The Golden Vine

From the School Leadership Team

Staffing 2024 

It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of Mrs Liesel Smallfield who will join our teaching team at Golden Grove Lutheran in 2024. Liesel is a highly talented educator with two decades experience who has served in a range of leading Sydney independent schools including Presbyterian Ladies College, Trinity Grammar and Georges River Grammar. She brings a strong background in teaching the IB PYP, has coached a range of sports including soccer, touch football, Aussie Rules and swimming, and has directed school musicals. Liesel also brings a range of strengths in learning support, having taught the Multi Lit and Spelling Mastery programmes. Prior to moving to Australia in 2016, Liesel taught in South Africa where she was Head of Performing Arts and Head of Swimming in a secondary college, a provincial (state) level hockey coach and also taught primary classes for a number of years. Liesel is a strong, lifelong Christian who currently attends Miranda Anglican Church. We wish Liesel, her husband Neil and their daughters the very best as they move to Adelaide over Christmas and look forward to giving them a warm welcome next year.

 

We also welcome Mrs Jade Fielke to the school, who will join us in sharing a class with Mrs Emily Gower. Jade brings a great Christian background and life experience to the role and we are sure that she will prove to be a great asset to our school community. 

 

Reminders 

It is a busy time of year and there are many exciting events coming up. Please be reminded of the following: 

  • Friday 1 December - Christmas Carols Concert - 7.00pm start. Students to arrive at classrooms by 6.45pm please. 
  • Friday 8 December - Volunteers Thank You. We invite all of our volunteers to enjoy a complimentary tea or coffee in the cafe in the morning or afternoon as our way of thanking our school families for volunteering in the canteen, on excursions and camps, and in so many more ways this year! 
  • Tuesday 12 December - P& F Fun Day
  • Wednesday 13 December - Closing Service - 2.00pm in the Worship Centre. 
  • Wednesday 13 December - Year 6 Graduation Service - 7.00pm in the Worship Centre. 

P & F Update 

Thank you to everyone that was able to attend our P & F Meeting and AGM on Monday evening. It was exciting to see a number of new faces and the way in which our P&F is growing, which enables us to hold a range of exciting community events in 2024. 

 

Congratulations to our office bearers for 2024. 

President: Sarah Kumela

Vice President: Stephen Tiller

Secretary: Michelle Parcell

Treasurer: Claire Rathjen

 

Our gratitude goes to our P & F executive team in 2023, especially Michelle Parcell who has led the P & F so well over the past few years where many of our regular activities were impacted by COVID restrictions. It is a testament to Michelle's leadership that these have now returned to 'normal' and that we have been able to maintain so much momentum over this period of time despite the challenges that we had to contend with. 

 

A reminder that our P & F Welcome Drinks and Parent Information Night  will be held on Wednesday 7 February, 2024 - this will be one of the first significant school events for the year and we are incredibly excited about seeing all of our families there! 

 

Will Wallace

Principal

PROGRESS REPORTS

 

Progress Reports will be released on Toddle next Friday, December 8th at the end of the school day. If you wish to receive a hard copy of your child’s report, please email office@goldengrove.sa.edu.au . These reports are a summary of learning over the year. As you read your child/children’s report, please remember that if a child’s achievement is assessed as satisfactory, it means that they are working at their year level standard. One criteria that I know parents value is the effort grading. This helps you to understand how your child is approaching their learning in each subject. We know that children who put in a lot of effort will achieve their potential and we encourage all children to apply themselves in doing their very best.

 

Our focus over the year is to look for growth in students. We look at where they started at the beginning of the year in what they know, understand and can do. We compare this to where they are at the end of the year. The characteristics of academic growth can be compared to the characteristics of growth in height of children. Children don’t grow at a consistent rate – they have slower times and growth spurts. This is also true for their learning. We monitor growth so that we can identify the optimum environment and way for your child to learn. We reflect on how we can continue to best support all students to continue to develop as learners.

 

2024 class lists, along with any further information, will be emailed to families that afternoon at the end of the school day. Teachers will spend time over the next two weeks, sharing information about each child, with their 2024 teacher. We have a handover process that allows teachers to have an insight into what works best for each student so that the new school year begins in the best way possible.

 

Jayne Zadow 

Director of PYP, Teaching and Learning 

Jingle Bells…….

I can’t believe that it is December this Friday! 

This means Christmas but it also means a very long break from school. To many of us there are lots of activities and things to do over the break but for some it may be a time that you find challenging. Questions such as… What will my kids get up to? How can I spend time with them?

This year I have promised myself to spend more time with my children. I’m pretty sure I have it all planned out. But…. I’m not going to.

I want to talk to my children and find out what they are interested in. What things do they want to do. The link below gives some simple tips on how to approach the school holidays. This includes talking with your children, listening to your children, setting dates, keeping an eye on what they are doing etc. There are many little things that you can do to continue to help them develop as a person and to continue to build stronger relationships.

Every blessing as you navigate your time with your children, and I pray that whatever you do it is one of Christmas joy, peace and happiness.

https://stepfamily.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Parent_School_Holiday_Survival_Guide_web.pdf

(Now….. I really hope to go surfing with my daughter, walk the dog, ride my bike with my son, lots of swimming………)

 

Tim Kriewaldt

Deputy Principal/Learning Support Coordinator