Friday, 27 March 2026 / Published in NEWSLETTER

Caladenia Newsletter Issue 4 Term 1

Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026

Great Students, Great Staff, Great Parent, Building Greater Communities

Dear Parents and Carers,

Our school is a busy place, and the last couple of weeks have been no exception – our NAPLAN tests finished last Friday. We would like to thank all our staff for their support during this time. Many people took on new roles to support the students and to ensure that the process went smoothly.

The P&C held their Second-Hand Uniform and Icy Pole sale. Which was a great success! There were lots of students and families, all either purchasing an icy pole or stocking up on extra uniform pieces. Families, please remember to label all your child’s items so that they don’t get lost.

We also have some new information that we would like to share:

SustainabilityOur MAC class has been exploring sustainability and taking a closer look at how much waste we produce as a school community. Through their research, students have been surprised by the amount of rubbish that ends up in our bins each day – and they are eager to make a positive change!

To support this, we are excited to introduce Waste Free Wednesdays, which will start on Wednesday, 1 April.

On Wednesdays, students are encouraged to bring lunches and snacks that create little to no waste. Members of the MAC class will be visiting classrooms to share ideas and help everyone understand how they can take part.

How can families support this initiative?

It’s all about reducing what we throw away. Simple changes can make a big difference, such as:

· Packing food in reusable containers

· Using reusable beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap

· Avoiding single-use packaging where possible

· Choosing whole foods that don’t require wrappers

By working together, we can significantly reduce the amount of rubbish our school produces and help our students develop lifelong sustainable habits.

The MAC class will be launching this initiative at our Senior Assembly on Wednesday, 1 April. Please come along and support their presentation.

Clubs

We are incredibly proud of the initiative and leadership our students are showing across the school!

Recently, a number of Year 4 students came to share their idea of starting an Art Club during lunchtime. With the support of our wonderful Art teacher, Mrs Ewing, they are excited to begin working on creative projects that can be displayed around the school for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, some of our Year 6 students have proposed a wonderful idea: starting a Playgroup Club for our Pre-Primary and Kindy students. They are looking forward to visiting the younger classes, teaching new games, and encouraging inclusive play during break times.

We have also heard from our Year 5 team, who are keen to introduce a Chess Club, which will give students another opportunity to challenge themselves and develop strategic thinking skills.

Next term, we are excited to launch these three new lunchtime clubs, adding to the range of activities already available to our students. It’s fantastic to see students thinking creatively about how to make break times more engaging and inclusive for everyone.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming poster with details about which clubs will be running each day!

Thank you for your ongoing support as we celebrate and encourage student voice and leadership within our school community.

Riding to school

It’s wonderful to see so many of our students riding their bikes and scooters to and from school – what a great way to stay active and support a healthy lifestyle!

We do, however, ask for your support with an important reminder. We have received a number of concerns from local residents about children riding across lawns and, in some cases, damaging sprinkler systems.

We kindly ask all students to be mindful of our neighbours by:

· Riding or scooting on footpaths rather than on lawns

· Respecting private property

· Taking care when travelling to and from school

We value our positive relationships with our local community and appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations with your children.

Thank you for helping us keep our school environment safe, respectful and considerate for everyone.

Next week will be the last week of Term 1! The P&C will be holding the Bunny Breakfast on Thursday, 2 April. The Bunny Breakfast runs from 7:45 am to 8:15 am. Come along for a delicious breakfast before school. They are also running an Easter Raffle; make sure you get your tickets in by Wednesday, 1 April. There are some great prizes! If you have time to support the P&C at the Bunny Breakfast, please sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/8FLAM. The P&C will really appreciate your assistance. Come along, and you may be lucky enough to see the ‘Easter Bunny’!

I know it’s a week early, but we hope you all have a wonderful break, and we look forward to seeing you in Term 2. Enjoy your break, and stay safe.

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Thought: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison.

Traffic and Parking

School News

Waste Free Wednesdays

Coming Soon: Waste-Free Wednesdays! 🌿

Starting in Week 9, Wednesday 1st April and continuing into Term 2 our school is launching Waste-Free Wednesdays.

Every Wednesday thereafter, we are challenging our students to bring a “Nude Food” lunchbox. This simple change helps reduce the amount of plastic ending up in landfill and keeps our beautiful Western Australian school grounds clean.

What is a “Nude Food” Lunchbox?

It’s simply a lunch packed without any throw-away packaging. Everything in the lunchbox should be either eaten, composted, or taken home in a reusable container.

YES PLEASE (Waste-Free) ✅

Food in reusable containers (Bento boxes are great!)
Reusable snack bags or beeswax wraps
Fruit and veg (nature’s own packaging!)
A refillable water bottle
Metal or bamboo cutlery

NO THANKS (Try to avoid) ❌

Juice boxes, pouches, or plastic water bottlesPlastic cling wrap or silver foil
Single-use “zip-lock” bags
Individually wrapped snacks (muesli bars, chips)
Plastic spoons or forks

3 Simple Tips for Parents

Buy in Bulk: Instead of buying 6 small yoghurts in plastic tubs, buy one large tub and spoon it into a small reusable container. It’s cheaper and better for the planet!
The “Scrap” Exception: Don’t worry about apple cores or banana peels— these will decompose quickly and naturally.
Prepare Ahead: Try unwrapping snacks at home and popping them straight into the lunchbox compartments.
Why are we doing this?

Did you know the average Australian student creates about 3kg of lunchbox waste every year? By going “Nude” on Wednesdays, our school can save thousands of pieces of plastic from entering the environment. Thank you for supporting our student “Waste Warriors” in making our community a little greener!

HARMONY WEEK 21st April to 24th April

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.

Download the School Stream app today!

Student Achievement

Noah in Year 6 has achieved qualifying times to compete for the 2026 Aqua Technics WA Junior Championship which will be held this weekend at Perth HPC. This championship recognises and awards the top Junior swimmers across Western Australia throughout the 2025/26 Long Course Season and Noah will be competing against the best swimmers in the state.

Congratulations on your remarkable achievement Noah.

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

A “Bee-utiful” Incursion in Room 19

This week, the students in Room 19 were treated to a fascinating visit from Kate Powell of DPIRD as part of our Science focus this term. Kate shared her expertise on the vital role of bees in our environment and the importance of monitoring the Varroa mite. Our students were absolutely captivated, demonstrating fantastic engagement as they examined live bees safely within a demonstration frame.

They also had the unique opportunity to study preserved samples of native Western Australian bees, learning how to identify the species we might find in our own backyards. To top off an incredibly educational day, Kate kindly gifted every student a pot of honey to take home and enjoy. The students were ‘buzzing’! It was a truly “bee-youtiful” experience for everyone involved!

Wear you Sports shirt

On Wednesday this week we held “Wear your favourite team shirt day”. There was such a great variety around the school of favourite teams from AFL, soccer, netball and local community sports. We raised a total of $873.05 that will go towards Starlight Foundation. Thank you to everyone who donated.

Class News

Pre Primary Room 5 – Mrs Patton

Our Pre‑Primary students have been exploring 2D shapes and building their understanding of patterns through hands‑on learning. This week, students created their own pictures using a variety of 2D shapes, proudly sharing and explaining the shapes they chose and how they used them in their artwork.

They then extended their learning by designing vertical 2‑step and 3‑step patterns using different 2D shapes. The creativity and enthusiasm they brought to these tasks were wonderful to see.

Take a look at some of the amazing creations our young mathematicians produced.

Year 2 Room 28 – Miss Dos Santos

The Year Two students in Room 28 have been developing their understanding of nouns, with a special focus on the difference between common nouns and proper nouns. They learned that common nouns refer to general people, places, or things, while proper nouns name specific people, places, or things and always begin with a capital letter.

The students participated in a creative activity called “Proper Noun Pizza.” Each student designed their own pizza and filled the pepperoni pieces with examples of proper nouns. They carefully selected and wrote the names of specific people, places, and things, ensuring they used capital letters correctly. We love having our proper noun pizzas on display in our classroom!

Year 6 Room 33 – Mr Watson

Mr Watson’s Year 6 classroom, Room 33, has been hard at work this term, diving into a range of engaging and thought-provoking learning experiences. In English, students explored the differences between real and fake news, developing their ability to question sources, identify bias, and think critically about the information they encounter. They even began creating their own real and fake news articles, applying persuasive language and creativity to make their stories believable and engaging.

In Mathematics and our integrated curriculum work, students investigated number plates to create and interpret graphs, strengthening their data skills in a fun and meaningful context. We also explored concepts of above and below sea level, helping students build a deeper understanding of measurement, negative numbers, and real-world applications. It has been fantastic to see the class growing in confidence, curiosity, and independence across all learning areas.