Welcome to Week 4!  Where have the last four weeks gone?

We have had such a positive start to the year and it is really encouraging to see how quickly our students have eagerly settled into their learning routines and welcomed new faces to the school.  It is rewarding to see so many students developing independence and being encouraged to do routine jobs for themselves such as: carrying and unpacking their bag, handing in notices and preparing for the start of the day.  The more encouragement and reminders students receive in being independent with these routines, the more successful they become when problem solving and navigating difficulties.

Students in all classes are voting for members to form our Student Representative Council (SRC) and students from Years 4 – 7 have nominated for a variety of leadership positions within the school. We will be able to announce the successful candidates by Wednesday of this week -this has been delayed due to multiple absences and unforeseen illness. There is a special whole school assembly on Friday March 1^st, (starting at 10.15am) where students will be formally inducted and presented with their badges.

School Car Park

The car park onsite is for staff only. This is standard practice for most schools and is to ensure that staff who work across different sites, have meetings or later start times, have an allocated space available.  This means that parents and caregivers are not permitted to park in the staff car park unless they have a disability permit. If you park in the staff car park without authorisation, you will be asked to move your vehicle. Please be respectful of this request and of staff. 

A reminder to all pedestrians to use the footpaths on either side of the car parks when entering and leaving the school grounds and to follow instructions provided by staff when prompted to ensure the safety of everyone.

Three Way Conferences / Parent Teacher Interviews

In Week 6 of this term, we are hosting Parent Teacher Interviews and this year we are requesting that you bring your child with you to make the process a Three Way Conference. This is an exciting change to the traditional interview process and means that students are part of the process and can share their learning with you and their teacher(s). 

Involving your child as an active and essential member of the conference enables them to demonstrate understanding of their learning and receive feedback which supports their progress. As parents/caregivers you can ask questions, express ideas and help make plans to support your child’s learning at home. Teachers will support students and parents/guardians by clarifying, elaborating and responding to specific questions and concerns.

We do ask that every effort is made for siblings not to be present in the room during this time to ensure that each child is able to fully celebrate their achievements (provision can be made for siblings to be seated in a location close by). The duration of the conference is fifteen minutes so if you require more time or wish to discuss anything in greater detail please arrange a double time with the teacher.

Three Way Conferences can be booked via Schoolzine or through the school office from the start of next week. 

* Please note to book online, you will need to register with SchoolZine. 

From Tuesday, 19th February any future newsletters usually published on a Friday will now be published on the following Monday.  This way we can include photos or items from the Assembly.  The new time will be Mondays of even weeks.

Three Way Conferences (Parent Teacher interviews) are scheduled for Week 6, 4th - 7th March. We encourage all parents/caregivers to arrange a time and bring your child to find our how they are doing at school.

We would like to trial the new integrated system of booking interviews. This will need to be set up from our end so you can book directly using a link (which is not ready yet).  In order to use the new system you must be registered with Schoolzine, so if you haven't already done so, please download the app so we can keep you informed and that will also register you for the "Session Keeper" which is the parent teacher interview program. 

Here is the link to the Parent Teacher Interviews.  Please book by Friday, 1st March.

https://pimpalaps.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/2

Parent Booking Guide:

https://pimpalaps.schoolzineplus.com/sk-booking-guide

Please speak to the Front Office staff if you would like more information.

Pimpala Primary School is planning to offer the following team sports outside of normal school hours: - Basketball, Netball and Soccer.  The season for team sports is run over Terms 2 & 3.  We woule like to organise our school sports teams wearly to ensure we have enought coaches, team managers, coordinators and players.

A note will be sent home this week asking for registrations of interest and also put on the Schoolzine SZapp.  Please make sure you keep a look out.

On Wednesday, 13th March there will be a special lunch consisting of a Gourmet Hot Dog, donut (chocolate or cinnamon) and a fruit box for just $7.50 as Option 1.

If you order Option 2 you receive the same lunch but with a Cooler Bag (valued at $12)  for just $16.00.   This special lunch deal gives you a saving of $3.50 off the cost of the Cooler Bag.

Order forms have been sent home this week.  Forms and payment are due by Wednesday, 6th March, 2019.

We volunteers to help run this special lunch so if you are available to help please let the Front Office know.  All help is greatly appreciated.

Due to supplier unavailability we have had to delete cookies from our Canteen Menu.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

Year 4 and 5 students will have the opportunity to participate in the Way2Go Bike Ed program for 6 one hour sessions on a Tuesday, commencing on 5th March with the last session on Tuesday, 2nd April.  Students who own or can access a bike are requested to bring it to school for each session.

This is  a great opportunity for the students to gain extra skills and confidence riding a bike and to have their bike checked for roadworthiness by with the RAA or BikeEd.  

Through participating in Way2Go Bike Ed students:

• build their knowledge and understanding of the road laws and traffic environments
• develop bike handling and maintenance skills
• develop decision making skills for off and on-road bike riding.

Permission forms must be returned by Friday, 15th February,2019

The vegetable garden survived well over the Christmas holidays, a little messy underfoot at the moment with lots of gum leaf litter but with frequent watering the fruit trees, herbs and vegetables are all flourishing!  The Christmas break kept me busy not only watering and maintaining the garden but cooking, testing and formatting some scrumptious new recipes that I look forward to sharing with the classes this year.

We currently have a good amount of apples, peaches and plums on the trees as well as lots of fresh herbs, silver beet, beetroot, eggplants, leeks and warrigal greens all ready for cooking. Cherry tomatoes and zucchinis are also growing well and we have lots of pumpkin seedlings popping up everywhere.  Looks like another good crop again this year. We can also look forward to a few lemons and a second season of figs, and hopefully, we can look forward to increased crops from them in the future. Unfortunately, no koalas were spotted in or around the garden over the break. If you have excess produce from your own home gardens we are happy to take it for our kitchen lessons. Any produce can be dropped off in the Front Office or left in the kitchen from Monday to Thursday, and we are always extremely grateful for your donations.

We look forward to making positive connections and strengthening our relationship this year with the Pimpala Kindergarten as well as the Happy Valley Elderly Citizens Housing Southern Day Program. This will include hosting luncheons, garden tours, gardening sessions and Choir performances

The Kitchen Garden Program will once again run a whole school program this year. Each year level will participate in a block of both kitchen and garden lessons.

Each kitchen lesson requires 6 volunteers. It would be lovely to have some volunteers in the garden as well to help supervise small groups of students with activities such as sowing seeds, seed saving, watering etc. Volunteers can be parents, caregivers, grandparents, aunts or uncles or family friend and are welcome to help out in numerous classes if they wish.  Volunteers need to have completed the RAN-EC Training and have a current DCSI clearance.  Volunteers are now able to complete the RAN-EC training through a link on the Department for Education website. Certificates need to be sighted by the Front Office staff. Any questions can be directed to the Front Office staff who can also assist volunteers in obtaining their DCSI clearance.                                             

If you have any questions about the program or wish to put your name down to volunteer in one or more of the classes, please don’t hesitate to ring or SMS my volunteer mobile number 0408 637 850.  We would not be able to run this fantastic program without the help of volunteers so all help is greatly appreciated.                                           

2019 PROGRAM

Term 1

Weeks     3-9           Year 6/7                 Ms Power, Ms MacLean, Mrs Lewis/Mr Sboro.

Term 2

Weeks     2-4           Year 1/2                 Ms Howlett & Ms Birss

Weeks     5-7           Year 1/2                 Mrs Thomas, Ms Currer & Ms Pullman

Weeks     8-10         Reception             Ms Ryles/Ms Idzikowski, Mrs Lang

Term 3

Weeks     2-9           Year 4/5                Mr Kemp, Ms Rigney/Ms Stanley, Mr Burns, Mr Branson

Term 4

Weeks     2-7           Year 3/4                Mr Lohmeyer/Ms Dixon, Ms Kaye/Ms Files, Mr Lucas

Michele Smith

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Coordinator

Volunteer Mobile 0408 637 850

School Photos have been scheduled for Wednesday, 6th March.  Information and order envelopes will go home early this week. Sibling and spare envelopes will be available from the Front Office.

As advised in our last newsletter, we are moving to a new integrated communication service provided by Schoolzine.  We have now introduced eNewsletters, are using the SZapp and a new website will be available shortly.

We strongly encourage all families to load and register for the Schoolzine SZapp as we will be using this as a major communication method as it is far more effective and efficient than the Skoolbag app. We are aware there were many issues with it.

If you have any questions about the change over, please see the Front Office staff. Thank you for your patience during the changeover.

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

This year we are looking for volunteers to assist on a number of our Governing Council committees.  A Governing Council member will chair each committee.  If you would like to be involved in any of the following committees, please let the Front Office staff know. Meetings will usually be scheduled after school hours so everyone can attend.  We look forward to your valuable contribution.

• Fundraising
• Sports
• Nature Play
• Quiz Night
• Colour Fun Run

Which team will you be cheering for on Sports Day, Thursday, 28th March?  Anderson (Blue), Bain (Green), Morphett (Red) or O’Sullivan (Yellow)? 

 We have planned some great events for all classes to participate in with students required to be in class at 8.50am, and then assembling under the COLA at 8:55am ready for all the events to begin.

 The activities are programmed to continue until the end of the school day at 3:10pm. Come along and support your child/ren on this fun day.

 There will be a cake stall, BBQ, and coffee vans. 

Please put this date in your diary!

As in previous years, we will have a BBQ stall and a Cake Stall on Sports Day on Thursday, 28th March, 2019 and we need your help to cook and serve.  We have prepared a roster so if you are available – even for just half an hour, can you please let the Front Office know. 

We would really appreciate donations of cakes for the cake stall on Sports Day, Thursday, 28th March, 2018.  We know there are many budding cooks out there – the Stephanie Alexander program has made sure of that, so please donate items for the cake stall (eg cakes, cup-cakes, brownies, slices). 

Please ensure you list the ingredients on the items.

Please note: pursuant to our Allergy & Nut Awareness Policy we are unable to sell items which contain nuts.

Pimpala will be hosting Principal Tours on the following dates for anyone interested in enrolling at our school.  They will be held at 10:00am on the following dates, one tour per term.  Priority of Entry for students living in our school zone will be discussed as part of the tour.

Invoices were sent home in Week 1 of this term and we would appreciate payment by the due date.  If you are eligible for School Card we would appreciate it if you could return School Card forms as soon as possible.  If you need help with the School Card Form or if you are having financial difficulties paying your school fees, please do not hesitate to contact Helen Clark, Finance Officer, 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.

 Online (Credit Card)

Visit www.pimpalaps.sa.edu.au or the Skoolbag App to pay online. (Please note: we will be changing to a different app later in Term 1.  More information will be provided soon). 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 15th March.  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.

Until the end of Week 4, Friday, 22nd February, 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.

During the week you would have received a Family Details form.  Can you please check, make any changes, sign and return the form as soon as possible.  Please return the form even if there are no changes.

The Wirreanda Secondary School Open Night will be held on Tuesday, 19th March, 2019 from 4:00pm - 7:00pm.

MATHS LESSON

The students in Room 6 have been working on counting strategies. We have been practicing counting by ones, twos, fives and tens. We have noticed that counting by tens lets us count big numbers and keep track of the number we are counting. This makes it easier to work out what number we were up to, if we lose count, without having to count the whole group again. We have practiced these skills by playing a game called Chicken Scramble

Birss_newsletter_T1_W3.pdf