Filter Content
During the week of lockdown, I did receive a couple of emails regarding the difference between long daycare and OSHC and the regulations regarding school. I need to point out that although our school runs both services, they have very different regulations and even separate laws that we are responsible for that require very different aspects to just an educational institution.
So, when schools were closed, Daycare and OSHC were open. And the rules allowing this to remain open were quite strict, to ensure that the service was in full compliance with the regulations.
When the school sends out communications that will include both the school and childcare services, please note that this may then be followed by clarification from our LDC and OSHC that are more specific to each service.
Improvement work was conducted during the holidays with the first part of the playground equipment installation completed just before the return to school. The children love the extra equipment and the grassy mound is getting overworked! Many thanks to Clay Prout for the amazing work that he did during the holiday break to install and prepare the areas.
As I am new to the school, I thought it was important to give a small piece of context to myself. 2021 is my thirtieth year as an educator, with the last 18 as a principal, in three previous schools in the country and metropolitan area. I am a current board member of the Catholic Primary Principals Association of WA and a representative on both the Australian Catholic Primary Principals Association and Australian Primary Principal Association, positions that I will relinquish at the end of 2021 when my current 6-year term concludes. I am married to a teacher and have three adult children and am a member of the St Simon Peter Parish. I have been involved in a number of junior sport associations in this area over the past 14 years, particularly AFL and Cricket.
When you see me around the school, I am more than happy for you to come and introduce yourselves, and I will do my best to remember who you are a parent to, but I can't guarantee that I will have total recall the next time we meet, but I will do my best!
This week, school fees were sent out to the email addresses provided to us for this purpose. If you have not received your annual fee statement, wish to discuss your account or would like to book an appointment with the Principal to discuss your current situation, please contact the accounts department by email at accounts@ssp.wa.edu.au and we will either email or phone you back. We understand that circumstances can change and would like to offer help to any family in genuine need. Please note that if you haven't received your account, your are requested to please check your junk mailbox. Your family reference number is located at the bottom of your statement. Please note that your details may have changed since last year and the new information should only be used, especially if you are paying by bpay.
We welcome the following new staff members to SSP in 2021:
Rebecca Williams joins us as a teacher in 3 Maroon on Fridays, Tanya Schreuder as a teacher in 3 White on Mondays and 6 Blue on Fridays, Lily-Rose Cain and Elise Mundim as Education Assistants in the Catherine Centre.
Welcome to you all!
Read LessParent Teacher Information for 2021
As you know the Parent Information Nights for 2021 were cancelled due to COVID. You will, by now, have received an email containing this important information from your child's class teacher.
Please ensure that you read this vital information as it forms an introduction to the school year for you and your child and provides an outline of what your child's teacher has planned for the year ahead. Please note you are more than welcome to set up a time to meet with your child's teacher, should you have any concerns or questions.
Teachers will have also provided details about the Seesaw app and how it is used as the communication platform at classroom level, across all year levels from daycare up to Year 6. This means one portfolio for your child’s time at SSP, a seamless rollover from one year to the next and one app for parents; no matter how many children you have at the school or what year level they are in.
Thank you to all the parents who have connected to the app already. If you are not connected to your child’s journal, please contact your child’s classroom teacher and they will help you out.
We hope you all enjoy being connected to your child’s learning and find this app useful.
Read Less
Three Levels of Communication @ SSP
We have three levels of communication protocols for parents at SSP. We also have three sub schools or clusters at SSP: Kindy - Year 2; Years 3 - 4 and Years 5 - 6, each with a Cluster Leader.
First level - should the teacher have a problem with your child or vice versa, you can ask to come in and discuss the matter. Working together is more effective than working in isolation!
Second level - should the teacher or the parent not resolve a particular problem or should the problem relate to school policy, an appointment with the Cluster Leader for your sub school can be made to find a resolution.
Third level - should a parent not be happy then please make a time to see the Principal. Should you still not be happy with the Principal’s resolution, then you may appeal to the Executive Director of Catholic Education Western Australia for a review of the decision. See the school website for CEWA’s policy.
STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION @SSP:
STAFF
- It is recommended that parent communication by email is limited to 300 characters. For any further communication it is advised that staff request a face to face meeting.
- Staff at SSP are recommended to reply to parent emails no later than 6.00pm on a working day, unless it is an emergency. Please note any emails received by staff members will be responded to within 24 to 48 hours of receipt. Any emails received over the weekend will be considered to have been received at 8.00am on a Monday morning and replied to within the appropriate timeframe. This recommendation supports our staff well-being focus.
- Staff at SSP communicate learning to the parents using the Seesaw app or email.
PARENTS
St Simon Peter Leadership Team and Admin Staff primarily communicate to our parents through the school app: SchoolZine.
SchoolZine App:
- Newsletters
- Absentee Line
- Forms and Documents access
- School Calendar
Appointments
An informal chat with a class teacher is an effective way of staying in touch with your child’s progress. However, for specific discussion on school matters, it is advisable to make an appropriate appointment with the teacher for either before or after school. Teachers frequently have responsibilities and duties before and after school; they cannot talk with you at these times, so please give them plenty of prior notice of your desire to meet. It is not appropriate for parents to go into classes to speak with teachers between 8.45am and 2.55pm.
Read Less
Today is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a time for reflecting upon how much God loves us, no matter what we do and for giving thanks. Today we celebrated this new beginning with two liturgies led by Fr Mariusz.
Ash Wednesday challenges us to take stock of our choices, to look back and reflect on the decisions we have made in the past to give us the opportunity to choose differently in the future. Maybe there have been times when we have chosen to ignore the needs of others because it would require us to sacrifice our own needs. Maybe there were times when we chose to help someone only because it would look good to the people around us.
As we embark on this Lenten season, we are challenged to take responsibility for our choices and ask ourselves the simple question “What Would Jesus Do?”. Asking the question, however, is not enough, we need to act on the answer, and that is the real challenge.
For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstaining from meat. Fasting reminds us that food alone cannot make us happy. We must also be fed with prayer, with God’s Word and by meeting Jesus in the Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Eucharist.
Students under the age of 14 are not required to fast during Lent.
Free Dress Day - Friday 26 February 2021
There will be a Free Dress Day in Week 3, on Friday 26 February 2021. A gold coin donation would be greatly appreciated with all money raised going to assist the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund for the victims of the recent bushfires.
Please click on the image above for more information on the Lord Mayor's appeal.
We look forward to your support with this fundraising effort.
Read LessAiko, our school's very own Therapy Dog, has enjoyed the start to his second year of school.
Aiko and his handler, Toni Carrigan, have visited every classroom during the first week of this term, including 4 Blue pictured below.
The teachers will be reminding students of how to approach a dog and also a list of Do’s and Don’ts about the dog. For the new students to SSP and as a reminder for our existing families, the following video may be helpful and can be viewed via the link: How to safely approach a Dog - RSPCA
Please also see below further information about our Therapy Dog, Aiko:
- SSP Therapy Dog School Policy
- SSP Therapy Dog FAQs (for parents)
- SSP Therapy Dog Do's and Dont's (Toni has gone through this with the children).
If you have any concerns about your child and Aiko, please email Toni direct at Toni.carrigan@cewa.edu.au
Read Less
Each year we release and publish our school priorities and school improvement plan (SIP) for the following year at our Annual Community Meeting.
As a reminder, we provide the below links for you to be able to access this year’s priorities and SIP:
Read LessParent TV Membership Subscription for 2021
If you don’t already know what Parent TV is, here is a bit of background.
Parenting is a gift and can be an absolute joy, but as any parent would tell you, it isn’t without its challenges! Parent TV is a digital resource that SSP subscribes to, that allows parents access to all sorts of on demand video’s and courses, covering just about everything you can think of, in relation to child development and parenting.
It is a FREE resource to SSP families, so why not sign up now by visiting www@parenttv.com/membership using the code word STSIMON and gain access to lots of helpful information delivered by credible professionals. You can even email specific questions you have to one of the team members from the comfort of your own home. Please see attached for more information in relation to signing up for Parent TV and some helpful advice to help you to prepare your child to start Kindy this year.
Read LessAt this time of year we put the call out to ask for volunteers to help with covering library books, which is to be undertaken at home.
Book covering at home is a great way for people to help the school who cannot ordinarily get in to volunteer during normal school hours. If you are unsure how to cover books we can organise a time to show you. If you have not been on our “Covering Reading Book” list, or if you were on it last year and wish to continue this year, please email one of our Hub Officers Vicki.Leonard@cewa.edu.au or Helen.Boudewyns@cewa.edu.au with the following details:
Name, your child’s name and class and contact number.
Any assistance is greatly appreciated and will go towards your Give 10 hours.
Read LessSpaces Available for Guitar and Rock Band
There are currently spaces available for Guitar/Bass and Rock Band with Russell Smith.
Rock band rehearses are held on Thursday lunchtimes and lessons are also on Thursdays.
If your child is interested in taking lessons or joining the band, please contact Russell direct on 0433 658 292 or email russellsmithguitartuition@gmail.com