Please find attached the Newsletter for Week Three.  Our apologies for the link not working previously.

Avondale Newsletter – 6th Feb

Regards

Jan Hart

Principal

After much consideration of all the returned forms and emails here are the completed lists for our ECAs commencing on Monday 6 February. 

ECA LISTS T1 Prep-Yr 2

ECA LISTS T1 Yrs 3-6

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Lucy on eca@avondalegs.com.sg.

Please remember to inform the bus company if your child requires an ECA bus after their chosen activities.

Many thanks

Lucy Bates

ECA Co-ordinator

Please find attached the flyer for the PA AGM on Wednesday 15 February at 7.30pm in the Multi-Purpose Hall.

PA Flyer AGM 150212

PA Flyer AGM 150212 - PDF Version in case you could not open the other one

Please be reminded not to park in the double yellow lined areas – perhaps you could car share instead to enable you to partake in the wine tasting available from Benchmark Wines! 

We hope to see as many of you as possible there.

Many thanks

Lucy Bates

Parent Liaison

Please disregard this email if your child is in Reception or Transition (Preschool). 

Please find attached our ECA options for this term.  NOTE: Please ensure you fill in the appropriate form for your child’s year group as one document is for the Early Learning Centre (Prep – Yr 2) and one is for the Primary Centre (Years 3-6).

Prep-Yr 2 ECA Options T1 2012

Yr 3-6 ECA Options T1 2012

We apologise for the delay in getting these out to you.  Please could you return the options forms to me asap, via reception where they will be date stamped, or more conveniently by email at eca@avondalegs.com.sg.  Places will be filled in order of receipt of applications.  Activity class lists will be published on Friday for you to find out which activities your child is attending. 

If an ECA late bus is required for your child after an activity please ensure you notify Andy at the bus company.  Buses will collect at 4.15pm and 4.30pm from the Early Learning Centre and Primary Centre respectively. 

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Many thanks

Lucy Bates

ECA Co-ordinator

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.

Dear Parents,

In November 2011 the Avondale School Council announced that Mr Andrew Coote had accepted a position as Head of Junior School at Inaburra School in Sydney. At that point of time we thought that the change over to the new Principal, Ms Jan Hart, would happen gradually during Term 1, however, Andrew has chosen to take up his new position from the beginning of the school 2012 year and hence the Council has appointed Ms Hart as Principal of Avondale Grammar School from the 1^st January, 2012.

The School is indebted to Mr Coote for the sterling job he has done in the leadership of the School during its vital developmental stage over the last two years. We appreciate that Andrew’s decision to take up his new post now is beneficial for the effective relocation of his family in Australia and his future leadership role at Inaburra.  We wish him well for the future.

Andrew is at the School until Wednesday evening this week and staff members are saying their goodbyes at an informal function on Wednesday afternoon.

Jan Hart has been on duty since the 3^rd January and has overseen most of the redevelopment of the current building and the refurbishment of the new building. We are very confident that everything will be in place for a successful start to the school year next week.

Because of the School’s expansion, there are many new faces among the staff. Preschool parents will be informed about their child’s allocation of class during the Orientation Day, 20^th January. Prep to Year 6 parents will be informed about the class groups during the morning on the first day of class, 25^th January.

There is much excitement about the new building and the extra space that has been developed for the Preschool. The work on the playing field has unfortunately been delayed and will now not be completed until early in March.

With the commissioning of the new building and the reorganisation of the School into two campuses…Early Year and Primary Years…we expect that the new daily routines will take a few days to settle down. We seek your support and forbearance during this settling-in period.   

With my best wishes for a very successful 2012

Dennis Doherty

Chair of Avondale School Council

 Dear Parents

 We are looking forward to welcoming all our new students to the Avondale Grammar School community in January 2012.

 Many of you have visited the school already with your children and have had the chance to take a look at the campus; however we would like to give the students an opportunity to join us for an Orientation day on Friday, 20 January 2012: 10am – 11:30am for Preschool Students (Reception & Transition) and from 1:30pm – 3:00pm for Prep – Year 6 Students.

 Please note that the first day of school will be Wednesday, 25 January 2012.

 During this orientation, the children will meet their teachers and their new classmates and will have the chance to explore their campus. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with the Principal and other senior staff.

 School hats and bags can also be purchased during the orientation session.

 In our bid to contribute to saving the environment we are very conscious of trying to minimize paper wastage and shall not be compiling “starter packs”.  Instead, we have uploaded our Starter Pack 2012. It includes the following which can be accessed via these links:

• Family Contact Details
• Change of Contact Details
• Consent Form
• Medical Form
• Uniform Details 2012
• Term Dates 2012
• Pre-School Student Survey Form
• Prep – Year 6 Student Survey Form
• Bus Booking Form Front page & Bus Booking Form Back page
• AVD Bus Price List 2012 – 2
• Avondale Grammar School Bus Handbook 
• Instrumental music letter
• Stationery List 
• Canteen menu – Week 1 Term 1 2012
• Prep Orientation powerpoint
• Welcome Book 2012
• Parents Handbook 2012
• Avondale_Interbank Giro Application Form
• Preschool orientation powerpoint
• Preschool class schedule example
• Welcome to preschool 2012

Please complete the forms in the Starter Pack 2012 and return to our office as soon as possible but no later than 25 January 2012.

We wish to bring your attention to the following:

• Uniform – It is recommended that Preschool boys wear sports shorts at all times as they are elasticized and easier to manage than the regular boys shorts with a clasp.  Additionally Preschool students are asked to wear shoes with velcro straps.
• ECA – The ECA options will be forwarded shortly.
• School Bus service – The bus company we use; Alpha Trans Bus Services is a very well organized operation that escort our children from various districts of Singapore to and from school every day and also after school activities.  Please contact them directly for bus enquiries.  The due date for bus contracts is no later than 7 January 2012.

If you have further questions or concerns prior to the start of Term 1 please do not hesitate to contact the Enrolments Team at enquiries@avondalegs.com.sg.

 Best wishes and we look forward to you and your family joining the Avondale Grammar School community in the New Year.

 Yours sincerely

Jan Hart

Principal of Avondale Grammar School

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.

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

adundas@avondalegs.com.sg