What a busy start to Term 4 we have had! It has been great to be back at Alkimos PS this term and it has been great to see so many families around in the mornings and afternoons. As always, I try to get around to the gates in the mornings and afternoons, so please feel free to catch me if you have any questions, or, contact the office if you would like to organise an appointment to address any questions or concerns.

These last few weeks have seen a number of great events take place, including our choir being recorded as part of a recording played for Telethon, Interschool Athletics, and incursions from Water Corp, Native Animal Rescue and First Aid focus, all for various year levels! On top of this, we also have the massed choir festival next week for those involved, which once again will showcase our school and the amazing things that our students can do.

 World Teachers Day

This Friday (25 October) we celebrate the amazing work that is done by our teaching staff as part of World Teachers Day. If you get a chance, please make sure to acknowledge all of their hard work; they are often here in the early hours of the morning, or late into the evening preparing lessons for our students and making sure that everyone gets the best chance at success as possible!

We are very lucky to have the outstanding staff that we do, and I know you will join me in thanking them for their tireless work and everything that they do for the students of Alkimos PS!

2025 Class Placements

Thank you to those families that sent through class requests before the closing date last Friday. Those requests that were received have either been replied to by Mr Gorton or I and where possible, will be considered when we formulate class lists for 2025.

This year we have also made a slight change to the friendship forms that we have previously got students to complete, with a duplicate copy now being made so that families are aware. Whilst we cannot guarantee that students will have all 3 of these students in their class next year, we try to place them with at least one of their choices.  Sometimes, situations change over summer and students may leave the school resulting in your child not having one of their selected friends in the class; in this case, you are welcome to contact the office when class lists are released on Monday 3 February, and either I or another member of the leadership team will discuss this with you.

Reporting to Parents – Semester 2

This semester, we are reviewing 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.

I’ll provide an update of this in the next newsletter that will go out at the end of Week 6, however, you can expect that these will look slightly different to previous reports.

Student Achievement

Recently, one of our Year 4 students, Marley, competed in the WA State Gymnastics Championships. Competing in several events, Marley placed 1^st on the Beam, 2^nd on the bars and 6^th on the vault; this resulted in her coming the overall runner up WA state champion in her level. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are very proud of Marley for this, well done Marley!

If anyone else has completed in any events, or had any significant achievements, please send these through and we will try to share and celebrate these with the community!

 Year 6 Camp

This term, our Year 6’s are heading to Ern Haliday Recreation Centre for their end of year camp! The year 6 teachers will send out final information for this very shortly, so please keep an eye out!

We are also pleased to announce that we have secured dates already for our 2025 cohort of Year 6’s. Over the last 2 years, a number of Year 6 families have volunteered to coordinate some fundraising events to help reduce the camp costs. This year, the families raised $5000 which is outstanding! This helps offset the camp and covers parts of the catering, accommodation and activities that students do at camp, and in the last few weeks of their time at Primary School.

If you are interested in volunteering to help achieve this again in 2025, please keep an eye out for a Facebook group which will be created very shortly by families.

I look forward to seeing everyone around the school, and at our upcoming events this term; as mentioned earlier via Connect, we will be holding a community lunch Friday 8 November November as part of our ‘Wellness Week’. It would be fantastic to see as many families as possible there as these events are very low key, and simply an opportunity to come and have lunch with your children on the oval! At the end of this, if you would like to take your child home early, you are able to sign them out, otherwise they simply return to class until the end of the day with their teachers.

Lastly, I would like to advise that Mr Gorton has extended his leave for another 4 weeks, and during this time, I’ll be continuing in this role. As he previously advised, this may extend again, however Mr Gorton is aiming to be at some of our while school events later in the term regardless, especially our Book Awards and Year 6 Graduation Ceremony In the next newsletters, I’ll advise of any updates on this, as well as any staffing updates that we are able to share.

Dear Families,

Welcome back to our last term.  This promises to be an exciting but busy term especially for our graduating students.

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.

Account Statement – Unpaid Billings items Voluntary Contributions/Camp

These will be sent home to families this week.  Just a reminder that the year 6 camp total cost is $280, so if you have paid your deposit your balance remaining is $230, you can pay this in one lump sum or make smaller payments.  Our account details are as follows.

BSB 066 058

A/C 10293855

Please put your child’s name and what you are paying for as a reference.

To date we have received $10,016.00 in Voluntary Contributions, this represents 51% of our families.  This money enables the school to provide free incursions for all students and enables us to enhance resources in Maths and English.

P & C

 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the P & C on behalf of the school and community for all their hard working in fundraising for our wonderful school.  So many of them juggle their volunteering with full time jobs.  If you would like to help out at any time, they would be very appreciative.  Without the support of families, movie nights, discos, raffles etc would just not happen.  Please try to be involved where you can.

Below are just a few of the items they have funded –

Busses for all sporting excursions

Busses for Choir

Early Childhood play equipment

Brekkie Club donations

Maths equipment

Camp fundraising

Cyber safety workshop.

Thank You, Teachers!

This Friday, 25th October, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day, and we want to take a moment to thank our incredible teaching staff for their dedication and hard work. Every day, our teachers go above and beyond to support, inspire, and nurture our students.

We truly appreciate all you do to make our school such a wonderful place for learning and growth. Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Curriculum Corner

Staff Professional Learning for Talk4Writing

Last week, some of our staff attended a Professional Learning session focused on the Talk4Writing program, which is now part of our whole-school approach to improving writing skills. Talk4Writing helps students become confident writers through storytelling, oral language, and a structured writing process.

Our teachers came back inspired and ready to implement these strategies in the classroom. Our Early Childhood teachers will be attending their session in Week 5. We’re excited to see how this will continue to enhance our students’ writing across all year levels!

Many Thanks,

Pip Ramsden
Associate Principal

Kirstin MacLean

School Chaplain

Free program for separating and divorcing parents

CHANGES IN YOUR FAMILY CAN BE A BIG ADJUSTMENT

Going through separation or divorce can be one of life’s most challenging experiences. And when you have children to consider, it can feel even more difficult. As a parent or carer, you’re dealing with your own emotions and practical issues. For children, it can be an unsettling change, too.

You might be feeling worried about how they (and you) will cope and adjust. However, positive parenting strategies can make the transition smoother for everyone.

In an Australian first, parents and carers who are going through separation or divorce now have access to a free, self-directed online course, which is university-developed and based on extensive research.

Family Transitions Triple P Online, developed by the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, is an easy-to-use online resource that gives proven tips and strategies for managing the transition in a way that can boost parenting confidence and minimise the impact on children.

“In the program, parents get evidence-based tips and strategies to avoid common parenting traps, help kids adjust, manage emotions and co-parent effectively. And while the program recognises this is often a tough time for families, it's not just about coping skills, it's also about evolving and moving forward in a new family dynamic.” said Dr Stallman.

"The research shows divorce itself isn't harmful to children. It's how parents and carers manage the transition through separation and divorce that has the potential to negatively impact children," said Dr Stallman.

Family Transitions Triple P has been evaluated and shown to effectively reduce child behaviour concerns, reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and anger in parents, and reduce co-parenting animosity.

Triple P recognises that every family is different, which is why Family Transitions Triple P Online can be personalised to suit different circumstances. The free online program supports parents and carers to:

• create a stable, reassuring environment for children
• reduce adverse effects and help them feel supported, reassured and secure
• help children and themselves to manage emotions and develop good coping skills
• handle challenging moments more calmly and confidently
• build effective communication and problem-solving skills to reduce conflict and co-parent more effectively
• adapt and evolve in their new family dynamic.

Parents and carers can sign up to Family Transitions Triple P Online now.

Kind regards,