30 October 2026
Welcome to week 3 - Term 4 - 2026!
“Come as you are, bring your smile, and let's make some magic!” - Roald Dahl
IN THIS EDITION:
• Principal's Message
• Welcoming Our New Teaching and Learning Deputy Principal for 2027
• Student Leadership: Thankful or Grateful?
• Celebrating Evin’s Writing Achievement
• Coolbinia's Got Talent
• WA Bike Month and Spooky Spokes
• Year 5/6 RoboClub
• Coolbinia Welcomes Astrophysicist Dr Karen
• Coolbinia Featured in National CSIRO Newsletter!
• Camp Australia
• Early Childhood Learning & Development WA Sector Awards
• Food for Thought
IMPORTANT DATES TERM 4:
November:
3 November - Year 6 River Ranger Hills Discovery Centre excursion
4 November - Year 5 Groundwater Festival Excursion and P&C Meeting
6 November - Pre-Primary Assembly
10 November - Year 6 Orienteering (before school on Yokine reserve)
11 November - Remembrance Day
16 November - Interschool Chess Tournament
20 November - Ensemble Assembly
26 November - Edu Dance Concert (Kindy Yellow)
27 November - Year 6 River Gods excursion
December:
3 December - Edu Dance Concert PP–Year 6 (5:00pm)
4 December - Student Leaders Assembly
7 December - Year 6 Mission Zoo Sustainable Futures Perth Zoo excursion
8 December - Volunteers Morning Tea and Year 4 Camp
9 December - Kindy Orientation (Green and Yellow Groups)
11 December - Coolbinia's Got Talent and P&C Triple 0 Party
15 December - Student Reports Sent Home
16 December - Year 6 Graduation and Kindy Orientation (Blue Group)
17 December - Final Day for Students
REMINDER NOTES:
Important Notice to Parents and Carers
If you know that your child will be leaving our school at the end of this year, or will not be returning next year, please notify the school office by email at coolbinia.ps@education.wa.edu.au as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation!
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3-5 March 2027 - Camp year 6
Principal's Message
Thank you to all parents who have taken the time to share their thoughts regarding their child's class placement for 2027. Parent input is one of several factors considered as we work through the complex process of class organisation. As our teachers now begin finalising class structures and placements, we will not be accepting any further requests. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to create the best possible learning environments for all students.
I would also like to wish all students attending the School Disco this Friday a wonderful evening. Events such as these provide students with opportunities to connect with friends, build a sense of belonging and create positive memories. Thank you to our P&C and volunteers who help make these occasions possible. I hope everyone has a fantastic time.
Welcoming Our New Teaching and Learning Deputy Principal for 2027
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Giorgia Alford has been appointed as our new Teaching and Learning Deputy Principal here at Coolbinia Primary School for 2027. Giorgia was selected after a highly competitive process, standing out for her incredible passion for helping both students and teachers thrive. She brings extensive experience as a Deputy Principal and Instructional Coach, specialising in building fantastic teaching frameworks, literacy and numeracy programs, and supportive student environments.
What truly sets Giorgia apart is her collaborative heart. She strongly believes that great schools are built on high-quality teaching, trust, and positive relationships. She is deeply committed to supporting staff well-being while driving school improvement, which aligns perfectly with our wonderful culture here at Coolbinia. We are incredibly excited to welcome Giorgia to our team! Please join us in giving her a warm Coolbinia welcome when she begins her new role.
Student Leadership
Thankful or Grateful?
This week in my Student Leaders meeting we engaged in a thoughtful discussion as they prepared for their House Assembly presentations on the concepts of being thankful and grateful. What initially seemed like a simple topic quickly revealed itself to be more complex than expected.
The students explored the idea that being thankful is often connected to a specific act of kindness or support. For example, we might feel thankful when a friend helps us with a task, a teacher explains something we find difficult, or someone includes us in a game.
They also discovered that being grateful can be broader and deeper. Gratitude is about appreciating the people, opportunities and experiences that enrich our lives every day. At Coolbinia, this might include being grateful for supportive friendships, dedicated staff, a safe and welcoming learning environment, and the many opportunities available to learn, grow and contribute.
The discussion prompted students to reflect on how gratitude can become a mindset rather than simply a response to a particular event. It was wonderful to see our Student Leaders thinking deeply about these important values and considering how they can help foster a positive and connected school community.
We look forward to hearing their presentations at upcoming House Assemblies and encourage families to continue these conversations at home. Asking children what
they are thankful for today, and what they are grateful for in life, can lead to some meaningful reflections. Have a wonderful week!
Celebrating Evin’s Writing Achievement
Evin participated in the Principal’s Writing Competition last term, and his writing was subsequently entered into the WA Young Writers Award. We are delighted to announce that Evin achieved 3rd place in the Middle Primary category!
What a wonderful achievement! We are so proud of you, Evin. Keep up the fantastic writing!
Coolbinia’s Got Talent
Our annual Coolbinia’s Got Talent is back this term! Students are invited to audition for the chance to perform in the Grand Final on Friday, 11 December, after lunch.
Students can showcase any stage talent, including singing, dancing, musical instruments, gymnastics, magic tricks and more. Auditions must be recorded and no longer than four minutes. Videos can be submitted to Mr Grant Welch (Music Teacher) via USB, email or AirDrop. Students unable to record a video can arrange an in-person audition with Mr Welch at recess on a Thursday or Friday.
Auditions will be judged in three categories: Years 1–2, Years 3–4 and Years 5–6. Students can enter multiple acts, individually or in groups, including with students from other year groups.
Audition videos are due by Friday, 20 November (Week 6).
We look forward to seeing our talented students shine!
Spooky Spokes – What a Fantastic Day!
What a fantastic day we had today celebrating WA Bike Month with our Spooky Spokes Bike Dress-Up Competition! A huge congratulations to Room 4, who took out the Class vs Class WA Bike Month Challenge! They’ve won a spooky class party complete with a movie, prizes, popcorn and fruit kebabs.
We also saw some amazing creativity in our Spooky Spokes competition, with bikes dressed up in all sorts of fun and spooky designs.
Check out the photos below to see some of the highlights from today’s celebrations! Thank you to everyone who participated, decorated their bikes and helped make the day such a success. We loved seeing so much creativity, enthusiasm and school spirit! Well done, everyone, and happy riding!
Year 5/6 RoboClub Wraps Up Another Fantastic Program!
Our second Year 5/6 RoboClub group has wrapped up a fantastic ten-session program across Terms 3 and 4, with 21 enthusiastic students developing their skills in robotics, coding, engineering and problem-solving.
Throughout the program, students worked with LEGO SPIKE Prime and LEGO EV3 robotics kits, learning how to build and program their robots to complete a range of increasingly challenging tasks. From programming their robots to move accurately, make turns and navigate obstacle courses, students developed their coding skills, computational thinking and confidence through hands-on learning. It has been wonderful to see their creativity, teamwork and persistence as they tested, troubleshot and improved their robotic creations.
One of the highlights was our RoboClub Family Open Session on Monday 26 October, where parents, siblings and other family members were invited to see the students' learning in action. A big thank you to all the families who came along to support the students, watch their robots in action and even join in with some of the activities and challenges. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to proudly demonstrate their robots and share what they had learned.
Although our after-school RoboClub sessions have now concluded for 2026, we are planning a lunchtime robotics showcase later this term. This will give our Year 5 and 6 RoboClub students the opportunity to demonstrate their robots and share their skills with younger students across the school, hopefully inspiring the next generation of Coolbinia robotics enthusiasts!
Congratulations to all our RoboClub students who participated across Terms 2, 3 and 4 this year. It has been fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for robotics, coding and STEM learning at Coolbinia!
Coolbinia Welcomes
Astrophysicist Dr Karen Lee-Waddell
Coolbinia Primary School is excited to welcome Dr Karen, an astrophysicist, as our newest STEM professional through the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools program!
Dr Karen brings a wealth of experience in astronomy and astrophysics, including research into galaxies and the mysteries of our Universe. We are looking forward to her visiting Coolbinia and sharing her knowledge and passion for space with our students. Our first planned activities include introductory sessions and Q&As for students from Pre-primary to Year 6, followed by opportunities for hands-on astronomy investigations.
This exciting partnership continues Coolbinia’s long-standing involvement in the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools program, which began in 2010. Over the years, our students have worked alongside scientists, engineers and other STEM experts, bringing classroom learning to life.
Coolbinia Featured in National CSIRO Newsletter!
We're also delighted to share that Coolbinia Primary School has been featured in CSIRO's national Term 4 STEM Professionals in Schools newsletter, alongside a dedicated article highlighting our school's long history of successful STEM partnerships.
The article features our STEM Leader, Ian Wilson, reflecting on the value of connecting students with STEM professionals, encouraging curiosity and creativity, and inspiring young people to explore the possibilities of science and technology. It also introduces our exciting new partnership with Dr Karen.
We encourage our school community to have a read! We're looking forward to another exciting chapter of STEM learning at Coolbinia!
Camp Australia
What a start to Term 4! We’ve hit the ground running, and our children have been making the most of every minute. Last week, we celebrated the Special Olympics with some backyard Olympic races that brought plenty of laughs, smiles, and friendly competition. Safe to say the Kindys had Ellie and Dani well and truly beaten! We also got creative with some awesome LEGO soccer boot creations, showing off some impressive design skills and imagination.
This week, the excitement has continued with the launch of our Big Art Week and Halloween celebrations. Students have been busy exploring their creative side through a range of art activities, while also getting into the spooky spirit with some fang-tastic Halloween crafts 👻🎨
We're also excited to announce that our Big Art Competition is now officially open! Running from 26 October through to 20 November, this is the perfect opportunity for students to get creative and showcase their artistic talents. Entry forms can be collected from COSCA, so come and find us and join in the fun!
The excitement doesn't stop there. Next week, we'll be stepping into a world of fantasy, where
students can create magical potions, design superhero shields, and get hands-on with fluffy fairy cloud dough. It's sure to be a week full of imagination, creativity, and unforgettable fun, so make sure you book in and don't miss out! We're loving the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity that Term 4 has already brought, and we can't wait to keep the fun rolling as we head towards the end of the year. Here's to finishing 2026 on a high!
Early Childhood Learning & Development WA Sector Awards
The ECLD WA Sector Awards are now open. If there is a staff member who has made a positive impact on your child or family, or if you feel our service deserves recognition, we encourage you to submit a nomination. Nominations can be made for individual educators or for the service as a whole. Nominate Now - Child Australia
Food for Thought
Grateful for Different Perspectives
I am currently reading Thriving Teams, a book that explores what makes teams successful and how they continue to grow and improve together. One idea that particularly resonated with me was the notion that if everyone in a team always agrees, there is a risk of "groupthink" developing. While agreement can feel comfortable, too much of it can limit creativity, innovation and learning.
The authors suggest that strong teams are not those where people disagree for the sake of disagreement, but those where individuals feel safe to respectfully offer different perspectives and challenge assumptions. When this happens, conversations become richer, decisions become stronger and understanding deepens.
This reminded me of a metaphor discussed in You're It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most by Leonard Marcus and his colleagues. They describe how people can sometimes hold such rigid viewpoints that they become blind to alternative possibilities. It is only when we actively seek out different perspectives that we begin to see the fuller picture.
As parents, educators and community members, there is great value in remaining curious, listening carefully and being open to views that differ from our own. Whether in our families, workplaces or school community, growth often occurs when we are willing to look beyond our own assumptions and consider another perspective.
Reflection Question for Families:
Can you think of a time when someone else's perspective helped you see a situation differently or make a better decision? What did you learn from that experience?
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