27 February 2025

Principal’s Report

Week Four already with education programs including Edu-Dance well underway. Tomorrow is our Clean Up Australia School Day.  Last week was so busy with the School Board Meeting, Spearwood P & C meeting, a fantastic News Assembly and the annual student census.

First Prefect Assembly – Friday 21^st February

Well done to our Captains and Prefects for their first News assembly.  They did a great job.  Thank you to Mrs Miller and Room Six for a fantastic news item showing our Social and Emotional learning program ‘Highway Heroes’ in such an entertaining way.

In our student teachership voting, we had a tie which resulted in five instead of four prefect positions in 2025.

School Captains: Declan and Chloe

Prefects: Brock, Riley, Meghna, Ananya and Isabella.

Congratulations to our Faction Captains and Vice Captains who received their leadership badges at the assembly.  We decided on highest voting and both winning positions where there was a tie in votes

Blue Faction Captains:  Ananya and Violet.
Blue Faction Vice Captains: Brock and Raffael.

Gold Faction Captains: Declan and Riley
Gold Faction Vice Captains: Indy, Lillie and Isabella

Green Faction Captains:  Chloe and Tyrell
Green Faction Vice Captains: Jacob and Meghna

Congratulations to our Faction Captains and Vice Captains

School Board Meeting – Monday 17^th February

Spearwood Primary School Board’s Terms of Reference has the required numbers of the board members to be seven to twelve.  The School Board must have a majority of parent and community members.  Spearwood Primary School Board now has complete membership of eight members: three staff, four parents and one community member.

Staff Members are voted onto the School Board by Spearwood Primary staff at the beginning of the year on the School Development Days.

Staff Members:  Marta Rotondella, Principal – Mandatory Member of School Board
Lorraine Van Der Waarden, Manager of Corporate Services and Board Secretary
Casey Bright, teacher.

Parent Members are nominated by parents and voted on for membership by parents.  So far since having a board, we have always been able to accept any interested parents and not required a vote to select a parent member.  If you’re a parent and wish to nominate please contact us.  We currently have space for up to four more parent members.   

Parent Members: Crystal Pierce, Sarah Hayward, Sonia Nelson and Chae Byrne

Community Members are nominated and voted upon by the School Board including staff and community members.

Community member: Jodie Bridges.

The next Board meeting is Monday 24^th March, and all parents are welcome to come along.  Many parents over the years have come along as a visitor and then later decided to become a Board Member.

P & C Meeting – Wednesday 19^th February

Spearwood P & C held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a regular meeting to get the year started.  All the heavy workload jobs have been filled.  Mostly by the same fantastic mothers who held the roles in 2024.

Our P & C Executive Members:
President:  Sonia Nelson,
Vice-President:  Katherine Wood,
Secretary:  Sarah Hayward,
Treasurer: Rachel Kemp,

Executive Committee Members (2 required for schools under 200 students):

1. Aleksandra Demirovic
2. To be Confirmed

We were unable to finalise all the business of the AGM with some items needing to carry over until the next general meeting on Wednesday 26^th March.  This includes a second Executive Committee Member.  If you are interested, this role has no extra duties except for coming to meetings. 

If an executive member cannot make a meeting it is recommended that they send their apologies and hopefully a person to replace them at that meeting.  This enables the P & C to have a quorum and carry on making financial decisions.

P & C call out – Can you Help out Saturday 8^th March?

The usual people who work hundreds of hours each term, in their P & C roles and canteen, and have run sausage sizzles at previous voting and at Bunnings each year are not able to hold the sausage sizzle at the State Election next month.  We really like this fundraiser, although there is a bit of work, we are collecting money from the community and not our parents like most fundraising.

The P & C have passed the funds to purchase the required items and can help with the organisation before the day.  We have some volunteers but need more.  If you appreciate the canteen, uniform shop, funds being allocated to cover families for swimming, Mathletics being bought for every child that you can use at home, trophies and other items bought by the P & C this may be the day you can show your appreciation and support.

The set up will be around 7:15 am with the Sausage sizzle running from around 8am until sausages run out, hopefully around 2pm. If you can work a part of that time, please let us know.  Leave your name with the office and what time you are available. 

P & C Uniform Shop News

At present the purchase of faction shirts is suspended. There is low to no stock in most factions and sizes.  We are awaiting an order and will advise when you can order faction shirts again.

Recycling – Containers

Recycling is important and we are doing our bit.  The school has a Containers for Change bin in the undercover area, off Administration.  If you don’t do your own cashing in, the profits of this bin go to the P & C.  This is except for 1 cent per item which goes to Ability WA a charity that arranges the collection of our bin.

We are no longer recycling the student lunch drink containers as the emptying of the bin has become a health and hygiene issue.  

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2025

NAPLAN will take place from Wednesday 12th March to Tuesday 25th March.  Please ensure year three and five students are well rested at school each day to get these assessments completed.

Long Weekend

This weekend is the Labour Day long weekend so enjoy the three-day break.  We will see everyone back next month on Tuesday 4^th March.

Marta Rotondella
Principal

Deputy Principal's Report

Phoenix Shopping Centre School Rewards

A big thank you to those families who have signed up to the Phoenix Shopping Centre School Rewards program.

We are currently in 2nd place!!

If you’d like to help our school win a share of $10,000, please:

1.    Shop at Phoenix Shopping Centre between 10 February and 23 March.
2.    Upload your receipts here: https://www.phoenixschoolrewards.com.au 

By participating, you’ll also be entered into the weekly draw for a $250 gift card!

Please share this with family and friends to help our school claim the top prize!

For more details, visit the website: https://www.phoenixschoolrewards.com.au

Attendance

Spearwood Primary School are committed to providing safe and supportive learning environments for all students which address their educational needs. Regular and consistent school attendance and participation are essential for all students’ social and academic learning.

We expect students to attend school regularly and to participate fully to gain maximum benefit from schooling. Regular attendance enables students to access a full education, enabling them to reach their full potential. A student is determined to have regular attendance if they are attending at least 90% of the time.

Research conducted by the Kid Research Institute Australia showed that there is no safe level of school to miss. With each day of school missed making a difference, with the effect on learning accumulating over time.

Should a child’s attendance fall below 90%, teachers will work with families to identify causes for decreased school attendance, support the child to catch up on missed learning and if relevant, identify and implement strategies to support increased school attendance.

We do ask families to support us by ensuring children are only missing school when they are:

• sick
• attending cultural or religious observances such as sorry time and funerals,
• attending unavoidable medical appointment, or
• there is unavoidable natural event such as flood waters or a cyclone

Should you have any concerns over your child’s attendance, please arrange a time with your child’s teacher or see Ms Rotondella or Miss Sudholz in the office.

Upcoming Events

Merit Awards

Congratulations to all our students who received a merit certificate at our assembly on 21 February. 

Canteen

Our canteen specials cost $5.50 and includes a juice.

28 February
Beef Nachos

7 March
Chicken Curry & Rice

Village OSHC

Fremantle College

Fremantle College offer a free after-school extension program for Year 5 students, called Curiosity Club. 

CURIOSITY CLUB – Applications are Open!

Calling all Specialists in Training! Fremantle College’s Curiosity Club is a free after-school program which offers hands-on extension opportunities for students in Year 5.  Applications for:

Curiosity Club – Specialist Marine
Curiosity Club – Specialist ICT

Can be made using the below link:

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity – which could lead to an Early Offer to one of our Specialist Programs.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE FRIDAY 7 MARCH 2025

Saver Plus

Community News

Rossmoyne Senior High School

Applications open for 2026 entry into our Specialist Program in Volleyball, Mathematics or Classical Music.  Closes Friday 21 March 2025.

Cockburn Junior Football Club

Registrations now open for 2025!