Durham Road School eNewsletter

Principal

Hello Parents and Carers,

Term 3 has been very busy for our students and staff with Science Week, Book Week, NAIDOC Day celebrations, Faction Sports Carnival and the Father’s Day celebrations. We finished the term with visits to hydrotherapy and swimming classes. It has been great to see parents and carers visiting the pool to observe their children in the water . This week the upper secondary students were able to dress up in all their finery to attend the Combined Schools Ball. Many thanks to all our wonderful staff for their efforts on all these occasions.

At the recent Western Australian Education Support Principals and Administrators’ Association Awards Night, after receiving eleven nominations, four Durham Road School staff members were nominated for their excellent contribution to the education of our students. Congratulations to Michael Black, Jen Chan, Sarah Pfaff and Jacqueline Dales.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Kellie Stubley, one of our education assistants. Kellie retired this month. She had worked at Durham Road School for 14 years both in the classroom, and also behind the scenes in the role of Therapy Coordinator. Kellie played a key role liaising between therapists, parents and the school for all our students. We wish her all the very best for the future.

I hope you all have a lovely break and we look forward to seeing your all Monday 9^th October.

Kind Regards,
Linda Lane
Principal

Early Years News

Hello Parents and Carers,

A very warm welcome to our new families to Durham Road. Our third term has been a busy and exciting term with incursions, excursions, assemblies and carnivals. Families should have recently received Semester 2 Individual Education Plans (IEPs), please contact the front office if have not receive a final copy of the IEP by the end of this term.

On Friday 1st September we held the Father’s Day Breakfast. This event was well attended and it was great to meet so many dad’s, grandad’s and male role models that play such an important role. If you had your photo taken and have not received a copy please contact the front office.

We would like to say a thank-you to Perth Coffee Express for their wonderful coffee at the Faction Sports Carnival and World Education Assistants Day which we acknowledged on Friday 1^st September.

On Thursday 24^th August we hosted the Early Years faction carnival. The day was a raging success, thoroughly enjoyed by students, staff and families. It was terrific that everyone participated so well, supported each other and displayed sportsman like behaviour.

On Thursday 14^th September 20 staff represented Durham Road School at the annual WAESPPA Conference Recognition and Awards Dinner. The school received eleven nominations for WAESPPA Recognition Awards and the night was a wonderful way for staff to celebrate our amazing work Congratulations to Courtney Smith, and Jen Chan who were peer nominated to receive a WAESPPA Recognition Award last week for their contribution to education.

On that note I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of all our amazing staff who go above and beyond to, supporting students learning.

We wish everyone a safe and happy third term break.

Kind Regards,
Ellen McAllister
Associate Principal

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

This term has flown by! The primary phase has participated in so many special events this term, the students have had a lot of fun while still working towards their learning goals.

Book Week and NAIDOC day were hits!

Some of our Primary students participated in the Starkick Carnival on 15^th September- this involved our students playing AFL games against other teams, and we won! More about the carnival is featured in this newsletter. A special thank you to Cameron Glass (Teacher in Room 20) for organising and implementing practice sessions and for his organisation of the day.

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) would have been sent home. If you could please read and review your child’s IEP, sign it and send it back to school, that would be appreciated.

The holidays are approaching, I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable break. Please stay safe and we will see everyone back at school for Term 4.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,
Simon Hume
Deputy Principal

Satellite News

Kaya,

The Satellite phase has had a very exciting and productive Term 3 and I would like to congratulate the staff and parents for all their support this term. Here’s what we achieved this term:

Thank you to all the parents that came to the open evening. It was a great chance to catch up with parents and for teachers to show case all your child’s hard work he/she has been completing throughout the year.

Book Week was a blast the students and staff had lots of fun dressing up as their favourite book characters for the day and participating the book parade, quizzes, and other fun activities.

In Week 7 we had a very successful athletics carnival combined with the Embleton mainstream, it was great to our boys and girls giving it their best and cheering on their friends and teammates. Congratulations to those students who took home a ribbon.

Finally, we wrap up our ten-week course from the WA Ballet Company, who have been teaching the students from Sat 3 & 4 the basics of ballet. The students have absolutely loved the experience and we look forward to being able to attend the production of the Nutcracker in Term 4.

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday the 9^th of October for the commencement of Term 4.

Kind regards,
Chris Ralph
Programme Coordinator

News from the Heights,

What a term! We have managed to jam in everything from Book Week to Sports Carnivals, not to mention Football Carnivals playing against Lisa Rogers (Director General of the Department of Education) Father’s Day breakfasts, Science Week, NAIDOC Day, and we are just touching the surface. It seemed every week the students had something fun to do as part of working towards their educational goals.

Every class and program have been doing amazing work. But I must give a special mention to Christine and Room 24 for their fantastic work on World War 1. The assembly item showcased the amazing amount of research and knowledge gained by the students. As an old history teacher, I loved it and enjoyed watching the students’ learning journey. Along with Room 24, Room 31 showcased the amazing work experience program we have at Durham. The progress our students make throughout their placements, both external and at the Enterprise and Training Centre, is phenomenal and a credit to all who are involved.

On Thursday the 21^st of September is the Education Support School Ball. This is a biannual event where students from a range of education support schools and centres get together for a massive evening of photos, food, fun and dancing. I am sure that all our students will not only look the part but do Durham Road School proud.

The holidays are approaching, I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable break. Unfortunately for me, I will be having surgery early in Term 4 so Justine Loggenberg and Chris Ralph will be taking over my role. Both are looking forward to the challenges and I know that the term will run smoothly

Until next time.

Kind regards,
Heath Bradley
Deputy Principal

Communication Intensive Group

Kaya,

Our students have certainly had an eventful term and one that saw full engagement in Book Week, with the theme of Read, Grow, Inspire. I am sure classes have shared pictures with you. We also had NAIDOC Day, where students were emersed in Aboriginal culture with contemporary dance from Trinity College and The Didge Boys and whole school activities. What a wonderful day and my thanks go out to all staff and students who helped make this day a success.

Room 23 have been learning about day and night. I happened to visit the classroom at just the right time to see Julia Dixon teach the most interactive and sensory based approach to this topic. As part of their learning about the time-of-day changes, students have been experiencing, exploring the characteristics of day and night. They have been learning to identify what activities or events occur during these times.

In the lesson, students had previously placed a tactile furry DOTT on the globe for Australia. All the curtains were closed, and lights turned off. A lamp with a yellow cloth over it was turned on to mimic the sun. The globe was luminated by the ‘sun’. It was turned very slowly to show how the sun lights part of the earth. This was a whole class session. Each student got to choose activities of day and night and place them on their ‘night’ and ‘day’ boards. To finish, every student got to go in the dark room and have a 1:1 tactile/sensory experience of the globe and the light. Every student was captivated. It is a privilege to have such gifted educators in our school, who shine! I hope you enjoy the photographs.

We have our week 10 daylight disco to end the term with a boogie and dance, as well as Room 22’s class assembly. I am looking forward to sharing the pictures with you.

From me, thank you to all staff and parents for making this term such as success for our students.

Kind Regards,
Sharon Peach (nee Rollinson)
Communication Intensive Program Coordinator

Book Week 2023

Read – Grow – Inspire

We’ve had a wonderful time celebrating the Children’s Book Council of Australia 2023 Book Week in our Library and around the school.

On Monday the 21^st of August, the whole school participated in a dress up day coming as their favourite book characters, on the same afternoon we were lucky enough to have Peter Cheong a West Australian illustrator/author visit a few of the senior classes. During his visit he read two of his upcoming books as well as took the students through several drawing exercises. We all had an amazing afternoon.

During the rest of the week, students, when they came for their sessions in the library got the chance to pose in special hats in front of the library displays or show the books they have chosen for the week.

I’ve included lots of happy photos to show what a wonderful time we had.

Sian Williams
Durham Road School Library

NAIDOC Day

Kaya,

In week 7, we were proud to host our 2023 NAIDOC Week - For Our Elders. We discussed with student what “For Our Elders” meant. They learnt that being an Elder did not mean someone was old. Younger people could be chosen by their community to become an Elder. We talked about how our Elders are important in our communities, like schools and families. Specifically, that our Elders are our loved ones who look after us when we are sad and celebrate with us when we are happy. They also cook us a feed to make us feel safe and help us make the right choices.

NAIDOC Day was about saying thank you to our Elders and sharing culture.

We had the privilege of hosting Trinity College and The Didge Boys. The original choreography created and performed by the students, produced outstanding productions that fused Aboriginal culture with contemporary dance. It was, as always, a privilege to share NAIDOC day with them.

All students were then invited to take part in our NAIDOC activities: a bird outline with feathers, weaving looms big and small, animal yoga with Capri, badge making, face painting, story corner, clay echidna making, and chalk drawing. A huge THANK YOU to all staff and Room 31 students who helped make the day so special.

Early Years Learning Centre

Early Years Learning Centre had a fantastic time at the Sports Carnival! Students participated in a cape running race, bean bag toss, push toy relay and egg and spoon race. Congratulations to all our students who tried their best and supported their peers in the various events. Thank-you to family and friends for coming and watching. It was a great day.

This term in science, we are learning that living things have life cycles. We have learned that plants begin as seeds, then grown into sprouts and then eventually, overtime, with water and sun, can grow into flowers.

We have also looked at the three states of matter: liquids, solids and gases. We learned that liquids fill the container they are poured into, and solids will keep the shape regardless of the container that holds it. We poured orange juice into a container, water into a container and chocolate milk in a container. We then put them into the freezer to see what happened to them. At the end of the day the liquids froze and became solids. We ate delicious orange juice, chocolate milk and ice icy pops. Science can be fun (and delicious!)

Room 20

Room 20 have had a fantastic Term 3. In Science, we have been learning about volcanos! We have made our own volcano out of papier-mache which will be erupting in Week 10. We have learned that they are very important for the Earth’s climate, and they can also be very dangerous. But most of all, we learned that science can be lots of fun!

In Week 7, we had NAIDOC day celebrations. We enjoyed participating in activities like face painting, didgeridoo playing, and weaving. All the students were super engaged and learned lots about what NAIDOC means and represents.

Room 21 have had a very busy Term 3!

We have taken part in many whole school events; the Sports carnival, Science Week and NAIDOC Day Celebrations, just to name a few. We have continued working on our IEP Goals, ASDAN portfolios, and mastering the routine of the classroom.

See you in Term 4!

This term our students in Room 23 have been working hard. We have had excellent Shared Reading sessions daily and been focusing on numbers in the mathematics area of learning. Our room have been practicing for an assembly for next term and have chosen a theme and music.

We have all been enjoying the warmer weather, especially in the playground. This term we have participated in several events at school, Book Week, Science week, NAIDOC day, the school Sports Carnival, Father’s Day breakfast and a Daylight Disco. Several of our students have also been preparing for the Secondary School Ball at the Hyatt which should be fun!

Room 24 have had another busy term! We have been on lots of excursions learning how to use public transport. Our students have particularly enjoyed having their own SmartRiders to tag on and off with. We have gone to Perth City Library, Kings Park, Belmont War Memorial and ANZAC House. We have been visiting War Memorial sites and learning about how, specifically, WW1 is commemorated. We also enjoyed NAIDOC Day and the Sports Carnival. Term 3 has been very busy but very exciting. The staff wish everyone a safe and happy holidays before the last term of 2023 commences.

Here in Room 27, we have been working super hard, with a big focus on our ASDAN. We have kept fit and healthy by learning about new sports and how to enjoy a healthy nutritious diet. Not only that - but our personal hygiene routines are also looking squeaky clean, we cannot wait to show our loved ones our portfolios.

Our senior sports carnival was an absolute blast, with tug-of-war, parents v students race and the flag races, it was safe to say we were due for a nap after that day

Room 28

Room 28 had a great day at the Sport’s Carnival. We ran several races and scored lots of points for our factions. We trained in the secondary gym to prepare for this carnival. It was a lot of fun.

What a term it’s been for Room 29! They’ve been kept busy with ASDAN, the Sports Carnival and NAIDOC day. The students are certainly looking forward to a well-deserved holiday, as are the staff. Here we can see Room 29 making the most of the springtime sun whilst riding their bikes. Jack is also showing his green thumb by helping Jen with the gardening

Satellite 3

In Satellite 3, we have had a great Term 3. We participated in the Book Week celebrations with Embleton Primary School. The students dressed up as their favourite book characters and participated in the Book Week parade.

The students have been attending weekly ballet lessons on Wednesdays. It has been wonderful to observe their enjoyment in learning the dance routine to the song by Tones and I.

The students participated in the Sports Carnival on the 1^st of September. We were all very proud of the students for demonstrating exemplary sportsmanship and team spirit. I wish all the students a relaxing and safe school break and we look forward to seeing them back in Term 4.

Our class participated in an incursion by planting native plants and trees. They also had a hand- on experience handling a range of animals found in the environment. They learnt about the benefits of having some of these animals in our gardens.

Satellite 4 had a fantastic time dressing up for Book Week. Everyone had great fun on the day during the parade. The students loved participating in all the Book Week activities

Art

Kaya Wanjoo,

Once again, I applaud the work that the students complete during their art sessions. They continue to work through four rotations that are inclusive of multi-media disciplines. The students have been working through ocean themed ceramics, painting, drawing, printing and sculpture. We have begun the process of framing and finishing off works that will be displayed at the annual art exhibition on Thursday, 30^th November. As always, a huge thank you to the staff who work hard with our students down in the Enterprise centre during Art.

It was great to see how much of the student works sold at another successful Father’s Day stall. Our students work hard throughout the year and sometimes it’s even hard to keep up with demand, as their products are popular items. Thank you to all who helped make this day another huge success.

I hope everyone has a safe holiday with many memories made.

Kind Regards,
Karli Dore
Art Teacher

We have been enjoying our warm pool over the winter. Our hydrotherapy students have been working on their stretching, sitting, standing, and swishing in the water. We have the addition of 2 fabulous air conditioners in our changerooms to make sure the students are kept cozy and warm throughout their swimming. The early years students have been building their confidence in the pool by jumping, kicking, pushing, and submerging during swimming lessons. On Tuesdays our senior students enjoy their fitness session with a little bit of free play as well.

Workplace learning

Some of our students opt not to work full time or indeed look at “alternatives to employment” (ATE) options. The funding required for ATE comes from NDIS and parents need to assess the categories they can apply for to facilitate these choices. Families may also choose to start microenterprises with their children, another activity that can be funded by NDIS.

Over the last few years, the supported work environments that predominately employ students with disabilities have had changes to their funding. This change has significantly impacted the number of workplaces available.

Currently for students to receive either work trials or employment, students must have sufficient funding in their NDIS package for this opportunity. Unfortunately, even the best workers cannot be employed without NDIS funding. As some NDIS plans now last for three years, advanced planning is vital.

Parents and carers expecting their teenagers to gain employment as adults need to request NDIS funding from Year 10 onwards. The funding would be for work trials, employment, transport to and from work, training on work skills such as time management or life skills such as preparing their uniform for work.

As NDIS funding is a complex matter Durham Road School are planning an NDIS information session for families of students in year 7 and above at the school in early 2024.

To help us more effectively plan and target the session we ask that you please follow this link to complete the survey regarding times of day that will best suit you for such a session.

Click here to complete the survey

First Aid Corner

With hopefully warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to get sun, and insect smart!

Please ensure your child has a hat they can wear at recess and lunch time for outside play. Also apply sun cream prior to school and we can reapply as needed throughout the day. Please also ensure you send a water bottle to school so we can keep students well hydrated during the day.

If your child is prone to insect bites such as mosquitos, please apply an insect/mosquito repellent prior to school. We do have Soove and Stingos at school that can be applied to any troublesome bites.

Your First Aid Officer
Sarah Pfaff

Family Liaison Officers

I hope that all the dads enjoyed their Father’s Day on Sunday the 3^rd of September. A big thank-you to all the dads who attended our annual Father’s Day BBQ Breakfast at Durham Road School. It was a HUGE success.

All dads and their child enjoyed the bacon and egg burger, a coffee for the dads and a fruit box for the students.

Lots of noise and a lot of very proud students, excitedly introducing their dad to staff and showing off their school.

It was a joy to hear dad’s chatting with dads about their children and sharing experiences

Eligible students can access transport assistance to and from school through the Public Transport.

School Bus Services are used to transport students attending education support facilities like Durham Road School to provide a door-to-door service, have a bus aide to assist students and a mobile phone for communicating with parents/carers.

To apply for 2024 please follow this link:

Click here to view more information