St Peters Lutheran School Newsletter

We rejoice the Peter and Tania Sodomka as they recently welcomed baby Tatiana into their family.  A beautiful little sister for a very proud Austin (Yr 4).

We are very excited that we have enrolled many new students into our ELC over the past month or so.  A couple of them started during the latter half of this term and a number will begin next term. We welcome all of our new students and families. We continue to have spaces in our ELC and school, so keep spreading the word. 

Next week will be the final week for seven of our students in the ELC. From the beginning of Term 3, they will join our Reception class as our first ‘Reception mid-year intake’.  Over the past ten weeks, these children have been part of a gentle and intentional transition program, jointly planned by our ELC and Junior school staff.  We are very excited to have a little ‘graduation’ ceremony for these children after chapel next Friday morning as they are farewelled from the ELC and welcomed into school. 

We thank the Pedal Prix families for providing us with a delicious Pizza lunch two weeks ago. The money raised is much appreciated by the Pedal Prix team as they seek to keep The Blue Saint riding.  

The Blue Saint Pedal Prix team raced on the Victoria Park racecourse in the first Adelaide race of the Pedal Prix season on 16 June 2019. The team started near the back of the grid in position 157 out of 162, which meant the team started in 58th place in the Primary Schools category consisting of 63 teams. The team steadily moved through the field during the race, climbing to 39th position in the Primary Schools category during the 6 hour race and achieving speeds of nearly 45km/h on the main straight. However, the team were involved in some major crashes during the race leading to the disintegration of the front windscreen and some scrapes on the new bodywork of the Pedal Prix trike. At the end of the race the Blue Saint team came 43rd in the Primary Schools category and 135th overall - an awesome effort for a the team of first time riders. A big thanks to all of the parents involved with pit changes, repairs, marshalling, providing food and drinks and packing the trailer for race day. The team would also like to thank everyone that purchased pizza at the recent special food day and the parents that helped prepare the food, without this fundraising the team would struggle to compete. The team is eagerly awaiting the 2nd Adelaide race at Victoria Park on 28th July with the hope to improve further on our position in the Primary Schools category without creating any more repair work for our team manager!

Nathan Tothill
Team Manager

A reminder to check out the recent Skoolbag notices regarding new volunteer screening from 1 July. It is important to know that all who wish to volunteer in our school will need to be up to date with screening and the LEA’s Valuing Safe Communities online (30mins). 

Reports go home – Monday 1 July

Last day of term -  Friday 5 July

Pupil Free Days - Monday 22 & Tuesday 23 July

Term 3 begins for students - Wednesday 24 July

Opening chapel -  8.45am, Wednesday 24 July

Semester one reports will be sent home to all families on Monday 1 July.  Reports will be sent in sealed and labelled envelopes with all students. As always, please see class teachers at a convenient time if you have any questions relating to your child’s progress. 

Attached below are the booking grid and programme for the upcoming Vacation Care and Pupil Free Day period (Monday 8 July - Tuesday 23 July 2019).  Booking grids are due by Wednesday 3 July 2019.  Spaces are limited for excursions, so it's important for you to get your bookings in early.

Parents are to inform the school if a student is to be away for any period of time.  The preferred method is via the Skoolbag App.  Simply go to eForms and select Absentee Form.  This submission is forwarded to the relevant teacher for their information.

While we appreciate that parents are busy in the mornings, it is important that the school is informed as soon as possible of the student’s absence.  Advising the school of your child/ren’s absence avoids the necessity for the school to contact parents concerning a student’s absence.

In the event that a student is absent and we have not been informed, for your child’s safety and protection, the school will send you an SMS to confirm the reason for the absence.

If students arrive late to school (even marginally), that is after 8.45am, they are required to come in via the school office and sign-in.  Again following this procedure avoids the necessity for the school to contact parents regarding absence.

Extended Absence

Requirements under the current Education Act mean that students who are on leave from school must seek approval through the school using the Application for Exemption Form A (available at the school office).  For temporary exemptions less than one month or for a family travel/holiday up to 12 months, exemptions may only be approved by the Principal.  NB School fees still apply during any absence unless approved by the Principal.

There is the usual assortment of unnamed lunchboxes and drink bottles in Lost Property in the school office. If you are missing any, please check before the end of the term as these items will be disposed of, or donated to charity, at this time. There is also a small yellow bumblebee backpack containing various items (mostly hair clips) which somebody may also be missing.

We ask that you also take this opportunity to check your child's uniform items to ensure they don't have clothing/hats etc belonging to others.

This promotion has now come to an end.  Please send in any stickers you may have at home for the box in the front office. During next week, all stickers will be collated so that we can send them in to redeem some equipment and resources for our school.

Thank you for your support.

Coming up fast, on Saturday 6th July, St Peters will be running a fundraising BBQ at Bunnings Marion. This is a wonderful opportunity to raise some money and connect with the community. Who doesn't love a Bunnings sausage on the weekend?! 

There are still about a dozen time-slots that need filling on our roster from 12 noon - 4:00pm. If you are able to lend a hand for an hour or two, helping cook the BBQ or serving, please contact:

Alex Speed - alex.speed@stpeterslutheran.sa.edu.au / 0434 390 086

Heather Stevens - 0450 398 729

Narelle Adams - 0408 089 947

INAUGURAL MID-YEAR INTAKE - ELC GRADUATION

Graduating children are:

• Halle T
• Sebastian F
• Jonathan C
• Mila M
• Kimmi R
• Jonte S
• Alexander S

Please come along and help celebrate this special occasion, on Friday 5th July - in the Chapel - from 8.45-9.45am.

You are invited to stay for one last ELC celebration with them and their families.  Coffee/tea and cake afterwards.

As we work on the exciting next phase of the redevelopment of our ELC/junior primary area, we are putting out a call for donations of old bed sheets, newspaper, and empty ice cream containers with lids. These are required for painting the murals on the hobbit door walls – ELC and School side.  If any families are able to assist by donating any of these items to us, it will be greatly appreciated.  Donations can be brought to the ELC or passed on to the school office. 

Thank you.

We take this opportunity to congratulate former St Peters student, Henry Smith, who recently represented South Australia as the starting full-forward in the 2019 Torrens University SA Under 16 football team.  The team began its title defence with a win in its first match of the AFL National Championships, on Sunday 16 June against Western Australia in Perth. Congratulations Henry!

We have had a busy term, with the Mother's Day breakfast, Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day, special food days, cake stalls, engraved leaves, Woolies Earn and Learn, and the upcoming Bunnings BBQ.  Thank you to everyone who has supported these events, whether you have made something, bought something, or helped run something.  It has all made a big difference to our fundraising efforts, and more importantly to our sense of community.  Being part of the P&F committee is a really personal thing for me, because it gives me the opportunity to give back some of the support that has been given to my son, Zac S.  It means a lot to me as his mum to see the way you and your children have embraced and included him and been such lovely caring friends to him, so thank you.  

We are looking forward to some more exciting events next term, including the Father's Day breakfast, special food days and cake stalls, and more, so make sure you stay up to day with everything that's happening around the school.

Heather Stevens
P&F Chairperson

For important dates and information regarding upcoming events, please go to the Events page of our Skoolbag app.