Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back for the start of the 2024 school year! It was a delightful to see our students and families return, refreshed and eager after the holidays. This year we welcome our new Kindy and Pre-Kindy families, as well as 10 new families throughout the other year levels. We also welcome our new staff members. It was heartening to see the way that new students, families and staff are welcomed and made feel comfortable by our existing students and families and the way that all go out of their way to say hello and take the time to help others. This was noticeable in the grounds and in the classrooms; a truly lived example of the meaning of the school’s name Orana, which means ‘Welcome’. Congratulations to all, existing and new members of the community, as we embark on the academic year and all of the opportunities it will offer for personal and collect growth. I wish to thank our dedicated staff for the hard work over the last few weeks to prepare for the year ahead by preparing learning spaces and planning engaging lessons to provide meaningful educational experiences.
Staff Professional Development
Our overall educational focus for this year is “3C’s; Clarity, Consistency and Consolidation.” Our commitment to foster an inclusive learning environment remains a priority. On Monday, all staff participated in a professional development session on Cultural and Language Diversity. These sessions presented by the members of the CEWA Learning Equity team were positive learning experiences with information presented on current best practice and resources to foster an inclusive education and community. It is through respect, collaboration and a shared dedication to cultural humility that we can truly make a difference to the lives of our students. Last week, our new staff attended an induction, that included the sharing of the Orana Faith Story and History.
Partners in Education
Active parent participation in the education journey through involvement in school activities, attending parent information evenings and parent teacher meetings, underpinning by open communication with staff, enhances outcomes for students by building a strong relationship between home and school. One of our 2024 School Improvement Plan goals is “To provide opportunities for partnerships between parents and school to enhance understanding of the learning process and child development.”
High Expectations
Aspiring to and maintaining high expectations for our children is a key to raising standards. Students will strive to attain the standards that are set for them, at home and in the school environment. High expectations can apply to learning tasks, individual responsibility, homework tasks, uniform and presentation, behaviour and levels of respect shown to others.
Supervision - New Times
Supervision begins at 8.35am, and classrooms (PP to Year 6) will open at this time. Supervision at the Orana drive-through and back gate pick-up areas will end at 3.25pm. There is no supervision before or after these times and students should not be left without parental supervision outside of this timeframe. Our OSHC service is available for care of students before and after school with enrolment information available via this link. https://www.orana.wa.edu.au/out-of-school-hours-care/
Please Help
We are still needing nominations for the 2024 Advisory Council. Craig Petta, outgoing Advisory Council Chair, who has served the school for 7 years, shared the following last night, “If you are considering a position on the council, I would thoroughly recommend it. It is very rewarding and an insight into where your children spend their days and the people, they spend those days with. The reward is larger than the commitment.” If you are considering volunteering, please reach out for a chat about the role.
The P and F Committee also needs at least 2 more committee members. We have two very competent committee members who will gladly support new volunteers. The P and F annual events are so important for our community and would be a burden for only 2 committee members to coordinate. If you are considering assisting or have any questions, please contact the P and F to discuss.
Year 6 Leaders
Congratulations to our 2024 Year 6 Leaders. This afternoon the student leaders were presented with their leadership badges at a special assembly. Together, we look forward to these young leaders wearing these badges with pride, as they leave their legacy on the Orana story. The class of 2024 will celebrate achievements, overcome challenges and create lasting memories together.
Website Links
A Term 1 Planner is available on the website under News and Events – Calendars or via the following link: https://www.orana.wa.edu.au/calendar This includes sacramental and key dates for the year. Please regularly check the Dates to Remember section of the newsletter for updates.
Important Dates for 2024
The pupil-free days and term dates for 2024 are published below. Please update your calendars to inform your holiday planning. We strongly encourage you to plan family holidays over long weekends and school holiday periods.
CEWA Policies and School Based Guidelines
Catholic Education WA’s Executive Directive (Policy statements) and various school-based guidelines are also available on the school website, including our Code of Conduct and School Behaviour Support Guidelines. Please take a few minutes to review these documents. https://www.orana.wa.edu.au/policies/
New School Based Guidelines
We have new Communication Guidelines available on our website. Please read through these. These changes are to comply new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for Catholic School Teachers. Our updated Digital Technology Student User Agreements are also available on this website tab. https://www.orana.wa.edu.au/school-based-guidelines/
Parent Information Evening
Please make every effort to attend the parent information evening next Tuesday evening. Attending a session demonstrates to your child that you value the importance of education.
This year the format is different with two classroom-based sessions and one whole school session presented by the leadership team. If you have more than 2 children and are not able to attend a year level session, please contact the class teacher. Please see below for times.
Best wishes and God bless,
Dee Johnston
PRINCIPAL
