In this issue

STEM Room is looking for Donations

Hello parents of future scientists, engineers and inventors. The STEM room is looking for donations of the following items:

• • • • • Analogue clocks and watches in any condition
        • DVD, VCR and cassette tape players in any condition
        • Large sturdy cardboard (that hasn’t been wet)
        • Small brackets, clips, eye screws and picture hangers

These items can be left in the port racks outside the newly renovated STEM room from today.

Thank you in advance for your donations.

Ricky Harper
Stem Teacher

Education Sunday

Please join us to bless our Teachers and Grace families for the year ahead.

Thursday 13 February           Chapel 2.20pm (Year 3’s will receive their Bible)
Friday 14 February                 Year 1 & 2 swimming
Monday 17 February              Special Assembly 2.20pm (Yr 6 will receive their leader badges)
Thursday 20 February           Prep 2021 Parent Information Night
Friday 21 February                 Year 1 & 2 swimming
Sunday 23 February               Education Sunday 8.30am GLPS School Hall

GLPS PREP 2021 INFORMATION NIGHT

If your child is 5 years old on or before 30 June 2021 then your child is eligible for consideration to commence Prep in 2021.

This is an exciting, challenging and rewarding time in your child’s life and you want to make the best possible choice when it comes to their future.

Grace Primary will be holding a Prep Information Evening on Thursday 20 February 2020 at 7pm. Come along and find out what we can offer your child. Not only is it an information evening, but an excellent opportunity for questions and informal chats over refreshments.

DATE: 20 February 2020 at 7pm
VENUE: Grace Lutheran Primary School Library

OUR PREP PROGRAM

Grace Lutheran Primary School offers families:

• modern facilities with three dedicated classrooms
• class sizes capped at 25 children per class with a qualified Early Childhood teacher and a full time teacher aide in each class
• an educational program reflecting the current Australian Curriculum where children are encouraged to discover and learn through play experiences
• activities throughout the year that will help the development of students’ social and emotional competence, health and physical wellbeing, language development and communication, early mathematical understandings and active learning processes
• a strong Christian ethos reflected in relationships, and opportunities such as Christian Studies as a sixth learning area
• support to Prep students from various Specialist Teachers including Japanese, Performing Arts, PE, Design Technology (STEM) and Learning Support/Enrichment
• a Swimming Program with qualified instructors
• a nurturing Buddy Program between Prep and Senior students.

For more details please call our Enrolments Officer on 3283 0011. We look forward to meeting you on the night.

Welcome Back

Welcome all families to another school year at Grace Lutheran Primary School. The school is very settled and we are delighted with the way the students have returned to school so positively. Thank you to the parents who came to our information night on Tuesday – with over 100 present – we were really pleased with the numbers of parents who came along.

Some of the initiatives we have undertaken this year are

• In the morning, the students on campus between 8:00am and 8:15am may play in our Junior Oval area. This has been a highly positive move appreciated by parents, students and staff alike.
• We’ve flipped our play and eating time. When the bell goes at first break time, students are playing first and eating in their classrooms after the break. We are being quite strict on the students sitting and eating rather than wandering about the room. As I do these duties I am really impressed with the students willingness to sit, eat and chat quietly with friends. I am also very grateful to parents for the beautiful healthy lunches provided for students – thank you.
• Chapels have moved to Thursdays at 2:20pm. We found with the NISSA competition there were too many clashes with Chapels so Pastor Mark agreed to change the day he works at Grace so that Chapels can be regular without interruption. Parents and other family members are very welcome at Chapels which are held in the school hall.
• Our STEM rooms have been renovated to make a much more open area for the students. If you are near school, please come in and take a look! Thank you to the two outgoing P&F Associations which raised the funds to accommodate this renovation.

New Staff for 2020

We have 3 new staff members this year. Miss Amber Pollock is teaching in Year 1 and Miss Alisha Tobler is teaching in Year 4. These appointments were made due to the increased demand in enrolments. Late last year our chaplain, Mrs Grace Denny left to take up a teaching position and we were told by the Federal Government we will not receive ongoing chaplaincy funding. Due to the increased enrolments though and our commitment to the chaplaincy program, we decided to self-fund a chaplain and we employed Mr Cameron Basile to take up this role. Cameron is currently working in GOSHC and he is studying at university and we welcome him to our staff team too. Cameron will work on Tuesday from 11:00am – 3:00pm and all day on Thursdays. We are going to encourage the students to call him Chappy Cameron so that his role is honoured in our school.

I am very excited about this year and all that our children will achieve in their own social and academic growth. If I can serve you as we move forward with this journey, please contact me at any time.

Uniform 2020

A friendly reminder that next year is the last year for students to wear the old uniform. All students in 2021, need to be in the new blue uniform so you may want to buy some items next year in readiness for the following year’s expectations. The only students in 2021 who may wear old uniform will be Year 6 students. 2021 is a very special year for Grace Primary as we celebrate 50 years of Lutheran Education on the Peninsula and we look forward to sharing with you some festivities we are planning from June next year.

Trudy Moala
Principal

Welcome back!

Welcome back to all returning from holidays, and welcome to all students and families beginning their journey at Grace.

Going back to school is a day that inevitably comes each year. Some love it, others don’t like it. Regardless of how it makes you feel, you have to go. At school, students and staff will spend time together for 5 days a week and approximately 40 weeks in a year. That’s a lot of time together. So how will you make the most of it?

School is an incredible place where you have an opportunity to meet lots of people. It is a place of learning new things, and growing in understanding of familiar ideas. It is a place where new friends can be made, as also learning how to get along with different people. It is an opportunity of ‘letting go’ as young people grow in their journey of independence in life. And it is an opportunity to grow in one’s soul.

In the Bible we hear the Apostle Paul say “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Key here is the phrase ‘in the Lord’. We know that in life there are many things outside our control. There will be bumps in the journey. But whatever comes, we may deal with it with God’s help. God has demonstrated His love in Jesus. It is my prayer that you know joy in this year.

About Grace Congregation
We worship each Sunday, 8:30am and 5:30pm (in the Church Building across the road from the school). There is Sunday School on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month (beginning approximately 8:45 am in the Church Hall). There is also a music-based playgroup (‘Mainly Music’) on Thursday mornings during school terms. Please also speak with me if you have enquiries about the Christian Faith, baptism, first communion, and weddings.

May God’s grace and blessing be with you in this year.Prayers and blessings to all. May you know God’s greatest gift.

In Christ
Pastor Mark

Email: mark.brinkmann@lca.org.au
Phone: 0499 014 189