Dear Parents and Caregivers

Term 4 has begun in typical Frederick Irwin style with our students returning with fantastic good humour, ready for the final flurry of hard work before the end of the year. As always, it was a pleasure to see them all on Tuesday morning and to witness their excitement at seeing one another after the break.

In what has been a difficult year, I shared this quote with staff on their first day back this term: "You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful idea in the world, but it requires people to make the dream reality."  Walt Disney. 

Well, the year has been more about planning and putting innovative structures and strategies in place (often quite rapidly) rather than dreaming, but the ‘people’ of our community certainly rose to the challenge of fast and unexpected change! I thank everyone, staff, students, parents and members of our wider school community for making a significant and positive difference.

Year 12s
The first two weeks of Term 4 always finds us with very mixed emotion. It is an incredibly exciting time for our Year 12s as they come to the end of 14 years of schooling. Yet, it is also a time for sadness and reflection.

For our 2020 Year 12s, this has been a year where they have experienced problems that no other group of Years 12s has encountered. They have risen to the occasion and I commend them for this.

Next week there will be a number of opportunities for students and staff to farewell our Year 12s and to thank them for their contribution to our School. In this forum, I would like to thank them for their wonderful leadership as the seniors in the School over the course of this year and the responsible manner in which they have conducted themselves in all areas.
 
We wish them every success in the coming examination and for the future.

Staff
We welcome two staff members back from leave this term:
Mrs Linda Preston (English) – returning from Long Service Leave; and
Mrs Lowri Wythes (Music Tutor) – returning from Maternity Leave.
 
We also welcome to our School for Term 4:
Mrs Donna Stark-Senteneller (Science)
Mr Sebastian Steed (Primary Music – Halls Head)
Mrs Casey Slaughter (Learning Enrichment – Halls Head)  

Thank you to the following members of staff who did wonderful work in acting roles over Terms 1 – 3:
Mr Israel Carmody – Acting Head of English
Mr Ashley Blake – Acting Assistant Head of Arnold House
 
I wish everyone an enjoyable and productive final term of 2020.

Kind regards

Kerry Robertson
Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome to Term 4. On Tuesday morning, I welcomed students back to the new term. Positive energy was evident as the students greeted their teachers and each other. I am very much looking forward to sharing the term ahead with the children, staff and community.

Term 4 is always a jam-packed term, with many things to achieve before the end of the school year. Next week, we will host the Inter-School Athletics Carnival at Frederick Irwin, and community members will be able to attend under the same conditions as our own Athletics Carnival. Spectators will have a designated viewing area, and access to the student bays will be restricted to staff only. During the term, there will be various events to which we will hopefully continue to be able to welcome the community; however, details relating to these events will follow as the dates draw closer.

Founders’ Day activities, rescheduled from Term 3, will be held on Wednesday 28 October. Families are welcome to join us from noon for lunch. Activities will commence at 12.15pm and go until approximately 2.15pm. We are hoping for fine weather so we can celebrate as a community, our outstanding school.

Thank you to families who have generously filled boxes for the Operation Christmas Child Appeal. There are still many boxes available, so I would like to encourage families to support this initiative. It is a wonderful project that will bring delight to the many children who will receive these gifts. Families can collect a box from Primary Reception and return it by Wednesday 21 October.

Uniform checks will be undertaken next week to ensure that the level of the students’ presentation is up to the standard reflected in the strict Uniform Policy. Hair should be neat and conservative and of natural colour. Fringes should not hang across the eyes or face, and girl’s hair that is not tied up should be at the top of the collar.  Boys’ hair should be kept short and above the top of the collar. Jewellery items need to comply with the guidelines stated in the policy. Students in Kindergarten to Year 4 are expected to wear sports shoes that are predominately white, and school shoes for both boys and girls should be plain, black leather lace-up shoes with black eyelets. Please do not purchase items in the expectation that students will be permitted to wear them if they do meet the policy standards. A note will be sent home in the diary next week should any items need attention. Thank you for your support in maintaining our high standards of presentation.

As the term progresses and Christmas draws nearer, please be aware that edible Christmas treats cannot be distributed at school. As with the guidelines relating to birthdays, your support in not sending treats to school is most appreciated.

Kind regards

Sue Skehan
Head of Primary - Meadow Springs  

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I hope that everyone had some time with loved ones over the break. I certainly enjoyed my time with my family and the chance to visit some new places together. I have welcomed back all of the students this week and have had an opportunity to hear about some exciting holiday adventures. The enthusiasm of our students upon return was lovely to see. It was also lovely to hear that students had set some personal goals for the term and were engaged in their learning on day one. The staff have worked hard in preparation for Term 4 and are looking forward to the experiences that will be provided for our students. Our staff are so dedicated to our students and I truly believe that our school and campus are very special. We value our community and the fact that we are supportive of one another. The term will undoubtedly be busy, but I know that it will be filled with memorable moments.

Student Leaders
Our Student leaders have continued to impress us with their maturity and responsibility. When the House Captains were commissioned we spoke about how they were learning to be leaders, and this development has progressed immensely. I want to recognise our House Captains and Junior Councillors for their work within the School, and the responsibilities they carry out daily. Their leadership in Worship services has been very appreciated and we are very proud of Jack Wade, Delilah Milne, Ella Adams, Rhiannon Moody, Amelia Hartland, Daniel Tearle and Mekenzie Hall and thank them for their efforts.

Staff Recognition
I would like to thank both Mrs Najaah McLaren and Mrs Leisa Dawkins for their teaching of Music and Physical Education and Health in Term 3. Their teaching, organisation and care of our students is greatly appreciated. Both Mrs McLaren and Mrs Dawkins have supported Frederick Irwin in a relief capacity for a number of years and we recognise their professionalism.

Kind Regards

Noah Clark
Head of Primary – Halls Head Campus

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Partnership with Anglicare 
Frederick Irwin Anglican School is to partner with Anglicare WA once again and support those in need across our state. Christmas should be a time of happiness and joyful sharing and Anglicare is appealing to their partner schools to help them support families to help make the festive season a little easier. 

 
One of the things that families often struggle to afford when going through hard times is school equipment. Items such as backpacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, pencils, pens, textas and exercise books are items required for all students attending school and we all know how quickly the cost of these items can add up, and in some cases they become unaffordable. Not to be able to send your child to school with the correct school supplies impacts not only their education but their confidence and dignity. 

Every year, Anglicare WA works with around 10,000 children across the state, and during this Christmas season, Anglicare WA wants to make sure that as many of those children receive the back to school supplies they need, ready for the 2021 school year.
 
Below is a comprehensive list of all school supplies that the school is appealing for. The school will also accept on behalf of Anglicare WA, financial donations and donations of gift cards to purchase the supplies with.

Anglicare has assured us that all donations/supplies will be distributed to families in the Mandurah region. Supplies/donations can be brought in from the start of Week 2.

The collection point will be in large boxes in the stairwell in the Chapel.  We will be running this appeal for 4 weeks until the end of Week 5, 13 November.

Kind Regards

Father Noel Oakey
Chaplain  

Kindergarten 2023 
This term, applications for admission in 2023, particularly for brothers and sisters of existing students, will be considered for enrolment in Kindergarten at Frederick Irwin Anglican School, Meadow Springs and Halls Head.

Parents who wish their son or daughter to be considered for these years in 2023 should, if they have not already done so, submit an application as soon as possible.

If you have any queries please contact Mrs Jackie Smith at the School Office or email registrar@frederickirwin.wa.edu.au.

YEAR 7 2021

Do you have a child born between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009? Applications are still being accepted for limited availability in Year 7 2021.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs Jackie Smith at the School office or email registrar@fias.wa.edu.au

Please see below the Uniform Shop Hours for Term 4 and additional information related to blazers and uniforms for 2021. 

MEADOW SPRINGS CAMPUS

HALLS HEAD CAMPUS

Blazer 2021
Blazers are a compulsory item of the winter uniform for ALL students from Years 7 in 2021. If you have not already booked an appointment please call the uniform shop as soon as possible.

If your current Secondary School child is also in need of a new larger school blazer for 2021, please also call into the Uniform Shop before the 4 December 2020.

Blazers ordered after this date will have to be ordered individually and therefore will not be subject to the lower price afforded by the large order. Also, blazers not ordered by this time may not be ready for Term 2 of 2021, when the blazer is a compulsory uniform item for all Secondary School students.

2021 Year 5 Students
In February 2021, your current Year 4 student will be moving into Year 5 and you may need to purchase additional formal uniforms, as the formal uniform will be worn for the whole week (full 5 days) and students will change at school for timetabled sports. Please call the Uniform Shop as soon as possible.

2021 Year 3 Students
In February 2021, your current Year 2 student will need to purchase the full formal summer uniforms, to be worn for 3 days with 2 full days of sportswear. If you have not already booked an appointment please call the Uniform Shop as soon as possible.    

Term 4 Fee Statements were emailed to families on Friday 9 October 2020 and are due for payment by Friday 23 October 2020. 

Families who have not paid or made payment arrangements with the Business Manager by the due date should be aware that a late penalty of $55.00 (GST included) may be imposed. The School has BPAY facilities and we encourage parents to avail themselves of this.

To assist families to budget for their school fee payments, we also offer weekly, fortnightly, bi-monthly or monthly payment plans.  For further information, please contact Mrs Lesley Hedley, Assistant Business Manager, in the School Office.

We are excited to announce that we have launched our new School Website and Newsletter module. Visit www.frederickirwin.wa.edu.au 

The Website offers a greater visual experience for parents, making it easier to navigate the most clicked-on areas within our site, as well as being able to promote important School Notices and Events.

As this site has only just gone live, please be aware we will continue to make changes and updates to make this as user-friendly as possible.

If you have any queries regarding the new Website or the Newsletter module please contact the Community Relations Office on communityrelations@fias.wa.edu.au 

This year Frederick Irwin is participating in Operation Christmas Child which donates boxes filled with Christmas gifts to underprivileged children, the numbers of which have increased since last year due to the effects of COVID-19.  

If you would like to participate please collect a box from the Primary Reception at Meadow Springs or Halls Head and return your completed boxes by Wednesday 21 October.

Alternatively, families can donate one or two items rather than fill the entire boxes and we will then make up appropriate boxes. 

Congratulations to the Frederick Irwin 8 Under 15 Basketball Team, Division 1 Champions for the Mandurah Basketball Association’s Winter competition. 

The team played brilliantly and worked hard throughout the game, showing great sportsmanship for both halves to take home the trophy.

Congratulations to all team members Pierce Clay, Jack Learmonth, Jack Maclean, Jake Nelson, Ewen Graham, Austin Targett and Bailey Gallop.

The Summer Basketball season starts next week, with the largest number of teams in Frederick Irwin’s basketball history!

On Wednesday 23 September, the Kindergarten and Pre-Primary classes enjoyed some messy fun with Mud Day. International Mud Day is usually celebrated on 29 June and is an incentive for children to get back to nature and have fun. 

At the Halls Head Campus, this is our third celebration of Mud Day and, with the disruptions this year has had, it was wonderful for the children to let loose, have fun and be children. They enjoyed painting with mud, sliding in mud, making mud pies and jumping in muddy puddles. The day brought so many smiles and so much laughter!

Year 9 students participating in the Alternative Programme (options other than Outdoor Education) had a break from their normal timetable to engage in a range of learning, character and team-building activities.

Activities included meditation, team building tasks, problem solving, a virtual reality experience, an artistic jigsaw mural, an exciting Escape Room dramatisation and a trip to Perth Zoo where they had to use public transport to get there and back, including the Perth Ferry.

They were extremely lucky to have picture perfect weather for their zoo trip, which looked like a lot of fun!  

On Friday 18 September, the Frederick Irwin Junior Hockey team finished up their season. They won their final game 3 – 1 against Pinjarra and finished the season in third place with a record of 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 tie. 

Congratulations to Jack Booker who was awarded the spectators' choice for the team. Over the season, all players improved greatly as a result of their dedication to attend training. The quality of play during games was always very high, but also the competitive spirit and sportsmanship that is part of the Frederick Irwin culture.

Thank you to Mr Nagel who volunteered Thursday afternoons to run training and all the parent support during games.

Written by Mr Kevin Watson
Hockey Coordinator

Every week on our secondary courts, Frederick Irwin Anglican School students (Primary and Secondary) have the opportunity to be coached by Lesley Hunt, former world Top 10 player and State and National Tennis Coach.

Levels that are offered are 'Introductory' and 'Advanced Skills' and the students practice skill development, court position and game play. 

Sessions are run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

If your child is interested in joining the tennis programme, please email Mr Peter Skeggs (Head of Health and Physicall Education) on peter.skeggs@fias.wa.edu.au or call Lesley on 0438 294 202. 

On Friday 4 September, the school held the Certificate III Live Music Concert. For this, the Year 12 Certificate III Music students, along with some Year 11s and vocal students, put in months of work, planning and rehearsing music to put on a show for the Frederick Irwin community. 

There was a huge variety of music ranging from head-banging Pop and Rock, to gently and relaxing Blues. There were duos, trios and bands filling the afternoon with music. Although the concert had to be moved into the gym due to weather issues, we still managed to fill the space with camping chairs, people, and quality songs. 

It was a great way to end the week and hopefully there will be more concerts like this in the years to come.

Written by Bailey Sieracki
Performing Arts Prefect

There are a limited number of spaces available for the Frederick Irwin after-school golf programme. 

The programme is held on a Monday afternoon from 3.45pm - 5.00pm at Mandurah Country Club in Halls Head. The program caters for both Primary and Secondary students and a wide range of skill levels. 

The program begins in Week 3 and runs for seven weeks. For more information and to register for the programme, please contact Daniel Harrop on daniel.harrop@fias.wa.edu.au or 9537 0000.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is available to all 14 - 24 year olds with students of Frederick Irwin able to participate through the School.

The Award is comprised of three levels with each progressively more challenging – Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Participants are required to complete four sections at each level: Voluntary Service, Skill, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey. Gold level participants also complete a Gold Residential Project.

For more information and to register through the School, please contact Daniel Harrop on danielharrop@fias.wa.edu.au or 9537 0000. Further information can also be found on their website https://dukeofed.com.au/
 

Congratulations to Hamish Gardener (Year 6) who had his poem published in the September issue of the ozEEnews to celebrate SeaWeek Australia. 

Congratulations once again to Nash Ferraro who has won the 2020 Western Australia Cadet 12 State Karting Championship in Geraldton at the Mid-West Kart Club. 

Back-to-back State Championship Titles in Cadets is almost impossible. As Nash was only 11 when he won the title in 2019, he had the opportunity to break the trend. It does not look like a Cadet 12 title has been won back-to-back in Western Australia in over 20 years.  View the video below as Nash takes the title, what an amazing result!  

Congratulations to Acacia Hosking, Class of 2006 for her appointment as a Supreme Court of Western Australia registrar. 

This is an amazing honour and the School is very proud of her.  Acacia's former teacher, Mr Stephen King, highlighted the fact she was the Highest Achieving Student in Politics and Law during her time at the School and he is extremely proud of her achievements. 

Congratulations to Morghan Sattler who was selected as one of 20 students statewide to participate in the DFES Senior Cadet Leadership Camp to Karajini in the holidays.

The students spent two days in the gorges, climbed Mt Bruce and Mt Nameless, and completed emergency training culminating in an emergency scenario at Tom Price SHS as well as other activities during the week long camp.

See below information on Community events and information.