Our School
Principal's Address
We welcome our families (current and future) to our wonderful school. Our Caladenia Family has love and nurturing as its basic tenet for successful self-regulating student behaviors. We work hard to engage every student in our culture of mutual respect and dignity for every person. We are proud of the partnerships forged with our parent body in ensuring a consistent and complementary messages for the students in our care.
Our school is a place of safety, inclusivity and calmness for all. As School of the Year 2019, we are proud of our high expectations of students and teachers and we are pleased that our high standards are reflected in actual high achievements and development of responsive and self-regulating students.
We expect the best of everyone in our community.
We wish you a joyful time at Caladenia and hope that we support you well in your quest for the best in the development of your children, both academically and emotionally/socially.
Thank you for being on this journey with us as we navigate carefully through the development of our school into one which is truly responsive to the high expectations of our community.
Ted Nastasi
Principal
Vision & Beliefs
Our Vision for our community is...
We aim to provide all students and adults with ongoing quality opportunities to develop the skills,
knowledge and confidence to achieve their potential and contribute to our intention to
"be the best that you can be".
We are a group of committed and dedicated professionals working with our community to support the school to create a learning environment that stimulates and challenges students to achieve optimum learning. We understand that:
- We believe that building strong and sustainable relationships leads to effecting self-regulating students and adults
- All students are capable of improvement in learning
- We are in partnership with parents in the educational journey of their children
- Students are all different and that we must provide for this differentiation for each
- There is no substitute for high quality teaching in achieving high student results
- Teachers are motivated, skilled and supportive of each other and supported by our community
- Students must also be accountable for their learning and our pedagogical strategies reflect this each and every day – students should be able to recall and retain information and skills
- We must engage every child in learning 100% of the time in class
- Play is an important reflection of social skilling and therefore we have zero tolerance to negatively affecting others in the playground and that we work towards self-regulating strategies to effect this
- Learning occurs best when a student, family and school have common goals, interact positively and are mutually supportive
We are committed to contributing to a socially cohesive, safe, democratic, stable and reconciled community. We are committed to the values which protect the dignity of each person and foster respect and integrity for every member of our community. We treat everyone with love, care and concern. Our relationships are based on honesty, mutual respect and acceptance of personal responsibilities.
2022 Staff
Staff Leadership
We believe in staff involvement in decision-making through delegated distributed leadership. The school promotes succession management by building strong and effective leaders for the future. We actively seek staff for promotional and active leadership roles in the school. Leadership is through various Committees/Teams in the school:
Collaborative Teams
These teams are Year level structures, organised by a Peer Collegiate Coordinator (PCC) to carry out consultative meetings with teachers as well as provide peer performance management of each other all year round (through classroom active and responsive visitations from their own Year Level teachers), moderation tasks and planning together to provide quality teaching strategies/activities through whole school agreed priorities and policies.
Curriculum Teams
Each Learning Area is represented by a Team of teachers responsible for overseeing and tweaking our whole school suggested priorities and Targets in reviewing the Scope and Sequence for each Year Level.
Leadership Team
This Team consists of Level 3 teachers, PCC’s, the Principal and Deputies to provide feedback/planning functions for the various Teams in the school.
Executive Team
The Principal, Deputies and Manager Corporate Service provide an overview, review and feedback for all committees and Teams in the school. It is this Teams function to assist teachers to teach smarter not work harder. We actively seek solutions to Classrooms First principles in everything we do.
Well-Being Committee
This is combined mix of staff which looks after staff morale, social and emotional support for all staff in the school.
Staff
School Executive Team
| Principal | Ted Nastasi |
| Deputy Principal | Craig McIlwraith |
| Deputy Principal | Paula Asplin |
| Deputy Principal | Rob Smyth |
| Manager Corporate Service | Anne Driscoll |
| Teacher | Year/Room | |
| Mrs Elle Craigie | Kindy Room 1 | |
| Miss Siobhan Ellis | Kindy Room 2 | |
| Mrs Angela O'Malley | Kindy Room 3 | |
| Miss Jodie Catherall & Mrs Kira Readhead | Pre Primary Room 4 | |
| Mrs Kim Patton | Pre Primary Room 5 | |
| Mrs Robbie Haug | Pre Primary Room 6 | |
| Mrs Jo Dalbock | Pre Primary Room 7 | |
| Mrs Mikayla Harper | Pre Primary Room 43 | |
| Mrs Marie Evans | Year 1 Room 8 | |
| Mrs Jo Hamilton | Year 1 Room 10 | |
| Miss Natasha Donica | Year 1 Room 17 | |
| Miss Belinda Williams | Year 1 Room 30 | |
| Miss Esther Tai | Year 1 Room 32 | |
| Ms Sarah Heinzman | Year 1 Room 41 | |
| Miss Lauren Manuel | Year 2 Room 12 | |
| Miss Emily Hayes | Year 2 Room 16 | |
| Miss Niki Zakarias | Year 2 Room 22 | |
| Miss Adrienne Gardiner | Year 2 Room 24 | |
| Mrs Trina Martin | Year 2 Room 26 | |
| Mrs Sandy Wingfield and Miss Chloe Rowe | Year 2 Room 36 | |
| Mrs Andrea Smith | Year 3 Room 9 | |
| Mrs Lynne Suttie | Year 3 Room 14 | |
| Mrs Nicolle Wall | Year 3 Room 21 | |
| Miss Tracie Hewes | Year 3 Room 27 | |
| Mrs Shelley Atkinson | Year 3 Room 35 | |
| Mrs Vijayta Sharma | Year 3 Room 38 | |
| Mrs Andrea Harris | Year 4 Room 20 | |
| Miss Tegan Duffill | Year 4 Room 25 | |
| Mr Phil Chandler | Year 4 Room 29 | |
| Miss Simone Beatty | Year 4 Room 31 | |
| Miss Jessica Roberts | Year 4 Room 34 | |
| Mrs Sandra Santini | Year 5 Room 15 | |
| Mr Travis Smith | Year 5 Room 23 | |
| Mrs Victoria Avery | Year 5 Room 28 | |
| Mr Travis Elliot | Year 5 Room 39 | |
| Mr Alex Caldera | Year 6 Room 11 | |
| Mrs Charlene Ashby | Year 6 Room 33 | |
| Mrs Veronica Weissflog | Year 6 Room 37 | |
| Miss Rachel Hanich | Year 6 Room 42 | |
| Mr Andrei Nikulinsky | MAC 4/5/6 Room 19 | |
| Mrs Rikta Rudra | Kindy/Pre-Primary | |
| Mrs Kylie Hemingway | Kindy / Pre-Primary | |
| Miss Laura Reese | Pre Primary / Support | |
| Mrs Liz Rivett | Music | |
| Mrs Deborah Skelton | Music | |
| Mrs Tracy Holmes | Physical Education | |
| Mr Brent Garrett | Physical Education | |
| Mrs Louise Ewing | Visual Arts | |
| Mr Andrew Frost | Visual Arts / Music | |
| Mrs Yoshie Witt | LOTE (Japanese) | |
| Mrs Yu-Seong Kong | EAL/D | |
| School Psychologist | Melissa Carroll |
| School Officers | Georgia Paxton, Susan Askwith, Justine Arnold and Racheal Nicholls |
| Library Officers | Aileen Crofts and Justine Arnold |
| Special Needs Education Assistants |
Tahlia Agostino, Cathryn Ainsworth, Michelle Anderson, Janelle Charushenko, Jacqui Colvin, Kellie Hayward, Keisha Hutcheson and Natasha Yorke |
| Education Assistants | Anita Beattie, Karen Benstead, Kym Cataldi, Lynette Elson, Nola Frost, Helen Ganzer, Sheryl Samuels, Karen Thompson and Leanne White |
| Gardener | Phil Crofts |
| Cleaners | Annie Chen, Sarah Darby, Gebremedhin Mekonen, Koo Noo, Dean Tuckey and Lynette Zanetti |
School Board
In 2012, the school became an Independent Public School and with this status came a School Board with a new set of responsibilities and a focus on financial and review of progress functions which has changed the face of how Boards operate within the community.
Please refer to the School Board Constitution for details on how the Board operates and what responsibilities and rights it works within.
Members on the Board for 2022
Mrs Carole Veneris
Mr Edward Nastasi
Mr John Elson
Mr Yuchao Sun
Mrs Jen Wilson
Mr Kunal Malhotra
Mrs Sarah Cecchi
Mrs Anne Driscoll
Dr Sam Xie
Mr Travis Smith
Mrs Cindy Booth
Miss Lauren Manuel
Business Plan
Please find the business plan here.
Policies
Dress Code
The Caladenia Primary School Community has established a dress code for all students attending the school.
We believe that a dress code:
- Fosters and enhances the public image
- Assists in building a school and team spirit
- Ensures that students are safely dressed for specific school activities
- Encourages equity among the students
- Prepares students for work, as many places have dress and safety codes
School Uniform
Caladenia Primary School has a uniform that all children are expected to wear. School uniforms are available through Uniform Concepts which is conveniently located at 30 Kembla Way, Willeton 6155. The Uniform shop is open on Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Thursday to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
To view the uniform list please click here.
Payment can be made by cash, credit card or EFTPOS. (Diners, Amex & Cheques are not accepted)
Girls’ Uniform - Years K – 6 : Summer
- Unisex purple/with navy insets Polo shirt displaying the Caladenia Logo, short sleeved (Official School Uniform)
- Year 6 only – Graduate White Shirt (printed and Caladenia logo) – MUST be worn on formal occasions or optional for every day
Formal occasions are, School Photos, Important visitors to the school, Formal Assembly Events ie ANZAC Day etc. Any event identified by the Principal, all school excursions.
(Students will be excluded from the above events if they are not in the required dress)
- Navy blue skirt with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue active stretch Pants with Caladenia logo
- Faction Shirt with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue rugby shorts with Caladenia logo – PE and sport
- Reversible (Faction colour) Caladenia logo brimmed hat
Girls’ Uniform – Years K-6 : Winter
- Unisex purple/with navy insets Polo shirt displaying the Caladenia Logo, short sleeved (Official School Uniform)
- Year 6 only – Graduate White Shirt (printed and Caladenia logo) – MUST be worn on special occasions or optional for every day
Formal occasions are, School Photos, Important visitors to the school, Formal Assembly Events ie ANZAC Day etc. Any event identified by the Principal, All school excursions.
(Students will be excluded from the above events if they are not in the required dress)
- Navy blue nylon fleece track pants with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue ‘College-Style’ nylon zip jacket with Caladenia logo (banded bottom and cuffs)
- Navy blue jumper with Caladenia logo and school colours neckband and cuffs (must be worn with Polo Shirt underneath)
- Navy blue skirt with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue active stretch pants with Caladenia logo
- Faction Shirt with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue rugby shorts with Caladenia logo – PE and sport
- Reversible (Faction colour) Caladenia logo brimmed hat
Boys’ Uniform - Years K – 6: Summer
- Unisex purple/with navy insets Polo shirt displaying the Caladenia Logo, short sleeved (Official School Uniform)
- Year 6 only – Graduate White Shirt (printed and Caladenia logo) – MUST be worn on formal occasions or optional for every day
Formal occasions are, School Photos, Important visitors to the school, Formal Assembly Events ie ANZAC Day etc. Any event identified by the Principal, all school excursions.
(Students will be excluded from the above events if they are not in the required dress)
- Navy blue cargo shorts with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue cargo Pants with Caladenia logo
- Faction Shirt with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue rugby shorts with Caladenia logo – PE and sport
- Reversible (Faction colour) Caladenia logo brimmed hat.
Boys’ Uniform Years K – 6: Winter
- Unisex purple/with navy insets Polo shirt displaying the Caladenia Logo, short sleeved (Official School Uniform)
- Year 6 only – Graduate White Shirt (printed and Caladenia logo) – MUST be worn on special occasions or optional for every day
Formal occasions are, School Photos, Important visitors to the school, Formal Assembly Events ie ANZAC Day etc. Any event identified by the Principal, All school excursions.
(Students will be excluded from the above events if they are not in the required dress)
- Navy blue cargo shorts with Caladenia logo
- Navy blue cargo Pants with Caladenia logo
- Faction Shirt with Caladenia logoNavy blue rugby shorts with Caladenia logo – PE and sport
- Reversible (Faction colour) Caladenia logo brimmed hat
Shoes
Black / White / Navy blue practical shoes. All shoes should have toes enclosed. Some shoes do not meet the requirements of the Community.
Physical Education Uniform
- Students are to wear their faction shirts only on days when they have physical education or sport.
- Students must wear closed in sports shoes appropriate for running and participating in physical activity.
- Caladenia logo Rugby shorts (navy blue, for both girls and boys)
- Nylon fleece double knee track pants with Caladenia logo (navy blue, for both girls and boys) – winter time / cool days
Hats
The Caladenia hat is to be worn as part of the Caladenia Primary School uniform. No other hats are to be brought to school.
Hats are required to be worn at all times for all activities outside the classroom. Caladenia Primary School endorses the ‘no Caladenia hat no play’ policy.
Jewellery
Jewellery is not to be worn at school - this includes bangles, dangling earrings or any item of that nature.
Items of jewellery that students are allowed to wear are:
- Sleepers
- Stud earrings
- Jewellery that needs to be worn for cultural or religious reasons.
Hair and make up
Hairstyles is a matter that requires good taste and judgment as to what is in the best interests of the community/school overall. We ask students to adhere to the following:
- Hair is to be neatly groomed and hair on/below the shoulders must be tied up. This applies to both girls and boys.
- Our community does not adhere to a “look at me” attitude at school
- Patterns cut into hair are not acceptable.
- Extreme hairstyles (length, colour or design) are not acceptable.
- Make-up is not to be worn at any time.
Skirt Length
Please ensure that your child wears their skirts no shorter than half way between their knee and thigh. Your help in this matter is appreciated.
Sanctions for non-compliance
A student not complying with the school policy can expect:
- To be excluded from the following:
- School Photos
- Important Visitors to the school
- Formal assembly events ie. Presentation, ANZAC Day etc
- Any event identified by the Principal
- School excursions
- To be questioned by their teacher, an Assistant Principal or Principal on why they are not wearing the correct uniform – a Uniform Slip will be sent home by the class teacher.
- If the student fails to comply to the dress code twice, then the Teacher will communicate with the Office and the parents will be notified.
- The third occurrence will result in a parent/school meeting.
Mobile Phone Policy
The State Government announced a new Student Mobile Phones in Public Schools policy to take effect from the start of Term 1, 2020.
The policy requires all public schools to implement a ban on the use of mobile phones for all students from the time they arrive at school to the end of the school day. This extends to the use of smart watches which need to be on aeroplane mode during this period. The policy aims to reduce distractions in class and improve student engagement.
In the policy, primary students cannot have a mobile phone in their possession. This means if your child brings a mobile phone to school, it will be stored until the end of the school day. Exceptions are allowed for students who have approval from me to use a phone to monitor health conditions, or where teachers give students permission to use mobile phones for a specific purpose.
If your child needs to contact you, they can do so through the school administration. Likewise, if you need to get a message to your child, you can call the school.
We will work with staff to determine how we will implement this policy and then provide further information to you and the school community.
If you have any queries or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Administration on 6258 9350 or in person.
Behaviour Management
Homework
In line with Caladenia Primary School’s whole child focus, the Homework Policy is reflective of the balance required in a child’s life. We have a strong belief that education is a partnership with parents and homework should not be intrusive on family life. Homework is an opportunity for parents to engage and support the education of their child in a realistic and practical way.
Educational research clearly demonstrates that homework targeted to students’ needs and abilities has a positive effect on student learning and retention of key facts. Homework needs also to be incremental in amount and complexity as the students’ progress through school. In line with this, Caladenia’s Homework Policy outlines what parents can expect their children to be doing at the different stages of Primary School.
Homework Guidelines
At Caladenia we believe homework should:
- aid the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills which require mastery;
- consolidate school learning;
- relate to current classroom learning;
- be able to be completed independently by children;
- not be photocopied black line masters;
- be negotiated at the point of need and support remediation or extension where necessary.
Year Level Expectations
Kindergarten/ Pre-primary
Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Homework:
- Home reader
- Parents Reading to student
- Learning Initial Sounds
- Early Number Concepts
Year One to Three
Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Homework:
- Home reader
- Phonic Sounds
- Spelling words
- Parent Reading to student
- Basic Number facts
Year Four and Five
Time: 20 – 30 minutes
Homework:
- Home reader
- Phonic sounds
- Spelling words
- Parent Reading to student
- Basic number facts
- Some small research projects
- Completion of some school based work.
Year Six
Time: 30 – 40 minutes
Homework:
- Home reader
- Spelling words
- Basic number facts
- Some research projects
- Completion of some school based work.
Literacy
Home reading programs will be supported by all year levels. Home reading is necessary to aid the development of fluency, code breaking and comprehension. It greatly assists in developing reading confidence and nurtures a love of reading.
Numeracy
As children develop an understanding of basic operations, practise and mastery of basic facts will become part of homework expectations.
Self Management
As children enter upper primary, assignments given to practise skills taught at school, allowing for the development of self management and time management skills, are recommended.
Internet Policy
You must:
- Only access sites that are appropriate for use in school. This also applies outside lesson time.
- Be aware that your actions on the Internet can be seen by others.
- Obey all classroom rules while using the Internet.
- When using online communication tools, such as Email and Edmodo, be careful of what you say to others and how you say it. Never give your name, home address, telephone numbers or any personal information about yourself or others to any strangers you write to or talk with on the Internet.
- Treat others, as they would expect to be treated. For example, show respect, be polite and avoid using sarcasm.
- Respect copyright and trademarks. You cannot use the words or pictures that you see on an Internet site without giving credit to the person that owns the site. You must not copy text or pictures from the Internet and hand it in to your teacher as your own work.
- Immediate and discreetly inform your teacher if you accidentally come across something that is illegal, dangerous or offensive.
- Only send an Email when you have been given an account by the school’s system administrator and have received instruction in Email protocol. This will include a lesson in checking Email attachments for viruses.
- Use appropriate grammar instead of texting language in online communication.
- Respect the expensive equipment provided for use by not vandalising the equipment or eating and drinking during its use.
You must not:
- Post group codes publicly. For example, for Edmodo access.
- Send, access or display offensive messages, language or pictures.
- Post pictures of self or classmates in Edmodo without teacher permission.
- Download files without the prior permission of your teacher. Files could have viruses that damage the computer equipment as well as causing delays for other users of the Internet.
- Complete questionnaires or subscription forms for yourself or others. These may ask for personal information that will affect your privacy.
- Intentionally waste resources such as excessive printing.
Medical
It is important to inform the school if your child has a medical condition which may affect their daily health and well being e.g. allergy to bee stings, asthma, diabetes, etc. The school will need to develop a crisis management plan to assist your child if there is an emergency situation.
Please ensure that the school’s admission details are kept up-to-date. Current address and telephone numbers are essential because the school has very limited facilities for supervising sick children for any length of time.
Administration of Medications
Should your child require medication during school hours, the parent must complete a Consent Form, available at the front office.
Children are not to carry any medication with them. Medications must be handed to the Front Office staff at the beginning of the day.
Staff do not administer medications such as paracetamol, aspirin, etc. and these are never provided to the children by staff members.