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