Clapham Primary School

Dear Clapham Community,

It is a little unbelievable that we have already come to the end of a very different year and that the school is preparing for 2021. Reflecting on my first year here at Clapham Primary, I have genuinely enjoyed being able to work alongside so many wonderful staff, parents, grandparents, carers and students from the community. The students here are such a joy and are always friendly, polite and striving to be their best. The school has continued to have strong academic growth with our teachers and SSOs dedicated to the learning of all students.  

I would like to wish our Year 7s all the best as they make their way to high school. They have been very strong contributors to the school in their time here. Many of the year 6 students are also leaving Clapham to become year 7s and we wish them all the very best too.

Hoping you all have a very happy and safe break. For those retuning to us in 2021 we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Kindest regards

Cassie Kopias,  Literacy Coordinator

Congratulations to our 2020 Graduates.  We are so very proud of you all and know that you have developed excellent skills for your transition to secondary schooling.

Thank you to parents and staff for your ongoing support of our graduates. A very special thank you to Ms Manual and Ms Dimi for a wonderful 2020. Also a special thank you to Mr Hiller for his technical support on the evening.

Jasmin Hodson (SSO) who is currently on leave was due to return next year however she has won a position with SA Health.  We wish to extend our congratulations to Jasmin and thank her for her work at Clapham Primary School.

Laiya Lochowiak (Aboriginal Community and Engagement Officer) has won a position at Adelaide Botanic High School. We wish Laiya all the best in her new position and thank Laiya for her contribution to Clapham Primary.

Staffing for 2021.  We warmly welcome Reena Aftab (Japanese) and Jenna Campbell (new) to Clapham Primary.  We welcome back Brooke Taylor.  Please see below for class allocations for 2021.

R/1 (Rm 1) - Jenna Campbell

R/1 (Rm 4) - Annika Neuwirth

1/2 (Rm 7) - Sue Brinkworth and Linda Fasoli

1/2 (Rm 8) - Joanna Richardson

R-2 Special Options - Bridget Dyson

2/3 (Rm 3) - Catherine Howat

3/4 (Rm 2) - David Tucker

4/5 (Rm 9) - Danica Klemse

4/5 (Rm 10) - Ben Hillier

6/7 (Rm 14) - Megan Toy

6/7 (Rm 16) - Brooke Taylor

3-7 Special Options - Dimi Vitagliano

PE - Gene Lashchuk

The Arts - Linda Fasoli

Science - Angie Francou

Japanese - Reena Aftab

EALD Support - Lynne Averis

At our Snake Education Sessions we learnt a lot of facts about snakes living in our local area.  We also learnt:  what first aid to apply if someone was bitten, how to be safe near a snake, what to do if we see a snake and much, much, more!!!  Thank you to Dean for the very informative and entertaining sessions. 

Running Club Every Wednesday, starting at 8 o’clock in the morning Clapham Primary students come to participate in Running Club! In Running Club we learn techniques for running that makes us improve our running style. We practice long distance and short distance running, and have warm up games that are a lot of fun. We do stretches for our body to warm up before we go running, and learn the importance of this. Running Club is so much fun, all students that have participated have improved in technique and how far they can run! We would like to extend a huge thank you to Claire T and Miss Klemse for hosting Running Club! Both Claire and Miss Klemse have helped students to improve! Please come and join for some fun at Running Club in Term 1!

What a year it has been. COVID has thrown all sorts of challenges out to all schools and my thanks should go out to people who run SAPSASA like Julie Phillips and Jeff Wray among others who have been so positive in trying to get so much happening in SA during such a difficult period. Their enthusiasm for sport rubs off on everyone and I hope our enthusiasm also helps our students! COVID has been a big challenge for so many but it has been pleasing to see so much action at Clapham this year.

This year saw basketball teams start up at Clapham and we had players from Yr 4 upwards playing in competitions again. Thanks to Jacqui for her expertise and passion when it comes to running trainings in the gym. When we have parents who step up to help, it makes all the difference. Thank you to all our volunteers. We’ve managed to access funding again thanks to Sporting Schools Australia and this brought coaches to the school from Sturt Sabres. The students loved it and Clapham also now has more equipment with more (modern) and more suitable balls and more bibs!

Clapham also offered a Futsal (indoor soccer) program for the first time at no cost to families. Personally, that was a highlight for me in 2021 as it showed we have the facilities, equipment, parent support and the will to make it work. As a soccer lover, that was a great thing. Our u8 team also learned a lot and gained great confidence during the season. My preference for school sport is for skill development and physical literacy to be prioritised over competition. Futsal operating just at our school internally is an example of this.

We had a visit from Adelaide United Football Club in Term IV as well. Seeing local hero Bruce Djite and new player Louis D’Arrigo playing with our students on the soccer oval and asphalt was a great thrill and Bruce spent time with our older students discussing leadership. What a great opportunity for our students to learn!  

Infrastructure

There continues to be progress at Clapham adding quality useable sporting infrastructure. As a PE teacher, this has been my number 1 priority in terms of any sporting culture that can be at the school for years to come. As a member of the community, I believe it is critical that all schools are a positive space for physical activity.  I am a big believer in sporting culture – that is – if the equipment and infrastructure is there – young people (and old) will choose to be active. Since arriving in 2018 leadership has constantly supported all sorts of projects: purchasing new PE boxes, new AFL goals, JP soccer goals, indoor futsal goals, outdoor portable goals, netball goals, netball pads and installing a stunning new cricket pitch! There is more to come (it’s exciting) and it is a case of making sure that every opportunity to add to the amazing environment at Clapham is capitalised on. The students have responded as expected – they are more active than ever – before and during school. It’s great to see so many choosing to grab a racquet or a soccer ball or a cricket bat and joining in a game together even before the school day starts. If any parents have any skills with regards to paving/levelling/concreting – I would like to speak to you. Please email me on gene.lashchuk527@schools.sa.edu.au

 New JP netball goals.

Other events

Clapham in 2020 had Sports Day, Athletics qualifications, SAPSASA Athletics at Santos, SAPSASA swimming, Clapham Cross Country and SAPSASA netball knockout. In the context of some other Australian states, we have been very lucky to have had such an active 2020. My favourite event was probably the school Cross Country that we had because the Belair annual event was cancelled due to COVID. The students who ran that day showed how much they love the sport and we now have a mapped out internal course that they know and can look to improve on each school year. It’s tough, and the various Clapham steps that are part of the course may be remembered for years to come!

Thanks to all staff for supporting our students being active in 2020, in PE and also in their own classes. Thanks to all the students who look after and put equipment back into the PE boxes. Thanks to leadership for listening to any ideas with positivity and for helping me work out ways we can add to an already amazing sporting environment at Clapham. Thanks again to the parents who helped in any way with After School Sport. Our volunteers are amazing people and they add something to the sporting culture of a school that I can’t quantify or put a value on.

See you in 2021!

Mr L

Our Year 6/7 students attended the Port Noarlunga Aquatic Centre on Thursday 26th November. They had an awesome day of surfing, body boarding, fishing, kayaking, wind surfing (sailboarding), wave skiing and stand up paddle boarding.

??? ???? by Molly S

Crow, Crow as black as midnight

Cawing a ruckus over wilderness

Sitting amongst the bottle brush

Watching wallabies making a muck

The heat was coming close

Though it was a terribly cold night

Redness was coming from the flames

Observing trees with smoke so dark

Expanding wings up to the sky

No one was there to hear the cry

Of which the animals roared

Closer and closer came the

Heated flames crispy crackles

Continued to become louder and spookier

For the next few days there where 0 drops of rain

Ashes covered the land that they new

No one new about this fire that had destroyed

Their homes because now it was too late

All of them had to find a new home

Then bursting into flames bigger than before

That tree that they were sitting under

To rest from all the running

But once again they had to run

From the flames creeping up behind them

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