In Focus - Vol 5 - Edition 5 - 29 March 2018

WEEK 9

Celebrating Diversity and Culture

Harmony Day was transformed into Harmony Week as we celebrated cultural diversity at Calista and Wellard with a number of activities last week. It was a delight to see the students at Calista dressed in their costumes representing their cultural heritage, enjoying the assembly and the parade on the oval afterwards. Thank you to 6E for their Junior School assembly item at Wellard.  Maps were placed at Calista and Wellard for students and staff to show their family heritage. Classroom activities highlighted the importance of understanding, appreciation of difference and the richness each culture brings to our lives.

Service Learning

This year we are exploring service learning and what service learning means to us at PCACS. As part of this work, Mrs Rebecca Weddikkara has been capturing the service learning already going on in our school, whilst looking for new opportunities.  We are very grateful to Frederick Irwin Anglican School who have invited our students to take part in Walkabout Cambodia 2019, together with John Wollaston Anglican Community School.  The focus for the trip will be working one-on-one with ex-street children to teach them English and for our students to gain an insight into the lives of students in these difficult circumstances.  Thank you to the families who joined us on 20 March to gain more information on the trip.  Good luck to the applicants as the selection process unfolds.  We look forward to offering more service opportunities in the future.

P&F Disco

The Undercover Area was transformed on Friday night into a place for dancing and fun.  With different sessions for different age groups, the evening was a wonderful opportunity for the students to enjoy themselves.  Their joy was obvious as they left saying goodnight and thank you at the end of the evening, showing how much they appreciated the efforts of the P&F.  Thank you to Ms Clarissa Thomson, President of the P&F and the hard working parent volunteers for hosting another highly successful night.  

Junior School Interhouse Swimming Carnival

Our Junior School Swimming Carnival was held today at Kwinana Recquatic Centre. Thank you to Mrs Rhiannon Chapman for organising the carnival and to the staff and parent volunteers who helped run the event.  I congratulate the students for their House spirit, level of participation and competition.

Kwinana Industries Council (KIC) iWomen

Being a member of the Kwinana Industries Council Education Group presents opportunities for our students to join local industries for real life experiences. The iWomen programme is a tailored programme for young women. Two of our students, Ebonie Cortez and Breanna McNamara graduated from this programme on Wednesday night.  They spent time on-site to gain a clear understanding of the work place environment, whilst meeting people employed in industry. In addition to the excursions, Ebonie and Breanna participated in workshop sessions covering resume writing, mock interviews and other activities, to give them the confidence to realise their full potential. 

Easter

Today, The Reverend Melanie Simms led us in a beautiful Easter Chapel service in the Keith Lindbeck Centre, reminding staff and students that Jesus plays a very important part in our lives, Easter, being a special time to celebrate and recognise the sacrifices Jesus made for us.  This time is also about hope and our faith in God, forgiving ourselves and others, and a time of reflection allows us to reconnect with our family and friends over the Easter break. I wish everyone a safe and restful Easter.

Happy Easter!

Ms Felicity House
Principal

NOTE:  To see some of the action from today's Junior School Swimming Carnival, click HERE

As we approach Easter, Janine di Giovanni, author and foreign correspondent in the Middle East, reminds us all that "Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life."  In a world that is so fast paced Easter offers us all a chance to stop and to reflect on our own lives and to adjust our thinking on how each one of us can help to make our School community a place of hope, kindness and compassion. 

Interim Reports

Interim Reports will be available on SEQTA from Monday 26 March.  Please note the adjustments to the Parent, Teacher and Student Interview dates.  Parents will receive a letter by email with details outlining the process to make an interview time with your child’s teachers.  Year 11 and 12 parents will receive a letter requesting an interview if their child’s results indicate a need for early intervention.

• Years 9 – 12 – Tuesday 8 May – 3.30pm – 7.50pm
• Years 7 and 8 – Tuesday 15 May - 3.30pm – 7.50pm

Parents are encouraged to view their child’s course and assessment outlines on SEQTA and to review their progressive results for all assessments.  Opening SEQTA information to parents about their child’s learning will continue to cement the important partnership between Parents, Student and the Teacher.

We look forward to meeting all parents / carers at the Parent, Teacher and Student interviews.

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM LITERACY and NUMERACY (NAPLAN)

An information letter will be given to your child to take home that outlines all relevant ONLINE NAPLAN information.  Parents of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are welcome to contact the School if they have any queries regarding NAPLAN.  Students will be well prepared for this National Assessment Programme.  The School’s schedule is a follows:

Winter Uniform Terms 2 and 3

Senior School students will be required to wear the School Winter Uniform in Terms 2 and 3.  The full list of Winter Uniform requirements is in the School Diary.  The Uniform Shop will stock a full range of clothing.

Senior School Girls will be able to choose to wear navy trousers during Terms 2 and 3 instead of the winter skirt but will be required to wear the School skirt and navy blue tights for all formal occasions.

The School Uniform Shop can be contacted for further details.

I wish you all a safe, restful and holy Easter and I look forward to meeting you all at the Parent, Student and Teacher interviews early in Term 2.

 God bless

Ms Jude Stringer
Head of Senior School

The Early Learning Campus at Calista has implemented 'no shoe days'. Each year group has selected a different day for their ‘no shoe day’ and may take their shoes off when they enter the classroom then put their shoes back on before going home. As you can expect, the students have widely embraced this and look forward running around school with bare feet on their allocated day.

The decision to not wear shoes at school is made from a developmental perspective. Feet and toes are jam packed with nerve endings. Children can feel the ground beneath them and develop a sense of where their body is in space and how they can safely navigate the environment. Having bare feet encourages the development of sensory pathways that promote healthy and functional movement patterns.

Barefoot walking promotes better biomechanics, in terms of distributing weight evenly and efficiently throughout the body. It promotes the development of a natural gait that is more gentle, has a shorter stride and relieves pressure through our heels. Knees bend more to cushion each step and our toes work to help us grip the ground more easily using the muscles of our feet and toes. Feet are designed similarly to hands and have lots of small muscles, which allow us to develop finely tuned movements with small muscle adjustments. The small muscles in our feet adapt the shape of our foot and body position to the surface we are walking on. This not only strengthens these muscles, but also results in more effective grip and balance, thereby reducing the risk of trips and falls. It is only through walking barefoot that we are able to maintain the full function of our feet.

Apart from the freedom that we feel when we throw our shoes off, it also teaches children to assess a situation and adapt to it. For example, if there is a rocky surface children quickly learn to slow their pace and look for and tread on the most stable surface. When walking barefoot we tend to step with less force and are more likely to notice if we are putting our feet on something sharp, therefore avoiding injury. A heightened awareness of surroundings and ability to react adaptively in many different situations are skills that will help children assess and adapt to risk in other facets of their lives.

Finally, going barefoot is a joy to the senses, especially to young children who experience all the newness of the tactile world around them.

Mrs Donna Farmer
Director of Early Learning

School ANZAC service

The School will be holding an ANZAC service on Wednesday 2 May, commencing at 8.45am.  This is the first day of Term 2 and as is tradition at the School, all students who are part of a service or cadet unit, Scouts, Cubs, Girl Guides etc are able to wear their service uniform to School on the day.  Parents are also invited to attend our service which will be held in the Keith Lindbeck Centre 

School Photos

School photos will be held next term at both the Calista and Wellard campuses. The dates for each campus and specific sub school are as follows:

Thursday 10 May

• Year 2 – 6 students at Wellard Campus.
  
• 3 Day Kindergarten group at Calista campus
  

Friday 11 May

• Year 7 – 12 students at Wellard Campus
  

Wednesday 16 May

• Kindergarten (4 and 5 day) – Year 1 students at Calista Campus
• Catch up for Year 2 – 12 students at Wellard campus

All Students in years 3 –12 are required to wear formal uniform for these photos.

ELC students will come to School in their School tracksuit however their photo will be taken with their PCACS Polo shirt and shorts.

Ordering envelopes and information will be sent home to parents in the coming weeks.

Mr Shane Parnell
Head of IT and Operations

Please note: the Monthly and weekly Direct Debit that is due on Friday 30 March will be processed on Tuesday 3 April due to the Easter weekend.

The 2018 Secondary Assistance Scheme for Years 7 – 12 form needs to be completed and returned to the Finance Office by Friday 6 April 2018 to ensure that they are processed.  Late applications may not be accepted by the Government of Education unless there are extenuating circumstances.

If you have any queries, please contact the Finance Office.

On 31 January this year, we welcomed our 2018 Year 7 students.  Our year began with an informative orientation and after settling in to school routine, we departed for our Year 7 Camp at Swan Valley Adventure Centre.  Whilst on camp our students developed skills on recognising and understanding character strengths and working collaboratively and cooperatively together.  Lots of laughter and memories were made.

We have had a very exciting first term with many opportunities for growth for our students.  We are focusing on Kindness, Pride and Excellence to improve student self confidence and self esteem.  This focus for Year 7 has been proven to enhance resilience.  We hope parents can help by discussing this area with their child(ren) so that we can all build on this valuable piece of pastoral education together.

We have discovered many talents in our Year 7 students and as this exciting term draws to a close we reflect on the many activities including 'Bullying No Way Day' (a national campaign to stop bullying), the Swimming Carnival, Interschool Swimming Carnival, Chapel and a wide range of assemblies. 

Our organisational skills are improving with many Year 7 students thriving in the Senior School community, but this serves as a timely reminder, that students should bring their diaries home every day and should be checked by parents at least once per week.  This will ensure all homework is completed on time and is the student's personal best.  To assist students with homework, Cocurricular Homework Club, subject support and library are available Monday – Friday from 3.30pm – 4.30pm.  We strongly believe that Every Child Matters, taking into account children’s diverse learning and emotional needs whilst helping students overcome any barriers to learning.

Year 7 Interim reports have been released to parents and the Year 7 - 8 Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews are in Term Two, Week 3.  Appointments are booked through PTO (Parent Teacher Online) and information for this will follow at a later date.

This term was both highly productive and rewarding.  As always, we are grateful as a School to have the parent community working with us and offering support to the children throughout the term.  Your tutor teacher is the first point of contact here at school and I am available for more complex matters that may arise. 

Kind regards,

Mrs Natascha Clark and the Year 7 Team

ACC Interschool Swimming Carnival

Wednesday 14 March, saw our Years 7-12 Interschool swim team compete at HBF stadium in the ACC F division carnival.  After being promoted up in 2017 we were looking to consolidate our position in the division.  The team were well prepared with a training day the week before to iron out a few things and practice for those all important relays.  I am extremely delighted to say that we came in an impressive third position only 44 points from first place Living Waters Lutheran College and 19 points from second place Tranby College.  The team were outstanding in both effort and behaviour, encouraging each other as well as acknowledging the opposition.  Our Junior Boys (Years 7, 8 and 9) were our standout group winning their category.  Other individual standout performances were:

Jake Crellin – Under 14 Champion Boy
Alicia Allen – Under 14 Champion Girl
Breanna McNamara – Under 16 Champion Girl
Matthew Thomson – Under 13 Boys fourth place overall
Charis Kingston – Under 13 Girls second place overall
Zachariah Morrissey – Under 15 boys third place overall

I look forward to next year’s carnival where we can hopefully improve on this performance.  Thank you to all the parents who came and supported the team as well as the student helpers. Thanks also to Mr Halliday, Mr Radulovic, Mrs Layman and Mrs Clark for their help with the team. 

Years 7, 8 and 9 Lightning Carnival

Each year, all students from Years 7, 8 and 9 compete in a Lightning Carnival fun sports day.  Students will select a sport to participate in; they will play a series of shortened, modified games against other ACC schools and students of the same age.  Results and scores are not kept and the aim is to have fun in a semi competitive environment.  This is a compulsory event during school hours, where all students will join in and have a fun day out.

Year 7s will have their Lightning carnival on Monday 7 May (Week 2, Term 2)

Years 8 and 9 students will have their carnivals on Wednesday 9 May (Week 2, Term 2)

The sports will be played on various sporting grounds in the metropolitan area.  Students should have received a note outlining the details.  Student's sports nominations can be viewed on the window outside the science building.

Senior School Cross Country Carnival

The third day back at School next term Friday 4 May (Week 1 Term 2), will see all Senior School (Years 7 to 12) students take part in the annual Interhouse Cross Country race.  Students will be walking and jogging parts of the course during Physical Education classes so they are familiar with the track and are ready for the big day.  The event will run in the morning at 9.00am and finish at approximately 11.00am.  Races will be run in year groups and genders – Year 7, 8, 9, 10, 11/12.  The course will  start and finish on Wellard oval (approximately 3km), its takes the students around the perimeter of the School as well as up Abingdon Crescent and the footpaths of Wellard Oval.

Students can arrive and leave School in their House sports uniform, but must also wear their School tracksuits. Predominantly white shoes must be worn to and from School; however, if students have specific running shoes they wish to wear which are a different colour then they may wear them for their race.   All students are encouraged to go for a jog during the school holidays in preparation for the event.  If you are able to assist as a course marshal, please see me on the morning of the event and we will allocate a job for you.

Thanks and best wishes to all students

RKAS Sport

Congratulations to all 3 teams for competing in the Rockingham – Kwinana Associated Schools (RKAS) sports competition summer season.  All teams performed admirably with great sportsmanship, enthusiasm and endeavour.  A special thanks to our coaches and umpires:

Year 9 Boys Basketball – Coach: Mrs Ward and Joel Brown (Year 11)
Year 10 Boys Basketball – Coach: Mr Radulovic
Year 9/10 Girls Soccer– Coach: Miss Hunter, Umpire: Damian Tasovac (Year 12), Armaandeep Singh (Year 10), Theo Arlan (Year 11), Dylan Sibanda (Year 10)

All fixtures, results and ladders can be viewed at:  http://www.metisc.com.au/iscoresn/index.cfm?db=5&foid=6

The winter season starts next term, I am currently seeking nominations for Year 7 and 8 Girls Netball and Year 7 and 8 Boys Soccer.  Information regarding this will be given early next term and Round 1 is in Week 3 Wednesday 16 May.

Thanks

Mr Roh Weddikkara
Coordinator – Health and Physical Education

On Friday 23 March, 30 Year 6 students participated in the Kwinana School Sports Association T20 Blast Cricket competition. PCACS had teams in all three divisions – Boys captained by Byron Newton, Girls captained by Piper Smith and Mixed captained by Ryley Malaquin. There were 9 schools in total playing using a two pool system. PCACS was placed in Pool B and faced extremely strong competition in the form of Leda PS, St Vincent’s and Bertram PS. After the pool matches were completed. PCACS found themselves in the following positions heading into finals.   

Mixed  1st
Boys  3rd
Girls  3rd

Each of the three teams played two hard fought finals with the mixed team making it to the grand final but unfortunately suffered a narrow loss. At the end of the carnival PCACS placed in the following positions.

Mixed  2nd
Boys  5th
Girls  5th

A big thank you goes to Mrs Claire Trainor for all her help, the parents and friends who came down to support our teams and lastly the students who were excellent School representatives.

Mrs Rhiannon Chapman
Teacher

Year 12 Prefects and House leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday 19 March.  The conference empowers young leaders and provides skills that are relevant to their leadership roles at PCACS and beyond.  

The key messages explored in the 2018 conference included transforming School pride, transforming event participation, transforming integrity and capacity as a leader, and contributing positive change.

This hands-on experience taught students how to transfer concepts into actions that have an impact on a school-wide level. Students articulated the pressures they faced after accepting a new leadership role and were taught resiliency strategies where challenges can be seen as opportunities for growth.

Our Prefect and House leaders are commended for conducting themselves in a professional and enthusiastic manner. This leadership group gained a new perspective on their roles within our School and an excitement for what lies ahead for 2018.  

We all experience some form of anxiety or worry in our lives. For example, if you’re feeling nervous before a sporting event, if you are asked to make a speech in front of class, or before an exam it is OK to feel some form of anxiety or worry associated with this. However, for some people anxiety can feel overwhelming or extreme and can affect day to day functioning such as schooling and relationships with friends and family members.

Anxiety can feel very uncomfortable and can be heightened when we are faced with stressful situations. While people often experience anxiety differently some of the common physical symptoms can include experiencing a racing heart, tightening of the chest, nausea, disorientation/dizziness, increased rate of breath and muscle tension. 

Some other symptoms include,

•  Worrying uncontrollably about people or situations
•  Avoiding people and places
•  Isolating yourself from friends or family
•  Feeling irriatable or restless
•  Experiencing difficulty concentrating and
•  Sleep disturbances.

If you do experience some form of anxiety there are many ways to overcome it.

Breathing exercises and Mindfulness

Breathing exercises are effective in slowing down the heart rate through deep breathing and alleviates the physical symptoms of anxiety. You can practice this by comfortably positioning yourself either sitting in a chair or on the floor, closing your eyes and taking a big breath in and holding for 8 seconds and slowly exhaling, focussing only on your breath. Mindfulness encourages people to focus on the present moment and to not be too overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Mindfulness commonly uses breathing exercises to reduce your symptoms of anxiety but you must practice!

There are fantastic apps now available on your Iphone such as ‘ReachOut Breathe’  ‘Smiling Mind’ or ‘Mindshift’ which have many guided meditations for kids of all ages.

Exercise

Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It doesn’t necessarily mean pounding the pavement but rather finding time to do something you enjoy. This could include a 15 minute walk, kicking the footy, going for a swim, jumping on the trampoline or chasing the dog around the park. Exercise helps to relieve tension and stress, increase energy throughout the day and enhances your mental wellbeing through the release of endorphins!

Talk to someone- There are some great resources for young people who wish to seek support.

• eHeadspace is a confidential online and telephone support service for young people or family members. You can access this service here https://eheadspace.org.au/
• Kidshelpline is a 24 hour telephone support service for kids 5-25- 1800 55 1800
• If you’re not ready to take that step than speak to a trusted adult. It’s important to know that you are not alone.

Other resources

Beyondblue- https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Headspace https://headspace.org.au/

Anxiety BC https://www.anxietybc.com/

On Thursday 15 March Lataya Lawrence from Year 7 competed in the 3km Race Walk at the National Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Sydney. She came 12th in her race and got a Personal Best time.

What a wonderful experience for her and congratulations from everyone at PCACS. 

Hello parents and friends,

What a big night we all had last Friday!  Hundreds of very excited students flooded into the undercover area for the Annual P&F Disco and danced the night away with their friends and teachers.

It was wonderful to see the effort everyone went to, there were some amazing outfits and watching all the students and parents enjoying themselves so much was truly heart-warming.  A big thank you to all the teachers who also came along to have fun. I saw lots of big hugs and very happy students in being able to see past favourites.

I would also like to thank everyone on committee for all their hard work leading up to the event.  The disco is by far our biggest undertaking all year and involves many countless hours of time to prepare.  We also would not be able to run without the help of the many parent volunteers on the night so a very big thank you to them also.

We hope everyone had an amazing time and we look forward to doing it all again next year!

Keep an eye out for our Friend-raising Morning Tea to be held at the Wellard campus on Thursday 24 May and of course our Mothers' Day event which sees the return of the popular Mothers' Day stall! 

More information to come on those events in the coming weeks.

From all of us on committee we hope you and your family have a very safe and Happy Easter!

Ms Clarissa Thomson
President
PCACS P&F

Easter

By the time you read this, we will be most of the way through Holy Week, which is what Christians call the week before Easter. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, feted and celebrated by the crowds who shouted Hosanna and praised the coming King.

Thursday is Maundy Thursday when we celebrate the Last Supper Jesus had with his friends. They celebrated the Passover, but as Christians we remember more than this: the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus going to the garden to pray and the disciples falling asleep; the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, and Jesus spending that night in jail.

Good Friday is when we remember Peter denying he knows Jesus, Jesus’ trial in front of Pontius Pilate, Pilate washing his hands of the whole affair, and the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus’ promise to the penitent thief that he will be with Jesus in Paradise that day, ending with his death mid-afternoon, and Joseph of Arimathea taking the body of Jesus and placing it in a tomb.

Holy Saturday is a day of waiting. The disciples were in shock over everything that had happened, and no doubt in fear of their lives. The women who followed Jesus were acutely aware that there was no time to prepare his body for burial due to Sabbath regulations, and would have been filled with stress and remorse over this, as well as grief over his death. That Saturday would have been very dark for many of his friends.

Easter Sunday is the day that we celebration the Resurrection of Jesus. This was becauses the women who went to prepare his body for burial went to the tomb and discovered it empty – except for a couple of angels, depending on which Gospel account you read. Those women were the first entrusted with the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection, and boy, did they have a reason to celebrate!

What does Easter mean to us today? Why is something that happened around 2000 years ago still relevant and important to us today?

The full answer to this question will take several articles of this newsletter and more pages than I’m allowed. The short answer, is that Easter gives us hope. Not a wishy-washy hope that “perhaps, one day, everything might turn out okay”, but a wonderful, firm, committed hope in our every-day life and in the life to come. This hope feeds us every day, and is fed by us every time we treat each other well, or turn away from anger, or show love and compassion to others. This hope is firmly based in the love God has for each one of us, and is worked out each day of our lives.

May you always remember this hope, and have friends remind you of it, when you need reminding.

Happy Easter!

Services at All Saints, Kwinana  
Easter Week Services:

March 29 Maundy Thursday 6.30pm
March 30 Good Friday 10.00am
April 1 Easter Day 6.00am and 9.00am

9.00am Sundays - usual Sunday Communion service. All are welcome.

The Reverend Melanie Simms
School Chaplain

Dear Colleagues,

Child Australia and Playgroup WA are pleased to co-host Claire Orange for a series of events on Thursday 12 April. The Practitioner Master Class is designed to provide practical strategies to all staff working directly with children, expanding their professional toolkit. We know that helping to guide children through the complexities of friendships, bullying and more, can be difficult, as such we've partnered with renowned parenting expert & child therapist Claire Orange to provide research based, hands-on practical classroom & playground strategies.

You may recognise Claire from her regular parenting expert segments with Channel 9 or you may have heard her on radio news programs like 6PR. Claire is also well known throughout schools in WA with her social, emotional well-being program for children – BEST Programs 4 Kids.

We kindly ask that you please share this Professional Development opportunity with your staff and colleagues, we have attached a flyer for ease of sharing. Attached you will also see a Parent Workshop flyer that we hope could be shared with the families within your school community. The true power of positive change for our children is if collectively we ensure that our parents are on the same page, so we ask that you help us to guide them along. Feel free to share the details via your school newsletters, Facebook pages and more. 

Should you have any questions or would like to know more about our School Partnerships, please do not hesitate to contact me directly,

Kind Regards

Hans Boehm
Manager - Strategic Partnerships & Innovation Professional Services

HansB@childaustralia.org.au 9270 6615 Toll Free: 1300 66 11 64

The LyriK Awards offer an opportunity for young people in Kwinana to be publicly recognised for the positive contributions they are making to the community. Young people between the ages of 10-18 years old can be nominated for a LyriK Award by any member of the community. This includes teachers, coaches, family and friends!

Nominations for Round 23 of the LyriK Awards will be opening on 18 April 2018!

If you have a young person you’d like to nominate, please head to https://www.lyrik.com.au/online-nomination-form/ and fill out a nomination form!

Young people can be nominated in the following categories:

• Achievement
• Inspiration
• Leadership
• Mateship
• Respect
• Teamwork

Let’s join together as we celebrate the positive contributions Kwinana’s young people have in our community!