Avondale Herald

It has been another varied and busy week in the Avondale community.  ECA’s continue and there are some very passionate teachers and children involved!  I have had a ‘sneak peek’ at some very classy cheerleading and been amazed by mechanical scorpions in robotics activities.  It is great to see so many students taking advantage of the varied range of activities available after school Monday to Thursday.

Wandering around the classrooms group work seems to be a key feature and educationally what great benefit there is for your children in learning being conducted in this way.  Team work, relationship building,  working with others of similar ability, being challenged in your thinking – all these are benefits of well managed group work.

We have received 31 responses to the parent survey and it has been very helpful reading through the information provided.  The key themes and issues are being teased out and are and will continue to form a key element of current and future planning for the Phoenix Park site.  Thank you to all those mums and dads who have taken the time to complete this simple questionnaire.

Sunday 21 February marked the start of what has been a very hot week.  West Coast Park was a terrific venue for the PA Welcome Picnic for 2010.  There was a very strong turnout and families enjoyed mixing, mingling and chatting with old friends and new as well as with the many staff who turned out to support this important event.  My family were made to feel most welcome and it was a real pleasure to spend a few hours just getting to know the Avondale family a little more.

Thursday 25 heralded our sports carnival morning out at Toa Payoh.  Thanks to excellent organisation from Mr Perkowsky and the staff team,  the morning ran very smoothly.  The country and school spirit were amazing and the parent turnout just fantastic.  Everyone had a chance to be involved from preschool to Year 6.  Each one gave of their best and there were a lot of happy but tired children at the end of the morning’s adventures.

Friday morning saw a fantastic parent and friend turnout to see ribbons presented for those who placed in the various carnival events.  Many then stayed on for a very informative PA coffee morning in the multi – purpose hall.  A most informative speaker explored the topic of working and living on a dependent pass in Singapore.  Thanks to the committee for organising the morning and for engaging with such a relevant topic.

This afternoon you will have received a letter outlining the pending resignation of Miss Vernon.  We are very sad to see her go but also excited for her as she explores working within a different educational setting and curriculum framework.  Change is never easy but it is inevitable.  The critical issue is working hard to appoint and retain high quality staff (and Avondale has a team of excellent teachers and administrators)while also ensuring a smooth transition and handover for the sake of the children.  We are committed to both of these tasks in a strategic and purposeful manner.  You will continue to be updated on staff appointments as authentic information is available – the ‘talk’ and the ‘walk’ must match.

Have a great weekend everyone and try something new!

What are we working on?
• Solving a termite problem in the caterpillars classroom
• Removing the concrete buried in the grass preschool playground (the Landlord has agreed to do this)
• Exploring with the Landlord other potential playing spaces in the Phoenix Park complex (meeting held Wednesday morning this past week)
• Reducing the most unhelpful echo effect in the multi-purpose hall
• Painting up of handball squares and hopscotch games in the front play space
• Quote, purchase and install a notice board for parents in the portico area at the front of the school
• Purchasing bench seats for the front playing area for children to sit on during their eating times and for parents to use while waiting before and after school

Mr Andrew Coote

Head of Avondale Grammar School

The 2010 Athletics Carnival was a huge success thanks to all the hard work from the students, staff, and volunteer parents. The atmosphere was full of enthusiasm and friendly competitive spirits. The chants and cheers from Ghana, Argentina and Norway could be heard all the way to Phoenix Park and beyond. Even though the weather was brutally hot, the excitement of the day did not melt away. After all the perseverance and teamwork was finished, Norway came out on top. The house standings are:

Norway- 1st

Ghana- 2nd

Argentina- 3rd

I interviewed a few of the students after the carnival and here is what they had to say:

“I enjoyed the relay the most of all the races and overall I thought the carnival was great and I enjoyed it!”- Sage Dwyer, Norway

“I also enjoyed the relay the best and the whole carnival” -Annabelle Hughes, Ghana

“I liked the running and thought the long jump was fun, I also loved all the cheering” -Saxon Cadet, Argentina

A big thank you to the parent volunteers, without you this event would not be the success it was today. We are looking forward to the 2011 Avondale Athletics Carnival!

Warm Regards,

Mikko Perkowsky

PE Teacher

Yesterday we witnessed a wonderful whole school athletics carnival. It was wonderful to be a part of the school spirit. In our hectic lives and with the pressure placed on students for academic performance, often physical activity can be forgotten.

For optimal health, research shows children should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) every day and do vigorous sports or exercise 3 times a week. Singapore can offer so many wonderful opportunities for this to happen.

Ways parents can help

1. Frequently ask your child what physical activities he/she likes to do, then help them do it!
2. Be a role model. Show Children that physical activity is important by enthusiastically participating in it
3. Participate with your child (e.g., play catch, go on walks together).
4. Encourage your child to participate on sports teams (e.g., Soccer, basketball).
5. Plan family events, including weekend getaways and vacations, that include physical activity (e.g., hiking, water sports, skiing).
6. Enroll your child in out-of-school physical activity lessons (e.g., martial arts, dance, swimming, gymnastics). 
7. Take your child to places where she/he can move and play safely.
8. Monitor television viewing and video game play. Have your child “earn” time for these “low voltage” activities by accumulating minutes of physical activity.
9. Select gifts that promote physical activity (e.g., a ball, a jump rope, a pair of in-line skates).

Kim Vernon

Curriculum Coordinator

Picnic Delights
It was a fabulous turn out to the Avondale School Picnic last Sunday with so many staff, parents and students joining in the fun. West Coast Park was a great location with playgrounds for all ages, lots of space to play and the essential takeaway coffees nearby. We may run another picnic later in the year, so watch this space..

Dates for the Diary
Friday 26 February: Coffee Morning including a  Guest Speaker from the Careers Resources Centre for Expatriates (CRCE) to answer questions about working if you are on a Dependants Pass.
Time: 9am    Venue: The Canteen at Avondale

Friday 12 March: Historical Tour of Singapore. The Parents’ Association is pleased to offer a guided tour of mosques, temples, chinatown and lots more with acclaimed historian Geraldine Lowe. Learn more about the place you live. Sound knowledgeable when your visitors ask questions or simply do it for your own enjoyment! Contact Anita Travia ajtravia@gmail.com or 90114258.   More Info and booking details

Thursday 18 March: Next PA Meeting is our AGM.   All welcome.
Time: 7pm   Venue: Avondale Grammar School

Cool for school
 Following discussion at the last PA meeting,  it was decided the PA would buy a fridge for the Year 2 class as they were the only students who had no access to a fridge for their lunches.  A fridge has been purchased and will be delivered soon.

Keep in touch!
Did you know that Avondale is on both Facebook and Twitter? Get regular updates and help increase Avondale’s profile.

Welcome back to regular school life after a well-timed Chinese New Year rest. The past three weeks have seen families, students, teachers and administration staff settle in to their new school and work place at Phoenix Park. In just a short time we have negotiated traffic and public transport, established routines and procedures to suit our new environment and of course, settled into the business of teaching and learning. By Week 4 we are now familiar with play areas, we’ve utilised the library, ICT lab and multi-purpose hall and we learnt our way around our uniquely shaped school. Congratulations and thank you to students, families and staff who have drawn on their best qualities in adapting to such great change.

This week Mr. Coote has been back in Sydney making preparations for his family’s move to Singapore this weekend. We look forward to greeting Andrew and his family at the Family Picnic this Sunday. We hope the Coote family move is as seamless and pleasant as possible – no doubt we all have our own ‘moving and settling’ stories to share when the time is right.

A special thank you goes to Mr. Coote for leading the Avondale community through such major changes in the past few weeks. We look forward to his return – ‘Onward and Upward’ for the remainder of 2010.

Ms. Louise Hand
Deputy Head