2019 has been an absolute BLAST!
2020 is nearly upon us and we are really excited to share our plans for the new year, and especially celebrating our 20th Anniversary of Peter Moyes Anglican Community School.
We are always earnestly seeking better ways to serve our community and students, that are best practice and future focussed to ensure that we support best, the needs and interests of our students socially, emotionally and academically.
Therefore, we are delighted to announce a change in our Primary School Leadership roles with different portfolios been newly created. I will continue as Primary Associate Principal with my focus on curriculum and innovation. Mrs Nicole Brown will become Dean of Students and this will cover all aspects of student wellbeing and pastoral care – this is a fabulous new role that will explore the culture of what we do in the care of our Primary School community. Ms Kellie Shimmings will have the new title of Head of Department (HOD) Upper Primary (3-6) and Mrs de Swardt will be HOD Lower Primary (PK-2). They will continue to focus on the curriculum and pastoral care of the students in their part of the School.
We have worked on ways to ensure we have smaller class sizes from Kindy to Year 1 with three streams in the low 20s that will move into a double stream at Year 2. This is a wonderful step to ensure that we can really develop a strong foundation at the Early Years stage of development.
We are very excited about the movement of some of the year level classes around the Primary School to pair up year levels in a more developmentally appropriate way. For example, we are relocating the Year 1s into the location of the current Year 5 classes and Indonesian room so that they can connect better with the Pre-Primary and the Nature Play area. We have put a lot of thought into the thinking behind this and how this would work.
We will also be pairing Year 2 with Year 3 to be located into the current Year 1 and 2 classes, Year 4 with Year 5 into the current 3 and 4 classes and the Indonesian class is moving into the 6.3 classroom.
We are excited at what the new year will bring and how these new changes will suit better what our students require. We know change is hard for some parents and we do hope you will continue to trust in what we do.
We are proud of our superb facilities; however, our programmes are what we are most proud of in the Primary School. We continuously look to innovate and are driven by what is relevant to our students now, as well as providing them with the skills they will need beyond school. We have been very pleased with our NAPLAN scores and the academic direction our Primary school is taking so that this dovetails seamlessly with Middle School expectations and beyond.
Some highlights of the year are:
- Achieving second in the State Cross Country.
- Celebrating second place in the NIPSSA Cross Country.
- And, also coming second in the NIPSSA Athletics.
- A new Year 5 Camp at Boshack, Toodyay.
- New House Points and House Activities programme.
- The introduction of a Rewards programme where Teachers VS Students in activities at lunchtimes - loved by students and rewarding students for doing the right thing.
- Entering a Design an Ad with the West Australian Newspapers - we celebrated 5 competition winners and the most winners from a single school. Overall Junior Journo winner was Jade White in Year 6.
- Year 6 Reconciliation learning was recognised by AISWA Consultant Mrs Maree Whitely.
- Maths Pathway success for Year 5.
- Tournament of Minds – our ‘Drama Queens’ team won Honours in the Arts Division.
- Renovation door signage with positive messages – In the Upper Primary Bathrooms and Foyer.
- Continued success with Beach School and Year 4-6 1:1 laptop.
- Author Visits from Morris Gleitzman and AJ Betts.
- Shared reading with Staff and students – a new initiative where students listen to a teacher of their choice and read for 15 minutes every day.
- IPSHA Ecumenical Service at Penhros College.
- 52 Primary Choir members participated in One Big Voice at RAC Arena, Perth.
- String Concert with international violinist Linda Gilbert.
- Pyjama Day and Favourite Team Colour Fundraisers.
- Languages Week with our Surabaya friends.
- Indonesian Consulate visit, teaching the Year 6 the Gamelan Orchestra.
Our Primary School is leading the way as far as the education and care of our students is concerned and we are proud of our accomplishments and the recognition we have received through the Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the Australian Independent Schools Association of Western Australia.
Our Primary School continues to work in strong partnership with ECU and we are considered a school of choice as mentors and for our sharing of the pedagogy we use in our School. We are trialling an ‘Internship Program’ with the ECU’s top students in the new year. We are very keen to and proud of our support of future teachers who join us for placements and to gain experience.
The installation of a Ninja Warrior climbing frame was completed in time for the start of Term 4 and has been a huge hit with our students. The cost of this project was funded by the P and F Colour Run event held earlier in the year. The Flying Fox and the addition of a loose parts play zone allows for creative play will continue to be enhanced and developed as they are very popular spaces with students across the entire Primary School.
I have loved seeing our children learn and feel excited about what they have achieved this year. Helping our students become more resilient and persistent is crucial for them achieving their full potential and I am indebted to the work our counsellors, administration and teaching staff who give their all to our Primary School community. At the core of all, is our aim to develop globally-minded people who, in recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to lead the Primary School again this year and grow our School community. I am forever grateful for the support from our community of staff, students and parents which has been vital in making this a truly remarkable year.
May the love and hope of Christmas be known to you all, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the New Year.
Mr Roderick Wood
Associate Principal – Primary School