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,

A big thank you to our Student Executive Council for organising our ‘Sport Colours Fundraiser’ today. It was great to see lots of students and staff all dressed in their sport colours. The fundraiser if for the Animal Protection Society Dog Shelter. The Student Executive will be announcing how much money they raised at next Thursday’s assembly, where they will present the amount to a representative from the Dog Shelter. Make sure you come along to see how much they raised.

Congratulations for our Interschool Athletics team! We are so proud of their efforts and in achieving 2^nd in the overall event. It was great to see our students showing great sportsmanship and putting in their greatest efforts for their teams and our school. I also want to thank the parents that went along for the day and cheered on our teams, it was wonderful to talk with some of them about how well the students and teams were performing. There is further information about the carnival later in the newsletter.

Caladenia P&C – WE NEED YOU!

We need your help! The P&C are holding the ‘Colour Run’ on Friday, 28 November (next Friday) and they need volunteers to make sure that the event is a success. Please see the link below and offer your help if you can.

Link: Volunteer here

The school would like to extend our sincere thanks to the P&C for the incredible support they continue to provide. Their contributions make a significant difference – whether it’s enhancing academic learning through the purchase of valuable resources for students or improving student wellbeing by installing gazebos that provide shade and comfort throughout the carnivals. The events they organise are always enjoyable, and we frequently receive positive feedback from families who truly appreciate the sense of community these occasions create. If you are able to support the P&C by volunteering, your involvement would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Social Media Restrictions

Parents, don’t forget December 10 is getting closer. Have you started the conversation with your child/children?  In our last newsletter we suggested looking at some of the links available to help you with these conversations. The eSafety Commissioner has some great information, please see the link below.

Social media age restrictions explained – a guide for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner

Next week our Year 6 students are off on their Day Camps – Tuesday, 25 and Wednesday, 26 December. The Year 6 Teaching Team has organised full and fun packed days for them. Parents, please remember that they will be returning late back to school on these days, so please read the messages so that you are aware of what is happening.

Traffic Flow and Parking

Please remember, that you can’t drive or park on the footpath opposite to the Kiss ‘n’ Drive.

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

·         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

Thoughts:

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

Remembrance Day

At 11:00am on the 11th of November, our students stood behind their desks for a minute of silence to mark Remembrance Day. Many students wore red poppies, demonstrating the values we honour in the soldiers who served: respect, gratitude and resilience. Together, students reflected on the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives, helping shape the thriving Australia we live in today.

Interschool Athletics Carnival

What an incredible day it was for Caladenia at the Interschool Athletics Carnival! Our students put their hearts into every event, showing awesome energy, great teamwork, and loads of school spirit from beginning to end.

Whether it was sprinting down the track or working together in the team games, everyone gave an outstanding effort. We celebrated plenty of personal achievements, several medal winners, and so many big smiles along the way. Caladenia finished 2nd overall, which is an amazing achievement and something we can all be proud of!

A huge congratulations to all our athletes—you represented Caladenia wonderfully! And a big thank-you to our teachers, coaches, and supporters for cheering us on throughout the day. We’re already excited for next year’s carnival!

Results

Place    School    Score

1                 Campbell                674

2                CALADENIA          480

3                Ranford                   404

4                Canning Vale          394

5                Bletchley                 292

6                Excelsior                158

7                Treeby                     128

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 or Download the APP today.

Student Achievement 

Seth, In Year 6 was really lucky to join Team Qooee Football Training (Qooee FT) to play in the Singa Cup 2025 in Singapore! The Singa Cup is a big international youth football tournament that’s been running since 2011, bringing together teams from all across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Under-12 team was made up of players from different clubs around Perth, including UWA Nedlands FC, Wanneroo City Soccer Club, Joondalup United FC, Wembley Downs SC, and Murdoch University Melville FC. It was so cool to be part of a team with players from so many different clubs!

In the group stage, they had a great run with two wins, one draw, and one loss against teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Then, in the Round of 16, they played against another Australian team and managed to come from behind twice to win and make it into the quarterfinals!

In the quarterfinal, they faced the club who were the finalists of the Asian Champions League 2 in 2025. They had lost 2–8 to them in a friendly earlier, but this time they played with a lot of heart and discipline, only losing 0–2 in a really tough match.

Seth got to play in all the games and even started in two of them. It was such an amazing experience to play against some of the best young footballers in Southeast Asia. He learned so much, improved his game and made lots of new friends along the way.

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 2 Room 36 – Mr D’Souza

This term, the Year 2s in Room 36 have been busy becoming time-telling experts! They’ve been learning how to read clocks to half past, quarter to, and quarter past, using both analogue clocks and hands-on activities. The class has explored how the minute hand and hour hand work together, and they’ve been practising recognising these special times in their daily routines.

To make learning even more exciting, the students created their very own clock monsters. Each monster had a colourful face with movable clock hands, helping everyone practise setting and reading different times. The room was full of creativity, with monsters that were silly, spooky, and even a little bit sparkly.  

Year 3 Room 9 – Miss Gonclaves

Room 9 took their learning under the sea, exploring the amazing world beneath the waves on an excursion to AQWA! The highlight of the day was a turtle wildlife rescue workshop, where students learned how turtles are cared for and released back into the ocean. Between spotting sharks, stingrays, and some very interesting looking fish, everyone had a whale of a time – a truly un-fish-gettable day.

Book Club Issue 8 orders close Friday 28th November. Orders are ONLINE only. Please visit scholastic.com.au/LOOP

The P&C need volunteers to help out with the upcoming Colour Run, Icy pole sales and raffle. The P&C cannot run without the help of parents volunteering. If you able to spare any time to help, please see the links below and sign up. Your time would be greatly appreciated.

Colour Run volunteer link 

Icy Poles and Raffle ticket sales volunteer link

Holiday Hamper Raffle

Don’t forget to donate to our Holiday Hamper. Donations can be placed in the box in the front office.

Thornlie Bowling Club

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,

The last two weeks have been quite busy, with lots of classes being involved in excursions, and there are more excursions and incursions coming up. Of those that have been on excursions, the children have all commented on how interesting and wonderful these experiences have been.

Today our Years 3 to 6 students are involved in the Interschool Jumps and Throws (Friday 7/11) with the Interschool Athletics Carnival organised for Thursday, 13 November. We wish all of the students attending either today or next week, the best of luck in their events.

Parents, as you know on December 10 the federal government has asked for restrictions of Australians under 16 on certain social media platforms. We know this may be difficult for some children, so we suggest that you start having conversations with your children as early as possible. To help with these conversations the eSafety Commissioner has provided some information through webinars. The information and webinars are free. If you are interested in accessing this information, please see the link below.

Social media age restrictions explained – a guide for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner

Here are some more ideas and information that may also assist.

1. Don’t wait until December 10

The sudden removal of social media could be a shock to young people. So, start the conversation as early as possible with your child and work together to create a plan on how to manage the ban. Talk to kids and teens about why the ban is being implemented and how it will affect both their friendships and their daily routines. This can help children feel informed, supported and importantly, heard.

2. Fade out social media

Gradually reducing your child’s time on social media rather than suddenly stopping it will help them to adjust slowly and prevent feelings of withdrawal and frustration. You could try reducing time spent on social media by a quarter each week and completely stop after one month.

Families might opt to do this faster or slower. By planning this approach together, your child can understand and accept it, making the removal of social media smoother and less stressful for the whole family.

3. Replace, rather than remove

Social media meets young people’s needs to socially connect with others, develop their identity, and belong to a community. These needs will not disappear when the ban is introduced. You could consider signing up to some other activities for regular social connection and a sense of belonging. These might include team sports, group hobbies, or volunteering. Consider creative pursuits such as art, music, or handicrafts so your child can express their identity.

4. Start offline connections

Normalise and encourage engagement within your communities that isn’t reliant on social media. The ban presents an opportunity for parents to encourage and support children to build supportive offline groups together, where children can regularly connect in person. These could be connected to existing friends or newly established groups of like-minded families. These groups can stick to the social media ban together and use alternative means of communication such as by phone, text or email.

5. Do it yourself

Children and young people absorb the behaviours and attitudes that are modelled to them in the home. So, this means parents can help by managing their own screen time, prioritising face-to-face connections with friends and family, and setting aside regular time for hobbies and activities. This reinforces the importance of balancing digital and offline experiences. Modelling these behaviours consistently will help your child feel supported in the upcoming ban.

Traffic Flow and Parking

Thank you again to all parents using the Kiss ‘n’ Drive on Bushy Gardens. The traffic seems to be flowing much better. There is some confusion along Beauly Parade, some parents are parking and leaving their cars. Please check the road signs along Beauly Parade, as there is no parking from 7.30am to 9.00am and 2.00pm to 3.30pm on school days.

Parents, please remember that the City of Gosnells request that all school families observe the traffic rules around the school:

·       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 your car where you shouldn’t – 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.

Thoughts:

“Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

Student Achievement

Sean in Year 6 proudly represented Western Australia as part of the 2025 U12 Golf Team at the School Sport Australia Golf Championships, held from 26 to 28 October 2025. The WA team made history by winning the Boys Nett Champion title for the first time. Congratulations Sean on your wonderful achievement.

Pia in Year 3, had an amazing accomplishment last Sunday, where she secured the Gymnastics Junior State Championship for 2025.  She trains incredibly hard three times a week, totalling nine hours a week.  She is super focused on achieving her goals and is looking to greater things next year. Congratulations Pia.

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 41 – Mrs Jones

Last term in Science, Room 41 learned all about habitats — the special places where living things live and grow. We discovered that every habitat provides the things living creatures need to survive: food, water, and shelter.

We have also been exploring the garden as a habitat for insects. Students discussed what makes the garden a suitable home for different creatures. We then drew and labelled our own garden habitat diagrams, identifying where insects might find food, water, and shelter.

To build on our learning, we recently visited WA Wildlife in Bibra Lake. This amazing centre rescues, rehabilitates, and releases sick, injured, and orphaned native animals. During our visit, students learned about a variety of Australian animals and their natural habitats, including how humans can contribute to their protection. The excursion was a wonderful opportunity for students to connect their classroom learning with real-world examples and to deepen their understanding of how animals depend on their environment to survive.

Room 41 students showed great curiosity, care, and enthusiasm throughout this learning journey — true young scientists in action!

Bibra Lake Wildlife Excursion

Feathers, Fur and Fun: Year 1’s Wild Day Out at WA Wildlife

Our Year 1 students had a fabulous time exploring WA Wildlife in Bibra Lake this week. The excursion was filled with exciting encounters and hands-on learning. We met a sleepy wombat, a baby ringtail possum, koalas, and even some curious dingoes. One of the highlights was feeding an emu and a red-tailed cockatoo.

Students were thrilled to touch a snake, a long-necked turtle, and a bobtail lizard—experiences that sparked lots of curiosity and conversation. We also learnt about how injured wildlife are cared for in the Animal Hospital and discovered fascinating facts about animal habitats, behaviours, and diets.

It was a memorable day that deepened our understanding of native wildlife and the important work done by the dedicated volunteers at WA Wildlife.

P&C News and Community News

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,

Welcome to Term 4, we hope that you have all had an enjoyable break! We have lots on in Term 4, so please keep checking the school stream app, your child’s folders, emails and look around the school for posters about upcoming events, that way you will be updated as to what is happening around the school.

Last week we had our sporting events – Jumps and Throws on Tuesday 4th and our School Athletics Carnival on Friday 17th. Both days were brilliant with all of our students embracing the events on the day/s and trying their best. Our carnival had a lovely addition this year with the coloured gazebos to match our four factions. Special thanks to the P&C for purchasing these for the school as well as the extra gazebos and the eskies, we really appreciate your support.

As I mentioned on the day, thank you to the parents that came and supported their children. Also, thank you to the parents that helped staff erect and pack away the gazebos, your support was really appreciated. I’d also like to formally acknowledge and thank the whole staff from Caladenia PS, as I’m sure you are all aware there is a lot of planning and work that happens prior to events like last week as well as on the day; and all staff – from the gardener to the office staff all supported both days where and how they could. The day was filled with a positive atmosphere and enjoyment.

We have the Interschool Athletics Carnival coming up later in the term – in Weeks 4 & 5 – good luck to the students that will be representing our school and participating in those events.

This week we started the week with the Art Show, which was amazing! The Art Team have supported the students from Year 1 to 6 in preparing items to display and every student should be proud of their work. Special thanks to Louise Ewing, Andrew Frost and Katia Stirling (our wonderful art team) for all their work in organising the event. I also want to thank Grace Goncalves, Esther Tai, Kellie Hatton, Lynne Suttie, Andrea Smith, Angela O’Malley, Andrew Frost and Louise Ewing for coming in on Saturday to help set up for the event and also to Joanne Thompson for assisting in getting the items packed away. Thanks also to the Music Team for organising the students to present music to accompany the Art Show on Tuesday evening.

We also had our Parent Open Night on Tuesday, to coincide with the Art Show. Thanks to our classroom teachers for opening their classrooms, so that parents could view their child’s work. During my visits throughout the evening, I was really impressed with the high standards and quality of the work that the students showcased.

This week we have also been working with the Centre for Excellence schools and welcomed staff from Aspiri PS, Safety Bay PS, Subiaco PS and Vasse PS, who visited us on Thursday 23rd October. Many of our teachers opened their classrooms for staff from these schools to visit and observe our teaching practices.We have a number of members of our board that are coming to the end of their period with us this year. One of which is our Board Chair, Carole Veneris. Carole has been a great supporter to Caladenia PS, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Carole, for her outstanding service and dedication over the past 11 years as Board Chair. Her leadership, commitment and unwavering support have had a lasting impact on our school community, guiding us through times of growth and change with wisdom and care. While we are truly sad to see her step down, we fully understand and respect her decision, and we are deeply appreciative of the many years she has devoted to the school. Her contributions have strengthened our school and will continue to inspire us for years to come.

We will be sending an email to parents in the next few weeks, asking if parents are interested in joining the School Board. We will attach information to the email advising what is involved in being a member of the School Board, and how to nominate.

Our P&C also have members that will be leaving our school at the end of the year. Two that we are currently aware of are Kylie Chapman, our Book Club organiser; and the other is Stacey Walker our Treasurer. Again, we wish to thank both Kylie and Stacey for their support to the P&C and Caladenia PS. Both of you have supported our school community and offered your expertise in the roles that you have performed. We are grateful for your contributions and how you have continually championed the P&C in all of the events at the school.

If you are interested in either of these positions, please contact Leanna Roos our P&C President, as we may be able to organise interested parents to shadow these roles during Term 4. The P&C will be holding their AGM on 9th February, Week 2 in Term 1 2026, to elect representatives: please keep this in mind and look out for the flyers regarding this event.

Please remember that we have a pupil free day on Friday 31st October, as it is our Staff Development Day.

Thoughts:

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out” – Robert Collier

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

Reminder: Pupil free day on Friday 31st October, as it is our Staff Development Day.

Traffic Flow and Parking

Please remember to be patient and courteous during drop off and pick up times. Below is information from the council regarding parking.

Superhero Day Term 3

On Thursday 18^th September we held dress like a Superhero Day to raise money for Telethon. All students and staff looked amazing and a total of $696 was raised.

Art Show

What a beautiful start to term 4 we have had here at Caladenia this week, with the Visual Arts exhibition that took place on Tuesday. It was a wonderful afternoon in celebration of all our students and being able to share this experience with parents and local community, was a pure delight. The undercover area was bursting with colour as parents and students wondered through the exhibition with an amazing musical performance, led by our fabulous Music department. I would like to say a massive well done to each and every student, for all their hard work this year with their Art and Music teachers, and to all the wonderful staff who helped with all the set up in making this a wonderful experience for the whole school community. Ms Ewing

Athletics Carnival

Last Friday, our school came alive with colour, cheers, and incredible sportsmanship at the Caladenia Primary School Faction Athletics Carnival! The sun was shining, spirits were high, and our students gave it their all across a full day of exciting events. From sprints and team games to relays, everyone showed determination, teamwork, and pride in their factions.

A big thank you goes to our dedicated staff and volunteers for organising such a fantastic day, and to all the families who came along to cheer on our athletes. It was wonderful to see our school community come together in such a positive and supportive way.

Congratulations to all our participants — you made Caladenia proud! 🥇🎉

2026 Student Leaders

Congratulations to the following students. They have been selected as our new Leaders for 2026.

Student Achievement

We are excited to share some wonderful news with the Caladenia community! Our talented students Victoria and Cherilyn proudly represented Western Australia as part of the WA U13 Badminton Team 2025. The team achieved a bronze medal at the Yonex U13 National Championships that was held on 3-10 October 2025. It is an amazing achievement, Congratulations Victoria and Cherilyn.

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 Justine.arnold@education.wa.edu.au

Class News

Year 1 Room 8 – Mrs Evans

We had a fabulous time at our Sports Carnival last week. Our recount writing showed that while it was a warm day and we got sweaty, everyone enjoyed their events. We’d like to thank the Phys Ed department for organising such an awesome day. We also loved visiting the Art Show this week on Tuesday. We couldn’t believe how incredible the talented, artistic and inspired pieces of work were on display. We would like to congratulate our spectacular Art teachers for their guidance and ingenious teaching!

This term, we are using non-fiction books to write about Australian wildlife and habitats. We created excellent, interesting reports with pictures of Little Penguins that are actually life sized! Come and see our amazing work!

Year 4 Room 31 – Miss McKoy

Towards the end of Term 3, the Year 4 students explored the fascinating topic of World Biomes in HASS. They investigated the unique characteristics of different biomes around the world, such as deserts, rainforests, tundras, and many more. Each student selected a specific biome to research in detail, focusing on its climate, native animals, and natural landforms. To showcase their understanding, students then designed and created their own biome pictures, carefully incorporating the features and ecosystems relevant to their chosen climate.

Year 5 Room 15 – Miss Taylor

The Room 15 Food Trucks
This year has been exciting for the Year 5’s in Room 15! But one particular prospect stands above all others, guitar solo please … Food Trucks!

First, we had to understand and practise calculating GST, whilst also learning how to use formulas to help us calculate in Excel. Once we were familiar with the procedure, we started making using these formulas to create a budget sheet for our trucks, deciding what equipment our trucks would need and what we would need to design them. When we had finalised our budget and GST work, then came the task of how to build the truck itself.

We worked in teams to create a business license, a measured floor plan, a truck design, menu and logo, with students dedicating any spare time they had to their food truck work – basically working on food truck related work across all different subjects for the entirety of Term 3! Everything was fine lined, coloured and finalised. We also learnt about advertising techniques in print posters, where we then used these techniques to create our own advertisement posters for our businesses! We were to design and draw a draft before creating beautiful final copies which now decorate Room 15!

We had a whole two hours to build our project! The timing was intense… finding ways to stick pieces together and nailing the design, the trucks kept breaking but with some creative thinking and initiative, everyone got it in the end. The trucks all had miscellaneous and unique properties and features about them. Some room 15 students got into the gizmos this year! We had LED’s, LEGO, and even RC food trucks that moved! All constructed and built by the students themselves.

The Year 5’s in Room 15 worked in pairs or groups of 3. They worked collaboratively and shared materials with other groups trying to make it the best build possible. They had struggles and mistakes while success and accomplishment swayed in other people’s meticulous work. Some people stuck to the purchases they made with their budget while others definitely pushed the boundaries budget wise.

This activity was all about cross-curricular integration, and I think both students and teachers can agree it was a success! With so much hard work, creativity and teamwork, the food truck unit will be one we won’t ever forget.

By Muhammad, Aaryan and Zachary (with the help of Miss Taylor)

P&C and Community News

Book Club Coordinator needed for 2026Our wonderful Book Club Coordinator is officially resigning at the end of this year and we are looking for a new parent to volunteer as Coordinator. If you would like to volunteer or help please contact the front office for further details.

Issue 7 closes Friday, 31st October. Online orders only.

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 so much for the warm welcome I received from students, staff and parents following my return from Long Service Leave. It made me feel very special! I’d like to wish Paula Asplin a restful break on her Long Service Leave. She will be back in Term Four.

I hope all our families enjoyed Father’s Day and were able to spend some time together over the weekend. I was very spoiled on the day by my wife and daughters! Thank you again to the members of the P and C for giving up their time to run the Father’s Day Stall during the week. I imagine all the Dads enjoyed their gifts!

During the last two weeks, students across Pre-Primary to Year Six have been taking part in online PAT Testing. This testing is designed to give teachers additional data in Reading and Mathematics to help them differentiate and tailor their teaching programs according to the individual levels within each of the classrooms. We also analyse this data at cohort and school level to monitor student achievement and progress. All teachers are involved in this analysis and gives us a very clear picture of how we are tracking as a school, and modifications we need to make to improve further. Thank you to Victoria Avery for all your work in ensuring this has been successfully implemented.

Last week was STEM Week at Caladenia. The students from Year Four to Six took part in the ‘Engineers Without Borders’ incursions. On Friday, the students from Pre-Primary to Year Three had their ‘Science Alive!’ Incursion. There was also a Paper Plane Competition that took place during lunchtimes during the Undercover Area. Thanks to Phil Chandler, Cody Lam and the Science/Technologies Team for ensuring great ‘hands-on’ experiences for our students.

We have had our Kindy information sessions for those children starting with us in 2026. These sessions give parents vital information on what to expect and how they can support their children in their first year of schooling. These will be followed later in the year with the Kindy ‘Come and Try’ sessions. Thanks to Angela O’Malley and Siobhan Ellis for running these sessions. We also thank those outside agencies who attend these sessions to support the school and our families.

Last week we had the ‘Old McDonald’s Farm’ incursion for the Kindy classes. It was great to see the students engaging and interacting with the animals and hearing the rich language the students were using to describe the animals was amazing! Thank you to the Kindy Team!

On Friday 12th September we supported R U OK? Day. R U OK? Day is Australia’s National Day of Action to encourage Australians to connect with people around them and initiate conversations about mental health. The goal is to promote open dialogue and build supportive networks, as a conversation can make a difference in the life of someone who is struggling, and you don’t need to be a mental health expert to help. We encouraged everyone to wear yellow to raise awareness about this important issue. Thanks to Lachlan Bailey and the Health Team for promoting this across our school.

We are currently in the middle of our Student Elections for 2026. I wish all the students who have nominated for Student Executive, Music Captain, Faction Captain and Faction Vice-Captain all the best in the process.We have lots of exciting events coming up, including ‘Dress Like a Superhero’ Day this Thursday 18th September), P and C Pyjama Day and Massed Choir (both Friday 26th September). Remember to use School Stream to find out all the information about these events.

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 or Download the APP.

PARKING REMINDER

This is our last newsletter issue before the school holidays commence.

We would like to wish all our Caladenia families, a restful, fun and safe break.

Term 4 commences Monday 13th October

Thanks to all our Caladenia families for continuing to support the school each and every day. I wish a great rest of term to all members of the Caladenia Community.

Kind regards,

Craig McIlwraith

Acting Principal

School News

Dress Like a Superhero Day! – Tomorrow!

Tomorrow students and staff are asked to dress like a Superhero. We are raising funds for Telethon 2025 to support sick, vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families. Students are invited to wear their finest superhero costume for the day in exchange for a gold coin donation.
Every donation helps fund vital services, medical research, and support programs for WA children and their families.
Thank you for supporting this important event.

Kindy B groups are invited to wear their Superhero outfits on Friday the 19th September.

Caladenia Celebrates STEM Week

Week 8 of this term saw Caladenia come alive with creativity, problem-solving and innovation as we celebrated STEM Week across the school. Students from Pre-Primary through to Year 6 engaged in exciting workshops, competitions and showcases, all designed to highlight the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in our world. Each morning, classes also took part in STEM-related morning work tasks to kick-start the day with curiosity and critical thinking.

Engineers Without Borders Workshops
Our Year 4, 5 and 6 students were lucky to participate in workshops run by Engineers Without Borders. The challenge was to design an effective, low-cost housing solution that could float on water while supporting as much “weight” as possible. Working in teams, students combined their creativity, design thinking and problem-solving skills to engineer some remarkable structures. Some groups even created floating houses that could support the equivalent of over 100 “people” before sinking! The excitement was palpable and it was wonderful to see students put their STEM knowledge into action in such a hands-on way.

Paper Plane Competition
At lunchtime, the school was buzzing with energy as over 300 students participated in our paper plane competitions run by the Student Executive across three days. Students designed, tested and refined their creations, aiming for the longest flight distance. Congratulations to our winners:

·        Year 1/2: Jason (Room 16) – 9.7 metres

·        Year 3/4: Ahmed (Room 34) – 12.7 metres

·        Year 5/6: Jax (Room 23) – 22 metres

The Year 5/6 competition was particularly exciting with three students reaching the maximum distance in the Undercover Area, leading to a dramatic “throw-down” on the basketball courts. Jax’s incredible 22-metre flight sealed the victory. A huge well done to the Student Executive for running such an engaging and fun event and to every student who participated with enthusiasm.

Science Alive Shows
Caladenia favourite Mick from Science Alive returned to captivate our younger students with two exciting showcases:

·        Pre-Primary to Year 2: Energy and Movement – Students explored the forces and energy that move things in our world. They had hands-on fun with fruit power, mighty magnets, sound tubes and even hovering drones.

·        Year 3: Energy and Electricity – Students discovered how energy from the sun is harnessed in different ways. Highlights included human circuits, strong magnets, musical heat, light-bending experiments and some exciting explosions with cornflour and water balloons.

From floating houses to soaring paper planes and dazzling science demonstrations, STEM Week was a resounding success at Caladenia. A big thank you to all staff, students and guests who made this week such a memorable celebration of curiosity, teamwork and innovation.

Old MacDonalds Farm Incursion

Our Kindergarten students were blessed with a visit from Old MacDonald’s farm. We were ecstatic to see two baby piglets, no more than a few weeks old. The farm’s resident turkey, put on a display by fluffing his feathers and dancing to the delight of everyone. The students learnt how to feed and care for the farm animals, as well as listening to the crack of the farmer’s stock whip. It was a wonderful morning, filled with student stories, and a day for creating lasting memories.

Class News

Pre-Primary Room 2 – Mrs Dalbock

What have Pre-Primary, Room 2 been up to?  

Last week, we celebrated our real-life superheroes—our dads! We visited the Father’s Day stalls and picked out   special surprises just for them. In class, we got creative with collaging, painting, and drawing! We created colourful portraits of our dad’s, made fun superhero cards and personalised magnets and keyrings to show our love. We also shared stories and wrote about why our dads are amazing.

For news time, we brought in photos of our dads and proudly talked about what makes them our heroes.

We hope all our wonderful dads had a fantastic Father’s Day on Sunday. You’re our superheroes every day!

Year 2 Room 12 – Mrs Bartlett

What an exciting term it has been so far! Term 3 started with me back in the classroom with my lovely students in Room 12, and I could not be happier. Their hard work and dedication to their learning has truly shone through in the incredible work they have produced this term.

In Science, we have been exploring the water cycle, and in HASS, we have been learning all about our local community. In Mathematics, we have worked on mental strategies, explored 2D shapes and their properties, and investigated chance and data. The students have shown fantastic focus and curiosity across all areas of learning.

One of the highlights of this term was reading ‘The Lorax’ by Dr Seuss, and using the text as inspiration to craft persuasive texts aimed at saving the trees in the Jarrah Forest. Students were encouraged to explain their reasoning clearly, and the results were impressive. Each piece of writing showcased emotive language, accurate sentence structure, powerful Tier 2 vocabulary, and strong, well-developed arguments. To accompany their writing, the students also created beautiful artistic impressions of the Jarrah Forest. It is true what the Lorax once said: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It is not.” This sentiment was not only reflected in their writing but in the thoughtful and determined way each student has approached their learning this year. I would like to leave you with one of my favourite quotes by Nelson Mandela:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

I am incredibly proud of each and every student in Room 12 for their enthusiasm, creativity, and persistence. They should be very proud of themselves, too!

We are now eagerly looking forward to Open Night, where we will have the opportunity to showcase all our amazing work and share our learning journey with our loved ones.

Have a look at some of our marvellous work!

Year 5 Room 39 – Miss Manuel

This week Caladenia children were looking forward to the most exciting.. drum roll please.. STEM Week!

STEM Week, a week full of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Paper plane competitions, incursions and a class food truck project. My favourite thing was definitely the Engineers without Boarders incursion. It was very fun. First we talked about the different types of engineers, then we were instructed on our task. We were taught how people in Cambodia live in floating houses and our task was to design a flotation device in our groups. We would test these houses out in the water, putting marbles in them. Our task was simple, our house had to float, holding as many marbles as possible without sinking. 

It was so much fun and we look forward to doing it next year and thank the students from UWA for coming to our school. 

Our in class STEM project was to design a food truck, incorporating our learning from HASS, English, Technologies and Math. We fitted our food truck with the necessary equipment, making sure to include the GST and later in Math plotting the route we would take through Canning Vale. Within English, we designed persuasive advertisements to encourage our consumers to purchase our goods. Within Technologies, we used the design process to create a layout for our truck and design a menu. Our menu was based on our learning of scarcity in HASS and how this relates to goods and services. 

Needless to say, it has been a very fun and educational week in Room 39. 

-Eva Avasthi

P&C and Community News

All art classes are taught by qualified and experienced specialist art teachers. For more information, please visit our website www.creativekidsartclub.com.au

W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024
 Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a cold and wet fortnight! And our swimming classes have come to an end. We have been advised that next year our school will be having swimming lessons in Term 2, so hopefully the weather will be in our favour. The children have said that they have enjoyed the swimming lessons and thank you to parents for supporting them with the necessary equipment and clothing during this time. We have a lot of ‘lost property’ in the wet area in the Sheoak Block, if your child is missing any items from swimming or their general uniforms, please check in at the lost property area.

Last week we participated in the Interschool Cross Country Event. The students were all keen and performed admirably. There is further information about the results later in the newsletter. Unfortunately, I was caught in a meeting and wasn’t able to attend, though parents and teachers have shared that our team “gave it their all and rose to the challenge.”

Next week, begins with the P&C holding the Fathers’ Day Stalls on Monday and Tuesday. The students are always excited about being able to go along to the stalls and select a gift for dad, grandad or that special person in their life. If you are able to support the P&C by giving a little of your time to help out, I’m sure the P&C will be really appreciative.

Also, next week we have the first of our Kindy Information Sessions. The parents of our Kindy kids in 2026 are invited to attend a session where we can share what to expect when their child starts Kindy. We will hold the same session in Week 7. We then invite the parent and child to come along to a session in Term 4 in the classroom, where they get to see what Kindy all is about. We welcome our new families to our school and hope that these sessions will provide them with the information that they need in getting their children started in school.

Craig McIlwraith is returning from Long Service Leave next week. So, we welcome Craig back after his break.

I will be going on Long Service Leave from Wednesday 3rd September to the end of term, and Craig will be covering my role as Principal while I am away. Angela O’Malley, Victoria Avery and Phil Chandler will be supporting him as deputies for the remainder of the term.

I wish you all a joyful and smooth end to the term and a wonderful, restful holiday ahead and see you in Term 4.

Thoughts:

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

Reminder:

Traffic Flow and Parking

Last week we sent out information regarding parking around the school. Below are some key reminders about drop-off and pick-up times. If parents could be patient and mindful that we have a lot of children being dropped off and collected at the end of the day and if everyone is considerate and follows the guidelines then this transition will run much smoother.

Interschool Cross Country

Our Year 3-6 competitors represented Caladenia with grit, determination and outstanding sportsmanship at the South Central School Sports Association Interschool Cross Country held at Homestead Park, Thornlie. Congratulations to all award winners and place getters, and well done to the whole team on achieving 3rd place overall.

A big thank you to our teachers, parents and students for their hard work and support, and to the P&C for generously donating funds towards our brand-new Caladenia gazebo.

We’re excited for the upcoming events – the Faction Athletics Carnival in Week 1 of Term 4, followed by the Interschool Athletics Carnival in Weeks 4 and 5 at Ranford PS.

Class News

Pre Primary Room 5 – Mrs Patton

As part of our literacy focus this term, Pre-Primary students have been exploring a variety of fairy tales during shared reading. We integrated this focus with the Design and Technologies curriculum while reading The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Students were given the task of building a bridge to help the Three Billy Goats Gruff cross to the other side of the river. They could choose from Duplo, foam blocks, or wooden blocks as the materials to construct their bridge. The design criteria required the bridge to be strong enough for the goats to stand on and tall enough for the Troll to fit underneath.

Students began by selecting their materials and designing their bridges. They then constructed their bridges based on these designs. Finally, they evaluated and reflected on their work to determine whether their bridges met the task criteria and considered what changes they might make if they had another opportunity.

All the students had a wonderful time designing and constructing their bridges, and they did an amazing job. Look at some of our fabulous creations!

Year 4 Room 38 – Mrs Thompson

Will you be convinced to stop polluting our ocean?

Year 4 have been developing their persuasive writing skills. The topic this term is Waste in our Waterways. There are some compelling arguments; here is a selection of our writing.

‘Do you love going to the beach on a not summer’s day? I do. The warm sand, the ocean breeze, the plastic. Yes, I said plastic. All the pollution we make destroys these beaches.’     Claudia Room 38

‘Woah! Look at those great, beautiful and amazing dolphins, but do they look at bit down? I definitely saw a frown. Imagine seeing a dolphin getting caught up in a net and dying due to not being in water and being surrounded by rubbish! What if you were the dolphin? That’s so sad. Can you help the dolphins, please?’      Asima Room 38

‘Have you heard of the monster in the sea? It’s made of plastic, glass and more. Every day it sends part of itself to trick fish. It makes them think it’s food. Once it’s done it moves on to a new ocean and the cycle repeats in an endless loop. You can stop the cycle, just go to the beach and clean the ocean.’                          Vongai Room 38

Our Year 4 students are begging the community to be aware of your waste and reduce, reuse and recycle.

P&C and Community News

Fathers’ Day Stalls

Next Week!!

The annual Father’s Day stalls on Monday 1st September and Tuesday 2nd September. Please bring your money in an envelope or zip lock bag, labelled with your child’s name, room number and number of gifts. Gifts will be $7 each. A limited selection will also be available for students and parents to purchase after school on Friday 5th September at 2.30pm in the undercover area.

💰 When to bring your money 💰

Monday 1st September K2B Room 43, Yr 1 Room 8,  Yr 3 Room 9,  Yr 5 Room 15,  K3B Room 3,             Yr 1 Room 21, Yr 3 Room 14, Yr 5 Room 23, PP1 Room 1, Yr 1 Room 32, Yr 4 Room 26, Yr 5 Room 39 ,PP2 Room 4, Yr 2 Room 12, Yr 4 Room 31, Yr 6 Room 17, PP3 Room 5, Yr 2 Room 24, Yr 4 Room 34, Yr 6 Room 37, PP4 Room 6, Yr 2 Room 36, Yr 4 Room 38, Yr 6 Room 42, PP5 Room 2.

Tuesday 2nd September K2A Room 43, Yr 2 Room 16 ,Yr 3 Room 25, Yr 5 Room 11, K3A Room 3, Yr 2 Room 22, Yr 3 Room 27, Yr 6 Room 20, Yr 1 Room 10, Yr 2 Room 28, Yr 3 Room 35, Yr 6 Room 33, Yr 1 Room 30, Yr 3 Room 7,  Yr 4 Room 29, MAC Room 19,  Yr 1 Room 41.

🤝 Volunteers 🤝

We need parent volunteers to help run the stalls on each morning from 8.30am- 10.00am. If you can assist, please sign up via https://volunteersignup.org/BLWF7 or email CaladeniaPandC@outlook.com. Your support is greatly appreciated by the school community.

W.A. NAPLAN TOP 20 SCHOOLS – 2024
 Centre School for Excellence 2023-2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have just enrolled our 1000th student at Caladenia Primary School. Our student numbers have continued to grow throughout the year, and we have hit the 1000 this week.

Over the last two weeks we have had a few events organised. Our Book Fair ended last week, and we had a total sales of $8732.35, which is an amazing result. Through the sales the school has received reward points that we will use to purchase extra books for the library. I would like to thank Aileen Crofts and Justine Arnold, our wonderful library staff who organised the event and for all the staff volunteers who gave their time before and after school to support the fair. We appreciate everyone’s support.

Events that are coming up in Week 5 is the Yr 3-6 Interschool Cross Country event. Please look out for the information for those students who are participating. Good luck to all of the students that are involved in this event.

As a school we are honouring RUOK day on Friday, 12 September. The students and staff are invited to wear yellow on the day. Please look out for more information to come with regards to this event.

Our first group of Swimming Lessons ends this week, and our next group of Swimming Lessons will commence for other classes in the school. Please remember to label all of your child’s items so that they don’t get misplaced. I visited the Belmont Oasis sessions earlier this week and the lessons all went smoothly.

After School

Just a reminder to students and families, that our school finishes at 2:30pm and we need students to be collected and leave the school at this time. We often have meetings and professional learning sessions that commence straight after school for teachers and staff.

Parents if you could remember to leave the school grounds as soon as you have collected your child/children. We are unable to allow students to play on the equipment or in the school grounds after school has finished, as we need to close our gates for safety and security purposes. We appreciate your support in this matter.

School Starts

Our school day starts with our classroom doors being opened at 8:15am. This gives time for students to organise their belongings and settle themselves for their day at school. We like to establish good routines for students so that they are ready for their learning when the siren sounds. If parents and families could bring their child/children to school at this time it supports students social and emotional wellbeing. The weather has started to change, so it is a bit lighter than it was and fortunately it hasn’t been as cold these last few days.Education Minister’s Running Challenge

Don’t forget that this term the Education Minister has a Running Challenge!

Small steps lead to big changes!

The challenge is open to students and education staff. Being active is critical for both short and long-term health and wellbeing and has a direct impact on a student’s performance at school. The mission is for primary school students to run, walk, wheel, cycle or scoot for a total of 200 minutes over 9 weeks.

Primary school students 

Can you run, walk, cycle or wheel for about 20 minutes in a week? How about for 4 minutes every day after school?  That’s about what it will take for you to reach the 200 minutes of activity you will need to complete the 2025 Education Minister’s Running Challenge.

Win prizes for running

We challenge you to run consistently over the 9 weeks of the challenge.   Not only will you receive a signed certificate from the Education Minister, but you will create healthy habits beyond the challenge period, regardless of your running ability.

But that’s not all. 

Each week, students who log their runs, walks, cycles or wheels go in the draw for a chance to win a prize. There’s a lot up for grabs!

See the link below to join in the challenge

Home – Education Ministers Running Challenge – Department of Education

Thoughts:

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

Reminder:

Traffic Flow and Parking

Please remember, that you can’t drive or park on the footpath opposite to the Kiss ‘n’ Drive.

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

·       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

Book Fair

The recent Book Fair held in the library was once again a tremendous success, and we sincerely thank all our families for their continued support of this wonderful event. The total sales reached was $8,732.35. Thanks to your generous purchases, the school has earned $2,028.00 in commission, which will be taken as Scholastic Rewards Points. These points will be used to acquire valuable educational resources for our students. For those who placed book orders during the fair, deliveries will be made directly to students in their classrooms within the next 2–3 weeks.

Mrs Crofts

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 or Download the APP.

Class News

Year 2 Room 22 – Miss Chan

In Year 2 Room 22, students have been diving into the world of the water cycle! We followed the actions and movements in the “Water Cycle” song to reinforce their understanding of each stage- evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

We also explored the impact of water pollution and waste on our planet, encouraging students to think critically about how we can protect our precious water sources. As part of this learning, the story of Freddie the Fish was retold to the class. This engaging tale helped students understand the effects of pollution on the environment, particularly on wildlife in rivers and oceans.

Students also created mini water cycle models using resealable bags and crafted posters to encourage conservation of water. It’s been an engaging and hands-on unit learning about the water cycle, helping students appreciate the importance of water in our everyday lives.

Year 5 Room 23 – Miss McAllister

The Year 5 students in Room 23 have had a brilliant start to Semester 2! We started the term with an exciting persuasive writing unit all about fast fashion. All the Year 5s met together in the undercover area to learn what fast fashion is and its hidden secrets. Together, we explored what it takes to make ‘trendy’ clothes and started right at the beginning of the supply chain.

Students got the chance to do their own research, answer burning questions, and gather strong evidence to help with their persuasive writing. We also started a new reading technique called Reading With A Pencil (RWAP). This means over the week we all read one important text and work together to find the main ideas, reasons, and important information in the text.

In the first two weeks, our texts focused on how fast fashion affects the environment. One text was from the Climate Council, and the other was an ABC article about Aussie designers fighting against fast fashion.

Using our research, reading notes, and our own ideas, we wrote a fantastic class persuasive! All the students hard work was evident in their final big task – a typed assignment about convincing their readers to reduce any type of WASTE; from clothing, to plastic to food. I am so proud of how hard everyone in Room 23 has worked this term.

P&C and Community News

Upcoming Events

Raising Children Network

Children are as individual and as different as their parents and making decisions about what’s best for raising children is very personal.

The Raising Children website offers up-to-date, research-based material on more than 800 topics spanning child development, behaviour, health, nutrition and fitness, play and learning, connecting and communicating, school and education, entertainment and technology, sleep and safety. It covers grown-ups, newborns (0-3 months), babies (3-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), preschoolers (3-5 years), school-age children (5-9 years), pre-teens (9-11 years), and early teens (12-15 years).

There are tips, videos and other useful resources.

The Raising Children Network provides information that can help parents with the day-to-day decisions of raising children.  It also provides information to help parents and carers look after their own needs. The information is based on the best science in parenting, child health and development, presented in language we can all understand.

This is a website for Australian mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else who has responsibility for the care of children. www.raisingchildren.com.au

Dental health – Keep your child’s teeth healthy 

Teeth help children to eat, speak and smile. Regularly brushing teeth can prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and gum diseases.

Parents and guardians can help children to keep their teeth clean. Some tips are:• Children below 6 years can use small smear (small pea sized) amount of low fluoride  children’s toothpaste
• Children 6 years and older can use pea-sized amounts of standard fluoride toothpaste
• Encourage children to brush their teeth morning and night, and supervise tooth brushing until they are 8 or 9 years old
• Use an age-appropriate toothpaste and toothbrush
• Educate children about healthy eating habits and limit sugary foods and drinks
• Encourage them to choose water as their preferred drink

For more details, see 5-8 years, 9-11 years, and 12-18 years by Raising Children Network or School Dental Service, Government of Western Australia.

The School Dental Service offers free general and emergency dental care to eligible children aged 5-16 or until the end of year 11 (whichever comes first). Find your nearest School Dental Service Clinic or contact Dental Services on 9313 0555 for further information.

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,

We celebrated a couple of events since our last newsletter.

Disco

Last week the P&C held the Disco!
Thursday afternoon the P&C held a disco event for the Kindy and Pre-Primary students in the play area. The children all enjoyed themselves and had the opportunity to listen and dance to some of their favourite songs and purchase a ‘goodie bag’ which they all treasured. I believe the Wiggles were a big hit!

The main Disco was held on Friday (13 June) afternoon and evening – this year there was a photo booth, and it was a wonderful addition, as the students could all have their photo taken by their families prior to going into the disco. In the disco, the children all enjoyed themselves singing along with the playlist and dancing to their favourite songs.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to Leanna our P&C President and her amazing Executive members along with all the volunteers – both parents and staff – that helped on the night. It was a great community event!

Cross Country

Our Cross Country Assembly

Cross Country Faction Champions – GREEN FACTION

On Tuesday, we held our Cross-Country event. All our pleas and crossing of fingers worked, as we were able to have the event rain free! The children all put in their best efforts and enjoyed participating in the event. It was great to see so many parents and families come along to cheer on their children during the event. Special thanks go to Mr McCurrach, Mr Bailey and Mrs Holmes for all their training and organisation of the event. Thank you also to all the staff involved behind the scenes in supporting the success of the event.

Crazy Hair and Crazy Sock Day

Today, our Student Executive hosted the Crazy Hair and Crazy Sock Fundraiser. The event was to raise funds for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. We raised $818.00! The Student Executives also prepared the posters that were placed around the school to promote the event. Everyone had a great day in dressing up in their crazy socks and stylish hair! We are very proud of our Student Executive in hosting this event and embracing the community, as it builds a stronger sense of belonging, purpose and connection, which all contribute to improved mental and emotional health.

Reminders

WA Student Assistance Payment for 2025

The close off for claiming the WA Student Assistance Payment for 2025 is on 4 July. If you need help in claiming, please contact the office and we will assist you in accessing Service WA.
If you have been meaning to claim and haven’t done so as yet, the link is below. Make sure you put in your claim before it closes. Again, if you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact the office for further information and/or assistance.

WA Student Assistance Payment

Further Reminders

• Yr 5 and Yr 6 Interschool Winter Carnival is on Friday 27 June – please check the notices as the different sports are at different venues.
• School Photos are in the last week of Term – the envelopes will be coming home this week. If you haven’t received your, please check with the classroom teacher or office

Thoughts:

“When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to the happiness that you can give out.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin
Principal

School News

Traffic Flow and Parking

The Kiss ‘n’ Drive on Bushy Gardens is flowing much better – thanks to all the parents for their support.
Parents, please remember that the City of Gosnells request that all school families observe the traffic rules around the school:

• Remember that the Kiss and Drive is not a parking zone
• Remember that you cannot park on the footpaths
• 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 your car where you shouldn’t – 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.

Kindy 2026 – Closes Friday 25th July

Just a reminder, 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 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 or Download the APP.

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

Pre Primary Room 4 – Mrs Hemingway

In room four this term we have found out some amazing information about farm animals in Technology. First we learned that milk comes from cows and the process that it has to go through for it to get from the farm to our fridges. It was amazing to learn that cows actually have four parts to their stomach. Next we learned about shearing sheep and how their wool is used to make lots of products that we use every day. We have enjoyed labelling the farm animals, creating crafts and sequencing pictures to show the order of the cow to milk and sheep to wool process. We can’t wait to see what else we can learn.

Art – Ms Ewing 

The MAC class have been exploring 3D form this semester, working on some very charmimg, mixed medium animal sculptures. Students were inspired by a graffiti artist from Lisbon called Bordallo ii, who has build many large scale animal scultptures all over the world, using trash and household rubbish that people throw away on a daily basis. The MAC class made use of found objects, recycled trash and acrylic paint to build and construct a realistic animal in a man made environment, like the side of a house, an old factory or a shipping container.

P&C and Community News

Willetton Basketball Stadium
School Holiday Camps

First Week
Monday 7th – Friday 11th July 2025
9 years and under [ eg minimum 6 yrs ] [ 9.00am – 3.30pm daily ] Second Week
Monday 14th – Friday 18th July 2025
9 years and over
[ 9.00am – 3.30pm daily ] Please visit www.willettonbasketball.com.au via the ‘’ Program ‘’ page
where you will find Holiday Camps

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,

We hope you all enjoyed the extra long weekend! Our staff had a very productive day on Friday, 30 May to review practices, reflect on plans and discuss assessment across learning areas. The time that we get together as staff, is valuable in ensuring that we are up to date with current research as well as providing time to ensure that our students are experiencing the same content across classes within the same year level.

WA School reports are provided twice a year at the end of Term 2 and Term 4. This Semester we will be providing parents and carers with their child’s report electronically through Connect. We will be contacting parents shortly with more information as to how to set up a parent account in Connect, so that you can access your child’s report. Sending reports electronically enables parents to have a digital record of their child’s achievements and is timely in its delivery to parents. It also has the benefit of reducing paper consumption which supports the protection for the environment. We will keep you posted as we work through the process of setting up this facility.

Due to the short weeks, we haven’t had any special events on at school during in these weeks. However, Mrs Brylie Clements (currently on maternity leave) and her husband Brent, welcomed a baby girl on Tuesday 3 June – Leni Rae Clements, we wish the Clements family all the joy on the arrival of their little girl, and welcome her to our Caladenia family.

Please see the note below with reminders of events coming.

Reminder

·         P&C are holding the School Disco on Friday 13 June – don’t forget to sign up if you can volunteer some time to help on the night

The link to volunteer is below:

https://volunteersignup.org/CR738

·         School Cross Country is coming up on Tuesday, 17 June more information will be coming out shortly

Thoughts: “All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them.” Viola Davis

Kind regards,

Paula Asplin

Principal

School News

WA Student Assistance Payment for 2025

Please remember to put your claim in for the 2025 WA Student Assistance Payment.

Parents and carers of eligible students can claim $150 for each primary school or Kindergarten student. The WA Student Assistance Payment Claim closes on 4 July 2025. Remember to claim, you simply go through Service WA. There is a link below. If you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact the office for further information and/or assistance.

WA Student Assistance Payment

Traffic Flow and Parking

Thank you again to all parents using the Kiss ‘n’ Drive on Bushy Gardens. The traffic is continuing to flow much better.

Parents, please remember that the City of Gosnells request that all school families observe the traffic rules around the school:

·         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 your car where you shouldn’t   – 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.

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.

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME 2025On Wednesday 21 May, we participated in the annual event National Simultaneous Storytime. This event is aligned with our focus Reading. The text The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell engaged our students and gave us endless learning opportunities. Have a look at the amazing work produced after reading the book.

Our Librarian – Mrs Crofts created a beautiful display to promote the event.

The Year 1’s from Miss William’s class drew and described The Truck Cat using amazing adjectives

Above: The Year 2’s from Miss Dos Santos’s class reading the text using expression.

Above: The Year 3s from Mrs Suttie’s class worked collaboratively to form an impressive display in their classroom.

The Year 5s from Miss Manuel’s class explored and recorded Tinka’s thoughts to help them understand his emotional journey.

Thank you to Staff and students for your support in National Simultaneous Storytime.

From the English Committee.

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 or Download the APP.

Student Achievement 

Namreet a student of year 2, recently participated in a karate competition and came second place. Well done Namreet and congratulations.

Kyra from Year 4, attended the Fremantle Eisteddfod Winners’ Concert at Government House Ballroom, last weekend. She received a trophy for winning First Prize in her piano category. Her siblings are so proud of her, and we’re all thrilled to see her hard work recognised. Congratulations Kyra.

Sean, in Year 6 recently participated in the 2025 Fremantle Eisteddfod and was awarded First Prize in the Age 13 and Under – Chopin Nocturne Piano section. This is a highly competitive category that draws talented young pianists from across Perth, and we are incredibly proud of his accomplishment.

In recognition of his outstanding performance, Sean was also selected to perform at the Winners Concert, which took place on 31 May 2025 at the Government House Ballroom. It was a truly special opportunity for him to share his music in such a prestigious setting.

Congratulations Sean on your achievements.

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

Kindy Room 43 – Miss Ellis

We have had a fantastic start to the term in Kindy. Term 2 has been all about community helpers!

This week we had our AWCH incursion and we had a wonderful time! We learnt all about what happens in hospitals. We engaged in an interactive mat session along with stories and videos about going to hospital. We had the opportunity to dress up as doctors and nurses and role-play with hospital play sets which enhanced our understanding about what happens when you or your family go to the hospital. We really enjoyed having a go using some of the medical equipment such as bandages, crutches and wheelchairs.

Thank you AWCH for visiting Kindy. Our incursion was so much fun!!

Year 4 Room 34 – Miss East

Room 34 students have been diving into the world of measurement, developing their understanding of perimeter and how to calculate it using standard units. To apply their learning in a fun and creative way, the students designed their very own Perimeter People – figures drawn on grid paper that represented themselves!

Using the grid as a guide, each student carefully created a pixel-style person and then used their knowledge of perimeter to calculate the total distance around their figure. This engaging activity not only reinforced the concept of perimeter but also encouraged accuracy, spatial awareness, and critical thinking through problem-solving.

The classroom was buzzing with excitement as students proudly shared their colourful creations and compared measurements. We loved combining creativity with Maths and proving that learning can be both educational and fun!

P&C and Community News