Newsletter 7 – Balga Primary School

Principal Update

Dear Families

I hope everyone is safe and well in our community.

As we are moving closer to easing further restrictions, I feel it is important to remind you of some expectations that are still current.

Teacher Meetings
Parents are welcome to attend Balga PS, however, if you require to meet with your child’s teacher, we ask that you make an appointment. Firstly, we are attempting to reduce the amount of adults in the room during class time and adhere to the two square metre rule. Secondly, teachers have a duty of care, and attempting to discuss important issues with parents in the morning can compromise that. Thirdly, teachers want to give parents the appropriate time and confidentiality your meeting deserves.

Assemblies
As you can see on Mr Chiappalone’s page, assemblies are recommencing this term. Please ensure you follow personal hygiene protocols and maintain the two square metre rule.

Phase 5 of the WA COVID-19 roadmap pushed back
Based on the latest health advice, Phase 5 of the WA COVID-19 roadmap, due to be implemented on Saturday, 1 August, has been delayed. The new tentative date for Phase 5 will now be Saturday, 15 August. A final decision on whether Phase 5 can proceed on this date will be decided in the coming weeks.

Parent and Teacher Interviews and Early Close
Our parent and teacher interviews are an important part of our reporting cycle and we have almost all families attend. For us to make time to meet with everyone, the school has to close early on Tuesday 1 September at 11.30am and all students must be collected at this time. Interviews will begin from 12.30pm and end at 5pm. Teachers will be in contact with families about available times and the school will provide interpreters as needed. Please speak to your child’s teacher if you require an interpreter. The school will be able to supervise students during your interview time only. You can drop your child or children off at the art room just before your meeting and collect them directly after your meeting is finished. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!

Kind regards,
Mike Wills

Deputy’s Desk

Tree Planting
Balga Primary School and the City of Stirling had another successful tree planting incursion. Room 10 got to learn about planting a tree and looking after them, and our surrounding grounds have been enhanced with the 45 trees we helped plant. Thank you to Councillor Boothman and Councillor Sargent for assisting us on the day.

Assemblies and Community Events
We are excited that community events and assemblies are back! Our first assembly is on Thursday 13 August and is hosted by the wonderful students in Room 3.

Here are a quick list of other community events happening this term. We hope to see you there!

Event	Date
Assembly: Room 3 (Year 1)	13 August
Assembly: Room 2 (Pre-Primary)	27 August
Teacher and Parent Interviews and Early Close	1 September
Star Gazing Night	2 September
Faction Athletics Carnival	11 September
Edu-Dance Performance	22 September
Assembly: Room 10 (Year 5/6)	24 September

School Photographs
Our school photographs are happening on Wednesday 2 September. You will receive more information and the Photo Order Envelopes closer to photo day.

Please review the photo packages available and complete order form on reverse of envelope.
If paying by cash, please ensure that exact amount is enclosed as no change can be given.
Online Ordering – Go to https://online.fotoworks.com.au/ordering/access Enter the shoot key provided on the order envelope and follow the prompts to place your order. The shoot key is unique to each student and cannot be used for any other student orders. The last day for ordering photos online is 9 September 2020
Each student will need to bring their completed personalised Photo Order Envelope on photo day, even if no photos are being purchased.
If you are interested in Sibling Photos, please collect Sibling Order Envelopes from the school office.
Sibling Photo Order Envelopes MUST BE RETURNED to the school office prior to photo day.
A 2nd photo day will be organised for the Yonga Kindergarten group. Date TBA once confirmed.

Please contact Fotoworks directly with any queries: schoolcare@fotoworks.com.au or 9244 8211.

Deputy Position

To students, their families and the wider Balga community, it is with mixed emotions that I am informing you my time at Balga Primary School is coming to an end in Week 7 this term. I have enjoyed and still enjoy my time at Balga Primary School. We are a community that celebrates our diversity and uses it as a strength to better each other, this includes the incredible staff, enthusiastic students and their caring families.

I will be taking up a position as deputy principal at a new school, Brabham Primary School (planning name), which opens to students in 2021. I could not pass on the opportunity to build a school from the ground up and I will miss everyone at Balga Primary School. I am also taking parental leave during term three as my wife and I are expecting our second child.

Our principal, Mike Wills, and the appointed principal for 2021, Brad Trpchev, are in the process of appointing a new deputy to Balga Primary School. I wish them and the Balga community all the best for the future.

Regards,
Anthony Chiappalone

** 2021 Enrolments **

Now is the time to apply to enrol your child for 2021 if they are:

Starting Kindergarten (turning four years old by 30 June 2021)

Starting Pre-primary (turning five years old by 30 June 2021)

Changing schools.

Click here to be directed to the Enrolments section of our website where an online Application Form can be completed and returned via email: balga.ps@education.wa.edu.au

Alternatively, please feel free to contact our friendly office staff for any further enquiries on 9253 4500.

Every day of a child’s education matters.

REMINDERS

Voluntary Contributions – $30.00 per student
Voluntary Contributions contribute towards purchasing education resources and programs to ensure your child has access to a broad curriculum and the best educational opportunities possible. The school charges a minimal amount of $30.00 per student. This small amount contributes directly towards the resources and programs available to support your child. If you have not yet made payment of your Voluntary Contributions we would kindly request that payment be made either in Cash, directly to the office, or by direct deposit to the school’s bank account at your earliest convenience.

Origo Maths Books – $18.00 per student
Students from Pre-Primary through to Year 6 will be using the Origo Stepping Stones Maths book to support the Maths curriculum. All students from Pre-Primary through to Year 6 will require this text book. If you have not yet made payment for your child’s book, please arrange for the payment of $18.00 per student to be paid directly to the office, or by EFT to the school’s bank account as soon as possible.

Edu-Dance – $20.00 per student
Students from Pre-Primary through to Year 6 have the opportunity to participate in Edu-Dance again this year. The school would encourage students to participate in this activity. The school has subsidised the cost of Edu-Dance and the cost to families is $20.00 per student. If you have not yet made payment or returned the permission slip, please arrange for the return of signed permission slips as soon as possible and payment can be paid directly to the office, or by EFT to the school’s bank account. Spare permission slips are available from the front office.

The school will be sending out reminders of Unpaid Billing Items next week.

A big shout-out to our wonderful gardener, Kevin, who very kindly donated an electric piano keyboard to our music department.

Ms Dempsey-Lees is very excited and we’re all very proud to have him at Balga Primary School.

We were very fortunate again this term to have Cecily Arkell from Earth Science Western Australia come and visit us. Cecily was a student previously at Balga Primary. After a successful career in the mining industry and teaching in Japan, she is back in Perth again. She inspired our students with her extensive scientific knowledge and a number of hands on activities in the science lab.

Room 10 are studying volcanos and earthquakes in science this term, and they got to see an interactive presentation on volcanos and to conduct an investigation into the viscosity of liquids and how it relates to lava flow.

Rooms 4 and 8 watched a presentation on interesting fossils such as ammonites and got to hold fossils that are hundreds of millions of years old! They also got to make fake ammonite fossils which they could take home.

Thanks you again to Cecily for sharing her knowledge and inspiration with a new generation of Balga Primary School students.

Mr Schultz – Science Teacher

Hello Everyone!

This term we are going to be working hard on our athletic abilities for the upcoming athletics carnival in week 8. We will be doing lots of fun things like the students in the photo above who are working on their leg strength. I’m looking forward to working with each of you and seeing how much further you can throw and jump and how much faster you can run this year !

Ms Palmer – Physical Education Teacher

Balga Primary School are taking part in Jeans for Genes on Friday 7 August 2020.

We encourage everyone to join us – wear your jeans and donate a gold coin or visit JeansForGenes.org.au to buy some of their awesome products or get some great ideas to raise money to help find treatments and cures for kids with genetic diseases.

At Balga Primary School, we like to instill in our students that there are many less fortunate than them and they have an opportunity to give back and make a difference. Help our students develop leadership skills and compassion, understand the importance of STEM in the real world, and learn what it means to be part of a community.

All money raised will fund the vital work being done in the labs at Children’s Medical Research Institute to help the 1 in 20 children living with a genetic disease or birth defect. That’s one in every classroom!

If you want to find out more visit JeansForGenes.org.au.

Playgroup

We are very pleased that Playgroup at Balga Primary School has recommenced!!

We are very excited to see our Playgroup families again and look forward to seeing our new Kindy 2021 students in Playgroup also. If you know of any other families with non school aged children who would like to join in on the fun, please refer them to the Playgroup brochure below.

Please click here to view our Playgroup brochure and we look forward to seeing you Mondays and Thursdays!

Balga Primary School P&C Association

The next P&C Meeting will be next Wednesday 5th August.

We are urgently needing more P&C members!!

If you have time to spare, no matter how little, please come and join us. If you can’t make today’s meeting, please come to the front office & fill out a Membership Application Form as we are needing more members for our future fundraising activities. Money raised by the P&C Association greatly contributes to student activities such as swimming lessons, sporting equipment, class excursions and end of year book awards.

P&C Membership Application Form

** There will be no canteen this Friday 31 August.

Please make alternate lunch arrangements **