From the Principal 15 November 2012

Term 4 Issue 6

Newsletter St Peters Lutheran School Blackwood

Principal: Mr Mark Rathjen

God in all things

Special points of interest:

• Monday 19/11

Parents & Friends

AGM—7pm

• Tuesday 20/11

Principal’s Tour—9am

• Wednesday 21/11

SMS Test Message

being sent to all

School and ELC

families

Inside this issue... Page

Parents & Friends ...... 2 Learning Support ....... 2 Prayer Team................ 2 Bushfire Management Plan.............................. 2 PYP—Student Initiated Action Acts of Service........................ 3 Blackwood Christmas Parade......................... 3 Students’ Books and Stationery 2013 ....... 4 Uniforms ...................... 4 Faith Family.................. 4 Out and About........... 4 St Peters Sporting Super Stars................ 5 Church News ............. 6 Principal’s Tour .......... 6 Diary Dates ................. 6

Attachments Cricket Coaching Course Appleton Sports School Holiday Cricket Academy

A New Perspective of the Silly Season Andrea and I took the family to the Adelaide Christmas Pageant for the first time on Saturday. I must admit that on the drive into town I was thinking that it would all be a bit lame and I might be better off staying home and cleaning the bathroom. What with the crowds, parking, annoying clowns… On arriving at 9am it was standing room only and we were 10 deep next to a family who arrived at about the same time but were smart enough to bring a couple of 2m ‘A’ framed ladders to get a better view! Now I was really wishing I was cleaning the bathroom. But as I stood on my tippy toes and stuck my head up over the crowd I found I really loved what I saw, particularly as I watched my kids. It was a surprising and delightful morning!

You know that there is a sniff of the end of the year in the air when the Christmas Pageant passes through the town. It very quickly goes from the pageant, to writing reports, to end of year service, to Christmas with barely a moment to think. Sometimes when considering the end of year madness ahead, it can be a bit like my drive into town last Saturday—not something to look forward to at all. Life gets busier, we get tired and grumpy, the weather gets hot, the shops are disgusting and all just when you are meant to experience love, peace, joy and goodwill to all men!

Sometimes we need to rise above it and look at things from a different perspective. Maybe we all need our own ‘A’ frame ladder. We need to be able to stop for a moment, climb up a little and look out and over the myriad of things that crowd in our way. We might be surprised and learn something new or gain a new perspective.

I watched the joy that the pageant brought to my kids, their friends and the thousands of other children who lined the streets. My initial perspective had been a bit jaded and pessimistic but I was so pleased as we drove home that I had come and shared this experience with my family (I got 265 photos to prove it).

As the Advent and Christmas season approaches, perhaps we all need to climb the ladder and look out and over the craziness we surround ourselves in—we might see things that surprise us. See again the baby in the manger, the songs of the angels announcing Jesus’ birth or the simple joy of the shepherds as they worshipped.

After 2000 years it is still surprising. Don’t miss out on it this year. Mark Rathjen Principal

Newsletter Page 2

home made recipes from st peters lutheran school

community This beautiful and much anticipated publication is hot off the press! In full colour, professionally bound and with loads of great recipes, it will be a lovely keep sake for your child and would also make a great Christmas present for family or friends. But most importantly, it is filled with tried and tested family favourites from our very own school community so it’s bound to become a well used cookbook in your very own kitchen.

There are a limited number of copies available so be sure to fill out an order and return it with payment as soon as possible. Extra order forms and a copy of the book for you to look at are available at the front office and in the ELC.

Parents and Friends

Kytons Christmas Fundraiser A reminder that order forms and money for the P&F’s Kytons 2012 Christmas Fundraiser need to be returned to school by Wednesday 28 November 2012. Pick-up of orders will be on Friday 7 December from the School. Any questions, please contact Emma Kilderry on 0430 339 743. If anyone is able to assist with packing and distributing orders on Friday 7 December between 11am and 3.30pm, please let Emma know.

The Parents and Friends AGM is on next Monday 19 November

at 7.00pm in the chapel hall. Everyone is invited to come and hear about what’s been happening over the last year and to have a say in planning for next year’s events.

A reminder that learning support sessions for 2012 will finish at the end of this week, as learning support staff will then be undertaking whole school reading assessments.

Next week (Wk 7), St Peters’ Prayer Team will be praying for –

School staff: Chris Smith (Maintenance), Mary-Ann Mickan (LSO), Angela Graetz (LSO) & Cassie Williams (Year 4/5 teacher)

The following students from Room 6 and their families:

• Laina & Joel (Rm 9) Conte

• Luke Lovelock

• Joshua Martin

• Henry & Caleb (Rm 1) Smith

• Isaiah, Isabella (Rm 1) & Sebastian (Rm 5) Caruso

St Peters’ Prayer Team (James Ziersch, Cathy Tighe, Angela Graetz, Sam Smith, Liz Bird, Bronny Meynell, Ali Newman, Paula Griffiths & Pastor Ben Pfeiffer.)

Prayer Team

With the fire danger season upon us, we today carried out another Bushfire Drill, where our Bushfire Action Plan was put into action.

Remember... In the event of a bushfire in the district or impacting our school we ask that parents do not ring the school. We understand that in such circumstances parental anxiety will be high. However, phone lines need to be clear for emergency service contact in and out of the school. Parents are advised that information regarding the fire can be accessed by tuning into ABC radio 891 or logging onto the CFS website www.cfs.sa.gov.au. If our phone lines are not impacted by electrical downage, an SMS will be sent to the mobile phone numbers listed on the School Database with a short message providing information on our situation during the fire and student pick up after the event. Next Wednesday, 21 November, we will again be trialling our SMS system. Each school and Early Learning Centre family should receive this message. Please note, there is no need to respond. We would ask, however, that you notify the front office after 21 November if your family does not receive the test message or if there are any problems with the communication.

Bushfire Management Plan

15 November 2012 Page 3

IB Learners

strive to

be

Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled Open-minded Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective

IB Learner

Profile

This is well and truly happening in the year 4/5 classes at St Peters!

The Year 4/5’s in their How we organise ourselves unit “Communities form organisations to assist those in need” are looking at needs within the St Peters school and church community. Individually, or in small groups, the children are developing an action plan based on the following questions:

What is your group going to do? Who are you going to serve? When will your act of service take place? What steps do you need to take to organise and plan your act of service?

“We are making bolognaise. We aren’t eating it. It’s for the sick people. We are putting it in the school freezer.” – Kieran and Isaiah

“I’m doing a speech in Whole School Meeting and at a St Peters Lutheran Church service about how everyone is special and all kids can make a difference because some people might not think they are special.” – Zoe

“We are holding a craft lesson for the R/1’s. It’s a lesson just to have fun and get ready for Christmas. We want to help the teachers so they don’t have to do as much Christmas craft with the kids.” – Maddie M and Sarah

“I’m doing weeding to help out Mr Smith.” – Mitchell

“It’s important to motivate children to take action and to make a difference. When they are excited and engaged, the attributes of the Learner Profile are seen authentically.” – Miss Williams

Awesome action year 4/5’s!!

Bronwyn Wilson, PYP Coordinator

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Student Initiated Action Acts of Service

In the PYP, it is believed that education must extend beyond the intellectual to include not only socially responsible attitudes but also thoughtful and appropriate action. An explicit expectation of the PYP is that successful inquiry will lead to responsible action, initiated by the student as a result of the learning process.

Blackwood Christmas Parade A reminder to those involved—the Blackwood Christmas Parade will be held on Friday evening 7 December. This year, St Peters will be represented by our very talented Skipping Group and our beautiful ELC students. The Early Learning Centre are still looking to borrow a suitable vehicle to transport their students in this parade (eg a truck). If you know of a suitable vehicle that may be available on 7 December, please contact our ELC Director, Diana Gaskell. Thank you!

Newsletter Page 4

The supply of students’ books and stationery for 2013 will again be outsourced to Lighthouse Books. Booklist ordering will be done by parents on-line later this year, following which the books will be delivered to your home mid-January 2013. Detailed information regarding the process for ordering books and stationery will be available soon. Information about naming, labelling and covering books and other items will be sent home closer to the end of the year.

Students’ Books and Stationery for 2013

Faith Family I can’t wait till Christmas

In the next day or two, coming home will be the regular Faith Family publication. A resource for parents, that is published each term, to assist you in your role of passing on your faith and encouraging your child’s personal belief in a loving God. What is your family’s tradition/routine in getting ready for Christmas? Do you put up decorations on a tree? Set up a nativity scene? Put up lights around your house? Play Christmas carols/songs? Buy and wrap presents? Write an annual letter to send with a card to friends and family you don’t see as often as you would like? Preparing for one or several family gatherings and meals? It is a busy time, isn’t it, and there’s always the possibility that the real meaning of Christmas is lost in the trimmings…it is Jesus’ birthday. This term’s Faith Family has a few thoughts about the 4 weeks of waiting, before Jesus’ birthday celebration. There are suggestions for some new family traditions that you might like to try in the Month Before Christmas. And even some suggestions for what to do in the car if you have to travel a long distance to that all important family tradition of gathering for a special meal together. As parents, we may not experience the month before Jesus’ birthday as a time of waiting, but as a time of busyness in preparing many things for that one day. Some questions to ask ourselves, as parents then is: What are we teaching our children about Jesus’ birthday from our example? What values are we passing on? What are we showing/saying are the important things about Jesus’ birthday? God bless your parenting, James Ziersch

Out and about... Our school choir, led by Miss Davies and Miss Schutz have been busily singing and spreading joy throughout our community with recent visits to both the Kalyra Nursing Home and the Rotary Fair (last Sunday).

Last Friday, our amazingly talented skipping group, ably coordinated and led by Miss Williams and Mrs Smith, visited Our Saviour Lutheran School at Aberfoyle Park to showcase their skipping demonstration—in great style.

These are wonderful examples of St Peters’ confident and capable students sharing their talents with our broader community to bring joy to others—we applaud all those involved and thank you for representing our school so proudly in this way!

And...while on the subject of our students being ‘out and about’, our Reception—Year 2 students have, this week, been enjoying their daily excursion to swimming lessons. We all know the importance of children learning how to swim and believe that this has been a valuable addition to our school schedule this year.

Our uniform supplier, Totally Schoolwear, is encouraging families to organise uniform requirements for next year. It is important that you do this before the end of the current school year to allow time for orders to be filled before the commencement of school in January. Please note—there is no need for an appointment and no need for a deposit.

Totally Schoolwear is located at Shop 3/378 Goodwood Road, Cumberland Park, and their opening hours are Monday to Friday (9am – 5pm) and Saturday (9am –12noon). Telephone: 8373 1776.

Please make every effort to visit soon!

Uniforms

Newsletter Page 5

St Peters Sporting Super Stars

For more information on Out of School Sport and/or school holiday sport events, PLEASE see the noticeboard outside Room 2.

Appleton Sports School Holiday Cricket Academy

Where: Scotch College Carruth Rd, Torrens Park When: Monday 17, Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 December 2012 What: Coaching Academy (Children aged 5-11 years) Pathway Academy (Children aged 12-17 years) Times: 9:00am– 12:00pm Coaching Academy 1:00pm – 4:00pm Pathway Academy Cost: Coaching Academy: $100.00 per child (Inc GST) for the 3 days Pathway Academy: $140.00 per child (Inc GST) for the 3 days

For further information please contact Jeremy Appleton

Mobile - 0408 490 079 or Email - jeremy@appletonsports.com.au

or refer to flyer attached to this newsletter

Volleyball

The game went really well and we all played our best. We won. We did some excellent serves and sets. Emma O

C Grade Cricket

No game—Christmas pageant

Year 6 Basketball We played against St Johns Maroon and we won 24-8. The good players were Jonathon and Tom. Matt C

Year 6 Netball Netball was good. Taylah and Georgia played really well. Me, Rachel and Chloe all fell over. Chloe sprained her wrist and I bruised my knee. Rhiannon E

LEVEL 1 CRICKET COACHING COURSE

Sunday 18 November

Attached to this week’s newsletter is a flyer about a Level 1 Cricket Coaching course being run by SACA.

Coaching is another way of becoming involved in your child's sport of choice and the SACA course is always great fun.

Any parents wishing to become an accredited level 1 cricket coach and who is willing to use those skills for the benefit of a St Peters team please see Mrs Sharon Smith or Mrs Rawinski about having your course paid for by the Out of School Hours Sport Committee.

Year 5 Basketball

Last week we played a great game. The score at the end was 43-21 we won. The team played really well with all our passing and our rebounds. We played a great game. Ben H

Year 4 Basketball

Last week we played an okay game—it was 32-36. We lost. I think we all passed really well and our shots were going in. I think Nik, Luke and Eduard played really well. Lachlan F

Year 2/3 Netball We lost and other team got 11 goals and we got five. We have won the last two games though. Everyone played really well. Emily V

Kanga Cricket No game—Christmas pageant

St Peters Lutheran Church

Services each Sunday at 10.00am

ALL WELCOME

Coming up...

19/11 ‘Spirituality of the Cross’ study 7:30pm

25/11 School Service 10am followed by sausage sizzle

2/12 Advent Evening Service and BBQ 6pm

Any enquiries please contact Pastor Ben: 82782322 or pfeiffer241@gmail.com

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful

(Hebrews 10:23)

St Peters Lutheran School, where the message of Jesus Christ is communicated and celebrated, is a caring, supportive learning

community that encourages global

consciousness, responsible action and life-long learning.

Diary Dates Term 4 (for your calendar!)

71 Cumming Street

BLACKWOOD SA 5051

St Peters Lutheran School Blackwood

Phone: 8278 0800

Fax: 8370 0414 Email:

admin@stpeterslutheran.sa.edu.au

We’re on the web…

www.stpeterslutheran.sa.edu.au

Week 6 (Monday 12/11) Fri 16/11 After Chapel Coffee

(Room B—Miss Davies)

Week 7 (Monday 19/11) Mon 19/11 Parents and Friends AGM—7pm

Tue 20/11 Principal’s Tour—9am

Thu 22/11 Playgroup—9am

Prayer Group—9 to 10am (All welcome)

Fri 23/11 After Chapel Coffee

(Room 10—Miss Schutz)

Sun 25/11 Family Service—Rooms 1, 2 and B

Week 8 (Monday 26/11) Wed 28/11 Volunteers Afternoon Tea

Thu 29/11 Playgroup—9am

Prayer Group—9 to 10am (All welcome)

Class-Support Coordinators Meeting—2pm

Fri 30/11 After Chapel Coffee

(Room 9—Mrs Jakube)

Second Hand Uniform Shop open—

after Chapel

Class-Support Coordinators Meeting—

9.30am

These dates are subject to change so please make sure you check them each week.

Week 9 (Monday 3/12) Thu 6/12 Playgroup—9am

Prayer Group—9 to 10am (All welcome)

School Council Meeting—7pm

Fri 7/12 After Chapel Coffee

(ELC—Mrs Gaskell)

Student reports go home

Kytons Christmas Orders ready for

collection

Blackwood Christmas Pageant

Sat 8/12 Year 7 Graduation Dinner

Week 10 (Monday 10/12) Mon 10/12 ELC End of Year Concert

Tue 11/12 Last day of term for school students

End of Year Service—7pm

ADVENT EVENING December 2nd at 6pm

Everyone is warmly invited to attend our Advent Evening service which celebrates the beginning of the Christmas Season with readings, candles and music on December 2nd at 6pm followed by a sausage sizzle BBQ. We would love to see you there

along with your family and friends!

PRINCIPAL’S TOUR Our last Principal’s Tour for 2012

will be held next Tuesday 20 November, from 9am to 11am.

If you know of anyone looking for a school or Early Learning Centre in this area, please encourage them to contact the school to

book a place on the tour.