It’s amazing how fast the end of the year is approaching with the school being a very busy place, finishing the end of this year while preparing for 2024. Please check in with school communications regularly to keep up to date with all the things happening.

New Receptions 

A warm welcome to all the new children and families who have joined us for two of their three transition visits on Wednesdays. We look forward to meeting and getting to know many new families and making the transition a smooth and memorable experience.

Staffing Update 2024

We are now in a position to begin offering teachers contract positions for next year. We will have a limited number of vacancies available and will work with People and Culture to fill these as soon as possible.

Congratulations to Maria Drakos who has recently won a position for 2024 at Woodcroft College. We thank Maria for her time here at Coro and wish her the very best at Woodcroft.

Save the Date – Celebration Night – Tuesday 12 December 

We are very much looking forward to our annual Celebration Night on Tuesday 12 December, when our community comes together to enjoy song and dance performances from students/staff, including end of year presentations, and farewells. Please save the date, and stay tuned for further details. 

End of Year Reports

At this time of the term, teachers are writing end of year student reports. As part of the reporting process, teachers work with year level team colleagues to moderate and discuss student assessments to ensure consistency of teacher judgement when reporting A-E grades (Years 1 -6) for subject areas within the Australian Curriculum. Reports will be handed out on Wednesday 13th December.

Pathway Rejuvenation Project

We are now just one step away from completion, with the path handrails to be attached over the first couple of weeks in December. You may have noticed the builder’s ‘compound’ has been disassembled and a large part of the fencing has disappeared providing us with ‘almost’ regular access around the school. This has also meant that we have regained all the regular parking space easing congestion at the front of the school.

Over the holiday break, Keith (grounds person) will be installing a watering system ready for planting after summer in early 2024.

Dance Night

Wow! What a great performance and a fantastic showcase of the talent we have at the Coro. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our 2023 Dance Night Extravaganza, the students love performing to an audience of family and friends after all their hard work and preparation.

A big congratulations to all our performers and well done to all of our fantastic school staff, with special thanks to Kelly Bodger (Dance teacher), Stacey Stuttard (Choir facilitator) and Sue Matthews (Jump Rope Coordinator).

Overdue 2023 School Accounts

All unpaid school accounts for 2023 are now overdue.

This week, if you still have outstanding invoices, you will receive an account statement. The statement will be in a window-faced envelope in your child’s school bag.

If you have any concerns or need to activate a payment plan please email our Business Manager, Sue, at Sue.Matthews799@schools.sa.edu.au . Your early attention to this would be appreciated.

Student Free Days 2024

Please see below for a list of the 2024 Student Free Days recently endorsed by the Governing Council:

Term 1 – Tues 12^th March (day after Adelaide Cup)

Term 2 – Fri 7^th June (prior to the King’s Bday long weekend)

Term 3 – Mon July 22^nd (All of partnership – Day 1 of term 3)

Term 3 – Fri 6^th Sep (SCHOOL CLOSURE)

Term 4 – Fri 8^th Nov (day after Dance Night)

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

You should have recently received both Vac Care booking forms and a notice regarding updated OSHC fees for 2024. In light of the cost of living crisis and increases in costs and inflation pressures across the board for parents, caregivers and the school itself, this decision to increase fees was not taken lightly by the Governing Council. 

During 2023, there were a number of unavoidable cost pressures on OHSC, including mandatory changes to wages, superannuation percentages, and the increase in costs for incursions, excursions and material items. The increase in fees ensures that our OSHC remains profitable as required by the Department of Education and continues to provide exceptional service, activities and experiences to our children. 

The OSHC budget is calculated to achieve a small surplus each year, to allow for unexpected costs and overruns, and the budget for 2024 with the increase in fees is in line with previous years surplus. In previous years, where OSHC has ended the year with a larger surplus, these funds have been transferred in lump sums to the school for projects around the school which would otherwise be unfunded, or on a long waitlist for funds from the department (with all the red tape that entails).

In comparison to other schools in our partnership, our OSHC fees are still mid-range. While we appreciate that this year's increase has been larger than normal, as it was substantially a result of the recent changes in wages and superannuation, we do not anticipate additional increases of the same level in future years.  For those who are eligible for the Child Care subsidy, the CCS will still apply to the new fees, and if you require further support like a School Card for School fees, please see the front office for more details.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the announcement, you can contact me directly at sam.neville@outlook.com.au or via the Governing Council email at cvpsgc.council298@schools.sa.edu.au.

Sam Neville

Governing Council Chair

SRC stands for Student Representative Council.

Hi, I’m Alice, and I’m an SRC executive for 2023. My favourite thing about being an SRC executive is planning fun things like the disco! I really wanted to be an SRC executive so I could help our school. I’ve learnt a lot about being a leader and had heaps of fun along the way.

Hi, I’m Lotti, and I’m an SRC executive for 2023 it means a lot to me to be able to have this privilege of being able to help the school community in my final year here at Coro. Being an SRC executive is pretty cool and it gives me the opportunity to be able to change things and make the school a fun, happier learning environment.

Hi, I’m Connor, and I am also an SRC executive for 2023. I was one of the lucky four to get chosen to be an executive. As an executive, I get to go to other schools to discuss what we’ve been doing at our school. It has been a real privilege to get this position and be on the team.

Hi, I’m James, and I’m an SRC executive for 2023. My favourite thing about being an executive is helping and contributing to my school’s ideas and events. It has helped me realise and understand about being a leader and role model and helped me improve on my responsibility. Being an SRC Executive is very fun and will definitely prepare me for high school next year.

To be a student leader, you have to write an application. Some teachers then read through everybody’s application and choose four leaders for each category. Each team of leaders had a teacher who they would talk to about their ideas and would supervise their meetings, which were on Friday, Lesson 4. As a leader, you must strive to make the school a better place.

Our job is to make the school a better place. We’ve organised a school disco that has been quite a bit of work as we had to:

• Write a letter to parents and friends asking for help organising it
• Find a good date and time that suits everyone
• Organise music and snacks for the party
• Find decorations
• Decorate
• Clean up in between discos

As SRC executives we have attended partnership meetings with other school executives at Eden Hills Primary. We meet together and talk about what we have done at our own schools and also talk about how to be a good leader. We discuss techniques and ideas of what we can do to be a good leader. 

One of the things we as SRC executives did to help the school was start the 10c recycling for cans. We made a video about recycling and showed everyone what this recycling was and how to use them. Afterwards, we saw lots of people using the bins and it was a great sight for us to see that our video worked! It’s great when we do things to help the school.

As SRC executives we have been put in charge of fundraisers such as the end of term casual clothes day donation. Term 3's went to the new playground going in next to the oval next year, for this we raised $461.30! 

During our SRC meetings, we take notes of everything everyone says. Afterwards, we take a look back at the notes and see if we can do anything. If there are people to talk to or messages to pass on then we will do them. We make sure we do everything we can to help everyone's ideas.

Our school has had many fun events this year, but one of the standout favourites was the Halloween Disco!

We organised a date and time while getting help and feedback from the adults. We decided to bring back the Halloween disco since it was discontinued due to COVID-19. The canteen joined in to make Halloween snacks for people to buy and the healthy living group (led by Jenny Tucker) made green and orange smoothies. They were delicious!

Everybody who came had a blast and it will definitely continue for many years to come.

I’d also like to thank Ms Todd for helping us do everything we did. She has been very supportive of us.

Exciting News……Our Book Fair for 2023 has begun!

Beginning today - Thursday and continuing Friday, and next Monday and Tuesday (23^rd, 24^th, 27^th and 28^th November). We have some great books and stationery to purchase.

This is a great opportunity to do some Christmas shopping, and support our school at the same time.

Over the last few years our school has been able to purchase many wonderful new books and resources for our students, from money raised through purchases made at the Book Fair.

The ‘shop’ is open before and after school, and at lunch times in the school library.

8.20 – 9.00 before school

12.50 – 1.30 at lunchtimes

3.00 – 3.30 after school

Cash and credit facilities are available, or you can prepay online using the QR code. (See flyer for details)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Hat Design Competition Winners

We had many great hat creations. Congratulations to our lucky winners who received a $10.00 voucher to spend at the book fair this year.

Have You Ever Taken The Time To Meet A Tree?

The reception classes used all their senses to tune into nature and meet some trees at Nature Play. 

The students had a lovely incursion during a science lesson, with Prue from Play Naturally OT.

Through lots of fun outdoor activities, students were encouraged to connect with nature. Because when we do, it helps make us happier and healthier people. We used our senses to tune into the environment when we "met a tree" and played "nature bingo". It was amazing! 

Some students continued to find “nature smiles” throughout the day, in a curved leaf, a bent stick or a piece of rolled bark. 

Thank you, Prue! We look forward to hearing more about how we can look after our well-being – in nature!

Oliphant Science Awards - Citizen Science!

Citizen science is the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.

Congratulations to the Youth Environmental Leadership Group (Bandicoot group) for their entry into the Oliphant Science Awards, Citizen Science Category.  Their entry was titled “Bringing Back the Bandicoots to Frank Smith”.  Alice and Lucas attended the ceremony at Brighton Secondary School, to collect the 1^st Prize award and a cheque for $500 (to be shared amongst the group of 10, for their hard work and dedication throughout the 2 year project).

If you are interested in entering for 2024, the categories can be found at:

https://www.oliphantscienceawards.com.au/event_information/award_categories

The online project gallery of 2023 winners can be found at:

https://www.oliphantscienceawards.com.au/the_oliphant_science_awards/2023-online-project-gallery

Sarah Todd

Science Teacher

This year, members of our school community participated in Children’s University which has been a great opportunity for students to continue building successful habits of learning outside of their classroom.

On Thursday of week 5, our 2023 graduates attended their Graduation Ceremony held at Bonython Hall in the city along with several other participating schools.

Our graduating Students collected learning hours in their passport while engaging in a wide variety of learning experiences outside school hours. Students were joined by families and friends to help celebrate their learning and achievement.

Thank you everyone for continuing to support our terrific program and for contributing to its success.

Congratulations to our graduating students for 2023!

Dan Johnson

Y6 Teacher

Last week our Year 6 students took part in a Transition to High School Seminar run by the Life Matters team.

The Transition from primary school to high school is one that can bring about feelings of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and for some, even terror. The fears and worries students may have about this change range from, increased workload, new teachers, making friends, meeting new people, and getting lost. This seminar focussed on three major themes: Change, Challenge, Choice.   Change is constant, Change brings Challenges, and in the face of Challenges, we have a Choice of how we can respond, and we can build resilience through our Choices. Through a range of activities, clips and discussion, the Life Matters team presented information on how students can not just survive during High School, but can thrive in this new environment.

Jenni Forder

Pastoral Care Worker

Did you know...  more than 60 students from Years 3-6 currently represent our school playing weeknight basketball at the Blackwood Rec Centre?

Congratulations to Shravenn and Allana for making the Southern Heights Tennis team.  

We wish them all the best in this week's state carnival.

Penelope defended her Auscycling National BMX Series and National Championship titles this week taking the gold in both events. She maintains her title of fastest 9-year-old girl in the country. After she crossed the finish line she noticed one other rider crying, instantly scooping her up in a big hug and spending her winning moment telling the other rider how amazing she was and how well she rode... more proud of this moment than winning the gold again! Here are some pics of her in action and on the podium... 

Little Lars man rode his three qualifying races coming 7th, 4th 8th. He was secretly happy he didn't progress as this meant he got to hang out in the pits with his mates and eat lollies! 

They have both signed to a new team called Fast Machines Australia and were excited to race with the New Jersey and hang with the new team over the week. 

We are pleased to inform you that this year's Year 3- 6 Dance Night ‘Animals' is now available for purchase.

A copy of the performance on USB can be purchased for $12 (includes USB). Payment is available through QKR or by cash or card at the front office.

Instrumental Music at Coromandel Valley PS 2024