Issue 1 February 8, 2017
BANK DETAILS TO PAY FEES
You may prefer to pay school accounts through Direct Debit.
The school bank account details are as follows:
Account Name: Wagin District High School
BSB Number: 036 153
Account Number: 139315
(Westpac - Katanning)
Please ensure that the student’s name is used as
the reference for all Direct Deposits
WAGIN DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL
10 Ranford Street Wagin WA 6315
Phone: 9861 1877 / Fax 9861 1835
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wagindhs.wa.edu.au
Canteen: 9861 1348
Principal: Mrs Cassandra Harris-Moroney
Primary Deputy: Mrs Robyn Willey
Secondary Deputy: Mrs Jolene Abbott
Manager Corporate Services: Mrs Ann Ward
Term 1 Diary WEEK 2 Thursday, February 9
Parent Meeting Year 3/4 (postponed)
WEEK 2 & 3 In-Term Swimming Lessons
WEEK 3 Wednesday, February 15
Parent Meeting Pre-Primary
WEEK 4 Friday, February 24
Faction Swimming Carnival
WEEK 5 Wed, March 1-Fri, March 3
Leadership Camp
WEEK 6 Monday, March 6
Labour Day Holiday
Friday, March 10
Woolorama School Development Day
WEEK 7 Monday, March 13
WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
School Councillors announced
Friday, March 17
Interschool Swimming Carnival
WEEK 8
Thursday, March 23 Hawaiian Bike Ride
WEEK 10 Monday, April 3
WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
Early Childhood students this year are in two classes in Rooms 25 and 26.
Wagin’s newest students are already settling in well with Mrs Spooner and
Mrs Montgomery in Room 25 and Ms Bennett and Mrs Quinn in Room 26.
We hope they make lots of new friends and enjoy their first year at school.
From the Principal
WELCOME
Welcome back students, parents and community members to a new and exciting school year. We have
had a smooth start to the 2017 school year, this year we continue to have the overwhelming majority of
our students back to school on time, ready to learn. This is a fantastic improvement on previous years
where we have had many absences at the start of the school year. Students were very well prepared,
dressed in uniform and fired up to start the year.
Welcome to our new Kindy students and families, we hope you enjoy your education journey and
becoming part of our school community.
We also welcome several new staff members, students and families to our wonderful school community.
The atmosphere around the school is very welcoming and everyone is keen to get on with learning and
settling in. We greatly appreciate the involvement of families and community members in your children’s
education and look forward to continuing to foster strong, positive relationships with all families through-
out the year.
Our student enrolment is hovering around 290 - over the next two weeks this number will fluctuate as
students enrol or transfer to new schools.
Our class structures for 2017 are:
Kindy with Ms Bennett
Kindy with Mrs Spooner
Pre-Primary with Ms Child
Pre-Primary/Year 1 with Mrs Gannaway
Year 1 with Mrs Little
Year 2 with Mrs Pangler
Year 3 with Mrs Moffatt
Year 3/4 TBA
Year 4/5 with Mr Mullin
Year 5 with Ms Roche
Year 6 with Ms Reder
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9/10
Art with Ms van Leeuwen
Physical Education and Health with Ms Bennison
Technologies (D&T or T&E) with Mr Harris
Mrs Kellow has returned 2 days per week and will be working across Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4/5
Mrs Parker will take Music with Pre-Primary-Year 2
Ms Pense has returned from long service leave to teach Year 7-10 Maths
Mrs Pieterse is using her long service leave and will work 4 days this year teaching Year 7 and Year
9/10 English along with supporting Digital Technologies
Mrs King is teaching Year 7-10 HASS and Yr. 8 English
Ms Bickers is teaching Year 7-10 Science and Year 4, Year 4/5, Year 5 and Year 6 Science
Mrs Abbott has also returned from her long service leave along with being our Secondary Deputy she
is also teaching an option class, Year 9/10 Careers and Year 7 and 8 Technologies (Home Economics)
Cass Harris-Moroney
Looking for employment?
All vacancies within the
Department of Education
are now advertised on line through the below link.
http://www.jobs.wa.gov.au/
Welcome to our new teachers:
Ms Annette Child - Ms Child will be teaching our Pre-Primary class this year. She is joining the
ranks of teacher after many years as an Education Assistant. Ms Child has moved here from Albany
where she was taking some long term relief in Albany Primary Schools. She is very enthusiastic and
excited to be teaching Pre-Primary at Wagin DHS.
Ms Dayna Reder - Ms Reder will be teaching our Year 6 class this year. She has relocated from
Perth. Ms Reder has fitted in very well with her colleagues and is enthusiastic, positive and looking
forward to becoming part of our school community.
Ms Alexis Van Leeuwen - Ms Van Leeuwen will be teaching art across the school Pre-Primary to
Year 10 this year along with being a Secondary Form teacher. She is joining us from Perth via
Katanning where she worked for part of last year. Ms Van Leeuwen is very talented artist with some
excellent work already in print. She is very excited to be taking on the role of Art teacher at Wagin
DHS and growing our student’s artistic talents.
Mr Steven Harris- Mr Harris will be teaching Technologies (D&T) across the school Pre-Primary
to Year 10 this year along with being a Secondary Form Teacher. He joins us from Narrogin Ag. He
also has 20 years-experience in the building industry as a carpenter/joiner and has taught at Katanning
SHS. Mr Harris is looking forward to becoming part of our school community.
We are looking forward to the 2017 school year, striving to provide an empowering environment for
life-long learning for our students in partnership with parents, carers and the community.
Your child or young person’s journey through school has a greater chance of being successful if there
is a positive relationship between school and home. Please do not hesitate to come and talk to teaching
or admin staff if you have any concerns or questions. The school office can be contacted on 9861 1877.
THANK YOU
CBH have very generously supplied stationary packs for our Year 1 students. These packs are the prop-
erty of individual students and have been sent home with students. This very generous support is a pos-
itive step in supporting our students to Aim High.
BEHAVIOUR
We continue to use our EMUS to help all school members - students, staff, parents and community to
be Engaged, use our Manners, show Understanding and Strive.
From the Principal continued…..
Secondary News
Jolene Abbott
The new year has begun very well for our school community! It has been delightful to see all our students,
from Year 7 to Year 10, back in action at the high school. Our staff are energised and optimistic about the
year ahead and we have much to look forward to. They have been engaged in intensive professional
learning on improving student learning outcomes through the integration of 21st Century Learning Skills.
Already this year we have warmly welcomed our new teaching staff Mr Steve Harris and Ms Alexis van
Leeuwen. Mr Harris will be teaching Design and Technology and Ms van Leeuwen will be teaching Art.
We have had a smooth start to the school year. This term will be very busy with student council speeches,
swimming carnivals, Woolorama, OLNA testing, leadership camps, the Hawaiian Bike ride, Youth Focus
and other incursions. Our pastoral care focus is to create a nurturing and positive environment where each
student is valued. Part of our 2017 curriculum will focus on meeting challenges, empowering lifelong
learning and achieving goals. Our teachers are dedicated to the focus of learning in the classroom. It is our
objective that lessons provide variety, are engaging, have each individual student appropriately supported
and challenged in their learning and finally, ensure students make excellent progress. Working together
with the support of parents, teachers aim to empower students to take responsibility for their learning with
high expectations. Teachers will support students to strive to achieve their academic goals, to ensure they
progress in developing key academic behaviours and are visible learners in our classrooms.
We have four form classes in the Secondary school. If a parent or carer has any issues regarding their child
please contact your child’s form teacher.
Griffin Ms Van Leeuwen
Unicorn Mrs Vanessa Pieterse
Phoenix Mrs King and Ms Bickers
Sphinx Mr Harris
Uniform Standards
I look forward to seeing the students setting the highest possible standard in the wearing of their school
uniforms. The expected standard has been clearly established in meetings held with the Secondary School
students and these standards have been printed in the Wagin DHS Uniform Policy. Secondary students are
encouraged to wear a Wagin DHS school cap when required.
Student Councillors for 2017
All students who are interested in being a student councillor for 2017 will be required to prepare a speech
and present it to the rest of the student body for voting. All students who are considering a leadership roll
will be given assistance and advice to write, prepare and deliver their speeches. Speeches and voting will
take place next week.
Pastoral Care
Being mindful means using our senses and engaging our minds to focus on the present moment rather than
dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. When we are mindful, we are aware and undistracted,
observing life as it unfolds without analysis or judgment. Practising mindfulness meditation can reduce
stress, increase resilience, increase positive emotions, boost self-esteem, and improve attention and focus.
It can also assist with lowering the incidence of depression and anxiety. Improvements in learning,
achievement, memory and emotional regulation are common, along with clearer and more focused
thinking. Practising mindfulness has been found to actively change the functioning of the brain and
ultimately how we think. I encourage you look at smilingmind.com.au to learn more about mindfulness,
the science behind it and perhaps practise some of the meditations available.
I look forward to continuing to be part of your child’s journey at Wagin DHS. If there is anything I can do
to assist you or your child, please be sure to contact me.
Primary News
Robyn Willey
Student of the Week
Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by their teachers and received
this award in Week 2
Year 2P - Sara Ward, Mackirra Williams
Year 3/4M - Zienna Atkins
I would like to thank you all for helping your children make a great start to
the year. It is so wonderful to see the students behaving well and engaging
enthusiastically in their class work. If you ever have any queries, please see
your class teacher. I am also available if you want to come in to speak with
me.
Swimming
Swimming is progressing well despite the difficulties we have had organising
teachers. Thank you to Rachel Martin who organised her paperwork at the
last minute to be able to teach here.
Robyn Webster has said that she has had some parents approach her regarding the levels their children have
been put in. As swimming is dependent on skills being demonstrated correctly before moving onto the next
level, some students may have had their levels adjusted. The Instructor in Charge needs to be able to see the
skills demonstrated correctly so the children can be put into the correct level. Sometimes students can be
quite confident in the water but fail to perform the skills for the required level or have forgotten how to do
them over the break between swimming lessons. It is all about safety. Please be assured that decisions are
only made so that your children receive the most from these lessons.
Crunch and Sip
Each day make sure your child goes to school with a clean clear bottle filled with water, and vegetables or
fruit for the Crunch & Sip break – that’s all you need to do!
CRUNCH: Vegetables such as carrot or celery sticks, cherry tomatoes or snow peas
OR
Easy-to-eat seasonal fruit such as a small apple, a container with hulled strawberries, a mandarin or banana
OR
Canned fruit in natural juice with a spoon
AND SIP: A clean, clear water bottle filled with plain water
Attendance
Please notify the school regarding any absences your child may have. This year daily absences will be fol-
lowed up.
DO YOU HOLD A: CENTRELINK FAMILY HEALTHCARE CARD; CENTRELINK PENSIONER CARD; VETERANS’ AFFAIRS PENSIONER CARD?
YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR
UP TO: $350
towards school expenses
Secondary Assistance Scheme
Applications Close Friday 7th April 2017. More information is available from the front office.
Moving beyond asking, “What did you do at school?” by Michael Grose
Ever found yourself asking your child the same bland question about school?
―So, how was your day? What did you do at school today? What did you learn?‖
If these are your default questions the chances are that you’ll get a one or two word reply along the
lines, ―Fine!‖ ―Good!‖ ―Okay‖ ―Nothing much.‖
These answers don’t really tell you a lot. On the other hand, these types of questions don’t ask a great
deal.
So how can you move beyond the mundane when you talk with kids about their school days?
The questions you ask to prompt a conversation will often say a great deal about you and what you
value. If you focus only on academic or learning questions, then it indicates that’s what you value. It
helps to take conversations and your questions in different directions to get a multi-faceted window into
your child’s school life but also an indication of your child’s interests, social skills and welfare. Here
are some examples of question starters that may prompt different responses from kids about their time
at school:
1. Tell me what made you laugh today?
2. Who did you play with at recess today?
3. Did you do anything that was brave?
4. If I spoke to your teacher, what would she tell me about you?
5. What did your teacher talk about today?
6. Is there anyone in your class who needs to be in time out?
7. Where’s the best place to hang out/play at school?
8. Tell me one good thing that happened to you today?
9. Who were you nice/kind/friendly to today?
10. Did anyone push your buttons today?
11. What did you do that you were proud of/happy with today?
12. What’s something you learned with a friend today?
13. What’s your teacher’s most important rule?
14. If today was musical instrument what would it be? Why?
15. If you were a teacher tomorrow, what would you teach the class?
Canteen Roster
Welcome Back! Please attend by 9am. Children are not
allowed in the canteen, due to
insurance requirements.
Any queries; ring the canteen on
9861 1348. Thankyou for your time and support.
Term 1
Thursday, February 9
Narelle Gibbs
Friday, February 10
Sarah Whiteford
Monday, February 13
Martina Pascoe
Tuesday, February 14
Mandy Harrington
Wednesday, February 15
Jane Kilpatrick
Thursday, February 16
Catherine Ward
Friday, February 17
Emily Holt
Monday, February 20
Carmel Leary
Tuesday, February 21
Anette Quartermaine
Wednesday, February 22
Karen Thomson
Term Dates for 2017
School Development Days & Public Holidays
Term 1: Wednesday February 1 - Friday, April 7 SDD Monday, January 30 SDD Tuesday, January 31
PH Monday March 6 Labour Day SDD Friday, March 10 (Woolorama)
Term 2: Wednesday April 26 - Friday June 30 SDD Monday April 24
PH Tuesday April 25 ANZAC Day PH Monday June 5 WA Day
Term 3: Monday July 17 - Friday Sept 22 SDD Monday August 21
Term 4: Monday October 9 - Thursday Dec 14 There is NO School Development Day
In Term 4
Whole School Assemblies 2017 Assemblies are held on Mondays
starting at 1.50pm
Family & Friends Welcome!
Term 1
Week 7: March 13 - Year 3 Moffatt
(School Council announced)
Week 10: April 3 - Year 1 Little
When ordering lunches
Please use the
NEW CANTEEN
MENU
Attached!
As kids and parents get back into the swing of school, it’s important to keep safety in mind.
Drivers should remember that as the new school year begins, children will be walking, crossing streets and
maybe even fooling around a bit on their way to school.
Parents should take the opportunity now to talk with their children about getting to and from school safely.
Here are some tips from Constable Care to make the start of the 2017 school year a safe one:
Make safety part of the conversation Talk with your kids about safety and going back to school. If possible do a practice run before schools
starts so your child is familiar with the process.
Remind children not to talk with strangers or anyone that offers a lift home unless it has been pre-
arranged with yourself.
Reinforce with your children that they should avoid walking or riding bikes behind school buses and
other dangerous blind spots.
If you are collecting your child from school, advise them where the pick-up point will be and the safest
way to get to you. This could include using a crossing and not running across the road.
If your child is riding to school ensure they wear bike safety equipment including helmets.
Tell your child to always cross the road at crossings or traffic lights and to look both ways before
crossing.
Don’t talk on your phone or send text messages while you’re driving. Apart from the safety concerns,
it’s important to practice what you preach — don’t text and drive.
School Zone driving safety tips Be on the lookout for school zone signals and ALWAYS obey the speed limits.
Always slow down for school busses that are loading or unloading children.
Watch out for school crossing guards and obey their signals.
Be aware of and watch out for child 'hot spots', such as around schools, near bus stops and bike lanes,
sidewalks, in the streets, in school parking lots, etc.
Never pass other vehicles, make a U-Turn or change lanes while driving in a school zone.
Unless licensed to do so, never use disability parking, emergency vehicle lanes or spaces to drop off or
pick up children at school.
Expect the unexpected.
Riding your bike to school Check with the school to make sure your child is allowed to ride their bicycle to school. Some schools
do not allow students to ride bicycles to school until they reach a specific grade.
Make sure your child always wears a bicycle helmet! Failure to wear one could result in a traffic fine.
Furthermore, in the event of an accident, helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85
percent.
Obey the rules of the road; the rules are the same for all vehicles, including bicycles.
Choose the safest route between home and school and practice it with children until they can demon-
strate road safety awareness.
If possible, try to ride with someone else. There is safety in numbers.
Going back to school safely
By David Gribble, CCCSF CEO
Walking to school Leave early enough to arrive at school at least 10 minutes prior to the start of school.
Use the same route every day and never use shortcuts.
Go straight home after school. Do not go anywhere else without permission.
Always use public footpaths and streets when walking to school.
Demonstrate traffic safety awareness and pick the safest route between your home and the school, and
practice walking it with your children.
Try and walk to school with other students. There is strength in numbers.
Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.
Only cross streets at designated crosswalks, street corners and traffic controlled intersections.
Always look both ways before crossing the street and never enter streets from between obstacles like
parked cars, shrubbery, signs, etc.
Always walk and never run across intersections.
Avoid talking to strangers. Teach your children to get distance between themselves and anyone who
tries to approach or make contact with them.
If a stranger does approach your child, make sure they know to immediately report the incident to you
or a teacher.
Teach your children to never get into a vehicle with anyone, even if they know them, without your per-
mission.
School bus safety Make a habit of arriving at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus.
Make sure your child stays off the street and avoids excessive horseplay while waiting for the school
bus.
Be sure the bus comes to a complete stop before getting on or off.
When riding the bus, make sure your child understands they must remain seated and keep their head
and arms inside the bus at all times.
Do not shout or distract the driver.
P&C MEETING The first P&C meeting for 2017 will be held on Monday 20th February, commenc-
ing at 12:30pm in Room 3. We welcome all previous and potential members to
attend.
At the meeting we will discuss fundraising ideas for this year, so if you are
interested in assisting to raise funds which go directly back in to our school we
urge you to come along. Meetings are of an informal nature and are a great way to keep up to date with what
is happening around our school.
If you are interested in attending but would like further information we encourage you to contact one of our
executive committee members who will happily answer any questions/queries you may have. If you are
unsure of where Room 3 is – the office staff will be able to direct you on the day.
Friday Night Rollerblading
When: 10th February,
10th March AND 31st March!!
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Age: parents, children, siblings,
grandparents. Bring everyone!!
Cost: $6.90 Junior (under 18), $8.00
Senior (over 18),
$2.00 Blade Hire
If you have any questions, please con-
tact the KLC on
9821 4399.
Born to Move Starting again February 10th !!
Wagin Junior Basketball—Tuesday, 3.45pm at Rec Centre
$30 for Term 1 (unless already paid last Term for 2 terms)
Students turning 9 in this calendar year and above.
Enquiries Mandy Harrington 0409 572 962
Wagin Netball Registration
Players 5 Years and older
Wednesday, February 22, 3.30pm
at the recreation Centre
All enquiries to Mandy
0409 572 962
Top Related