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Newsletters (All Newsletters from this year are included here - most recent at the top. Scroll down for older newsletters.) For first term sports Timetable and Sport Fixtures and results click here 25 July 2011 Dear Parents Welcome back to the third term. Congratulations Congratulations to the following children who have been awarded scholarships to high school next year: Chelsea Kisbey-Green : St Annes’ Caitlynn Fourie : St Johns’ Kirstin Boshoff : The Wykeham Collegiate Well done girls! Long weekend / No sport – Friday, 5 August 2011 Please note that there will be no sport practices (Boys’ hockey and boys’ tennis) on Friday, 5 August 2011 as Monday, 8 August 2011 is a school holiday and Tuesday, 9 August 2011 is a public holiday December holiday dates Please be advised that as the 2012 Inland and Coastal schools term calendars have been swapped, school will close on Friday, 9 December 2011 and reopen on Wednesday, 11 January 2012. Scarves It has been decided to investigate a design for a uniform scarf that will be the same for all the children. This will be available from next year. Mario the Magician Mario the Magician will be visiting Athlone on Friday, 12 August 2011 during school hours. The performance is clean, dynamic and based on pure entertainment guaranteed to amaze the pupils. It includes comedy, excitement and participation with lots of fun and laughter. If you would like your child to attend, please send the cost of R10.00 per learner to your child’s class teacher by Friday, 5 August 2011. Third term functions / activities Please diarise the following functions / activities taking place this term: Friday, 19 August 2011 : Interhouse Cross-country Tuesday, 23 August 2011 : Field Event Finals Friday, 26 August 2011 : Junior Primary Interhouse Athletics Meeting at 09:00 Senior Primary Interhouse Athletics Meeting at 11:00 Friday, 2 September 2011 : Sponsored Spring Walk Saturday, 3 September 2011 : Interschools Athletics Meeting at Northern Park Primary School Thursday, 8 September 2011 : Sports Photographs Monday, 12 September 2011 – Friday, 16 September 2011 : Test Week for Grades 4 – 7 pupils Tuesday, 27 September 2011 : Parent / Teacher Interviews from 14:15 – 16:00 and 17:30 – 19:00 Wednesday, 28 September 2011 : Parent / Teacher Interviews from 14:15 – 16:00 Thursday, 29 September 2011 : Grandparents Day Grade R Play Friday, 30 September 2011 : Break-up Day at 11:00 Please note that more information for the above will go out nearer to the time of these functions. Extramural activities Due to the longer sports practices, it has been decided that if it is RAINING at 14:00 and no field practice can take place , parents may fetch their children.Aftercare Centr Please note that as from Monday, 1 August
2011 the Grade R children who attend Aftercare will use the new
Multi-purpose building. Please collect your child from there. When collecting your child from Aftercare, please park in front of the school (Old Howick Road) and use the main entrance as, in the interests of the safety of the children, all other gates will be locked.
Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL 9 June 2011 Dear Parents
A number of pupils are not wearing the correct winter uniform. Please take note of the following:
Please note that beanies are NOT part of the uniform and if a child is seen wearing one, it will be confiscated. Only a jersey may be worn with the winter uniform, however on extremely cold days the pupils may wear their tracksuit tops. You are advised that, as of next year, scarves will be a privilege for Grade 7 pupils only.
On Monday morning we will be having a dress and hair inspection to check uniform and untidy / long hair. (If the hair is touching the collar, it must either be tied up for girls or cut for boys).
A number of children are arriving late in the mornings. This is very upsetting to the pupils concerned and very disruptive to the class teacher and other children in the class. Please ensure your children arrive before 07:45 in the mornings. Any child arriving late from now on will be punished. Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL
31 May 2011 Dear Parents
"My Mobile Watchdog" is the only cell phone parental control software offering parents the ability to protect their children against sexting, cyberbullying, online grooming and many other risks. It immediately alerts parents when their child sends or receives unapproved SMS's, MMS's, e-mails, phone calls or visit unsavoury web sites. It is not spyware and together with the child, the parent installs the software as a parenting aid and it opens communication between the parent and child and creates a safer cell phone environment by educating them about the dangers of the wireless world. At present they are offering a 14 day free trial. You may browse their website at www.mymobilewatchdog.co.za or contact them at contactus@mymobilewatchdog.co.za if you are interested in installing the software onto your child's cell phone.
The "Dogzcool" dog show will be visiting us on Friday, 10 June 2011 during school hours at a cost of R12.00 per pupil. The show has toured South Africa for 9 years, visiting hundreds of schools and is educational, motivational, inspirational , interactive and lots of fun!If you would like your child to attend , please send the money to your child’s class teacher by Wednesday, 8 June 2011.
A social for the Grade 5, 6 and 7 pupils will be held on Wednesday, 15 June 2011 in the school hall from 18:00 - 21:00. The entrance fee per pupil is R15.00 and a tuck shop will be available. Please note that this function is for Athlone pupils and their friends only. It is NOT open to the general public.
The June examinations for the Grade 4 – 7 pupils will be written from Thursday, 2 June to Friday, 10 June 2011.
A reminder that as the public holiday, Youth Day, falls on Thursday, 16 June 2011, the government has also declared Friday, 17 June 2011 a school holiday.
A reminder that there will be NO Sport, Homework class and Media for the Grade 3 - 7 pupils after school during the last week of term (Monday, 20 June – Friday, 24 June 2011). Grade 1 and 2 sport will continue as normal.
The Grade 7 Fun Day / Cake Sale is to be held on Friday, 24 June 2011. This is a fun day organised and run by the Grade 7 pupils where the whole school has great fun at the various stalls / games. Please could all the Grade 7 pupils bring either a cake, popcorn, fudge or cupcakes, etc to sell at the Cake sale. All the children are permitted to wear civvies on this day.
School will close at 11:00 on Friday, 24 June 2011 and re-open on Monday, 18 July 2011 .Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL 4 May 2011 Dear Parents Please take note of a few reminders:
"Hooked on Books" is an educational dramatic programme aimed at fostering a love of reading in learners from a very young age. A visual, dramatic pre-view of a book is performed and by leaving the story at a nail-biting cliff-hanger, entices the learners to make a beeline for the library to find out how the story ends. They will be visiting Athlone on Friday, 6 May 2011. Our Junior Primary classes will attend the show in the morning and the Senior Primary classes will attend after teatime. If you would like your child to attend, please send the entrance fee of R12.00 to your child's class teacher by tomorrow .We also invite parents to join us at a cost of R12.00 and ask that you send the money to your child’s class teacher indicating your attendance.
Mrs Michelle Gevers will be doing a course on Study skills and EQ (Emotional Intelligence) with our Grade 6 & 7 pupils as is done annually. Parents of these pupils are invited to a short meeting on Thursday, 19 May 2011 in the school hall at 17:30 where you will be briefed on what the children are learning. This will be followed by drinks and snacks. Please RSVP to Sabie by Friday, 13 May 2011.
To catch-up time lost, school will close on Friday afternoons at 12:30 for the Grade 1 & 2 pupils and at 14:00 for the Grade 3 – 7 pupils from 6 May 2011 to 10 June 2011. During this time the teachers will do Maths and English with the pupils and any other reinforcement they feel is necessary. Please note that sport on a Friday afternoon will start at 14:15 and finish at 15:30.
Photograph orders and money must be sent to school by Friday, 6 May 2011.
At present the pupils may wear their winter uniform if the weather is cold, however it will be compulsory from Monday, 16 May 2011.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011 has been declared a public holiday as the Local Government Elections will be taking place. Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL 14 April 2011 Dear Parents
Congratulations to Mrs Michelle Gevers who was elected on to the Governing Body at the By-election held yesterday morning . I would also like to thank Mrs Upfold and Mr Soorajdin for offering their services to the school and to those parents who voted.
As part of our fundraising drive this year, it was decided to raffle 2 x Easter hampers and 10 x consolation prizes. Each pupil has been given a Raffle sheet to sell. Please note that we do not expect the children to go from door-to-door to sell the tickets but rather to sell to family and friends. All sheets, together with the money must be returned to school by Wednesday, 20 April 2011 and the draw will take place on Thursday, 21 April 2011.
The Department of Education has offered schools the option of closing on 28 and 29 April 2011 provided they make up the time lost. Please be advised that Athlone has made application to close and we are awaiting permission from the Department. We will inform you accordingly.
"Hooked on Books" is an educational dramatic programme aimed at fostering a love of reading in learners from a very young age. A visual, dramatic pre-view of a book is performed and by leaving the story at a nail-biting cliff-hanger, entices the learners to make a beeline for the library to find out how the story ends. "Hooked on Books" will be visiting Athlone on Friday, 6 May 2011. Our Junior Primary classes will attend the show in the morning and the Senior Primary classes will attend after teatime. If you would like your child to attend, please send the entrance fee of R12.00 to your child's class teacher by Wednesday, 4 May 2011. We invite parents to join us at a cost of R12.00 and ask that you send the money to your child’s class teacher indicating your attendance.
A group of Christian mothers meet at school every Thursday morning at 07:45 in the Media Centre to pray for our pupils, parents and staff members. They invite any parents, grandparents, etc who would like to join them. If you would like further details, please contact Michelle Gevers on 083 225 3300.
Mrs Michelle Gevers will be doing a course on Study skills and EQ (Emotional Intelligence) with our Grade 6 & 7 pupils as is done annually. Parents of these pupils are invited to a short meeting on Thursday, 19 May 2011 in the school hall at 17:30 where you will be briefed on what the children are learning. This will be followed by drinks and snacks. Please RSVP to Sabie by Friday, 13 May 2011.
Please note that photograph orders and money must be paid by Friday, 6 May 2011. Yours sincerely Anton Wepener
18 April 2011 Dear Parents 28 & 29 April 2011 Please be advised that school will close on Thursday, 21 April 2011 and reopen on Tuesday, 3 May 2011 as the Department has agreed to close school on Thursday, 28 April and Friday, 29 April 2011. (There will be no extramural, including Homework class and Library, on Thursday, 21 April 2011.) To make up time lost, school will close on Friday afternoons at 14:00 for the Grade 3 – 7 pupils from 6 May 2011 to 10 June 2011. Please note that when school re-opens on Tuesday, 3 May 2011 the children may wear winter uniform if the weather is cold . The winter uniform will however be compulsory from 16 May 2011.Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL
24 March 2011 Dear Parents By -ElectionYou are reminded that the By-election for one parent member to stand on the Governing Body is taking place on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 at 17:30 in the school hall. If a quorum is not present the By-election will take place on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 at 07:15. Parent / Teacher Interviews The Parent / Teacher Interviews will be held on the following days: Grade R Tuesday, 29 March 2011
: 12:45 – 14:30 17:30 – 19:00 Grade 6K Monday, 28 March 2011 : 14:15 – 16:00 All Other Classes Tuesday, 29 March 2011 : 14:15 – 16:00 Please contact the office to book your 10-minute appointment. Extra Mural A reminder that there will be no extra-mural activities, including Media Centre and Homework class, in the last week of school (Monday, 28 March to Friday, 1 April 2011) for the Grade 3 - 7 pupils. Grade 1 & 2 sport will continue on Monday and Wednesday as normal. "Hug a tree and Survive" Jack Haskins from the Search and Rescue Team will be visiting our school on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 to present his talk "Hug a tree and Survive". This very informative talk will teach the children what to do, and most importantly what not to do, if they ever get themselves lost or into a dangerous situation. He will also be bringing his two search and rescue dogs. To show our appreciation for the services that Mr Haskins and his team do, we ask that each child make a donation of R2.00 from their own pocket money , which we will then donate to the SPCA.Senior Primary Relay Gala The Relay Gala will be held on Friday, 1 April 2011 from 08:30 – 11:00 at the school pool. Participating pupils will be notified. Grade R and Grade 1 2012 Applications Please note that there are limited spaces available for these two grades for 2012. If you have not yet applied for a sibling, it is highly recommended that you do so before the closing date of Friday, 1 April 2011. After this date siblings will not automatically be accepted. Break-up Day School will close on Friday, 1 April 2011 at 11:00 and re-open on Monday, 11 April 2011. Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents Relay Gala Date Change Please note that the Relay Gala due to be held this Friday has been postponed to Friday, 1 April 2011 from 08:30 to 11:00 at the school pool. Participating pupils will be notified in due course. "A" Gala The "A" Gala for our girls swimming team will be held on Tuesday, 15 March 2011 at the Seals Swimming Pool in Pine Street. Participating pupils will be notified. "B" Gala The "B" Gala for our boys swimming team will be held on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 at the Seals Swimming Pool in Pine Street. Participating pupils will be notified. Individual and Class Photographs The photographers will be at school on Thursday, 17 March 2011 at 08:00 to take the above photographs. The cost of the Individual and Sibling photographs are R35.00 each and the class photograph is R15.00. Every child will have their individual photograph taken and you will have the option of purchasing this at a later stage , but we ask that you complete the tear-off slip below indicating whether you would like a sibling photograph taken.Please return this to school by Monday, 14 March 2011. Governing Body By-election Notice has been given that the By-election for 1 parent member will take place in the School hall on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 at 17:30. Grade R & Grade 1 2012 Applications Due to the number of pupils currently in Grade R at Athlone, who will automatically move up to our Grade 1 class in 2012 , there are limited spaces available for Grade 1 2012 and parents are urged to apply before the closing date of Friday, 1 April 2011. After this date, siblings will not automatically be accepted into Athlone.Parent / Teacher Interviews In keeping with the new curriculum, an official detailed report will be sent home at the end of the 2nd and 4th terms. During the 1st and 3rd terms, assessments will continue as usual and parents are encouraged to attend the Parent / Teacher Interviews to discuss your child’s progress. Should a teacher feel it necessary to see a parent due to a specific problem, the parent will be contacted telephonically by Sabie to arrange an appointment. Due to a clash of dates, the Parent / Teacher Interviews will now be held on the following days: Tuesday, 29 March 2011 : 14:15 - 16: 00Wednesday, 30 March 2011 : 14:15 - 16: 0017.:30 - 19:00 Please contact Sabie to book your 10-minute appointment. School Uniform Please ensure your children are dressed in full school uniform, including shoes and socks, when out in public places.
Yours sincerely Anton Wepener Principal ______________________________________________________________________ REQUEST FOR SIBLING PHOTOGRAPH
Oldest sibling’s name: _______________________ Grade: __________
Parent Signature: __________________________
Dear Parents
A "Valentines" civvies day for all the pupils is to be held tomorrow, Friday, 11 February 2011 at the cost of R5.00 per pupil. All monies collected will be donated to Hospice. Children are encouraged to wear red and white clothing.
The Kids Lit Quiz Regional round will be held in the school hall on Tuesday, 15 February 2011 from 14:00 to 17:00. We wish our participating pupils the very best of luck!
Parents are reminded that the closing date for applications into these two grades is on Friday, 1 April 2011. After this date, siblings will not automatically be accepted into Athlone.
Open Day for Grade R and Grade 1 2012 parents will be held on Wednesday, 23 February 2011 from 11:00 to 12:00.
This will take place on Thursday, 24 February 2011 from 17:00 to 19:00 at the Seals Swimming pool in Pine Street. All swimmers will be notified and a programme will be sent home.
The Relay Gala will be held at the school swimming pool on Friday, 11 March 2011 from 17:00 - 19:00. Participating pupils will be notified in due course.
The "A" Gala for our girls swimming team will be held on Tuesday, 15 March 2011 at the Seals Swimming pool in Pine Street. Participating pupils will be notified in due course.
The "B" Gala for our boys swimming team will be held on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 at the Seals Swimming pool in Pine Street. Participating pupils will be notified in due course.
Please note that the Taunton Road entrance is for Grade R parents only. This is for the safety of the pupils. Only those parents who display their green sticker on their windscreen will gain entrance.
This year we will phase in the new sports skirt and encourage all the girls to purchase one from the Thrift shop. The wearing of the new skirts will be compulsory from January 2012.
The web page is continuously being updated and we encourage you all to visit it regularly at www.athloneschool.co.za Please note that the newsletters are also posted on the web page. Yours sincerely Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents Welcome Welcome back to school. I trust you all enjoyed a good festive season and are once again ready to tackle the challenges of 2011. A very special welcome to all our new parents and pupils. I would also like to welcome Mrs Williams (Grade 4), Mr Braithwaite (Grade 5), Mr Rogers (Computers), Mrs Francis (Locum Grade 2), Miss Lupton (Locum Grade 6) and Ms Kemp (Remedial) to our teaching staff. Information Evening Please note the information evening will be held on Wednesday, 26 January 2011 from 17:30 in your child's classroom. It is important that you attend this meeting as the teacher will inform you of what is expected of your child and explain the routine for the year. At the Information evening, Tommy Hammond will be displaying and selling a wide range of cricket and hockey equipment at exceptional prices from 17:00. If your child will be playing these sports during the year, please go along to the quad outside the hall where Tommy will assist you. School Tracksuits You are reminded that the school tracksuit is no longer a part of the school uniform. This may only be worn to and from sporting functions. School Uniform You are advised that power bangles and mendhi (henna) are not part of the dress code and as such, pupils are not permitted to wear them. Please note that the boys' summer shirts must have the school badge on the pocket. If your son's shirt does not have a badge, please take the shirt to Alice in the Thrift shop and she will embroider one at R20.00 per badge. Please ensure your children are dressed in full school uniform, including shoes and socks, when out in public places. School Fees At the AGM/Budget meeting held at the end of last year the school fees for 2011 were set at R11 500.00 per pupil. It was decided by the parent body that a discount of 7% (R805.00) will be offered if the fees are paid in full on or before 28 February 2011. You are asked to please pay your school fees directly into our banking account. Banking details are as follows: First National Bank Acc Name: Athlone Primary School Acc No: 50931199836 Branch: Bank Street Branch Code: 220825 Please put your child's surname and name on the deposit slip as a reference. This will eliminate any confusion and the wrong account being credited. An "Agreement to Pay School Fees" form will be sent home next week. This form must be completed, signed and returned to school by 28 February 2011 irrespective of whether you will be paying the fees in full. Parking When you drop your child off outside the front entrance of the school, please treat this area as a "drop and go" zone and do not park and leave your car. Grade 1 parents are asked to follow this procedure after the first two weeks of school. We also ask that you do not park in front of the main gate to drop off or collect your children, as this gate is very busy and extremely dangerous for the children. Please do not drive into the school grounds, as our parking area is not big enough to accommodate more than staff parking. Grade R Parking Grade R parents are advised that they may use the Taunton Road entrance and drive into the school grounds only if they have the green disc displayed in their car. Please contact Mrs Hobbah-Watson if you have not been issued with a disc. Extramural Activities All extramural activities will start on Monday, 24 January 2011. Please note that sport practices will NOT be cancelled for any reason. If the weather is too hot to go out or it is raining, the children will be taken into a classroom to do board work or to watch a sport video. Failure to attend a practice, including classroom sessions, will result in your child not being included in the team for the upcoming match. All pupils must participate in at least one extramural activity per term. Please note that a register of all pupils committing themselves to a sport will be kept for the term. Should a pupil commit himself / herself to a sport, they will be obliged to continue with the said sport until the end of the term. Commitment to sport is important and if a pupil is unable to attend a practice, a letter will be required from the parents. The sporting fixture list is drawn up in advance per term and we ask that personal functions, weekends away, etc do not clash with the fixtures. It is important that pupils participate in matches and not only practices and any child who does not arrive for a fixture will be punished. Collection of pupils Any child not collected by 14:15 must attend the homework class until 15:30 and thereafter must attend aftercare. This is for the safety of your child as there are no staff members on the school premises after 15:30. Forgotten Items Parents are asked not to go directly to the classrooms if they are delivering any forgotten item to their child. This is very disruptive for the class. Please go to the front office and Sabie will assist you. Rita's Swim School Parents who wish to enrol their children with Rita Townsend for private swimming lessons or coaching at the Athlone pool, are asked to contact Rita as soon as possible to make a booking, as vacancies are limited. Enquiries: Tel: 033 - 347 3824 (Preferably 08:30 - 10:30 mornings only) E-mail: ritatownsend@vodamail.co.za Sick Children Sending an unwell child to school is not only unfair to the child but also to the other children in the classroom who may become infected. We therefore urge you to keep your sick child at home. If you send your child to school, we deem him / her to be fit enough to attend school for the duration of that day and will only phone home if absolutely necessary. Absentee Notes You are reminded that if your child is away from school for any reason, they must bring an absentee note with them when they return. If a child is away for more than three (3) days, they are expected to produce a doctor's certificate on their return. If a certificate is not produced, the child will be given detention. Homework Policy Please note that the policy of the school is that no homework will be sent home for children not well enough to attend school. Cell phone Policy Cell phones may be brought to school but must be handed in to the class teacher in the morning. It will be returned to the pupil at 14:00. Please note that if a child is witnessed using their cell phone during the school day, the phone will be confiscated until the end of the term. Change of parent information It is imperative that the school be kept informed of any change of address, telephone numbers or contact numbers of your place of employment. This is essential, not only for communication purposes, but also for us to contact you should your child become ill during the school day. Tennis Court key Parents may purchase a tennis court key for R120.00 if they wish to use the school courts whenever they are not being used by the school. The present lock will be changed on Tuesday, 1 February 2011 and the new key will be available from Sabie from this day. Grade 1 2012 Our enrolment for Gr 1 2012 will open on Monday, 24 January 2011 and applications will close on Friday, 1 April 2011. After this date siblings will not automatically be accepted into Athlone. Alexander Forbes KZN Personal Accident Insurance Policy All pupils at Athlone are covered by the above Insurance policy as the premium is incorporated into the annual school fees. If you belong to a Medical Aid, all Medical Aid shortfalls can be claimed against this policy, subject to the benefit limits. Late comers A record of pupils arriving late for school in the mornings is kept and this is noted on the pupil's report card. Please ensure your child arrives at school timeously. Taking out of school Please be advised that, as per Department policy, no pupil is permitted to leave school during school hours. Therefore, doctor / dentist appointments must be made after school hours. Should an emergency arise and someone other than the parent has to collect the children, then written permission from the parent must be given to the school. Tuck Shop The tuck shop is under new management this year and will continue to provide a healthier menu for our pupils. Sweets will only be sold after school and on Fridays. 2011 School Calendar Term 1 : 19 January 2011 - 1 April 2011 Term 2 : 11 April 2011 - 24 June 2011 Term 3 : 18 July 2011 - 30 September 2011 Term 4 : 10 October 2011 - 13 December 2011 Public and School Holidays Monday, 21 March 2011 : Human Rights Day Friday, 22 April 2011 : Good Friday Monday, 25 April 2011 : Family Day Tuesday, 26 April 2011 : School Holiday Wednesday, 27 April 2011 : Freedom Day Sunday, 1 May 2011 : Workers' Day Monday, 2 May 2011 : Public Holiday Thursday, 16 June 2011 : Youth Day Friday, 17 June 2011 : School Holiday Monday, 8 August 2011 : School Holiday Tuesday, 9 August 2011 : Women's Day Saturday, 24 September 2011 : Heritage Day
Anton Wepener PRINCIPAL
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