Issue 1, 2015 Term 1 Newsletter Armadale Education Support Centre From the Principal—Malliga Nallu 169 South Western Hwy Armadale. WA 6112 Ph.: 9497 6435 Fax: 9497 4430 Website: www.armadaleesc.wa.edu.au Welcome When we are busy, time flies and it is now week 5 already and the staff and students have been embracing all the changes: new staff, uniforms, programs and a new class. The term started with professional learning on Hearing Impairment and Love and Logic. Staff were also involved in evaluating the School Operational Plan of 2014 and gave their input for 2015. Student Services This year we are fortunate to have a chaplain, social worker, workplace co-ordinator and teachers organising student services and student councillors. With the expertise and variety of skills available, parents and students are invited to access the services. Feel free to drop in and have a chat with them on Mondays and Tuesdays, in Term 1. Dates to Remember New programs We are lucky to have Ms Fenwick teaching Music again this year and the students are very motivated throughout the sessions. Ms Ashwini is teaching Art with all the classes. These lessons give students a variety of activities to explore their skills. OLNA 9-12 March Enrolment Currently we have 52 students on our roll and have added another class. Middle school is MS1, MS2 and MS3 whereas senior school is SS1 and SS2. We are currently using a demountable for Art lessons. The Independent Living Room is used for drumbeat and cooking. It is pleasing to see staff and students settling in to routines and in their new classrooms. Yr 8 Vaccinations 12 March Coffee Catch-up 16 March Term 1 Finishes 2 April Term 2 Starts 21 April Individual Education Plans To date, 45 parents and carers have had their input to determine the goals and programs for the semester during IEP meetings the last couple of weeks. Parents/ carers are equal partners and your participation in this process is vital to enable us to develop the students’ skills so that they achieve their potential. Assemblies Parents/ Carers are invited to attend AESC assemblies on 17 and 31 March this term in the under-cover area beginning at 12.15 pm. We will also be handing out merit certificates at ASHS assemblies as well. This will be a great opportunity to celebrate our students’ achievement in the company of their mainstream peers. Professional Development Two teachers, Mrs Varughese and Ms Jesionek are now trained to deliver Keys for Life. Three staff, Ms Pritchard, Mrs De Bono and Ms Puvan attended Vision Impaired Seminar at SEND. Mrs Poultney and myself have attended two sessions for the implementation of Student Centred Funding. Newsletter is also published on our website in the Download area Website armadaleesc.wa.edu.au Achievements Aiden Kaschull and Jake Nicholson participated in the Ivor Burge National Championships in Melbourne from 20-27 February 2015. This tournament supports basketball players with a disability and they then have the possibility of being selected for the Australian team. The school successfully assisted the boys to obtain a sponsorship from Variety Club to participate in this years Nationals. The boys have done WA and AESC proud. Well done boys. Looking forward to a very productive 2015. Malliga Nallu I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Hill and I am the new Chaplain here at Armadale Education Support Centre. I have a background of working in a Community Service organisation for 3 years running the state’s largest 1 day basketball competition, 7 years working in local Christian Church’s, 2 and a half years Chaplaincy in 2 Country District High Schools, 5 years Chaplaincy at Canning Vale College and 1 and a half years working at Clifton Hills Primary school. I have now returned to further study at ECU and was offered the opportunity to fill the position here at AESC as your Chaplain. My family and I are excited about this new opportunity we have to be a part of such a great community. We have heard so many good things about AESC and I hope to add energy and fun to the school community. The first item I would like to introduce to our school is the “Chaplains award” to be given to the student who demonstrates outstanding behaviour and conduct, and who serves others through work in the community and at school. The award winner upholds the values of Chaplaincy and therefore will represent positive values and morals, will be empathetic to the needs of others and will be involved in creating a positive school and community culture. They will have displayed an attitude of honouring teachers and leadership, be a positive influence for others to follow, and offer help to others in times of need. Other opportunities I would like to offer our school are Protective Behaviours Training for our students and parents, Peer Skills workshops for our student councillors, Basketball coaching, coaching students for success with our student services “Care Plan”, and of course, a listening ear for our brilliant teachers, parents and students. This term I am looking forward to our end of term rewards day, getting to know my new School Community. Please feel free to come and have a chat and ask any questions that you might have of me. For now, all the best Chappy Ryan Hill School Chaplain From a background of Event Management & Communications, I decided to do a Postgraduate Diploma in Education to become a teacher. My first introduction to Special Education was while I was on Practical Teaching last year at the Armadale Senior High School – and I absolutely fell in love with the students here at the Armadale Education Support Centre. Currently teaching five classes of Art at AESC, it has been a wonderful start to my career. I look forward to building great relationships and creating beautiful memories with everyone here at AESC! -Miss AshHi I’m Charmain and I am Armadale Education Support Centre’s School Psychologist. I’m at the school alternate Friday’s and my role is to support the school across the domains of Behaviour, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Learning & Disabilities, Critical Incident Response and Student Engagement, to maximise outcomes for all students. I’m originally from Perth, though have a very English accent due to many years living, studying and working in the UK. I have taught within the lifelong sector for adults with profound & multiple learning disabilities in the UK and in a specialist school in Perth and also spent two terms in an alternative education setting in a Waldorf Steiner school in Perth. These experiences have created a particular interest in disabilities, challenging behaviour and alternative strategies. Charmain Backwell School Psychologist My name is Ria Ryan and I am the School Based Support Worker at Armadale Education Support Centre for 2015. I offer individual support and counselling for children, parents and carers and staff in the school, as well as run class programs such as; Healthy Relationships; Managing Strong Emotions and Protective Behaviours. This is a voluntary, free and confidential service that addresses a variety of concerns such as:       Family conflict Parental separation/divorce Managing emotions Bullying and self-esteem issues Grief and loss Referrals to external services If there are any staff, parents, or carers who feel they require this service, please advise the admin team or alternatively you can contact me at the school on 94976435. I am available at the school on Monday and Tuesday. Please feel free to come and introduce yourself and to ask me any questions you may have. Thank you for welcoming me into your school and I look forward to working with you all. Kind regards, Ria Ryan School Based Support Services Parkerville Children and Youth. We have two students attending Agrifoods Certificate 1 this year at Hillside Farm. They are participating in the course with students from Kalamunda and Canning Vale High Schools. Students have made a great start to the year, working hard despite the very warm weather. They are learning about the different tools they will be using and have already started weeding and preparing our vegetables gardens for planting. Jordaan and Krystal are enrolled in Hospitality II working in the Industrial kitchen at Canning Vale College. This term working towards achieving their Barista certificate, which enables them to work in coffee shops. They are also working in our coffee club filling and taking orders, reinforcing the knowledge gained from their Hospitality course Armadale Education Support Centre is proud to introduce the Student Council of 2015. As our students enjoy and take pride in belonging to a secure, stimulating and harmonious environment, we assist in meeting this aim by encouraging students of all ages to take an active role in the decision-making processes of the school. The Student Council hopes to provide a platform for students to voice their views. The Council aims to offer all students a forum to have their opinions heard and their views taken into account as well as to empower students, improve social skills, independence, confidence, knowledge and transferable skills in a range of areas. The Council looks forward to working with all the teachers, staff and students to make your time at AESC a memorable one this 2015. Our Student Council of 2015 is: Emma Mossman President Brent Mitting Vice President Clayton Gregori Secretary Kiralee Wilson Board Member Joseph Rose Board Member The full fees and charges will be sent home within the next few weeks. Parents and Guardians with an eligible concession card will be able to apply for the Secondary Assistance Scheme and Clothing Allowance during Term 1. To claim the Allowance, please come into the office with your concession card to complete the application form by Thursday 2 April 2015. All Charges are compulsory and must be paid. We understand that finances within households can be tight and therefore offer the option of making gradual payments throughout the year. We are seeking interested members of the School Community and local community to self-nominate for the School Council. If you are interested in joining the School Council please let us know. If your child is going to be away please ring the office by 8.40 am so we can inform the teachers before the start of school, otherwise you will receive a phone call. All absentees need to be explained. Please call the office on 9497 6435 if your child is away from school. Mrs Poultney Registrar Greetings from MS1 It has been a busy couple of weeks for the staff and year 7 and 8 students in MS1. We have enjoyed getting to know each other and had a lot of fun in the process. The students are settling into high school very well. The students have had a lot on this term with school photos, Pink Stumps day, Vaccinations and the school swimming carnival. The class attends option classes within the high school such as woodwork, P.E. and Art. The students need to be commended for using their diaries as a means of keeping up the communication between the school and home and also for managing their busy schedules. A big congratulations goes out to Joseph Rose, who was elected as Student Councillor. He is a kind and considerate young gentleman who has taken on the responsibilities in his stride. I just know he will be a great representative for our class. We have a new and exciting addition to the class 'Nip' the crazy crab. He is settling in very well and has many new friends looking out for him. The teaching staff in the room Deputy Principal, Ms Keals and Ms Pritchard enjoyed meeting all the parents and caregivers this past week during the Individual Education Planning (IEP) meetings. We were really pleased with all the positive feedback from parents and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We were impressed with your eagerness to build great working relationships and wanting to be part of the school community. We hope to see you all at the monthly coffee mornings. We have many exciting projects coming up. Ms Keals, Deputy Principal Ms Pritchard, Class Teacher Our Student Council and Student Support Team would like to invite you to a coffee catch-up on Monday, 16 March at 8:45am. Please put this date in your diary or phone and when you drop off your children in the morning come join us for a coffee and a chat. We will introduce you to our student councillors who have some exciting things to tell you about our school being waste wise. You will also have the opportunity to meet Mrs Jennifer Pritchard (Student Services Coordinator), Mrs Audrey Wright (Workplace Coordinator), Ms Ria Ryan (Parkerville Social Worker), Ms Ash Sivanantham (Art Teacher and Student Services Support), and Mr Ryan Hill (YouthCARE Chaplain) – our Student Support Team. We are available to have a chat about your child and let us know how we can support you, and them, into the future We started term one with great energy and I was delighted to see the enthusiasm going on even in Week 4. All MS2 students have settled into their class and are very much aware of the classroom rules and class routine. It’s been amazing to see everyone so well focused during class. While the focus is still on I have started exposing students to some NAPLAN questions and students have been working in their groups and as a class in solving these questions. They are certainly making progress and we are all ready to strive. This year we have added 2 new subject to our timetable, Art and Metalwork. They always have lots to share after these classes, which is very exciting. Besides, we have four surfing lessons at Trigg Beach planned for this term as part of our Bush Rangers. The students are having an exhausting and thrilling time surfing in the hot summer. They have certainly upgraded their surfing skills from last year. Thank you to all parents who attended the IEP meeting and I am glad it all went according to plan. Your time and commitment towards your child’s education is really appreciated. Support and nurture your child so that we can bring the best of them. Mrs Kannan Class Teacher Welcome back to all of our students in year 9/10 in MS3. A big welcome to Byron Roberts, who joins us from Cannington Community College ESC. This term for Bush Rangers we have been going surfing at Trigg Beach. Two students, Kiralee and Page, both got to ride their surfboards standing up on medium sized waves. We have been very lucky to have Mr Singh teaching us metal work. We completed a spinner, and we are making a tool box to keep our projects safe. In music lessons with Ms Fenwick, we are forming a band with a singer, guitars, drums, and keyboards. We can’t wait to attend their first concert. During gardening we cleared the weeds, overgrown, and dead plants and fed and looked after the worm farms. We have had a very busy start to the year. Mrs Jenkins Class Teacher Currently our students are engaged in a variety of different programs around the school:  In mainstream our students participate in Music and Physical Education. Certain individual year 10 students participate in Math, English and Science  In class we have started our Preliminary English and Math, Direct Instruction, Work Studies, Keys for Life and Art programs. The year 11 and 12 students have already completed 3 weeks of Work Experience in variety of places. We have found this program gives students the chance to try out different jobs and also gives them a taste of workplace environments. In the past many students have gained part time jobs from their placements, and traineeships. Bush Ranger outings are still popular among staff and students as they give students the opportunities to learn new skills, which in turn are incorporated into our everyday classroom life. This term we are looking forward to our students participating in outings to CREEC, Recycling Centre and Kings Park. The purpose of this program is to develop awareness of our environment, confidence, and also appropriate behaviour within the community. If you have any questions regarding our programs, please do not hesitate to call. Kind Regards, Magda Jesionek Senior Teacher A big THANK YOU, to the staff and students from Armadale Senior High School and Armadale Education Support Centre, for your support for this day on Friday 20 March. It was great to see so many staff and students being brave and wearing pink! The atmosphere of the game was fun filled and enjoyed by all. Look forward to next year. Oh and we raised $590. Natalie Keals Deputy Principal The beginning of the school year is a great opportunity to begin fresh, set new goals and strive towards greatness. The enthusiasm and energy of the students and staff is always so contagious, and we have so many exciting and inspiring educational activities planned for students in Class SS2. Term 1 is very busy, with exciting events taking place. We have many plans underway for our Bush Rangers program. In week 3, students of Class SS2 enthusiastically participated in a Surfing activity as part of their Bush Rangers program. Teachers and students are quite excited about the next surfing lesson. Students of SS2 enjoy their work placements venturing on new experiences and have lots to say about their exciting moments at work. Eagerness and passion for hospitality has given Krystal her entry into Certificate II Hospitality. Sheldon’s enthusiasm at Hillside will enable him to achieve Horticulture Certificate I. Htoo Bar, Sheldon and Kieran have started working towards their goal for achieving their Certificate I in IDMT and Lee, Aiden and Clayton towards IDMT Cert II. SS2 students are been enrolled for the following endorsed programs: ADWPL, Keys for Life and Bush Rangers. Students are learning basic literacy and numeracy skills through the Preliminary units especially designed for students with special needs. Aiden Kaschull and Jake Nicholson have travelled to Melbourne representing WA to participate in the Australian Junior Basket Ball Championship. Good Luck to the boys. Hope students in SS2 have an enjoyable school year. Mrs Varughese Class Teacher