Dear Parents

FARMER FRIDAY

Once again thank you to everyone for their support of Farmer Friday.  It was quite a day!

At the Federal Election in the school holidays, some of our students did some busking to entertain the community while raising money towards the Farmer Friday Hay Runners cause. Congratulations to all our performers for raising $62.50.

FACTION ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

It’s all about Braithwaite, Shakespeare, Axford and Menzies as we begin to get teams and races organised for the Faction Athletics.

The success of the carnival is a combination of factors – weather, people, children, attitude, organisation and a bit of luck.  We cannot control all of these factors but there are some that can be controlled.  First and foremost, we need people to come to the carnival to cheer and celebrate the sporting skills of all children.  Our children are practising, practising and practising their throwing, catching and running, and are learning the rules of the games.  Encouraging kids on the day does make a difference.

It is very important that everyone remembers that the Carnival is about having a great day; experiencing the high of winning and the disappointment of losing and knowing how to manage those feelings; working as a team; doing our personal best (whatever that might be); accepting the decision of the umpires and judges; and going home, exhausted and happy.

I am looking for a group of parent volunteers who are able to come to Menzies Park or the school for Thursday 1st September 2016 to help with equipment set up or pack away on the day.  If you are available and have a preferred morning or afternoon time slot, please send me an email carol.selley@education.wa.edu.au so that I can put your name on the list.  Once I have a list of jobs, I’ll delegate them to our willing volunteers. Remember that “many hands make light work”.

FACTION TOKENS AND REWARDS

With thanks to the School Wide Positive Behaviour Committee, we have revitalised the faction tokens program used across the whole school.
We have introduced:

• one colour faction tokens so that staff can give more out and easily.  Children can colour the circle on the tokens to show which faction they belong to and then put them in the correctly coloured faction box
• visits to Braithwaite Park for those children who win the weekly raffle
• an end of term raffle where children have the chance to win sport equipment.  The more tokens earned during the term, the more chances to win!

“Teachers are now targeting” posters in all classrooms so that everyone knows what the focus is for the fortnight.  In each of the year level groups, teachers are selecting additional targets that complement the virtue of the fortnight.

I would like to thank Mrs Cherrie Fletcher, Miss Elishia Vearing and Mr Tom Norman for all of the effort put into making these changes and to Mrs Julie Banting and Mrs Malaika Jordan who helped make the classroom resources.

BOOK WEEK – GET READY!

Dress up day is Thursday 25th August 2016.  Mark your diary so that you can come and see a terrific assembly by Mr McKenzie’s Year 5 class and check out all of the costumes!  There is plenty to love about a dress up day.

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL – YEAR 1

On Monday 1st August the Year 1 classes celebrated being 100 days smarter. They had a day filled with educational activities revolving around the number 100.
The children rotated through different Year 1 classes and explored making a range of things with 100 shapes, 100 pegs, 100 cups, 100 balls and writing lists of 100 words.

What an outstanding day! Congratulations to all the Year 1’s for completing 100 days of school for 2016. Thank you to the parent helpers. From the Year 1 teachers.

AUSTRALIAN MATHS COMPETITION

Congratulations to all of the Year 3 to 6 children who participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition, a competition created by the University of Canberra.  It was tough with questions that required high level mathematical thinking.  A measure of the toughness level was evident in the groans and nervous chatter of the children as they came back to class.  Thank you to Mrs Jane Gillies for organising the competition.

VOLUNTEERING

Many aspects of school are better with volunteers.  People giving their time and enthusiasm enables us to be the very best we can be for children, parents, staff and the wider community.  Staff can get a whole lot of things done during the day but we count on volunteers for the little and not so little projects.

A few volunteer myths:

• If I volunteer once, I am stuck doing the job until my children graduate.
  This does not have to be the case because you can “retire”.  You can do a single event (Faction Athletics Carnival), commit once a week (canteen) or just once a month (committee member).
• I don’t know who I will be volunteering with.
  Sure this could happen, but you will meet more school families. It could be fun!
• I don’t have any skills.  I can’t cook or write minutes or manage finances or speak in public.
  You don’t necessarily need skills because there is advice, training, support and plenty of encouragement.  Expertise is not required.  We just need people.
• I am sure that someone else will step up.
  Unfortunately we aren’t in the enviable position where we have plenty of people available.

We need:

1. The canteen is requiring the largest number of volunteers and can teach you to cut a sandwich, make Milo cookies and put food in the oven.  You can be rostered monthly, weekly, fortnightly, for a few hours, half a day or a whole day.

2. The Uniform shop requires 1-2 volunteers for Thursday afternoons, as well as possibly a longer term replacement co-ordinator.

3. A School Cross Walk Attendant is needed each morning and afternoon.

4. A Fair Co-ordinator will be required from Term 4. Start to think about this position and if it is going to be your next project.

If you would like to volunteer for anything, please come and see Carol Selley in the office and I will put you in touch with the right people.

SCHOOL CROSSWALK ATTENDANT APPROVED – VOLUNTEER REQUIRED

We have recently been successful in our application for a type B Crosswalk which will be trialled in Term 4.  We are now seeking expressions of interest from any person in the community who may be interested in volunteering for 45 minutes in the morning, and/or 45 minutes in the afternoon to assist us with our trial. If you know of a parent, friend, neighbour, retired person, relative or anyone who may be interested in the position on a full time or job-share basis can you please ask them to contact Karen Sheilds  karen.sheilds@yahoo.com.au for more information.  All training and a uniform will be supplied.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Our school photo days are Tuesday 16th, Thursday 18th and Friday 19th August. Every student will receive a Kapture Photography order envelope to bring home. The recommended method of ordering your photos is online through Kapture’s website, as your payment is secure and can be easily verified at any time. Alternatively you can pay by cash or cheque and return the provided envelope to the school on the photography day. If you place your order online please DO NOT return your envelope to school. For information about ordering sibling photo packages and more details click HERE.

KOREAN COOKING EVENING

Mount Lawley Senior High School is one of the first public high schools to offer a Korean Language program in Western Australia. To celebrate, the school is organising a Korean Cooking Evening called, “Well Being Food For Parents and Students” on Monday, 8th of August from 6.30 to 8.00pm. For further information click HERE.

IMPORTANT DATES

For the very latest updated information on coming events please check the School Website.

AUGUST

Friday 5th – Seedlings Bullying Presentation – Pre-primary to Year 2

Monday 8th – Bike Ed – Year 4

Thursday 11th – Bike Ed – Year 5

Friday 12th – Assembly – Year 1 Room 14

Monday 15th – Bike Ed – Year 4 and Electoral Officer visiting Year 5

Tuesday 16th – School Photos for Pre-primary to Year 6 and Electoral Officer visiting Year 4

Wednesday 17th – Electoral Officer visiting Year 6 and School Board Meeting