Keeping informed
Who can believe we're almost at the end of Week 6? I certainly can't! This term is flying along at rapid speed, with so much happening it's hard to keep track of it all. It's really important that as parents and carers to our students, you keep on top of class communication and make sure that you've got all the information you need. Ensure you have downloaded the Audiri app (previously Skoolbag) and are signed up to the communication platform your child/s teacher use.
Improving student reading at Kapunda Primary School
You may have heard your child talk about ‘Heggerty’. At Kapunda Primary School we utilise this program to develop fundamental phonemic awareness skills. Heggerty was developed in 2003 by Dr Michael Heggerty, the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum is a systematic program of daily lesson plans that provide a high level of explicit modelling and student engagement. Each level provides daily lessons, focusing on eight phonemic awareness skills, along with two additional activities to develop letter and sound recognition, and language awareness. Lessons are designed for a classroom setting, and only take 8-12 minutes.
The Heggerty Curriculum includes explicit instruction in the following phonological and phonemic awareness skills:
- Rhyming
- Initial Phoneme Isolation
- Blending
- Isolating final and medial phonemes (sounds)
- Segmenting
- Adding Phonemes
- Deleting Phonemes
- Substituting Phonemes
New polo tops
All students should have received their new polo top by now. It is wonderful to see students wearing them and receiving positive feedback about the new design. I’m very grateful to the time given by the uniform committee of Megan McWaters, Irena O’Reilly, Georgia Tydeman, Tess Vogt and Annie Crowhurst in the new polo design process.
Fundraising targets
At Governing Council meeting in Week 4 a decision was made regarding where money from fundraising would be spent. Money raised in 2023 will go towards covering swimming lessons for students in 2024 and the installation of a PA system in the Gymnasium. These are two excellent focuses for fundraising and will benefit our students, families and school greatly.
When whole school fundraising activities occur, there will be an explanation of how the money raised is going towards 2024 swimming lessons and a PA system in the gymnasium. Please note that classes may do separate fundraisers, to support with events such as a class camp or excursion.
Year 7 High School applications
Information packs and emails have gone out to all families of students in Year 6, explaining the process they need to undertake to register for Year 7 in high school in 2024. If you have any questions about any stage of the process can you please call the school on 8566 2008 so we can support you to complete the registration process by the due date of 26th May, 2023. Families will be notified of the outcome in August.
Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 13th June
The next pupil-free day will be held in Week 7 of this term, on Tuesday 13th June. Schools are able to have 4 pupil free days and one school closure day per year. These days must be approved by the Governing Council, and also approved by the local Education Director.
KOSHC will be available for parents on this day, if you need to make a booking, please contact Louise directly.
Crossing Safety
A big thankyou to the parents who are modelling safe behaviour by utilising our pedestrian crossing. A reminder that it is law to use the crossing if you are within close proximity to it.
Thank you
We would like to acknowledge and say thanks to all our Governing Council members and other volunteers at Kapunda Primary School. Your time, passion and contributions are highly valued helping us to provide extended opportunities to students (such as through camps) and apply feedback to reflect on things we do well and can improve on.
Kind regards,
David
