WATERKLOOF PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 4 – 2015
2 February 2015
From the Headmaster’s Desk PTA Matters The Waterkloof Primary School Parent and Teacher Association had their first meeting a couple of weeks ago and met Tuesday evening 4 March 2014. The following portfolios have been filled: Chairperson: Vice Chair: Bursar:
Mrs Belinda Duff Mrs Unati Speirs Mr Jeremy Gibberd
The portfolios of Secretary a Communication and Event Co-ordinator are still available. The focus of the PTA this year will be on fellowship, the identification of projects for the immediate and foreseeable future and structuring the association into a dynamic body facilitating fundraising projects, projects that will benefit every student and promote fellowship amongst all stakeholders in our school. A range of new and exciting events are in the pipeline and parents and children can be assured of a fun-filled 2015! Thank you to all parents who have already indicated their willing support to the PTA.
Parent Information Evenings The Gr.R, Foundation Phase (Grades 1 – 3) and the Intersen Phase (Grades 4 – 7) information evenings were held last week. Thank you very much too all the parents for making time to attend these very important information sessions and your interest shown in your child/ren certainly made these evenings hugely successful. The secret to a successful Primary School career is communication, communication and communication. As requested in the meetings, parents are again reminded to follow line-function, starting your queries with the educator involved. We are looking forward to a year where your child will be secure in the classroom, on the sports field and in the knowledge that he/she forms part of the Waterkloof Primary School Clan. Best wishes for an exciting and successful 2015.
Information Evenings
Mrs J. Shee
Thank you to all parents who attended the various Information Meetings. The support you offer your child and the school is much appreciated. Grade specific letters with all relevant information for 2015 will be forwarded to you within the next week.
Cell Phone Policy - Amendment Learners are not allowed to use cell phones on Waterkloof Primary School premises between 07:30 and 13:50 and when involved in extra-mural activities, for the following reasons:
they cause disruption during contact time; use between periods results in the late arrival for classes; the learners are not responsible enough, at this age, to discern between acceptable content drawn from the internet, for example – pornography. to prevent electronic bullying and victimization; to prevent learners from phoning parents during school hours without the knowledge of the school; and educators need to spend valuable time following up discipline-related issues and theft.
Implementation
Cell phones may not be used at school during contact time. The phone will be placed in a sealed envelope with the learner’s particulars and date for collection indicated and stored in a safe place. The educator or the school does not take responsibility for the confiscated cell phone. The complete phone, including the battery and sim card, as well as any other accessories, will be confiscated for a period of 20 school days (excluding holidays) or until the last day of the year. Parents will be notified by the educator who confiscated the phone, about the confiscation in the presence of the learner. No time will be allocated in following up on lost or stolen cell phones. Playing games or music or accessing the internet is not permitted on school grounds. Children may only take calls before 07:30 and after 13:50 if they are not involved in a school activity at the time.
School Attendance
Mrs J. Shee
Children need to be at school every day of the academic year. The curriculum is vast and children who get behind with work struggle to catch up. The missing of new concepts taught presents huge problems as the year progresses and the implementation of skills taught are relied upon for understanding of the next section of work. If your child is absent the onus is on your child to catch up the work missed and present it to the teacher for marking. This applies to classwork and homework, e.g. daily reading, spelling, Maths and the English and Maths Blue Books.
From the Sportsdesk
Mrs J. de Beer
Please note that the Grade Rs and 1s will start with extra-mural activities when the follow a normal school day timetable on Monday 9 February 2015.
Swimming - It has come to our attention that there are children who come to afternoon swimming who are not water safe.
The afternoon swimming classes are for children that can at least keep themselves afloat in the water. No children may join the classes until they are water safe. The teachers on duty and the coach will be checking on the ability of the children and should they not be at a competent level, they will be given a letter with names of ”Learn to Swim” coaches. Once your child has been declared water safe they may rejoin the afternoon swimming classes. Swimmers must wear the WPS black swimming costume and the WPS or House colour swimming cap at all the training sessions. The following people offer “Learn to Swim” classes in Pretoria: Emile de Bruin Karin Prinsloo Lizette Botha
082 453 0463 082 491 7112 076 392 4958
Tennis - If your child would like to play tennis they have to wear the right tennis gear, i.e. takkies, white short socks and their PE clothes. They also have to provide their own tennis racquet.
Congratulations to Georgia Kennealy, Aren Repko, Douglas Mpholo and Anerobi Onkonkwo on winning their first league match.
Chess - Congratulations to Andre and Leon Duvenhage on their achievements at the South African Junior Chess Championships held in Kimberley from 2-5 January 2015, where they represented Gauteng.
Recycling
Mrs L. Eagle
Unfortunately the rain prevented us from recycling last Wednesday, but please store up your waste for this week. We have a request from our paper/cardboard recyclers, MPACT, to place all waste paper and cardboard directly into the large bags which are on the soccer field each Wednesday. Please do not dump paper on the ground any longer. It has become too time consuming and labour intensive to pick up each piece of paper to place it into the truck. Your co-operation in this regard will be greatly appreciated. We once again started the year with a bumper collection! Thank you to all who collected during the holidays and brought it to school. We would like to invite the new WPS parents to join our recycling programme. We suggest that you look at the insert on Communicator to get an idea of what we recycle and how to collect it. Herewith some information regarding our recycling programme. When? Where? What?
Wednesdays 07:00 - 07:45 North end of soccer field Washed and sorted recyclable paper and cardboard,
transparent plastic bottles (resin code 1 in the recycle symbol), opaque plastic containers (resin code 5), milk bottles (resin code 2), plastic packaging (resin code 3 & 4), glass, aluminium cans (soda cans), and tin cans (food cans) We also have two charity programmes recycling polystyrene. 1. Bread tags: To collect for a wheelchair for a needy person - please sent to your child’s register teacher who has a storage tub. 2. Recyclable polystyrene containers: Such as Nutriday yoghurt containers. These are part of the Desmond Tutu Desk Challenge, which provides basic desks to disadvantaged communities - place in the clearly marked Wheeli Bin in the Recycling Depot. Finally, the cartridge recycling programme, where empty printer cartridges are collected at the Recycling Depot (on Wednesdays) and a voucher is given to each learner who brings empty cartridges. The voucher may be used as part payment towards purchases made at C. Goodies or the tuckshop. NB It is a voucher per visit to the Cartridge Guy, and not a voucher for each cartridge broug