Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members

We have very quickly moved to be half way through Week 3 and I am delighted to be able to say that it is business as usual and our children have already been engaged in a wide range of learning opportunities.  This morning we had our first assembly for the year and my congratulations go to our new Student Councillors for hosting it for us.

COVID 19 

Students who are unwell should stay home until they are feeling well.  If you have a child who is unwell, please contact the school and advise them of your child's absence.  The school continues to promote and maintain good hygiene practices in the classrooms.

PUBLIC SCHOOL REVIEW REPORT

A highlight our 2020 school year was the result of our triannual Public School Review.  The school was reviewed by two independent reviewers and our final report was very positive, affirming the wonderful work that has occurred over the past three years.  This report is a public document and can be found at http://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline under the “Reports / Public School Accountability” tabs.

STUDENT ALUMNI BADGES

I would like to confirm that our eligible Year 6 students will be receiving their Alumni badges at our next Senior Assembly, scheduled for Week 5 on Wednesday, 3rd March.

2021 STUDENT LEADERS

Our 2021 student leaders are doing a great job already, they were presented to our Middle Assembly this morning.  They are:

STUDENT COUNCILLORS

Alyssa H, Diara S, Xander R, Chloe H, Jaron B, Iela S, and Libby R.

HOUSE CAPTAINS

Water:              Noah T & Jalyn N

Wind:               Ahri H & Tanisha R

Fire:                 Moses K & Eli V

Earth:               Mariel C & Daisy S

Our student leaders will be attending the 2021 Grip Leadership conference on Friday, 30th April with Mrs Steele and Mr Myers.  The conference focus is training children to be school leaders and equip them with ideas to implement at school and across our community. 

GENIUS BAR

Jeremy M, Anna C, Tyler P, Seth O, Cooper D, Ava L, Jaskiran K, Arianna B.

GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS UPDATE

During the holidays we had a number of projects completed.  These include:

• The removal of a transportable classroom.
• Installation of lawn on the west side of the covered assembly area.
• Verti mowing and top dressing of the lawn in the ECE play area.
• The provision of concrete path, to the Yonga group and in front of Kwenda 1 & 2

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS

I would like to remind parents and carers about our voluntary contributions.  We are asking that families make a contribution of $60 per child.  The money received is used to purchase a variety of essential school materials including texts, and general resources as well as services and facilities etc. directly benefiting your children. 

Contributions collected at Bertram Primary School contribute to  photocopying costs, reading resources, library book purchases and replacement, Health and Physical Education, resource materials, Numeracy materials, Science and HASS materials, Technology materials and a range of day to day items required to ensure your child has the best educational opportunities we are able to resource.

Parents are able to pay their Voluntary Contributions in the following ways:

1.      Pay to the School Office by cheque, cash or EFTPOS.

2.      Pay over a period of time using a Progressive Payment Plan as negotiated with the school’s Manager Corporate Services.

3.       Pay online at www.bertramps.wa.edu.au/payments

Craig Ashby

PRINCIPAL

Welcome back! We look forward to working with you and your child to make the most of every learning opportunity during 2021.

Medical Update Forms

If your child has a medical condition please see the front office for an annual update form.

Lesson Attendance and Punctuality

Developing the habit of going to school every day is vital so children do not miss out on important ideas and skills they need for future learning.

Did you know:

• missing half a day of school each week equates to one month of missed learning each year

• the attendance habits set by children when they first start school continue throughout their school life

• if children miss half a day of school each week between Pre-primary and Year 10, they would miss almost one full year of learning
• learning is cumulative – if children miss a day, it is harder for them to catch up.

You can help by arriving and collecting your children on time; making sure they get nutritious meals and enough sleep; and making appointments with doctors, dentists and specialists, and making holiday plans during school holidays and not during the school term.

https://www.education.wa.edu.au/attendance-and-absenteeism

If your child is unwell and unable to go to school, let the school know on the day or when they return to school. At Bertram you can provide a reason for your child’s absence/s using the following forms of communication:

• send a message to the teacher using Seesaw

• use the form on the Skoolbag app

• call the front office on 61741000

• email bertram.ps@education.wa.edu.au

• respond to the automated text message

• send a note with your child when they return to school

• talk to their LA teacher or Amy, Di or Georgia in the front office

• returning the note your child brings home

There are lots of options!

If you would like support with your child’s attendance, please chat to their LA teacher or one of the deputies.

Facebook

The school uses a range of platforms to communicate with our families, including Facebook. If you need information about the P&C Canteen or Uniform Shop, please contact them directly; if you need to make contact with your child or their teacher, please do not use Facebook Messages – call the front office on 617400 during the day, contact their teacher via Seesaw or email the school on bertram.ps@education.wa.edu.au

iPads and Third Party Services

A HUGE thank you to our staff, students and families for being Bertram FRREE while managing the consent forms associated with iPads this year. The good news is, Bundled and Explicit Consent forms only need to be completed once while your child is enrolled at Bertram, unless you wish to change your level of consent during that time.

For those students who bring their own iPad to school, the Department of Education’s Student Mobile Phones in Public Schools Policy requires all public schools to implement a ban on the use of mobile phones for all students from the time they arrive at school to the end of the school day. The policy aims to reduce distractions in class and improve student engagement. In line with this policy, student iPads with SIM cards installed are classified as a mobile device and stored in the office until the end of the day. Earbuds must remain in school bags for the duration of the school day. Smart watches must be switched to flight mode.

If you need to contact your child or if they need to speak to you, this communication must be via the front office on 61741000.

Jane Weir, Cathy Stott, Kiera Slade, Aimee Coffey

Deputy Principals

A friendly reminder of upcoming Excursion/School Based Activity payments:

• Edu Dance Term 1 - payment due Thursday, 18th February 2021
• Year 6 - Parliament House, Electoral Centre & Constitution Centre payment due Thursday, 25th February 2021
• Year 6 Leaver's Polo Shirts 2021 payment due Friday, 26th March 2021

Late payments will not be accepted.

Payment Plans

May be arranged prior to the the payment due date by contacting the Manager Corporate Services, Liz O'Born at the front office on 6174 0000.  

Financial Support 

If providing your child/ren the opportunity to participate in the Excursion/School Based Activity is likely to cause financial hardship, we may be able to provide financial support.  Please complete the slip on bottom of the consent form and return it to the front office.

How fireproof is your plan?

Dangerous bushfires can start at any time.  It's important to understand your risks and plan what you'll do to keep safe when a bushfire threatens your home and family.

One of the most critical and valuable things you can do is to make a bushfire plan.  Take 5 minutes now to discuss these simple questions:

• When will you leave?
• What will you take?
• Where will you go?

https://mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au/

All children from Pre-Primary to Year 11 are eligible to dental treatment at the Wellard Dental Therapy Centre located at Wellard Primary School.

Wellard Dental Therapy Centre | Dental Health Services North

25 Breccia Parade, WELLARD 6170

T: (08) 9553 0610

E: wellarddtc@dental.health.wa.gov.au

W: www.nmhs.health.wa.gov.au | www.dental.wa.gov.au

Our Vision: Excellence in health care for our community.

Positive relationships for families: why they’re important

Strong and positive family relationships are enjoyable for their own sake – it just feels good to be part of a warm and loving family.

But positive family relationships are important for lots of other reasons too. They:

• help children feel secure and loved, which gives them confidence to explore their world, try new things and learn
• make it easier for your family to solve problems, resolve conflict and respect differences of opinion
• give children the skills they need to build healthy relationships of their own.

This is why it’s worth maintaining and improving the relationships you share with your children and other family members.

There are plenty of simple things you can do to develop positive family relationships.

Quality time and family relationships

Quality family time is about making the most of the time you spend together as a family. Here are some ways you can make quality time happen in your family:

• Use everyday time together to talk and share a laugh. For example, family meals and car travel can be great times to catch up on the day.
• Have time together when devices are turned off and out of sight. This helps to keep everyone focused on what you’re doing or talking about at the time.
• Have one-on-one chats with each family member to strengthen individual relationships. It can just be five minutes before each child goes to bed.
• Set aside time with your partner, if you have one. You could explain to your children that it’s good for your relationship with your partner to have this quality time alone together.
• Do regular, fun things together as a family. This can be as simple as a family soccer game at the local park on Saturdays, or a family board games night each week.

Positive communication and family relationships

Positive communication is about listening without judgment and expressing your own thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully. It helps everybody feel understood, respected and valued, and this strengthens your relationships.

Try these positive communication ideas to strengthen your family relationships:

• When your child or partner wants to talk, try to stop what you’re doing and listen with full attention. Give people time to express their points of view or feelings.
• Be open to talking about difficult things – like mistakes – and all kinds of feelings, including anger, joy, frustration, fear and anxiety. But it’s best to wait until you’ve calmed down from strong emotions like anger before you talk about them.
• Be ready for spontaneous conversations. For example, younger children often like to talk through their feelings when they’re in the bath or as they’re getting into bed.
• Plan for difficult conversations, especially with teenagers. For example, sex, drugs, alcohol, academic difficulties and money are topics that families can find difficult to talk about. It helps to think through your feelings and values before these topics come up.
• Encourage your children with praise. For example, ‘It’s a big help when you bring the bins in without being asked, Leo. Thanks!’
• Let everyone in the family know that you love and appreciate them. This can be as simple as saying ‘I love you’ to your children each night when they go to bed.

Positive non-verbal communication

Not all communication happens in words, so it’s important to pay attention to the feelings that your children and partner express non-verbally. For example, your teenage child might not want to talk to you but might still come looking for the comfort of cuddles sometimes!  It’s also important to be aware of the non-verbal messages you send. For example, hugs, kisses and eye contact send the message that you want to be close to your child. But a grumpy tone of voice or a frown when you’re doing something together might send the message that you don’t want to be there.