Issue 17 - 16th November

Principal's Message

Dear Parents/Carers,

This week we held our open board meeting and the highlight was the presentation of the vision for the new Westminster Schools Campus. The board members were all impressed with the drawings for both Westminster Schools. Improved access and parking was at the forefront of everyone’s thinking as there is very little provision for the community currently. However, Will Thompson the architect eased all our fears during his presentation which included the provision of good parking and access to the schools.

Next year will see the commencement of the building and renovations which means many of the Junior classes will be relocated to the Senior side of the campus. This is an exciting opportunity to bring the two school communities together, however over the coming weeks there may be a little bit of disruption whilst classrooms relocate.

Don’t forget on Tuesday we have the closing of Westminster Primary and Westminster Junior Primary Schools assembly at 9am. There will be lots of people with strong community connections from the past and present attending to celebrate the end of an era along with a celebration of the creation of a new Westminster School.

Next week we have two big things happening starting with the Year 1&2 Swimming and I would like to thank in advance all of the staff and volunteers who have made this happen. Wednesday – Friday we have the Year 6 camp at the Keith Maine Centre in Whiteman Park. The 3 days are going to be outstanding with lots of activities for the students, many of which have been funded by the student’s car washing Business Enterprise. I would also like to thank the staff who are going and giving up their own time to sleep over with the students.

Mrs Dunn is currently investigating the possibility of getting water slides for the end of year picnic which is looking like it will be on Thursday 10^th December, further information will be sent home when this is finalised, please ensure you keep checking your children’s communication books.

Kind Regards,

Gary Hobson

Our Vision

Important dates

Bowling

Westminster ESC received a Government Sporting Schools Grant which funded our Term 4 bowling program. The younger students were able to participate in an introductory lesson while the older students completed a 4-week program. It was wonderful to see our kindy/PP/ year 1 students enjoy the whole Superbowl experience, from feeling the heavy bowling balls to pushing them down the ramp. Our older students continued to develop their bowling skills as well as practice good sportsmanship when supporting and encouraging each other.

Outdoor Classroom Day

On Friday 5th November, our school took part in National Outdoor classroom day, this years theme was "love the outdoors".  Research shows that time spent outdoors, outside the classroom every day makes children happier and healthier, as well as helping children to become curious about the world as they engage in it.  Connecting to nature can restore our sense of wellbeing.  For children, this connection is best made through play, whether outdoors in nature or indoors with natural elements.  

There was lots of fun and learning outside, with a Big Book/role play of the Gingerbread Man and the making and eating of them outside. Teddy Bear's Picnic under the shade of the grandfather tree, messy fun with Washing of Westy the cow, kite making and flying, scavenger hunts and walks and bubbles on the oval. The kids loved it and of course enjoy being outside because they all looked so calm and happy.

News from ESC 7

It has been a very busy term for all the students in room 7 with lots of learning and fun.

Room 7 have enjoyed exploring chemical sciences with lots of exciting experiments! The students have learnt all about different materials and their properties and how we use them in our everyday lives. We have cooked, mixed, melted, fizzed and frozen many different materials throughout the semester with some very interesting observations.

Outdoor education day was a great way to get outdoors and explore our world. The students participated in an outdoor treasure hunt, finding lots of objects and discussing different native plants and animals. The children used their Nature Play Passports to complete some fun outdoor learning activities and finished the day flying their homemade kites.

Room 7 have been working on our social interaction and play with peers.  The students have loved dressing up and participating in pretend play.  We have had shop keepers, pirates, princesses and dragons having cups of tea and shopping together. It was great to see the students participate in Book Week as this linked into our social skills and play theme. The students really enjoyed seeing all the costumes and being able to show off their own to the school community.

Bowling is always lots of fun and room 7 will enjoy four bowling sessions this semester. The students participate with their peers and practice lots of important social skills when accessing the community. I have seen some great bowling skills and lots of very happy children!

Yokine Playspace with ESC 3&4

Rooms 3 and 4 have been enjoying a trip to Yokine Playspace for the last few Friday mornings. We have been learning about appropriate behavior for the park including how to use equipment, how to wait our turn and how to ask other kids to play. All our students have had a wonderful time exploring the multi-sensory park. Student have had the opportunity to engage in the use of a wide range of playground equipment, supporting their development of balance, strength, and coordination in a very enjoyable environment.

Crazy Hair and Sock day

Saturday Christmas Club

Hockey Program

Voluntary Contributions

A big thankyou to those who have already paid these.

VacSwim Swimming lessons

For information, please visit: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/vacswim 

School Board Members