31 January 2025

Welcome to the 2025 School Year

Hello, Eden Hills community! We hope you had a wonderful holiday break. Whether you're joining us for the first time or are returning students and families, we're thrilled to have you with us for an incredible year ahead.

The start of a new school year is always a time of anticipation and excitement, filled with new beginnings, friendships, and opportunities for learning and growth. 

Staff Announcements                                                                                             

We're delighted to announce that Andrew has taken on the role of Education Lead, supporting schools in the Mitcham Plains and Mitcham Hills for 2025. His expertise will be invaluable in fostering leadership and educational excellence across the Partnerships. I am stepping in as Acting Principal and I am excited to continue my journey with this wonderful school community in this new capacity. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff and engaging with our wonderful students and families. Together, we will strive to maintain the supportive environment that Eden Hills Primary School is known for, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Big congratulations to Matilda, who is working in a leadership role as our Wellbeing Leader. Welcome back to Kat, returning from leave to join the Junior Primary team. We are also pleased to have Ryan, who worked with our Year 4/5 students last term, with us for 2025.

A warm welcome goes out to Karen Van Hattem, who will be joining our school community. Karen will be working with us two days a week. We are excited to have her on board and are confident that her skills and experience will be a valuable addition to our team.

School Improvements                                                                                             

Over the holidays, we made some exciting improvements, including a brand-new roof for Room 9. This upgrade ensures a comfortable learning environment for our students and staff.

Focus Areas for 2025

Our key priorities this year are Literacy and Numeracy, with a strong emphasis on developing effective learners. We aim to empower students with the skills to embrace future opportunities and adapt to changes. Through goal setting, we encourage students to pause, reflect, and adjust their actions to achieve their best.

Class Structure and Specialist Subjects

This year, we have 10 classes across the school, with Japanese, PE/Health, Music, and Performing Arts as our specialist subjects.

Staff Profile for 2025:

• Room 3 - Michelle Morrison (Rec)
• Room 4 - Edie Woodger / Kelly Gunn (Rec)
• Room 5 – Kat Woznicki / Matilda Garrard (Yr 1/2)
• Room 6 – Jade Tobar (Yr 1/2)
• Room 7 – Dee Kelly / Shelley Byrne (Yr 3/4)
• Room 8 - Jake Burfitt (Yr 4/5)
• Room 9 - Marilla Bryce / Leanne Herbert (Yr 2/3)
• Room 10 - Julie Howie / Leanne Herbert (Yr 2/3)
• Room 11 – Ryan Williams (Yr 5/6)
• Room 12 – Ainslie McGrath (Yr 5/6)
• PE / Health – Shelley Byrne
• Performing Arts (Dance, Drama) - Maya Miller
• Music - Josie Whitehead
• Japanese - Elin Gubbin / Kelly Gunn
• Various Classrooms - Karen Van Hattem 
• Acting Principal - Kellie Bowden
• Wellbeing Leader – Matilda Garrard
• Numeracy PLC Lead - Jake Burfitt
• Literacy PLC Lead - Matilda Garrard

SSO/Support Staff:

• Heather Ellis (Business Manager)
• Rebecca Stevens (Front Office, After School Sports Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator)
• Jo McIntyre (Resource Centre, MultiLit Coordinator)
• Perdita Hope (Inclusion Support, WHS, Student Support, Playgroup)
• Yolanda Pool (finance)
• Neil Gloyn (Grounds Staff)
• Pamela Hansen (Wellbeing)
• Sarina Cumiskey, Melissa Nicholson, Erin Little, Matisse Stanyer, Myah Bruce, Stephen Dinning, Ryan Harvey (Student Support)
• Pri Barot (ICT)

EHPS Acquaintance Night and Family Picnic

Join us for the Acquaintance Evening on Thursday 6 March from 4pm-7pm (Week 6, Term 1). This event is a fantastic opportunity to meet classroom teachers, explore students' work, enjoy musical performances, and relax with a family picnic featuring food trucks and a sausage sizzle. The evening will also include market stalls, games, and a silent auction.

Please note, this is not a time for formal meetings with class teachers. For specific questions about your child, please email their teacher to arrange an appointment. Parent-teacher interviews will be held towards the end of Term 1.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Kind regards,
Kellie Bowden 

NAPLAN 2025

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) takes place each year for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and has been part of the school calendar since 2008.

NAPLAN helps parents, carers and educators to see if children are meeting important numeracy and literacy standards.

Collection of personal information

Schools are required by law to collect personal information about you and your child, irrespective of whether your child participates in NAPLAN testing.

The purpose of this notice is to advise parents and carers of how your child’s personal information will be used for NAPLAN testing (both online and paper tests) in 2025 and, as part of NAPLAN Online, readiness activities scheduled at various times leading up to the test in March 2025.

For the complete NAPLAN privacy collection notice, please click the link below.

Student Absences, SMS Messaging and Attendance Update

Parents are asked to notify the school by 9.00am via text on 0428 260 571 or the Schoolzine App if your child is going to be absent or arrive after 9.00am.

We continue to use the electronic roll marking system and if your child is marked as an unexplained absence you will automatically receive a text from us.  If your child is late or leaving early you must sign in or out in the Front Office before the student heads to class or you pick them up.

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SEESAW PLATFORM TO NOTIFY OF ABSENCES

Student Medication

Please remember that any medication sent to school for children to take throughout the day, even on a short-term basis, must be accompanied by a medication form that is obtained from your doctor or from on our website under the parent information tab (see link below). Staff are not allowed to administer any medication without written instruction from the doctor.  Also, all medication must be taken to the Front Office at the beginning of the day for safe storage.

Duty of Care of Students before 8.30am and after 3.30pm

Families need to be aware that staff yard duty does not commence until 8.30am each morning and finishes at 3.30pm each afternoon. If your child needs to be at school outside these hours they must be accompanied by a guardian or attend Out of School Hours Care (OSHC). See OSHC staff for details and registration forms. Students that arrive, not accompanied by a guardian prior to 8:30am, or who are still at school after 3.30pm without a guardian will be sent to OSHC and families will incur fees.

School Times

Change of Details

It is really important that parents inform the office of any changes in contact or residential details. We want to ensure you are receiving all our communications for general school information and in case of emergencies. If you have changed your address the Department for Education require proof of residence. This can be a recent utilities bill, or a rental or sales agreement. 

Payment of Fees

Thank you to all the parents who have already paid their school fees.

QKr is the preferred form of payment for any fees and uniforms can also be ordered and paid for through this platform. 

The QKR App can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store for iPhones (iPads should download the iPhone app) or from Google Play for Android phones and tablets. 

After downloading the app and registering, simply select Eden Hills Primary School from ‘Nearby Locations’ on Qkr or type EHPSA after tapping the magnifying glass in the top right of the home screen of Qkr. The app will then always recognise you as part of the school, making future payments even easier.

You can also pay by Bpoint or come into the office to pay by EFTPOS or cash.

School Card

School card applications are now open, please follow the link below for further information.

Bushfire Safety

Our Emergency Action Plan is available on the school website

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with it. Our school will only be closed when the CFS declares a day of catastrophic risk in the Mount Lofty Ranges area. Families are reminded that they should discuss their own bushfire action plan with their children.

We also remind you to complete the Emergency Collection Authorisation form that was emailed to all families.  After an emergency event, students will only be released to previously named authorised adults unless a written note is sent to school, on the day, naming a different adult. A phone call will not be accepted as authorisation. It is vital that all contact information is up to date.

Lunch Orders

Lunch Orders will be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Ordering Lunch is done via Qkr. Login to your Qkr app, select Canteen and follow the prompts.  You will find the menu and can make your selection. Make sure you update your child’s profile each new year, with the correct year level and classroom number. The daily cut off time for ordering is 9.00 am.

We need Parent Volunteers for the Lunch Order Service

Are you willing to help with this simple task?

The lunch order system can only go ahead if we have enough volunteers. Typically, helpers are rostered just once per term. Doing the lunch orders is an easy way to get to know others in the school community, especially if you and your children are new to the school.

What’s involved?

All orders are now generated on-line via Qkr which is easy to join so there is only a single trip to Blackwood High School. An empty set of bags need to be picked up from the Eden Hills School office by 9.00am (or later if you notify the Front Office). You then exchange these for the filled bags at 12.20pm at Blackwood and deliver to our Front Office. Full directions and a map are included with the roster.

This is such a convenient way to provide lunch for your children on these days and it is a big treat for the kids. If you can help, please email

Contact person: Sally O’Neil    email: sallyoneil78@gmail.com

With the following information

I can help on either day         

I can help Tuesday only       

I can help Wednesday only     

I can help in term             1              2              3              4      

Resource Centre

Welcome to another wonderful year of reading! It has been lovely to see so many of you borrowing books already.

We are open before school (from 8.30am), after school (until 3.30pm) and at lunchtimes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays. In addition, each class has a ‘browsing and borrowing’ lesson every week.

Parents are very welcome to join as borrowers to access books for younger siblings. Pop down to the Resource Centre and we will sign you up! We also have an Adults’ Little Free Library on the outside wall.

2025 School Sports Registration

Registrations are now open for ALL sports in 2025
Basketball, Cricket, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball
Come’N’Try Basketball, Come’N’Try Cricket and Come’N’Try Soccer
Age restrictions apply

We will require new coordinators and coaches for a number of sports so our students have continued opportunities to participate. Please indicate on your child’s registration if you are able to volunteer.

To register:

For more details of the sports offered:

School Photos

School Photo Day is:  Tuesday 18 February 2025

Have your child’s school memories captured forever

To order school photos please keep a look out for your email containing your child’s unique shoot key & remember these helpful tips:

• Keep a look out for an email from MSP Photography – Check you junk folder
• Use the unique shoot key provided in the email to place your order online before the close date. If you have more than 1 student at the school you will also receive a FAMILY shoot key. Use this to order Family photos.
• Your child is not required to hand anything in on photo day.
• If you do not have an email address please collect an envelope from the school’s front office.

Should you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
email:  admin.adelaidesouth@msp.com.au    ph: 08 83913951

Breakfast Club

Eden Hills PS Breakfast Club commences in week 3, on Wednesday 12 February. Breakfast Club runs every Wednesday morning from 8:30 – 8:50 am and is very popular, with many students turning up for toast, fruit, and Milo. Breakfast club is open to ALL our students and there is no charge. We remain grateful to Kickstart for Kids for their contributions, and for providing us with a volunteer helper each week.

We rely on, and are thankful for, any donations from our school community - gluten free bread, Milo, vegemite, jam and honey are welcome, as we often run out of these items. Donations can be left at the Front Office.

Breakfast Club is in Room 2 (The music room)

Thanks Perdita & Pamela

Playgroup

Eden Hills Primary School Playgroup commences in week 3, on Friday 14 February. Playgroup sessions are run on Fridays during term time from 9:00 - 10:30am, with entry from 8:50am. Playgroup is held in the Resource Centre and caters for children aged to 5 yrs.

Entry is a gold coin donation per family; tea and coffee are complimentary. Please bring your own lidded keep-cup and a healthy snack for your little one/s to eat during shared story time.

Each week, Playgroup focuses on a different Theme, providing a range of activities that allow parents/grandparents and caregivers to interact and strengthen attachments with their young children, and to share the experience of learning through play. 

Open to everyone, the Eden Hills Primary School Playgroup is a great place to meet other families from the community in a welcoming, safe and friendly environment. We would love to see you there!

For further information contact our helpful Front Office staff on 8278 2243 or email Perdita Hope (Playgroup Coordinator) at perdita.hope720@schools.sa.edu.au

Fundraising

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Fruit Fly

Fruit fly has been detected in the Glynde area.

There are no restrictions on store bought fruit in school lunch boxes, in any area. However, there are restrictions on home-grown fruit.

People living within a 15km radius of the detection site are affected, please check the fruit fly outbreak map  to see if your home or school travel route is within this area. 

Red Outbreak Zone: If you live here, keep all home-grown fruit at home. Do not take it to school or elsewhere.

Yellow Suspension Zone: You can move home-grown fruit within this zone but not into the red outbreak zone.

Home-grown fruit includes fruiting vegetables: tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, avocado and capsicum. You can check the full list of fruit at Restricted fruit and vegetables. 

These restrictions are in place until 16 April 2025. Any further detections in the red or yellow zone will extend the original end date.

Community Notices