“INSPIRE, EDUCATE, SUCCEED”

A warm welcome back to all our parents, carers and students for 2014, a year that promises to be very exciting and challenging. We trust all our students had an enjoyable and restful holiday. We know they are all looking forward to the school year, renewing friendships and renewing their thirst for learning.  This was borne out with the visits to classrooms today to meet and greet students.

We are delighted to welcome to Castletown new staff members for 2014.

• Ms Ellen Weston is our exchange teacher fromEnglandteaching Pre- Primary.
• Mrs Margaret Churchlands joins us as a 0.2 FTE Associate Principal and 0.8 FTE teacher in the year 4/5 class in tandem with Mr Russell Palmer.
• Ms Jessica Happe`, who taught atEsperanceSenior High Schoolin 2013, is with us teaching year 4.
• Mr Cliff Willumsen and Mrs Carolyn McCallum, well known relief teachers, have each joined us for 0.6 FTE positions.
• Mrs Jan Archer (0.2 FTE) as a Pre Primary DOTT teacher.

Our student numbers have increased to 599 students, with an intake of some 15 students last week. We extend our special welcome to all our new incoming students and their families. Out of interest, the school did reach numbers of 600 plus in 2000, 2005 and 2008.

 Thank you to all our wonderful teachers, education assistants, office staff, cleaning and gardening staff for their outstanding efforts to prepare our school for a brilliantly smooth first day back at school. 

Our curriculum will focus on programs to ensure all students have success and opportunities to achieve at national standards and beyond.  Our focus as aTeacherDevelopmentSchoolspecialising in English and Humanities will be English. In addition, Mathematics has become a high priority for our school with planned resources and professional learning matching our needs.

In addition to our scheduled events such as sports carnivals, ANZAC day, W.A. week and other significant days, this year will be the opening of the Capsule buried in Castletown grounds in 1988 to commemorate Australia’s bicentenary. It is now 25 years after the event. There are many people in our community who will have connections with this, who will be keen to recall and revisit the work produced by the students of that era.  The timing and planning of the event is yet to occur.  If we have any interested parents or community members who would like to be on the committee for the Capsule Opening please contact the school as soon as possible. We would appreciate your support and suggestions.

Keep a look out for our newsletter at the end of this week.

Pauline Grewar -  Principal.