Kaya Wanjoo (Hello and welcome)

This year has been a busy and productive one with students all making progress in Science and Sustainability classes.

We have gone on many adventures, conducted a multitude of experiments and investigated why, what and how things happen. The students are developing their thinking skills and engaging with excitement in the many things we do around our school to make this Earth a more sustainable one.

Check out the many pictures over the year. Also take a look at some pics from my little farm in Northam. The students have enjoyed seeing the changes and animal additions to it over the year.

Have a wonderful break, get out into nature and enjoy our wonderful state.

Mrs Bennett (Sustainability Teacher)

Wanjoo to Summer. The Noongar Season ‘Birak’ is represented by the colour red as it symbolises heat, sun and fire.

During Birak season the rain eases and the warm weather really starts to take hold. The afternoons are cooled by the sea breezes from the south west.

Traditionally this was the fire season. An almost clockwork style of easterly winds in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon meant that this was burning time of the year for Noongar people and they would burn the country in mosaic patterns.

There are several reasons for this, including fuel reduction, increasing the grazing pastures for animals, to aid seed germination and to make it easier to move across the country.

There are many fledglings venturing out of nests in Birak, though some are still staying close to their parents such as magpies and parrots. Reptiles will also be shedding their old skin for a new one.

With the rising temperatures and the decreasing rainfall, it's also a time for the baby frogs to complete their transformation into adulthood.

We have had a great year in our after school garden club. Thank you to all those who attended including students, parents, grandparents and our wonderful staff helpers. You have all been dedicated, hardworking and joyful about the wonders of vegetable gardening, worm farming and composting. Check out the photos.

Recycling and Reuse Hub

Our recycling bins have arrived and will be formally launched after the signs have been made. This initiative is such an important one in Sustainable practices as it highlights to our students just how much we need to RETHINK what we buy and use. Could you use a refillable coffee pod instead of the thousands that we send to be recycled each term? This year we have sent  18 284 items to be recycled. Can you imagine what our schools our possible of doing when our new system rolls out. Our partner in this mission is Terracycle Australia.  In some of our sustainability classes we have reused the thousands of coffee pods into Christmas Wreaths and are well on our way to finishing our bottle top mural, called Plastic Free in the Sea.

Finally, an enormous thankyou to all those wonderful students, staff and parents who have support Sustainability, it’s vision for the future and myself this year. It has been humbling and rewarding learning and sharing together to make a difference to our Earth and everything that relies on it. YOU ARE THE FUTURE!

 

 

Happy gardening and sustainable thinking,

Sandra Bennett – Science/Sustainability Teacher (JESC). Sustainability Coordinator (Joondalup Schools)

Graduation

On Tuesday Joondalup Schools held our Year Six graduation ceremony. This year we have seven graduating students. Congratulations to the following students for receiving awards during the ceremony;

Citizenship Award: Inca Brightman

Science Award: Hugh Watts

Digital Technology Award: Tevarn Henry

Commitment to Excellence Award: Kopelynn Pomare-Makatoni

I wish all the Year Six students all the very best. All students will be attending Belridge Secondary Education Support Centre in high school.

Good bye and Good luck!

We have a few students who will be leaving us to go schools closer to home next year. I wish you all the very best, and don’t forget to visit us.

We have several staff who will not be joining us in 2020. I would like to recognise and thank the staff for their dedication, motivation and enthusiasm throughout the year. Kirra Stewart and Alana Webber have been teaching our junior students this year.

Cara Hudson, Linda Pearce and Brooke Mcamish have been working throughout the year in a number of classes, supporting student learning.

I wish all these staff the very best for the future.

Hannah Poulter (formerly Legge) has been working at Joondalup for a number of years. Hannah commenced with us some years ago as a Prac Student, and then an Education Assistant. Hannah was studying teaching at university while working full time here. Earlier this year Hannah graduated and has been teaching part-time and additional relief. Earlier this term Hannah was offered a permanent teaching position at Merriwa Education Support Centre. Hannah will be leaving us at the end of this year – you will be missed Hannah!

A big thank you to our amazing relief staff who come in with very little (or no) notice and work with students and staff in classrooms every day. I am so appreciative of the work you do, and your flexibility!

Important dates for 2020

Please note that the school office is closed from Friday 20 December 2019 at 11.00am and will reopen on Tuesday 28 January 2020 at 8.30am.  During these time any emails sent to joondalup.esc@education.wa.edu.au will not be responded to immediately and any phone messages will not be regularly checked. 

Happy Holidays

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday. For those travelling, travel safe and take lots of photos!

Natalie Hatton

Principal

Important Dates for 2020

This term has seen Room 1 continue their Around the World studies and finish up in Australia.  We have learnt about Australian inventions such as the clothes line, electric drill, cochlear implants and the inflatable evacuation slide for Qantas.  The students even got to do some designing of their own and came up with their own creative ideas.  Check out the photos of some of their inventions!

We had a guest speaker come in and show us the skills involved in a number of Australian sports.  Mr Valentino is a sports teacher and came in to run some drills in netball, tennis, cricket and football.  He also introduced us to some of the Olympic sports like javelin and triple jump.  The students loved having a turn at all of the sports.  Their persistence at trying new sports was impressive.  We may have some budding future Olympians in our midst!

We would like to wish all of our families a safe and happy Christmas.  Have fun, stay safe and thanks for a great year!

This term we have been learning about everything that swims, splashes and lives under the sea. We have discovered many different sea creatures including angel fish, a dangerous stone fish and our favourite clown fish. To round off our term of work we travelled to AQWA with our mainstream buddy’s. We were able to touch star fish and sea cucumbers, see glow in the dark jelly fish, and best of all a giant shark in the tank down below! It was a wonderful day and we were all bubbling with tales of stingrays, seahorses and sea snakes when we arrived back at school.

Thank you, Miss O’Connor and Mrs Butler. 

A lot of fun was had be all during Adventure Week. Our senior students went to a circus workshop in Fremantle and then out to The Maze. 

Junior students went to Lollipops Play Centre then onto a picnic.  Unfortunately The planned excursion to the Zoo was cancelled due to the weather so students and staff enjoyed a day at Scitech instead.

Once again the interior doors of our school were turned into wonderful holiday displays. Every door from Kindy to Year 6 displayed the festive spirit with Room 15 and Room 2 being announced the best. Well done everyone.

Mrs Young