2023 Term 1 Week 8 Newsletter
Principal's Message
Hello Everyone,
What a lovely few weeks we have had.
Firstly, congratulations to our students in years 3, 5, 7, 9 who completed the NAPLAN testing period this week. As a school we are very much looking forward to the results of the tests and using these results to continue to improve teaching and learning for each student in our care. I would like to thank our students for ensuring a calm, supportive environment in which our children could undertake the testing. I would also like to acknowledge the high-level tech support that Ms Sue provided our staff, students and our devices!
We have also celebrated Harmony Week, where we have learned and celebrated the amazing cultures that make up our country, and our school community. Students engaged in Harmony Day classroom tasks and SRC ran lunch time activities from around the world. Our cultural diversity is a great strength and brings with it a whole host of traditions, religions, languages and of course, food! It helps us to do things in different ways, reduces discrimination and lets us accept difference. Our SRC also ran a special lunch day with Nachos, Jelly and Icy Cup. We are pleased to inform our community that we raised $630 which will support our school fundraising.
As part of the new Enterprise Agreement for Schools, every first day of term and the last day of term 4 will now be a student free day. This means that Monday 17th April will be a pupil free day. Term two resumes for students on Tuesday 18th April.
I would like to inform everyone that Ms Jess will be finishing up at Alyangula Area School at the end of term 1. We are in the process of employing another member to our leadership team, and will keep our community updated as this progresses. In the meantime, we will celebrate and thank Ms Jess for her work in the coming weeks.
Mel Dougherty
Principal
Award Winners
Congratulations to all our week 7 & 8 award winners!
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀!
To receive a Principal's Award, a student must have received 4 Merit or Value Awards.
The parents are to bring the 4 awards to the front office and the student will be presented a Principal's Award at the following assembly.
To receive a Pennant, a student must have received 4 Principal's Awards.
The parents are to bring the 4 Principal's Awards to the front office and the student will be presented a Pennant at the following assembly.
In the classroom - Year 1 M
Year 1 are reading Owl Babies. We are learning about 'Crikey The Connections Croc' who reminds us to make connections in our lives, other texts or the world to help us understand what we are reading.
Athletics Carnival Record Holders 2021-2022
There was a special awards presentation assembly held last Friday presenting school record holders with a certificate acknowledging their athletic performance. Congratulations to all the students who received these awards. Thank you to all the families & community members that attended.
Whole school professional development days
Starting in 2023, the way in which schools can hold Whole School Professional Development Days has changed!
Schools can now hold 5 professional development days across the year.
DAY | DATE | INFORMATION |
1 | First day of Term 1 | This day will apply to all NT Government schools and cannot be changed. |
2-4 | First day of Term 2, Term 3 and Term 4 | This day can be rescheduled to later in Term 2, Term 3 and Term 4 depending on the needs of the school. The school will notify you in advance if the professional development day is being rescheduled so you can plan for holidays and days when students may not be at school. |
5 | Last day of Term 4 | Schools may choose to conduct after hours professional learning throughout the year instead of on the final day of Term 4. This won’t impact students as school will finish the day before the last day of Term 4. |
We will inform you in advance if we reschedule the first day of term Professional Development Days so you can plan school holidays.
Schools do not close on these Professional Development Days. Supervision will always be provided for children of essential workers.
2023 School Fees
Please find information below that outlines the annual Fee Structure for 2023.
Item | Cost per student |
Individual Student Contribution | $100 |
Student Curriculum Resources | $50 |
Student Book Packs | $100 |
Individual Student Contributions
Individual Student Contributions is a voluntary, yet necessary payment that contributes to the annual costs of providing our students with contemporary and engaging school-based programs, infrastructure, localised and well-maintained equipment. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Excursions / Incursions
- Sporting Programs
- ICT equipment (student iPads, student laptops)
- Digital subscriptions
- Outdoor play spaces
- School furniture
The Individual Student Contribution can be made in person at the Administration Office or online through our new portal (available in 2023). Payment is calculated as $2.50 per student, per school week. Payment can be made via the following options:
- Annually – one off payment of $100 per student
- Semesterly – two payments (term 1 and term 3) of $50 per student
- Termly – four payments (one payment per term) of $25 per student.
Student Book Pack and Student Curriculum Resources
Student Book Pack and Student Curriculum Resources is a compulsory payment for every student. At the beginning of the school year students will be provided with book packs and stationery that will be replenished throughout the year as needed. Book packs and stationery have been specifically designed to suit the needs of each year level from Preschool through to Distance Education, to ensure that students have the appropriate materials to support them in their learning.
Student Curriculum Resources provide materials and resources to ensure opportunities are provided to our students to engage in hands on learning experiences. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Cooking
- Technologies
- STEM
- Electives
- Art and craft
- Performing Art
- Sports equipment
- Science
Both the Student Book Packs and Student Curriculum Resource payments can be covered through the Northern Territory Back to School Payment Scheme. More information about the Back to School Payment Scheme can be found overleaf.
2023 Back to School Payment Scheme
What is the Back to School Payment Scheme?
Every student who is enrolled in a Northern Territory School is eligible for the Back to School Payment Scheme. The Back to School Payment Scheme provides financial assistance to the parents and guardians of children from Preschool through Year 12, to receive educational items in term one of each school year.
What is covered in the Back to School Payment Scheme?
You are entitled to receive $150 of educational goods and services for each child enrolled in a NT school or preschool.
- If your child is in transition to year 12, you will receive the entitlement in term one each year. The entitlement must be used by the end of term one.
- If your child is in preschool, the entitlement is available throughout the year, but is only valid to the end of the first term in which they first enrol.
How do you claim?
For 2023, you can claim your entitlement from the Admin Office at the school. The Back to School Payment Scheme can be applied to cover the costs of Student Book Packs and Student Curriculum Resources. Parents/Guardians must attend the Admin Office to sign a document to receive the Back to School Payment. Please see the office open hours to organise your visit. Families who have not claimed the Back to School Payment by Friday 31 March, 2023 will be invoiced for the student book pack and student curriculum resources ($150 per student).
Stakeholders - Thank you
Thank you to our stakeholders, these are the great businesses that are supported Alyangula Area School.
School News
School Calendar
Stay up to date with events on the AAS Calendar.
Absentee Form
We encourage families to use the absentee form instead of the school phone number when advising the school that your child will be absent from school.
Arrival at School
No child should be at school before 7.45am. Children arriving before 7.45am will remain seated in the covered area until that time. A teacher commences playground duty at 7.45am each morning.
Appointments and Signing in/Out
It is preferred that all student’s appointments be made outside of school hours so as not to disturb their learning. However, if this is not possible then carers are asked to report to the office and sign out their child. The office will call the student to the office for collection.
At no time should a carer go directly to the class during school hours. Upon return the carer must return to the office to sign the student back in.
Emergency Contact Details
If your child/rens emergency contact has left the Eylandt. It is essential that the School Office maintains up-to-date records of your address, telephone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts in case of illness or injury to you child. Please ensure you complete this form the below form and return it at your earliest convenience.
Whole School Assembly
Every second Friday we hold a whole school assembly and invite parents, families and school community members to join in the occasion. Our assemblies commence at 8:10am and always focus on celebrating student success. Classroom teachers nominate two students to receive a Merit Award at each assembly. Parents will be notified when their child is receiving an award to ensure that they can be present for the moment. In addition to this, our classes take turns in presenting a class performance at each assembly. Once again parents are notified of the class performance by their child’s teacher.
Position Available
Chief Minister's Reading Challenge
The Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge encourages students to read more books for pleasure.
Every student from Transition to Year 6 in the Northern Territory is challenged to read 12 books in 24 weeks. Eligible books include printed books, digital books and audiobooks. For younger children, a book that is read aloud by an adult counts towards their total.
Public libraries will have many of the booklist titles onsite and online. Visit your local library and speak to the library team. Membership is free.
The Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge starts on Friday 10 March 2023 (term 1 week 6) and closes on Friday 25 August 2023 (term 3 week 6).
Students who complete the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge will receive a personal certificate from the Chief Minister recognising their achievement. As they complete challenges in future years, they will be recognised with medals correlating with the number of challenges they have completed.
Community News!!
