and 200m sprints, and 2ns in 100m sprints and long jump. She will now head to Brisbane in December for the national championships! On top of this, when achieving these amazing results, Ela was competing 2 years above her age, meaning that she was competing across students from Year 8!

During the coming weeks, we will be working to try and finalise our class structure for next year, and place students in classes ready for 2025. Where possible, families may be consulted on class placements and/or begin some transition activities. As in previous years, we approach this cautiously in case this changes over the summer break if our enrolment changes significantly in certain year levels. As such, class lists will be published via Connect on the afternoon of Monday 3 February, 2025.

I also look forward to sharing some staffing updates in the final newsletter of the year as we have a number of new staff joining us, and some staff commencing leave or taking up new positions in 2025.

Dear Families,

I hope this newsletter find you all well, we are midway through the last term of the year, there are still many exciting activities to come.

WA Grants from Variety.org

I would like to make you aware of grants available for children/families who may be requiring assistance. These are really worthwhile investigating to see if you are eligible.

Variety ThriveKids Grant

Variety ThriveKids grants provide practical equipment to help WA kids develop and thrive. This includes items that promote behavioural regulation, physical development, independence, wellbeing, social inclusion and more.

Variety BeKids Grant

Variety BeKids grants provide practical equipment to help WA kids have a fair go. The items funded will help kids access the community, extracurricular endeavours and support their wellbeing. We provide assistance that is not accessible through government funding and alternative services.

Variety TechKids Grant

Variety TechKids Grants provide assistive technology to help WA kids with their communication, learning, behavioural regulation and safety.

Go to Variety WA Individual & Community Grants - Variety for more information, if you are unable to download this information call into the office and we will try to assist you.  With all grants there are eligibility requirements that must be met.

Breakfast Club

We are up and running with brekkie club in the art room from 07:40 am every Thursday.  If students could be there before 8am so we can ensure they have ample food for them.  If any parents wish to donate some Juice, jam, or raisin toast, I know the children will love that.

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through our final term of the year! There are so many exciting events planned for the last few weeks, including the Year 6 Camp and Graduation, the Agora Bushwalk, Carols on the Quad, the Book Awards, and some fantastic activities organized by our P&C. It’s shaping up to be a fun-filled and memorable end to the year, with plenty of opportunities to celebrate our students’ hard work and achievements. We can't wait to share these special moments with everyone!

Reporting to Parents

Semester Two reports are scheduled to be sent home at the end of this term. In line with Department guidelines, there have been some changes to the format and content of the reports. A Connect message will be sent to families by the end of this week outlining these updates. Please keep an eye out for this important communication.

Curriculum Corner

Year 2 & 3 Explore the Continents: Geography in Action!

As part of their Geography studies, some of our Year 2 and 3 students recently presented on a continent of their choice. They researched everything from location and languages to traditions, food, and fun facts, gaining a deeper understanding of the world around them.

To share their discoveries, students created either posters or PowerPoints to present their findings to the class. I had the privilege of watching some of these fantastic presentations live! Here are some photos of our students proudly showcasing their continent posters.

Many Thanks,

Pip Ramsden
Associate Principal

As we approach the end of the year, I want to acknowledge all the hard work your children have done this year. It has been fantastic to see visitors coming into my office and proudly showing off their outstanding work. Over the past two weeks, I have been lucky enough to have some of Miss Smith’s ECE4 students Ruben & Rose, who taught me all about Sea Turtles and their features. Their smile on the pictures speaks 1000 words.

For my inspirational quote this week, I have taken it from the hit TV Show Bluey. As the proud dad of a 3-year-old, Bluey is teaching me to appreciate the small things in life & spend as much quality time as you can with your family. With the holidays fast approaching, I encourage you to enjoy it to the maximum.

Mr Chrimes

Kirstin MacLean

School Chaplain