21 October 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal's Message

Welcome back to what is looking to be an action packed final term. It certainly got off to an interesting start when our student councillors visited Parliament House last Tuesday. Jan Norberger, our local MLA and ex-pupil of Mullaloo Heights, invited the student leaders for lunch before taking them to watch Question Time in the Legislative Assembly. I count myself as extremely privileged in accompanying these students on this unique experience. The opportunity for a personal guided tour of Parliament House is one reason for this, but not the main one. The true pleasure came from watching our students' enjoyment of this experience. It was wonderful to witness their maturity when chatting about their ambitions and interests with Jan Norberger over lunch. It was also amusing to observe their shock at the 'lively' way in which the MLAs conducted their debate during Question Time. Each and every student truly appreciated this opportunity and this was clear from the way in which they interacted with all adults and experiences during the day. They were perfect ambassadors for Mullaloo Heights.

Our teachers started the term in their usual hard working manner on the Staff Development Day. Our in-house experts, Marcelle Beeftink and Kim Carlson, presented a number of innovative and engaging strategies to improve students' reading and writing and teachers are already trialling these. This year, we have spent much time reviewing and refining our approach to teaching literacy and the new approaches employed in classrooms are already having an impact. Open night is planned for Thursday 27th October and this will be a great opportunity for you to look at your child's literacy work and view the improvements that have been made.

Staff also spent time on the Staff Development Day assessing our progress towards the targets on our current school business plan – you can find this on our school website. This critical review of our performance against targets is an ongoing task and guides school planning for improvement. One of our targets is to maintain parent satisfaction with regard to Mullaloo Heights. We will assess this through the School Parent Opinion Survey which was emailed to all parents this week. An analysis of the results of this survey will allow us to identify strengths and weaknesses and plan more effectively for the future. With this in mind, I urge you to complete this anonymous survey. Your feedback is highly respected and valued.

As you read this, many of our students are competing in the Interschool carnival. Apparently they are doing very well so far. We'll give you the full story in our next newsletter.

Caroline Booth
Principal

Dates to remember

Class Placements 2017

Later in Term 4, we will be organising classes for 2017. When placing students, teachers will take into account educational and social needs to ensure that classes are well balanced and provide an effective learning environment for all. If you have a request regarding the placement of your child and it is based upon an educational reason, please put this in writing and forward to Caroline Booth before Friday, 28th October – Caroline.Booth@education.wa.edu.au. All requests will be considered, but as we are a small school, they cannot be guaranteed.

Are you leaving at the end of the Year?

If your children are leaving at the end of the year, please let us know in the office as soon as possible. This information will help us when planning for next Year. Thank you!

Parliament House

On Wednesday 12th October, our student councillors were invited to Parliament House by Jan Norberger, our local MLA. Here is what they thought of the experience.

'My trip to Parliament House was extremely exciting and fun. We enjoyed a 3 course meal and watched a chaotic Question Time', Yves-Monique.

'My day at Parliament House was fun filled and I enjoyed a 3 course meal with cake and water. We also had a delightful tour of the huge building, finishing off with us watching politicians debating, but actually just yelling at one another,' Tasmin.

'The food at Parliament House was really good! We had a tour of Parliament by Jan Norberger. We watched Question Time and it was chaotic, but it was fun. The politicians started fighting -it was great,' Tarquin.

'My experience at Parliament Hose was fun and exciting as I got to learn how it works there and I got to taste their absolutely awesome lunch,' Elouise

'Parliament House was exciting and fun! We had our own private restaurant with steak and pudding. We met Jan Norberger, who gave us a tour through politics. We watched a chaotic Question Time,' Tom.

'Parliament House was amazing! The food tasted exquisite and it was fun to watch the debate,' Jess

'The food at Parliament House was delicious and the debate was great fun to watch,' Toby.

'Parliament was the best! We got to see an awesome debate. The food was delicious and Parliament House looks amazing. Thank you, Jan Norberger,' Drew.

'The food at Parliament House was absolutely amazing. We had a tour of the House and watched the politicians at Question Time. They argued with one another continually,' Kaya.

'Parliament House was fantastic. The politicians were hilarious, while they were yelling at each other in Question Time. Also, the speaker reminded me of Miss Southworth when we are all talking. To top all that off, we got a 3 course meal with divine chips. Parliament House was great!' Ty.

What's happening in Kindy & Pre-Primary

The Mullaloo Heights roving camera popped into Early Childhood this week to see what they were up to. It's always a good place to visit as there are always numerous exciting learning experiences organised by our talented teachers. When we entered Kindy, we noticed a big change; it had been transformed into the bush. We found children studying the animals with binoculars and recording their findings on clipboards. In other parts of the classroom, children were creating possums, writing sentences and painting. It was a hive of activity, as was Pre-Primary. Reading, writing, matching, cutting, exploring fossils – we were exhausted just watching. Have a look at our photo gallery to get a taste of early childhood at Mullaloo Heights.

A Fund raising Success for Room 12

Students in Room 12 organised a giant cake sale in order to raise funds for their graduation excursion later this term. Parents must have been up all night baking, as the tasty bites available to buy were never-ending. Students, teachers, EAs, cleaners, office staff and the gardener, all queued up to take advantage of this one-off sale. Every single customer had a smile on their face after indulging in this feast. Room 12 were happy too; they raised $373.80. Well done and thank you parents for supporting this fundraiser.

Music News

CHOIR SHIRTS

Thank you to all the parents who have returned the choir shirts washed and ready for the new year. There are still a few that have not been returned. Could you please check and return as soon as possible, if you still have one at home.

Thank you

T. Ameduri
Music

Parent Information/Reminders

P&C News

P&C Self Defence Class – Friday 28th October

Please read the below flyer to find out about the upcoming P&C fundraiser.

Community News