Week+2+Term+1+2009

Week 2 Term 1 2009

The Wiki is up and running again please check it at least once a week for communication. __**Notes from Admin Meeting Thurs 5th Feb**__ A program for the Tuesday afternoon meeting time is on the timetable noticeboard in the staffroom. Please meet in staffroom by 2.30pm unless otherwise indicated. Ted has been asked to apply for grants that will allow us to run the Hip-Hop support program this year. We will also be re-starting a Religious Education program that will require consent. Consent forms will be distributed soon. WA Youth Awards nominations are open. Closing date is 20th Feb. Any suggestions see Jamie.

The meet and greet will be held this Friday at 10.10. Please see last week’s wiki for further details. Invitations need to be sent out no later than Tuesday of this week.
 * __Meet and Greet __**

LOTE starts this week please ensure your class is prompt and anticipate problems! Check you info sheets for more information.
 * __LOTE Primary School __**

I look forward to seeing everyone at the pub from 7pm onwards on Friday night. It is fancy dress so look good or at least scary. I will arrange someone to do drop off twice during the evening. The first drop off will be 9.30pm and the last at 10.30pm. I will pay some one some money so if you need a lift can you put in $5 then it will make it profitable for them. Please come as this is a great opportunity to welcome our new staff and find out about the holiday news from everyone.
 * __Friday the 13th Party __**

Many of the non teaching staff will be attending a PD in Kununurra on Monday next week on Peer Support a resiliency program for kids and a program to enable students to support each other. Teachers please make plans not to have the support staff in classes for that day.
 * __PD Peer Support __**

Please ensure all forms are back ASAP so we can use photos of students for various things. A internet permission form will come out this week as well and students will need to fill this in if they want to use the computers at the school.
 * __Student Permission Forms __**

All primary school students must remain seated where they are eating their lunch for ten minutes. Do not let the children go until 1pm. This is regardless of if they have finished their lunch or not.
 * __Lunch time eating __**

If you need golden tickets made please see Jan or Dani and we can make a bunch up for you. For the new staff please ask your support colleague to explain how golden tickets work. You can find more information in the BMIS policy located on this wiki.
 * __You Can Do It __**

__RTS Pay Rises__ Payment of the increase in the Country and Metropolitan Teaching Program and Remote Teaching Service allowances for teachers and administrators is scheduled for the pay of 5 March 2009.
 * COUNTRY AND METROPOLITAN TEACHING PROGRAM AND REMOTE TEACHING SERVICE ALLOWANCES **

The pay of 5 March 2009 will also include any allowance arrears from 29 January 2009.

Please open this file to find out who your Line Manager is for this process. There will for most staff only be 1 1hour meeting per term. For teachers in their first 2 years of teaching or from interstate more meetings will be required. Please come to the meeting with Profressional learning ideas and areas you wish to develop your skills in. I will pay project payments to teachers.
 * __Performance Management 2009 __**

In addition to this each term the admin team will meet you to have conversations about 3 students in your class to develop a case study approach to school accountability. We did this in term 2 last year where each teacher provided academic and social information on 3 students in the class and discussed their progress and assessment information.

From week 2 please see your line manager for a meeting time in term 1. As there is only one the onus is on you to come fully prepared. The meetings will focus on feedback and planning. It is ongoing from 2008.

Performance Management is for all staff in the school not just teaching staff or Education assistants.

Helen is on the bus run this week. Shirley and her will be rotating each week. They will have the Friday as a time in leiu day as they are working more hours than required.
 * __Helen on Bus __**

All students need closed in shoes to play on playground. Crocs are no good and not safe enough. Please advise kids to wear the safest footwear to school.
 * __Closed in shoes on playground __**

Cathy is madly working away setting up the theme boxes and is doing a great job. Thanks Cathy you are super.
 * __Thanks to Cathy __**

There will be a dryer in home ec for school washing from next week.
 * __Dryer in Home EC __**

Induction meeting will be held again this Wednesday with Jamie straight after school. Please ensure you are all there this week and on time to receive valuable information about WDHS.
 * __Induction Meetings __**

Grace is relieving David on Thursday so he can begin preparations for harmony day.
 * Grace relief on Thursday **

resources and information can be found on the school server under all staff/harmony day. Please start planning your activity now. Here are some suggestions
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">harmony Day __**

face painting flag making cooking

The item for the meeting is Evidence Files and assessment for this year. please bring 1 evidence file and a copy of your schedule A. If you do not have a schedule A go onto policy page on the wdhswiki and download one.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Staff Meeting Tuesday __**

As well as individual logons each class will have a logon. It will be the classname i.e year2/3 and password1, this means if new kids come they can use that logon until one is created for them.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Class log/ons __**

The admin team will meet each Monday and Thursday during period 3. A summary of what was discussed will be posted on the wiki.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Admin Meetings __**

These ladies will be here this Thursday please Jeanette if you have any referalls to make.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Elizabeth and Jan __**

please put your name down for morning tea. Also a collection jar will be coming around for morning tea money for coffee and milk. Can you put in $20 if you use these facilitites and we will see how far that stretches? This will happen this week. the school will also help out.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Morning Tea __**

Last weekend these ladies completed their Aus swim course in their own time. Thanks ladies this is such a benefit to the community.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Thanks Jane, Jane and Danni __**

There is a welcome back and welcome to party at the pool on the 14/2/09 hosted by Save the Children. It would be great if everyone could pop in and meet key community people. I will put a flyer up on notice board near front office.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Save the Children Party __**

Building will commence soon on building a new shelter for the Kindergarten.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Shade Shelter Kindy __**

For those who do not know Jan will be leaving Wyndham in March, please let her know how appreciated she is and how much we will miss her.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Jan is leaving __**

I need all staff to see Dani or me so we can install the new printer on your login. It can only be accessed in the staffroom. 2 new printers will be arriving soon and will go in the Library and Computer room.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Printer installation __**

The issue of fruit has been solved thanks to Danni. Flodbank will supply the fruit and we will pay for the freight which is a good deal. Thanks to Sam and other for persisting with this issue. Until food bank arrives [road opens] the school will pay.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Fruit __**

We need nominations this week for people who want to be on the finance committee. Also if you are particularly keen to run a cost centre please send an email to robin and the job is yours!
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Finance Committee __**

Some of the staff went to St Joeys last week to hear a PD on the Australian Early Years Development Index. This is a checklist of 100 questions which Tania and Abby will fill out during May to July and the data will be aggregated to form a population study of how communities are raising their very young children. Please see Jeanette or Chrissie for more information. This is a federal projects and has great implications for ECE programs in communities.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Data Collection of Pre-Primary __**

__Class management plans due week 6__ These are due during week 6 please do not miss this deadline. See Jamie or Jeanette fir more clarification.

Early intervention to improve literacy and numeracy levels  ** A new State Government strategy would see all Year One students assessed on literacy and numeracy when they start school. The ‘on-entry assessment’ is the centrepiece of the $3million second-stage of Education Minister Liz Constable’s strategy to improve literacy and numeracy standards in Western Australian public schools. It follows the December release of the first stage of the strategy - a comprehensive $4.67million package of initiatives to provide resources and assistance to schools and teachers in the teaching of literacy and numeracy. “This next phase of the strategy will focus on early intervention to ensure children entering Year One have the pre-requisites for literacy and numeracy, including such things as a good vocabulary and an ability to follow instructions,” Dr Constable said. “We know it is vital that students grasp these basics, and teachers will be provided with the resources to achieve this.” Stage two of the strategy would include: ·     $2million over four years to assess all students on entry to school. The test will be developed throughout 2009 and implemented in all government schools in 2010 ·     $350,000 over three years to develop new practical resources for teachers to support explicit teaching of essential literacy and numeracy skills in the early years of schooling, including kindergarten and pre-primary ·     $630,000 over three years to trial and develop new strategies to improve Year Three reading skills. The Minister said the early assessment of Year One students would identify those who may struggle to grasp minimum standards of literacy and numeracy. “The assessment will help schools to detect early whether a student is struggling and enable staff to provide specific learning programs to meet their needs,” she said. “The student will receive targeted, explicit teaching of essential skills and their progress will be closely monitored.” Dr Constable said the 2008 Louden report had identified a lack of literacy growth in pre-primary students in WA and the lack of explicit teaching of essential skills like oral language, phonetic awareness and phonics. “Work will begin immediately on the development and distribution of new resources to support this kind of explicit teaching,” she said. “These will be practical resources for teachers to use during lessons.” The Minister said Year Three reading skills had also been specifically identified as an area of concern. “A trial program will see selected schools work intensively with a team of literacy experts to advise them on new techniques to boost students’ reading skills,” she said “The team will consist of two experienced principals and two reading specialists. “In addition, any child in these schools identified as being at risk of not meeting minimum national standards in reading will receive individual support to improve. “The work in these trial schools will be monitored and effective initiatives could be rolled out to other schools around the state in the future.” Dr Constable said that improving literacy and numeracy in early childhood would set a child up for the rest of their life “Literacy and numeracy skills are the building blocks of a good education,” she said “We have an obligation to our children to do all we can to make sure they achieve their best in these areas. It is a priority of mine and of this State Government.” Minister's office - 9222 9699
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Federal Government Funding __**
 * Portfolio: Education  **