Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already flown through the first three weeks of the school year. Time has certainly passed quickly, and it's been wonderful to see our students and staff settling into the rhythm of the new academic year. We are excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead, and we can already see the positive energy buzzing around the school.

Parent Information Sessions
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been running face-to-face Parent Information Sessions, and I want to express how fantastic it has been to see so many of you there. These sessions provide a wonderful opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher, learn about the class programs, and hear about the procedures and expectations for the year. I truly believe that these sessions are invaluable for establishing strong partnerships between home and school, ensuring that we are all working together for the best possible outcomes for your children.

Parent engagement and family-school partnerships – what does the research tell us?
There is strong evidence that parent engagement is associated with significant improvements in academic achievement for students of all ages. Robust research also links parent engagement to the improvement of other outcomes including early literacy acquisition, school readiness, attendance, motivation, self-regulatory behaviour, social skills, retention, and graduation.

This is why your involvement in these sessions, and in your child’s learning journey more broadly, is so important. When we work together, the benefits for our students are profound.

Year 6 Camp
Another exciting event next week is our Year 6 camp! The excitement is palpable as the students prepare for their trip to the Swan Valley Adventure Centre this coming Monday. They’ll be away for three days, engaging in a variety of outdoor activities and team-building exercises. School camps provide students with the invaluable opportunity to step outside of their comfort zones, learn new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their peers. They also learn about independence and resilience while being away from home. I am sure this experience will create lasting memories for the students, and I am looking forward to visiting the camp on Tuesday to check on my staff and make sure they are surviving (just a little joke, of course!)

Term 1 Student Leaders
Finally, I want to acknowledge the impressive level of submissions we received for students applying to be Term 1 Student Leaders. The effort and thoughtfulness behind each application was outstanding. It is truly inspiring to see so many of our students stepping up and demonstrating leadership qualities. It was my pleasure to announce and present badges to our first group of student leaders, and I have no doubt they will set a high standard for others to follow. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to our school community will be key in shaping the direction of our student leadership this term.
We are looking forward to the exciting developments in the weeks to come, and we are grateful to have such an engaged and supportive community around us.

Warm regards,
Heather McNeil

Students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in the coming weeks. Testing begins late week 6 and concludes at the end of week 7. I wanted to share some important information as we edge closer to the assessment window. 

NAPLAN Key Information

• Window for testing - 9 days - (12 March - 24 March)
• Order of testing - Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy.
• Year 3 writing assessment is completed on paper. Year 5 is typed online.
• Writing must be completed on day 1.
• Catch-up tests must follow strict order and be completed within the 9 days.
• Tests cannot be scheduled outside the 9-day period.

If you would like more information, you can click this link to go to the NAPLAN website: www.nap.edu.au/home. There is a Public Demonstration site that provides a snapshot of each test and the technical skills students will need to complete the questions. Teachers will run through these with students shortly.

Alan Ramsey
Deputy Principal

Parents/Carers of Years 1 - 6: Please be mindful that staff are often busy preparing for the day or attending team meetings before school. We kindly ask that you wait outside the staffroom, and not other areas around the school, as this is the only 'waiting area' before 8:30am. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Mrs Foti
Deputy Principal

The Social Justice Group (SJG) is a school club of staff and Year 5 and 6 students who volunteer their time to be active citizens, and to help and promote community partnerships.

Over the year the SJG takes part in organising different fundraising events such as Free Dress days and a Food Drive. The proceeds go towards helping communities outside of the school such as Food Bank WA and Care Bags WA. Our Term 1 Fundraising initiative is selling Icy Poles on Friday lunchtimes, with all proceeds going to Telethon.

The annual Subiaco Primary School Emu Stalk will be happening next Friday 28 February from 10:15am - recess. The Emu Stalk is the name we give to our school contribution to Clean Up Australia Day, which will happen this year on Sunday 2nd March. 2025 marks 35 years of improving and conserving our environment, one piece of litter at a time!

Thanks to Mr Clancy for organising the visit to our school from three of the Indigenous All Stars team on Friday.

Ash Johnson - Collingwood, Steven May – Melbourne and Matt Hill – Hawthorn were wonderful ambassadors for the AFL, their culture and sport in general.

Our students listened in awe and asked clever questions representing our school very well. Click HERE for photos.

Welcome to 2025 Family Picnic –Thank You!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Welcome Picnic on Sunday, 16th February! It was fantastic to see so many families coming together to enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the school grounds and around the pool with soft serve and sausages devoured. There was such a great energy and events like these truly highlight what makes our school community so special!

A special shout out to the Year 6 families who cooked up a storm on the BBQ, the school Pool Committee for opening the pool and lifeguards who ensured the afternoon was both fun & safe around the pool.

We’re looking forward to seeing you at many more great events like this throughout the year.

Get involved with the P&C in 2025!
As some of our dedicated P&C members move on this year, we’re looking for new volunteers to step into a few key roles in 2025. This is a great opportunity to get to know other families, be involved in the school community, and work alongside a friendly and supportive team. Being part of the P&C is a rewarding way to contribute, meet new people, and be part of something special. Join us!

There’s no need for prior experience—just a willingness to get involved! Outgoing members will provide a full handover, and you’ll have plenty of support from both current and past P&C members.

Available Roles:
President - We’re looking for a Co-President to join the team! The President helps lead the P&C, chairs meetings, and supports our volunteers. It’s a rewarding role with plenty of support. Interested? Contact Fiona Plant at president@subiprimarypc.com.au or call 0448 698 937.

Events & Fundraising Committee Members - Love bringing people together? Join our Events & Fundraising Committee to help plan fun, memorable events for our school community. We’re a friendly team ready to organise fantastic activities for 2025. Whether you have experience in events, design, or just enthusiasm, we’d love to have you on board! Contact Veronica Wilshaw at events@subiprimarypc.com.au.

Class Liaison Parents
We are looking for parents from each class to take on the Class Liaison Parent (CLP) role – ideally two parents per class. This is an important and enjoyable role in connecting the school community 
CLPs also assist the P&C by helping to promote events within their class and year groups and seeking volunteers for these events.

Please notify your class teacher if you would like to volunteer as we would like these roles filled as soon as possible.

CLPs are supported by the P&C CLP Coordinator, Catie Parsons. Please contact Catie CLP@subiprimarypc.com.au if you have any queries about the CLP role.

Join Us for the P&C Annual General Meeting!
Want to get more involved in the school community? Come along to our AGM to meet other parents, learn what the P&C does, and even step into a role if you're interested!

📅 Tuesday, 4 March | 7:00pm
📍 Subiaco Primary School Library

We’ll wrap up 2024 and vote in the 2025 Committee. Whether you’re keen to join or just curious, we’d love to see you there!

How to Join the P&C for 2025
✅ Fill out the P&C Membership Form and email it to secretary@subiprimarypc.com.au
✅ Pay $1 membership (with your name as reference) to:

Subiaco Primary P&C Association
BSB: 016 460 | ACN: 340889723

💡 Or simply sign up in person at the AGM!
Be part of something great—we’d love to have you! 😊

Election Day Sausage Sizzle & Cake Stall – Saturday 8 March 2025
Come and join us on Election Day, Saturday 8 March between 8.00am –1.00pm to pick up some delicious homemade treats or a sausage sizzle to support the school’s fundraising efforts for the Junior Playground. This year the P&C is requesting volunteers from Year 3 parents and carers to help organise, set up and run the stall on the day. Please sign up to help out via this link.

We are also looking for donations of cakes and other baked goods. Sign up to donate via this link.

Birthday Celebrations
If your child’s birthday falls on a school day and you would like bring in a treat for the class, please consider healthy, nut free alternatives. Commercially bought, individual cup cakes are acceptable but due to our healthy eating policy we would rather parents not provide chocolates or lollies.

Student Absences
Enter an Attendance Note on Compass
A parent explanation is required for all student absences. Please enter this on Compass. Parent reminders will be emailed every Monday for any unexplained absences.

Updating School Records
If your address, telephone number or email address has changed, please contact the school office.

Publications Permission
Upon enrolment, parents decide whether to give consent for their child’s name, photo or work to be published in school newsletters, school related activities, promotional material for the Department of Education and articles for the West Australian and community newspapers. This consent continues for your child while enrolled at our school. If at any stage you want to change the permission status, then you will need to notify the office in writing.

The lead into Term One has been a very interesting and busy time in the Uniform Shop! It has been my pleasure to meet many new families and our returning students.

Three former Subiaco students who are now teenagers in different colleges, assisted in the Uniform Shop and were very capable and welcoming to all our customers. It is a pleasure to have had them instore and hear how much they all loved their years in Subi Primary! My thanks to Gigi B, Sabine K and Alex B. Also thanks to Jo Wilkie and Bev Marshall for their ongoing support, it is much appreciated.

For all the new parents asking about Sports Faction Polos. The three factions are:
Julius - Gold Polo
Klein - White Polo
Llewellyn - Maroon Polo

The polo is worn on your child's sports day each week and at all carnival sporting events. The Shop has all sizes available from size 4 to 16 and they are priced at $25.
Alternatively, you may find a "preloved polo" on the rack for as little as $5.

An update on Winter Uniforms
New stock of Polar Fleece Maroon Jackets will be in by mid-March.
New stock of water-resistant Rain Jackets will be in by late March.
Girls' Maroon Leggings are due in by early April.

Uniforms can be ordered online at https://shop.subiprimarypc.com.au/ or by shopping instore on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8.30am till 10.30am. If ordering online, please remember to put your child's name and classroom number for prompt delivery.

Thank you for all the donations I have received for the "Pre-loved Rack".
If you are donating items, please ensure they are washed, free from stains and in very good condition, suitable for another child to wear. No damaged items such as backpacks with broken zippers, or jackets with broken zippers are suitable!
No more donations are needed currently as the racks are very full! It is a good time to shop and pick up a bargain.

Shan
Uniform Shop Coordinator.

It is natural and common for children to feel anxious. Anxiety is the feeling of worry or fear that something bad is going to happen. Children may have worries about schoolwork, sports, fitting in, and so on. They may feel ‘butterflies in the stomach’, nausea, and sweating, and are likely to avoid situations that they are worried about.

Most children manage their fears and worries without any problem. You can support your child to manage anxiety by:
• Encouraging them to talk about their worries/fears
• Acknowledging their worries/fears 
• Gently encouraging them to do things they’re anxious about
• Praising them for doing something they are worried about
• Promoting healthy choices (healthy foods, exercise, sleep)
• Avoiding labelling children as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’

For further details, see Anxiety in children and Anxiety in pre-teens and teenagers provided by Raising Children Network.

If you have any concerns, or if anxious feelings are severe, and affecting your child’s everyday life, please talk to the School Health Nurse, School Psychologist, or General Practitioner for advice.

Also, Momentum offers tailored online treatment programs to help children and adolescents learn new ways to cope with feelings of anxiety and/or unhappiness. Momentum also offers help with sleep difficulties, as well as information on well-being and help-seeking, and tips and information about substance use for adolescents.
Momentum has been designed in collaboration with young people, parents, clinicians and researchers. The program is free to use in Australia and can be worked through at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home.”
See website: Momentum momentumhub.org.au

Do you have any unused out-of-date prescription glasses or sunglasses sitting in a drawer or cupboard at home?

Did you know Rotary collect, clean, measure the lenses and then distribute to children and adults who need glasses in the 3rd world?

If you have any lying around, consider donating them. Please bring to the school library and place in the collection box - we will forward onto Specs Plus Subiaco who collect for Rotary.

Saver Plus is a program for people on lower incomes. It’s about bolstering their financial skills, so they can develop (and keep) good savings habits. 

You can find more information at www.bsl.org.au/services/saving-and-managing-money/saver-plus/

We are running Information Sessions for anyone thinking about joining the Saver Plus program and wants to learn more about how Saver Plus works. Click HERE to register.

For other community classes, activities and events that are available to families in Subiaco please click HERE.

SUBIACO PRIMARY SCHOOL
271 Bagot Rd, Subiaco WA 6008.
Phone: 08 9207 7900
Email: subiaco.ps@education.wa.edu.au