Welcome back everyone and a special welcome to all our new students and families.

Our first week has been a great start to the year with lots of positive energy and enthusiastic learning in classes and inclusive and respectful behaviour around the school.

Last week all staff were involved in three days of training, focussing on learning which supports one of our Site Improvement goals in reading comprehension along with building positive relationships and strong communication.

Our Acquaintance Night is on Monday 11 February from 5.30 - 6.30pm and you are invited to come into the school and meet classroom and specialist teachers, and find out more details about how we operate. Please see the article in this newsletter for more information.

We do not have many new members of staff to start 2019 but it is wonderful to be able to officially welcome some familiar staff into contract positions:

• Joanna Idzikowski - Reception teacher (Thursday and Friday)
• Nicole Currer - Year 1/2 teacher
• Alena Birss - Year 1/2 teacher
• Carol Thomas - Year 1/2 teacher
• Tegan Files - Year 3/4 teacher (Monday)
• Aaron Collier - Indonesian teacher (Monday - Wednesday)
• Natasha Howard Glover - SSO
• Faye Yeomans - SSO
• Trish Mart - SSO

Students from our Year 4-7 classes have been provided with information about Student Leadership positions this year. Applications for these close at 9am this Friday 8 February and we will be able to announce the successful candidates by the end of the day.

Thank you to our many Facebook followers for your community support with the competition run by Newtons Building and Landscaping Supplies. Your promotion has earned us a Garden Kit valued at over $265 which we will receive this Friday!

I look forward to working with you all this year.

Penny Wilde

Principal

The IGNITE program is a specialist program for students with high intellecual potential.  Aberfoyle Park High School is the official Department for Education school for gifted students in the southern metropolitan area of Adelaide.  Click the link for more information.

Lunch orders and counter sales will commence on Monday, 4^th February. 

A new menu is included. See below for the link.  New options are a Veggie Burger for $4.50 and Hash Brown nuggets which are both gluten and dairy free - 10 for $1.00.

Payments options are: Qkr!, cash payments can be left in the classroom Lunch Boxes, or by EFTPOS/Credit Card payments to the Canteen staff.

If you are available to help in the canteen on Wednesday and / or Fridays, please see Trish in the Canteen, or the Front Office staff.  Fridays and Special Lunch days are our busiest days, but if you can help on any of the days the canteen is open, that would be great.  All help is greatly appreciated.

Canteen_Menu_2019.pdf

In order to create better efficiency, and in response to issues with the Skoolbag app we have opted to go with a new company for our school communications - Schoolzine. 

Schoolzine will provide our school community better access to all of our platforms including:

• A new website which includes appropriate links as well as a section to advise us of student absences.
• E-newsletters which will be published on the website and a link will also be emailed home to your registered email address.

The E-newsletter will have functionality to link to other programs eg when we have parent teacher interviews there will be a link in the Enewsletter to take you straight to the booking page.

• We will aslo be using a new app. Please find attached the instructions to upload the SZapp.  You must register to receive notifications.    Please go to the link below for further information and instructions.

Installing_SZapp.pdf

SZapp Frequently Asked Questions

These changes will be implemented as soon as possible but we will still be running our current systems simultaneously until we are happy the new systems meet all or our requirements.  It is likely that if we send a message on the SZ app, we will also send it on Skoolbag for a number of weeks.

We appreciate your patience while we get the new communication systems up and running.

Acquaintance Night will be held on Monday, 11^th February, 2019 at 5:30pm – 6:30pm.  This year we will have a new format where the teachers will address parents in a formal structure at different times during the afternoon for 10 minutes, but you will still have the opportunity to visit the classrooms before, during and after the presentations.

This is a great opportunity to meet and listen to valuable information from the teachers, visit the classrooms and find out more about our school.  You will be able to seek clarification on any questions you may have.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

The school garden will be open and you are welcome to come and admire/ learn about it. The Library will be open and everyone is encouraged to visit.  Please come along and read a book with your family members.

Whole School Assemblies will take place on the first and last week of each term and on Special Occasions.  At other times the assemblies will either be a Junior Primary Assembly – Years Reception –Year 2 or a Primary Assembly – Years 3 - 7.  Listed below is the program for Term 1.

PROGRAM FOR TERM 1

Would you like to have your say?  Do you have ideas and or suggestions you would like to share?  Would you like to be involved in your child’s education?  Do you have 2 Monday nights free per term?  And can you make yourself available to help with events during the year?  If so, please come along to the Governing Council Annual General Meeting on Monday, 11^th February, 2019 immediately after the Acquaintance Night activities.  The Governing Council AGM is scheduled to commence at 6.45pm in the Library.  No children please.

Please let Leadership or Front Office staff know if you would like to nominate for a position on Governing Council. The email address for all correspondence is dl.1059.info@schools.sa.edu.au

Principal                                 Penny Wilde

Deputy Principal                  Belinda Finlay-Smith

Student Wellbeing Leader Erin Anear

Reception                              Pam Ryles & Joanna Idzikowski

Reception                              Silvia Lang

Year 1/2                                  Alena Birss

Year 1/2                                  Carol Thomas

Year 1/2                                  Nicole Currer

Year 1/2                                  Rachel Pullman

Year 1/2                                  Sandra Howlett

Year 3/4                                  Neil Lohmeyer & Elira Dixon

Year 3/4                                  Peter Lucas

Year 3/4                                  Susan Kaye & Tegan Files

Year 4/5                                  Alyssa Rigney & Lauren Stanley

Year 4/5                                  Chris Burns

Year 4/5                                  Nigel Branson

Year 4/5                                  Richard Kemp

Year 6/7                                  Christine MacLean

Year 6/7                                  Jo Power

Year 6/7                                  Gerry Lewis & Michael Sboro

Indonesian                             Aaron Collier

Performing Arts                     Lauren Stanley

Science                                  Vance Smith

Physical Education              Michael Sboro

Library                                     Deb Hampton

Media Arts                             Mel Yates

Student Learning Support Elira Dixon

School Starts:              8:50 am
                                    Students must be in class
                                    when the bell sounds

Recess Eating Time:     10:40 am

Recess Play Time:        10:50 am – 11:10 am

Lunch Eating Time:      12:40 pm – 12:50 pm

Lunch Play Time:         12:50 pm – 1:30 pm

Dismissal:                     3:10 pm

Invoices for school fees of $241.00 have been sent home with students this week along with School Card forms and a Direct Debit by Instalment form . 

If you are eligible for School Card we would appreciate it if you could return School Card forms as soon as possible. 

School_Card_Application_Form_A.pdf

If you are having financial difficulties paying your school fees, please do not hesitate to contact Helen Clark at the Front Office.

Payments can be made via the following methods:

Qkr! App

Visit the Google Play or Apple App store to download the Qkr! App to pay any school payment on-line on any device.

Instructions_to_download_the_Qkr_app.pdf 

Online (Credit Card)

Visit www.pimpalaps.sa.edu.au or the Skoolbag App to pay online. (Please note: we will be changing to the SZapp from the beginnng of Term 1.   However, we would prefer all online payments be made on the Qkr! App.

In person

The Finance Window is open in the Courtyard each morning from 8:30am - 9:15am. 

By Phone

The Finance Office will take over the phone EFTPOS payments from 9:15am – 3:00pm daily.

School fees must be paid in full by no later than Friday, 12th April, 2019 (unless paying by instalments)

Payment by Instalment

School fees can be paid by instalments, please fill in a Direct Debit By Instalment Request Form which is available on the website, app or Finance Window and return it to the Finance Office by Friday 12th April.  Please note: payments by instalments must be finalised by the end of Term 2, (Friday, 5^th July), unless alternate arrangements are made with the school.

Direct_Debit_By_Instalment.pdf

Please advise the school EVERY time you change any of your details including phone numbers, mobiles, address, and emergency contacts.

This information is critical if we need to contact you in an emergency.

Please also ensure we have your current email address.  We will soon be changing our process for newsletters to e-newsletters and we will be sending a link to your registered email in the first instance. More information about this is provided in the article titled Schoolzine.

It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure any medication kept at school for your child is in date and that there are adequate supplies.  Please note: this includes puffers.

Thank you for returning the Student Permission Forms so promptly this year.  For those of you who have not already done so, can you please complete the form and return it to the school as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, 8^th February, 2019.  This form enables your child to participate in school activities including Library Borrowing, local excursions and having photos taken.

The permission form now has a section on the reverse side regarding images.  Please ensure you complete this section too.

The Student Permission Forms must be completed each year. 

Can you also please complete the Information Technology – Cyber Safety Policy (for YEAR 4 students only).  The Cyber Safety Policy is divided into three parts with the first part providing general information, the second part relevant for Reception to Year 3 students and the third part for Years 4 – 7.  The parent approvals are also signed by the students as a contract of use and are valid for the years the students are in the relevant age range.  Consequently, only those students going from Year 3 in 2018 to Year 4 in 2019 need to complete this form and agreement of use. 

Please return this form (by Year 4 students only) by Friday, 8^th February, 2019 so students can access our IT facilities.

The Uniform Shop is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:30am – 9:15am during term time.  We also take phone orders and payments, for your convenience.

During the first 4 weeks of term, the Uniform Shop will be selling Uniform Bundles.  If you purchase a jumper, 2 polos and a hat there is a significant discount. 

Bundles will only be available for a limited time, after which the cost of the items will return to the regular price.

As a number of our students have severe allergies, including nuts, so please abide by the school Allergy and Nut Awareness Policy. 

Please do not bring any nuts or products containing nuts (including Nutella) to school. Thank you.

Public parking is not available on school grounds, however, Disabled Parking spaces are available. These parks are only for those people who have been issued a Disabled Parking Permit, and need to exit their vehicle onto school grounds, not to sit in the car and wait for, or drop off students.

The Kiss and Drop zone on Vanstone Avenue allows traffic to flow while students are entering and exiting the vehicles.  PLEASE do not park in the Kiss and Drop zone.

Can you also please ensure your children use only the footpath side of the car. We have had near misses where students have opened doors into oncoming traffic or race to try to get into the car while other cars are trying to pass. Please be patient while waiting for your turn for your children to enter or exit the vehicle.

If you have parked incorrectly, whether by accident or design, you may be asked to move your vehicle and we would expect, In the interests of the safety of our students and school community that you comply with any and all reasonable requests from all staff members. 

We thank you for your cooperation.