This year we are reviewing our Strategic Plan and preparing a new plan for 2022-2027.  Last term we formed a committee made up of school leadership, staff, parents and Board Members. Meg Barker, a parent Board member is chairing the committee.  The committee is driving the process and has been meeting regularly. 

The process of formulating our new Strategic Plan is complex where we undertake widespread consultation.  We have already captured input, ideas and thoughts from staff.  We are currently asking all committees in the school to contribute and provide feedback. This term we will also be gathering input from students and parents. Parents will be sent a link to a survey in the coming weeks to collect their thoughts, ideas and priorities.

We will use the information gathered from students, staff, committees and parents to provide direction for the school and determine future priorities.  We will also capture input from the Board and it is the school Board who will make the final decisions on the future directions and priorities and ratify the document.

We hope to launch the new Strategic Plan in early 2022 and it will then be disseminated to all of our community members.  The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan will drive the school’s operations and directions over the next five year period of the plan and is one of the most important documents our school produces.  Please make sure you make time to give your input when the parent survey is disseminated.

Part of the process is also looking back and reflecting on the current Strategic Plan and tracking our progress and achievements. The Strategic Plan committee has analysed the status of the current plan and evaluated each strategy and action under the five key strands of the plan.  Some actions are fully achieved, and some actions will be transferred to the new Strategic Plan for continuing work.

I invite our school community to read the Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Achievement Snapshot document at this link: 

https://montessori.sa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Strategic-Plan-Outcomes-2021.pdf

As a school and community we have much to be proud of and it is important that we acknowledge and celebrate our progress and achievements!  

Cathy France

Principal

In our last board meeting, we went through the results of the School holiday timing survey and approved the 3-week mid-year break. We approved the start of the Master Plan process and the 2022 school fees.

Jade Crathern

Board President

Following the parent and staff survey conducted last term by the School Board regarding school holidays, the Board analysed the results at the September Board meeting.  A decision has been made to go with the overwhelming majority of parents and staff, and have a three week holiday in the middle of the year and start the school year at the same time as department schools.

Subsequently the 2022 term dates are as follows:

Term 1:                 Tuesday 1st February 2022 – Thursday 14th April

Term 2:                 Tuesday 3rd May – Friday 1st July

Term 3:                 Tuesday 26th July – Friday 30th September 

Term 4:                 Tuesday 18th October – Wednesday 14th December 

We welcome the following new students and their families to our school as well as some new Infant Program families.

Preschool:  Eloise Noble, Mila Pilic, Alinta Voges Standing

This term we welcome Rom Evangelista as she takes on the Learning Support Assistant role whilst Nikki Green takes leave for Term 4.

We welcome back Robert Doolan (groundsman) who returns after a term's leave in Term 3.  We thank Andrew Garsed and Ben Noble for ably covering Robert's work during  his absence.

Over the past 12 months, the School has refurbished office spaces in the main administration building to better accommodate our Student Wellbeing Worker, Community Engagement Officer and Enrolments Officer, and have converted a storeroom into the Business Administrator's new office.  The School has also upgraded its telecommunications through the installation of a new telephone system and migration to the nbn for Yultiwirra campus' administrative and business services (we look forward to migrating Yultiwirra classrooms to the nbn in the coming weeks).  We thank the State Government for a $40,000 work grant to achieve these capital developments.  

Following recommendations from the Cancer Council and our school policy, all students are required to wear a broad brimmed hat and appropriate clothing from 1 August (previously 1 September) to 30 April and when the UV radiation level is 3 and above at other times, when going outside for any activity.

Broad brimmed, legionnaire or bucket style hats (bucket hats must have a deep crown and 6cm brim) are required.  Baseball caps are not acceptable.

Clothing made of closely woven material including tops with collars and long sleeves and longer style skirts, dresses and shorts are recommended.

The Cancer Council recommends that students are encouraged to apply SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen before coming to school.  Preschool staff will reapply sunscreen prior to outdoor activity at lunchtime and Primary students are encouraged to do the same.

Please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing and has a named sunhat that can be kept in his/her bag or at school during these times.  School hats can be purchased from the office for $15.

A Sausage Sizzle lunch will be provided at Yultiwirra this Friday 15th October for those students who have ordered. Thank you to the Class Parent Reps for organising & hosting this special lunch for the students to celebrate the beginning of Term 4! 

School Photos will be taken in Week 3 of Term 4 on Wednesday 27th October for most classes and Thursday 28th October for Thursday/Friday preschool students.  We are using the same photographer that we used last year, and you can order & pay online.

Further information has been sent out via the Skoolbag app. 

Parents with children in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 are asked to contact their child’s class teacher to make a time to discuss the NAPLAN results in conjunction with other school records.

Snapshot Books were sent home with Yultiwirra students on the last day of last term.  These folders provide parents with ‘snapshot’ examples of the type of work that your child has been focusing during the term.  We hope that you found them informative & interesting.  They are a terrific way of sharing information about your child’s development and school activities with extended family members.  

“Character formation cannot be taught. 

It comes from experience and not from explanation.”