Parent Information

Upper Primary Formal Uniforms – Policy update

Currently, boys in Stage 3 & 4 are able to wear their long pants or shorts at any time of the year. Please note the school policy has been updated in 2024 so that girls are also able to choose which formal uniform they wish to wear throughout the year depending on weather and preference. There are no longer set months where certain formal uniform must be worn. 

Please note that girls can choose from the following options on their formal uniform days. Options must be worn in their entirety. We trust this update will provide more flexibility to student comfort whilst learning. 

Girls Formal Uniform

All items from the following 3 options are compulsory school issue only: 

Option 1*  

Dress** 

Navy crew socks 

Option 2* 

Shirt (long or short sleeve permitted) 

Skirt**  

Choice of navy tights or navy knee-high socks (applies to the skirt only) 

Option 3* 

Shirt (long or short sleeve permitted) 

Navy trousers or navy shorts 

Navy crew socks 

*Any of the above options may be worn with or without the formal cable knit jumper.  

Optional school issue:

Tie optional when student is wearing a long sleeve shirt.

The following items are not school issue:

Shoes – plain black ‘leather style’ lace up or plain black ‘Mary Jane’ style. 

Note: Any of the three options may be worn at any time throughout the year providing it is complete: e.g., anklet socks cannot be worn with the skirt and tights/knee high socks cannot be worn with the dress or shorts. 

**Note: Both skirt and dress must be of modest length to allow for comfortable learning and play – a guide is no shorter than 5cm above the knee when kneeling.

School Absences

Please don't forget, if your child is going to be absent from school you will need to notify both their classroom teacher and the front office. This can be done via email. The front office email is: admin@gspv.sa.edu.au

This helps us ensure that your child is safe and accounted for, and that we have the correct information regarding their absence.

Scholastic Book Club 

Scholastic Book Club Issue 3 catalogues have been sent home with students this week. 

Scholastic apps are available to download for both Apple and Android devices to make ordering through the Loop system easier.

There is the option to mark your purchases as GIFTS. When these books arrive, you will be contacted directly, rather than books going home with students.

Please also note that some titles offered, differ from the Christian ethos followed by the school. 

Orders need to be placed via LOOP by next Thursday, 9th May 2024.  

Happy Reading Everyone!

URSTRONG Friendology for parents 

Dear Parents,

Good Shepherd Para Vista are a USTRONG school, with students learning about this friendship program during their Health lessons and OSHC also adopting the ‘Friendology’ initiative.

 URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million kids, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.

You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

As a next step, we would recommend:

• Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
• Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
• Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!

In line with the school's values, we believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships.

Creative Play Equipment – call out for donations!

There are many benefits of creative play. At Good Shepherd, we recognise this and are committed to continuing to foster it amongst our learners. The children at Good Shepherd enjoy using the creative play equipment that is available to them in the yard at playtimes.

From time to time, as items become ‘well used’, damaged or broken, our creative play equipment needs replenishing. This is where you come in! The school holidays provide a great opportunity to clean out the cupboards, the shed, or storage at home. Do you have any of the following items that you no longer use that you could potentially donate? 

Items may include:

• Cutlery, cups, bowls (sturdy plastic or metal only please) 
• kitchen utensils (nothing sharp)
• buckets (preferably durable plastic)
• small furniture items (eg wooden tables, chairs)
• wooden storage trunks (with the ability to store outdoor toys)
• milk crates 
• small blocks of timber
• matchbox cars, toy trucks, diggers etc 
• sandpit toys (eg spades, rakes etc) 

Please feel free to come and chat with me or Rachel Liebelt if you have any item suggestions. You may email me at tim.english@gspv.sa.edu.au with any photos, or simply bring items in to school at the beginning of next term. 

If there are any parents or grandparents who may be keen to take on a school holiday project and build some storage trunks, timber racks or outdoor shelving for storing some of our outdoor equipment, please come and have a chat with us, or send us an email.

Thank you in advance. 

Tim English (Learning Enrichment Teacher – Wellbeing)

Rachel Liebelt (Co-Educator & Creative Play Support) 

Mother's Day Stall

Good Shepherd Lutheran School’s Mother’s Day stall is fast approaching! Our team is very excited to host this next week (week 2).

If there are any last-minute parent volunteers able to help assist on Tuesday 7th May 1:25pm-3pm (arrive at 1:15pm), please be in touch with the team. You will need your volunteer requirements completed to be able to help. Please check with the front office that your volunteer status is up to date. 

We are very much looking forward to hosting the Mother’s Day Stall at Good Shepherd. It is such an exciting time for our children as they get to purchase some gifts for their Mum’s. 

It is recommended that children bring approximately $10 to spend at the stall.

Thankyou,

Mother’s Day Organising Team

Lauren Davies / Alix Zeppel / Alana Siedel / Sarah Pound / Jodi Quast

The Countdown is on for the Dads and Kids Camping Weekend!

REGISTER NOW!

Download the QKR App to your device and go to Good Shepherd Lutheran School.  The registration form and payment process is available all in this one place.  

The following link provides detailed information about the camp.

Men and Minors camp 2024 is coming up on the 17th – 19th May at the regular location near Williamstown.  All primary school aged children accompanied by their dad or significant male are welcome to attend.

This is a great weekend to 'get back to basics' and enjoy some quality time with your children while also being a great opportunity to connect with other dads too.  Saturday will packed full of fun activities as well as having a nice amount of 'down time'. 

Come along and see what more than 300 people enjoyed in 2023!

Volunteering at the school

We have plenty of volunteer opportunities within our school for those interested in contributing to our vibrant community at Good Shepherd Lutheran School Para Vista, and your involvement is crucial in creating a nurturing environment for our students. 

To learn more about the available opportunities and the application process, please take a moment to review the attached PDF document. We greatly appreciate your willingness to support our educational journey, and we look forward to welcoming you as valued members of our dedicated team

Siblings

If you have not yet submitted an enrolment application for any siblings of current students, please do so as soon as possible to ensure a position is available, the sooner the better! Your prompt attention to this is greatly appreciated. Enrolment applications can be collected and returned to the front office.

Growing Faith at Home

Loving one another isn’t always easy, especially if we feel that we haven’t got much ‘in the tank’ to share with others. God longs to top us up with his limitless supply of love for us, that we can in turn share with others. Have a look at this week’s resource for some ideas to share ‘love’ with others in your family. 

On the topic of love, have you heard of the 5 love languages?  These ‘languages’ describe different ways that people receive and express love in a relationship. They include words of affirmation, quality time, touch, acts of service and receiving gifts. Take a few minutes to do the quiz and see what styles you and your family prefer :  https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language