Congratulations to our school community

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I would like to thank and congratulate the school community for the manner in which they are conducting themselves in response to the current COVID-19 situation. Parents and carers are generally following the health orders and are showing a great deal of patience as we all try to work through the current set of circumstances. Thankyou! Our focus is to maximise the safety of the students, their families and the staff while endeavouring to keep things as normal as possible for the students. Following government directives, a number of extra-curricular activities have been cancelled or postponed, but we hope that as we adjust to “living with COVID” we will be able to resume activities such as assemblies and whole-school events. We are hoping that this will occur for the commencement of Term 2.

The teaching of literacy and numeracy will continue to be a focus at North Parmelia PS. These areas make up 50% of all we do. Parents can assist by encouraging their children to read at home and to strive hard to achieve their best. Parents can also assist their children with learning the 1000 NPPS sight words. These words will provide the children with a bank of words that they can read, spell and use in their writing.

Over the years the P and C have made a generous financial contribution to the school. These funds support the Mathletics and Reading Eggs Programs, Hip Hop, the Physical Education Program, the bus for swimming lessons and much more. The members of the P and C are superb supporters of our school and do a fine job. Throughout 2021 the P and C worked tirelessly. The year culminated brilliantly with the 50th Anniversary celebrations. I would like to once again thank the P and C for their incredible support of our school.

Important aspects of your child’s school life to be aware of are attendance, punctuality and organisation. Please encourage your child to go to bed at a reasonable time so that they are alert and ready to engage in the classroom program when they are at school. They should attend school every day they are able to, arrive at 8.30 am and come with the necessary requirements to complete their school work. Children should come to school following a wholesome breakfast and with a healthy recess and lunch, including fruit and water. Children should also attend school in school uniform, with a hat and appropriate footwear. Please be aware of how your child is getting to and from school. In this warmer weather, students are encouraged to stay out of bush areas for fear of snakes.

By establishing good habits now, you will be setting your child up to experience success at school and also in relation to their later life. If they are absent please provide an explanation via a note, email or via a phone call.

In summary, the school’s vision is “Together, we will be daring and robust learners.” A child will achieve their best results at school when the school, parents and child are working together and supporting each other.

Peter Elsegood
Principal

Welcome back to 2022

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to the 2022 school year at North Parmelia PS, our 51st year of serving the families of Parmelia. 2021 was a wonderful year, as we navigated COVID-19 and still managed to celebrate our 50th year anniversary. In 2022 we hope to continue in the same manner. Our focus is on maintaining the school program as normally as possible, whilst keeping everyone as safe from COVID-19 as possible. There will be some challenges as the Omicron variant spreads in the community and as our borders open.

The government, Department of Education and the school are working together with the community to endeavour to maintain a normal program and keep everyone as safe as possible. Currently parents and carers have full access to the school, albeit that masks are required when entering indoor areas. Anyone that works or volunteers at the school on a regular basis (one session per week) is required to be double vaccinated, and triple vaccinated when they are eligible for their booster. There is a requirement to show vaccination certificates in the front office if you are a regular worker or volunteer at the school. Parents and carers dropping of students and picking them up are not required to show proof of vaccination. The school has been advised to contact parents and carers if students present at school with cold or flu-like symptoms. Parents and carers will be requested to pick them up and seek medical advice. If students are required to self – isolate a work package will be provided. Given this, parents and carers are requested to keep their children home and seek medical advice if their children are experiencing flu-like symptoms. As matters evolve the government, guided by the Chief Health Officer, will adjust these conditions.

Parents and carers are reminded, that for security reasons, the gates to the school will be closed at 3.15 pm. There were a number of incidents at the end of last year, where people with no business at the school, were on site after the students left.

As mentioned, we are keen to keep the educational experience for students as normal as possible. Mr Tang has organised a wide range of sporting activities to engage students and build their fitness and skills. These include hockey clinics, winter sport training, cricket training, swim trials, swim training and cricket and swimming interschool competitions. Harmony Week will be celebrated, but we are yet to confirm the BBQ / picnic event. Mrs Gilewski will be inviting 30 students to Sculptures By The Sea and the Year 6 Camp is planned for Week 7. The Easter Hat Parade is planned for the Thursday morning of Week 10, whilst the ANZAC Observance is planned for the afternoon of Friday 8 April, 2022.

North Parmelia PS is blessed with a professional, competent and committed staff. Our staff is very stable and although some of the roles have changed in 2022, the staff is essentially the same as it was at the end of last year. We do welcome Mrs McCoy back to us. She will be working in a specialist teacher capacity.

Alongside our stable and competent staff, the school will continue the NPPS Common Curriculum approach, with our focus of explicit instruction and engagement. The specialist programs of Visual Arts, Indonesian, Physical Education and Technology will continue. The school is fortunate to be supported by the WA Symphony Orchestra Crescendo program, The Institute of Indigenous Well-Being and Sport Young Achiever Club, the Smith Family, AIEO (Cultural Support) and the School Chaplain. The school is also well supported by the City of Kwinana and state and federal government programs.

Peter Elsegood

Principal

School Mural

Thanks to the generosity of the P and C a giant mural is in the final stages of being created for the 50th anniversary of the school. To celebrate the locality of the school in its beautiful bushland setting, the Relationships Committee organized an environmental artist, Brenton See to create a visual 50th anniversary mural depicting birds and flora.

The outgoing anniversary year students (the Year 6s) and the incoming students and Parents (Kindy) along with the P and C and staff, voted on their favourite local birds. The black cockatoo came in top honours closely followed by the Pink and Grey Galah, Willie Wagtail and Australian Ring Neck.

Brenton suggested going with the Australian Ring Neck as a brightly coloured bird would stand out better. Brenton came up with the concept drawing and we are looking forward to this anniversary gift being created in time for the 50th festival on the side of the shed opposite the Art Room.

Students will be able to watch and ask questions over the two days it will take to create, starting on Monday 15th November.

50 Years Celebrations

North Parmelia Primary School 50th Festival and Yarning Circle will be held on Saturday 27 November 2021 at 10.00 am – 4.00 pm

Come and celebrate with lots of fun family activities, Food Vans, Entertainment, Raffle Prizes an lots more.

Admission is Free.

From the Principal – issue 3 2021

Dear Parents and Caregivers

As mentioned in our last newsletter the academic results are very positive. Recently the school community was surveyed and the results from the survey have been similarly positive. The results are included in this newsletter for the consideration of the community. Regarding the survey of students, there were 56 responses which is a representative sample. The range of results was from 3.7 to 4.6 on a scale of a possible 5. The average of the responses was 4.2. The lowest response (3.7), related to the management of behaviour and the highest response was for the question, “My teachers are good teachers”. There is a high level of consistency apparent across the student, parent and carer and staff survey results.

Regarding the parents and carer survey, the average response was 4.2 out of a possible 5, with a range of 3.9 to 4.4. The lowest response of 3.9 was “Student behaviour is well managed at this school”, whilst the 4.4 response was for “The school is well maintained” and “I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns”. There were 61 responses which is a reasonable representative sample. The survey revealed a high level of positive consistency.

Finally, regarding the staff survey, the results were consistently very positive. Responses range from a score of 4.0 to 4.7. The lowest response relates to the management of behaviour and the highest responses relate to the capacity of students to discuss their education with their teachers and the level of care teachers have for their students. The average of the responses is 4.4. Once again, there is a strong correlation between the parents and carers survey results, the student survey and the staff survey results.

In summary the results were very positive. The area of consistent concern related to the management of behaviour. To address the concerns of the school community the school is implementing the Positive Behaviour Support program. This process will result in a common approach to the management of behaviour through the development of focus teaching areas to encourage a positive school environment.

Another significant recent positive was the Halloween Disco. The disco conducted two weeks ago was noteworthy for the outstanding behaviour of students and the vibrant creative costumes. Once again thank you to the P and C for their efforts and to staff who attended. Similarly positive was the Interschool Athletics Carnival conducted at Wellard Oval last Thursday and Friday. Congratulations to those students who were selected in the interschool team. Further to this, the behaviour and effort of students was excellent. Thanks to Mr Tang and the staff who attended. Once again thank you to our mighty P and C who ran the canteen at the carnival.

We now look forward to the 50th Anniversary festival which will be conducted on the school oval on Saturday 27 November 2021. The Festival will commence at 10.00 am in the Yarning Circle and then continue on the oval from 11.00 am. There are an enormous number of exciting activities organised so please mark this date down on your calendar and bring your family and friends along to the Festival. A good time is guaranteed.

Last Tuesday the Governor of WA, the Honourable Kim Beazley, attended North Parmelia PS to view the Crescendo program. Mr Beazley is a strong supporter of public education and was very complimentary of the school, the program and the students. Crescendo, delivered to North Parmelia PS by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, is an incredible asset to our school. It is a comprehensive and powerful educative program in itself, whilst it also complements the school’s curriculum delivery in an excellent manner. Crescendo is engaging, instructional and is delivered by an extremely professional and effective group of teachers. NPPS is very fortunate to have access to this program.

Peter Elsegood – Principal