Important Things To Know
Changes to the School Newsletter
With consideration of feedback from past survey's that families felt overwhelmed with information and content being repetitive, this year we will be trialling a fortnightly school newsletter replacing the previous weekly rotation, and the repetition of messages shared will be reviewed and reduced where necessary.
Please be sure to read the school newsletter when it is emailed each fortnight so that you do not miss any important information. If you do not receive the school newsletter, please check your spam folder and mark it as 'safe sender' to ensure that moving forward it goes to your inbox.
You can also view the school newsletter any time on our school website. The school's Facebook page and the Parent Orbit App are also great ways to keep up to date with important happenings around the school. If you're ever unsure of something coming up, you'll always find the information in these three places.
School Canteen Hours
*Newsletter edited to add the following message:
At the end of 2025 we farewelled the wonderful Adele from our Canteen.
Beginning Monday Week 2 (February 2), we look forward to welcoming Alaina Nicholson as our new canteen team member.
Please note, this does mean that QKR canteen orders are not available for Week 1 as the canteen will not be open.
Curiosity ELC
2026 has started joyfully at Curiosity. Staff participated in 3 days of training and preparation, including Kimochi training in social-emotional learning tools, which include feelings pillows and plush characters which we look forward to introducing to the children soon. We were updated in our First Aid training and continued some training with Connect Ed. exploring The Circle of Security. We have had 7 days of Holiday Program fun with a small group of children attending. They have enjoyed bike and scooter riding, cooking, exploring animals and their homes, crafty fun, building, water play, scavenger hunts and so much more. Returning children have enjoyed reconnecting with educators and each other, and meeting several of our new children.
We look forward to welcoming children and families for the start of the Education Program from next Tuesday 27th January.
Please ensure your child is in their Curiosity uniform and they bring with them in their Curiosity bag, the following items labelled with their name:
- Hat (if not already at the Centre)
- Blue communication bag (if not already at the Centre) - this will be used as a library bag
- Change of clothes (uniform or navy coloured) including underwear and socks
- Drink bottle with water
- Lunch box with a range of healthy foods for morning snack and lunch (packaging will be sent home). We recommend all food containers are labelled and placed into one insulated lunch box/bag with ice packs to keep food cold throughout the day (please avoid sending nuts and nut products, milk and fruit juice boxes, lollies and chocolate bars).
Please set your Storypark app to receive notifications from us, as it is our primary way of communicating with you about your child, their learning, events and notices.
Student Stationery 2026
Families that have not yet ordered student stationery for 2026 must do so asap. We recommend using Campion and picking up directly from their store as deliveries will not arrive in time for the first day of school.
- Campion are located at 29 O G Road Klemzig.
- For any ordering issues, contact Campion directly on 08 8337 4544.
- All students must bring their stationery packs with them to Open Classroom Day on Friday 23rd January (1.30pm to 2.45pm), or on the first day of school. Foundation students, please bring your books with you when you have your Classroom Teacher Visit.
School Fee Payments
Formal communications for school fee payments will be sent via email in the coming week (or so). We thank you for your patience as we finalise preparing the accounts for the year ahead.
Uniform Shop Hours
The Uniform Shop will be open for walk-ins only, this Friday 23rd January, 8am until 3.30pm.
Please note: due to the high volume of customers expected, fittings for new students will not be available on this day. If you have a new student commencing and do not yet have an appointment, please email Dani Levy - daniella.levy@gspv.sa.edu.au
Opening Hours Week 1
Wednesday 28th January: 8am - 10:30am, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Thursday 29th January: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
QKR orders will be open from Thursday 29th January. QKR orders will be ready for collection at the END of day from the Front Office.
Regular Shop & QKR hours as per the school website resume from Week 2.
School and ELC Uniform Guidelines
While we no longer have a set 'summer' and 'winter' uniform as students are able to wear uniform items appropriate for the weather of the day and their needs, it is still a requirement that the specified compulsory and non-compulsory uniform requirements are followed.
Please refer to our school uniform guide and ensure your child/children are wearing the correct uniform (including jumpers, jackets, and footwear), their hair is styled so as not to draw unnecessary attention to the student, and items not permitted (like make-up, nail polish or stick-on nails, interactive smart watches etc) are not being worn.
Parent Orbit App
Prepare for the school year ahead - Download the app:
1. Go to the Apple or Google Play store and search 'ParentOrbit'.
2. Click the Get/Install button. After the app is installed, you will be asked to enter 'School Code'.
Our school code is: gspv
- If you get an error message 'invalid school code' try upper case GSPV
- If you still get an error message, delete the app, redownload, and try again
3. Click on our school name then tap the login button.
4. Enter your Parent Lounge 5 digit parent code and password on the login screen that appears. (New families, this will be in the letter you received in the yellow envelope)
5. Click the blue 'Allow' button on the permissions page that follows.
Done! You may now enjoy the ease and convenience of Parent Lounge on your phone.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our team in the front office.
TASS Parent Orbit is a mobile app for parents providing families a quick and easy way to access and manage:
- Attendance Acknowledgments & Bookings - Parents will receive notifications that keep them informed on student attendance and can send absences to the school for processing, as well as attach any relevant medical certificates.
- Notifications - Targeted notifications mean parents only get alerted about information that is relevant to their family.
- School Calendar - Calendar feed is condensed into an easy-to-view Daily Digest that displays important information, right on the home screen.
- Events & Payments - Parents can approve excursions and set up Direct Debit payments for school fees.
- Student Maintenance - Parents can view and edit important student data and keep administrators up to date with critical medical, emergency, and personal information.
- And so much more
Sibling Enrolments
We are now waitlisting enrolments for Foundation in 2027, and enrolments for 2028 and beyond are filling fast. If you have siblings that are not yet at school age, it is strongly encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.
Enrolment applications can be collected from the front office or downloaded from the school website. Forms can then be returned to the front office or emailed to Amber our enrolment officer.
School Photos
School Photos will be Thursday 26th February 2026, please pop this in your diary/calendar. More information to come.
Kmart Product Recall - Anko Gel Pack
Kmart have announced the product recall of the Anko Gel Pak sold between the 11th February 2014 - 10th December 2025. The product is being recalled because the gel packs may contain ethylene glycol, which is a toxic substance. If the product becomes damaged, ethylene glycol can leak out. If swallowed, ethylene glycol can cause irreversible injuries or death.
To ensure the safety of students, all families are asked to please not include these gel packs in lunch boxes/school bags.
Car Park Reminders
Please follow these carpark rules to ensure the safety of our school community:
- From entry at the church driveway until passing the ELC driveway, car speed is walking pace/10km only, including the right-hand 'drive through' lane.
- Students should not be getting into or out of cars in the right-hand drive through lane. Students are to be collected from the Kiss-and-Drop lane or in-person only.
- Please watch for staff directions at the pedestrian crossing. Approach slowly and stop when the lollypop sign is turned to 'Stop'.
- Please do not use mobile phones while driving through the car park.
- Please do not park in the shop/business carpark next door to the school. This is a private carpark reserved for paying customers of these businesses only.
New Speed Limit - Montague Road
Please note: These new limits will come into effect at each location once the appropriate signage has been installed.
The Department of Transport and Infrastructure announced a new 40 km/h speed limit to be introduced in front of our school early in 2026. The reduced speed limit will apply only on school days during the morning and afternoon periods: 8:00 am to 9:30 am and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
This initiative is part of a broader rollout across South Australia, where speed limits on state-managed roads near schools currently set at 50 km/h or higher will be lowered.
Fruit Fly Outbreak
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) has announced a Fruit Fly outbreak at Elizabeth East. This is in addition to the current outbreaks in Glynde and the Riverland.
What this means for families
With respect to homegrown fruit:
- If you are in the red zone (Elizabeth East or Glynde), homegrown fruit is to be left at home.
- If you are in the yellow zone, you can move fruit within the yellow zone area.
- If you are in the yellow overlap suspension area zones between Elizabeth East and Glynde, your home-grown produce can only be moved within the overlap area. It is important to note that although these outbreaks overlap geographically, they are however two separate outbreaks.
If home grown fruit or vegetables are packed into lunch boxes in the yellow zone, can it be moved out of the zone?
The simplest message is: “If it is homegrown, leave it home.”
What about store-bought fruit and vegetables?
Schools can continue to stock canteens and families can continue to pack lunchboxes with fruit and vegetables purchased from retail shops, providing it is stored securely when being transported and the waste is disposed of correctly (if located in a red or yellow area). This is because all fruit sold in shops is either certified as having been treated or sourced from a part of South Australia that is still recognised as pest-free, and so no treatment is required.
Further information is available via the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 or by visiting the website at www.fruitfly.sa.gov.au.
Parent Volunteers Needed
With some team members moving on, as is the nature of children graduating, we are looking for new parent volunteers. At Good Shepherd we have three core events that require volunteers:
- Dad's and Kid's Camp (Formally Men n Minors)
- Mother's Day Stall
- Father's Day Stall
Participating doesn't take too much time yet makes a huge positive impact on our school community and we greatly appreciate your support. If you are interested in assisting with any of these important events, please reach out to the following people:
- Dad's and Kid's Camp - Dave Peterkin
- Mother's & Father's Day Stalls - Jodi Quast
Thank you - from the Parent Volunteer Teams
Family Support - We're Here to Help
We hope and pray that everyone has been able to enjoy some ‘down time’ over the course of the school holidays - some time to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with family and friends away from the rigor of school routine.
But we also know that for some families, this time might have presented some changes or challenges that you are still working through.
Of course, your child’s teacher will be interested in hearing about these kinds of things as they may potentially have a bearing on the wellbeing of your child. We also have other staff members who are here to help.
Nathan Hale (Wellbeing Support) and Georgie Schuster (Family Support) are also available to lend a listening ear and see how they can help lighten the load.
Feel free to contact Nathan here
Or Georgie here
Connect With Us!
Stay up to date with happenings around the school.
- Like and follow our Facebook Page or Instagram Profile to enjoy updates, behind-the-scene sneak peeks, and videos and photos of our excursions and special events.
- Follow our LinkedIn Page for education industry insights, career opportunities and staff highlights.
Key Events in Term 1
Week 1 -
Wednesday 28 January - Term 1 Begins for Stage 2-4 Students
Week 2
Monday 2 February - Foundation Students Begin
Wednesday 4 February - Curiosity ELC Parent Partnership Night 6.45pm
Week 4
Tuesday 17 February - Stage 1 Parent Partnership Night 6pm
Tuesday 17 February - Stage 2-4 Parent Partnership Night 7pm
Thursday 19 February - Principal's Tour 11am
Week 5
Thursday 26 February - School Photos
Friday 27 February - Welcome Party / Official Opening of the Junior Primary Playground / Good Shepherd's 45th Birthday Celebration
Week 7
Monday 9 March - Public Holiday
Wednesday 11 March - NAPLAN (Writing)
Thursday 12 March - NAPLAN (Numeracy and Language)
Friday 13 March - NAPLAN (Reading)
Week 8
Monday 16 March - NAPLAN (Catch up)
Week 9
Friday 27 March - Principal's Tour
Week 10
Thursday 2 April - Sports Day
Friday 3 April - Good Friday
Week 11
Monday 6 April - Easter Monday
Wednesday 8 April - Learning Conversations 3.30pm-5.10pm
Thursday 9 April - Learning Conversations 3.30pm-8pm
Thursday 9 April - Final Day Term 1
Friday 10 April - Learning Conversations 9am-5pm
Friday 10 April - Pupil Free Day
For more information and events to be aware of, jump ahead to the Diary Dates page.