2025 School Fees and Excursion Levy

I thank you all for your patience as the 2025 School Fees and Excursion Levy Invoices are not yet available.

Since moving over to EMS (new data system) at the end of year,  beginning of year financial procedures are taking me a lot longer as I am doing it for the first time.

The school fees for 2025 are again $430 for the year minus the Government rebate of $200 per student bringing the total to $230.  The rebate is not available if you are eligible for school card.  The annual excursion levy is again $85.  This covers excursions during the year rather than paying for each individual event (Swimming and Aquatics is not covered by this fee).

If you are or think you may be eligible for School Card you do not need to wait for the invoice you can go to this website;

sa.gov.au/school card scheme  

Any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me.

gillian.hodges473@schools.sa.edu.au  or 8365 7183

On Tuesday 18th February we will be opening our doors to families to come in for Acquaintance Night. At Felixstow we strongly believe that the more we work together and build a village for our children the more secure and supported each child feels which leads to stronger connections to learning and growth. We would love to see as many people as possible coming in with their child to share their learning space with you. 

In Ban Ba Ban Bayla this week, thirteen students received an award for displaying the school values of respect, responsibility and compassion or showing one or more of the attributes of the six global competencies (6 C's); character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. Well done to the following students; Lincoln, Mark, Tess, Crisnage, Tori, Archie, Evie, Sahndra, Theo, Myah, Sara, Ella and Aiden.

The Juniors have welcomed a new style of learning and play provocations with gusto! We have been spending our first 3 weeks developing our classroom non-negotiables and deep diving into the Zones of Regulation. The Zones are how we acknowledge, respond to and manage our self-regulation. We have participated in a range of discussions and activities to support understanding of each zone. Juniors created their Red Beasts for the red zone, a calm down bottle for the blue zone and their own worry doll for the yellow zone. These tools will be coming home with them to support self-regulation strategies in their special place, sharing their understanding and learning with those nearest and dearest to them. 

Students have enjoyed exploring the new spaces and getting to know each other through fun activities and challenges. We have explored the brain and created a model, using plasticine, to help us understand the different parts and what they do. STEM challenges with P2 have tapped into our problem solving and communication skills to create structures capable of holding objects and launching a marble. We created a persuasive text about a hero we think deserves an award and then we watched Austin's butterfly to help us understand the importance of feedback to bump up our work and make improvements. Check out some of our texts below!

Our Year 5/6 class (P2) has had a solid start to the year. Students have begun to progress in both maths and literacy, showing confidence and enthusiasm in their learning. Whether tackling problem-solving STEM challenges or exploring some debate provoking persuasive text topics, they have embraced new concepts with determination.

Alongside our academic start, we have also been focusing on class routines and mindfulness activities, helping students develop strategies to manage their emotions, stay focused, and build resilience. Understanding how the brain works has been another exciting area of learning, giving students valuable insights into how they learn best and how they can develop a growth mindset.

It's been wonderful to see the students engage so positively with their learning and support one another in the classroom. With such a strong start, we are looking forward to a fantastic year of growth, curiosity, and achievement!

The Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premiers Reading Challenge is a literacy engagement program that was introduced by the Premier in 2004. Its aims to encourage children to read more books, to improve literacy skills and to just enjoy reading. The challenge requires children to read 12 books from the start of the school year until early September. Children who complete the challenge are then awarded a certificate or medal depending on the number of years they have participated. For more information see the attached brochure or go to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website: https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/

PRC at FPS

The Primary class students can begin the Challenge from Day 1. Forms can be downloaded from the above link. If you have a problem accessing the form then paper copies are available from school. The Juniors class will receive their forms in Term 2. The final day of the Challenge is in Term 3, week 7. Record sheets must be handed in to Kelly, Gillian or your child's class teacher no later than this date and can be handed in any time before if the student has completed the Challenge. Awards are given to students who have completed the Challenge (once the school has received them) at a Ban Ba Ban Bayla in Term 4.

Breaktime Activities

The Resource Pod is now open for one breaktime a day, offering students a variety of activities to participate in or just a safe space to relax and read a book. We will be holding some themed sessions in the near future and welcome any suggestions the students may have. 

Borrowing/Returning Books

Students have the opportunity to borrow books from the Resource Pod during scheduled class times and when the Pod is open at break times. All books are on loan for two weeks and the due date can be found on a slip attached to the inside back cover of the book or on a book mark. Please return the books by the due date or before if finished, as other students may be waiting to borrow them. 

    

Term 1 Week	Day & Date	Event
4	Tuesday 18th  February	Acquaintance Night & AGM
6	Friday 7th March	Pupil Free Day (No School)
7	Monday 10th March	Kings Birthday Public Holiday (No School)
7	Friday 14th March	Ban Ba Ban Bayla (P1)
8	Friday 21st March	Harmony Day
9	Friday 28th March	Ban Ba Ban Bayla (Juniors)
10	Wednesday 2nd April	School Photos
11	Friday 11th April	Last Day of Term (EARLY DISMISSAL at  2.10pm)