Reynella Primary School Grapevine

Welcome to the 2023 school year, one that promises to be rich and rewarding, full of exciting learning opportunities and most importantly, unencumbered by restrictions. We trust that our students had a safe and enjoyable break with their friends and families and have made the most of the summer holidays. We would especially like to welcome our new families to the Reynella Primary School community; a community that works together to support the learning and wellbeing of our students.

On Monday morning there was a super excited buzz in the air on the first day of school as students returned and caught up with their friends, teachers and staff. We welcomed over 60 new students, most in Reception, and despite a few tears, it was heartening to see everyone supporting each other and enjoying the return to school after a long break.

Our first major community event will be on the evening of Tuesday February 14, week 3, when we will hold our Acquaintance Night and Annual General Meeting. A separate note will go out early in week 2 outlining the evening. I would encourage all parents and families to attend as this is an opportunity to be appraised of our school’s vision, informed about the expectations of teaching and learning at RPS, meet our staff and spend some time in your child/ren’s classroom. All are welcome to attend the AGM and we are always looking for volunteers to represent the community on Governing Council.

From Selina Tually, Governing Council Chair:

After Acquaintance Night we will be holding our AGM for the school’s Governing Council for 2023. This meeting is an opportunity to understand the group that assists with the governance of your child’s school. Governing Council is a welcoming group of parents, dedicated to making Reynella Primary the best school we can. Please consider joining us and maybe even coming aboard to help! We meet about 8 times through the year, having short and focussed meetings where you will learn a lot about how the school is run and why. I guarantee it is a rewarding experience being involved in the governance of the school. And please remember to put your hand up for other volunteering opportunities for the school as the year unfolds, the more hands that help, the lighter the workload for us all, including our amazing teachers, plus the more our school benefits.

STAFFING 2023

We are very fortunate to start the year with a stable staff. All classrooms will be using Seesaw regularly to share student goals and learning this year; if you haven’t already joined your class groups please do so

At Reynella Primary School we expect all our students to give their best and strive for excellence in everything they do. We’re looking forward to working with you to see your child grow and flourish in 2023.

MOBILE PHONES USE

As I am sure you are all aware the mobile phone policy in schools has been updated to now include secondary schools. The updated mobile phone policy means students must keep their phones and personal devices off and away while at school for the whole school day at all primary and high schools. This also applies on school camps or excursions.

For Reynella Primary School students, this means they must not access their phone until they are outside the boundary of our fence. Students will only be able to use personal devices during school hours if they receive an approved exemption from their school.

The mobile phone policy was updated in 2022 to ensure we help promote:

• safe environments with reduced negative impacts of inappropriate use of devices at school, such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and critical incidents that involve mobile phones
• classroom environments where teachers can teach and students can learn free from distractions caused by personal use of devices
• use of breaks as quality time away from screens, encouraging physical activity and play and meaningful face-to-face connections with peers.

SCHOOL HOURS

The first bell goes at 8.30 in the morning, this is when students can enter the school grounds, with the first lesson beginning at 8.45. Please do not allow your children to enter the gates prior to this time as there is no adult on duty to supervise them. If you need to drop your children off at 8.00 or earlier, they will need to be booked in to OSHC.

Guiding children towards a healthy relationship with technology has become one of the biggest challenges of modern day parenting.

Technology can provide wonderous learning opportunities for kids. It also offers incredible applications for communication, business and, of course, entertainment. However, weighing up the benefits and the risks for young people can sometimes be an overwhelming endeavour.

There is a wealth of highly recommended resources for parents on the eSafety commissioner website. This includes fact sheets and activities that can help your child to have a positive online experience at home and navigate cyber safety issues including:

-        Cyber bullying

-        Excessive screen time

-        Gaming addiction

-        Unwanted online contact

-        Pornography and sexting

It is important for these issues to be addressed by schools and families together as we strive to foster vital digital citizenship skills.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Welcome back to the 2023 school year.  We trust that you had a safe and restful break.

Our Wellbeing team this year is Fiona Brown (Student Wellbeing Leader) and Sarah Mewett (Pastoral Care Worker).

Fiona works Monday to Friday and Sarah is at Reynella on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We can be contacted through the Front Office or using the SeeSaw app.

Breakfast Club is on Thursday mornings from 8:15-8:45 and operates out of the Hall.  We provide toast with butter, jam and vegemite as well as plain, chocolate and strawberry milk, apple juice and fresh fruit. Breakfast Club is free for everyone and not only provides a wholesome and nutritious breakfast to start off the day, but a safe and fun place for students of all ages to mix and mingle, create friendships and develop positive connections beyond their classroom.

Thanks to Tony and Nicole from Baker’s Delight at Southgate for donating the bread each week.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your child is experiencing challenges either at school or home. We are also available to support you or your family if you are in need of assistance with advice, referrals to therapeutic and other support services beyond the school.

We look forward to meeting you all over the school year.

Fiona and Sarah

With your child starting a new class in 2023, before returning to school you will need to update your child/ren's profile in QKR and update the class and year level in Skoolbag for each of your children. This will ensure that you receive all important information for 2023.

Skoolbag is the main platform for communication at Reynella Primary School so we would love all parents and carer's to be on board.  If you need any assistance with logging on or joining the relevant groups, please come into the front office or email us at DL.0379.INFO@SCHOOLS.SA.EDU.AU.

The school will register teams for: socccer, basketball and netball. After School Sport Commitment to Play forms for 2023 students are now available to register your child's interest to participate in 2023. More information on each sport is available on Skoolbag.

BASKETBALL  CO-ORDINATOR      Tayla Jeal                 0427 796 850

NETBALL        CO-ORDINATOR      POSITION VACANT

SOCCER          CO-ORDINATOR      Courtney Moule      0423 473 528

If you would like to register your child for an After School Sport team, please submit the relevant Skoolbag eForm. One eForm per player, per sport.

No payment is required at this stage. Parents will be asked for a non-refundable $20 deposit at the start of next year to secure their child's position in a team.

Invoices will be produced prior to each season commencing and payment will be due by the second game.

More information and the eForm can be found on Skoolbag. Please see Fact Sheets in this Grapevine if you are having issues finding them.

 Please email Kay at dl.0379.finance@schools.sa.edu.au if you would like to apply for a stall.