malibu news edition no 1 2014
dates to remember
Finance Meeting - 25 March @ 3pm
School Council Meeting - 25 March @ 6pm
Whole School Assembly - 11 April
Last Day of Term 1 - 11 April
Pupil Free Day - 28 April
Students return Term 2 - 29 April
Dear Families,
It has been a busy start to the year and the holidays seem quite a while ago now. In this first half of the term we have already had many laughs and great times. The opportunity to come and see how your child’s class was running and to ask any questions about the learning program was well attended. Many parents have said how valuable that they found it and that they would love to see it continue. As a result we have scheduled another classroom conversation into the start of term 3.
We had the joy of saying thank you to Variety WA for making us the inaugural recipients of the Variety Of Chefs fund-raiser at an assembly. The Chefs loved the gifts that were hand made by our students. Some lucky students took part in a cooking activity that was also filmed for Variety WA to show case at this years fund raising event. Students presented the Chefs’s with gifts in the assembly before showcasing their culinary talents. Our new universal access kitchen is now open and classes can use it for cooking activities. Enormous thanks also go to Complete Angler and Camping World who made the replacement of the kitchen floor possible.
We have been accepted into the Independent Public School (IPS) development program so that we can investigate what it means to be an IPS. The School Council is highly involved and will represent families through out this process. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to come and have a chat. You can also find lots of information on line at http://www.det.wa.edu.au/independentpublicschools/detcms/portal/
Kensington Visitors
A group of students from Kensington Secondary School visited Malibu to have a tour of our horticulture program and share a delicious Barbeque lunch. Marc and Anita showed the Kensington students what they grew at Malibu – with plenty of opportunity to taste the produce! Many thanks to the fantastic Transition team who once again were fantastic hosts!! A visit to Hillside Farm is planned soon, with Kensington hosting Malibu!
Contributions and Charges
Thanks, Dee (Registrar)
email communication
email is now a major way of communicating and we are aiming to increase our email communications with families in 2014! If you would like to receive communication and information via email please forward your email address to malibu@education.wa.edu.au. Thanks!!
Annual Student Update Forms
Throughout the year I will be sending home an Annual Student Update Form the information that we gather from this form is so important to help keep our student records up to date. I do only send these forms home on the anniversary date of when you first completed the Student Health Care Form (SHCS) and I do appreciate how busy you all are and I know there are times when parents/carers forget to update telephone numbers, contact details, change of address etc. I just want to make sure that in the event of an emergency the details that we hold for your child are correct and up to date. I thank you in advance for your cooperation with these forms.
Smart Rider Cards
The School provides and pays for all students over the age of 6 years to have their own Smart Rider Card which enables them to use public transport for certain excursions, we ask that you please top the cards with a few dollars as each ride costs 50 cents each way, if the child is 16 yrs old or over and have their own Disability Pension Support Card then their Smart Rider Card can be turned into a Student Concession Smart Rider Card by calling into one of the Transperth Info Offices or Kiosks within certain train stations taking with you the child’s proof of age (which can be found on their Smart Rider Card), their disability pension receipt, Centre Link documents etc for you to complete the application. Once approved the student can then travel Free of charge Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:30 - 3pm. All day Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays. So well worth applying for.
Tax File Number
Any student over the age of 14 can have their own tax file number. This can be used if a student wants to open a bank account, apply to Centrelink for benefits or start a job. I am the the ATO Representative at Malibu and can help arrange this for you. If you apply through the school, providing we have your birth certificate on file than you do not have to have the 100 point check making it much simpler.
Assistance
If there is anything that you need assistance with and you think that I may be able to help then please do not hesitate to contact me Monday - Thursday 8am - 3:30pm. My Email address is Josephine.dent@education.wa.edu.au
Jo Dent. School/Family Liaison Officer
malibu news edition no 6, 2013
dates to remember...
School Council Meeting - 5 November @ 6pm
Graduation Day - 3 December
Christmas Concert - 6 December
Whole School Assembly - 19 Dec @ 9.30am
Principals Opening
Its hard to believe that we are at the end of term three! Classes are as busy as ever and there is lots of laughter and fun being had. The best way to learn is by having fun doing it!
We have had so much building and works going on this term that it has at times felt like a construction site. The new cluster of classrooms is nearly complete and will be ready for students next term. The pool is a shell of its former self with it now just being a big empty hole in the ground. I was at a site meeting this week and evidently we should see a kick start to the works over the next few weeks. We have been told that students will be swimming
day one next year.
Our very flash kitchen donated by Variety WA is nearly complete and we are now sourcing support for a non slip floor and to sand and paint the walls so that it really is a wonderful place to be. At the moment the contrast of the old and new doesn’t really show off just how flash the new kitchen is. Trampolines are proving to be an ongoing problem and we are trying to now source matting for around the edge of them, unfortunately we need to find additional funds for this as well.
Recently there have been discussions and information coming through to schools regarding the way in which school funding is changing in 2015. The transition to the new ‘Student Centred Funding Model’ will occur over 2014 allowing us time to understand the impact and processes. As all schools move towards this new model for the beginning of the 2015 school
year, there will be adjustments to budgets across Education. You can find more information regarding the proposed changes on the Department of Education Website.
Thank you to everyone for the support during the recent industrial action; we appreciate that school disruption can be difficult for families.
When we all return to school after the holidays we will be missing one very wonderful person, Rebecca Morgan is due to have her baby very soon and we cant wait for a cuddle. Good Luck Bec and thank you for your hard work and dedication to the students of Malibu.
After this wet start to spring I hope that the sun shines for the holidays and
everyone has a wonderful break.
Principal Noelene
Abilities Careers Expo
Noelene has been very busy leading a team, coordinating and arranging the Abilities Expo for the past year along with Lisa Duckett, School Officer here at Malibu School. Their hard work has been rewarded with the Expo proving to be an overwhelming success. This is fabulous news for the School and other organizations who promote the work surrounding disabilities and the opportunities available for the future. The following review has been published by the Department of Education and is a fabulous testament to Noelene, the team and everyone who was involved in the event. Well done everyone!
Noelene has been very busy leading a team, coordinating and arranging the Abilities Expo for the past year along with Lisa Duckett, School Officer here at Malibu School. Their hard work has been rewarded with the Expo proving to be an overwhelming success. This is fabulous news for the School and other organizations who promote the work surrounding disabilities and the opportunities available for the future. The following review has been published by the Department of Education and is a fabulous testament to Noelene, the team and everyone who was involved in the event. Well done everyone!
Abilities Careers Expo shows students pathways to the future
23 September 2013
The 10th annual Abilities Careers Expo was held at Crown Burswood last week, with over 600 people visiting the exhibition.
The expo was a cross-sector education and inter-agency initiative which provided students, teachers and families with information about employment, further education, and post-school options available to young people with disability. Keynote speaker Katie O’Donnell, who graduated from Mirrabooka Senior High School in 1999, shared her inspiring story with the audience before taking to the stage with the Variety Youth Choir.
“Through these placements, Connar received many awards for demonstrating excellence in key areas such as attitude, presentation, reliability, initiative, social skills, independent travel and an awareness of safety procedures in the work place,” Paul said. Connar was also a high achiever at school, and had completed a number of certificate courses. “After his graduation in December this year, Connar hopes to complete Information Technology courses at TAFE or through the Cyril Jackson Senior Campus, which will help him gain future employment,” Paul said.
Visitors were encouraged to attend the Careers Stories workshops to listen to past and present students recount their experiences from the workforce. Connar Olsen, a student at Cyril Jackson Senior Campus Education Support Centre, spoke to visitors about the transition from secondary school to the workplace. His principal Paul Jones said Connar completed several workplace learning placements during school, including at the Salvation Army store in Morley, Men of the Trees Nursery in Hazelmere, Foodbank in Welshpool, and Kmart in Mirrabooka.
Malibu School graduate Brandon Mai also shared his story, from work experience with the school gardener, to working at the Bike Dismantle Program in Kwinana. Principal Nolan Mason, who was also the Abilities Careers Expo chair, said Brandon had learnt to trust himself and had gained a sense of purpose since entering the workforce.
“Brandon had many challenges to overcome, but he was able to learnt he resilience needed to go through gaining employment, and was supported in a very individual manner,” she said. Brandon now works part-time at ACTIV Rockingham as part of their Property Care team, and continues to work with his support worker on his literacy and numeracy skills on his days off. Noelene said Brandon took the opportunity to thank the staff at Malibu School when he visited the school in the lead up to the expo. “His genuine appreciation showed just how he had matured and the pride he now has in his achievements,” she said.
“Both Connar and Brandon were extremely proud of themselves after they spoke, as it allowed them to celebrate their success and to show other young people what is possible.”
Noelene said the expo was a resounding success, and that she was looking forward to attending future exhibitions. “It truly was a celebration of abilities and success,” she said. “We know that people feel more informed after leaving the expo - over the years there have been a number of young people who have secured options beyond school as a result of attending. “It is an amazing feeling when you see young people become proud of themselves, as it mirrors how staff feel about their journey.”
Contributions and Charges
Thank you to those families who have paid their C&C’s - we truly appreciate your support. Your C&C’s assist us to fund classroom & teaching resources. We still have quite a few outstanding C&C’s. If you would like to arrange a payment plan than please give me a call and I can arrange this for you. Dee - Registrar
Farewell Sophie Williams!
Farewell Sophie Williams!
This week we farewelled Sophie Williams who has been on her teaching practicum with us for all of term 3 in Primary Room 2. Sophie came to us a quiet and nervous and leaves us full of well earned confidence. Thank you Sophie for the energy and innovation you have placed into your programs, lessons and teaching. Sophie has been carefully guided by our very own Julie McCagh who was only too willing to share her knowledge and help build one of our future teachers. Sophie also expressed her appreciation of the team in room 2 and how much she valued the guidance and support she had received from Education Assistants
Desiree, Karen and Pamela. Families shared Sophie’s journey with the students in a tear and laughter filled morning tea. The tears really flowed (and not just by Sophie) when she farewelled eachstudent individually with a gift. Thank you and Good Luck Sophie!!
Goodluck Rebecca!
The surprise on Rebecca Morgan’s face when the compulsory staff meeting she thought she was attending turned into a roar of SURPRISE as she walked through the staff room door was priceless. I am glad we didn’t send her into labour though, although Paula our Nurse was on hand! Bec will be on leave from the start of term 4 and Fran Morrison will be teaching the wonderful students in Middle 4.We wish Bec and Greg a life time of family happiness and can’t wait to meet and cuddle their little baby boy.
email
email is now a major way of communicating and we are aiming to increase our email communications with families in 2013! If you would like to receive communication and information via email please forward your email address to malibu@education.wa.edu.au.
Malibu Gym
The gym is being utilised each morning for fitness sessions by our super fit students from room 11. The energy coming from these hard working motivated students of Trent, Jordan, Tyson, Adam, Mary, Mitchell, Brodie, Tevin-Lee and Stefan could just about power our school. Fantastic effort room 11 students and staff.
The hard work has continued with Jacob from room 1 coming over for some individual exercises sessions as well. Great work Jacob in working hard to develop your strength. I’d like to once again extend our gratitude to Laurie from Gym Care and Paul McClure for their generosity and ongoing support to the students of Malibu. Gym Care has donated exercise bikes, treadmills and cross trainers as well as offering repairs and ongoing servicing free of charge.
We are also very fortunate to have again received a generous donation of two new pieces of exercise equipment for our school gym from GYM CARE. They have donated a “Lat Pulldown” and a “chest press” and both pieces of new equipment use a new innovative band
tensioning technique that is easy to use for our students. The equipment was delivered and installed last week and it is already being used by our students
The senior students love exercising in the gym during some of their Physical Education lessons and are becoming independent and competent in using the equipment with correct techniques. The gym certainly is very much enjoyed by many students and we again extend our thanks to GYM CARE for their generous ongoing support in allow this to be a wonderful opportunity for the students of Malibu.
