As we come towards the last couple of weeks of Term 3, we reflect on all the happenings throughout this term, including: Science Week, Special Person’s Day, Student Busking, Book Week, Rec Father’s Day Breakfast, ICAS competitions, the many incursions and excursions, Sports events, with Interschool Chess, Festival Choir, and a school disco still to come. Schools certainly are busy places!

Illness

I’m sure you’re well aware that we have experienced a very high level of illness throughout this term, especially from the numerous emails regarding notifiable illnesses. Some days, we have had a fifth of our school population absent.

A friendly reminder to keep your child/ren home if they are:

• generally unwell
• experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

Celebrating Book Week at Coro

What a wonderful week of storytelling, creativity, and imagination we shared together at Coromandel Valley Primary School as part of Book Week 2025! Throughout the week, students, staff, and families embraced the theme ‘Book an Adventure’ with enthusiasm.

Highlights of the Week included:

Dress Up Day & Parade
Our annual dress up day was a colourful celebration, with students and staff bringing favourite characters to life. Thank you to all families who joined us on the day – we hope you enjoyed the parade. A special shout-out to our student hosts, Jonty, Henry, Ella and Aurelia, who did a great job highlighting each class and their adventure-themed costumes. It was wonderful to have a large group join us for morning tea in the Library after the parade.

Author & Illustrator Visits
Students were inspired by visits from Danny Snell, Adelaide-based illustrator/author of The Truck Cat and Bilby Moon. The interactive workshops gave students a unique window into the creative world of storytelling and art.

Lunchtime Activities

Throughout Book Week, there was a range of activities for students to engage in, including: Map making, origami paper boats, paper craft hot air balloons, designing and making crowns and bracelets and a very popular Book Week scavenger hunt with clues spread around the school.

Thank You

A huge thank you to our Library staff (Michelle & Nicole) for bringing Book Week to life with engaging activities in the library during lesson and lunch times. Thank you too, to students, staff and families for making the week a special one.

Year 6 PYP Exhibition

The IB PYP Exhibition is a culminating learning experience, designed for the final year of the IB Primary Years Program. From Weeks 1 – 7 of Term 3, all Year 6 students have participated in the Exhibition process, led by the Year 6 teaching staff. The Exhibition process involves students using a range of skills to inquire into a chosen topic and present their learning to the broader school community.

Congratulations to all students and staff on their hard work throughout this process.

Tuesday, September 2, community members were invited to attend the Exhibition event, with a huge turnout, finding out what the students had been inquiring into.

Festival of Music Choir

On Wednesday, Week 5, the students involved with the Festival of Music went to a whole group rehearsal at Magic Millions. This was a rehearsal for the group singing on our night. They are very much looking forward to performing at the Entertainment Centre next Wednesday, 17th September.

Charity Busking and Musical Performance

Well done to Stacey, Michelle, Sue and all the Instrumental teachers for their efforts with the busking and a great concert for our Special Persons Day. The student busking managed to raise approximately $800, which was greatly received by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Father’s Day Stall
Our Father’s Day Stall was a great success, offering a wonderful selection of gifts for $5.00. This was a great opportunity for students to choose something special for their dads or another significant person in their life. Thank you to Jodie and all the other volunteers who supported on the day or previously wrapped gifts.

Reception Father’s Day Breakfast and Activities

The Reception classes hosted a special pancake breakfast on the Thursday before Father’s Day. Lots of Dads, Grandads and special people enjoyed receiving gifts and spending time doing activities in class while also enjoying a pancake breakfast.

Students and adults all had an enjoyable time.

Did you know that the best time to avoid congestion, when picking up students, is around 3:20 pm? Did you also know that teachers are on duty at the Kiss & Drop area until approximately 3:30 pm, and school staff monitor all students until they are collected?

Please take a moment to look over the diagram below. It is important for everyone’s safety that we safely access the school grounds while not impeding the traffic flow on Main Road. At times you may need to keep circulating until the driveway is clear enough to enter. Under no circumstances should you wait in the bus stop, on Main Road, or queue up over the crossing. These actions impede the ability of pedestrians to cross safely and contravene road rules. It is a tricky time of day – driver courtesy goes a long way!

Below is the proposed Materials and Services Fee for 2026 that has been revised by the Governing Council Finance Committee and recommended by Governing Council at our meeting Tuesday 9^th September.  For 2026, Council has approved a $20 increase per student.  Please note this is the first increase in the last four years. 

If you have any questions, you are welcome to email:

• Governing Council Chairperson, Sam Neville, at sam.neville@outlook.com
• Treasurer, Ben Sanderson, at ben.sanderson268@schools.sa.edu.au
• Principal, Rob Warncken at rob.warncken732@schools.sa.edu.au

As in previous years the Governing Council has voted to poll the school families so that the full charge of $420 is legally recoverable. Without a positive vote from polling we would legally only be able to recover the prescribed amount of $306. This would severely impact our 2026 budget for classroom, library and ICT. All schools have to option to charge above the prescribed amount. Please note that anyone who receives the Schoolcard benefit will not be impacted in any way by this and, if eligible in 2026, will still receive the full Schoolcard benefit.

“The prescribed amount is the amount set out in Regulation 81 of the Education and Children’s Services Regulations that schools can charge as a compulsory component of their materials and services charge without the requirement to poll the school community. The school must however undertake the process of completing the notice as outlined in step 4 of this instruction. The prescribed amount for 2026 for a primary student is $306.”

Please note, in the 2025/2026 State Budget it was announced the Materials and Services Charge Rebate for the 2026 school year remains at $200 per student. 

Very soon you will receive an email asking you to vote online to accept or not accept the recommendation from Governing Council to legally recover the full Materials and Services fee of $420.

A friendly reminder that on the last day of term, Friday 26th September, students will be dismissed at 2:10 pm.

A Celebration of Music, Art, and Culture!

On Wednesday, 3rd September (Week 7), our school celebrated Japanese Cultural Day, a vibrant and hands-on event that gave students a unique opportunity to explore traditional and modern aspects of Japanese culture. The day featured two exciting cultural experiences that ran simultaneously, with classes rotating between them throughout the day.

One of the highlights was a live performance by Wasabi, featuring Toshi on the powerful Taiko drums and Noriko on the elegant Shamisen strings. Students were introduced to the history and cultural importance of these traditional instruments, and were treated to a beautiful and energetic performance. The show was highly interactive, with many students and teachers invited to try playing the instruments themselves, guided by Toshi and Noriko’s expert instruction and engaging commentary.

At the same time, other groups were immersed in the creative world of manga with professional artist Kenny. In his workshop, Kenny taught basic manga drawing techniques in a fun, easy-to-follow way. Students learned how to use Japanese Kanji letters to inspire and connect their drawings. After some step-by-step demonstrations, students got to work on their own illustrations—bringing their characters to life using the new techniques they had learned. The final artworks were a true reflection of their creativity and enthusiasm.

Throughout the day, students rotated between the music and art sessions, ensuring everyone had a chance to experience both amazing aspects of Japanese culture. All three performers spoke highly of our students, noting their respectful attitude, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate and learn. Well done everyone!

Thank you to our amazing guests—Toshi, Noriko, and Kenny—and to our staff and students for making Japanese Cultural Day such a great success!

What an incredible Book Week we had! Our school was buzzing with excitement as students, staff and families embraced the joy of books, stories and imagination as we celebrated the wonderful world of stories together.

A huge highlight was welcoming Danny Snell, a local and award-winning illustrator, who wowed students with his creative process. He showed how a simple sketch can grow into a finished picture book, and even shared some drawing tricks; the students were buzzing with inspiration!

The excitement continued all week with lunchtime activities that had the library packed every day. From hands-on fun to the thrilling Guess the Book Riddle Competition, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

The week concluded with a highlight for many - our Book Parade on Friday; what a spectacular finale! It was a sea of colour, with students excitedly stepping into the shoes of their favourite characters - animals, wizards, superheroes and more. The creativity and effort in the costumes were truly outstanding.

To top it all off, we were delighted to welcome parents and community members to a special morning tea in the library. It was a wonderful way to wrap up the week and celebrate our shared love of reading.

A BIG thank you to our students, staff, parents and community for making this Book Week another memorable event. Your enthusiasm, support and creativity brought the adventures of books to life!

Here’s to another year of stories, imagination and adventures from the pages of every book.

Visit your Local Library

This year, our local library, Blackwood Library and Mitcham Memorial Library again gave schools an opportunity to take part in a fun activity for Book Week. Three of Coro’s classes, 1P, 2OT and 4B, participated in this fun activity and each produced a creative story and piece of artwork.

In celebration, the libraries are hosting an exhibition of the books written by children from our local schools. You may like to take the opportunity to go along and have a look at these imaginative and adventurous tales! They will be on display in both libraries from the 16th September to 10th November, during opening hours.

Competition winners

Congratulations to our Book Week competition winners!

The Book Redesigns Competition winners were:

The Guess the Book by the Riddle Competition

Michelle O’Connell

Teacher Librarian

Our special visitors were treated to gifts made with lots of love — a colourful tie, a decorated mug, and a heartfelt card. The highlight for many was sitting down with their child to create some hand art together. It was messy, creative, and loads of fun, and now our dads have a special piece to keep forever!

The morning was full of laughter, smiles, and sticky fingers from syrup and Milo. Thank you to everyone who came along — we loved sharing this special celebration with you!

On the 14th of August, Year 1, we went on a trip to Magarey Orchard. First, we saw all the apple trees and walked around looking at the apples growing on the trees. Then we went inside the big cold storage room where the apples stay fresh. It was freezing! After that, we watched how the apples were sorted and packed into boxes, ready to be sent to shops. We learnt that apples go from the farm to the table in many steps. 

During the Year 2 Inquiry into Places, students have been learning about the geographical features of Australia and how people are connected to special places. They explored how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples care for Country, and why it is important that we all show respect for the places we visit, live in and learn in.

To deepen their understanding, we went on local walks to Blackwood Forest and Frank Smith Park. These experiences helped students notice the features, stories and feelings of these places, and reflect on the ways they can care for them. The learning and experiences of this inquiry will stay with students, helping them form long-lasting connections with nature and guiding them to take action to look after Country now and into the future.

Student Reflections

• I could hear birds swaying and people talking. Being in the forest made me feel brave. I think Blackwood Forest is special because it has been alive for over 30 years! - Jimmy
• I saw a scarab beetle grub moving. I touched the big trees. Being in the forest made me feel like I could sprint off and play. If the forest could talk it might say “please look after the land”. I could hear nature. - George
• I could hear the trees rustling in the wind. Being in the forest made me feel happy and calm. If the forest could talk it might say “Welcome, young people”. - Hamish
• I noticed the colour green when I saw the tops of the trees and grass. I could hear the wind blowing through the trees. Being in the forest made me feel happy, calm and excited. We can look after Blackwood Forest by not cutting the trees down. - Eliza
• I noticed the colours on the fungi were bright orange. I touched logs and bark. Being in the forest made me feel calm and excited. If the forest could talk it might say, “Hello, would you like to play with me?” - Chloe
• I noticed the colours green and brown that were on the trees. I could hear the birds chirping. Being in the forest made me feel happy and excited. We can look after Blackwood Forest by not littering. - Serena
• One thing I saw on our walk that stood out to me was the pretty fruit trees. I noticed the colours green and brown in the leaves and trees. I could hear the birds laughing. Being in the forest made me feel happy, calm and silly. If the forest could talk, it might say, “Don’t climb my trees”. - Alice
• We walked a long way and on the way we saw some things like long green things that you chew, and they tasted like tea. - Charlotte
• Firstly, we found these things that black cockatoos like to eat, and they break the shell and eat the seed! - Evie
• Firstly, we walked out of the school, and we looked at the Frank Smith Lake and Memorial Rock. We went on the path and got spiky balls, and we got to a hill, and I almost slipped, and I was about to fall on a wonky bridge. - Eddie
• I went to Frank Smith because we are learning about natural, constructed and managed places. Then I saw a koala and a dog. I had fun. - Harvey
• At Frank Smith, Mrs Gardner told us there was a plant we could eat. I loved it, I thought it tasted delicious and some tasted sour and sweet. - Alfie
• John Smith died. Frank Smith was sad but the grief helped him build the dam and his dream (a park for everyone). - Mia
• Frank Smith Park is special because Coro kids look after it. Did you know that Coro students planted 200 trees? - Ella
• Blackwood Forest is special but the government tried to sell it. Blackwood Forest is special so we should protect it! - Hazel
• Frank Smith Park is special so we have to look after it and show Ngaitalya, otherwise Frank Smith's dream won't come true. - Sacha
• Blackwood Forest is special because it is relaxing, calm and peaceful. - Mia

Thank you to all the families who volunteered their time to accompany our walks, with special thanks to Mike Hemus for sharing his rich knowledge about plants and animals. 

As part of their experiences connecting with Country, students sat in nature and practised deep listening. They used their senses to pay attention to what they could hear, feel, smell, and see. Using what they noticed, they created their own Acknowledgement of Country.

Year 2 Acknowledegment of Country

We are proudly on Kaurna Land.

We acknowledge the Ancestors and Elders who have cared for this Land and shared the stories of the magpies, the cockatoos, the sun and the wind.

We acknowledge all Aboriginal People in this space.

We will respect the Kaurna people and their culture.

We will look after the land by protecting the grass, plants and trees.

We will plant and water new trees and care for our school garden.

We will keep Country healthy by putting rubbish in the bin.

We will reduce plastic in our lunch boxes to protect birds and animals.

We will respect wild animals by not chasing or feeding them, and we will keep their habitats safe.

We will listen to the birds and learn their calls.

We will only take what we need from nature and leave plenty for others.

Ngaityalya

This Year 2 Acknowledgment of Country was developed with the guidance of Jade Brook, who is proudly Kaurna, Narungga and Ngarrindjeri, and has given permission for it to be shared. We are very grateful to Jade for generously sharing this process. 

Creating their own Acknowledgement of Country was a powerful way for students to put this learning into action. It gave them the chance to express their respect for Kaurna Country and share their commitment to caring for the places we visit, live in and learn in with the whole school community.

On Thursday, our Year 3 students took part in the Hot Shots Tennis Carnival at Blackwood Tennis Club. The sun was shining as everyone enjoyed a day of active fun and friendly competition. After a mini coaching session for the whole group, students played in round-robin doubles matches, building their teamwork and sportsmanship along the way.
A highlight of the day was the “dance round,” where students showed off their best moves between games, and the “teacher round,” where staff joined in the action on court alongside the students. Congratulations to Arlo, Sophie and Edeline who each received a prize for showing fantastic sportsmanship.
It was a wonderful day filled with energy, learning, and laughter!

Murphy had too much fun chasing some tennis balls!

Our Year 6 Youth Environmental Leaders recently had the opportunity to deepen their learning and leadership during a special excursion, which included a visit to Happy Valley Primary School and a guided tour of the Happy Valley Reservoir.

At Happy Valley Primary, students connected with other young environmental leaders, sharing ideas and learning from each other’s sustainability projects. This was followed by an engaging and informative tour of the reservoir, where students explored local ecosystems and water conservation efforts firsthand.

Throughout the day, students applied and strengthened their science inquiry skills by asking thoughtful questions, making observations, and reflecting on environmental challenges and solutions. They also practiced their science communication skills, presenting their ideas and learning to peers with confidence and clarity.

It was a positive and inspiring experience that not only supported students’ individual projects but also fostered collaboration, curiosity, and a stronger commitment to environmental leadership.

We thank parent volunteer, Fleur for staying with us for the day.

Sarah Todd

Celebrating Student Innovation and Inquiry

The 2025 Oliphant Science Awards saw fantastic involvement from our students, with many keen young scientists entering projects across a wide range of categories — including crystal growing, posters, robotics, games, photography, science inquiry, and science writing.

These projects not only sparked creativity but also deepened students’ understanding of scientific concepts through hands-on investigation and exploration.

We are proud to celebrate our three overall winners:

• William for his inventive project The Unlimited Shower
• Eddy for his engaging science writing on How Bugs Communicate
• Our school, recognised for its outstanding work in citizen science, led by Mrs Todd

These winners will receive a prize at an award ceremony in October, with all other student participants receiving a certificate during term 4.

Over 100 projects were entered from Coro, and congratulations to the following students for entering…
Molly, Eddy, Elise, Lily, Isla, Sienna, Eddy, Lexie, Flynn, Kai, Marlee, Larissa, Nariah, Hannah, Sophie, Harry, Ziggy, Patrick, Molly, Ellie, Lydia, Sahishnu, Christian, Amarlie, Mitchell, Aliah, Eliza, Mia, Lewis, Ruby, Channy, Eddie, Zoe, Isla, Jamie, Kenzi, Griffen, Pardis, Lincoln, Quin, Grace, Cooper, Aria, Lexi, Lucas, Audrey, Peyton, Bessie, Tess, Millie, Talia, Hannah, Holly, Harper, Jeremy, Frederik, Emily, Lotti, Chloe, Amarantha, Oscar, Cody, Toby, Emerson, Brandon, Reuben, Izzak, Indra, Chase, Cameron, Jaxon, Frankie, Harry, Matilda, Patrick, Freya, Lacey, Asher, Amber, Ethan, Albert, Aria, Saoirse, William, Fraser, Hugh, Indie, Valerian, Pariya, Caleb, Ruby, Maia, Charlotte, Alisha, Mack, Carter, Arya, Sienna, Sebastian, Jasmie, Ivy.

Congratulations to all students who participated — your effort, curiosity, and enthusiasm for science were truly inspiring. A huge thank you to Mrs Todd and all the staff and families who supported this valuable learning experience. 

Our team proudly represented Coro at the recent STEM Challenge hosted by Mitcham Girls High School — and we’re thrilled to share that we placed 2nd overall! (We lost by 1 point!). 

The day was packed with hands-on challenges that put our teamwork, creativity, and science skills to the test. From building a bionic hand under time pressure to constructing a catapult, the students were faced with real-world science problems, where every task pushed the group to collaborate, think critically, and stay calm under pressure.

This experience not only strengthened the students technical skills, but also reminded them of how powerful communication and teamwork can be in solving complex problems. We’re incredibly proud of our result and grateful for the opportunity to compete with and learn from other passionate STEM students.

Well done to Year 6 students, Pariya, Amber, Elise and Ruby on their success.

Sarah Todd

This year our Wellbeing Leaders are organising shoeboxes as part of Operation Christmas Child – where shoeboxes filled with gifts are given to children in developing nations who may otherwise not receive a Christmas gift.

We are asking for the school community to donate items towards these boxes, which will then be packed by the Wellbeing Leaders.

Items for the boxes can be left at the front office or given directly to Jenni Forder and can be dropped off until the end of week 10 (Friday 26 September).

Please consider buying a gift for a boy or girl aged 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 in the following categories:

• Clothing (t-shirt, socks, pyjamas, shoes etc)
• Personal Care items (toothbrush, combs, bar of soap, hairbrush)
• School supplies (pens, pencils, sharpeners, notebooks, colouring books etc)
• Accessories (sunglasses, hair accessories, jewellery etc)
• WOW items and Toys (stuffed animals, dolls, toy cars, skipping ropes, yo-yos etc)

Please keep the items to a size that will fit into a standard size shoebox.

Please DO NOT include:

• Lollies, toothpaste, gum, used or damaged items, war-related items, food, liquids, lotions, glass or breakable items.

Many thanks.

The Wellbeing Leaders (supported by PCW Jenni Forder)

On Thursday, 21st August, I had the privilege of coaching our Sapsasa boys basketball team at the Sports SA State Championships, held at Morphett Vale Basketball Stadium.

It was an exciting day filled with fierce competition and team spirit. Our boys showcased teamwork and determination throughout all the games they played, trying their best against some tough competition. Unfortunately, we didn't make it through to the State Finals Day, but we look forward to competing again next year.

A big thank you to all the parents and supporters who transported, scored and cheered us on, and congratulations to the boys on their effort throughout the day.

Rob Warncken - Coach

Our lost property box is once again overflowing with with unnamed items.

If you are missing any jumpers, jackets, containers or drink bottles please come and collect them.

Any unclaimed items will be given to charity.

I am writing to you with some information about an exciting new initiative – the Mitcham Hills Family Wellness Education Sessions

I am organising these along with Tracey Yeend (Green Dispensary Blackwood)  and some parents from Blackwood Primary School. These sessions are an expansion of our already well attended ‘Mitcham and Hills’ and the ‘Mitcham’ Wellness sessions that are designed for older people. 

The Family Information Sessions will have speakers who will cover a raft of different health and parenting topics, the speakers will be health care professionals from our local area and they will be held at Blackwood Primary School. In order to ensure that we have topics that parents are interested in, we have designed a survey that I am hopeful you may be able to distribute to your families to give them an opportunity to provide their feedback.

Here is the link: www.bit.ly/mitchamhillsfamily

Thanks for your help, 

Catherine

"If your child is going to be absent from any OSHC session whether that be due to absence from school or another reason, please let us know as early as possible on 0408 824 686 (OSHC mobile).  This will give us the opportunity to reach out to families who are on the waitlist with as much notice as possible to offer them the place/s in a session.