Nuriootpa Primary School

Staffing - Farewells

As you may be aware we are farewelling a few staff members this year.

We say goodbye to Alex Kisau who joined us when Louis Falland left mid-year. I thank Alex for stepping in and wish him all the best in his nest adventures. We also farewell Ms Kat who has worked hard delivering the Arts curriculum, as well as introducing Auslan to our children. I thank Ms Kat for her enthusiasm and creativity and wish her all the best in her next endeavour too. Teagan Hood is also finishing up with us as she expands her lovely growing family. We expect Teagan to return at some stage and we very much appreciate her willingness to slot into NPS from time to time.

Finally, we farewell Jimmy Ellis. Jimmy is moving on for logistical reasons (!!) and is going to be very much missed. Jimmy has worked hard to develop the HPE curriculum and our involvement in SAPSASA and I am very much appreciative of all he has done in this area. I wish him well as he takes this opportunity to work closer to home and discover new schools in his area.

Staffing - Welcomes

We will be welcoming into classroom teacher roles Shania Ritchie who is taking the 4/5 class and Gwendolyn Unwin who will take the 2 / 3 class.  We also welcome Kiran James who will be responsible for the Arts, and will support Cloudy with the choir and Ali Gosse who will take some LOTE and JP HPE classes.

In addition, I am very excited to have Ben Parkinson taking on the HPE role across the school. This is a new role for Ben, and we are keen as mustard to get going (also happy to have holidays first mind you!!). Ben will also be in the 5 / 6 class two days per week, working alongside Kristi Nietschke which is also fantastic!

The year that was...2025

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff of this great school for their dedication, flexibility and generosity of spirit. As a consequence of such mindsets we have been able to achieve great things and provide  fantastic learning and wellbeing support to the 200-odd children that came through our doors this year.

I thank you, the school community too. I appreciate the trust that you have in myself and my staff, without your support this wouldn't be half as enjoyable a place to work. For those who have children on devices I hope you can navigate the holidays and the social media ban without too much hardship. There is some supportive information in this newsletter for you to look at. 

Thank you to our Graduating Year 6's. A great bunch of students who have kept us on our toes and inspired us as adults to be the best we can be, for them. I wish you all the best as you transition to High School.

Finally, all students please read!!! (or read to them....) Thank you all for the year we just experienced. You have all worked hard in your learning and hopefully you can all say that you had a great year! Enjoy your holidays and we will see you on TUESDAY JANUARY 27TH wearing a hat!!!

We are taking a holiday ourselves - some overseas travel for some (me!!!), interstate for others, and sitting in the garden for many!! There will be staff onsite from January 19th should there be anything pressing that you would like to discuss.

And that... is a wrap 😊

As we bring another busy school year to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all our parents and carers for your ongoing support and partnership throughout 2025. It has been a year full of growth, achievements and special memories for our students. Your encouragement has been invaluable in helping them thrive. 

We are extremely proud of the way our students have embraced new challenges, demonstrated kindness, and shown resilience. Together, as a school community, we have celebrated many successes both in and out of the classroom. 

A special thank you to those parents who have volunteered their time, helped in classrooms, participated in events, and contributed to our school in so many ways. Your involvement truly makes a positive difference. 

As you are aware we have moved to a new reporting system, which we hope works well for families. With the move to EMS for our school management system during the year, we were then able to access the reporting modules. As always with trialling new procedures, any feedback is greatly appreciated. 

As we head into the holidays, I wish all our families a safe, relaxing, and joyful break. For those moving on to new adventures, we thank you for being a part of our school and wish you all the best. To returning families, we look forward to welcoming you back renewed and ready for a fantastic 2026. 

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