The West #8 2025
- Principal's Preface
- Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
- TA10 Assembly
- Aussie of the Month
- Holiday Reading Challenge Success
- Children's Book Week 2025
- Kindy Farm Incursion
- Silver Success for Gerry
- Student Council Lunch at Parliament House
- Charity Soft Toy Drive
- No Hat, No Play – A Reminder for All Families
- Book Now for VacSwim!
Principal's Preface
The term is racing ahead with a wonderful flurry of activity! There has been something exciting for the students every week so far! In Week 4, our Year 5 students celebrated Science Week at Balcatta Senior High School. The Science Department organised a fantastic range of hands-on activities, giving our students the chance to put their investigative skills into action. Not only did they have a blast, but they also gained a taste of high school life while making use of the excellent lab facilities. This event is one of the many ways we help ease the transition to high school for our students as they look ahead to Year 7. Our partnership with Balcatta SHS continues, with more events planned next term; year 5 and 6 students will take part in the Balcatta SHS Art Competition and selected Year 5 students will represent us in the Academic Challenge, competing against other local schools in a series of tasks and puzzles. We look forward to sharing the results with you.
Last week’s Book Week created an energetic buzz across the school. This year we introduced some new activities that students thoroughly enjoyed. The library was busy each day with students trying to 'guess the book' from clever staff clues, while at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, students donned crazy headwear and shared stories with older buddies over lunch. As always, the week culminated in our much-loved Book Week Assembly, with an incredible range of creative costumes on display. Thank you, parents, for rising to the challenge once again! The atmosphere was electric and our staff even joined in with a special movie version of Where’s the Green Sheep?, which the students loved watching on Friday afternoon.
This Friday, our choir will take to the stage at the Arena as part of the One Big Voice concert. They will proudly debut their brand-new choir shirts, funded by our generous P&C and designed to make them stand out among the thousands of performers. A big thank you goes to our talented music teacher, Mrs Sibosado, for her dedication in preparing the choir over many months. Thank you also to Mrs Salter, Mrs Pegrum, Mrs Tanner and Mrs Grosse, who will be accompanying the choir and supporting the students on the big day. Mrs Chrimes and I look forward to being in the audience, cheering them on. We are so excited to see them shine!
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Caroline Booth
Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
In Week 4, West Balcatta proudly joined schools and organisations across Australia in the Bullying No Way: National Week of Action (11–15 August), standing together to say no to bullying.
The Week of Action gave us the opportunity to show our community’s commitment to bullying prevention and to strengthen connections between students, staff and families. Together, we explored ways to build respectful relationships and create safer learning environments for everyone.
This year’s theme, “Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.”, reminded us that it takes courage and community to prevent bullying—both inside and outside the school gates. Students were encouraged to be brave enough to act, kind enough to care and confident enough to speak up. Trusted adults, at school and at home, also play a vital role in guiding young people to develop empathy, respect diversity, and seek help when needed.
Throughout the week, students took part in meaningful activities and discussions about empathy, understanding differences, and empowering each other to take positive action. We encourage families to continue these conversations at home, talking openly about bullying helps children feel supported and confident.
For more ideas, conversation starters and tips to support your child, visit the Bullying No Way website.
Together, let’s continue to stand up for kindness, inclusion and respect.
TA10 Assembly
TA10 had a fantastic time presenting our assembly all about cultural celebrations from around the world. We shared stories about Orthodox Easter, Chinese New Year and Carnevale through short skits, a lively lion dance and a colourful dance with Carnevale masks. The message was simple but important – whatever your traditions may be, enjoy your celebrations and appreciate the celebrations of others! The students performed with great energy and enthusiasm, and we are so proud of the effort they put into making the assembly both fun and meaningful!
Aussie of the Month
Sophia, TA5
Sophia is a kind-hearted and cheerful student who brings a positive energy to our classroom every day. She consistently puts others before herself, always willing to lend a helping hand to her peers and teachers. Sophia takes pride in caring for our learning environment and models the school’s values in all she does. Her thoughtful nature, happy attitude, and excellent work ethic, make her a wonderful role model for others. We are very proud of Sophia and believe she is a worthy recipient of Aussie of the Month.
Holiday Reading Challenge Success
Congratulations to all of our students who took part in the Holiday Reading Challenge over the last school break! It was fantastic to see so many children keeping up their reading and exploring new books.
A special mention goes to TA3, who had the highest number of participants, with an impressive 83% of the class reading through the holidays.
Our most dedicated readers were: Leila L, Eliza M, Paridhi, Jayden M, Evelyn, Claire J, Sophie L, Ellie R, Ricky, Parthav, Santino, Violet, Lazar, Yvette, Atlas F and Iva. These students’ names went into a draw for a voucher to purchase a new book, and we’re excited to announce that the lucky winner was Paridhi!
Well done to everyone who joined in the challenge and showed that reading is a wonderful adventure to take anywhere, anytime.
Children's Book Week 2025
Last week, our school proudly celebrated the 80th anniversary of Children’s Book Week in Australia. This year’s theme, “Book an Adventure!”, inspired students to explore the wonders of storytelling, imagination and discovery.
Throughout the week, students enjoyed a variety of activities, including shared reading sessions, creative writing tasks and class discussions about favourite stories. On Thursday, buddy classes came together for a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, filling the school with colour, fun and a love of books.
The week also featured our popular Guess the Book and Writing Competitions. Congratulations to all students who entered, and a special well done to our winners. Your creativity and keen eyes for detail shone through!
Our celebrations concluded on Friday, with the much-loved Book Character Dress Up Day and Parade. The creativity of the costumes was outstanding, with students bringing daring adventurers, curious creatures and classic heroes to life.
Book Week was a fantastic opportunity to foster a love of reading and celebrate the joy that books bring to our school community. Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and made it such a memorable event!
My New Gallery
Kindy Farm Incursion
Our Kindergarten students were surprised with a visit from Farmer Mick, his dog Dexter and a whole lot of farm animals on Tuesday and Friday last week.
We watched Henrietta the hen lay an egg before meeting a sheep, horse, goose and some rabbits. We even got to hold chicks and feed milk to the kids (baby goats) and lambs from a bottle. To finish off the session, we enjoyed patting and feeding the rest of the farm animals. It was very exciting and a LOT of fun!
Thank you to the wonderful P&C for funding this incursion. We LOVED it!
Silver Success for Gerry
Congratulations to Year 6 student Gerry, who recently represented Western Australia in the National AFL Championships. In a fiercely competitive tournament, his team won every game except one against Victoria, securing the silver medal. Gerry’s dedication, teamwork and skill on the field were outstanding. Well done, Gerry!
Student Council Lunch at Parliament House
Yesterday, our Student Councillors were given a wonderful opportunity to visit Parliament House after being invited for lunch by David Michael MLA.
The visit began with a guided tour of the building, where students explored the impressive art, history and architecture that make Parliament House such a special place. They were able to sit in the Legislative Council Chamber and even had the thrill of sitting in the Premier’s seat!
After the tour, councillors were treated to a delicious three-course meal in the dining room. During lunch, they enjoyed chatting with Mr Michael about school, sports, pets and much more. Our students also showed their leadership skills by asking some thoughtful (and sometimes tricky!) political questions.
It was a memorable experience for our student leaders, giving them a real insight into how our government works while also strengthening their confidence as representatives of our school
Charity Soft Toy Drive
Join Our Soft Toy Drive to Support Wheelchairs for Kids
In keeping with our School Value of Social & Civic Responsibility, our Student Councillors are proud to launch a Soft Toy Drive to support the amazing work of Wheelchairs for Kids, a Perth-based charity making a world of difference for mobility-impaired children in developing countries.
Since 1996, Wheelchairs for Kids has provided over 64,000 adjustable, rough-terrain wheelchairs to children across 80 countries. These wheelchairs, built to World Health Organisation standards, are lovingly crafted by a dedicated team of retired volunteers.
Each wheelchair gift includes a handmade rug and two special soft toys: one hand-knitted doll and one teddy bear. To keep up with demand, they need around 500 teddy bears every month!
This is a great chance for families to have a clean-up at home, passing on quality toys no longer being used is good for the environment and a wonderful way for our students to learn about social responsibility, charity, and the joy of giving to others.
We are inviting our school community to help fill their shelves by donating teddies and soft toys that meet the following guidelines:
Size: Approximately 15cm to 30cm tall (no large or bulky toys, please)
Condition: New or pre-loved, but clean, soft, and safe — just like a toy you would happily give your own child or grandchild
Safety: No electronics, battery packs, or hard parts
Please do not donate other types of toys, games, or books
Donations will be gratefully accepted only on Friday 12 September, when our Student Councillors will be ready at the school office to receive them. We request that donations are not brought in before or after this date, as we do not have the capacity to store them.
Together, we can bring comfort and joy to children around the world while caring for our planet and living out our commitment to making a positive difference.
No Hat, No Play – A Reminder for All Families
At West Balcatta Primary School, we are committed to keeping our students safe in the sun. As part of our No Hat, No Play policy, all students are required to wear a red school bucket hat when outside during recess, lunch, sport and other outdoor activities.
We’ve noticed an increase in the number of students arriving at school without their hats. While we have a small supply of spare hats for emergencies, these are intended for occasional use only.
Students who are coming to the office to borrow a hat on a regular basis will now be sent home with a reminder slip, encouraging families to purchase a hat. Red school bucket hats are available from Tudor Uniforms, and we recommend clearly labelling hats with your child’s name.
Thank you for your ongoing support in promoting sun safety at our school.
Book Now for VacSwim!
VacSwim enrolments for both October and summer (December/January) holidays are now open! Secure your child's spot for essential school holiday swimming lessons. Book early to avoid missing out, as venues close once at full capacity.
