School Fee Statements

Dear families,

The implementation of our new TASS system has of course brought with it some bugs that have held up sending the school fee statements out to you on time - We are working hard to send them as soon as possible.

We understand this may cause an inconvenience, as such, the administration team has pushed back the final day for payment from Friday 16th February to Friday 23rd February.

Thank you.

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.

Welcome Party 2024 🎉

The theme this year 'Welcome (to your house) Party!' relates to the release of our new student House teams; Pari (Water - Blue), Kardla (Red - Fire), Wirra (Green - Trees), Tirntu (Yellow - Sun).

Belonging to a House and participating in activities allows pupils to interact with children of different ages, cultures and backgrounds. This breaks down barriers between age groups, boosting their confidence and self-esteem. House groups provide a sense of continuity throughout children’s time to counteract their separation into year groups and students will look back fondly on activities they participated in for their House and remember it for years to come.

The 2024 'Welcome (to your house) Party!' is a whole school community event happening Friday 23rd February, 2024 from 5:30pm on the school oval. Be sure to mark it in your calendars.

Wear your student house colours, bring your picnic rug, chairs, drinks and food, and let's have some fun! There will be music, party games, science shows, bouncy castles, rock walls, and face painting. There will also be food trucks providing lots of yummy food options.

Tickets can be purchased via the Qkr! app. All tickets must be purchased by Wednesday 21st February. Children's tickets include unlimited access to all activities.

We are currently seeking approximately 2-3 volunteer photographers for the event. Please contact Kim our Marketing and Communications Coordinator if you would like to volunteer: kim.reddy@gspv.sa.edu.au

Sports Day Accessories for Families - Welcome Party

The new House Teams provide the perfect opportunity to organise new sports day accessories while at the same time support the school!

Get yourself coloured hair spray, socks, suspenders, hair accessories, tulle skirts, pom poms and more!

Ordering is open now and closes on Monday 19th for delivery to school on Wednesday 21st, ahead of the Welcome Party.

Use the school discount code GSLS24 at Sports Day Essentials.

Sports Day Essentials

Every purchase using the code earns $'s back to the school and you pay no shipping cost! (Remember to use your child's name and class)

House Teams

The new school House Teams are go for 2024! Students recently received a badge letting them know which House Team they are in (which is also the theme of our Welcome to your house Party!). Attached below are the House Logos – feel free to save them and use at home with your children. You might want to create a sign or clothing for this year’s Sports Day on Thursday 28th March!

Sea of Hands

This year, students at Good Shepherd Para Vista will work together to create a collective installation called the 'Sea of Hands'. This project will officially launch our Reconciliation Action Plan. The Sea of Hands will represent our community's support for reconciliation, rights, and respect for Indigenous people.

14th February @ 1.30pm on the school oval with special guest Renee Watego.

Hands will remain on display until Friday 16th February for ELC, Stage 1 students and the wider community to view.

Volunteering at the school

Interested in contributing to the vibrant community at Good Shepherd Lutheran School Para Vista? We have plenty of volunteer opportunities within our school 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.

Webinar

Digital media platforms help young people develop and maintain relationships with friends and family, make new social connections and find support networks. However, there are concerns among professionals and parents that young people’s online interactions also have significant negative influences on mental health and wellbeing and are detrimental to ‘real life’ interactions with peers and adults.

This webinar will help you:

Understand the similarities and differences between online and offline peer relationships and interactions.
Understand the benefits of online peer relationships for young people and some of the challenges they experience while navigating them, including their impacts on mental health and wellbeing.
Develop insight into how to support young people to develop positive peer relationships in online spaces and how families can encourage these positive relationships.

When: 21 February 2024, 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Presenters: Hue Dwyer, Casey Thorpe, Riley Scott, Mandy Truong

Scholastic Book Club

Welcome back to the Scholastic Book Club for 2024. 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 Thursday 15th February 2024.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Growing Faith Resources

Dear School Family,

Are you a good listener?

What is involved in listening carefully to others? Just a couple questions from this week’s GFH resource for you to share with your family. The resource talks about a special moment in Jesus’ life where God declares, ‘This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says.’ God loves to connect and share life with us. How do you listen to and hear from God in your own life? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Please remember that we still have GFM handouts with ideas about ‘Beginning School’ or ‘Back to School’ available for you to share with your family.

Georgie

Sport

U8s GS Nets

Aussie Hoops Basketball