September 2024
Principal
Dear Families and Friends of Durham Road School,
What a busy and exciting time we’ve had since returning for Term 3! This term has been filled with excursions, incursions, and events, including assemblies, the Father’s Day breakfast, RUOK Day, the Early Years Sports Carnival, and we capped it all off with the Factional Carnival today. It was wonderful to see so many families and friends cheering on our students and celebrating their achievements. A huge thank you to our amazing staff for going above and beyond to ensure everyone had a fantastic time!
I’ve enjoyed hearing about the goals our students will be working towards this semester. I truly appreciate the collaboration from families and therapy teams during the IEP meetings and for updating medical documents. Your ongoing support is invaluable. Families should have received a final copy of the IEP; please contact the front office if you haven’t received your child’s.
We were also honoured to attend the launch of the National Quality Teaching in Action: Western Australian Schools resource on September 10th, celebrating its publication. The Hon. Sabine Winton, Minister for Early Childhood Education, and Stuart Percival, Executive Director of Service Delivery with the DOE, were in attendance. Durham Road teachers played a valuable role in contributing to this important resource.
Thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Kind Regards,
Ellen McAllister
Principal
Early Years News
As we finish up Term 3, there’s so much to celebrate! Here are some highlights from recent events that truly showcase our school spirit.
Amazing Assembly
We were thrilled to witness a fantastic assembly presented by Rooms 2, 3, and 12! The creativity and enthusiasm of our students shone brightly, and it was heartwarming to see so many parents in attendance supporting their children. Your encouragement means the world to our young performers!
Early Years Sports Carnival
What a wonderful day we had at the Early Years Sports Carnival! The spirit of inclusion and participation was evident as students engaged in various fun activities. Everyone had a blast, and it was great to see our young athletes cheering each other on!
As we look forward to the change of pace in the holidays, we want to thank all our families for your support and involvement in making our school community vibrant and welcoming and look forward to seeing you back at school on Tuesday 8th October.
Many thanks,
Kind Regards,
Susan Moran and Tania Muller
Deputy Principal
Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,
Our busyness has continued throughout the latter half of this term, though it has been great to see all of the students engaged in so many positive learning experiences.
Unfortunately, we were unable to engage an external Athletics coach, however Cameron Glass, Rm 20 Teacher, has been training our students on a Thursday afternoon in readiness for our sports carnival! These sessions have been well received and our students are engaged throughout.
Sensorium sessions on Thursdays have been a success- the students have completed sensory activities based on the book, ‘Ten Tiny Things.’ Thank you to the crew from Sensorium Theatre for coming to our school.
We’ve had Science Week, Book Week, sausage sizzles, a Father’s Day BBQ and a Pyjama Day, as well as a couple of Sports Carnivals- I’m sure the classes will report back on how all of these went, but the students have certainly been busy!
Rooms 19 and 20 had their assembly last week. It's always great to see the fantastic work that the students have been doing, as well as getting our phase together to support each other- Thank you to the staff for helping the students pull off a spectacular morning.
We also celebrated Education Assistant (EA) Appreciation Week (commenced 2nd September). Our EAs work tirelessly to support the students’ educational program. We appreciate all of the hard work, kindness and dedication they put in; we couldn’t run our classes without them!
Just a reminder to the parents and carers of our Year 6 students- a letter went home regarding our graduation ceremony. We would love to know who from the families are able to make it to celebrate our students' primary years.
The holidays are coming up, I hope everyone has a nice break and stays safe throughout. We look forward to seeing everyone back for Term 4.
Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Simon Hume
Deputy Principal
Satellite News
Dear Parents and Carers,
This term has been incredibly busy, with highlights including Cross Country, Sports Carnival, Book Week, and Ballet performances. The Athletics Carnival was a big success, thanks to the staff preparation, student engagement and beautiful weather. All the students enthusiastically took part in a variety of activities, such as running races, the Flag Race, Pass ball, and Tunnel Ball. It was wonderful to see the students so excited for the day, persevering through each race and cheering for their peers. A big thank you to all the families who attended and supported the Satellite students.
A special mention to Daniyal, who has qualified for the Interschool Sports Carnival due to his exceptional performance at the Athletics carnival. This is a well-deserved opportunity, congratulations Daniyal!
Satellite 3 and 4 students recently participated in a 10-week Ballet Course with the Western Australian Ballet. This was an exciting opportunity for our students to develop new gross motor skills through dance and music, while also enjoying a creative outlet. This course is then followed with an exciting excursion to attend a West Australian Baller’s school performance of ‘Sleeping beauty’ at His Majesty’s Theatre.
Parents will have received their child’s Semester 2 Individual Education Plan. It has been exciting to see the progress each child has made throughout the year. If you have any questions related to their IEPs, please don’t hesitate to speak to the teacher.
Looking ahead, our graduating Year 6 students are eagerly anticipating their upcoming camp, followed by the Year 6 morning graduation on Friday, 8th November.
I hope all families have a safe and relaxing holiday. Students will return to school on Tuesday, 8th October. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me on 0417 211 831 or email me at cassandra.camacho@education.wa.edu.au.
Kind regards,
Cassie Camacho
Programme Coordinator
Secondary News
This term has been a very sporty one, inspired by the Olympics. We have had several great sessions with the crew from FunFit Junior Fitness doing a dance class on Friday afternoons which everyone seems to be enjoying, participated in an AFL Kalability Football Carnival, on Tuesdays we have also been having some expert tuition in Soccer arranged through Football West which has been great and of course practicing for our annual School Faction Carnival.
The second semester IEPs have all been completed and should have been brought home for you to look at. We were really pleased with the progress made in Semester 1 so Semester 2 IEPs should reflect the gains made and continue to build on the strengths and skills of each student.
Our secondary program has been noticed by other schools and we have recently had quite a few visitors come in to pick our brains about how our programs operate and the structures in place to support out students. As a school we are justifiably proud of how Secondary operates and other schools looking to emulate us is something that indicates we are forging the right path for our students.
On Friday the 30th of August we had our annual Father’s Day breakfast. It was great to see so many dads, Granddads and significant males make the effort to be with the students. The turnout was fantastic, and the breakfast was very tasty (thanks Michelle)
Lastly on the 17th of September Rooms 24 and 31 had an assembly. It was an awesome morning, thank you to the parents and carers who were able to come along.
Until next time.
Kind regards,
Heath Bradley
Deputy Principal
Room 4
Wow, we can’t believe how quickly this term has flown by! Our little learners have been having so much fun while working hard across all subject areas. We’re proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm our students have shown this term. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Here’s a quick look at some of the exciting highlights:
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Room 18
This semester has been a busy one! Our students have been working hard in all their learning areas especially literacy and numeracy and have enjoyed some fun activities along the way. This semester we enjoyed the incursions Birds of Prey, Sensorium and our Sporting School Cricket. Students have also been practicing relay games and running races in preparation for our Athletics Carnival.
Room 19
In Term 3, Room 19 embarked on an exciting exploration of The Gingerbread Man. In Literacy, the students composed sentences about the characters who chased and ultimately ate the Gingerbread Man. Our Numeracy lessons involved counting and graphing the various characters from the story.
In Design and Technology, we took a creative approach by designing and building boats out of cardboard, paper, and Lego. These hands-on activities allowed us to investigate which type of boat might have helped the Gingerbread Man cross the river more successfully.
We are excited to conclude our unit by decorating gingerbread men and presenting our assembly item.
Wishing our Durham Road School community a wonderful break!
Room 20
Term 3 has flown by in Room 20! In class we have been learning how to read the time and why it is helpful to know what the time is. We have been preparing for the sports carnival in Week 10 by going to athletics training on the oval every Thursday afternoon with all the other Primary classes. It seems like we have some future Olympians in the making! However, the highlight of our term was our assembly, where we performed the Ocean Jam song and dance in front of friends and family. We can’t wait to see what Term 4 brings us!
Room 21
Term 3 for Room 21 has been very productive. We have welcomed Shalini (EA) and Alastair to the classroom and have had Sarah in the class completing her EA placement. It has been a busy term with Science Week, Book Week, a soccer clinic, a fit-dance lesson, all while training for the sports carnival.
See you next term!
Room 22
This term has been truly exceptional, packed with a wide range of engaging events and activities that brought both joy and learning to our students. From the thrill of Science Week to the imaginative celebrations of Book Week, the rich cultural significance of NAIDOC Day, the heart-warming Father's Day breakfast, and the sensory delights of the Sensorium incursion, there was something special for everyone to enjoy. In Literacy, our students were immersed in captivating stories, with the highlight of Book Week being the enchanting ‘Room on the Broom’ by Julia Donaldson. Staff and students alike got into the spirit by acting out the story, complete with props and sound effects. The classroom buzzed with excitement as our witch flew around, picking up each character on her broom, much to the delight of the students. In HASS, our students took a fascinating journey through time, exploring how people lived in the past. They delighted in the sensory experiences of exploring old technology, phones, music, and toys, gaining valuable insights into how much life has changed over the years.
Art lessons provided students with the opportunity to get hands-on with a variety of materials, creating messy, sensory-rich projects like Father's Day presents, cards and NAIDOC Day Rainbow birds. Overall, it has been a term brimming with discovery, creativity, and joy. We’re excited to carry this momentum into the next term, building on the wonderful experiences we’ve shared.
Room 23
We have had a fun packed term in Room 23 with incursions from the State Emergency Service, the Western Australian Fire Brigade, the West Coast Eagles and the Telethon Fun Run. A particular favourite is always the Senior Daylight Disco.
We have also gone on an excursion to AQWA which was awesome for all students. It was thrilling to see the marine animals up close. In room 23 we have been working hard in Term 3 on our IEP goals and on our ASDAN units which should be completed by the end of the year as all students are making great progress.
Room 24
We can’t believe it’s already Term 3! Our class concluded our studies on human induced environmental impacts by cleaning up the surrounding streets of our school and filled up three large bags of rubbish. We have started our studies in Civics and Citizenship and how citizens’ choices are shaped at election time. Students have been working hard on their campaign for Class President. We had a fantastic assembly in Week 10. We have continued excursions based on ASDAN: In the Community. The students have been loving ordering and buying drinks/foods and going to various places for leisure. It’s been a busy and fun term. Room 24 wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday.
Room 28
Students in Room 28 have continued to focus on life-skills. In the picture's attached students are making cheesy garlic bread. This activity forms a larger cooking program that reinforces skills like spreading butter over the entire surface of the bread and placing the cheese in different locations, so the surface is completely covered.
Satellite 3
Satellite Three have had a busy term so far. Aside from their regular academic programmes, the students have been partaking in ballet lessons, as well as participating in the Embleton Primary School Athletics Carnival.
Every Wednesday, the Western Australian Ballet has come to Embleton Primary School to teach a collection of Satellite Three, Four and Embleton students about the fundamentals of ballet. The students have enthusiastically participated and learned new skills and concepts over a ten-week period.
The athletics carnival was held on Friday 30th August on the school oval and the three factions could only be separated by six points in the end. All the Satellite Three students had a great time participating in races, team events and cheering on their respective factions.
Workplace Learning
Much of family life is focussed on day-to-day tasks and it can be hard to comprehend just how quickly it can seem that school finishes and adult life begins.
There are some things that families can do to help their children prepare for a productive and satisfying adult life which includes employment and/or Alternatives to Employment (ATE):
1) Discuss your child's future, if possible, with them: Make sure everyone understands the future will involve changes,
2) Ensure your child is as independent as possible in their own self-care. Although having self-care skills can make it easier on a child who is leaving home, it simultaneously means they can live at home for longer more easily as there is less pressure on the family to be caring for them.
3) Be realistic about time management in adulthood: Although many teenagers would rather play computer games, realistically, this rarely leads to a satisfying life for anyone. Ensuring your child has a routine after school that keeps them socially active and having structure to their life is going to be key to their happiness. Having the ability to manage time is going to give them the best chance at getting and keeping a job.
4) Be realistic about job opportunities: Very few people can do any job they would like. The job market is competitive and dream jobs can turn out to be impossible to obtain or may not live-up to expectations. If your child is wanting to do something that is clearly not suited to them, begin redirecting them at an early stage so that they do not have to overcome crushing disappointment when that dream is taken away by someone else later down the line.
With these simple steps, much of the planning for future life can be made less stressful. If you need help with these discussions, please do contact your child’s teacher to discuss future pathway options with them.
School Bus Services Update
