Latest News from the principal

Parents and Caregivers,

I write to inform you of some notable changes in the existing leadership structure at Warriapendi Primary School. Late in Term 2, we formally advertised for a new Associate Principal to fill the position vacated by Erin Turner. A panel consisting of two female Principals from metropolitan schools, Mr Slavin and myself, ran a very competitive process that resulted in the appointment of Mrs Roxanne Righton from Upper Swan PS. Mrs Righton brings with her a passion for high-impact, evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning, and is a welcome addition to our team. She possesses energy and a desire to support staff in designing and delivering high quality lessons, while working closely with the broader school community to build strong relationships. 

Following this appointment, we received confirmation that Mr Slavin had been appointed Associate Principal at a new school being built in Landsdale. This is a well-deserved opportunity that Mr Slavin could not let slip by. While it is a big loss for our school community and will no doubt be hard for all involved to say farewell to him, it is an important step in his career and something we wish him nothing but the best for. Mr Slavin has contributed an enormous amount to Warriapendi Primary School during his time here, both in a teaching and administrative capacity. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge his efforts and the professional manner with which he welcomed me to the school last term. He is an outstanding leader and will no doubt add a huge amount of value to his new school. 

Fortunately, as a result of the competitive process we ran, we have been able to appoint Mrs Deann Jones to undertake Mr Slavin’s role. Mrs Jones brings a wealth of experience working in schools such as Koondoola PS and Ellen Stirling PS. She has a passion for supporting students at educational risk and a strong knowledge of contemporary, evidence-based teaching and learning models. 

I would like to take the time to acknowledge the impressive job that Mrs Lannigan has done as acting Associate Principal for the first half of 2022. Her support during my transition to the school was outstanding and I am very excited to see her supporting staff and students via her coaching role throughout the remainder of this year.

We look forward to seeing you all back on site this coming Tuesday and hope that you have the opportunity to meet our new team members. Should you have any questions about these recent staffing changes, please feel free to phone the school or see me during morning duty this week.

Sincerely

Matt Pinkard

Principal

 Parents and Caregivers, 

Today is National Sorry Day, a time for us all to acknowledge and understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. 

To become a reconciled and culturally responsive society, we must look deeply within our own hearts to understand the injustices experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We must use our empathy and compassion to understand the deep trauma and suffering the Stolen Generations and their families have endured. Let’s acknowledge their bravery and strengths. 

The Stolen Generations continue to be brave in sharing their stories, and this year I want to share the project ‘Stolen Generations’ Testimonies’ and encourage you to take some time to listen and recognise the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

I also recommend you watch the live stream of the Sorry Day event to memorialise the 25th Anniversary of the tabling of the Bringing Them Home Report in Australian Federal Parliament in 1997. This will be streamed from the newly completed Stolen Generations Memorial within Moort-ak-Waadiny (Wellington Square) in East Perth. It will include a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, speakers and musical performances. 

Warriapendi Primary School is proud of the connections we have with the land upon which we meet and learn each day, and is constantly seeking new ways to develop effective, responsive relationships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Next week, students from Warriapendi Primary School will attend a special event at Binna Parkland as we learn more about National Reconciliation Week. 

Sincerely 

Matt Pinkard 
Principal 

Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

As you are aware, COVID-19 continues to impact our school community and has presented us with challenges in managing both student and staff attendance. I am pleased that together, we have been able to make the best of this situation and ensure your child’s continued learning. 

As we navigate through these challenges, we will need to do some things differently to ensure our focus remains on your child’s daily learning program. For this reason, Semester One reporting will look different to what we shared with you at the start of the year. The Department of Education has advised that the report will include the A to E grades (or equivalent 5-point scale) for required learning areas. Information regarding your child’s attitude, behaviour and effort will continue to be reported. Our school will provide a general comment that will reflect attitude, effort and progress for the semester given the ongoing disruptions. 

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we work together to provide the best learning opportunities for our students. As we progress, I’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new information. 

Sincerely 

Matt Pinkard 
Principal 

Dear Parents/Caregivers

The last two weeks have been very exciting welcoming everyone back to the 2022 school year and meeting all the new families. Teachers have been busy setting up their classrooms and designing outstanding learning programs that will motivate your children through explicit instruction to achieve their personal best. We continue to provide specialist programs in Art, Music, Science, Health and Physical Education. Our whole school programs in Reading, Spelling and Maths started this week with students adjusting to new teachers for each of these subjects. It is with great pleasure that I welcome our new staff; Mrs Lee, Miss Jones, and Mrs Campbell who bring great skill and expertise to Warriapendi. We also have a new school Psychologist Mrs McClean who comes into school on a Monday. Mrs Rao has also returned from Long Service Leave.

COVID-19 and School

The Education Department continue to balance coming to school and keeping people safe. At the moment there are frequent updates/requirements that we need to adhere to. Unfortunately, parent information sessions have been cancelled (teachers will be supplying some class information in a letter); Breakfast club, school assemblies and choir have been postponed; Children are eating in year level groups; Parents are allowed onto school ground as long as they are wearing a mask, unfortunately parents are no longer allowed in classrooms. If you require a meeting with a teacher please make an arrangement with the teacher – this will most likely take place outdoors.

Any changes/restrictions can be viewed in the “what’s happening” section – “COVID Updates” Tab, please keep an eye on this information so that you are well informed.

If your child is sick they cannot be at school and you should follow WA health advice before returning to school. Please think about the safety of the school community.

Timetable

Our school has strict arrival and departure times for the safety of all students. Students should not arrive at school before 8.25am Students are required to change reading books from 8.30am and the school day starts promptly at 8.40am and finishes at 2.50pm sharp. Please ensure that your child arrives on time so that they do not miss important learning at the start of the day. Break times are still 1st Lunch (10.50am – 11.20am), 2nd Lunch (1.20pm – 1.50pm).

Welcome to our Kindy 1 children

Parking

Please be patient when dropping off and picking up your child to ensure that you are following the rules of the road. Parking continues to be an issue. The car park next to the Child and Parent Centre (CPC) is only for parents visiting the CPC and parents who have children in the Kindergarten. The yellow parking bays north of the Early Years playground do not belong to Warriapendi Primary do not use these bays. If your child is in years PP-6, you need to use the parking along Redcliffe Avenue. If you live close to the school, walking is a healthy option and you can enjoy the wonderful summer weather.

Do not park in the yellow parking bays and only parents going to the CPC and Kindy Parents to access parking inside the gates thank you.

Jacob Slavin
Principal

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Room 4 Assembly

Congratulations to Room 4 for their confident dramatization of the book “Where is the Green Sheep” by Mem Fox. They have been focusing on learning the new sounds that make up words in the book and learning what the new words mean. Learning vocabulary is our whole school focus and will assist our students to comprehend what they are reading. It is fantastic to see our young students showing willingness to speak clearly into the microphone.

News Article Sunday Times

If you haven’t already seen the article in the Sunday times, you need to get a copy and read the three page article that highlights how
we are leading the way in

teaching reading. A journalist from the West Australian watched Ms Sarah Bihary teach reading to her cross-set reading group. This article is a fantastic celebration of the hard work and commitment of the teachers to ensure that they are teaching your children using the latest evidence based approaches.

Cyber Safety

Whilst the internet can be a wonderful resource for your child to research information for their homework, communicate with other children and play interactive games, access comes with many risks of inappropriate content, cyberbullying and online predators. Parenting in the digital age can be very complex. As parents, you need to be aware of what your child sees and hears on the internet, who they meet and what they share about themselves. It is important that you keep an eye on your child’s online activities, monitor the games they are playing and who they are talking to. It is important to spend time together to teach your child appropriate online behaviour and encourage your child to use their device in a common area where you can watch and see what they are doing.

Sarah Morrison our Board Chair has investigated a parent workshop on Cyber Safety Education that will help you manage the complexities of raising a child in the digital age. If you would be interested in attending a workshop, please let Lisa know in the front office. If we have enough interest, we will go ahead and book the workshop.

Staffing

Mrs Heather Rao will be taking her well deserved Long Service Leave in Semester 2. Miss Lauren Heiden will be replacing Mrs Rao for the remainder of the year. I hope that Mrs Rao enjoys spending time with her family. Ms Nicole Moustakas will be taking Room 5 each Friday while Mrs Davidson is taking her LSL. Miss Shani Mercer is getting married over the holidays, we wish her the best for her special day.

Natasha Doyle (Principal)