Our School in Focus – No. 22 – 2026

Tomorrow (Friday) evening, the school ute will once again be transformed into a parade float as we take part in the Bilya Street Parade. We welcome all those who would like to walk with us in the parade to meet in Bevis Place at 5:40pm. A reminder that children younger than Year 2 must have an adult with them. We look forward to a fun evening. 

This term’s school community mass is taking place this Saturday evening at 5:30pm in the church. This is a lovely opportunity for our school and parish communities to come together so we hope that families will consider joining us. 

Next week we gear up for the annual Year 4-12 Interhouse Athletics Carnival. There have been several emails sent with information about the day, so please ensure that you are familiar with what is happening. 

• All students from Year 4-12 are expected to attend that day as it is a compulsory school event. Even if your child is not athletic, there are lots of team games and events for them to take part in to earn points for their house. 

• Students are to be dropped off and picked up at the Rec Centre  

• Buses will drop off and collect from the Rec Centre and will not stop at the Secondary campus. 

• Food will be available to purchase on the day – Beef and Gravy rolls, two types of soup, muffins, cookies, juice boxes and water. EFTPOS will be available 

ALL Student absentees tomorrow must have a written absentee note provided to the school: either by absentee form, email or reply to the SMS messages sent out for unexplained absence.  We require the full name of each child absent tomorrow to be part of the absentee notes.

This is an auditing requirement.  Thank you.

Marie Chomiak would like to thank everyone for all their kind well wishes, both personally and through social media, regarding her retirement at the end of last term.  Marie will still be in Northam and very much looks forward to seeing you all around town.

Can someone please tell us where the time is going?  One minute we were settling into the term, and the next we were wondering how so much learning, laughter, and excitement could fit into just a few short weeks! 

A definite highlight was celebrating Marcellin House Day in a sea of blue! Students embraced the spirit of the day with fantastic outfits, delicious blue-themed food stalls, and a wonderful commitment to raising money for those in need. It was heartwarming to see our school community come together in such a joyful and generous way. 

In English, our budding authors have been crafting exciting action narratives, using a range of writing tools and “Magpie Words” to make their stories more engaging and powerful. From daring escapes to edge-of-your-seat adventures, the creativity on display has been truly impressive. We have a feeling there may be a few future bestselling authors in our midst! 

Our Year 5 students have also been hard at work collaborating on a special project for the Northam Show. Together, they have been designing and constructing a diorama that highlights the importance of water as a natural resource. The teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity involved have been outstanding, and we cannot wait to see the finished display. 

Meanwhile, our novel study of ‘The Night They Stormed Eureka’ by Jackie French has students completely hooked. Through the story, they have been exploring life on the Australian goldfields and gaining a deeper understanding of this significant chapter in Australia’s history. The rich discussions and thoughtful connections being made have been fantastic to see. 

Across both classes, students have been showing wonderful determination as they continue working towards improving their Lexile levels and multiplication fluency. Their persistence and commitment to growth have been impressive, and it is exciting to watch their confidence build with each new achievement. 

Looking ahead, excitement is beginning to build for the 2026 Year 4-12 Athletics Carnival. As part of a real-world Mathematics investigation, students are enthusiastically planning a School Sports Day Carnival and applying their knowledge of 12 and 24-hour time. It’s been wonderful to see learning come to life in such a practical and engaging way. 

With so much happening, Year 5 continues to be a place of curiosity, creativity, and challenge. We look forward to sharing even more exciting learning adventures with you as the year continues! 

Little Joeys Stay & Play will return in Term 3.

It is a free playgroup for children aged 0 – 4years, offering fun, music, crafts and stories.  Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to be a current family to attend – we love meeting new faces!

Please click on this link and complete the form.

Students have enjoyed a variety of hands-on learning experiences this semester.

During two visits to the Northam Lawn Bowls Club, students learned the fundamentals of lawn bowls, including placing the jack and delivering the bowls. A special thank you to Helen Price for generously sharing her time and expertise.

A small group of students also visited the Heritage Aviation Museum in Bull Creek, where they explored historic aircraft and aviation displays.

Back at school, students have continued caring for the mealworm farm, observing the fascinating life cycle from mealworm to beetle. They have also been managing the Northam Toy Library, developing valuable skills by using the EFTPOS system and completing stocktakes.

In the school garden, students cared for the summer produce and celebrated a bumper peach harvest by making and enjoying a delicious homemade peach pie.

The Primary Canteen is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Both the school and P&F Facebook pages are updated regularly and I encourage everyone to check both pages for up to date information.