Affirmation – ” Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” – Og Mandino
Dear Parents and Carer Givers,
Fat Cat
Today marks an important event for us as a community. We were acknowledged for the work we did for Telethon in 2022 and for the student ambassadorial connection to Telethon 2023. Fat Cat arrived with great excitement from our students. He presented our ambassadors with their badges and certificates. Fat Cat came to say thank you to our amazing community for the support that was given to Telethon in 2022 and to launch our 2023 campaign to raise as much money as possible for sick kids in Western Australia. The lucky kindy and pre-primary students also got to meet this state icon.
Thank you, Mr. Smyth and Lee Vivian, from the Telethon Institute for making the connection with Telethon and our school. PJ Day is a wonderful way of showing our support for sick children in WA, raising over $1200 in 2022. Thank you, Caladenia community. We will let the community know how much the student leaders raised after the remaining kindy classes have their PJ Day on Monday.
NAPLAN 2023
NAPLAN commences next week, Wednesday 15 March and continues until Monday 27 March. Most Testing will be completed by the 24 March. Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be tested with this Nationally operated process to obtain an understanding of how our students are performing across Australia in literacy and numeracy.
P&C
Thank you to our wonderful P&C for the tremendous work they do to encourage community spirit in our school community. Funds raised all go towards the students in the school to purchase equipment, resources and learning materials for our children.
Thanks, Michelle to you and your Team of supporters.
Traffic Flow and Parking
This morning, I witnessed a dangerous and hair-raising scene from several family cars driving on the wrong side of the road up Bushy Gardens, narrowly missing a car coming the other way. Please be patient or a child may suffer the consequences of illegal driving. Again, the expectation of parents and the staff of the school is to
Travel anticlockwise around the school in your car, exiting at several roads on the way round the site – this simple process ensures that children are always let out on the school side and do not cross over the roads into school
Do not park in Kiss n Drive bays -parents behind you are waiting to drop off their children and leave – these bays are monitored by Rangers and they will issue fines. You should spend no longer than 1minute at any time in these bays, but best to drop and go.
Do not park in driveways of neighbours’ homes or on lawns or cross overs (footpaths and walking areas have children on them and presents an extreme danger to them walking to school, as you can’t see them below the horizon of your rear vision mirror.
Use lawful rules of the road to access the school area
Arriving Early
Some families are dropping students off at school as early as 7.00am. You must know that the school has no responsibility to these children’s duty of care. We love our children and never want any harm to come to them – that is why we have rules and guidelines for our students and families.
COVID NEWS
A new wave of COVID is already in WA. Many children and adults are succumbing to COVID for a second or more times – each time (research is telling us) the effect on our internal systems become increasingly at risk of damage. So please,
Wear a mask inside buildings where there are many people
Do not come to school if you are unwell with sniffles, coughs or flu-like symptoms as we normally stray home during times of flu outbreaks
Wash hands and always sanitize
Our School
· The school staff carried out its Survey of Year 3, 4 and 5 Students (mandated every two years in every school) and the responses showed
o 331 responses (160 girls and 171 boys)
o Very high satisfaction rates in all responses (mid to high 90% satisfaction)
It was reassuring to know that students like and respect our school staff and leadership teams with such positive resolve. Thank you, Caladenia students. We also believe you are very special and we care greatly for each and every one of you. We will publish the results on our website next week.
· Please check your Term Planner 2023 on the Caladenia website for all activities and important events.
· Our Senior Assembly this morning celebrated our Award winners and the Year 3, 4 and 5 Year Level Captains received their badges. Well done, everyone.
Keep well, everyone. Have a great weekend.
THOUGHT: “Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open.” – James Dewar
Ted Nastasi
Principal
School News
Year 1 Teddy Bears’ Picnic
On Friday the 24th February our year ones held the Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It was a wonderful afternoon with parents, students and bears all enjoying the sunshine and a delicious lunch together. Thank you to everyone who came along to this event.
Pictured below : Mr Smyth, Mr Nastasi and Mr McIlwraith
Student Achievement
Over the long weekend a Matteo participated in the State Teeball Championships with his team Willetton Wildcats.
The team played two games each day over the three day long weekend. Matteo managed to score a double out in one game by catching the batter out and tagging the third base runner.
Matteo also achieved a milestone over the weekend by achieving his 50 games in teeball. Congratulations Matteo, what a fantastic effort.
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
International Women’s Day 
On Wednesday the 8th of March, our classes celebrated International Women’s Day. Whilst any day of the year is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the wonderful achievements that women have made and contributed to society, it is also a great opportunity to raise awareness that we need to continue to encourage everyone to create a more inclusive world and challenge opinions as well as stereotypes. Empowering women promotes girls and women’s sense of self-worth, determine their own choices and their right to influence social change for themselves and others. By working together women and girls will have – equal opportunities and be empowered to become who they wish. It will also provide chances and help them plan for their futures, where they can realise their full potential.
I thought this quote from Serena Williams is a great message that we can embrace: Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on. – Serena Williams
Paula Asplin
Class News
Pre Primary Room 1 – Mrs Harper
The Pre-Primary students have been working hard on learning about living and non-living things. We know that living things breathe air, need food and water, can grow and ‘have babies’ (reproduce). In class we have learnt specifically about plants as a living thing, its parts and what plants need to grow big and strong. The students were confident in creating and labelling a flower (see photos) with seeds, flower, stem, leaves and roots. As a class we each planted a bean seed and have been watching it grow. We now have visible roots and some small seedlings. We are hoping this week our plants will develop strong stems and grow taller like the one in the photo.
We can’t wait to see what will grow on our little plants!
Year 5 Room 28 – Miss Dos Santos
In Year 5 science this term, we have been focusing on the topic of ‘light.’ We have learned how light travels and have created ray diagrams to show the path light takes to help us see. Last week we conducted an investigation to see what happens to a beam of light when it travels through water. Here is Room 28 making predictions, conducting the investigation and recording their observations.
School Board, P&C News and Community News
The Caladenia Primary School Board operates in an environment of transparency and trust with the School Staff. The new staff empowerment model 2022 (new structures showcasing staff leadership) allows the School and Board to be connected in its planning and decision-making processes. All staff in the school are involved in direct decision-making processes and recommendations pass through Collaborative Teams, Curriculum Teams, Well-Being Teams, Executive and the Leadership Team (mostly teacher reps). Decision making involves all of these structures.
The community of Caladenia views the Board as an avenue of checks and balances to ensure that the school community is affecting its aspirations through sound educational planning and implementation processes. The Board is very much valued as an instrument of support and positive development within the school structures.
In 2022, the Board members deliberated and implemented
• Reviewing the Targets and objectives of the Business Plan 2021-2023
• Whole School Improvement Plan 2023
• Quality Teaching and Learning Policy, Handbook 2023
• Strategic Plan 2023
• Financial planning and recommendations for the Staffing and Cash Budgets 2023
• Road Safety/Parking Issues
• Restricted site size
• Supporting events and positive reinforcement of the school’s intents to its community
Icy Poles are Back!
Caladenia P&C are selling Icy Poles at the school gates for $1 each
Friday 10th March
Monday 13th March (Kindy Only)
Friday 17th March
Friday 24th March
See you at the gates!
Friday 31 March 2023
Before school from 7.45am to 8.15am
Undercover Area
HOT CROSS BUNS $2
With juice $3
Don’t forget to return your slip with the number of people attending to the P&C box located in the front office. Please see the flyers in the office or on our school stream app for more details
Book Club
The next issue Closes Thursday 23 March 2023
Cash orders will no longer be accepted. All orders must be completed online using Loop.