{"id":4685,"date":"2026-01-16T14:09:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/victoriaprimary.co.za\/?p=4685"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:09:25","slug":"vp-newsletter-16-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/victoriaprimary.co.za\/?p=4685","title":{"rendered":"VP Newsletter 16 January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Message from the office 16 January 2026<\/strong>
A very warm welcome back to school to all our VP families for 2026. A special welcome to our new families who have joined us this year. Our first day back on Wednesday was marked with such excitement and it was a joy to see our girls and staff so happy to be back at school. Our little Grade Ones slotted into \u2018big school\u2019 with such ease and I am sure they will have a happy year.<\/p>\n

On a much sadder note, we extend our heartfelt condolences and thoughts to the Skeyi family on the tragic passing of Linomtha Skeyi, a former VP girl and a member of our hostel community. We honoured her memory with a moment of silence at our assembly this week, and we continue to keep her family and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.<\/p>\n

Staff News<\/strong>
We\u2019d like to congratulate Mr Buka who was awarded his masters in Art – we are so proud of him! We are also thrilled for Ms Songongo, one of our interns, who was placed on the Dean\u2019s Merit list for the outstanding results she achieved this year for her teaching studies. We are also very excited for Ms Le Roux who finished her studies last year and is now officially a qualified teacher AND she got engaged this past holiday! Whoop whoop!<\/p>\n

I would also like to officially welcome Ms Leppan onto our staff – she is already getting stuck into our library with much enthusiasm. We welcome three new interns; Ms Yawa, Ms Quza and Ms Mbebe who are all in the pre-primary. We are certain that they will learn a lot and we are delighted to have them at VP!<\/p>\n

Worker of the Week<\/strong>: Well done to Nevaya Jacobs in Grade 2 who is our first Worker of the Week for 2026. She has already received two Principal\u2019s stickers!<\/p>\n

PTA AGM<\/strong>: Please note that we will have our PTA AGM on Tuesday, 20 January. We appeal to all parents from Grade 2-7 to attend this very informative meeting on Tuesday, 21 January @17:15. Parents are to please meet in the school hall first and thereafter they will move to their child\u2019s classes where the Grade teachers will inform you of the expectations for the year ahead. Your daughter does not need to attend.<\/p>\n

PTA Meeting<\/strong>: Please note that we will have our first PTA meeting on Tuesday, 27 January at 17:15 in the school hall. All parents (moms and dads) who would like to serve on this committee and help fundraise for our school, are invited to attend this meeting.<\/p>\n

WhatsApp group: We have given all the girls a notice that parents can complete to be added to the VP Whatsapp groups. During next week we will capture this information. Please ensure that you have the VP cellphone number (0834682706) as a contact on your phone so that you can be added. A reminder that if you have an enquiry you must please call the office 046 622 4850 not the cellphone. This is for information sharing from the school side only.<\/p>\n

School Hours:<\/p>\n

Pre-primary 07:30-12:30<\/p>\n

Grade 1, 2 & 3 07:25-13:00 (extramurals until 14:00)<\/p>\n

Grade 4-7 07:25-14:00<\/p>\n

Grade 1-7 Friday school ends at 13:00<\/p>\n

Late Collection<\/strong>
\u2022 Please note that the FP (Grade 1-3) girls are dropped off between 07:15 and 07:20 at the Huntley Street gate. An FP teacher will be present at the gate from 07:15. If FP girls arrive before or after this time or with older siblings in the morning they must use the Beaufort street entrance.
\u2022 All IP (Grade 4-7) children are to use the Beaufort Street gate and will need to be collected from there.
\u2022 Grade 1-3 finish their school day at 14:00 (Monday-Thursday) once extramurals end. The girls are then taken to the Huntley Street gate for collection between 14:00-14:15. On Friday, girls finish at 13:00 and will be at the Huntley Street gate from 13:00 to 13:15.
FP children who are collected after this time must be fetched from the Beaufort Street Gate. We keep a close eye on our girls and make sure that they are safe while waiting for collection. The Huntley Street gate is not manned after these hours.<\/p>\n

Our office closes at 16:30 (Monday-Thursday) and 15:00 on Friday. If children are still not collected by this time, they will be sent to Aftercare. They can be collected from the Aftercare facility which is accessed via the hostel entrance in Hill Street. Please note that while we understand that some days don’t run as expected, if we notice repeated late collection or the collection is later than our aftercare hours, parents will be charged aftercare fees to their account. Please ensure that you have arranged safe and reliable transport for your daughters.<\/p>\n

Aftercare<\/strong>: If you would like to send your daughter to Aftercare please collect a form from the office and return it as soon as possible. If she attended Aftercare last year we still require a form to be completed this year.<\/p>\n

Access to Campus<\/strong>: Please note that all visitors must report to the school office. Parents may not gain access through the side door (Beaufort Street entrance) or the Huntley Street gate \u2013 these are for our pupils only. This is for our children and staff\u2019s safety. If you would like to meet with a teacher, please make an appointment either via email to the class teacher or the school office (admin@victoriaprimary.co.za) or make a note in your child\u2019s diary. Please report to the office for the appointment. No teacher will be able to meet with parents during school hours unless there was a prior arrangement made. If you have any questions or concerns please email the school office or call on 0466224850 and we will endeavour to assist you.<\/p>\n

Absenteeism and late arrivals:<\/strong> Please note the following as per our school policy:
It is the parent\u2019s responsibility to ensure that children arrive on time and are not disadvantaged by missing parts of lessons. Our school bell rings at 07:25 in the morning. Girls should be dropped off at least 5 minutes before this.
Absenteeism<\/strong>
It is the responsibility of the parents to see that their children attend school. If a child is absent, the parents need to inform the office by no later than 09:00 on the first day of absenteeism. A letter of explanation needs to be submitted on the learners\u2019 return to the school. Medical and personal appointments, where possible, are to be made outside school hours. Medical certificates are expected if the learner is absent for tests or exams and if absent from school for more than 2 days.
\u2022 When a learner is absent, a note explaining why the learner was absent must be handed to the class teacher immediately upon return to school.
\u2022 Parent(s)\/Guardian(s) may email the class teacher or the office for the reason for the absence.
\u2022 A medical certificate must be provided if a learner misses an examination or a test contributing to the year mark; or is absent for three days or longer.
If a learner is feeling ill at school the office will contact her parent(s)\/guardian(s) to take the learner home.
Administering medication at school: Whenever possible please ensure that you administer medication at home. Girls may not have any medication (prescribed and over-the-counter) on their person or in their school bag while at school. If it becomes necessary for prescription medication to be administered during school hours please request the form from the office and return it with a copy of the prescription and the relevant medication. The daily dosage will then be administered from the office.<\/p>\n

Extramurals<\/strong>
Extramurals start on Monday, 19 January. Your daughter received her extramural programme on her first day back at school. It is compulsory for your daughter to do at least 2 hours of sport a week but she is welcome to do more (Choir is not a sport). Please read through the programme with your daughter and make sure that she has packed all she needs for her activity. Please also ensure that your transport is organised accordingly. 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.
Marimba band: The music staff are incredibly excited that our Marimbas will be arriving in the next few weeks! As they are not yet here, Marimba Band as scheduled on the extra-mural timetable, will only begin once we receive our order. We will continue to keep you up updated, and as soon as they arrive Marimba Band will become another exciting part of our extramural programme!
Reading Club Change: Please note that the Reading Club has been moved from Tuesdays (15:30 – 16:15) to Wednesdays (15:00 – 16:00). This is by invitation only.<\/p>\n

Hair and Uniform:<\/strong> Please note the school rules for hair and jewellery and ensure that your daughter is abiding by them:
Hair guidelines
1. Hair must be neat and appropriate for girls in uniform.
2. If hair is over shoulder length it must all be tied up (no half ponies). Hair must be away from face.
3. Hair and extensions should be your natural hair colour.
4. Extensions and braids are allowed.
5. All corn rows must be neatly plaited and tied back.
6. Clips and hair accessories must be black, green or navy. (No decorative accessories, such as beads, are to be worn)
Jewelry<\/strong>
1. Watches may be worn, if desired. Children are responsible for their own watches.
2. Earrings \u2013 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.
3. No bracelets, neck or ankle-chains are allowed, unless the bracelets or chain bears a \u2018Medicalert\u2019 disc.
4. All school badges may be worn on the blazer lapel. No badges other than school badges may be worn while in school uniform.
Uniform<\/strong>
Please note the uniform and hair rules and ensure that your daughter is dressed accordingly. Please note that the girls are currently in summer uniform. On colder days they may wear a jersey and\/or windbreaker and blazer – no winter uniform please. Please also ensure that your daughter is dressed smartly and remains in her full uniform when in town or out in public. The school flip flops can be purchased from the office and may be worn with the sports clothes. The flip flops may be worn with their school uniform at school but she will need to put her school socks and shoes back on with her school uniform once she leaves the campus.<\/p>\n

VP Diaries<\/strong>: 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 hers. No other diaries are to be used for school.<\/p>\n

Labelling of items & Lost Property:<\/strong> All your daughter\u2019s possessions from pencils to blazers must be clearly labelled with her name and surname. We cannot be expected to search for items that 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.<\/p>\n

Dropping off items at school:<\/strong> As we enter the second week of school, girls must please be encouraged to get organised and not expect items to be delivered to school by parents. Our office staff is inundated with items being dropped off. Please note that only birthday cupcakes, deliveries for boarders and items specifically requested by teachers may be dropped off at the office for your daughter during the school day.<\/p>\n

Medical Forms<\/strong>: Medical Forms have been handed out to the girls. Please complete them and send the necessary accompanying documents if relevant. If you don’t have medical aid you still need to fill in the form as it is vital for our sport and school trips.<\/p>\n

World Read Aloud Day<\/strong>
During the week of 2-6 February we will be celebrating World Read Aloud Day. As part of this celebration we would like to run a photo competition. Girls are encouraged to send in photos to school of themselves reading in unusual places. On 2 February we will show all our entries at our assembly and the winners will be announced. Entries can be emailed to admin@victoriaprimary.co.za. Winners stand to win a Bargain Books gift voucher. Closing date for all entries is on Thursday, 29 January – which is just around the corner so don’t leave it too late!
\u2022 On Wednesday, 4 February, we will have a paired reading day and our girls are encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. As part of our community outreach, girls are to pay R10 to dress up. All funds raised will be donated to Friends of Bots, a cause dedicated to maintaining and beautifying our Botanical Gardens.
\u2022 On Friday, 6 February we will have a \u2018silent bookclub\u2019 which all girls Grade 1-7 will participate in. This will be a compulsory event for our girls but we would love all our VP families and extended families and friends to join us. We will be walking down to the Botanical Gardens for 13:00 and will read there for 45 minutes until we walk back to school. Girls will get books from their teachers but are welcome to bring a book of their own too! Girls can bring a blanket to lie on and they may sit with their friends or families and enjoy a quiet time reading in the beautiful gardens. If you are able to join us during your lunch hour we would love to have you. Girls must come to school on this Friday dressed in their sports clothes (black shorts, navy golf shirt and takkies or VP flipflips) – the VP cap\/hat and suntan cream is a good idea too! Please collect your daughter\u2019s at school at 14:00.<\/p>\n

Alice in Wonderland rehearsals<\/strong>
Rehearsals for Alice will begin next Saturday. The schedule for January is as follows:
Wonderland Rehearsal (Scene 1-2 – ALL to attend) – 24 January (09:00-12:00)
Wonderland Rehearsal (Scene 3-4) – 31 January<\/p>\n

Chess Trials and Practice Sessions \u2013 Sarah Baartman Team Selection<\/strong>
The following chess trial dates have been scheduled in Makhanda:
31 January, 14 March, and 18 April. Please note that these are three of the nine total trial dates.
The remaining trials will be held in Jeffrey\u2019s Bay and Graaff-Reinet. To be considered for selection for the Sarah Baartman Chess Team, a player is required to attend at least three (3) of the nine (9) trial dates. If your daughter would like to compete but is unable to attend one of the listed trial dates, please email Ms Miskin (l.miskin@victoriaprimary.co.za) to enquire about alternative dates, which will also take place in the locations mentioned above.
Please remember that chess practice takes place every Monday, with a second session held every Thursday. Players are welcome to attend one or both sessions. We encourage everyone to participate whenever possible and fit in a few chess moves where they can.<\/p>\n

Birthday wishes<\/strong>
We wish the girls who celebrated their birthdays so far this year a very happy birthday!
Ronay Francis, Lima Tukula, Willow Hector, Ingcali-Yomso Mani, Asante Nyenzane, Lunje Peter, Likamvelihle Dyibishe, Buhlebenkosi Mapitsha, Oyahuma Renene, Ahlumile Vusani, Kungothando Nzuzo, Langa Mtakati, Sizoluhle Matswele, Caitlyn Bodill, Mbalentle Dyaloyi, Oyintando Nkatazo, Zeln\u00e9 Leach, Akum Mxo, Ayazi Klei, Sama Torweni, Bongamusa Louw, Inamandla Mnyapa, Isipho Nelana, Nalu Matshaya, Giselle Peters, Owam Bebeto, Imboyothando Ngcala and Ladine van Wyk.<\/p>\n

Regards<\/p>\n

Mrs Rafferty
PRINCIPAL<\/p>\n

Dates to remember<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

PTA AGM and Class visits<\/strong> (Gr 2-7) Tuesday, 20 January @17:15<\/p>\n

PTA meeting<\/strong> on Tuesday, 27 January @17:15<\/p>\n

World Read Aloud events<\/strong>:<\/p>\n