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,
Thanks
I begin today’s newsletter by saying thank you, for allowing me to be a small part of your Caladenia Primary School community and, farewell, as I return to retirement for the third time in less than a year. Spending the last two terms here has been an extremely memorable “book end” to a career/vocation as a Teacher, School Administrator and Principal spanning across 45 years since 1981. I will treasure the memories I have of this wonderful school.
Working in education can be, on occasions, a very tough job. It does also have its very special moments where we are acknowledged by those we have educated. These moments are the extrinsic rewards that maintain our passion for our job.
I am honoured to be able to share one such moment that occurred on Tuesday 1st April at 6:28pm, via an email from a former Caladenia student to one of our Teaching staff. The student and teacher have allowed me to publish a slightly redacted version of their communications. This is one of those very special moments.
Dear (Teacher),
I hope that you still remember me and you yourself are doing well.
If you don’t, I was in your year 6 class of 2022.
Time flies so fast, and it feels like high school is a never-ending adventure. Looking back, year 7 was one of the most interesting years of my life. Adapting to high school life is very hard, but we all get there eventually, but it takes time for everyone to click. The jump from years 6 to 7 is massive, but year 8 was a whole different ballgame. Our tests at Perth Mod were much harder than in year 7, and it is the true test for high school, as you have already been there for a year and the expectations rise drastically. Despite the sleepless nights I had in year 8, looking back it was very fun and definitely a big year for my development physically and mentally. Stepping into year 9 has been difficult, as now we are closer to the end and are perceived as one of the older kids, but I will never forget year 6, one of the best years of my life and the most nostalgic as well as interesting.
Time truly flies.
I’ve heard everything at Caladenia and how so many things have changed, but I still believe that it is a great primary school, and there is no other one that I could ever imagine would give me the same joyous experiences.
Hope you’re doing ok and remember to never give up (as you taught me on countless occasions.)
Lots of love,
(Former Caladenia student)
Dear (Former Caladenia student)
What I hear in your email is your resilience and ability to be flexible in the face of each year’s new challenges. Knowing they will present themselves and being ready to act appropriately to get through your year being the best version of yourself is key. I’m glad that Caladenia has in some ways helped ready you for life in general. It sounds like you are doing well.
Yes, things have changed here but it is still the wonderful nurturing Caladenia that you have experienced.
(Teacher)
THOUGHT: Maintain your passion for your job
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”. Aristotle
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Confucius
Have a great school vacation. Caladenia Primary School eagerly awaits your safe return to Term 2 on Monday 28th April.
Paul Bottcher
Principal (about to retire again)
School News
Our applications for Kindy 2026 are now open.
If you have a child born between 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022, you are now eligible to enrol for Kindy in 2026.
Application forms can be collected from the front office. All applications are by appointment only and accepted between 9am and 2pm. Please call 6258 9350 to book.
School Stream 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.
Harmony Week
In week 8 of Term 1, our school came together to celebrate Harmony Week with a range of exciting
events! A huge thank you to our wonderful school community for participating and making this week so special.
Tuesday 25th March – Wear Orange Day
We kicked off our Harmony Week celebrations with ‘Wear Orange Day.’ Students and staff were invited to wear something orange, the official colour of Harmony Week, which symbolises social communication, meaningful conversations, and mutual respect. It was wonderful to see our school filled with a sea of orange, celebrating inclusivity and diversity!
Wednesday 26th March – ‘Everyone Belongs’ Family Event
From 3-6 pm, families, students, and staff gathered for our ‘Everyone Belongs’ family event. It was a fantastic opportunity to relax, connect, and enjoy a variety of delicious cuisines from food trucks, including Vietnamese, Indian, ice cream, and more! The evening was filled with laughter, great conversations, and a strong sense of community.
Thursday 27th March – Kindy Traditional Dress Day
Our Kindy students embraced the beauty of cultural diversity by dressing in their traditional attire for the day. It was heartwarming to see the pride in our young learners as they showcased their cultural heritage.
Friday 28th March – Harmony Day Assembly & Harmony Tree
We concluded the week with our Harmony Day assembly, where students and staff dressed in their cultural attire. Parents were invited to view our beautiful Harmony Tree, adorned with leaves representing each individual’s culture, demonstrating the incredible diversity within our school. One of the highlights of the assembly was the much-anticipated Harmony video created by Mrs. Witt. With a few giggles along the way, we enjoyed seeing our students and staff star in this heartwarming video!
Harmony Week was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and embrace our multicultural community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this week a success!
Caladenia Tree of Harmony
Harmony Week Visual Art Installation 2025
This year for Harmony Week each student celebrated the theme of Everyone Belongs by decorating an individual leaf. Students created drawings to represent different aspects of their own cultural backgrounds and produced some wonderful designs bursting with vibrant colours.
All the leaves were then brought together over two days and placed on to the giant 3D Tree installation that was set up in the centre of school to proudly celebrate every culture that makes up the wonderful environment, we as a whole school are very proud to call Caladenia.
Harmony Week is a wonderful celebration and acknowledgement of the beautiful cultural diversity we have here in Australia, of different cultures living, working and playing together in harmony.
Individually each leaf grows. Side by side each branch forms and all together a beautiful tree blossoms for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you to all our wonderful staff and students from Kindy to year 6 for working together on our beautiful Tree of Harmony. This has been my favourite Visual Art whole School project to date.
Kind regards
Ms Ewing.
Interschool Summer Carnival
Well done on a fantastic Summer Carnival!
A big congratulations to everyone who took part and managed to power through the strong winds and rain last Friday! It was incredible to see students competing with enthusiasm, proudly representing their schools, and showing excellent sportsmanship.
Results were as follows:
Volleyball A division 2nd B Division 3rd
Tee ball A division 2nd B Division 3rd
Cricket A division1st A division (Team 2) 3rd B division 3rd
Basketball A division 1st A division (Team 2) 4th B division 3rd
A special thank you to all the staff and parent volunteers who helped throughout the day, ensuring the carnival ran smoothly.
Kind regards,
Lachlan Bailey/Brent McCurrach/Tracy Holmes
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
Class News
Year 1 Room 10 – Miss Lewis
It is hard to believe that Term 1 is almost over! To kick off the Easter celebrations, the students in Room 10 were delighted to discover small chicks in their trays. They were given the opportunity to adopt a chick for the week, choosing a name and creating a personal signature for it. Additionally, we read the story How to Catch the Easter Bunny, which inspired the students to brainstorm and compose their own procedures for capturing the Easter Bunny. The festivities continue as the students have designed and compiled a list of materials needed to create their own Easter or holiday hats, which they will construct and showcase later this week, tying in nicely with our design and technologies program.
In keeping with the Easter theme, students have been enhancing their understanding of addition and subtraction in mathematics, applying these skills through a variety of engaging Easter-related activities. Room 10 students have also refined their science senses knowledge by completing a senses activity of what they can feel, smell, hear, see and taste at Easter time. Hot cross buns and chocolate eggs were both popular choices for all our senses!
Year 2 Room 16 – Miss Sheed
On Tuesday this week, Room 16 visited Kalamunda History Village as part of our HASS program. We learnt about how the first pioneers in Kalamunda lived, worked and went to school. We got to play with old toys, sort the fruit for the market and even help with the household chores- the old way! We had a great time living in the past!
Year 6 Room 37 – Mrs Weissflog
Yr 6 have been learning the cycle of Brainstorm-Plan-Make-Test-Evaluate during our Design Technology lessons this term. Students were tasked with creating a step-by-step plan to use our Strawbees to make a 3D shape.
Students knew what the parts of Strawbees were and how they worked, but were not allowed to make the shape as they wrote their plan. The challenge was in creating exact steps to write in their plan. Once the plan was created there would be no adjustments made while they were making their shape following only the steps they had written as they were written… exactly!
Although most plans looked great and students were confident in this ‘easy’ task, there was a quick realisation that what you had in your head as a step, was not translated onto the plan as a written step. In this case many 3D shapes went… pear shaped 😊 Room 37 have enjoyed the process of laughing and learning especially from the initial epic fails.
P&C and Community News
P&C Raffle and Bunny Breakfast
Easter Raffle Winners:
Congratulations to the following winners of the P&C Easter Raffle.
Bunny Breakfast
The P&C held another successful ‘Bunny Breakfast’ this year! Many families took the opportunity of enjoying a hot cross bun and a fruit drink before school commenced on Tuesday morning.
Lots of families and staff volunteered to ensure that everyone enjoyed the morning event. The Easter raffle was well supported with lots of families purchasing tickets in the hope of winning one of the amazing prizes donated by our families. It was great to see so many families join in and start the day a little differently to how we start most school mornings. The school wishes to thank the P&C for all their efforts and enthusiasm in hosting such a great event. We feel fortunate to have such great parents support our school.
The money the P&C are raising is to go towards gazebos for our school and interschool carnivals.
Wishing all our Caladenia Families a very safe and happy Easter break.
Term 2 commences for students and staff on Monday 28th April.
W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024
Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026
Dear Parents/ Carers,
Thanks
To Miss Chloe Rowe and her band of supporters and helpers including the HASS Committee for a wonderful family event on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Thanks to the community for coming together to create “Harmony”.
Thanks to our vendors for making the event enjoyable and the “Ice Cream van is sold out!”
School Changes
• Mrs Brylie Clements will be going on Maternity leave in Term 2 commencing the end of Week 1. Mrs Angela O’Malley will move in to the role of Deputy Principal for all of Term 2. Miss Kira Sunkar will take on the role of K3A and K3B teacher, replacing Mrs O’Malley. Miss Sunkar’s role will be replaced by Ms Darcy Pickett, a teacher with 3 years of experience in early childhood education in the North West of WA. We have been lucky to have Ms Pickett join us as a relief teacher since the start of 2025. We know she will move into Miss Sunkar’s current roles with ease.
• Ms Lee-Anne Bartlett is going to be away in the Wheatbelt as a Level 3 Primary Principal at Yealering for the first 5 weeks of term 2. She will be replaced by Ms Marie Lynch who joined us as a relief teacher earlier this term. We welcome Marie to a classroom teaching role in our great school.
Traffic Flow and Parking
Parking and Pick Up has improved over the last two weeks thanks to the majority of parents doing the right thing. Let us all work together and make Drop Off and Pick Up as safe as is possible.
Remember that the Kiss and Drive is not a parking zone.
The City of Gosnells Ranger will be in attendance from time to time and will issue infringement notices.
Please do not carry out dangerous driving around the school or park where and how you should not – please do not be the person who, for the sake of a few minutes of patience, creates an accident outside our wonderful school.
It is only for a short twenty minutes in the mornings and afternoons that we need to be super careful, polite and patient.
Our school happenings
• NAPLAN is completed for all the children in Years 3 and 5.
• Harmony Week activities and Assemblies occurred this week (Tuesday – Friday)
• Summer Carnival Day (Year 5 & 6 only) has been scheduled by the South-Central School Sports Assoc. for Friday 4th April and a back-up day for Wednesday 9th April if needed due to weather conditions. More information will come out soon.
• Year 2 Kalamunda Excursions – Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th April (2 classes a day)
• Our ANZAC Day Ceremonies/Assemblies will be held on Thursday 10th April.
A very busy end to Term One!
This is a 10-week term and ends on Friday 11th April for students and Staff.
Term 2 is also an 10-week term – starting on 28th April and ending on 4th July.
THOUGHT: Working Together
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford
Have a great weekend. See you all in Week 9.
Paul Bottcher
Principal
School News
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.
And that’s a Wrap…
Harmony Day Celebrations
Wow, what a wonderful week of Harmony Day celebrations we have shared with the student’s, staff and community. From wearing orange on Tuesday, to our Family event where the ice cream truck was very much appreciated on that hot day and sold out of ice cream. We had the beautiful Harmony Week tree set up where each class created leaves to display. To finish off the week, students dressed in cultural outfits for our Harmony Week assembly.
Thank you to everyone for participating in all the events.
Kindy Fairy Incursion
On Monday and Tuesday the Kindy classes enjoyed a morning of music and songs through storytelling by Fairy Rebecca.
This experience was fun for all students, please see the photos below.
Student Achievement
On the March long weekend, Ethan had the awesome chance to represent the Thornlie & Districts Teeball Association at the Teeball State Championships at Yokine Reserve. Over 80 teams from across metro and country areas competed, each playing 5-6 games throughout the weekend.
Ethan made the U10 Gold Teeball Team and has been working hard since October, with twice-weekly training and 5 pre-state carnivals (in addition to his club training and games). These carnivals were key in helping the team gel and get ready for the championship.
Ethan’s team finished 3rd in A Division, bringing home a bronze medal. Ethan was a key player, mainly as an outfielder and 5th batter, contributing to the team’s success both in the field and at the plate. Ethan got two home runs at the States Championships, which was absolutely wonderful to celebrate.
Ethan and the team showed incredible dedication, and their bronze medal reflects their hard work and sportsmanship. Well done Ethan.
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
Class News
Year 1 Room 21 – Ms Duracic and Mrs Hemelaar
Harmony Week Celebrations: Everyone Belongs!
This week, our school has been proudly celebrating Harmony Week, a time to recognise and embrace the rich diversity of our community. Harmony Week is all about inclusiveness, respect, and ensuring that everyone feels a sense of belonging.
As part of the celebrations, students have been learning about kindness and how we can show it to our friends and teachers. We read inspiring books such as Whoever You Are by Mem Fox and Born to Stand Out by Nikki Rogers, which remind us of the importance of compassion and kindness.
On Tuesday, everyone wore orange to show their support for the values of Harmony Week. In class, each student decorated a leaf with their name, colours, and pictures representing what they love and reminds them of kindness. These individual leaves will come together to form a beautiful school-wide art collaboration, creating a colourful tree of Harmony that will be proudly displayed. We also created chameleon puppets inspired by the story Born to Stand Out.
Thank you to everyone for your participation in making this week a meaningful celebration of diversity and inclusion.
Year 6 Room 20 – Mr Lam
Year 6 Maths in Action: Carpark Investigation!
Room 20 students recently took their learning beyond the classroom with an exciting hands-on Maths activity! The students worked together on a cohort-wide investigation that turned the staff carparks into a real-world data collection site.
The task? To observe the license plates of parked cars and record the letters and numbers they spotted. Armed with tally sheets and sharp eyes, students carefully counted how often each letter and number appeared.
Once back in the classroom, they transformed their raw data into bar graphs, allowing them to visually interpret their findings. This activity helped reinforce key mathematical concepts like data collection, frequency tables and graphing while also encouraging teamwork and observation skills.
The students thoroughly enjoyed this interactive lesson, proving that Maths is all around us—even in the school carpark! Well done to all the Year 6s for their enthusiasm and effort in making this a successful learning experience.
P&C and Community News
W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024
Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thanks
To our wonderful P&C Team who perform magical events for us all to enjoy, year in and year out. I congratulate Leanna Roos (President) and Yvette Dunn-Moses (Vice-President) along with their Executive for taking on Leadership positions for 2025 and beyond.
The 2024 year was marvellous with many events carried out by the P&C – they have helped build a culture of cooperation and support in our community. Thank you so much.
A big thanks to outgoing Michelle Morley and Chelsea Walker for their part in shaping the P&C team and support for the children in this school. Thank you, Michelle and Chelsea.
School Changes
I begin by saying that I have been honoured to have been able to undertake the role of Principal at Caladenia Primary School, a school of great students, great staff, great parents, working together in building greater communities.
I am returning to retirement (again) at the end of the April school holidays. This will require some staffing changes that I have discussed and confirmed with our Assistant Director of Education at the regional office. Our intent is to maintain stability of leadership without too much interruption to the great routines and relationships established at our school.
I am pleased to announce the following changes:
· Mrs Paula Asplin will move in to the role of Principal, at this point in time, until the end of Term 2. Mrs Asplin will work alongside me for Weeks 8 to 10 of Term 1, enabling a thorough handover of responsibilities
· Mrs Victoria Avery will move in to the role of Deputy Principal in Week 8 of Term 1 until the end of Term 2. Mrs Sonia Joseph will cover Mrs Avery’s Year 5 class until we can appoint Ms Caitlin Taylor, hopefully for the start of Week 10, Term 1. Ms Taylor completed her final student teacher placement with Mrs Avery (Year 5) in Term 4 last year and, therefore, is very familiar with the Caladenia approach to teaching, and our classroom routines and expectations.
· Mrs Brylie Clements will be going on Maternity leave in Term 2 commencing around Week 3. Mrs Angela O’Malley will move in to the role of Deputy Principal for the remainder of Term 2. Miss Kira Sunkar will take on the role of K3A and K3B teacher, replacing Mrs O’Malley. Miss Sunkar will be replaced by Ms Darcy Pickett, a teacher with 3 years of experience in early childhood education in the North West of WA. We have been lucky to have Ms Pickett join us as a relief teacher since the start of 2025. We know she will move in to Miss Sunkar’s current roles with ease.
Traffic Flow and Parking
It is extremely unfortunate that I need to repeat this message again to parents.
Unfortunately, on numerous occasions over the past 2 weeks, I have witnessed, in person and had reports of dangerous driving by some of our parents. Cutting the corner and/or on the wrong side of the road is dangerous at the best of times, but when children are crossing over the intersection of Bushy Gardens, it becomes sheer luck that someone is not killed.
I am at a loss as what to do other than request City of Gosnells Ranger and WAPOL Traffic Police assistance if this parental behaviour continues. Staff at Caladenia are here to educate your children in a safe and protective environment. We are not here to educate parents on road safety, common courtesy, pro-social behaviour and polite respect for others.
Please do not carry out dangerous driving around the school or park where and how you should not – please do not be the person who, for the sake of a few minutes of patience, creates an accident outside our wonderful school.
It is only for a short twenty minutes in the mornings and afternoons that we need to be super careful, polite and patient.
Our school happenings
· NAPLAN is occurring from Wednesday 12th March to Monday 24th March in several classrooms throughout the school. If you are visiting the school during teaching times, please be aware of the need for silence for these children in Years 3 and 5.
· Harmony Week activities and Assemblies Week 8 (Tuesday – Friday)
· Summer Carnival Day (Year 5 & 6 only) has been scheduled by the South-Central School Sports Assoc. for Friday 4th April and a back-up day for Wednesday 9th April if needed due to weather conditions. More information will come out soon.
· Year 2 Kalamunda Excursions – Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th April (2 classes a day)
· Our ANZAC Day Ceremonies/Assemblies will be held on Thursday 10th April.
A very busy end to Term One!
This is a 10-week term and ends on Friday 11th April for students and Staff.
Term 2 is also an 10-week term – starting on 28th April and ending on 4th July.
THOUGHT: CHANGE
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Barack Obama
Have a great weekend.
Paul Bottcher
Principal
School News
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
What’s happening in our Harmony Week Celebrations!
This year we are celebrating Harmony Day with a week of events! Here is a list of the events we have planned to celebrate Harmony Week.
Tuesday 25th March – Wear Orange Day
Orange is the official colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.
Students and Staff are invited to wear something orange to celebrate Harmony Week.
Wednesday 26th March – ‘Everyone Belongs’
Family Event 3pm to 6pm
Take the night off cooking –bring a picnic rug and come and spend some time with other families from the school community. There are food trucks coming and music to help celebrate our Harmony Week.
Thursday 27th March Year Level Collage Display
All students will create an art piece to prepare a collaborative whole school art display representing Harmony Week ~ Everyone Belongs. Each Year Level will participate in the display and it will be on pin-up boards, which will be placed outside the Undercover Area to celebrate Harmony Week!
Thursday 27th March – K2A & K3A Traditional Dress
As the children in K2A and K3A don’t attend school on Fridays – we are inviting our Kindy students to dress in their Traditional Dress on this day.
Friday 28th March – Harmony Day Assembly
Students and staff are invited to dress in their cultural dress to attend the Harmony Day Assembly. If your country doesn’t have a cultural dress, students are encouraged to wear their country colours, eg, Australia, green and gold.
The Harmony Day Assembly will commence at 8:40am in the Undercover Area.
It is for all classes from PP to Yr 6.
Parents are welcome to attend.
Student Lunches
We are currently experiencing many students who are attending school with no, to little lunch supplied.
School lunch is important for our students as it provides energy throughout the school day, which can impact their focus and assists them in participating actively in classroom activities.
A few ideas to help parents, students and carers are below:
• Ensure the student has enough food for a recess break and lunch, sometimes packing a little extra fruit or vegetables can take away those cravings and perhaps even an extra sandwich or two will fill their little tummies.
• If the student has food that requires a spoon or fork, parents are asked to supply an environmentally safe utensil as the school does not have any student cutlery.
• Add a variety of colours to their lunchboxes for a little fun and excitement.
• Cut sandwiches and fruit into shapes
• When placing canteen orders, please double check you have received your confirmation email and the class room name blocks are correct as many orders are not going through correctly and being misplaced.
Class News
Pre Primary Room 6 – Mrs Haug
This term in Pre-primary we are learning about living things. As part of this topic, we are growing bean plants in class and taking care of them each day. We are learning what plants need to grow, and identifying different parts of the plant. We are also creating a beautiful picture of a flower and attempting to label it correctly.
Year 2 Room 28 – Miss Dos Santos
For Science in Room 28, we are learning how to conduct experiments. We have learned how to make a hypothesis and the types of variables we must consider when doing an experiment. Over the past couple of weeks we have been testing the best amount of sunlight needed to grow peas. Some plants have been given direct sunlight and some indirect sunlight. Our plants are thriving!
Community News
W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024
Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thanks
Thank you to all families for helping us have a very smooth start to the year. Children and staff have settled rapidly into good routines and are forming strong and lasting relationships. We are grateful to all new staff for the wonderful way they have committed to our great school and the feedback from them is that they enjoy the school’s culture and support they are given by our school community.
Thank you for your understanding in the recent summer weather we have experienced – these uncomfortable conditions place an enormous stress load staff and students alike We keep the students safe and hydrated – any take this opportunity to always reinforce our “no hat – no play” policy.
The Welcome Back to School event on Friday of Week 2 was successful with many parents meeting new families and staff members. These celebrations help us to bond as early as possible with families so that everyone feels that they are part of the larger family of Caladenia. Thanks to the P & C, the Executive Team and Teachers for their time to make this event happen.
School Events
P&C AGM was on Monday 17 February in the Staff Room, and we have welcomed new members and new Executive members. The work that our P&C do to make Caladenia a better place is deeply appreciated. Please join and support them.
In Weeks 2 and 3 we held Meet the Teacher events in the Undercover Area and PP/K areas for all Year groups.
This term, we are planning for the
• Centre for Excellence program Intern Schools at Caladenia on Wednesday 5th March.
• P & C Sausage Sizzle stall at Caladenia Polling Place on Saturday 8th March
• P & C General Meeting on Monday 10th March at 7:00pm
• NAPLAN – Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24th March for Years 3 and 5 only
• Harmony Week activities and Assemblies Week 8 (Tuesday – Friday)
• Summer Carnival Day (Year 5 & 6 only) has been scheduled by the South-Central School Sports Assoc. for Friday 4th April and a back-up day for Wednesday 9th April if needed due to weather conditions. More information will come out soon.
• Year 2 Kalamunda Excursions – Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th April (2 classes a day)
• Our ANZAC Day Ceremony/Assembly will be held on Thursday 10th April.
A very busy Term for all!
Repeat – Traffic Flow and Parking
The City of Gosnells request that all school families observe traffic rules around the school – the Ranger will be visiting our school in the mornings and afternoons during the term to observe traffic flow and rules of parking. The Ranger requests
Do not park in a Kiss and Drive Bay or NO STOPPING, NO PARKING areas
Do not double park
Do not drive on the wrong side of the road for ANY distance
Do onto park on the nature strips/lawns around the school
Do not park against the flow of traffic
Do not stop or park in bus bays
Always be aware of children on roads and footpaths, grassed areas
Walk or cycle/ride to school
Always stop on the school side of the road so your child is not crossing the road
Use the crosswalk at all times
Use parent parking on school site properly – be quick so others can also access the parking
Do not block driveways
Do not park on footpaths
Don’t get frustrated – it doesn’t help, and children will be the losers if you “lose it”
Observe the 40km/hour speed zone – it is there to protect your children
A fine will be imposed of $100 for not observing the above and $500 for parking in a Disabled Parking Bay
Thank you in anticipation.
Reminder
• This is a 10-week term and ends on Friday 11th April for students and staff.
• Term 2 is also a 10-week term – starting Monday 28th April and ending Friday 4th July.
THOUGHT: We want to develop our students to become Lifelong Learners.
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. “– Albert Einstein.
Paul Bottcher
Principal
School News
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.


Canteen Orders – 20 March 2025
Please be advised that Canteen Orders for Thursday 20th March are pre-order only and will close on Friday the 14th of March.
No orders can be made on the day of the Thursday 20th of March.
There will be some additional items on the menu, such as Sushi!
Harmony Week Overview 2025
This year we are celebrating Harmony Day with a week of events! Here is a list of the events we have planned to celebrate Harmony Week.
Tuesday
25th March – Wear Orange Day
Orange is the official colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.
Students and Staff are invited to wear something orange to celebrate Harmony Week.
Wednesday 26th March – ‘Everyone Belongs’
Family Event 3pm to 6pm
Take the night off cooking –bring a picnic rug and come and spend some time with other families from the school community. There are food trucks coming and music to help celebrate our Harmony Week.
Thursday 27th March Year Level Collage Display
All students will create an art piece to prepare a collaborative whole school art display representing Harmony Week ~ Everyone Belongs. Each Year Level will participate in the display and it will be on pin-up boards, which will be placed outside the Undercover Area to celebrate Harmony Week!
Thursday 27th March – K2A & K3A Traditional Dress
As the children in K2A and K3A don’t attend school on Fridays – we are inviting our Kindy students to dress in their Traditional Dress on this day.
Friday 28th March – Harmony Day Assembly
Students and staff are invited to dress in their cultural dress to attend the Harmony Day Assembly.
The Harmony Day Assembly will commence at 8:40am in the Undercover Area.
It is for all classes from PP to Yr 6.
Parents are welcome to attend.
Class News
Year 1 Room 32 – Mrs Heinzman
A creative start to the year
We have had so much fun reading and reciting the Jill Eggleton poem, A Fu Fu Bird. We practised reading with expression (don’t read like a robot!) and placing emphasis in the right places. We drew our own version of the Fu Fu Bird and enjoyed comparing our drawing to that of the author’s. In groups, we made up our own ‘squawk’ which gave us all a good laugh! But best of all … we made our own Fu Fu Bird with paper plates, feathers and googly eyes. We love having our colourful Fu Fu Birds decorating our classroom door!
We continued our creative journey in Maths by making a Ten Frame Monster. The Ten Frames are helping us to develop our number sense. We coloured our monster’s top set of teeth in one colour, and the bottom set in another colour. Then we added those together to get the total number of teeth. Our goofy monsters are hanging up in our classroom – come and check them out!
Year 6 Room 42 – Mr Johnson and Mr Bailey
In Year 6, our students have been exploring how changes in altitude and sub-sea-level environments affect the human body. Through thorough research and investigation, they’ve uncovered remarkable insights, culminating in the creation of an infographic to showcase their understanding. A key focus for our Caladenia Year 6 cohort is high school readiness, emphasizing the development of critical thinking and research skills to navigate more complex information. Their impressive work will soon be displayed in our Room 42 classrooms—you’re welcome to visit and admire their outstanding creations.
School Board, P&C and Community News
Welcome our new Caladenia P&C Committee for 2025
President : Leanna Roos
Vice President: Yvette Dunn-Moses
Secretary: Tania Martellotta
Treasurer: Stacey Walker
Executive Members: Natasha Lammas, Sophia Koa, Prateek Godika, Kelli Ritchie, Paula Asplin
Book Club Organiser: Kylie Chapman
My name is Leanna Roos and I am the new President of the P&C. My husband Axel is a FIFO Dad and we have two daughters, Charlotte who is in year 3 and Tessa who is in year one. I’ve just finished a course and am now a qualified Education Assistant. I’m excited for the year ahead and what the committee can do for the school community. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Vice President – Yvette Dunn-Moses
Yvette Dunn-Moses is a South African living in Perth since 2019. Working part time as a Youth Worker for City of Gosnells. She is a visual artist, holds a Master degree in Visual Arts and claims her best creation yet is her son Guerra. Yvette is the Vice-President of the P&C.Secretary – Tania Martellotta
I’m Tania and I’m excited to be the new P&C Secretary. I have three children at Caladenia in Years 1, 4 and 6. I have been actively involved with the P&C for several years, and I also work part-time in banking. Outside of work and volunteering, I enjoy a good coffee, reading and spending quality time with my family.
Treasurer – Stacey Walker
Hi, I’m Stacey and I’m the Treasurer for 2025. I have two kids, a year 6 and a year 8. My daughter is in her last year at Caladenia and my son graduated from Caladenia in 2023.
This will be my fourth year as treasurer for Caladenia, though I have been involved in P and Cs for 10 years and have held various positions during that time.
As the treasurer I take care of the accounts of the committee including end of year financial statements, fundraising reports and banking. My role involves liaising with various institutions including WACSSO, Associations online, ATO and our bank to ensure all deadlines are met.
Book Club Organiser – Kylie Chapman
Hi! I’m Kylie and this is my third year in the role of Book Club Co-Ordinator. It will also be my last! After 9 years at Caladenia my youngest daughter will graduate at the end of the year. I will be looking for someone to learn the ropes at the end of the year and take over in 2026- please let the office know if you would like more details.
I hope that my helping with Book Club has helped develop a love of books and reading in our little people. Together we have also raised funds for the library staff to spend on books for our children. Thank you for your support!
Executive Member – Sophia Koa
I’m Sophia and I’m a newly appointed Executive Member of the P&C. I’m a working mum with a Year 4 and a Year 2 currently in Caladenia. Originally from Malaysia, I have lived in Canning Vale for more than 10 years. Please feel free to approach me with any queries if you see me around the school (I’ll be wearing a P&C badge)!
Please see the link below for further information on our P&C and come down and support the P&C on Election Day.
Please click the link below to visit the Safety Around Schools brochure.
safety_around_schools_brochure_V1
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome
To all our returning 2024 families and students, welcome back. To all our new families for 2025, welcome to our wonderful school community.
Term 1 began for staff on Monday 3rd February, and we welcomed a group of new staff, some to permanent vacancies and others to fixed-term positions for the year.
When I began in Term 4 I had the privilege to interview 21 applicants for positions at our school. I learnt a lot about Explicit Instruction and Kagan Strategies and even discovered how we use pop sticks in Primary School.
All our staff have settled rapidly into a new year, new strategies and new rooms for many.
I am very happy to be back at Caladenia for Term 1 this year and can confirm my last day as your Principal will be Sunday 27th April. I am back into retirement for the third time in less than 12 months.
Students started on Wednesday 5th February to be greeted with the usual Term 1 “hot” weather. Despite the heat they have settled very well in to a new year of learning and growth. Our teachers were very excited to be able to welcome back our returning students and meet and greet all our new Caladenia students.
New Staff
The following staff are returning to our school as permanent members of staff;
· Linda Anderson – K/PP Teacher
· Zac D’Souza – Year 2 Teacher
· Cody Lam – Year 6 Teacher
· Erin McAllister – Year 5 Teacher
We also welcome Laura Reese back from extended leave. Laura will be leading our EALD program for 2025.
The following staff are returning to our staff as fixed term teachers;
· Corey Griffiths – Year 6 Teacher
· Taylia Lewis – Year 1 Teacher
· Melanie Robinson – DOTT cover
· Katia Stirling – Art and DOTT Teacher
The following staff are joining us for the first time at our wonderful school as fixed term teachers;
· Olivia Atwell – Year 3 Teacher
· Jessica East – Year 4 Teacher
· Elena Fucentese – School Officer (Admin)
· Tina Jones – Year 1 Teacher
· Joanne Thompson – Year 4 Teacher
· Jacob Westley – Year 6 Teacher
Traffic Flow and Parking
The City of Gosnells request that all school families observe traffic rules around the school – the Ranger will be visiting our school in the mornings and afternoons during the term to observe traffic flow and rules of parking. The Ranger requests
· Do not park in a Kiss and Drive bay or NO STOPPING, NO PARKING areas
· Do not double park
· Do not drive on the wrong side of the road for ANY distance
· Do not park on the nature strips/lawns around the school
· Do not park against the flow of traffic
· Do not stop or park in bus bays
· Use Kiss and Drive bays as DROP-OFF only
· Always be aware of children on roads
· Walk or cycle/ride to school
· Always stop on the school side of the road so your child is not crossing the road
· Use the crosswalk at all times
· Use parent parking on school site properly – be quick so others can also access the parking
· Do not block driveways
· Do not park on footpaths
· Don’t get frustrated – it doesn’t help and children will be the losers if you “lose it”
· Observe the 40km/hour speed zone – it is there to protect your children
A fine will be imposed by Rangers for not observing the above and for parking in a Disabled Parking Bay
Our School
· Term 1 2025 is a 10-week term and ends on Friday 11th April for students and staff
· Term 2 begins on Tuesday 29th April for students and staff.
I wish all our families and staff a happy and productive year of learning at Caladenia. We all work together to do all we can to make sure our students receive the very best education we can possibly provide. Please work with us to support your teachers and your children’s learning.
Thank you
Thought: Learning is a journey. We have never arrived…..
Principal
Paul Bottcher
School News
Our 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
Senudi Shines at the Australian Junior Chess Championship 2025
Congratulations to Senudi for her outstanding performance at the Australian Junior Chess Championship 2025, where she secured 2nd runner-up in the Under 12 Girls category. This prestigious national tournament, held at Manning Community Centre in Perth from 13th to 21st January, brought together the best young chess players from across the country, showcasing an incredible level of talent and competition. Senudi’s dedication, strategic thinking, and hard work have once again placed her among Australia’s top junior chess players.
Beyond the chessboard, Senudi also showcased her musical talents as a chorister. She had the incredible opportunity to sing with the One Big Voice Studio Choir at the Perth Nativity Concert, held on the 22nd and 23rd of December at Forrest Place, and at the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony of the City of Wanneroo, held at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School in Mindarie.
Congratulations to Senudi on these remarkable achievements in both chess and music! Her commitment and passion continue to inspire us all.
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
Mathematics Text Books
We understand that there have been some delays in families receiving their orders for the Oxford Mathematics Text book and the Math Mate Text books. We have contacted Campion Education and they have advised that they do have the Oxford Mathematics Texts in stock, and they are waiting for some supplies of the Math Mate texts to arrive. Campion Education advised that they should have all items by the end of February. If families are waiting for a back order can they please follow-up with Campion Education and obtain the text books as soon as possible. This will enable classes to begin using the texts in the Mathematics program. We thank you for your assistance.
Class News
Year 1 Room 30 – Miss Williams
Year One is Fun!
What an exciting start to the year Room 30 has had! It was amazing to see so many smiling faces starting Year One for the first time!
To break the ice, to get to know our new friends we shared our ‘All About Me Bags’. We collected miniature objects, photos, drawings or anything that would fit in the bag from home that tell a little bit about ourselves. Some interesting news items included a Godzilla figurine, a Super Mario Lego structure and many cute baby photos! It was a lot of fun sharing our favourite things.
We also learnt how to create a safe classroom environment by learning how to make good decisions by understanding red and green choices. We discussed a variety of red and green choice pictures and sorted them into the correct category to make a poster.
It has been a busy start to the year, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for us! Year One, here we come!
Year 4 Room 29 – Mr Chandler
The Year 4s in Room 29 have stepped into the new year with energy and enthusiasm! We’ve been busy getting to know our new classmates and building a strong sense of community within our classroom. Through a variety of fun and engaging activities, everyone has had the opportunity to share a little about themselves and learn more about their peers. It’s been wonderful to watch old friendships rekindle and new ones form as our team members work together, starting the year with a sense of belonging.
In addition to strengthening relationships, we’ve explored our individual learning styles. We’ve discovered that some students are visual learners, while others excel through verbal, rhythmic or kinaesthetic approaches. Team-building activities have been crucial to our efforts to encourage collaboration, trust and respect in the classroom, laying a solid foundation for the year ahead.
Community News
NO TRAFFIC WARDEN
The Traffic Warden who works at the Children’s Crossing on Boardman Road, near Beauly Parade is unable to work Wednesday afternoon the 19th of February. Unfortunately, we have no relief staff available to cover the position.
Please take appropriate action and inform your students and the school community to be vigilant whilst crossing without a warden present.