Two very important dates to put in your diaries:
Friday 10 February 2012 – Welcome Cocktail Party
Wednesday 15 February 2012 – AGM Avondale Parents Association
More details to follow soon or contact Lorraine – lorraine_r@me.com if you have any questions or would like to help out with either event.
Semester 2 reports will be sent home this week and both the teachers and the Executive team have spent many hours in preparing and reviewing them. For me it has represented a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the total professionalism of the teaching staff as they review book work and assessed student work samples as well as test results. These reports represent a detailed summary of the whole year’s work for each boy and girl. Great encouragement should be drawn from the demonstrable improvement in academic standards evident across the whole school. To each of our precious Avondale students we say ‘Well done!’ and we encourage you to continue striving for the best no matter where you may find yourself at school in 2012 – be it Avondale or elsewhere.
Cinderella and Rockerfella
What an amazing three shows we all enjoyed! A thousand thank yous to Mrs Hughes and her dedicated team of teachers and parents who gave a total of hundreds of hours of selfless labour to make the show the outstanding production that it was. A packed hall on Thursday evening with not even any spare standing room was strong testimony to the polished and engaging production that we witnessed. Well done one and all…..
Preschool Parents Information Morning
On Friday morning at 10am more than 30 preschool parents with children joining the school in 2012 met in the Multi Purpose Hall to hear from Preschool Director Jade Peter Swain some of the challenges of commencing a more formal school program as well as insights into the philosophy and daily operation of the Avondale Preschool program. The strong attendance and the highly engaging nature of the session are both encouraging signs of the strong growth of the Avondale community over the last twelve months.
Stationery Packs
Avondale parents have so far ordered a total of 116 stationery packs for the 2012 school year. If you have neglected to order and are still keen to do so then please email sbeck@avondalegs.com.sg indicating the number of packs you require and the specific Year groups your children will be in next year.
Celebrate 2011 Assembly
On Tuesday morning commencing at 10am we will hold our Celebrate 2011 assembly followed immediately by some community carol singing and a late morning tea hosted by the Parents Association. A reminder that while it is a normal school day, parents are welcome to take their children home with them at the conclusion of the morning tea should they wish to. Classes will continue as usual after lunch.
Last Day of Term 4 – Thursday 15 December
Classes conclude at 3pm on Thursday 15 December. We wish all parents and students a very merry Christmas and a relaxing and enjoyable new year. Thank you for all that you have contributed to Avondale during the past twelve months.
New Student Orientation – 9am Friday 20 January 2012 – gather in the Multi Purpose Hall
The Avondale staff team looks forward to meeting with all new students and families on this occasion to guide you through the routines and expectations of Avondale, the Early Learning Centre and the Primary Centre. You will have the opportunity to meet all new teaching staff including Avondale Principal Ms Jan Hart.
Term 1 2012 – First Day for all students; Wednesday 25 January
The School will be closed on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 January as Singapore marks the occasion of Chinese New Year. All students commence school on Wednesday 25 January at 8:30am. All students from Prep to Year 6 will gather initially in the playground / soccer pitch area of the Early Learning Centre. After a brief welcome from the Principal, Years 3 to 6 students and their teachers will move down to their new classrooms in the Primary Centre.
Dear Parents,
Did you find fairy dust following you home after the show? I did and it is everywhere! You know, every year I am so happy for and with my students, they grow so much putting on a show. I am so clearly reminded why I became a teacher and why I love my job so much.
As a teacher, of course we love to teach our subject and to spend time with students, but a major production such as this is not just about the skills learnt in the classroom, it is about developing character and growing as a person. It is a time to be inspired and a time to shine. When students excel in an event like this I am so happy for them and I want to say a big ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ to each and every one of them. From Kindy to Year 6, they all worked hard and their talents were obvious.
I also want to say a major THANK YOU to a few special people who helped so much. Without your input, we could not have achieved what we did. Faith Collins, Vicki Picken, Zoe Johnson, Siva and Jack, my “crew” – thank you – this was team work at its best.
To the parent helpers, thank you – you were amazing! Your time and dedication is much appreciated. Costumes, Props, Backdrops, Make-up, all were wonderful – and I know many more of you helped behind the scenes! (A special thankyou to the parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, who contributed over $200 for costumes). There are no words to express my gratitude. This is really a demonstration of the “Family” of Avondale Grammar School.
It is always a risk to make special mention of parents, in case I miss someone! If I have missed you – please don’t be offended – send me an email! The following do come to mind:
Choreography – Marena Matthews
Costumes – Geraldine Creaner, Hilli Derold, Caitlin Coote, Felicity Pope, Sandy Horne, Angela Guy, Sarah Froggett, Michele Khan, Karin Hunter, Nicole Mervin, Cate Worsley, Heloise Halsey, Jackie Fittler
Backdrops – Lynne Hay, Barbara Jaques
Props – Pam Ismail, Denise Howell, Kerrie Clarke,
Makeup design - Marena Matthews, Niki Scott, Karin Hunter
Photography – Pam Ismail
Makeup Team – Cate Chater, Paula McAdam, Josephine Garbellini, Olivia Khang, Kelley Colyer, Karin Hunter, Catherine Gow, Geraldine Creaner, Felicity Pope, Sarah Froggart, Michelle Thompson, Marena Matthews, Elaine Diggens, Alex McArdle, Patricia Robert, Michelle Wetherill, Lisa Wydenbacj, Sam Sadural, Sandy Horne
From myself and all of the students – we salute you – the parents.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thank you again,
Shanhong
Information concerning Instrumental Lessons for 2012 will be sent during Week 1 of next year.
Avondale Football Teams:
The last match of the year was played Tuesday 6 December. The weather was kind this week and the students played a lot of football. All the students have enjoyed their time playing for Avondale during Term 4. The football season does continue into next year. The finals will be played on Tuesday 7 February.
9 & Under Team Results: Mrs O’Hanlon (coach)
Holland School – Lost 0-2
Nexus – Lost 0-1
Canadian School – Lost 0-3
10 & Under Team Results: Andrew Eaton (coach)
UWC East – Won 4-0
Canadian School – Lost 1-3
Holland School – Lost 1-3
Canadian School Lakeside – Draw 1-1
11 & Under Team Results: Lex Gow (filled in as coach)
CHIS – Draw 0-0
Holland School – Lost 0-2
UWC East – Lost 0-2
Tanglin Trust – Won 3-0
There are no sporting activities taking place in Week 10.
Amanda Dundas
Physical Education Teacher
Mrs Hughes and the Parents Association are proud to announce that there will be a Christmas CD available this year.
It will include:
Avondale School song
Singapore National Anthem, and
A selection of Christmas songs
Attached is an order form. If you would like a copy, please return the form (with payment) to school by 8 December 2011.
Good education is always a balancing act. While our key focus should always be on core teaching and learning in Literacy and Numeracy, there is also no doubt that much incidental learning takes place through activities such as ECAs, team sports, drama performances and other such activities that fall outside the scope of normal classroom learning. The past week has been highlighted by a number of such incidental learning experiences for all students from Preschool to Year 6.
Stationery Packs
Either via email or pupil post you will by now have received a stationery order form for 2012. It is a simple means of assisting parents to avoid the challenge of gathering together a disparate range of simple items from various stores all over Singapore. Please remember that if you want to order through the School that your orders need to be emailed to sbeck@avondalegs.com.sg by close of business on Monday 5 December. Orders will be delivered to the school during the week of 16 to 20 January 2012.
Children and staff Christmas Lunch
What a priceless gift a very dedicated group of canteen mums gave to more than 80 children on Thursday.Starting preparations on Wednesday they slaved tirelessly to produce a magnificent Christmas lunch fit for royalty! The Rainforest Cafe was transformed into a Christmas wonderland with tinsel aplenty, glitter, baubles, christmas tablecloths and theme coloured serviettes. The children were thrilled and thoroughly enjoyed their festivities. Not content with enriching the students’ week in this way, the same group of supermums then backed up on Friday to prepare a festive feast for the teachers. Not only that but there were even eight volunteer mums who came to assist with playground supervision so that all teachers could enjoy breaking bread together. From all the staff we wish to thank all those parents who prepared, cooked and supervised from the bottom of our hearts. You have humbled and inspired us with your generosity of spirit. How blessed we are to live and work in such a supportive and collaborative community.
Preschool Nativity Community storytelling
The week belonged to our preschoolers. After much singing and practising of simple lines, many hours of tireless costume, sets and props preparation by a dedicated group of parents and of course the Preschool staff, the show finally made it to the stage. The back floor of the MPH was the perfect venue and it had been transformed into the perfect oriental inn, complete with a colourful tent-like roof and faux straw! Parents and friends packed every available vantage point and gave fullsome vocal support to our 60 strong star cast as they sang, danced and told the story of that very first Christmas. The strolling minstrel leading several favourite christmas carols at the end was the perfect conclusion. As another first for Avondale it was a great way to showcase the skills and talents of our youngest students and amply demonstrate the strength and diversity of the vibrant Avondale preschool program.
Staff Movement
Apologies for leaving our staff leavers list incomplete last week. At the end of term we also farewell Mrs Johnson. She is taking up a career in casual teaching at a range of schools in order to build on her classroom experiences. We thank her for her tireless and skilled work with KS this year. Mrs Birch will also be leaving to return to the United States with her husband. The Birches are expecting their first child in May 2012 – a very exciting prospect! We thank Mrs Birch for her excellent support of 1W as Assistant Teacher and for the outstanding work she has completed as the class teacher for Year 4 for the past two terms. We wish all departing staff every success and happiness in their new adventures.
Cinderella and Rockerfella – last call
All the tickets for the evening performance have now been sold out. We will do a seating check on Monday and if we think we can squeeze in some more chairs then additional tickets may be released on Tuesday. There are still plenty of tickets available for both matinees (Wednesday and Thursday). Any parents who wish to purchase additional tickets (more than the original 2) for siblings or grandparents for either matinee performance are very welcome to do so through Reception.
Celebrate 2011 Assembly
A letter with complete details of this event will be sent home early this week. A reminder that our final assembly will take place on Tuesday 13 December commencing at 10am and concluding at approximately 11:30am in the presence of members of the Avondale School Council and the British High Commissioner His Excellency Antony Phillipson. The assembly will be followed by a Christmas morning tea on the soccer pitch hosted by the Parents Association. Please note that parents are welcome to take their children home following the final assembly should they wish to do so. As it is a normal school day classes will resume after lunch for those remaining at school.
Dear Parents,
Thank you all for helping in all areas with the show – we have now reached showtime! Although we have given our support it is the students who make everything happen – demonstrating not only their music and drama skills, but the responsibilities that go with performance. I know the students cannot wait to share everything with you.
There are a few things to remember:
The MPH will open 30 minutes before each show – please do not forget to bring your tickets! Showtimes are
There will be tea and coffee available for parents in the canteen for the evening show only. Students will need to be back in school by 5:15pm to get into costume and make-up. A few cast members will need to be back at 4:30pm – they know who they are.
The 8th December will also be the last day for booking the DVD, which will be ready before Christmas and could make a great gift for grandparents, aunts and uncles etc.
I hope to see you all at one of the shows!
Shanhong Hughes
Avondale Christmas 2011 CD
Dear Parents,
Shanhong Hughes and the Parents Association are working to put together an
Avondale Christmas 2011 CD
The limited edition special CD will include the:-
Avondale school song
Singapore National Anthem
a small selection of Christmas themed songs
The CD would make a wonderful Christmas gift for grandparents or be a perfect present for your child’s stocking to commemorate their time at Avondale.
All the songs will be professionally recorded. The cost of each CD will be $6.
The CDs will be available for collection from Tuesday 13 December, the day of the School’s Celebrate 2011 assembly and the PA Xmas morning tea.
How to order:
Please tear off the slip at the bottom of this note and deposit it in the PA Box in the Parents Lounge.
If you are paying in cash, please do bring in the correct money. If you are bringing in a cheque, please make the cheque payable to: Avondale Parents Association.
You must send your CD Order Form back before 8 December. If you are leaving early and are unable to make alternative collection arrangements please let me know and we will hold onto the CD until next year for you.
Let me take this opportunity to wish all families at Avondale a happy and safe Christmas. To those leaving for new adventures, good luck, and to those returning, see you in the new year.
Many thanks,
Josephine Garbellini
Avondale Parents Association
Avondale Christmas CD 2011 Order Form
I would like to order ___ CD(s). Enclosed please find my cheque/cash for $___.
Name of child __________________Class ____________
Please return to the PA Box in school reception with the correct money.
Signature of parent: :___________________
It is often said that a week is a long time in politics – it can also seem like an eternity in the life of a school. This week has seen some significant milestones and major changes signalled. In this week’s newsletter I will summarise some of the key events that have taken place:
Year 6 Graduation Assembly and Dinner
On Tuesday afternoon the school gathered as one to farewell our five remaining Year 6 students. Yu Can Ing Robinson, Austin Guy, Jaimie Irving, Jason (JJ) Hayklan and Jasper Knox have led Avondale with grace and spirit throughout 2011. They have provided strong role modelling to younger students and all have contributed significantly to the wider life of the School. Following a moving assembly and awards presentation, the Year 5 students and their families joined with the Year 6 leaders and their families in a celebratory meal at the Dempsey Brasserie. Thanks are due to Miss Hand for her comprehensive organisation of these two key events and for her tireless efforts in teaching and inspiring these five young people.
Mandarin Information Afternoon
Many thanks to the twenty-two parents and to the Mandarin staff who came together on Monday afternoon to discuss the Mandarin teaching and learning program. It was very informative and challenging as we learnt how to say and match words and symbols to make simple sentences and also practised different tones in pronunciation. A similar event for parents of French students will be held early in Term 1 2012.
Parent / Council Information Forum
To the more than sixty parents who took time out of their busy schedules to attend this forum on Wednesday evening, our grateful thanks. The session was interesting and informative. A summary of questions and answers will be compiled this coming week and sent to all current Avondale parents.
Staff Departing Avondale at the conclusion of Term 4 2011
As communicated to parents mid week Avondale is losing Deputy Head Louise Hand from the conclusion of this academic year. Miss Hand has been part of Avondale since its inception and is in a very real sense the keeper of the School’s history. We will miss her professionalism, her passion for student welfare and high academic standards as well as her concern for and support of staff colleagues. Miss Hand will be sorely missed for many reasons and we wish her every happiness and success as she takes up a teaching role at PLC Sydney.
Also leaving Avondale is Mr O’Shea. He has contributed singificantly to many areas of school life since his recruitment – originally as a member of the Office staff with a focus in enrolments. His passion and enthusiasm for technology has assisted teaching staff and students to integrate many different approaches to ICT into teaching and learning activities. Mr O’Shea will pursue opportunities for casual teaching and spending more time with his son in 2012.
A new Principal for Avondale
This week also saw the official announcement of my appointment as Head of Junior School at Inaburra School commencing at the beginning of Term 2 2012. I will be very sad to leave Avondale, for many reasons, but the opportunity to return to a permanent role in a leading Sydney independent school is too important to my family to turn it down. The Council has worked diligently to find a new leader to guide Avondale through this next significant phase of its development. Mrs Jan Hart has already met a number of parents and students and has also had the opportunity to speak with staff. Her extensive experience in many major independent school environments in Eastern Australia has prepared her well for shaping Avondale’s move into secondary education. She will take up the role in transition from the commencement of Term 1 2012. I look forward to working closely with Mrs Hart to ensure a strong start to the 2012 school year.
‘One Up’ morning – Wednesday 30 November
For approximately one and a half hours on Wednesday morning students from Prep to Year 5 will enjoy the experience of moving to the classroom of the Year they will enter in 2012 and experiencing some activities with the current teacher of that Year group. It is an opportunity for them to gain a feel for what they will undertake in the year that lies ahead. Please note that until the number and structure of classes for 2012 is finalised there will be no announcment of class teaching staff for 2012.
New Assistant Teacher for 1S
From Monday 28 November Mrs Nancy Goh will join Avondale as the Assistant teacher for 1S. Mrs Goh has a broad range of experience in international schools and is a qualified teacher.
Dear Parents,
Avondale Football Teams:
The second round of matches happened on Tuesday 22 November. The 9, 10 & Under Football Teams are starting to play as a team which is providing some wonderful success. The 11 & Under Football Team had a few injuries which made it difficult for the team to compete to their highest ability. The next round of matches is next Tuesday.
9 & Under Team Results: Mrs O’Hanlon (coach)
Holland School – Lost 0-1
Nexus – Lost 0-1
Canadian School – Lost 0-3
10 & Under Team Results: Andrew Eaton (coach)
UWC East – Won 3-1
Canadian School – Lost 1-4
Canadian School Lakeside – Won 3-1
11 & Under Team Results: Andrew Galbraith (coach)
CHIS – Draw 0-0
Holland School – Lost 0-3
UWC East – Lost 1-2
Tanglin Trust – Lost 1-3
Term 4 Week 8 sporting activities:
Tuesday 29th: Avondale Football Season (Round 3):
Amanda Dundas
Physical Education Teacher