Faction Cross Country Carnival

It was wonderful to see such high levels of student participation and family support at our recent Faction Cross Country Carnival. The atmosphere on the day was a shining example of our school spirit, with students demonstrating determination, encouragement, and enthusiasm, showing our Flinders Park values of Respect, Kindness, and Responsibility.

A major highlight was the outstanding number of Personal Bests (PBs) achieved. At our recent assembly, Mrs Menegola proudly announced that 150 students improved on their previous performances. A truly remarkable achievement and a celebration of personal growth!

Unlike many schools that focus solely on championship medals, Flinders Park has proudly taken a different approach, one that values every student's effort and improvement. Over the years, Mrs Menegola has developed a detailed and meaningful system to acknowledge achievement in swimming, athletics, and cross country.

Key features include:

• PB tracking for every student from Years 1 to 6
• Zippy Sheets to record individual Cross Country achievements
• Awards based on effort and improvement, not just elite results
• School Record Books, maintained since the school opened, which list the best results each year
• A goal-setting Cross Country award system to inspire perseverance

Achievements are proudly displayed in Block 3 and throughout the school, highlighting inclusive programs like break-time competitions and skipping challenges. This ensures that students of all abilities feel recognised and encouraged.

Over the years, we’ve intentionally moved away from medal-only recognition due to challenges such as result discrepancies, added pressure, and unfair comparisons. Our inclusive approach is built to support fairness, wellbeing, and a love of participation for all students.

We are proud that other schools have visited Flinders Park to learn from our innovative and individualised PE program. The level of tracking and feedback we provide is unmatched in our region, and it speaks volumes about the passion and professionalism driving this work.

We continue to value community conversations around student recognition. Future reviews will ensure that all students continue to experience success in inclusive, meaningful ways.

Thank you to all families who attended and supported the carnival, your involvement enriches our vibrant school community.

Constable Care Incursion – Tuesday 17 June

We’re excited to welcome the Constable Care team to Flinders Park as part of their regional tour. On Tuesday 17 June, all students from Pre-primary to Year 6 will participate in engaging 45-minute sessions focused on:

• Protective behaviours
• Cyber safety and respectful online communication
• Bullying prevention
• Healthy friendships and emotional wellbeing

These sessions support our commitment to student wellbeing and provide valuable strategies for staying safe and building respectful relationships, both in person and online.

Promoting Respectful School Language

We have recently noticed an increase in the use of inappropriate language by some students at school. At Flinders Park, we have high expectations around respectful behaviour, and using appropriate language is a key part of this. Respect is one of our core school values, and we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for all.

Using strategies from the Berry Street Education Model, we are working explicitly with students to build their understanding of our school expectations and to support them in regulating their behaviour and language. These strategies focus on relationships, emotional literacy, and consistent routines—helping students make positive choices.

We also encourage families to have conversations at home about the importance of code-switching, understanding when and where certain language is appropriate. This is a valuable life skill. Thank you for your continued support in reinforcing these shared expectations.

Have Your Say – School Culture Survey

As we begin shaping our new Business Plan for 2026–2028, your input matters more than ever.

We invite all families to complete the Community section of our School Culture Survey. Your feedback from 2023 guided key improvements in:

• Student behaviour support
• Family engagement and communication
• Ensuring parent voices are valued

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-RaA4P3Ru0yDsLdutDYWJy_nHZTTSxdHnwYW-miAFW5UQjBWNTJYNllYUTRBMlhNUkdXNFVIT1dBTy4u

QR codes are available in your child’s classroom to make access quick and easy. Staff will also be encouraging parents and caregivers to complete the survey when visiting classrooms or attending school events and will be open until Friday 27 June.

As part of our whole-school assessment schedule, the School Culture Survey will now run every two years, helping us monitor progress and ensure we continue to provide high-quality care, learning, and support for every student and family.

This year’s feedback will help us reflect on our progress so far, and guide the next steps forward. It’s one of the many ways we ensure every family feels heard, supported, and part of our school’s future.

We wish all our students the very best as they proudly represent Flinders Park in the upcoming Interschool Cross Country event and in the mass choir performance of the Kinjarling song at the AEC. Both events are happening on Friday and we know you will represent our school with pride and enthusiasm.

Warm regards,

Kylee Weadley
Principal
Flinders Park Primary School

 
We thank you for your ongoing support—your feedback is valued and genuinely acted upon.

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The Annual Cross Country Carnival was held last Friday, bringing together students, staff, and enthusiastic spectators for a day of spirited competition. With cheers ringing across the course, runners gave their all, showcasing endurance, perseverance, and teamwork.

Unlike traditional scoring systems, this event rewards the faction with the lowest overall score, making every placement count. After a hard-fought race, Yatana emerged victorious with a score of 950, followed closely by Kalgan at 967. Millbrook and Nanarup put in strong performances, finishing with scores of 1003 and 1050, respectively.

One of the standout achievements of the day was the remarkable number of personal bests recorded—150 PBs were set, demonstrating the dedication and progress of our students. Additionally, several talented athletes broke records during training and at the event, raising the bar for future competitors:

• Xzavier (6B) equaled the short track record and set a new long track record
• Abbey (8G) broke the short track record
• Logan (10B) set a new long track record
• Elexis and Viola (11G) broke the long track record
• Rose (12G) set a new long track record
• Olivia (12G) broke the short track record

Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding efforts, and a big thank you to everyone who came out to support and celebrate the achievements of our runners.

Ms Menegola

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Bike education at our school is in full swing, with Year 4 students gaining valuable riding skills and confidence through a well-structured program. Thanks to the support of the Your Move team, the initiative has been successfully organized, with Mr. Fielding leading the sessions as the teacher in charge.

Running every Monday for four weeks, the program provides each student with a total of two hours of bike education. Throughout the sessions, students learn important safety principles, basic bike maintenance, and essential riding techniques. Small obstacle courses help them build confidence on the bike, ensuring they become more comfortable and capable riders.

A standout feature of the program is our very own bike library, made possible through generous bike donations. This allows all students to participate, regardless of whether they own a bike themselves.

Bike education was proudly acknowledged at our last assembly, highlighting its role in fostering active transport and road safety awareness. With so many students benefiting from the initiative, it’s fantastic to see them gaining independence and essential cycling skills that will serve them well beyond the school gates.

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On Wednesday, our Year 6 students had a unique opportunity to connect with six West Coast Eagles players during a live Zoom session. The students had 20 minutes to engage with the players, asking them insightful questions about their careers, experiences, and challenges on the field.

Jeremy, Zach, and Brady—three dedicated defense players—answered a range of questions from the students. They shared their thoughts on doubts during games, revealing that even professional athletes occasionally question their performance. When asked about injuries, they recounted experiences with concussions and broken bones, highlighting the physical demands of the sport.

One of the most entertaining moments came when students asked, "Who is the best Eagles player?" In good fun, the players each pointed to themselves, showing their competitive spirit and confidence. They also spoke about the toughest weather conditions they’ve played in, recalling the challenges of competing in the snow.

When asked about their best games, the players reflected on unforgettable victories, including a win at the MCG and the pride of playing their milestone 50th game.

The session was a fantastic experience for our students, offering them a glimpse into the world of professional football. The players’ honesty, humor, and enthusiasm made the conversation both enjoyable and inspiring.

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At our school, we understand that regular attendance is a key part of every child’s success and wellbeing. Occasionally, a student’s attendance may drop below 80% for a variety of reasons.

When this happens, it’s important that we work together—school and family—to help get things back on track. To support this, we are continuing to participate in the Pastoral Care Engagement Officer (PCEO) Program, delivered by YouthCARE in partnership with Telethon. This program is aimed at helping students and families improve school attendance and overall engagement.

We’re pleased to welcome Mitch Williams, a highly experienced school chaplain, to work with us in this role. Mitch brings a wealth of knowledge from his many years working in schools, and he is especially focused on supporting primary school families. As part of the program, Mitch will be spending time getting to know students and identifying any challenges they may be facing.He can also contact parents and caregivers directly to explain the program, gain consent for participation, and explore practical ways the school can provide support.

We’re excited to offer this additional support for our students and families, and we look forward to working together to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive at school.

If you think this support could assist your child, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Mr Fielding

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Next term our school will be implementing a new student management system, Compass.  All schools in WA are part of this new and exciting shift – some of you may already be familiar with Compass as parents of students in high school.

In this first phase, we will be using two systems concurrently.  Much of what we already do will remain the same initially – collecting and storing student details, enrolments, student reporting and payments will be the same.
The new system Go Live date is Tuesday 22 July.

What’s changing?

Student attendance will be managed via the new system Compass.  You can expect the following changes:

• Outreach (our current absence SMS system) will be closed as at 22 July
• Notices about Unexplained Absences will be sent from Compass as at 22 July
• The way in which you reply to the absence messages will be different – you will be directed to Compass or to telephone the school

Over Term 3 our communication with families will start to evolve.  You can expect the following:

• Connect will continue to be our main communication method for Term 3
• As we all become more familiar with Compass, we will also send communication through Compass (ie. you will receive some messages on Connect and Compass)
• Attendance follow up letters may look different – and you may receive them electronically rather than through the mail

Future possibilities

The next phase, when it is scheduled, will enhance processes even further because Compass will include financial management, excursion management and student billing.  We will keep you up to date on changes as we move forward. 

 What do you need to do now?

Our systems are going to be strengthened by having you all joining us on Compass.

1. Please ensure you can log in to Connect – reports will still be issued this way, and our communication about changes to the system will be sent via Connect
2. Look out for notices about Compass – we will be reminding you about changes, and we will be sending parents an invitation to log in to Compass
3. Contact our school office with any queries – we are here to help!  Please call or email if you have a question or need help with Connect or Compass
4. Please be patient – we are all using a new system, and keeping another system running concurrently, so it is reasonable to expect some teething issues/errors.  We ask for your understanding as our school staff learn and implement Compass over Term 3.

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Last week the children in Room 2.2 were lucky enough to have Carol from Bunnings come and visit. The children are currently learning about farms and fresh produce.

Bunnings Albany kindly donated terracotta pots and seedlings for the children to plant. First the children gathered around to paint their pots using paint sticks. They all enjoyed decorating their pots using vibrant colours, each one turning out as individual as the child. Next the children added soil to their pot and chose a seedling. Carol brought along lots to choose from including, spinach, cauliflower, silver beet, chives, boy choy and more. After planting their seedlings, they set about watering them and placing them in a sunny spot to watch them thrive.

Massive thanks to Bunnings for the generous donations. Feel free to come past Room 2.2 to see how our garden grows!

Ms Roggio

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On June 5, students from Years 2, 3, and 4 were treated to an exciting and educational visit from the Albany Fire Brigade. The incursion was packed with hands-on activities designed to teach vital fire safety skills in a fun and memorable way.

Students had the opportunity to crawl under a simulated “smoke” cloud, operate real water hoses, and climb aboard the fire trucks to explore the equipment up close. These interactive experiences not only sparked curiosity but also reinforced important safety messages.

Back in the classroom, students reflected on their adventure by learning how to write summary sentences, helping them consolidate their understanding and share what they had learned.

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Dear Flinders Park Community,

Recently our school hosted a Scholastic Book Fair from Monday 26

May to Friday 30 May 2025. 

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big 'thank you' to all parents/carers and students for supporting this fundraiser.

We sold $3,559.09 worth of Scholastic products which will provide $952.00 of valuable commission towards new learning resources for our school.

Thank you for your kind generosity!

Mrs Mclean
School Library Officer

 

 

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We are thrilled to introduce our new story dog, Archie, and his wonderful owner, Wendy, to our school community! Archie, a friendly and gentle canine, is here to bring joy and inspire a love for reading through our Story Dog program. Wendy, Archie's dedicated handler, is excited to share their passion for storytelling with our students.

Join us in giving a warm welcome to Archie and Wendy as they begin this exciting journey with us. Stay tuned for more updates on their visits and how your child can participate in this pawsome reading adventure!

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At the conclusion of Semester 1, Flinders Park Primary School will release student reports to parents and carers. These reports will be published on Wednesday, 2 Jule 2025, and will be accessible through our Connect platform.

To support families in accessing the reports, we have provided a Step-by-Step Guide for Parents, which outlines how to navigate Connect and locate your child’s report. Please access the guide here Parents Guide - Reports On Connect

Student reports can be viewed either through the Connect website or via the Connect App.

We encourage all parents and carers to review the guide to ensure a smooth and timely access to their child’s academic progress.

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Secondary school enrolments are now open for next year until 24 July. If your child starts Year 7 next year, now is the time to apply to enrol. Please be aware enrolment into secondary school is not automatic. It requires you to submit an application with the secondary school of your choice.

ASHS and NASHS will be visiting our school over the next few weeks talking to our year 6 students about transitioning for year 7.

If you would like your child to attend a different High School please approach the school of your school of choice to get the enrolment process started. 

You can find more information on the Department of Education website Enrol at a public school - Department of Education

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At Flinders Park Primary School we respectfully acknowledge the Noongar people as the traditional Custodians of the land we live, learn and play on.

We embrace the Noongar community and their continuing connection to Country, water and sky and pay our respects to Elders past and present. As a school we are committed to fostering respectful relationships with the First Nations Peoples and welcome their guidance and support.

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Flinders Park Primary School

51 Yatana Rd

Bayonet Head WA 6330

(08) 9892 5200

FlindersPark.PS@education.wa.edu.au

Absentees SMS 0438 900 275 or submit via Connect

Facebook Flinders Park Primary School Albany | Facebook

Visit us on the web at www.flindersparkps.wa.edu.au

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