Message from the office
A very warm welcome back to school for 2024 and a special welcome to our new girls and their families. We have had a happy return of pupils who were all eager to start their new year.
We have two new interns Ms Makeba and Ms Stirk who will be assisting in Gr 00 and Gr R this year. They are already part of the VP family and I am sure you will meet them and get to know them in due course. It bodes well for a good year ahead when our staff return very happy and enthusiastic to meet their new classes and to start teaching.
We had our ‘Welcome Back’ Assembly on Wednesday and we focussed on New Year resolutions and using the new year to make new beginnings and a fresh start. We encouraged our girls to set their goals for the new year, which included their academics, relationships, self-growth and extramurals. As T.S. Eliot said ‘for last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.’ We wish you all blessed new beginnings for 2024.
WORKER OF THE WEEK
Well done to Rose Chirombo for being selected as our first Worker of the Week for her lovely holiday news. Keep it up! Each week we will post the photos of all the recipients of a Principals sticker for excellent work on our Facebook page.
DROP-OFF ARRANGEMENTS
I appeal to you to ensure that you drop your daughters off timeously in the mornings (7:20) as the bell rings at 7:25 for lines. All Grade 1-7 girls are required to be at lines to listen to the morning message and any announcements for the day. If your daughter misses this, she is already going to be missing out on knowing what’s happening for the rest of the day. If you are even later and your daughter arrives when classes have commenced, your daughter will be anxious and will take a while to settle before being able to focus. Added to this, her late arrival distracts the other learners and her teacher, when lessons are already in progress.
COLLECTION ARRANGEMENTS
We also request that you ensure that your child is fetched at least fifteen minutes after school or after her extramural ends. We strongly discourage children being left for hours waiting outside for their transport. If you are unable to fetch your daughter timeously please ensure that you register her for aftercare. Our office closes at 16h30 (Mon-Thurs) and at 14:30 on a Friday. Any child who is not fetched by this time will be sent to Aftercare and you will have to fetch her from there. Aftercare is accessed via the VP Hostel entrance on Hill Street. If you fetch your child after 17:30 she will be sent to hostel and you will have to fetch her there. If late collection is a regular occurrence or your child is collected outside of the Aftercare hours, you will be charged Aftercare fees, to your account, regardless of the circumstances.
Grade 1-3 finish their academic day at 13:00 and extramurals end at 14:00. The girls are then taken to the Huntley street gate for collection between 13:00-13:15 or 14:00-14:15 after their extramurals. Children not collected by this time will be brought up to the Beaufort street gate at 13:15 (or 14:15). Please note that no Gr 1-3 child will be allowed to wait at the Beaufort street gate between 13:00-13:15 as there is no supervision. Parents/transport will not be able to access the Huntley Street gate via the Beaufort Street gate during this time.
The academic school day will end at 13h00 every FRIDAY for Grade 1-7.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
We would also like to remind you that by enrolling your child at VP, you are under an obligation to ensure that your daughter attends school. If your child is sick or unable to attend school, parents are required to notify the school office by 09h00 on the first day of absenteeism. On your child’s return she is required to bring a note explaining the reason for her absence. If she is absent for 3 days or more or she misses out on a test or exam, a medical certificate will be required on her return which clearly states the dates she is booked off. This is a school policy and must be adhered to. Holidays away and other events should be done over the weekend and during school holidays.
STATIONERY (Grade 4-7)
Please ensure that your daughter has all the stationery required for her grade according to the stationery list sent. All books must be covered and any outstanding items must be purchased by Monday the 23 January.
VP DIARIES
As mentioned in our last newsletter of 2023, all girls Gr 3-7 received our new VP diaries this week. If your daughter loses her diary she will have to pay R50 for a replacement, however we have limited replacements so please ensure that she looks after it. No other diaries are to be used for school.
LABELLING OF ITEMS AND LOST PROPERTY
All your daughter’s possessions from pencils to blazers must be clearly labelled with her name and surname. We cannot be expected to search for items which are not labelled. Lost items will be handed to Lost Property, either with Mrs Orsmond (FP) or Mrs Sauls (IP). We endeavour to return items straight away if they are labelled. Unlabelled items must be collected from Lost Property by your daughter during school hours.
COMMUNICATION
We send out very detailed weekly newsletters every Friday and letters are regularly sent home regarding any sporting or cultural fixtures. Please make it a priority to read your weekly newsletter, your daughters’ diaries and notices sent home. Homework and instructions thereof need to be followed in the classroom setting. Any queries can be directed to our school office during office hours. If you would like to communicate with your child’s teacher please email her or send a note in your child’s diary. Alerts for any unplanned changes will be posted on the D6 Communicator App. You will also find the extramural programme, term calendar and newsletters on the D6 Communicator App.
Photos of school activities throughout the year will be put on the schools Facebook page. Please note access is limited to parents and staff at VP and therefore new parents will have to request access on Facebook.
SAVE THE DATE
Please save the date for the PTA AGM and class visits on 30 January at 17:15. Parents are to meet for a short meeting in the hall and thereafter all Grade 2-7 parents will meet in their daughters’ respective classrooms where they will be briefed on the expectations and requirements for the year. Please prioritise this meeting as it is an important information session and a good opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and to ask any questions you may have.
SCHOOL RULES
Please note the school rules for hair and jewellery and ensure that your daughter is abiding by them:
Hair guidelines
- Hair must be neat and appropriate for girls in uniform.
- If hair is over shoulder length it must all be tied up (no half ponies). Hair must be away from face.
- Hair and extensions should be your natural hair colour.
- Extensions and braids are allowed.
- All corn rows must be neatly plaited and tied back.
- Clips and hair accessories must be black, green or navy. (No decorative accessories, such as beads, are to be worn)
Jewellery
- Watches may be worn, if desired. Children are responsible for their own watches.
- Earrings – girls may have their ears pierced. Only studs or sleepers (small) may be worn. No coloured earrings are allowed. Only one earring may be worn in each earlobe.
- No bracelets, neck or ankle-chains are allowed, unless the bracelets or chain bears a ‘Medicalert’ disc.
- All school badges may be worn on the blazer lapel. No badges other than school badges may be worn while in school uniform.
Uniform
Girls are currently in summer uniform. They should not be in long-sleeved shirts, blue socks, stockings or trousers. Please don’t mix the school and sports uniform/tracksuits.
EXTRAMURALS
Please take note of the extramural programme attached and study it closely with your daughter. Participation in our programme is compulsory. Please note that if it rains or is extremely hot we DO NOT CANCEL. Girls will be supervised in the classrooms until their extramurals would have ended. Extramurals will start on Monday, 22 January.
- Please note that Art Club will be taking place on Wednesdays at 15:00-16:00 for Grade 4-7. There will be a sign-up sheet on the notice board outside the Teachers Workroom by Monday, as there are limited spaces available.
MUSIC
This year the Victoria Primary Music Department will be introducing a small chamber choir as a new extracurricular activity open to the Grade 6s and 7s. The choir will consist of about 12 girls and will involve formalised vocal training and performances. Auditions will be held on Monday during break, girls wishing to take part must please audition, and prepare a song which they feel shows off their voice the most beautifully! We are looking forward to the wonderful possibilities that the VP chamber choir holds for 2024.
The music department is eager to get started on this year’s repertoire and all rehearsals will commence as per the extramural timetable. This includes the FP choir (Gr. 3), senior choir (Gr. 4-7) and the orchestra. Please ensure that your daughter arrives on time for all rehearsals.
SWIMMING TRIALS: All girls new to VP should please attend swimming trials on Monday, 22 January, at 14:00, in order to be put into their various colour groups for the season. A reminder that girls are to wear black speedos to swimming unless they are in the swim team and have a team costume.
TENNIS TRIALS: We will be having tennis trials during tennis practice slots next week. We encourage all girls interested in playing tennis as a sport to attend. The times are as follows: Monday: 14:00-14:45
Tuesday: 13:55-15:25 (tennis team as selected last year)
Tuesday: 15:30-16:15
Wednesday: 15:00-15:45
Thursday: 13:55-15:30 (tennis team as selected last year)
For sale at school
- Swimming caps are available from Mrs Terblanche at a cost of R60 for the regular cap and R120 for the cap that is bigger and will fit over braids.
- We are once again offering Flip flops for sale for R100. These VP branded flip flops may be worn with sports uniform and at school during the school day with school uniform. Please note that girls must wear school shoes and socks when they are off campus in their school uniform. No other flip flops are allowed at school.
- We are still selling lovely VP branded draw-string bags for R30. These bags will be very useful for sports clothes, swimming costumes, library books and readers or even their lunches.
- Please note School backpacks are currently sold out and we will let you know as soon as new stock is available. The cost of the new stock will be R700.
- Peaks caps cost R80.
THE VP PARKRUN CHALLENGE: If your daughter takes part in the Parkrun every Saturday morning at 08:00 the Botanical Gardens and has a bar- code, please forward her emailed results to vpparkrun@gmail.com. Mrs Coetzee will be monitoring and encouraging our girls at the Parkrun.
WORLD READ ALOUD DAY: As part of our World Read Aloud Day celebrations (7 February 2024) we would like to run a competition. Girls are encouraged to send a photo of themselves reading in the most unusual place. All entries will be presented and the winner will be announced at our assembly on Monday the 5 February. The winner will win a voucher from Bargain Books. Photos can be sent to admin@victoriaprimary.co.za. Closing date: Friday, 2 February.
2023 SCHOOL MAGAZINE: The 2023 school magazine is available on our website www.victoriaprimary.co.za (click on Magazine tab) or follow the following direct link https://victoriaprimary.co.za/?page_id=2979
If you are unsure of anything please don’t hesitate to call the office on 0466224850 or send us an email on admin@victoriaprimary.co.za or and we will endeavour to assist you.
Regards
Mrs Rafferty
PRINCIPAL