Thank you, God, for my children.
I know they are a gift from you.
Each day I need your strength
and wisdom to guide them
on the right path.
Give me patience and a joyful heart.
Let me be an example of your love
and forgiveness.
Thank you, God, for the honour
and privilege of being a parent.
Amen

Dear Parents and Community Members,

I hope you enjoyed a lovely holiday break with your families. Looking at the term calendar and all the activities ahead, it is going to be an extremely busy nine weeks. How lucky are we to be able to plan to have these activities for our students. Watching them grow and develop is a joy for all of our staff, and we are so grateful that we are able to share their educational journey. Sometimes it is hard for your children to put into words how their day at school went. You may find you get a one-word answer to the question: ‘How was school?’ Here are some other questions you could ask to start the conversation about school experiences:

There are many dates to note this term, with upcoming events such as Interschool Sports Carnival, Kindy Orientation for students and their families joining us in 2025, Annual School Community Meeting, Christmas Concert, Year 6 Graduation and various other end of year activities. Please ensure that you check the school’s website calendar, and also check the newsletter for any updates. Just a reminder that our school Facebook page is also a great way to keep up to date with what is happening. Class Seesaw messages from teachers also remind parents about what is coming up.

Allocation of classes for the upcoming school year is a long process, in which many factors, many of which are private and confidential, are taken into consideration. Attached to this newsletter, you will find the school’s Class Placement Procedure. This document explains how our staff and school leadership team will work through class placements for 2025. As professional educators, we work hard to ensure all students are placed in classes that meet their needs and help them to achieve their full potential. Please do not contact teachers directly about requests for next year.

Please read the information below, or download a copy from our website.

RATIONALE

Our Lady of the Cape Primary School has a procedure in place for allocating students into classes each year. The procedure ensures that the professional judgement of the School Leadership Team and Teaching Staff is informed by input from parents and carers and that all available information is applied to the placement process. Although class placements can be a sensitive issue, the interests of all children are paramount to the decisions taken by the school. Much thought and careful consideration goes into this process. A child’s social, emotional and academic development will be considered when placing students.

AIMS

Through our Class Placement Procedure, we aim to create classes which:

· Have a balance of academic, behavioural and physical abilities, gender and social/emotional needs

· Ensure an equitable outcome for all students.

We also aim to:

· Provide a clear framework to be applied by the School Leadership Team and Teaching Staff when determining class placements for students

· Provide parents and carers with information on the procedure and opportunities for their input to the process.

PROCEDURE

The following procedures apply when allocating students to class groups for the following year:

1. Individual class placements will be decided by the School Leadership Team in conjunction with Class Teachers, based on their professional judgement and with consideration of the following factors:

· Professional judgement

· Special educational needs of the child

· Overall academic abilities in the class

· Overall social and emotional needs and abilities in the class

· Gender balance

· Student wellbeing

· Class placements in previous years

· Classroom observations.

2. Parents and carers may provide the School Leadership Team with specific information about their child's learning or social needs that they believe the school may not be aware of. Such information would not include a request for a particular teacher or class grouping. The information should be provided in writing (letter or email) to the Principal by the commencement of Week 4, Term 4. This information will be referenced, along with other available information, during the class placement process. The Leadership Team will manage this process in consultation with classroom teachers.

3. Class placements for the year ahead will be communicated to parents via email in the last week of the current school year. This practice means that:

· Students will know the name of their teacher for following year

· Parents and carers will have time to talk positively to their children about the class experiences they may have the following year.

4. Class placement allocations cannot be changed.

PARENT AND CARER COMMITMENT

Parents and carers commit to supporting the school's Class Placement Procedure by:

· Supporting and accepting decisions made by the school

· Being positive with their child about the class placement decision that has been made.

SCHOOL COMMITMENT

The school commits to supporting the Class Placement Procedure by:

· Using informed professional judgement when deciding class placements

· Considering all available information, including that received from parents and carers that assist the process.

IMPLEMENTATION

Class placement is dependent on a variety of factors including enrolment numbers and staffing allocations.

To promote effective implementation, the following procedures have been put in place:

• The Principal will advise parents/guardians via the Newsletter early in Term Four that planning for class placements for the following year has commenced

• If parents believe that there are circumstances that the school may need to consider in developing these class lists, they are advised to communicate these in writing to the Principal by the commencement of Week 4 in Term Four

• These additional learning needs will be considered if they genuinely affect the child’s social, emotional, behavioural or academic development

• Whilst the Class teachers and Leadership Team will consider the student’s additional learning needs, no guarantees about placements can be assured

• The teaching staff from the current year place students in class groups for the next year

• Parents are informed about next year’s class allocation via email in Week 10, Term 4

• Students experience an orientation session with next year’s class teachers and classrooms in the last weeks of the school year.

Why do we ask parents to leave class placement in the hands of the teaching staff?

As professional educators we strive to make the right choice and consider all the information we have at hand. Our teachers have been working with your child every day for a year, gathering information on preferred learning styles, interests, social groups, emotional needs as well as academic ability.

Previous teachers and specialist teachers are also consulted for their input. While it is true that parents know their child the best, when a parent requests a specific placement for their child, they do not have all the relevant information. Teachers, on the other hand, have the academic, social and emotional information about all students in a particular year level.

Can I request a particular teacher for my child either in writing or through discussion with my child’s present teacher?

No, this is not part of the Class Placement Procedure. We believe that all our teachers at OLC are high quality educators.

Can I request my child’s placement with a specific child in the classroom? Or can I request my child NOT be placed with another child?

When allocating children to classes, we endeavour to foster positive social interaction across a year group, by making socially balanced classes. If your child is having difficulty with a student in his/her class, please inform the teacher so problem solving can take place.

This is the aspect of the school experience that reflects ‘real life’ where students learn to function socially with many people. Remember that they are in class to learn, they will still interact socially with peers from the other class at recess and lunch time, and most classes come together for common activities from time to time. Broadening their friendship circles is a valuable life skill.

What are examples of reasons I can include in my request?

The types of reasons that would be considered are:

• Special needs such as twins and siblings

• Family situations that the school may not be aware of.

When I get my child’s class placement, can I request that it be changed?

You may talk with one of the Assistant Principals or Principal about your concerns and be assured that those concerns will be shared with the teacher so your child’s anxieties will be addressed.

Teachers run programs and activities at the beginning of the year to help children feel comfortable, get to know other students in the class and feel connected to the school.

Class placements are considered final.

Changes to placements are not considered due to precedence and the chain reaction that this would create. While we feel we consider the individual child during the placement process, parents must understand that their child is part of a complex equation in school placements.

What if my child is having difficulty in his/her new placement after school has started?
Can we request a change then?

We will do everything we can to solve problems. Parents need to talk firstly to the class teacher; if the matter needs to be referred on, an Assistant Principal or Principal will be happy to assist so your child’s needs can be addressed. Changing classes is not part of the Class Placement Procedure.

Please be assured that all information about children is valued and heard. Teachers work hard to make the transition between years a smooth process for all our students. Parents can help by being as positive and encouraging as possible to their children in this process.

As a staff group, we have noticed that some students are not eating all of their lunch, as they are very keen to get outside to play. One way to provide for both play and eating time, is to ‘flip’ the order of our lunch period, and allow the students to play first and then eat. Some benefits of this flipped lunch include allowing students to get straight out after sitting in class and be active and have fun with their friends. When the bell goes in the middle of the lunch period, students will return to the courtyard and verandah areas to sit and eat their lunch. This will allow them time to eat their lunch, without the need to feel like they are missing out on play time because they are taking time to eat. It will also allow them to talk to their friends about any lunchtime play issues they may have had, and in the warmer weather, will allow time to cool down, after running around. This will make for a smoother transition back into afternoon learning time.

Flipping the lunch time around will mean that students are eating their lunch 20 minutes later than they are currently eating. Teachers will provide a ‘crunch and sip’ opportunity between recess and lunch time, around 12.00pm, to give students a chance to have a healthy snack and a ‘brain break’ during the learning session.

There will be no change to bell times, so parents won’t need to do anything differently, just maybe include an extra piece of fruit in their lunch boxes. We will trial the ‘flipped lunch’ until the end of this year, when teachers will review the effectiveness of this change.

We are looking forward to being able to celebrate ‘grandparents’ next Friday 18 October, starting at 1.00pm with afternoon tea in the hall, classroom visits from 1.30pm, and Assembly at 2.30pm.

Grandparents play an important role in the lives of our children. Our P&F will be arranging a cuppa and biscuit for the grandparents to enjoy before visiting classrooms. Please note that afternoon tea will be for Grandparents only, students will be out playing during this time. Class visits will commence once the students return to their classes after their lunch break. It is always a delight to see the grandparents sharing this special time with their ‘grandies’.

Please advise any grandparents who are coming along to go directly to the hall when they arrive. They can enter straight from the front carpark. Staff will direct them to classrooms for visits at the appropriate time. Thank you.

The next meeting is on Wednesday 6 November at 5.00pm in the Staff Room.

Please click the link for the Uniform Guide:

Our uniform is a form of belonging and identity and is worn with pride by our students. Please take particular note of the shoe requirements for students. Your assistance with this to maintain the standard of our uniform is appreciated.

The Interschool Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 17 October for selected Year 3-6 students, at the Hay Park Bunbury Athletics track. Best of luck to our competing students.

With the election coming up next year, it is important to be aware of the contribution that Catholic Education makes towards education WA students. Please find attached some Key Facts about the funding of Catholic Schools.

If your child will not be returning to OLC in 2025, please inform the office in writing to enable our planning for next year. Thank you.

Thank you to Catie Shepherd and our P&F for the beautiful artwork around the school representing our class flora and fauna totems. Here are two of the latest ones that you can check out in the Pre-primary area:

Wishing you a wonderful week.

May God bless you.

Mrs Angela Hegney

Principal

Do you need a reason to de-clutter? As you know our school/parish fun day is coming up on the 3rd of November from 10.00am - 2.00pm, and we are looking for donations of second hand books (for children or adults), and toys to sell on the day.

A box has been placed in front of the admin block, so if you have any pre-loved donations that are clean, functioning and in good condition, you can drop them off at the school any day up to the day before the occasion.

We are also hoping to have a number of cheap entry raffles or a silent auctions for the day, and are looking to any family business who are able to donate prizes. This is a great opportunity to promote your business if you would like to.

Proceeds for the day will go towards our support of World Mission Month for those in need.

With thanks for your generosity and ongoing support.

Mrs Amie Meyer

Assistant Principal

A reminder that Running Club is on again next term on Wednesdays and Thursdays (sport games). This is now available to students from Y2 and up. No need to register, just turn up at 8am outside the hall.

Mrs Sinclair

In 2014, OLC put in place class blogs to serve the purpose of building connection between class and home as well as share homework, learning and class information with all parents.

While the blogs have been central in class communication to parents over the years, we acknowledge that the class blogs have now served their role.

With our ongoing goal of having efficient and concise forms of communication to our parents, we have decided to cease the use of the class blogs and replace it with the Seesaw app.

We would like to streamline our communication at OLC. Therefore, as from Term 4 2024 the class blogs will no longer be used to communicate to OLC parents and the Seesaw app will replace all relevant class communication from the teacher that was previously on the class blogs.

We will also be utilising the Seesaw platform to greater lengths across the whole school to keep parents informed about learning happening in their child’s classroom.

What’s new?

• At least 3 Seesaw posts per term of photos of incidental learning happening in your child’s class.
• All relevant class information for parents sent through the Seesaw app. This may include reminders, messages, excursion information, important dates, etc.

What will remain?

• At least 3 Seesaw posts each term specifically about your child’s Reading, Writing, Maths and Religious Education learning that are part of the formal reporting process and include a description and an assessment of the learning.
• Parents receiving SMS notifications from the class teacher about merit or star citizen awards.
• SEQTA email for formal communication from the class teachers, school admin and the leadership team.

What to do?

• If you do not already have the Seesaw app, please ensure you have this downloaded with notifications.
• Check with your child’s class teacher/s for the Seesaw class code if you require access.
• Get set for more updates on your child’s learning via Seesaw.

Arian Torrese

Assistant Principal

In late 2016, writer and author Kasey Edwards reached out to me and asked: Should parents get involved in their kids’ friendships? As she detailed in her article that published in The Sydney Morning Herald, my answer was simple: No.

As I said to Kasey, the message that we want to give our children is, “You’ve got this!” not, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this for you!”

Try thinking of yourself as a “Friendship Coach.” Coaches don’t go out there and play the game for their players. Instead, they give them advice and send them to play. Then, they stand back on the sidelines and watch. When they call their team in, they point out what they saw and give the players some tips and guidance. It should work that way with parents too, coaching your children through their friendships.

Here’s how Kasey so eloquently put it:

Rather than acting as lead negotiator in our children’s relationships, we should support them and coach from the sidelines with the following Dos and Don’ts:

Reframe friendship altercations as opportunities to learn valuable skills

Research shows that children who have good social skills grow up to be more functional and successful adults. And the good news is that these skills can be taught.

“Like all skills, social skills take practice and don’t come naturally to all children,” says Kerford.

When our children are experiencing friendship problems it’s an opportunity for us to help them learn vital social skills, build resilience and strengthen their empathy.

Listen and empathise

While listening seems so simple, it’s probably often overlooked for that very reason. Just like adults, when kids talk about their problems they want to feel heard, validated and understood.

Kerford says that we need to remind ourselves that what might seem small to an adult can loom large in the eyes of a child; so large that it can seem overwhelming.

“Tune in and ask direct, specific questions,” says Kerford. “Often children have a hard time articulating what’s going on, they just ‘feel bad’. Help them put a voice to it by digging deeper.”

Encourage kids to stand up for themselves

When my daughter talks to me about her friendship problems, my default response is to say to her the things that were said to me. “Just ignore him”, “Walk away”, “She’s just jealous” are the kinds of phrases that instantly spring to mind.

But Kerford says that these responses can be too passive and minimising. She suggests taking some time to listen and empathise — and then follow up by asking “Did you stand up for yourself?”

Rather than retreating, we should encourage our kids to confront their problems and not simply put up with bad behaviour.

Kerford suggests asking kids what they could do differently next time and role-play different scenarios so they feel practised and more confident.

Teach kids the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships

This one is the sort of advice that will be useful right into adulthood.

It’s important for our kids to know that they are in control of their lives. Kerford says that this includes the people they choose to surround themselves with. Do their friends make them feel good about themselves? If not, they should minimise the time they spend with people who make them feel bad and spend most of their time with friends who treat them well.

“Let them know that trust and respect are ‘must haves’ when it comes to friendship,” Kerford says. “Don’t say, ‘This is just something all girls must go through.’ This statement tells a girl she must suffer through and she is helpless. We cannot normalise the behaviours of ‘mean girls’.”

What about bullies?

There’s a lot of talk about bullies and bullying at the moment. But Kerford’s advice is to avoid the word altogether. The reason is that it’s often misused and leads children — and their parents — to label kids. Instead, she suggests the term “mean-on-purpose”.

“Children understand what this means and know when someone is intentionally trying to hurt them.”

Parents can help their kids come up with a quick comeback statement to combat mean-on-purpose behaviour. It doesn’t have to be an Oscar Wildean witticism. A simple “Not cool”, “Wow” or “That was really mean” will suffice.

Quick comeback statements should be delivered in a strong voice with authoritative body language, and then the child should walk away.

“If they’ve tried using a quick comeback and the person continues to be mean-on- purpose, that’s when an adult needs to get involved,” says Kerford. “It’s the responsibility of the adults (parents and teachers) to ensure that children feel safe and supported.”

Be a good role model

Anyone who’s sworn their head off during a spot of road rage only to have their little darling repeat it the next day at Grandma’s house knows our kids are watching us and modelling our behaviour. Especially, it seems, the bad bits.

“I know it’s so much pressure on parents, but their children are watching them and mirror their behaviour. If we don’t want our child to gossip, we don’t gossip” says Kerford. “If we don’t want our child to yell, we don’t yell. It’s as simple as this: If you want your child to be kind, show them what being kind looks like.”

Tell stories

Sometimes our kids forget that we were once kids too. Providing examples from our own life experience or of other people overcoming similar difficulties can help guide kids to a solution.

“Sharing your stories about some of the ups and downs you experienced in friendships when you were their age helps your child view you as not just mum or dad, but as someone who’s been there before,” Kerford says.

Kasey Edwards is a writer and best-selling author. www.kaseyedwards.com

Join our Community!

To help you begin on your “Friendship Coaching” journey, check out this Language of Friendship course that is part of our FREE URSTRONG Family Membership. The series consists of 10 videos designed to watch alongside your child to help you learn easy-to-use language & strategies to talk about tricky friendship issues.

Written by Dana Kerford
Friendship Expert and Founder of URSTRONG

The P&F are excited to announce our October fundraiser in collaboration with Eagle Bay Brewing Co! This is a fantastic opportunity to buy premium Eagle Bay Brewing Co wine and beer bundles with the added bonus of supporting our school!

How it Works:

1. Order your wine and beer online and save
2. $5 per bottle / cube will be donated to the P&F
3. Enjoy your wine and beer!

Duration:

This fabulous fundraiser runs from the 1st October - 27th October. Don’t miss out on this limited time opportunity.

Shop Online:

https://eaglebaybrewing.com.au/exclusive-sale/

Free local pick up or free shipping over $250.

Email: admin@ladyofcape.wa.edu.au
Website: www.ladyofcape.wa.edu.au
Location: 245 Cape Naturaliste Road, Dunsborough WA, Australia
Phone: 9781 3200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OLCDunsborough/