It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of Term 3 and only have one term remaining for the 2022 school year. Despite the challenges the public education system has faced this year, our staff have continued to maintain focus on what matters most and support our students to achieve some wonderful things across classrooms and the school. Joondalup Education Support Centre is a school of choice and as such we continue to have a high level of interest from families across the state and some interstate. Our school was originally built for 16 students and we have grown to over 120. With this in mind, we have the great task of building our class lists for 2023, which is no easy feat. What I can assure you, is that each child is carefully considered, and we work hard to find the best possible placement for them. If you have any questions, please speak to your classroom teacher or a member of the Administration team.

Our Year 6 students and staff are currently enjoying three days at camp. Everyone was extremely excited (and some were naturally a little nervous) to board the bus and wave goodbye to parents. I dare say some parents were just as excited as they returned the wave! Many thanks to our team of dedicated staff who have worked solidly to plan and run an amazing camp opportunity and waved goodbye to their own families for the duration. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for photos of our students having a fantastic time!

As you will be aware, the Prime Minister has announced a public holiday as a National Day of Mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 22 September. This means that Joondalup Education Support Centre will be closed on this day. Camp Australia will also be closed. The school term officially ends on Friday 23 September and JESC will be open for “business as usual”. If your child will not be returning on Friday 23 September, can you please let us know so we can record their absence. We appreciate that this may cause some inconvenience but given the circumstances, we appreciate your understanding.

As always, we have another busy and exciting term coming up, especially in the last three weeks of school. Week 8 will be Adventure Week and both Weeks 9 and 10 will be swimming lessons. These activities have been meticulously planned to ensure student safety, supervision, participation and enjoyment is paramount. Behind the scenes, we are working on supervision and staffing rosters, bus bookings, venue insurances, timetables, specialist class changes and more. With this amount of change and disruption to the school day, we will be unable to offer onsite therapy during Weeks 8-10 of Term 4. I appreciate that this is not ideal, however, by notifying families and therapists 10 weeks in advance, it will give you the best possible chance at rescheduling some out of school appointments. Our Liaison Officer will notify therapists, but you may also wish to touch base with them, to make other arrangements for this three-week period. Additionally, these activities can be costly for families (given Christmas is also around the corner). Should you wish to begin making payments for Adventure Week and Swimming Lessons, please see Kirsty Harris, School Officer. We are happy to organise a payment option where you can pay in instalments, to ease any financial pressure.

Those who have visited the school in the past week will have noticed that work has commenced on the refurbishment of the Sensory Playground, outside the Administration building. The prize money received by Joondalup Education Support Centre for being named Primary School of the Year in the 2021 WA Education Awards has contributed to this project. The contractors have made swift progress already and we are seeing it take shape. Students are very excited to see the new equipment coming in and are very keen to try it out at the beginning of next term. 

Free Dress Day

This Friday will be a free dress day as a way to see in the holidays and have some fun. Students can show their support for their football team, wear their pyjamas or just wear their ‘warm and comfies’. There is no donation for this so keep your gold coins and school uniforms at home on Friday.

Stepping Stones Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), has a focus on supporting parents who have children with disabilities, of all ages.

We have scheduled the following FREE sessions to occur at Joondalup Schools:

1. Changing Problem Behaviour to Positive Behaviour (Friday 4 Nov, 9am)
2. Fears and Anxiety (Friday 2 Dec, 9am)

The sessions will be delivered by Brendan Everett, Psychologist and Triple P consultant. Please register your interest via email to Kirsty.harris@education.wa.edu.au

You can read more information on Stepping Stones Triple P here.

Staff News

At the end of this week, we will be saying farewell to Mr Robert Lee, Phys Ed teacher. 

Mr Lee has been a wonderful Phys Ed teacher who has taught the students the importance of playing fairly, encouraging each other and other teams and schools, and trying our best. He has passed on his passion for dodgeball and netball and other team sports. It is very fitting that the school finished the Interschool Athletics Carnival as winners of the Handicap Shield at last week’s Carnival. 

Abilities Expo

Congratulations to Mrs Galt and her Drumming group, who performed at the Abilities Expo at Crown last Thursday. The feedback from onlookers were extremely positive as our students were such a professional and well-rehearsed group. The children also enjoyed looking around and came away with a multitude of goodies from the wonderful stalls on offer at the Expo. 

Save the Date

Our School Development Day for Term 4 is Friday 11 November. The school will be closed for staff to engage in professional learning on this day. Please mark this in your calendar and make alternative arrangements for this day.