3 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

Term 1 Week 5

After the scorching temperatures last week, it has been wonderful to begin week 5 with some pleasant weather. Our classes have been busy settling in to routine while developing their skills in a range of academic areas and experiences. It has been a busy and rewarding few weeks of events including:

• Welcoming our receptions and new students with a wonderful outdoor assembly held on the Tiger Turf and hosted by Marilla’s class
• Our Upper Primary students recently attended their Aquatics program at Noarlunga Beach
• Acquaintance Night
• Student Representative Council Executive elections
• Our Annual General Meeting and Governing Council
• School photos

2023 Governing Council  

We would like to welcome our new Governing Council for 2023: David Lister (chairperson), Katie Schubert (secretary), Eric Nicholson (deputy chairperson), Leanne Christinat (treasurer), Andrew Dowling (principal), Jake Burfitt and Matilda Garrard (staff reps), Catherine Chalmers (OSHC chair), Adey Stoker, Julia Mchawala, Heather Carter, Katie Havelberg, Sally O’Neill, Jane Simmons, Clare Klapdor and Laura Dunkley.

We would like to thank retiring members Brett Wall and Chantelle Cruise for their contributions to our school. 

Thank you also go to Eric Nicholson for your wonderful contribution as Governing Council Chairperson throughout 2022.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards and over time. Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

The NAPLAN test window runs from the 15 to 27 March.

Our school timetable for assessments is as follows:

Wed 15 Mar: 9:00 – 10:40am Year 3 and 5 Writing
Thurs 16 Mar: 9:00 – 10:40am Year 3 Reading, 11:00 to 12:40am Year 5 Reading
Friday 17 Mar: 9:00 – 10:40am Year 5 Conventions of Language, 11:00 to 12:40am Year 3 Conventions of Language
Monday 20 Mar: 9:00 – 10:40am Year 3 Numeracy, 11:00 to 12:40am Year 5 Numeracy

For more information visit the link below.

AUTISM INCLUSION TEACHER

Autism Inclusion Teachers are a new, nation-leading initiative which aims to build educator understanding and knowledge around supporting autistic children and young people.

Every public primary school in South Australia will appoint an Autism Inclusion Teacher. Our Autism Inclusion Teacher (Kellie Bowden) will take on the role from term 1 2023.

It is anticipated that Autism Inclusion Teachers will first build their own teaching expertise, knowledge and understanding of autism through engaging in formal learning offerings and participation in the Autism Inclusion Teacher networks. Kellie is currently undertaking this professional development at the Education Development Centre in Hindmarsh.

Visit the Department for Education website to find out more about  improving support for autistic children and students .

Kind regards,
Andrew Dowling
Principal

Aquatics

On the 13th of February, we had a Water Safety Day at Port Noarlunga. It was very awesome because we learned a lot and had lots of fun. At first, we practiced our swimming and floating but after lunch the year 5s went boogie boarding and the year 6s got to go surfing. We played lots of fun games along the way. It was very hot. The year 5s luckily enough got to see some dolphins!

Owen

On Monday the 13th February the year 5s spent a day on the beach boogie boarding, snorkelling, swimming and floating. We spent all day playing games in the water and learning our water/beach safety. We had fun when playing games and we joined another group to play dodge ball. When we were boogie boarding, we found some dolphins right up close. Part of the water safety was making checkpoints on the sand or swimming between red and yellow flags.

Abby

On Monday February 13th the year 6s went to Port Noarlunga aquatics centre on the beach to do selected activities that we chose. We spent all day having fun at the river and the beach learning how to kayak, stand up paddle board and boogie board. It was one of the best days of the year.

Alise

SRC Executives

We recently held a rigorous selection process involving oral presentations, a student led panel and interviews to select our new Student Representative Council Executive for 2023. The decision was a tough one as there were many quality applicants. Congratulations go to Felix, Kesserlee, Piper and Pippa, who will represent Eden Hills Primary at a school level as well as across our partnership working to further our focus on student agency in learning. All the leaders will be attending the GRIP Student Leadership Conference in week 8. The Conference concentrates specifically on training student leaders for their role as school leaders. The style, topics, and content of this conference all focus on what the students can do right now to make positive impact. We look forward to their contributions this year.

Assembly

Our next Assembly will be week 6, Wednesday 8 March presented by Room 11 at 9:10 am.

There will be a coffee van on site down by the basketball court from 8:30am. Come and grab a drink, meet and greet the school community before the assembly begins.

Save The Date

10.30am Monday 10 April (Easter Monday) for an Easter hunt at Belair National Park.

Governing Council would like to especially welcome new families to join us and meet the wonderful community of families we have at EHPS. More details closer to the date.

Pupil Free Day

Illness

We have a number of sick children at the moment and the best thing to help with recovery and to stop the spread of contagious illnesses is to keep them home.

Please remember if your child has had Gastro symptoms, they should be excluded from school until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for 24 hours.

Bushfire Information

Eden Hills Primary School, along with other schools in the area, have been rated as high risk by the CFS. In times of a declared Catastrophic Day (Code Red) in the Mount Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District, the school will be CLOSED.

This declaration usually occurs after 4.30pm for the following day with the Minister for Education confirming school closures thereafter.

In the event that Eden Hills Primary School is closed due to a Catastrophic Day, we will aim to contact parents as soon as possible via SMS, and then follow up with a Schoolzine email so that care arrangements can be made.

For more detailed information please follow the link below to our website

Water Bottles

To stay hydrated, it’s important to drink before you feel thirsty. This is especially important if you are exercising or if it’s a hot day. Even if you’re not thirsty, try to drink water regularly throughout the day.

This is a reminder for our students to bring their own water bottles to school, especially as we have had some really hot temperatures lately. Water bottles can be refilled from the taps throughout the day.

And a plea from our books in our Resource Centre – please, please, please as much as possible separate them from water bottles. As with many schools we are experiencing a massive increase in books being lost to accidental water damage.

Hats

The Departmental sun protection policy is in effect for Terms 1, 3 and 4 and whenever UV radiation levels reach 3 or above. All students are required to wear hats that protect their face, neck and ears, i.e. bucket, legionnaire or broad brimmed. Baseball or peak caps are NOT considered a suitable alternative.

We sell bucket hats in the office for $8. The broad brimmed and legionnaire hats can be purchased from retail stores or specialist uniform shops.

Parking Around School Zones

Mitcham Council continually monitors schools to enforce parking zones and restrictions to ensure the safety of students. By parking appropriately when you drop your children off to school, you can help to ensure there is no danger to students and avoid traffic congestion around our school.

Please be aware any breaches of the Australian Road Rules 1999 observed by Community Safety Officers may result in the issue of an expiation notice.

Please click the link below to the ‘Children Schools & Traffic’ brochure which has information for drivers about public and student safety at school drop off and pick up times.

Starting Secondary School in 2024

At the start of Term 2 the families of students in Year 6 will start to receive correspondence regarding the high school enrolment and transition process.

The important thing for families to do this term is to ensure all Year 6 students have accurate address details and contact information for parents. If you have changed address, don’t forget that you must provide proof of residence to the office as soon as possible. This needs to be in the form of a recent utilities bill or a Rental or Sales agreement.

Start to have discussions within your family about the possible schools and goals that your child may have regarding high school.

Please keep a look out for open days or school tours of your local high schools or schools of special interest. As we are informed we will advertise events in the school newsletter.

Community Notices