15th November 2024

Dates to remember

Dates to remember – view live calendar on side panel of newsletter, website, or communication app.

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we enter the last four weeks of the year, planning for 2025 is well underway. This includes placement of staff in both teaching and support roles, organising the structure and formation of the year cohorts e.g. do we need to have a split class in the year level and many other items for concern.

Ashdale Primary student population has decreased since the middle of the last decade when the school had nearly 1000 students in attendance. Over the last ten years, the numbers have declined due to the catchment area being reduced dramatically as two new schools have been opened in the Ashdale Secondary College catchment area, year sevens attending high school and the aging of the suburb. This leads to older families and less primary aged children.

Next year, Kinmore Green, the new subdivision on the northeast area of Darch, will be well underway. There are over 250 building sites. Already, we have seen a trickle of enrolments from this space. Unfortunately, we do not know what the finite numbers will be and that causes some headaches when preparing classes for the forthcoming year. We already have the highest number of kindergarten students enrolled in the last 5 years (84 students for 2025) and this should rise to over 90 students.

The purpose behind this information is to alert parents and community members that whilst planning is well underway for placements of staff and students for 2025, fluctuation in numbers can require late changes.

Also, please be conscious that often students are placed in class arrangements were there are two-year groups. Split or composite classes – see link for more information https://www.ashdaleps.wa.edu.au/class-placements. Please be reassured if your child is placed in this arrangement, they will receive the normal high standard of education consistent with Ashdale Primary.

Student placement is also well thought out as the following information from Student Services, Deputy Principal, Mrs Bosch succinctly explains:

Careful consideration goes into placement of students into their classroom for the following year. This includes but is not limited to the points below.

• Student voice – students choose friend/s to be in their class for the following year.
• Data – we use the Class maker program to build our classes. Our student data is entered into the program to make sure our class have an even mix of ability levels.
• Staff voice – teacher, support and specialist staff give feedback on the proposed classes to ensure the students group together will be a cohesive class.
• Admin voice – admin reviews the classes and takes into consideration student services data including students who require additional classroom adjustments and students with additional behaviour support needs.

End of Year Events

End of year events are always looked forward to at Ashdale Primary. Discos, Celebration assembly, end of year parties, graduation, year six transition and graduation lunch are all sensational events that have created the cultural tapestry that is Ashdale Primary.

The sublime organisation for these events can be tracked back to our remarkable office team that are a truly professional and happy team. We really appreciate their efforts!

Warm Regards

Tony Watson

Chaplan's Chat

Hi Ashdale Community

It is that time of the year with lots of fun concerts and events to enjoy all around Perth. I hope that the end of the year brings lots of opportunities for you to make special memories and that you are all looking forward to a time of rest and celebration towards the end of Term 4. 

As chaplain, I have received the following invitation that I would like to pass on to you. I hope some families are able to enjoy the free tickets to this event.  

Ashdale Primary School community has been invited to attend the 2024 World Festival of Magic at the Astor Theatre Perth on Sunday, 8th and Monday, 9th December.

This is a free event hosted by the Rotary Club of West Perth, with the aim to provide an accessible live theatre experience to young people of all abilities and backgrounds. With weekend and weekday shows available, World Festival of Magic is a lovely outing for families.

Please see the attached '2024 World Festival of Magic Event Flyer' for further details, including how to book complimentary tickets.

Group and individual ticket bookings from parents and carers are all welcome. 

Please contact Meredith (see flyer), if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Denise  (Chaplain at Ashdale Primary School - Wednesdays)

Groundwater Festival Excursion Year 4's

Imagine building an aquifer out of icecream and then eating the result!

This was just one of the fun-filled and engaging activities that students participate in at the 2024 Children’s Gnangara Groundwater Festival at Whiteman Park.

On Wednesday the 23rd of October, our year 4 cohort were able to attend the 2024 Children's Gnangara Groundwater Festival held at Whiteman Park. This festival allowed all middle and upper primary students (who registered) to explore the importance of water through engaging, hands-on activities.

This Festival provided an opportunity for our students and teachers to come together on a designated day with a specific focus to learn more about water, groundwater, sustainability and other related environmental topics. 

Whiteman Park offers a distinctive venue for the Festival because it relies 100% on groundwater for its own water supplies and protects the southern edge of the Gnangara Water Mound, the largest groundwater source in WA, above which the Park sits.

Each class that attended were able to engage in over four hours of dynamic, ‘hands on’ and interactive activities led by environmental professionals, participating in the introductory ‘Mega Water Session’, three groundwater-related learning activities and a period of ‘free time’ festival fun.

What a fantastic day.

Let’s band together to save lives! Join our Lifeblood Team

We’re proud to be part of Lifeblood Teams, the group donation program from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.

Aside from saving lives through blood donation, Lifeblood Teams is about friendship, a little healthy competition and being part of something bigger than yourself. It’s a unique opportunity for all of us to band together and give something more powerful than money.

Donated blood can be used to help people in all sorts of life-giving ways. The need is constant and the person receiving it could be fighting cancer or going through a difficult pregnancy, or they could be someone who relies on regular transfusions to stay healthy — or even, stay alive. Now that’s something worth uniting for!

There’s nothing like knowing you’ve genuinely helped someone, and we’d love to share that amazing feeling with you.

Register today and join “Ashdale Primary School Community” Lifeblood Team.

So the way it works is that parents can join the Lifeblood Team, then every donation they do will count against the tally of lives saved which anyone can see online here: Lifeblood Team Results

Currently  Ashdale Primary School are up to 165 which is amazing.

To join the “Ashdale Primary School Community” Lifeblood Team parents will need to be registered with us first.

Parents please to “Go to www.donateblood.com.au or download the DonateBlood app to register today. Once that’s done, or if you are an existing donor you can join the “Ashdale Primary School Community” Lifeblood Team by asking the friendly donor centre staff when you go in to donate.”

Download the DonateBlood app in your app store or visit Lifeblood.com.au for more information.

Legends

Personal Requirement Lists

Online ordering for student’s 2025 booklists is now available via Campion Education.  You can access lists by simply logging onto Campion’s website www.campion.com.au.

You will then need to insert a code which is PW3D. Full ordering instructions are on the requirement’s list.  Please remember to select the year your child will be in NEXT YEAR!

If your order is placed on or before Friday 29th November 2024 your order will be delivered by the 28th January 2025. Please note there an $8.00 delivery fee or alternatively you can click and collect from Campion Head Office in Malaga.

Orders placed after the return date will incur a late fee of up to $12.00. If ordering later please allow sufficient time for delivery to occur prior to the commencement of the school year.

Office News

Kindy Enrolments are still open!

Leaving the school?

Are you planning on leaving the school before the end of 2024 or at the end of the year? Please inform the office as soon as possible to assist with our planning.

School Voluntary Contributions (including P & C Contribution)

Have you paid the voluntary contribution $60/student and P & C Levy $40/family?

We encourage payments via the Qkr! app – this is a very simple and quick process and alleviates the need for busy parents to come into the office or send money in with students.

Instructions on how to download the App are available on our website from the link below or see the Qkr! Tip article below.

• Remember to change the profile (year, LAs etc) for your children when first accessing Qkr! for the year
• Alternative payment methods (cash/eftpos/credit card) are available through the front office.
• Families may pay the Voluntary Contribution in instalments.

Student Update Forms

It is important that our school’s database is up to date with student’s current details, this includes family contact details.  

Families can update their child’s details held at the school by completing an online form on the Ashdale Primary School website. 

This is located under the home tab, or use the following link https://www.ashdaleps.wa.edu.au/contact-student-update-form

If you require any further information, please contact the school on 6207 4500 or email Ashdale.ps@education.wa.edu.au.

P&C News

Last Thursday we saw the undercover inundated with gangsters! Thankfully, it was just our fantastically dressed-up Year 6 students enjoying their final disco. Earlier the same evening our Kindy to Year 5 students danced the afternoon away at the disco. Parents and siblings enjoyed Chips on a Stick while they waited for their tiny dancers and the night was lit up with glowing swords and unicorn headbands galore. It was a wonderful night raising money for our P&C and we extend a huge thank you to all the volunteers who made the evening such a success.

After lots of requests, Flavours of Ashdale's canteen have started pre-orders for recess this week. The current pre-ordering system is for years 1-6 and allows those students with a recess item priority access in a dedicated line to collect their recess. If you elect this option, please remind your child to go straight to the canteen at recess to collect their food as orders cannot be delivered to classrooms. Recess ordering has been such a success so far - why don’t you have a day off making lunches and order your child recess AND lunch next week?

There will be a Subway special for the end of term in week 10 so please keep an eye on the Ashdale's P&C Facebook page for details to order.

Our final P&C meeting for the year will take place on Tuesday, 19th November at 7pm in the staff room. We look forward to seeing you there and new faces are warmly welcomed.

Community News

Kingsley JFC Girls Football Have-a-Go Session

Calling all sisters, cousins, friends and neighbours of the Kingsley JFC Boys teams,

We would like you to show your support for Girls Footy at Kingsley JFC by forwarding the below details to all Primary School aged girls. Moving forward, the club would like to field girl's footy teams in all age groups from Auskick (PP, Yr 1, Yr 2) to Mods teams of Yr 3/4 and Yr 5/6. Your help in encouraging some girls to give it a go would be greatly appreciated.

When: Tuesday November 19, 5pm-6:30pm

Where: Creaney Oval

Who: All Primary School Aged Girls - Kindy-Yr6

All current and future female footballers welcome, please bring a friend. Join us for a fun session of football skills, tips, activities and prizes.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions:

Melanie Pearn, KJFC Girls Football Coordinator

Email: GirlsCo@kingsleyjfc.com.au

Mob: 0413 934 933

Government Funded Program - Saver Plus

DoE SECURITY

Please help to keep our school safe!  As part of our school community, we ask that if you see any unusual behaviour, evidence of theft or vandalism of our school outside of school hours, could you please contact school security on the number below. 

Please do not approach any individuals, just contact security and they will investigate the situation or contact the Police.  Working together will help protect our school.

9264 4771 (24-hour number) or 9264 4635