Term 3 - Issue 9 2025

Our Vision

Deputy Principal's Article

Dear Parents and Carers

As we wrap up Term 3, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff, students, and families for your continued support and involvement throughout the term. It has been wonderful to witness the academic and social growth of our students as they settled into routines and thrived in their learning environments.

Term 3 has been filled with a variety of engaging and enriching experiences for our students. Here are just some of the highlights from the second half of the term:

Chance to Dance – Ballet Lessons
Two of our classes participated in a 10-week ballet program led by professional ballerinas. Students learned the fundamentals of ballet in a fun and inclusive way. We are excited that these students will have the opportunity to attend a live performance of Cinderella at the ballet in Term 4.

Faction Carnival
In Week 5, we joined the mainstream school for a fantastic Faction Carnival. It was a day full of fun, teamwork, and friendly competition.

Book Week Celebrations
Week 6 saw students and staff bring their favourite characters to life during our annual Book Week Parade. It was a colourful and creative celebration of reading and imagination.

ESSN Sports Carnivals
Our students participated in two ESSN (Education Support South Network) sports carnivals. The senior students competed at Westminster ESC in Week 7, and the junior students took part at Roseworth ESC in Week 9.  Well done to all who participated!

Kings Park – Noongar Boodja Djilba Experience
Our senior class visited Kings Park to explore the Noongar seasons. They learned about traditional bush foods, medicine, storytelling, and dance in a meaningful and hands-on cultural experience.

PBS Rainbow Disco
To celebrate meeting our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) goals for the term, students were rewarded with a vibrant end-of-term disco in Week 10 a fantastic way to celebrate their hard work and achievements.

Important Reminders:

IEPs Now Available
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) have been emailed to parents. Please note that the download link in the email will remain active for four weeks only, so we encourage you to access and save the documents as soon as possible.

Term 4 Start Date
Term 4 will commence on Tuesday, October 14. Please note that Monday, October 13 is a student-free day.

On behalf of all the staff, I wish all our families a safe and restful break. We look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for an exciting Term 4!

Kind regards,

Christopher Ralph 

Deputy Principal.

Djilba Season

SECOND RAIN

SEASON OF CONCEPTION

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

COLOUR – ORANGE

To represent spiritual connection to the land (boodja) through the warmth of karl (fire),ngardanginy (hunting practices) and the preparation of the land for growth and transition into the flowering Season of Kambarang.

Djilba is welcomed by the bright yellow flower of many Acacia varieties. The weather is cold and birds are taking shelter from the sudden showers, then busy themselves with nest preparation during the mild sunny days. Food is abundant and animals begin pairing to prepare for offspring. Yonga (Kangaroos) and weitj (Emus) are taking advantage of the new growth and venture further inland as water sources are replenished and food is in abundant supply.

As we progress though the Season and the weather warms, we can expect protective koolbardi (magpies) to guard their nest area by swooping upon uninvited guests, the djidi djidi (willy wagtail) dances to distract and chase larger birds and predators away with a swoop and loud clicking sound. The brushtail possum sometimes takes bird eggs for protein and is relentlessly chased away by the djidi djidi. Nearing the end of the Season, the grass tree (balga) will grow magnificent flower stalks and the yellow-green large cone flowers of the poolgarla (bull banksia - banksia grandis) can be seen. Traditionally, the cones were used to start campfires (karla) and were also useful for transporting the hot fire coals to a new location.

Aboriginal Six Seasons, Djilba season, https://www.aboriginalsixseasons.com.au/pages/djilba-season

News from T2

This term, students in T2 have been working incredibly hard across all learning areas and have enjoyed a variety of engaging experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

In mathematics, the focus has been on position and direction. Students had lots of fun using the play equipment to explore concepts like “over,” “under,” “next to,” and “through.” These practical experiences have helped students connect classroom learning to real-world actions.

Merit Awards

PBS - Rainbow Theme Disco Thursday 2pm-2.30pm

Student Wellbeing

Our school is lucky to have an amazing Student Wellbeing Officer. Kellie is available four days per week, Monday Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays, to provide support to our students and families. Some of the ways Kellie will be assisting our school community include:

• Supporting families with NDIS
• Supporting with family advocacy
• Facilitating social skills lessons
• Facilitating social clubs during break times
• Supporting students in their classrooms

Kellie's presence will greatly enhance our efforts to ensure the well-being and success of every student at Westminster Education Support Centre.

Speech Pathologist

We are fortunate enough to have a Speech Pathologist, Helena Challis, supporting our staff and students every Thursday.  Helena supports with:

• Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) across the site
• Programming and planning for language rich activities and literacy lessons
• Providing consultation with teachers
• Completing Speech and Language assessments for specific
• students
• Supporting in case conferences

Enrolments

Uniforms

Important Dates - Students First Day back - Tuesday 14 October

Child & Parenting Centre

School Holiday Groups

Voluntary Contributions

School Board Members