Yesterday, NAPLAN testing began for our Year 3 and 5 students. During this week and next, they will be participating in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. Apart from Year 3 writing, all of our NAPLAN tests are being conducted online.

We encourage parents and students to view NAPLAN as just one of the many different types of activities we do at school - it shouldn’t be a stressful time and does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. It is one of many ways that we gather information about how education programs are working and whether our students are meeting important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

The online testing is progressing very smoothly at our school, with only a few minor technology issues which we have been able to resolve quickly in each instance. Students who are absent on their scheduled testing days will be offered catch up sessions upon their return. All testing will be completed by Monday 27^th March. 

Last Thursday night we invited parents and students to attend a KidzBiz presentation and workshop. Whilst not a big crowd, the sessions were fun, informative and easy to understand.

Keryn provided students and their parents / care providers with an introduction to basic personal and social development education; traditionally known as the ‘facts of life’.

Session 1: ‘Where Did We Come From’ (Year 2 to Year 4 students) discussed

• Basic female & male body parts of the reproductive system
• Dispersed myths about where babies come from
• Fertilization/conception
• Foetal development
• Birth processes

Session (2) ‘What’s Happening to Us” (Year 5 to 6 students)

• Female & male body parts of the reproductive system
• Changes during puberty
• Self-esteem and body image
• Impact media has on body image
• parent/child relationships

Those parents who attended were appreciative of the calm and informative sessions and commented how it made it easier for them to approach what is typically a difficult subject to address.

Complementing this parent session, students from years 4-6 will attend workshops in class during the next 3 weeks.

All workshops cover core social, personal and sexuality development education in accordance with The Australian Curriculum: Health & Physical Education and the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum.  

Year 6 students will have 4 sessions including

• Reproductive system
• Conception to birth
• Puberty Physical
• Keep Safe

Year 5 students will have 3 sessions

• Basic reproductive system
• Basic puberty
• Personal & cyber safety

Year 4 students will have 1 extended session including

• Basic reproductive system, babies and puberty

Grandparents and Special Friends Day will be held on Wednesday 12th April. This year, a morning tea will be available from 9.30am-11.30am in the Innovation Centre for all our special visitors.

If you are able to offer assistance with serving morning tea and/or providing a plate of store bought treats we would appreciate your support. Please let your class teacher know if you are able to help in any way, or email dl.0270.admin@schools.sa.edu.au. We look forward to seeing you all for this special event. Please see flyer for morning tea information.

Dear Parents & Carers,

What a wonderful start to the school year we have had. It was great to catch up with many parents during our recent acquaintance night. We have certainly missed having parents around the school and look forward to re-engaging with you all in the weeks and months ahead. Our teachers are already planning excursions and incursions for this term so if you are able to volunteer to assist your class, please let your teacher know as soon as possible. Please also consider whether you may be able to join our Governing Council. Our AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 28th February at 6.30pm and we would love to see some new faces.

We have had an amazing response to the reopening of the canteen’s over-the-counter service at recess. With the recent hot weather, our slushy machine has been working overtime. Our students have certainly enjoyed having access to the canteen and being able to use money again. I give great thanks to our Year 6 students who have volunteered their time to support the well-being of their fellow students. They have done a splendid job!

On a safety note, over the last three weeks, we have had a number of students arrive at school extra early.  To ensure the safety of all, can I ask that students do not arrive at school prior to 8.35am as we do not have teachers on yard duty until this time. We often start the day with behaviour or friendship issues that have arisen prior to school commencing, due to the lack of adult supervision. So your assistance with this concern is very much appreciated. If you do find that you need to drop off your child before 8.35am, please consider the Out of Hours Care programme.

Can I also ask parents and carers to use the footpaths whilst entering and leaving the school. I was watching from my window the other day whilst a car was reversing out of a parking space. Two families narrowly avoided being hit due to weaving through the parked cars. We do have a number of carpark users who arrive or depart during the hours of schooling, both parents and staff.  Smaller children and toddlers are particularly hard to see therefore, I ask that you use the footpaths at all times as you enter and exit the school grounds.

In case you have forgotten, Monday 20th February is a pupil-free day where our teachers are developing their knowledge and pedagogy of Maths planning and differentiation. 

I wish you all a lovely long weekend.

Warm regards, Scott

Please see below the upcoming important dates and school events for Term 1 2023

What an exciting first three weeks for our graduating cohort for 2023. The Year 6s have been exploring identity, values and what makes a good leader, as all of our senior students will have ample opportunities to develop and show leadership this year. We have high expectations of all our Year 6s and know they will make great role models to their peers, give back to their school community and leave a positive legacy in their final year at Mitcham Primary.

On Friday of Week 2, the students gathered to hear the announcements of the successful candidates for various positions that they had previously had the opportunity to apply for. The decision-making process was exceptionally difficult for all the staff involved (including previous teachers, specialist teachers, the leadership team and the current class teachers) as there were so many fantastic applicants and limited positions.

We congratulate every single student who tried out and applaud the resilience and continued persistence of those who missed out this time. To paraphrase some of the solid advice that we heard from guest speaker Laura Scriven, one of our fabulous Year 2 teachers and also a state netball team leader, “everything in life - the highs and the lows - builds your character”, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and “growth begins at the end of your comfort zones”.

We are excited to acknowledge and introduce you to the following students who were successful in their appointments, and we look forward to working with them across the year and witnessing their leadership skills in action.

Harry, Sue & Emma, Year 6 Teachers

This year our School Photos will be taken by Crackerjack Studios on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd February. The sibling pack has a separate tab and must be ordered along with your Deluxe, Classic or Portrait pack before February 20th for your children to be on the photographer's list.

Photos will be delivered to the school when completed and sent home with your child. If you order ONLINE, you DO NOT need an envelope. You will need to fill out 1 simple form for your child/children and another for your sibling photos. Please go to Crackerjack Studios page to order your photos. http://crackerjackstudios.com.au/mitcham-primary-school-photos-2023

Behaviour and Wellbeing Consultant, Madhavi Nawana Parker presented to our school community on Wednesday night 15/2. A small group of parents and carers attended the night and were extremely positive of the practical and relevant information Madhavi provided.

Madhavi explained and presented strategies around why it’s difficult for our students to ignore social media, text messages and other awesome things on their devices. She helped us understand how to help them enjoy time with and without their device so their wellbeing, learning, friendships, family relationships, sports and hobbies continue to flourish. Madhavi answered specific questions about household technology use and provided suggestions to help those parents.

Madhavi’s presentation was practical and highly relevant to our school community and the needs of our students. Feedback from attendees was optimistic and they expressed their thanks as a school community of having strategies to reinforce positive and compassionate behaviours around devices. As always, we welcome feedback and suggestions about topics for parent workshops.

Outcome of the Materials & Services Poll

We wish to advise parents/carers of the outcome of the 2023 Materials & Services Poll conducted by the School Governing Council. The school community voted in favour of making the prescribed sum of $460 legally recoverable. The votes received were 211 For and 41 Against.

$100 Materials & Services Rebate

For the second year, South Australian families with children attending public schools will receive a $100 SA Government discount per student on their annual materials and services charge. 

Unlike last year, you don’t need to do anything to claim the $100 discount. A $100 credit has been automatically applied which reduces your 2023 Materials and Services charge to $360.00. 

Financial Statements showing the $100 credit and your Materials and Services invoice have been sent home with your child.  Please only pay the amount printed on the red sticker of the Statement. 

The rebate does not apply to families approved for school card as they are not required to pay the materials and services charge. See separate School Card heading for more information.

Payment of the Materials & Services invoice is due by the end of Term 1. Any extension on this time can be arranged by setting up a Direct Debit or Payment Plan. Please email dl.0270.finance@schools.sa.edu.au for the authorization form.

Excursions and Activities

Excursions, camps, activities, aquatics, swimming lessons etc will be invoiced individually prior to each event. A letter and consent form will be sent home with details of the excursion and amount payable. Details will be uploaded on our QKR! App. and payment must be made prior to attendance.

Have you downloaded the Qkr! App yet? It's our preferred method of payment

We encourage parents/caregivers to download the Qkr App which is a convenient way to pay for all school fees, excursions, uniform purchases and canteen lunch orders. Details of your order and payment will be forwarded securely to the school each day. This provides you with the convenience of being able to make payments at any time and will eliminate payments being left in school bags.  Itemised QKR! e-receipts provide you with a record of purchase and are a convenient way to keep track of your payments.

Low-income families with children that attend government schools can get financial help with school fees – materials and services charges – through the School Card scheme.

School card applications are now open for 2023. Income limits, based on the number of dependent children in your family, have been increased by 6.4% this year. With this increase, some families who were not previously eligible may now qualify. Information on school card eligibility, income limits and the application process can be found at www.sa.gov.au/education/schoolcard.

School Card MUST BE APPLIED FOR EACH SCHOOL YEAR and lodged at your earliest opportunity.

If you need help completing your application please contact School Card on 1800 672 758 (free call).

You will be notified by the School Card Section of the outcome of your application, please do not pay any money towards your Materials and Services charge until you know the outcome.