A message from Troy

Staffing for Term 3

A quick update on staffing for Term 3. Margie will be on leave until the end of Week 4. In the meantime, I will be backfilling the principal role. In weeks 1-2, Kelly Charlton will be Acting Assistant Principal, Wednesday-Friday and Katherine Martin in weeks 3-4. During this time, Alex Agars will be covering both Kelly's and Katherine's classes. 

Alex Berry will be on leave in Weeks 1-2 with Rachael King and Andrew Jenkins in the Year 4/5 class, and Sam Irvine will be continuing her leadership position at Hahndorf Primary. Emma Grosvenor will continue in the class for all of term 3. 

Winter Solstice

A big thank you to everyone who came along and participated in the Winter Solstice. It was great to have students and families take part in the parade of the Uraidla Demon created by students from Alex's class last year. We look forward to being part of this again next year. 

Reminder about toys

It's great to see students still enjoying playing outside, even when the weather is becoming cold. This is just a reminder that we don't allow toys to be brought to school, unless it's for sharing or negotiated with the classroom teacher. Over the past fortnight, we have noticed students bringing a range of toys that have made their way into classrooms and the yard.  This is to make sure that toys don't become a distraction to learning, preventing damage during play and to avoid disagreements over peoples belonging. We appreciate your support with this. 

Kindy Visits

In terms one and two, we have enjoyed seeing our reception students from Katie's and Jaya's classrooms visiting the Kindy on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. These sessions allow for students to reconnect, as well as Kindy students connecting with staff and the environment. This has been a great opportunity for students to learn through play and connect with new people. This has given our mid-year reception students an opportunity to transition more easily by getting to know their teacher, know the students in the class and the environment they are moving into. We look forward to seeing more of this learning in terms three and four. 

Emergency procedures test text message 

Friday 27/6/2025 all parents and caregivers should have received a test text message (0428 491 214) in preparation for bushfire or other emergencies. The message read: 

Uraidla Primary School test message for emergency situations. We will use this system to keep you up to date with the actions taking place in the event of an emergency. Please do NOT reply to this SMS

If you did NOT receive this message, please contact the front office to inform us or to update your contact details. In case of bushfire or other emergencies, we will use this service to communicate with families, for example, changes to school pick-up times or school closures. Note that our school is scheduled to close on catastrophic days. 

Our school has detailed plans in place to keep your child safe in the event of a bushfire: 

We encourage you to read the Department’s Bushfire and your child’s school or preschool brochure for more information on school closures and how we will act if threatened by a bushfire.  Search ‘bushfire information’ at www.education.sa.gov.au.

Hats back on for term 3!

This is a friendly reminder that, as part of our Sun Safe policy that students are required to wear hats in the yards for Term 3. Please make sure you speak to your child to make sure their hat can be relocated before they start back. Thanks! 

Restorative Conversations

Sometimes people wonder what we do when problems arise between students at school? When speaking with families, they will often hear us say we've had a restorative conversation between those affected. Restorative Conversations are an essential part of re-establishing safety, rebuilding relationships, and repairing the harm caused during the incident. Below is an informative link from the Department for Education with videos and tools to help understand some of the ways we use restorative conversations at Uraidla Primary School. 

Restorative practices in education and care settings

Mary Farewell

On behalf of the entire staff and school community, we extend our heartfelt wishes to Mary Engler for a wonderful retirement. Mary has been an invaluable member of Uraidla Primary School for 18 years, contributing in various roles such as pastoral care worker, and in speech, language, and literacy intervention.

We hope her retirement is filled with joy, gardening, and cherished moments with her grandchildren. Please join us in wishing her well at our final assembly.

Our new Indigenous Garden

Over the past fortnight, Jo Higginson, in consultation with Lou Turner and Deanne Hanchant Nicols, has been purchasing and planting native local flora in our new Indigenous Garden. SRC members, along with others, have been involved in planting these new additions, creating a beautiful space that includes a fountain in the middle.

We look forward to sharing more information closer to the opening of the garden in Term 3.

Cybersafe evening

Thank you to the families who attended the Cybersafe evening. This was an opportunity to get the latest information regarding cybersecurity for our kids. It was great to hear about how we can protect our kids from online dangers and how to have open conversations about what they are doing on their screens. For more information, go to www.cybersafefamilies.com.au or check out their page on social media. 

LSGF - inclusive and grateful

It has been wonderful learning about inclusive this term. Starting with how to include others in our lives and learning about how to cater for different needs to provide everyone with equal opportunities for success. We finished our term with everyone creating a video stating how they can be included. It was fantastic to hear students' voices and explain how we can accept and welcome everyone. 

In term three, we begin our focus on being grateful. Maybe you can start these conversations over the holidays and ask what they are grateful for on their breaks. We look forward to sharing our amazing learning with you next term. 

Have a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to seeing you next term.  😊

Troy