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Last week, all Catholic schools and their Leadership Teams met for the first time in 12 months. The day provided the opportunity to go through the revision of a new new policy suite with the change of Catholic Education to an incorporated body in 2020. We will be conducting a review and refreshing of our school policies over the next 12 -18 months to ensure that they align with the new policy suite. The school board will provide the parent voice in the update process.
Mr Jamie Lamont will be completing his time at St Simon Peter next week. Mr Lamont has been the Indonesian Teacher for the past 4 years. One of Mr Lamont’s great successes during his time at SSP has been, along with other staff, the development of a Sister School arrangement with SD2 Mengwi in Indonesia.
We thank Mr Lamont for his dedication towards this learning area and wish him all the very best for the future.
Our new Indonesian Teacher has been appointed, Mrs Widayanti Harding, as the successful candidate. Mrs Harding has held the Indonesian Teacher position at St Peter’s in Bedford since 2015 and St Simon Peter is looking forward to her joining our school staff at the commencement of Term 2.
You may or may not be aware that Catholic schools in Western Australia are currently governed by approximately 68 different state and federal laws or agreements. One of these agreements is known as the system agreement between non-government schools and the state government. This agreement outlines key areas that all non-government schools must comply with to ensure their continuity or reregistration to operate as a school.
As of 1 January 2017, as part of this system agreement, all Catholic schools were required to have a Code of Conduct. The purpose of which is to describe minimum standards of conduct in all behaviour and decision making to ensure the safety and well-being of students. This Code applies to all staff, students, volunteers, parents and guardians as applicable. The term ‘parents’ includes guardians.
My expectation as the Principal is that all adults who enter the school grounds, or places where we gather as a school, understand why we have the code in place and also their responsibility in complying with it.
As a member of our school community, you are bound by, and a beneficiary of, our Code of Conduct in all your behaviour in matters relating to our school. Our Code is not just a set of rules. It defines the healthy way we engage with each other that sets an example for all our students to seek and choose in their relationships. By doing so, we each exercise extended guardianship over them. Our community behaviour amplifies the protection of your child/children, and every other student in our collective care.
Breaches of the Code must be notified to the Principal and it is a breach of the Code not to do so. If behaviour varies from the standards described in this Code and Guidelines, this person should be prepared to explain and justify their decisions and actions.
At the beginning of each year, it is important that all adults involved with the school refresh the expectations of the code. A copy is provided below.
If you have any queries or questions regarding the code, members of the Leadership Team are more than happy to clarify these for you.
Read LessOur Sport Captains for 2021 were announced at this morning's Whole School Assembly and we would like to congratulate those students and wish them all the best in their roles for the year ahead.
We also congratulate those students selected to lead in Music, Library, SPARKS and Digital Technologies. Congratulations also to our MJR Award recipient.
The link to watch the award recipients receiving their awards will be sent separately on SeeSaw, so please keep an eye out for it.
We congratulate the following student leaders for 2021:
For those who have been visiting the school site over the past week, you may have noticed the basketball courts were missing the backboards and your children may have complained about not being able to play in this space.
During one of our routine inspections, issues regarding the structural integrity of the polls were identified. We are currently taking action to replace both the poles and the boards, and this will be conducted over the next few weeks. Once completed, we anticipate a new lease of life for this space.
Read LessOur school nurses are following Govt and Health Dept directives and will call parents to collect their children if they present with respiratory symptoms.
Please see below guidelines for COVID-19 testing:
The following information was sourced from the Department of Health WA.
Get tested if you have any of the following, no matter how mild:
- fever of 37.5°C or above OR fever in the last few days (for example, night sweats or chills)
- coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose
- loss of smell or taste.
House Swimming Carnival - Wednesday 17 March 2021
Just a reminder that all students in Years 4-6 are involved in the annual Swimming Carnival at HBF Arena in Joondalup on Wednesday 17 March 2021.
Details about the carnival are included on the note accompanying the nomination form and an approximate timetable is included in this newsletter (see link below).
All students from Years 4-6 will be going to the pool on the day to take part in the carnival in some way, whether that be by swimming in traditional races, noodle relays, or cheering on their team mates.
Please note that spectator fees apply if you wish to come along and cheer the swimmers on, but only one hundred spectators will be allowed at the carnival and no spectators can enter the grandstand.
A small number of parent helpers will be contacted by Mr Thompson and have their names left at the door to ensure their entry. A reminder as well that HBF Arena doesn’t allow outside catering and this rule means there will be no canteen orders from our school on the day and students must bring their own lunch and drink from home.
The students have been reminded that they should not be sharing lollies or food with other students at the carnival because of allergy concerns and that HBF Arena does not allow coloured jelly type lollies, streamers, face paint or hair dye because of the damage they cause to the pool and surrounds.
Read Less2021 Interschool Swimming Carnival - HBF Arena Joondalup - 25 March 2021
The 2021 Interschool Swimming Carnival will be held at HBF Arena Joondalup on Thursday 25 March 2021 for selected students from Years 4-6.
Approximately 45 students, from Years 4 to 6, will be selected from our House Swimming Carnival to represent the school at the annual NIPSSA Swimming Carnival with 6 other schools.
This year, because of COVID-19 restrictions, parent spectators will unfortunately not be able to attend the carnival, however, parent helpers are required and, as the host of the carnival, our school needs to fill 12 jobs. If you would like to attend the carnival and fulfill a very straightforward role on the day, please contact Mr Thompson via email TO lee.thompson@cewa.edu.au and he will place your name on the entry list at the door.
Read LessThank you so much for your support in sending in your gold coin donations last Friday when the students enjoyed coming to school dressed in their free dress.
We were pleased to be able to raise some money to help support the Lord Mayor's Distaster Relief Fund to assist the Wooroloo and Hills Bushfire Appeal.
Pre Primary Dinosaur Incursion
Last Friday, the Pre Primary welcomed James the TRex to the play ground. He is a replica of how big a real TRex was when they roamed the planet.
DinoWorld also showed the students fossils and real dinosaur poo!!!! It was a fantastic incursion and the students learnt a lot about dinosaurs.
Year 5 Parliament House Excursion
"In our tour of the Parliament House we learned about the golden Mace which is so precious it is placed in the safe and only out when Parliament is in session and the speaker is there. We also learned about the Upper and Lower house and much more. It is a very fancy place to visit." (Indiana Kapiteyn)
"In the Constitution Centre we learned about democracy and the five pillars -justice, respect, equality, fairness and freedom. We worked in groups using these values to design a camp. When we were finished we voted for the camp we thought was the best." (Tom Robinson)
"We went to the electoral centre and learnt about preferential voting and ballot papers. After that, we did a fake vote between the mighty snickers, skittles, Kit Kat’s and Maltesers. It was fun and we wish to go again!" (Lucas Campbell)
Surf Online Safe: Parent Cyber Safety Presentation
We welcome back Paul Litherland, who will be returning to SSP on Tuesday 16 March 2021 to conduct a parent information session on cyber safety.
Full details can be found by clicking on the link: Parent Cyber Safety Workshop - Surf Online Safe
Paul is an extremely popular presenter so book your free tickets using the link below, as soon as possible as there are only 100 tickets available!
Tickets to Cyber Safety Workshop
Date: Tuesday 16 March 2021
Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Venue: St Simon Peter school Hall
This is a ticketed event only.
Read LessIt is that time of year again when our Pre Primary classes are asking for donations of Easter Eggs and baskets that can be used for our Easter Raffle.
Any donations can be taken straight to the Pre Primary classes or given to your classroom teacher. We thank you for your generosity in supporting this fundraising project to aide the Occupational Therapist with items to promote gross and fine motor skills in our Pre Primary classrooms.
Raffle tickets will be sent home with the eldest child. More tickets are available from Pre Primary or the Nurses station. The Easter raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 31 March 2021 at 2.15pm.
Good luck to everyone in the draw.
Read LessTo adequately plan for Kindergarten in 2022, we would like to ensure that all of our existing families have had the opportunity to register any younger siblings requiring enrolment in our Kindergarten program in 2022.
Existing families with siblings born between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 who wish to join our school for Kindy 2022, are required to submit an Expression of Interest form, as soon as possible. A copy of the form can be accessed via the link: Expression of Interest Form .
PLEASE NOTE siblings of our existing families do not require an interview unless requested.
If you are unsure as to whether or not you have already submitted your child’s application, please contact our Enrolment Officer, Helen, via email at admin@ssp.wa.edu.au, to check if your child is registered on our Kindy 2022 waiting list.
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Student Residential Address Collection
Please click on the link below to access important information with regards to the Student Residential Address Collection:
Every year, countless people turn Lent into a demonstration of faith, love and generosity. You can be a part of this incredible community, who believe that there are simple actions we can all take to “be more” for our world.
Second Week of Lent (school week beginning Monday 29 February 2021)
This week through Project Compassion we learn about 39-year-old Margret, a teacher at a vocational school for deaf students in the Solomon Islands. She was born deaf, so she knows the challenges it poses to education and employment. Apart from the difficulties the students all have, the school also faced water shortages, with not enough to supply staff and students with safe water for drinking, cooking, washing and growing vegetables.
Then Tropical Cyclone Harold damaged the school and its vegetable garden, amidst the threat of COVID-19. Staff and students rely on the vegetable garden to provide food for their meals.
With Caritas Australia’s support, the school installed water tanks, provided cyclone-proof building materials and helped to implement COVID-19 prevention measures. Margret’s school now has enough water for its students and the capacity to cater for more, with plans to boost food security, through increased agricultural production.
Around 60% of people in rural areas in the Solomon Islands don’t have access to piped water, while about 80% don’t have access to latrines or toilets (UNICEF, 2019).
Watch a short film about Margret’s story here.
Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au
You can make a donation to Project Compassion by giving your chid money to place in the box which is in every classroom in the school.
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