It’s hard to believe that we are only a week away from the end of the school year.

We would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support, with special thanks to the parents and friends who have supported the various school activities, excursions, and sports programs. This level of support has allowed us to provide these valuable extra-curricular activities.

Our teaching staff have again shown a strong commitment to doing their best for the children they teach. They approach their work with positivity, enthusiasm and a focus on continuous improvement, with our work around Literacy a real highlight. Thank you for your dedicated, hard work again this year.

Similarly, we would like to acknowledge and thank our learning support and administration teams for their efforts and work. They have provided invaluable high-level intervention support for students and successfully managed school operations in the areas of front office, finance, technology, library and grounds.

Throughout the year, Coro students have shown positive attitudes to learning, upheld our school learner profile attributes and been involved in the broader aspects of school life, including after-hours school/SAPSASA sports, sports days, choirs, special days, SRC, crossing and flag duties, canteen, school garden activities, buddy classes, assemblies, excursions, Minecraft / art clubs, and much more. We trust they’ve had an enjoyable year, and we’re sure they’ll be looking forward to the holiday break.

We would like to thank members of this year’s Governing Council for their advocacy and support of our school. Special thanks to Sam Neville (Chair), Andrew Redhan-Wenham, Chelsea Mount, Ben Sanderson, Sally Woolford, Anna Forgan, Declan Page, Janita Bentley, Laura Kool, Chris Schneider, Candice Doman, and Emma Collingwood. Strong parent support contributes to our school in so many positive ways.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of our school OSHC and Canteen, in particular, Dennis and Mathew and their teams, who provide an invaluable service.

Next week will be the last week of primary school for our Year 6 students. We look forward to saying farewell at their graduation ceremony Thursday evening. They have been a terrific group of young people with bright futures ahead of them, and we wish them the very best for the next stage of their schooling.

Each year we farewell families, many of whom have been heavily involved in school life. We thank you for your support over the years and extend our best wishes for the future. Thank you for being part of the Coromandel Valley Primary School community.

We will also be farewelling two long-term members of our teaching staff, Sean Murphy and Juli Bryan. Both Sean and Juli will be acknowledged at our Celebration evening and our final school assembly on the last day of the term. We would like to congratulate both of these wonderful educators on their outstanding careers within education.  

Last but by no means least, thank you to Kat, Kate and Sue, who have provided excellent support and leadership across all aspects of school life.

We have very much enjoyed working with students, staff and families this year, and we wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas / New Year. We look forward to seeing you all back at school on Tuesday, 28th January 2025.

Reminder

We look forward to having you join us for our Celebration Night, this coming Tuesday 10th December. During the event, we will sing Christmas and Celebration songs, present books to our Graduating Year 6s, farewell staff members who are leaving us, and celebrate the year that has been.

This year, weather permitting (the forecast looks good), we will hold the event at the school amphitheatre 

Celebration Night will begin at 6 pm (students assemble in classes from 5.45 pm). However, families are welcome to arrive earlier and find a spot on the court area to view the performance and enjoy the good company. We ask that you avoid sitting in any marked off areas, which will indicate the stage area and where classes will sit. Students are expected to remain with their class for the duration of the event.

Parking will be available via Frank Smith Park. The gate will be open from 4 pm.

Please note that:

• The Front Office will closed for the Christmas / New Year holiday period from Friday 13th December to Monday 20th January. 
• Teaching staff officially return to work on Thursday 23rd January, in preparation for the new year.
• The first day of the school for students is Tuesday 28th January.

Each year, the Department for Education provides an allocation of four student-free days for schools to use for staff professional development, curriculum planning, and administrative tasks. At Coro, these days are strategically scheduled throughout the year based on school and department priorities. The Governing Council have approved the following dates:

Term 1 – Tues 11^th March (day after Adelaide Cup)

Term 2 – Fri 6^th June (prior to the King’s Birthday long weekend)

Term 3 – Mon July 21^st  (All of partnership – Day 1 of term 3)

Term 3 – Fri 5^th Sep (SCHOOL CLOSURE)

Term 4 – Fri 7^th Nov (day after Dance Night)

A reminder that the school and OSHC will be closed when the CFS declares a catastrophic fire danger rating for the Mt Lofty District for the day ahead. This declaration usually occurs after 4.30pm with the Minister for Education confirming school closures thereafter.

Bushfire Prevention and the Law

As part of CVPS’s Site Improvement Plan, our school has partnered with an organisation called Real Schools. All staff participated in our Introductory Student Free Day earlier this term. It was a valuable learning day, with staff participating in a number of hands-on activities to use/support our students.

Essentially, Real Schools work hand-in-hand with our school across three years to implement Restorative Practices as the underpinning methodology of our School Culture. This approach to Restorative Practice is an upgraded version of what you might be imagining and respects both the business and the busyness of contemporary Australian schools. Focused on “low investment, high return” changes that trigger both quick wins and sustainable practice commitments, what is called ‘RP2.0’ is an update in teacher practice and cultural leadership. This is no ‘program’ – it’s a commitment to our school’s preferred future.

One of the first changes we’ll be making is to become more conscious about the language we use to create an environment where kids can grow and thrive. What the research on school culture (and that also applies to classroom culture) shows is that it’s the language we, as adults, use that is the most influential factor.

 And so, from our recent learning, we’ll be slowly adjusting our language in a few key ways including:

• Affective Language
• Stored Responses
• Positive Priming

We’ll be sharing what this looks like to the wider school community in Term 1 next year. In Term 1, Real Schools will run a parent session, model in 2025 classrooms and also speak at our Week 8 Governing Council meeting.

At CVPS, we are very excited about how Restorative Practices can/does contribute to making our school one where community matters. We care for each other, and the feelings generated by being a part of our school are ones that reflect a commitment to being positive, safe and friendly.

"As part of our inquiry into habitats, the Year 1s went on an excursion to the Adelaide Zoo. We visited the Education Centre where we had to build a habitat for Harriet the Hosmer Skink. We had lots of fun and enjoyed playing on the Nature Playground at the end of the day."

On Monday, 1P went to the zoo to learn about habitats.  First we got on the bus. Then we saw the komodo dragon and a lot of other animals. Next we went to the playground. Finally we went home - Clancy

On Monday, 1P went to the zoo to learn about habitats.  First we got on the bus, then we saw the komodo dragon. Next we had recess, finally we go back to the bus - Hugo

On Monday, 1P went to the zoo to learn about habitats. First me, Kai and Edward went on teh bus and we played Ispy. Then we hopped off the bus and we saw bats. Next we saw a red panda and it was high in the trees. Finally we went back on the bus and we sat on the back seat - Nitai

On Monday, 1P went to the zoo to learn about habitats.  First we left the class and we went on the bus. Next we got off there were lots of bats and then we had fruit break then we started to explore. Then we went to zoo class and we saw Harry the lizard. Finally we did some more exploring and we got on the bus and went back to the school. Then we got to go hom - Zariah

At the zoo I saw an Inland Taipan, a Blue Tongue Lizard, baby turtles, a green python and a Pig-nosed tortoise. I enjoyed seeing the Inland Taipan feed its baby, because it was cute. I’m still wondering how old the Inland Taipan is - Amos 1C

I saw a turtle, a giraffe, a tiger, a monkey and a meerkat. I enjoyed the Meerkats, because they were funny. I’m still wondering if they clean the penguins’ pond, because the water was yellow - Chloe 1C

At the zoo I saw meerkats, penguins, giraffes, a kangaroo and birds. I enjoyed the animals, because they were cute. I’m still wondering how old are all the animals and how many animals there are in the whole zoo! - Emmett 1C

I saw a meerkat, a Pig-nose turtle and an echidna. I enjoyed watching the bird show, because it was cool. I’m still wondering how old all the birds are if you add up all the ages - Jimmy 1C

Year 2s Explore Coding and Robotics with Learn with Bricks

In Week 6 the Year 2 students dove into an exciting workshop with Ben from Learn with Bricks, all about coding and robotics. As part of their Inquiry into Digital Life, the session brought together creativity, teamwork, and hands-on learning in a way that had everyone buzzing with excitement.

The workshop introduced students to how scientists and engineers use rovers to explore places that humans can’t easily reach. They also discovered that solving challenges takes resilience and creative thinking — skills they had the chance to put into practice themselves.

The highlight of the day was building Milo, the Science Rover, using Lego WeDo 2.0 kits. Working in pairs, students learned how to connect motors, SmartHubs, and devices, setting the stage for the next step—coding. Programming Milo was where the real fun began! Students explored how to make their rover move, change direction, adjust speed, and even add sound effects.

Students tested and tweaked their creations, solving problems and learning from each other along the way. It was amazing to see their faces light up as they achieved their goals.

This workshop wasn’t just about coding and robotics; it was about fostering creativity, collaboration, and a love for learning. A big thank you to Ben and Learn with Bricks for inspiring the next generation of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers.

In an exciting and hands-on maths activity, students from 3/4B, 3/4L and 3/4SH, created and ran a carnival day as part of our learning about chance and probability.

In groups of 3 or 4, they designed their own carnival games, thinking carefully about the likelihood of players winning a prize, and how to explain those chances. The fun didn't stop there – we invited our buddy classes to join in and enjoy the games, and it was a huge success!

Everyone had a fantastic time, learning through play and putting our maths skills into action.

On Tuesday 19^th November, 5T and 5B went by train to the South Australian Art Gallery and Parliament House.  This was the culmination of two of our units of Inquiry, The Creative Process and Democracy.

In the Art Gallery our task was to imagine we were creating a new exhibit. In groups, we had to choose one of the Elements of Art and find 5 pieces throughout the Gallery that we would use in our exhibit. After lunch, 5B & 5T swapped and it was 5B’s turn in Parliament House.

We met Catherine Hutchesson, our local Member of Parliament, MP for Waite. Catherine took us for a tour and we saw the Legislative Council (the Upper House, which is red) and the House of Assembly (the Lower House which is green). We learnt about the Legislative Process (how a Bill is passed) and some of us got dressed up for a role play about having donuts at school on Fridays. We also met the Parliamentary Librarian who shared some interesting information about all the records that are kept there.

Thank you to Catherine and our wonderful helpers for our amazing experience.

During week 5, CVPS commemorated Remembrance Day. On 11 November 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous war. As a mark of respect, we paused at 11am to observe one minute’s silence to remember those who have sacrificed for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.

Mr Johnson’s Year 6 class had the privilege of creating wreaths which we laid during the ceremony. We first created poppies to wear on the day, then we each made an extra one to contribute to a wreath. We created three wreaths altogether. One on behalf of our entire school community, one just for our class 6J, and the last one was to honour the remarkable story of the “G for George” Avro Lancaster which flew an incredible 89 missions over Europe during WW2. An incredible achievement. “G for George” survives to this day and is a wonderful artefact, on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Dan Johnson

Year 6 Teacher

Thanks to additional funding from the Growing Good Garden Grant from Life Ed. and Bakers Delight, we’ve been able to make significant improvements to our school veggie garden. Year 6 Healthy Living Leaders have built and installed a mini greenhouse, planted two new apple trees in the orchard and designed a garden sign. Keith has kindly replaced rotten sleepers and installed a weather station.

Students from RG, 2O, RL and RM have enjoyed gardening time this term. They have fed the worms, planted seeds and seedlings, watered, fed and trimmed the plants. We’ve just started harvesting blueberries and tomatoes, yum!

I loved growing the hot chilli with Jenny and doing planting – Monte

I really enjoyed seeing the worms and planting new plants – Sam

It was fun when we got to cut stuff and then take it home – Lily

I really enjoyed watering the plants – Griffin

Jenny Tucker

SSO

After 3 terms of preliminary zone tournaments involving 24 schools from across the state, Coromandel Valley PS qualified as one of the seven teams to take part in the SA State Titles. Our qualifying rank allowed us to enter 4 students, with Dexter, Hamish, Jackson and Nathan making the long trip to Salisbury East to take part. 

With only the best schools making it to the finals, and with some of the schools qualifying up to 12 players, it was always going to be a tough assignment, but our Coro team played exceptionally well. A total of 61 students took part, and it was an extremely close competition for the top 3 podium spots with Whitefriars Catholic School earning the State Champions title with a score of 23.0 from St Martins School by just 0.5 of a point, with Burnside Primary a further 0.5 point behind to take 3rd place.   Coromandel Valley was caught in a battle for 4th place with with3 other schools, but a tough final round of games saw us finish in 6th place with a score of 17.0 points.

    Hamish             5.0

    Dexter              4.5

    Jackson            4.0

    Nathan             3.5

Coromandel Valley has had an extremely successful year in chess, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 3rd in their term zone-based tournaments, and 4th in the recent Girls Only tournament.  To finish 6th at State Titles, from the 24 schools that took part across the year, is an amazing effort. Well done to all the Coro students who have taken part in tournaments across the year.

The uniform shop will be open in week 0 for all your last minute uniform requirements.  Thursday 23rd January from 10 am - 12 pm.

With the funds from the recent Colour Run, we have ordered two semi-permanent soccer goals, which Keith will be able to install as soon as they arrive. We have also set up a ‘Nature Play Group’ involving two of our parents who specialise in this area with the intention of working with students to gather ideas to redevelop/reinvigorate this play space.

Last week, Allana and Mila represented Southern Heights at the State Tennis Carnival. The girls played their best despite the heat. They were undefeated for the week and won a gold medal as the winners of Division 2.

Last week, our district competed in the state cricket carnival. Southern Heights played in Division 1, with three of our students making the team: Beau, Lucas and Jake. 

They played 5 games, winning 2 and losing 3. They finished 4th out of 8 teams. 

On the weekend I went to the Australian Open Cup Stacking Championships at Kangarilla. I finished twelfth overall in the tournament and got 28th best cup stacker in Australia 2024-25!! I came back with five silver and bronze medals for 3-3-3, 3-6-3, cycle, doubles and relay (14 and under). There were 50 other people there and they were all really good. The categories ranged from 6 and under to over 45. I was in the 11-12 category. It was a lot of fun and I will definitely go to the next tournament!

Henry 5BB

Sports nomination forms for cricket and basketball are now open.  To register your interest, please complete the form on the following link -