It was great to see such an enthusiastic return to school on Tuesday after a lovely holiday break. Students have positively settled back into class routines and are eager to face the term ahead.

Our sports day was a huge success and we would like to thank all staff and families for helping to make this day positive for all. A very big thank you to Bernie DeLyster and the sports committee, including the House captains, for working hard to make this event happen. Thanks again also to the fantastic parents who cooked the BBQ and helped in the canteen. 

This term we will have many students involved in extra curricular activities such as Pedal Prix, Sapsasa knockout and district sport, cross country and festival choir. Please contact the school if you require any information about events in the school to receive accurate information. This term our senior students will begin working in student action groups to identify projects within our community that make a difference to our school. Action groups will meet every Friday to do this work. 

We are so lucky to have a beautiful school environment to learn within. Our school is looking well maintained and several projects occured over the holidays to further enhance our grounds. Keith is continuing his work in the JP play area developing drainage and a new garden bed area. We now have two outdoor table tennis tables with more outdoor seating to come soon. The verandah area outside of the hall has been extended providing more undercover play space for students.

We would like to say thank you to Martine Gregory for her work at our school and wish her all the very best for the future. We welcome Jayme Mansell who will provide classroom SSO support and individual student support for our Yr 3 team.

I would like to thank the following students who proudly represented our school at the ANZAC day dawn service last Sunday; Tayla H, Sonny N, Abigail OD, Hannah S and Claire R. 

This term we will be having a pupil free day on Friday June 18th so that staff can undertake training for our upcoming International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme evaluation. Kate O'Driscoll, our PYP coordinator, has organised for staff to be trained in one of the following areas; 'making space for learning' and 'diversity and inclusion'. 

All teachers at Coro have been using the Seven Steps to Writing Success program for more than a year, with student engagement with writing going through the roof. Most classes are focusing on persuasive writing at the moment. This can take many forms; think of a time you were last in a shop and you reached for an item you haven't bought before - you've been persuaded to buy that item by clever advertising! Or switch on the news any day - no doubt you'll see a politician trying to make their case through reasoned debate (and hopefully, no shouting). How many times have you looked up a review of a restaurant or a hotel, only to decide to not visit, based on someone else's opinion? The ability to convince someone of a point of view is very important.

There are five principles that underpin the Seven Steps program:

1. Chunk large tasks

2. Repetition builds muscle memory

3. Think first, write second

4. Verbal is vital

5. Consistency creates change

Here's a tip that parents may like to try at home that will help with Number 3: Think first, write second.

First, think of a topic that could be up for debate. For example: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Now, think up 10 'For' ideas and 10 'Against' ideas. Arrange them in a table, like this:

                      FOR                                                                 AGAINST                

After weighing it up, the writer needs to pick a side. 

Next, the writer needs to decide which arguments are strong, medium strength, and weak. The strongest ideas can stand alone, the writer may combine medium strength ideas, but get rid of the weak ones!

So if your child is bugging you about receiving more pocket money, or never eating veggies, ask them to try to convince you why you should listen. Remember, verbal is vital, so this activity can also be done with an adult writing for a child, or just with a conversation (you'll probably need to cut down the number of reasons though, to make it more manageable).

Happy persuading!

We have had a lot of inquiries about student enrolment at our school and appreciate the response from existing families in completing the registration of interest form for children to enrol in 2022.  

To support us with this process we are asking families who have a child starting school in 2022, or know of a family who lives in the community with a child starting in 2022, to complete the registration of interest form by the end of term 2.

We are conducting tours regularly. Please call or email the school if you would like to organise a tour.

Registration of interest forms are available on our website, the link below or from the front office.

registration of interest form.pdf

As a school we acknowledge that from time to time issues arise that require attention and resolution. In the event that you have a complaint we would ask that you follow the Department for Education complaint procedure to ensure the most successful outcome. 

The Reception Team would like to thank Kim Edwards and the team at Bunnings Edwardstown for donating so many amazing resources to our tinkering station in our play space. The students have thoroughly enjoyed exploring all these materials and seeing what they can make or deconstruct and we look forward many more play and tinkering experiences ahead.

Sports Day 2021 by Clare

The sports day captains arrived at the school to help set up. The coffee van was already parked up, and volunteers were getting things out of the gym. Sign posts were being hammered into the ground as students were arriving in the team colours. Tutus and wigs, feathers and zinc could be seen wherever you looked.

When at last everyone had arrived, the health hustle began. Everyone was dancing their hearts out to the upbeat music being played. When the music faded away, and the children stopped dancing, the chants began.

Wallabies, Wombats, Kookaburras, and Brolgas, sang their chants as loud as they possibly could. When the final team had sang, the kids scattered to find their teachers for the first event.

High jump, long jump, hurdles, relays, obstacle courses, tug-of-war, and many more. There was jumping, ducking, running, leaping – everyone was determined to win.

Recess started, and students found their parents, for a morning snack. People were running to the canteen, which had a line going around the corner. Ice-cream, slushies, and snacks were being served by the wonderful canteen staff.

When the bell rang, and recess ended, everyone hurried to get to their next event. Everything resumed. People carried balls, filled up cups, put out the laundry, all anxious about who would win.

Lunch came next, but the class events were over, and people were preparing for the spectacular championship events.

Tension was in the air as the captains got the sprint and relay runners ready. At last, the championship events started. Three, two, one, GO!

The receptions ran first for sprints, followed by the older year levels. Next was relays, the continuous race, depending on timing and speedy change-overs. The final people ran. It was tight, the were neck-and-neck, but the wallabies won by a centimetre.

The relays continued, but it was now the captains’ turn. It was close once again, but the kookaburras won.

The tug-of-war people came out next, and two at a time, the teams pulled the long rope as far as they could.

Everyone was now really anxious, for the announcement of the winner was coming up next.

Drum roll please!

Brolgas won the Gratitude Trophy!

Finally, who won the championship cup?

Wallabies!

The captains made their speech, and sports day came to a close.

In the last week of Term 1, Coromandel Valley took part in the Term 1 Southern Zone Chess Tournament. It was a new look team for 2021, with 8 of our 12 competitors - Julian B, Eli D, Tilly G, Charles M, Thomas M, Daniel S, Joseph S and  Lily Z - competing for the very first time, with 5 of them in only year 2 and 3.

6 schools and 66 students took part, with the Coro team competing well, and in the mix for a top 3 position all tournament.  Going into the last round, Coro were sitting in 3rd place, but a tough final round saw us fall a little behind to miss out on a medal by just 2 points.

We had some excellent individual results, with Daniel, Ewan and Lily our top placed players, scoring 4 points from their 7 games to each finish in equal 17th place.   10 of our 12 students have set themselves a new personal best to try and beat at their next tournament.   Not only did the team play well, but they all showed good sportsmanship, so congratulations to all of our students for representing our school so well.

Huge thanks to Kerry Coghlan, Kerry Ettridge and Jeff Zweck for assisting with transport and enabling our students to take part.   Without your help it would not have been possible to have our team compete.

The Chess Club continues to meet on Monday lunchtimes, and anyone is welcome to come along.  It would be great to see some new faces. 

In Week 10 of Term 1 a select group of students attended the Lacrosse carnival, held at Waite Oval, Urrbrae by Sturt Lacrosse Club. As usual, it was an excellent day of fun and sport.

This year we fielded four Year 6/7 teams and two Year 4 teams. All of them had a great time and played very well too. Our Year 7 boys had an excellent result, finishing first after comfortably winning all of their games and the grand final. Our Year 6/7 girls narrowly lost their grand final and finished second in their competition. Our Year 4 boys’ and girls’ teams also played well but didn’t make the finals this year.