Youth Environment Leadership Program (YELP)

This year, our twelve student leaders on the STEM Committee and the Citizenship Committee are also participating in the Youth Environmental Leadership Program (YELP) run by Green Adelaide. The YELP Team will lead positive environmental change within our school and community by working on an environmental project/s of the group’s design during 2024, with support from Mrs Doull.

On Tuesday in Week 2, eight members of the YELP Team participated in a full day Student Forum on the environment run by Green Adelaide. We met with eight other school groups in the main pavilion at Belair National Park, to engage in activities focused on the improvement of sustainability practices in our schools and understanding and caring for our natural environment. We had perfect weather and enjoyed participating in a number of sessions. Belair National Park was enchanting, with a variety of trees scattered around the park.

We highly enjoyed getting to brainstorm our project for this year. The kind people of Green Adelaide had set up a "growing a project" system to get us to think about the roots (group values), the trunk (our goals), the branches (what we need), the leaves (our actions), the fruit (our impact) and the sun (support and community). Using this unique method the eight of us determined that the best project for us to start investigating would be around adding more greenery to spaces around our school's grounds, using native and helpful plants. While this is not guaranteed it seems to be the most popular direction so far. Watch this space!

Another activity we enjoyed was the Sensory Walk. Usually our eyes dominate the rest of our senses but this was an activity designed to contradict this. We put blindfolds over our eyes as our partner from another school led us around the small part of the park we had to explore. Our partners could get us to feel, hear, smell or even taste the nature around us (luckily none of our partners got us to taste anything!). The main point of this activity was to appreciate the beauty and biodiversity of the park.

Craig Baulderstone from the Friends of Belair National Park group told us about the bush care activities that Friends groups undertake in the park. Belair National Park was established in 1891 as only the second National Park in the whole of Australia, and its 832 hectares protects a unique and healthy ecosystem supporting biodiversity and many rare species. 

We also created a "Bird Real Estate" pitch, where we tried to "sell" an assigned an area of natural habitat by identifying the positive qualities this area provided to support life for a range of animals, including birds, insects and reptiles. The "Marvellous Minibeast Mansion" was sold brilliantly by the Mitcham YELP Team! 

The day ended with some reflection in nature, with Nature Journaling. We ventured outside to find a space to sit quietly by ourselves and be creative in response to the environment. Students drew pictures, wrote poems and descriptions, and enjoyed the experience of focussing attention on the environment around us.

Thank you to Green Adelaide for this opportunity to improve our school and experience.

Esme L & Elanor J for the Year 6 YELP Team, and Mrs Doull

Science Teaching Award

Congratulations to our upper primary Science Teacher, Miriam Doull, who was awarded the Credit Union SA Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching of Science Primary Years Award 2024, given by the South Australian Science Teacher's Association (SASTA). Thank you to SASTA and Credit Union SA for recognising Miriam's achievements. This Award recognises Miriam's contributions to the education of students in science, her association with SASTA and dedication to profssional learning to improve her skills and student outcomes. The award was presented at the SASTA Annual Conference in the April school holidays.

When children need an emergency lunch, they will be provided with a cheese toastie or a vegemite sandwich. These can then be paid for using the Emergency Lunch Payment option on the Qkr! app; simply enter the amount from the slip that was sent home with your child. If your child has recently been provided with an emergency lunch order, we ask that you please make payment as soon as possible. Thank you.

We have had some new volunteers recently and we would like to thank them for helping, as well as the wonderful group that help us regularly! We really appreciate all your help.

Have a great week.

Anita, Ann and Kerry

State Swimming Championships

On Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th of April Samara C, Elijah K, Louis T, Sophie L and Thomas P competed at the State Swimming Championships. Congratulations to all for making it into this level of competition and a special congratulations to Samara, Sophie and Elijah who medalled on the day. Samara and Sophie have now been selected to the South Australian State Team to compete at the Australia 12 Years and Under Swimming Championship held on the Gold Coast in July.

Cricket

On Wednesday 10th April our Sapsasa boys side hosted their second-round match against St Francis de Sales College from Mount Barker. Batting first, the boys scored an impressive total of 3/135 with contributions from all batters. The boys then carried this form into their fielding, bowling St Francis de Sales out for a score of 10/65. Congratulations boys who now have a rest and will play their third-round game in early Term 4.

District Athletics Championships

We had 24 students compete at our District Athletics Championship on Thursday 28th March. Our students represented Mitcham proudly with many placing high in their events. We are still waiting on the results of which students succeeded in advancing to represent our City South District at State Day in late Term 3.

Netball 

This year we not only took our Sapsasa Statewide Girls side to our district wide netball carnival day but were able to enter two other participation sides to compete in a separate tournament at Netball SA Stadium on Tuesday 7th May. The girls did an amazing job throughout the day playing up to six matches without many breaks in-between which were spent cheering on their fellow Mitcham teams.

District Cross Country Championships

Twenty-five students travelled to Belair National Park to compete at our District Cross Country Championships on Tuesday 14th May. For the first time in a long time, at this event, the weather was kind to us with not a single drop of rain and sunshine. Congratulations to all runners who have been working hard at trainings to improve their stamina with all runners placing the upper half of their races. Congratulations to Nate G (1st), Lucas A (1st), Leo P (2nd), Lilian D (3rd), Ashleigh W (4th) and Sonja W (5th) who have made it into our City South District Team to compete at the State Cross Country Championships in Week 6.

Clint Rowland - PE Teacher

Materials & Services Payment Now Due

Thank you to the families that have paid their Materials & Services invoices, applied for School Card or arranged Direct Debits/Payment Plans.

Materials & Services invoices were due to be paid by the end of Term 1 2024.  Account statements showing outstanding balances were sent home last week.  Payment can be made electronically via the QKR! app or in person at the school administration office.  Any extension on this time can be arranged by setting up a Direct Debit or Payment Plan. Please email dl.0270.finance@schools.sa.edu.au for the authorisation form.

School Card

The School Card Scheme offers financial assistance with school fees (Materials & Services charges). To check your eligibility and to apply online go to the SA.GOV website via the link: www.sa.gov.au/education/schoolcard

If you are eligible for the School Card Scheme and have not yet applied, please do so as soon as possible.

Eligible families need to complete a new School Card application each school year.

If you need help completing the form lease contact the School Card section on 1800 672 758 (free call).

You will be notified by the School Card Section of the outcome of your application, please do not pay any money towards your Materials and Services charge until you know the outcome.

Unfortunately the Rag-Tag system is no longer active as the service has been discontinued by the provider. Uniform items, particularly jumpers and hats, should have your student's name clearly marked on it. The lost property cupboard is located in the Tutt building, inside the sliding door by the mural on the courtyard side. Please check this regularly if your child has lost an item.

To work or volunteer in education you must do mandatory notification training. The training is called Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect - Education and Care. We call it RRHAN-EC for short. The training has recently been updated so please check the expiry date on your certificate. This training includes information about child protection in education.

Parents volunteering in their own child's class or assisting on excursions do not need to complete the RRHAN-EC training. However you must have a current certificate if you wish to help out in the canteen, library, coach or manage a sporting team, attend overnight camps or volunteer on the governing council. Grandparents and other members of the community require a RRHAN-EC to volunteer in all capacities.

You must keep your RRHAN-EC training current. Please complete or update your training via the online update in plink at www.plink.sa.edu.au before 31 December 2024. Training should be completed before your certificate expires to avoid any gap. Once you have completed the training, please hand or email your certificate to the school front office. Email: dl.0270.admin@schools.sa.edu.au 

City of Mitcham Council advise that with the commencement of another school term Council will continue with the monitoring of parking areas around schools, kindergartens and childcare centres.

The attached brochure informs drivers about public safety and provide for student safety around roadways at schools drop off and pick up times, any breaches of the Australian Road Rules observed by compliance officers may result in the issue of an expiation notice. Should you have any enquiries regarding parking control matters please do not hesitate to contact Joanne Salter, Senior Compliance Office on 8372 8870. 

Please see below the upcoming important dates and school events.

Harmony Week Celebrations

Each year, Harmony Day is an opportunity to honor and celebrate Australia's cultural diversity. Harmony Day is about including, respecting and appreciating the stories, traditions and cultures of all people who call Australia home.

During Harmony Week (Week 8) all the classes met up with their Buddy class to do some meaningful Harmony Day inspired art work. Students also engaged in a lunchtime activity creating a chalk mandala.

We had four beautiful art displays set up around the school for students to explore after our whole school assembly on Monday the 25^th of March. Each display had a special meaning that tied into the theme that “Everyone Belongs”.

The lotus flowers displayed words that are significant to the students when they are thinking of Harmony Day, cultural diversity and helping everyone belong. The lotus flower has positive meanings across many cultures and religions.

The Hands Display represents how we use our hands everyday; whether it be to build things, help others or write ideas and stories. Hands are important because they help express ourselves. The hands display demonstrates how we are all growing, learning and interacting together. Each hand is like a leaf on the tree that we all belong on.

The Fish art represent that the countries we are from are all connected by the ocean. The ocean display shows that we are all fish swimming in the same sea; we all belong and help each other out.

The Quilts represent strength, resilience, friendship and connectedness. Our quilt display demonstrates that like the stitching on a patchwork quilt, we may come from many cultures and backgrounds, but we are all connected through common threads.

The school captains along with some other students reflected on the values of Harmony Day and collaboratively created a Mitcham Primary School Harmony Day Pledge:

As members of Mitcham Primary school community,

we pledge to honour and uphold the values of Harmony Day.

We vow to embrace each other, celebrate our differences,

and treat everyone with respect and kindness.

We understand that by standing together in unity,

we can create a community where everyone feels safe and welcomed.

We pledge to stand up against discrimination and

 promote our uniqueness and fairness among all.

Together, we commit to building a more inclusive environment  

where every voice is heard and every individual is respected.

It was wonderful seeing our school community coming together in a sea of orange to celebrate our diversity.

Congratulations Selth!

On Thursday Week 8 our year 4-6 students travelled to Burnside swimming pool to compete for their house in our Mitcham Swimming Carnival. This was a special swimming carnival as this was the last time that the houses will be using their old names before changing for Sports Day in Term 4.

Congratulations to Selth for winning a very close race in this year’s carnival. The lead changed several times throughout the day and in the end, there was only 20-point difference between 1^st and 3^rd.

Final Results

Selth                   1031

Devonshire         1020

Dunks                 1011

Mellor                  854

I want to thank all the teachers, students, parents and pool staff for helping throughout the day. I would also like to offer a special thanks to our House Captains who did an amazing job all day. Without you all the carnival would not be possible.

Clint Rowland - PE Teacher