Filter Content
- Mr Bagnall's Broadcast
- Mr Chrimes' Comments
- Mrs MacLean's Memo's
- Chaplain’s Chatter
- West Oz Wildlife Incursion with Early Childhood
- Bush Classrooms by Mrs Birchall and Mrs Sutton
- Excursion to Plant Endemic Flora with Mrs Birchall and Mrs Sutton
- Levels of Playground Behaviour at Alkimos Primary School
- Attendance
- Highlights from Atlantis OSHC Alkimos
- School Holiday and NAIDOC Activities with City of Wanneroo
- Term Dates 2025
- Support a Reader Program
- Story Dog Volunteers for 2025
- Community News
Next week I expect that I’ll be able to share an update about the Principal position for Term 3 and beyond, this will likely be in the last couple of days of term, so I thank everyone for their patience with this. When there is an update, this will be shared via Connect.
Cross Country Carnival
Next Friday, we will be holding our Cross Country Carnival. Some times on the day will change to accomodate this, and our timetable will run as close as possible to the following times:
Year 1 – 11:10
Year 2 – 11:20
Year 3 Girls – 11:35
Year 3 Boys – 11:45
Year 4 – 12:05
Year 5 – 12:25
Year 6 – 12:45
Pre Primary – 1:15
Presentations will occur straight after each event, with the overall faction winnders being announced after the Year 6 event.
Please note, there is not a community lunch on this day while we still work out logistics around how these look moving forward. Students are also not able to be signed out from the oval, but for any families wishing to collect their students early, they can be signed out from the office, or at classrooms after the conclusion of the carnival (approx 1:25). If signing our from classrooms, access will be via Gate 1 (next to the office) and must be by a parent or guardian listed in our student management system. We are unable to release children to family friends prior to the end of school without prior notice.
Bikes/Scooters at school
Recently we have had some feedback of students and community members riding bikes and scooters dangerously on the paths at the start and end of the day, with some near misses for parents and young children during these times.
This week, we have spoken with students about riding slowly when the paths are busy, and giving way to pedestrians. We will keep reminder students about this, but if your child rides their bike or scooter to school, please can you reinforce this message with them during the break.
Superstar Workers!
Recently, I had some great work from some of our Pre-Primary and Year 1 classes, with students reading the decodable texts, segmenting words and sharing their story mapping! Our Year 6s have also been sharing their poetry work this week, with some very descriptive hyperboles! Congratulations to everyone that has shared work lately with Mr Chrimes, Mrs MacLean and Mrs Papadopoff!
Upcoming events
This term, we have a lot of events coming up; please make sure to check the SchoolZine calendar regularly for updates, but these include:
- Friday 27 June – Year 5/6 Respect Workshop, CR12 and CR14 Assembly
- Friday 4 July – Faction Cross Country
- Monday 21 July – Students return for Term 2
- Friday 25 July – Year 6 excursion to parliament house
- Friday 31 July – WA Symphony Orchestra Incursion
- 1 August – P&C Pyjama Day, CR18 and CR19 Assembly
I hope that everyone has a great end to the term, and I look forward to seeing as many people as possible at Cross Country next week!
Regards,
Tom Bagnall
Acting Principal
Dear Families,
What a fantastic semester we've had! It's hard to believe we're already at the end of another term filled with growth, learning, and so many wonderful moments.
One of the true highlights for me has been the steady stream of smiling students visiting my office to proudly share their good work. Whether it’s a beautifully written story, a clever math solution, or a creative art project, each visit reminds me just how special our students are. These moments truly make my day! Well done to these two from Year Six and their amazing angle work.
In week 9 of this term, we were lucky enough to have Daniel Principe visit and conduct his amazing workshop based on championing boys across Australia to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful and empathetic lives. Daniel is no stranger to the complex challenges that our distracted digital world presents in adolescence. Toxic influencers. Limiting stereotypes. The objectification of women and girls. His focus on the digital world in which we live was amazing & all our Year 5 and 6 students loved every minute of it.
Heading into the well-deserved winter break, I hope each of you finds time to rest, relax, and enjoy meaningful moments with your loved ones. Wishing all our families a safe, happy, and peaceful holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for a new year of learning!
Cheers,
Mr. Chrimes
Associate Principal
With only one week to go until the end of term, our final preparations for Semester One reports are being made. These will include information about your child’s academic achievements as well as attitude, behaviour, and effort. The teachers will also comment about their strengths and some learning goals for Semester Two.
Reports will be released via Connect in the last week of term. We recommend downloading and saving a copy in case you leave the public education system or are asked for a copy when changing schools / enrolling for high school.
Should you have any questions about the comments and grades received in your child’s report, please feel free to make an appointment to speak with classroom teachers.
Reports are a great way to start a conversation about your child’s learning. Here is a useful link with five tips to get you started.
https://www.teachstarter.com/au/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-their-report-card/
Story Dogs
Story Dogs is a reading support program and can help children to develop literacy skills and reading confidence. It is a program that has had many success stories, and it is the dog that makes all the difference. Story Dogs enables a child and a dog with their volunteer handler a weekly one-on-one reading session held at the child’s reading level throughout the course of a school year. The literacy program is based on the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) model.
Each week we are fortunate to have a visit from Audrey and her lovely dog Joy as part of the Story Dogs program.
In week 7 our early childhood students were visited by some animals from West Oz Wildlife. It was such a fun, informative experience with student getting to pat a koala, snake, gecko and even baby sugar gliders. Have a look later in the newsletter for some fabulous pictures. A huge thank you to Mrs Reichle for organising this opportunity for our students.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday break and look forward to seeing you all back for term 3.
Kind regards,
Kirstin MacLean
Good Day Everyone
And just like that we are at the end of the term.
Are your kids getting enough sleep? Several students have been coming into the chaplain’s room feeling tired and saying they are struggling to get to school due to lack of sleep. Their day will often result in having negative experiences at school and a decline in their behaviour.
During chats with the chaplain students shared that they would generally go to bed at their required bedtime set by their parents but will then stay up without parents knowing till late at night playing games, watching you-tube or talking to friends in group chats.
Primary school students (ages 6-12) generally need 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night. This ensures they get enough rest to support their physical and cognitive development, helping them learn, focus, and manage their emotions, according to KidsHealth.
Some helpful tips for parents:
- Have a set sleep time routine (can include having a shower, reading, listening to music)
- Keep all devices out of the room
- Charge all devices in a common area outside of bedrooms
- Check in on children before retiring to bed
- Have open discussions with kids about the importance of sleep
- Work together as a family- modelling good sleep practices are key
Fact: Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets suppress melatonin levels and delays sleepiness.
Check out these great websites with free resources to help parents!
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Chaplain links: |
Happy holidays and Take Care!
Marche Smith (school chaplain)
During week 7, West Oz Wildlife came to visit all the Early Childhood classrooms. Wow, what an amazing hands-on experience it was!
The students met Gummy the koala, and all got to have a pat. We learned that koalas sleep 20 hours a day, love to eat gum leaves and a baby koala is called a joey. They are the size of a jellybean when they are born and live in their Mum’s pouch. But the funniest part of all was when we learned baby koalas eat their mum’s poo!
We met 2 gorgeous baby sugar gliders called Toffee and Flossy. They were so tiny and were sleeping in a beanie. We learned that sugar gliders are nocturnal, so we had to quietly wake them up and gently pat them with 1 finger.
We met 2 pythons and a bobtail lizard and heard all about how to care for them and what to do if we run into a snake at the park. The children were so brave and most held the python or touched it’s scaley skin.
It was a fantastic incursion, we all had fun and learned so much!
Kind regards,
Lisa Reichle
Kindergarten Teacher
On Tuesday 17th June, Alkimos Primary School hosted a special network meeting focused on Bush Classrooms (Caring for Country together). This engaging session explored how schools are transforming their grounds into 'outdoor, on Country classrooms' to support the Australian Curriculum and foster a deeper connection with our local environment.
Our Science and Noongar language learning program emphasise local native plants and animals within the cultural context of the Country where our school is situated. This approach not only enhances educational outcomes but also promotes staff and student engagement, wellbeing, reconciliation, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation.
In the spirit of 'Dandjoo kaadatj-kadak moorditj-abiny' (growing stronger together with knowledge), the meeting provided a platform for surrounding schools staff to share experiences and best practices in developing and enhancing bush classrooms. Amy Sutton and Judith Birchall shared our school’s journey on how we connect with the local community, the Miyawaki Forest program, how we integrate 2-way science into our learning areas and most importantly showcase our new beautiful creative play space which is the perfect example of an outdoor Classroom.
The workshop was supported by Two-way Science and Sustainability consultants from the Teaching Quality and Innovation Directorate at Statewide Services.
Kind regards,
Mrs Birchall and Mrs Sutton
Recently, students from CR7 and CR1 had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a community planting event at Axbridge Park and Broadford Park, our adopted school bushland. This annual event, organized by the City of Wanneroo, allows our students to engage in the important task of planting native species to help revegetate and restore our local community areas.
Under the guidance of Conservation Officer Sasha Poli, students learned the proper techniques for planting and the significance of using endemic flora. This hands-on experience not only provided practical skills but also deepened their understanding of environmental stewardship.
This activity is a key part of our whole school approach to sustainability. By connecting to country and participating in these planting activities, students develop a stronger bond with nature. The benefits extend beyond environmental impact; being outdoors and engaging in such meaningful work has positive mental, social, and emotional effects on our students. It fosters a sense of community, responsibility, and well-being, reinforcing the importance of caring for our environment.
Kind regards
Mrs Birchall and Mrs Sutton
Attendance Every Day
At Alkimos Primary we know that attending school every day enables your child to get the most from their education and create a bright future. This helps them create more opportunities for their future and leads to better health, social and work outcomes. Every day your child learns something new at school. Every day they build on what they already know, growing their knowledge and skills.
While the majority of our students miss school for legitimate reasons such as illness, we do have a concerning amount of unexplained student absences.
If you receive a letter from the school noting days of unexplained absences for your child, please complete this and return it to the class teacher or front office as soon as possible. Over the next few weeks, teaching staff will be contacting families to follow up on any remaining unexplained absences.
Reminder – if a student arrives to school after the siren at the start of the school day, they are required to go through the front office, provide a reason for being late, and collect a late note.
Thank you for assisting us with this. If you have concerns regarding your child’s attendance or would like further information about how the school can help you and our child around this, please contact your child’s teacher or one of the school leadership team in the office.
Magical Moments at Atlantis Alkimos OSHC
What a fantastic few weeks we’ve had at Atlantis Alkimos - full of fun, learning and creativity!
In recognition of National Reconciliation Week, the children engaged in meaningful painting experiences, sparking important conversations about culture, respect and connection to Country. We also explored ways to care for our environment by collecting green waste for the school compost and illustrating sustainable actions using scratch art.
Our program has been packed with creative experiences - from watercolour painting, slime play and recycled box construction to cookie decorating and Minecraft-inspired building. The children truly let their imaginations soar!
We kept active outdoors with our TAG Sports Program including soccer, netball and basketball and had lots of fun indoors too, with board games, puzzles and construction play bringing everyone together.
A real highlight was the Modern Artists Incursion, where the children cartooned themselves—it was such a fun and inspiring experience! We also celebrated World Oceans Day with a trip to Eden Beach, discovering more about our marine ecosystems and the world around us.
To finish off an amazing week, we joined in the school’s Crazy Hair and Silly Sock Day, adding even more colour, laughter and personality to our days.
We can’t wait to see what next week brings!
We still have some limited spaces available in our July Vacation Care Program. Contact the Atlantis OSHC Team for more information.
Kind regards,
Atlantis OSHC Alkimos Team
We’re excited to announce our July School Holiday Programs — designed to keep children engaged, active, and learning throughout the break!
Running across the July holidays, the program features a range of fun and educational activities for various age groups. Students can take part in hands-on workshops, creative arts, sports, STEM sessions, and more. These programs are a fantastic way for children to make new friends, build confidence, and try something new during the holidays.
Please see the flyers attached or click on the link for more information: https://www.wanneroo.wa.gov.au/info/20062/youth/170/school_holidays/3
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Term 1 |
(holidays Saturday 12th April – Sunday 27th April) |
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Term 2 |
(holidays Saturday 5th July – Sunday 20th July) |
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Term 3 |
(holidays Saturday 27th Sept – Sunday 12th October) |
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Term 4 |
(holidays Friday 19th Dec – Monday 2nd February 26) |
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School Development Days (Subject to Change) Friday 30th May (Week 5, Term 2) Friday 29th August (Week 6, Term 3) Friday 14th November (Week 5, Term 4) |
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Alkimos Support a Reader Program
Are you able to volunteer some of your time to assist with Reading?
The aim of the Support a Reader Program is to give children who need additional assistance with their reading the opportunity to read regularly with a supportive adult on a one-to-one basis.
We would like to invite parent volunteers to be involved in this very valuable program next term. A commitment of one hour per week would be required. Full training will be given prior to the commencement of the program.
Please see Mrs Cottam (ECE6) to register your interest or leave your details and availability with the ladies in the office.
