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Cottesloe Primary School Newsletter
th
ISSUE NUMBER 4
WEDNESDAY 18 March 2015
MON
TUE
23 Mar
YEAR 6 CAMP
The Power of
Positive
Parenting
Seminar 2 –
School Library
7-9pm
24 Mar
30 Mar
The Power of
Positive
Parenting
Seminar 3 –
School Library
7-9pm
31 Mar
WHAT’S ON THIS FORTNIGHT?
WED
THUR
FRI
25 Mar
26 Mar
27 Mar
Rooms 5 & 16 –
SCITECH Excursion
Year 1’s –
CICERELLO’S
Excursion
P & C MOVIE NIGHT
– HOUSE OF MAGIC
5.30PM GATES
OPEN
1 Apr
Interschool
Swimming Carnival
9am – 12noon
2 Apr
TERM 1 ENDS
3 Apr
GOOD FRIDAY
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
I have recently discovered a new parenting phenomenon – “The Lawn Mower Parent”. We all know of
the “Helicopter Parent”, hovering watching, protecting and fussing over children but the experts have
now identified the “Lawn Mower Parent”, the parent who clears their child’s path of obstacles, ensuring
they have a smooth ride. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to help your children but is it helpful to
not let your child ‘fail’? Small trips and falls now will help your child develop the strength, resilience and
confidence to tackle bigger problems in the future. No one wants to see their son or daughter fall but
isn’t it better to allow them to stumble in a caring, supportive, low risk environment now rather than wait
for them to be (metaphorically) suddenly on a tightrope 30m above the ground, making a tricky decision
for the first time?
Education is a three-way partnership between home, school and the student. Your children are a part of
the education process and need to engage and participate in the learning program. Teachers plan,
implement and assess the learning program, adjusting to students’ needs based on assessment and
observation. Their programs need to stimulate curiosity and build skills that will equip their students for
future learning. Parents are expected to support their child and their child’s teacher by ensuring the child
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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is ready to learn each day, emotionally, materially and physically. Teachers and caregivers need to have
respectful and open communication so the needs of our students can be met.
Students at Cottesloe Primary are very fortunate in that their safety and physical needs are met – except
for the occasional fall in the playground. The following are areas that staff need the support of parents to
make sure that they are part of their daily routine:
•
•
•
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•
•
Have your child at school, on time and well rested.
Get your child to the classroom. Allow them to follow class routines, independently.
If you need to speak to other parents, please do this outside the room, reducing disruption.
If you need to speak to your child’s teacher make it brief. For longer conversations, make an
appointment.
Reinforce good manners.
Be respectful in all interactions.
Teachers and staff at Cottesloe Primary are in the privileged position of being able to educate your child.
We understand that your children are the most important part of your lives and bring out the strongest of
emotions from you. When things are going well, the situation is wonderful. When things are a little stormy
the relationship between home and school must fall back on positive relationships, trust and respect.
Thank you for your past and present support of your children and our school. I look forward to your
continued participation and interest in the goings on at Cottesloe Primary and continuing to develop the
positive, open and respectful relationship that we are all striving for.
Parking is once again presenting as a problem, exacerbated by changes to street signage on Johnston
Street. It was pointed out that traffic due to families with children at other schools was increasing the
risks to our students. I urge you to come forward with any possible solutions - everything is on the table!
In the short term, please follow the direction of street signage, be respectful of each other and staff.
Please do not use the staff car park as a drop off or parking area, unless you are on school business..
Thank you to all class Parent Reps who met with me on Monday. It was the best turn out we have had
and the questions from the floor were welcome. The class Parent Rep is an important role not only for
building social networks for students and families but also in providing a conduit for information from
classes to the school and reverse. Thank you to the parents who have taken on this role. Your support is
very much appreciated.
The Cottfathers are meeting on Thursday night. Already a number of Cottfathers have spoken to me
about attending their first meeting, which is brilliant. I invite all Cottfathers to attend at Cottesloe Beach
Club, Thursday 19th March at 7pm and meet some like minded men.
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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Today our students participated in the Faction Swimming Carnival. Thank you to St Hilda’s who allow us
to use their wonderful facility. It is very generous and community minded .
Thank you to our parents who supported their children and the school whether it be through helping on
the pool deck or supporting from the stands. Your participation is appreciated.
Congratulations to our Swimming Faction Champions:1st
GOLD
203 points
2nd
GREEN
182 points
3rd
BLUE
164 points
4th
RED
162 points
Year 3 Boys
Year 3 Girls
1st
Max Eldon – BLUE
1ST
Liberty Sheldrick – GREEN
2nd
Tom Wittenoom – GOLD
2ND
Gracie Renouf – RED
Year 4 Boys
Year 4 Girls
1st
Jasper Peace – GREEN
1st
Jessica Freedman – GREEN
2nd
Charlie Butlin – GREEN
2ND
Indi McDonald – GOLD
Year 5 Boys
Year 5 Girls
1st
Toby Evans – RED
1st
Jasmine Mullens – RED
2nd
Tom Osborn – GREEN
2nd
Ashley Eldon – BLUE
Year 6 Boys
Year 6 Girls
1st
Ethan Duffy – RED
1st
Edi Offer – RED
2nd
Oscar Line - BLUE
2nd
Annabelle Butlin - GREEN
The School Board meets tonight at 6pm in the Library. All are invited to attend the meeting.
Well, it has been a busy fortnight and with Camp next week, I see no change. I will be attending Camp
with the Year 6 students and staff. Mrs Andrea Macfarlane will be in the role of principal in my absence.
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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A big thank you from
Mrs Louise Palmer to
the staff and families
who donated to her
Retirement gift. Mrs
Palmer received a BCF
Voucher which is going
to be put to good use for
Louise and her husband
when they hit the road in
their new Jeep and
caravan, exploring our
wide country.
All at Cottesloe PS wish
you well.
Graham Dart
Principal
Cottesloe Primary School
Ph
Mob
Web
93842426
0408914923
www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
MERIT AWARDS
Congratulations to the following students who will be receiving Merit Awards at Friday’s Assembly:-
Phoenix Shakibaie
Angus Newman
Ansley Carl
Anna Colgan
Noah Martin
Sani Pillinger
Nao Nishizawa
Katja De Boer
Mia Martin
Ben Colvin
Brynn Carl
Ginevra Rathbone
Year 1
Year 1
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2
Year 3
Year 3
Year 4
Year 4
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
Matthew Williams
Charlotte Crawford
Hamish Macfarlane
Sabah Phillips
Year 1
Year 1
Year 2
Year 2
Skye Goldberg
Liberty Sheldrick
Paisley-Pearl Backshall
Anais Gibbs
Kareena Chavda
Reed Allen
Frances Cheffins
Year 3
Year 3
Year 4
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 6
email: [email protected]
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One on One Time is Important
If you decide that your kids are a priority and you have control of your time
then it is possible to spend lots of time with them even though you've got a
busy job. For example, when Sue was working and couldn't pick the kids up
from school, I took three afternoons off per week to pick them up. If I needed
time off with them I just did it, no question. -Peter Le Soeuf
•
•
•
Find a way to drop off or pick up your child from school, even if it's only once a
week.
Go together for an afternoon tea or a snack.
Use that time to ask how your child is getting along with friends on the playground
or if anything is troubling them about school.
Thoughts? Join the discussion on the website.
We love to hear from you too!
The Fathering Project Team
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS & CHARGES 2015
Thank you to those families who have already paid or part paid their Voluntary Contributions & Charges
for 2015. We expect that these amounts would have been paid or part paid by the end of Term 1,
particularly as all students have attended swimming lessons, and some have already gone on
excursions. Part payments are accepted if parents wish to pay voluntary contributions and charges over
a period of time. Arrangements are made between the school and the parents, and students are not
withdrawn from any activity during this payment period. Please contact me if you wish to set up a
payment arrangement.
For parents of students who will be attending the Year 6 Camp to Margaret River, please make this
payment as soon as possible.
Enclosed with the statement was a letter offering 3 payment methods:
Cash – please come to the front office and place payment in red letter box.
Cheque – please make payable to Cottesloe Primary School and place in red letter box; and
Electronic Transfer – Cottesloe Primary School ANZ Bank – BSB 016 281 Account No.
340819282 – please put child’s name as reference and email [email protected] to advise me that payment has been transferred.
Tracey-Anne Simpson - Registrar
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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NEWS @ THE LIBRARY
The year has started out well with lots of new books for the children to borrow and read. Can
parents please find out what day their child has library, and make sure books are returned each
week. This means that other children can then borrow those books. The library has introduced
a ‘reservation’ system for the very popular books, which seems to be working well. Children
can reserve the new popular books and are placed in a queue for borrowing. Also, please make
sure your child has a library bag that they bring their book to school in on their library day. The
uniform shop sells them for $10 each and they are very strong and durable and will last their
whole primary school life. Cloth library bags are also suitable.
I am desperately looking for people to help in the library, either shelving books, or covering the
wonderful new books so they can be borrowed. No experience necessary, free coffee and tea,
and any time given is appreciated. If you are available after drop off, before pick up (get a
parking spot early and come and help for half an hour), or anytime during the day, then pop into
the library Tuesday to Thursday to see me, or leave your details at the front desk.
Mrs Tracey Willis (Library Officer)
CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING
At Cottesloe Primary School we value and promote critical and creative thinking skills across the
school. We encourage children to pose questions and think of problems where the answer is not
immediately known. Costa and Kallick’s 16 Habits of Mind, thinking skills used by successful learners,
are also used within the school to foster thoughtful problem solving strategies for complex problems.
Developing good thinking skills comes with practise and Thinker’s Keys, developed by Tony Ryan, are
fun to use and encourage creative solutions. They could encourage interesting discussions around the
dinner table.
Here is one for you to try. The first key is the Reverse Key. Rather than remembering lots of facts,
moving in the opposite direction requires a sound knowledge base and encourages thinking!
Try this;
List 10 things that could never be placed in water.
Or
Name 10 things that you could not photograph.
Who can come up in the most creative list in your house?
You will probably be using the Habit of Mind “Thinking Flexibly”
Show your teacher the best list!!
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
Denise Johnston
email: [email protected]
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COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE
My name is Sue Keenan-Smith and I am the Community Health Nurse who visits your school.
Community Health Nurses work in schools to promote healthy development and wellbeing so
students may reach their full potential. A major part of my work is focused on early intervention
and the School Entry Health Assessment program.
Community Health Nurses serve as a health contact point for children and their families,
providing information, assessment, health counselling and referral. The services provided are
free and confidential.
If you have a concern about your child’s health or development, please contact me on
93476565.
THANK YOU TO THE P & C FROM THE KINDY
Our bike track is great. We are having great fun using the track and also the surrounding
extended area of the kindy playground.
The little cars are able to
be left and the children
can return to them in
their own time without
the restriction of only
using in the undercover
area and then having to
be packed away.
The area is more user
friendly with the shade
of the tree and the
shade sails. Wonderful!
The stump invites
exploration and looks
just like a volcano and
we look forward to doing
our usual vinegar and bicarb soda volcano experiment here sometime.
Mrs Creedon and the Kindy students
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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HARMONY WEEK
Last Thursday, Cottesloe School reverberated with the sound of drums, clapping, stamping and
fantastic music from Polynesia. We were celebrating Harmony Day with Bernard Mangakahia.
Bernard’s message was about resilience “Bounce Back – keep on going”.
“I loved it when Bernard put on his grass skirt and did the Mosquito dance.”
Violet Liddelow
“I liked the stories and dances. My favourite part was the firestick and the Mosquito Dance”
Will Kempson
“Bernard did a firestick dance but he dropped it twice!”
Luke O’Connor-Smith
“I liked it when Bernard did the fire stick dances because he went faster and faster and even
faster.”
Josiah John
“We danced and sang and my favourite dance was the sweeping dance. I liked the grass skirt
and I felt Harmony.”
Noah Martin
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]
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Chess For Life Chess Club
The last club day for Term 1 is Thursday 2nd April.
The Chess Club will recommence in term 2 for current and new members on Thursday 2nd
April in the library before school from 7.30am till 8.30am.
..........................................................................................
Cottesloe PS Term 2
NAME ____________________ YR ___
SIGNED _________________________
Please put form and payment $80, ($70 each if more than 1 child, cheques made payable
to Jack South) in envelope marked chess club with child’s name and school. Payment to
be made at the office before the first club day please. Thank you for your ongoing
support.
Jack South, Chess For Life
Ph 92711006. Email [email protected]
NEWSLETTER ITEMS
If you wish to submit an item for inclusion in our newsletter could you please send to Jenni Mitchell, School Officer by Tuesday
afternoon of each week or by email to [email protected]
web: www.cottesloeps.wa.edu.au
email: [email protected]