Thursday, 12 February 2026 / Published in NEWSLETTER

Caladenia News Issue 1 Term 1

W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024

Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026

Great Students, Great Staff, Great Parents, Building Greater Communities

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you all for a great start to 2026. The students are all settling in and the teachers are establishing their classroom routines. On my walks around the school, the students and families seem excited to be back at school.

Lost Property

Our lost property is located in the Sheoak block. There are a lot of items there that were left over from 2025. If your child is missing any items, please check this area. This is a great opportunity to make sure that all your child’s items are labelled, so if they get left behind then we will be able to make sure that it is returned to them.

Student Birthdays – Party bags and Gifts

Teachers will continue to acknowledge and celebrate your child’s birthday within their classroom to ensure each student feels special on their day.

However, we are no longer able to allow party bags of gifts to be handed out to students in the class.

Previously, we asked that if parents chose to provide party bags or gifts; they not include food items due to the wide range of allergies and cultural dietary requirements within our school community. Unfortunately, some party bags or gifts that have been provided have not followed this request, and in addition, some have included small toys that may present a choking hazard, particularly for our younger students.

To ensure the safety of all students and to allow staff to focus on teaching and learning, party bags and gifts will no longer be permitted for distribution in classrooms.

P&C

Our P&C held their AGM on Monday, 9 February.

We would like to share our special thanks to the committee members who have stepped down from the executive roles. We would like to thank Stacey Walker, for her work as the treasurer, Yvette Dunn-Moses as the Vice President and Kylie Chapman as our Book Club coordinator. We are very grateful to all of you for the wonderful job you did to support our school and the P&C.

The details of the new committee are as follows:

President: Leanna Roos

Vice President: Blessing Henry-Nwosa

Secretary: Tania Martellotta

Treasurer: Akiv Rohekar

Book Club: Michelle Morley

Executive Members: Natasha Lammas, Sophia Koa, Michelle Morley, Yvette Dunn-Moses and Birsel Genc

Please offer your support to our P&C. They play a vital role in our school in supporting a sense of community and organising events that bring families together. If you can volunteer for any events or would like to join as a member, please contact one of the people mentioned above.

Explicit Literacy Lessons and UFLI Australia

This year our Pre-Primary to Year 2 classes will be introducing a new method for teaching high-quality literacy instruction to our Literacy Blocks. UFLI Australia links with the University of Florida Literacy Institutes (UFLI) program, which encompasses more than twenty years of research into the effective teaching of phonics. Research shows significant reading gains for students using the program, promoting deep understanding and decoding skills. This program is embedded in the science of reading; it systematically builds essential skills for decoding and proficient reading. The teachers in Pre-Primary to Year 2 will be sharing more information about this in their Meet the Teacher meetings next week.

School Assessments

Last year we introduced two new measures for monitoring progress across all year levels in the school, throughout the year. We introduced Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), which provides information about students’ capabilities across several different aspects in reading. It measures whether each student is making adequate progress or requires additional support.

The second measure we introduced was Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) for both Reading and Mathematics. PAT for Reading and Mathematics are reliable assessment tools that are research based and have continued to be developed and built on over a significant period of time.

We will be continuing with these assessments this year and will be commencing these assessments shortly. Once the assessments have been conducted we will evaluate the information and determine if students need further assistance and what specific area assistance is required. If your child is identified in this group, we will be in contact with families to discuss how we will be supporting their child further.

As a school, we will continue to reflect on our assessment tools and support students’ learning through our teaching.

We all enjoy the holidays and the time that we get to spend with our families is valuable. Whilst valuing family time, regular school attendance is strongly linked to student growth and improved achievement.

Students who attend regularly tend to build relationships with peers and teachers, develop crucial social skills and experience a sense of belonging. Regular attendance also promotes the development of important life skills such as responsibility, time management and the ability to overcome challenges. Good attendance habits in all years, including the early years of school, can lead to improved long-term academic outcomes and future opportunities. Studies also consistently show, that the higher the attendance rate students tend to perform better academically and are more likely to succeed.

Missing school can disrupt learning patterns and make it harder for students to grasp concepts. Attending school every day goes far and beyond: it instils a sense of importance of commitment. Each day missed widens the gap and can make it stressful, disheartening and challenging for students.

Fostering an environment that values education begins at home. As parents, your approach and attitude toward school and learning, significantly influences your child’s perspective on attendance. This includes discussing the immediate benefits of learning new things, the excitement of making friends and developing a routine.

We are grateful for the support that our families give our school and in understanding the importance of regular attendance. If you require further support in helping your child overcome obstacles related to regular attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Thoughts:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr Suess

I look forward to seeing you around the school and catching up with you this term.

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School Events

Meet the Teacher Meetings

Next week, we have the Meet the Teacher meetings for the different year levels. Please check the time and day on School Stream, for your child/children’s year level.

Assembly

Our first Junior Assembly will be on Wednesday 18 February, it will be held in the undercover area. The Junior Assembly is for Pre-Primary to Year 2 students. The Assembly starts at approximately 8:40am. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Traffic Flow and Parking

Thank you to all the parents using the Kiss ‘n’ Drive on Bushy Gardens, we are having success with parents using the Kiss ‘n’ Drive correctly and it is working much better. Parents, please remember that the City of Gosnells request that all school families observe the traffic rules around the school:

· The Kiss ‘n’ Drive is not a parking zone – do not park in a Kiss ‘n’ Drive bay, or on Bushy Gardens in front of the Visitors parking

· Do not park on the footpath on the other side of the Kiss ‘n’ Drive

· Do not park on the wrong side of the road

· Always be aware of children on roads and footpaths

· Observe the 40km/hour speed zone around the school – it is there to protect our children

School News

Caladenia School App

Our school App is called School Stream and you can download it for free. It is an essential resource for parents to have as we use the app for all communication. It is also advised to keep your notifications setting turned on as, at times, it may be the only way the school can communicate.

Scan the barcode below or Download the School Stream app today.

Student Achievement

At Caladenia, we love showcasing our students’ sporting achievements and events, as well as any other interests that they would like to share with our Caladenia Community.

If you have something your child would like to share, please email along with photos to the email address below:

Justine.arnold@education.wa.edu.au

This week’s Super Star….Over the holidays Ivy, in Year 4 was invited to compete in the National Dance Competition on the Gold Coast, Queensland. With over 1000 dancers from all over Australia Ivy took out 5th place nationally along with an Expression award and Power-House performance award.

Congratulations Ivy on your outstanding achievement.

Class News

Year 1 Room 30 – Miss Williams

Year One, Here We Come!

The students of Room 30 have arrived with bright smiles and excitement, ready to start a fun year of learning and growing together in Year One.

As the Year One students stepped into the classroom on their first day, they spotted a special soccer ball name tag waiting just for them, turning the whole class into an instant team!

We then played some entertaining getting to know you games, which allowed the students to chat and discover fun things about each other. To top it off, the teacher shared a photo of when she was back in Year One!

The students then created their own ‘All About Me’ flower craft. Each student drew their favourite things on each part of the flower and shared their choices with their friends. The finished flowers were displayed in our classroom, helping everyone learn more about their new classmates.We have had a wonderful start to the year and look forward to sharing many more happy days together!

Year 6 Room 37 – Mrs Weissflog

Year 6 Room 37 have started the year working on the skill of cursive handwriting. You will find our 30 diligent writers working quietly first thing every morning as they ready themselves for the day with practise of the letters we have already learnt.

We are learning how to slope our writing as well as how to form the cursive letters. The students are working hard to remember that slowing their writing down to form the letters correctly, is better than having to rub out letters and redo them. Many are consistently reflective as they recognise a well written letter and a not so good one.

All students are already providing evidence of beautiful penmanship and are very excited about moving towards linking their letters together … eventually. Year 6 has started with many new things with students handling all changes with maturity and patience. We are very excited for what the final year of Primary School will include and are approaching everything with a ‘can do’ attitude and growing resilience.

P&C and Community News

NO CROSS WALK ATTENDANT –

Please be aware that there will be no cross-walk attendant on Boardman Road until March 3.

Please ensure that students are aware and cross with absolute caution.

2026 Community Expos

We are pleased to invite families to attend our 2026 Community Disability Expos, a series of free community events designed to connect people with disability, their families, and carers with a wide range of local NDIS providers and support services.

These expos provide a welcoming and inclusive space for NDIS participants, students with disabilities, and families who may be seeking information or new supports, as well as those who are new to the NDIS or planning to access services in the future.

Why attend?

Meet local NDIS providers and community support organisations
Learn about available supports, programs, and services
Ask questions and explore options in a relaxed, accessible environment
Free entry for all attendees
2026 Community Disability Expo Schedule

Kwinana Community Disability Expo
Wednesday, 15 April 2026 | 10:00am – 1:00pm
Ken Jackman Hall (Darius Wells Library and Resource Centre)
2 Robbos Way, Kwinana Town Centre WA 6167

Midland Community Disability Expo
Friday, 17 April 2026 | 10:00am – 1:00pm
Midland Sports Complex
45 Patterson Drive, Middle Swan WA 6056

Gosnells Community Disability Expo
Friday, 10 July 2026 | 10:00am – 1:00pm
Mills Park Centre – Function Room
Brixton Street, Beckenham WA 6107