Nuriootpa Primary School

Hi all,

A few notes from me:

Morning Yard Supervision

It is becoming increasingly apparent that students are arriving at school much earlier than we are able to cater for. Please note that we only have supervision from 8:30 onwards. Prior to that teachers are busy preparing for the day.

Should you need to drop your child before 8:30 they must go directly to the undercover area, next to the COLA and remain there until 8:30 when the yard duty person is out.

We kindly request that if your child/children are continually arriving  closer to 8 am that you consider using the OSHC facilities that we have on site.

This is a duty of care/HSW matter, as well as a matter of allowing teachers the time to get organised to provide the best possible learning for children throughout the day.

School Photos

Please note that school photos have been booked for August 8th. Karen Brook coordinates our school photos and will have all necessary paperwork and/or instructions for you as the date nears. 

Mid year transition

As you may be aware children are now able to enter reception at the beginning of Term 3 if their 5th birthday falls between 1st May and 31st October.

We will be commencing our transition program with a parent information evening on Tuesday 27th May followed by school transition visits on 3/6/25, 11/6/25 and 17/6/25. If you have a child who is starting please ensure that you save the dates of our transition program on your calendar. 

Governing Council 

We held our governing council meeting last Monday night and I thank all of our governing council members for their continued support.

One of the areas discussed at Governing Council was our Auslan program. As a Governing Council and a staff group we recognise that our students are very much enjoying the introduction to Auslan that Miss Kat is providing.

We have therefore decided that we will continue to teach Auslan across the school. We will teach some other languages, such as German, at relevant times throughout the year, for example, in preparation for the German lantern walk. We believe it is important to continue to support this community event and we are keen to engage with Frau Cook across at the high school. If you would like to know more about Auslan feel free to contact Miss Kat here at school Monday to Wednesday.

Pupil Free Day

Our Pupil Free Day focused on deepening our understanding of, and capacity to deliver, a high-quality writing lesson and the planning of writing to include additional aspects from the SA Curriculum. We had a lot of good conversation and teachers experienced being a student for a few hours as I took them through a process of learning to write the poetic form. We will continue with this work as we build upon the vast amount of spelling and reading work we have been covering in our improvement work. We finished the day with an ICT session where we looked at how we can use technology to support students in their learning.

The end of term 2 will see student academic reports sent home. Reports are an essential tool for keeping parents informed about their child's educational progress. Overall, reports are a vital component of the educational process, supporting transparency, communication, and collaboration between parents and schools. 

Schools are required to provide parents or carers with at least two written reports per year for each student. Reports must give an accurate and objective assessment of a student's achievement and progress. They should use plain language and report against the Australian Curriculum achievement standards for learning areas and subjects using A to E grades or word equivalents. 

Reports provide a detailed overview of a child's academic achievements and areas for improvement, helping parents understand how their child is progressing in school. They serve as a formal means of communication between the school and parents, ensuring that parents are aware of their child's strengths and challenges. By understanding their child's performance, parents can better support their learning at home, reinforcing skills and addressing any areas of concern. Reports help parents and students set realistic goals for future learning, encouraging continuous improvement and motivation. 

Although we have formal written reports that go home twice a year and we have parent teacher interviews in term 1, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns about their learning. 

Wellbeing is an important part of who we are at Nuriootpa Primary School and underpins our teaching. It is difficult to focus on your learning, if your emotions are “hijacking” your brain.

Our aim is to make our learners feel safe, included and valued. They have access to a range of supports and resources to build their resilience and social emotional skills to positively and confidently engage in their learning.

Fiona and I are currently working together to provide 1:1 or small group counselling to support student needs. Breakfast club not only provides a healthy breakfast for our students but is allowing some of our senior students to build their capacity, running and organising the kitchen. On Thursdays we have just started a dance club an initiative of one of our students Poppy, where, with the support of “just dance” our Reception to Year 4’s our learning some new moves and having a bit of fun. The interoception room is a place where our students can escape the chaos of school and have a little time to themselves, to reset and refocus before heading back on to the hustle and bustle of the classroom.

If your child has any great ideas for lunch time activities send them to see me and let’s see what else we can get happening.

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing, please contact the school, to make a time to come in and can work together to support your child.

This year we raised an amazing $9236 for our school. What a great achievement. A special thank you to Ms Wild  and Mr Noton for organising the event again this year. It was lovely to see so many families in attendance on the day. Community, fun and achievement on display. 

Stay tuned for the arrival of the prizes for all of your fundraising efforts!

Parent Volunteers

If you are able, Nuriootpa Primary welcomes any parents and carers who would like  to volunteer.  Parent and Carer Volunteers are a valued support base for our school, assisting staff to provide  a range of high quality opportunities to promote the learning, wellbeing and growth of students.

Some ways you can be involved may include:

·       Listen to Students read

·       Assistance on excursions and Camps

·       Helping out at School Events (eg Christmas Concert, Sports day and SAPSASA)

If you are interested in supporting the school in either of these,  please contact the Front Office and speak to Karen Brook on 8562 1040 to book in for an information night to be held early next term.

Please note: All volunteers need  a  WWCC (Working with Children Check) and RHAN (Responding to Harm and Neglect).  The School will support interested people in gaining these.

Principal: Ms Vicky Ireland

Deputy Principal: Mr Steve Cornish

Partnership: Barossa Valley     I     Education Office: Gawler

15 Buna Terrace, Nuriootpa SA 5355   I   PH: +61 8562 1040   I    www.nurips.sa.edu.au   I   Email: dl.0318.info@schools.sa.edu.au   I   www.facebook.com/NuriootpaPrimary