Dear families & friends, 

Welcome back to Felixstow Primary School 2024!

It has been an exciting, busy and positive start to the year at Felixstow. We welcome all our new families and hope you have all settled into life at Felixstow.

With our year 3 – 6 students already attending camp at Narnu Farm, it has been a whirlwind first 3 weeks! Camp provides an experience for students to establish and develop relationships, team work and connections with each other and staff.

I want to take the opportunity to thank all the staff who volunteered their time to take students on camp, and to families for the support to make sure every child had a positive experience and opportunity to grow in independence and inner strength.

The first four weeks of the year we always have a focus on building our school and classroom culture. This year we have started with a strong focus on building our Berry St practices with a focus on developing predictable learning routines, along with revisiting growth/fixed mindset thinking, zones of regulation and global competencies! We will be sharing some of this learning at our Acquaintance night and throughout the year with families.

Acquaintance night & AGM

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Acquaintance Night and AGM this week, Tuesday 20th February. Based on previous feedback we have decided to try a new format that allows additional time for families to mingle and get to know each other. The evening is planned as follows:

        Evening Agenda:

        5.45—6.45             Free Sausage sizzle and time to catch up with and meet each other and staff (on the green)           

        6.45 – 7.00             Official welcome to everyone, and general information from Skye.

        7.00 – 7.30             Meet with class teachers in their class to find out more about your child’s class

        7.30 – 8.00pm       Meet in Primary 2 room (yr5/6 room) for our A.G.M.

Traffic update

Thanks to the work of Governing Council and staff last year we have finally had some supports and agreements, from local council and the Way to Go initiative, in making our school and road safer. You will have noticed the traffic speed indicator at the front of the school to remind everyone of our 25km/hour speed limit. This will remain in place for approximately 3 more weeks. We have had approval for a dedicated pedestrian crossing area to be installed directly out from the front gate and additional signage approved.

We want to remind and encourage everyone in our own community to be practicing and demonstrating safe road use at all times.

This includes:

·       parking on the correct side of the road

·       Passengers only exiting vehicles from the curb side

·       Walking on pathways (ie not down the driveway)

·       Use of the Turner St carpark and entering the school from the oval gate (there are over 100 parking spots available in this carpark)

·       Reminding and demonstrating safe ways to cross the road with our children (including holding hands, looking in both directions, no jay walking)

·       Following road speed limits and signage

·       Only using the drop off area if children can independently enter and exit the car.

·       No parking or leaving your vehicles in the driveway in the drop off zone (2 minute max limit)

We want to continue to improve the safety in our area so our students are safe.

NAPLAN

in Year 3 & 5 will sit these assessments over week 7 and 8 in Term 1. Information will be sent home to families soon. Please email Skye with any questions or concerns.

Volunteers

We are excited about the year ahead for our volunteer program. Keep an eye out for regular updates via Audiri and SeeSaw about opportunities to get involved.

We look forward to a positive and productive year ahead with everyone and hope to see many of you brave the heat to come to our first event this week. 

Cheers Skye 😊

Volunteers are a vital part of our school community and we are very lucky to already have some dedicated and talented people who provide our students with amazing support in many different ways, however, we are always looking for more volunteers. 

We will be providing information and volunteer packs at Acquaintance Night and also holding coffee and information sessions in week 6 on Friday 8th March and week 9 on Friday 5th April from 9.45am, following Banba Ban Balya (assembly).  

Volunteers make a difference! 

Looking forward to seeing you at our information sessions. 

About 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 the child 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 and Emma’s class 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. Juniper’s class will receive their forms in Term2. The final day of the Challenge is Term 3, week 7. Record sheets must be handed in to Kelly or Gillian 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 an assembly 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. 

Thank you to the parents that have placed their order on this Issue of Book Club! There is still time to order if you haven't already as orders are due in by end of the school day on Monday 19th February.  

Orders can be made on the Scholastic website   (https://www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP) or by downloading the LOOP app.

All orders earn our school rewards which are then used to purchase more books for the Resource Pod which are much appreciated by our students. 

Below is a link to Scholastic's Parent Guide to Book Club which you may find useful.

https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-home/