Newsletters
Annesley News Issue 250

ICAS Assessments

ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) are globally recognised academic assessments designed to challenge, inspire, and celebrate student achievement. These assessments are offered to all families to register their child/ren, and are a key part of our Strength Programs at Annesley, designed to challenge and inspire highly-able and gifted students.

ICAS assessments are available for students in Year 2 – 6 in English, Mathematics, Science, Digital Technologies, Writing, and Spelling Bee and are facilitated at Annesley by Steph Bates, our Coordinator of Literacy and Numeracy. ICAS assessments encourage higher-order thinking, asking students to go beyond rote learning – they focus on problem-solving, critical thinking and the application of knowledge.

This week, we have recognised our high-achieving students for their participation in ICAS this year.

ICAS Medal Winner – Elise
Elise (Year 6) was awarded the prestigious academic award, the ICAS Medal for being the top performing student in South Australia for Spelling. Congratulations Elise, it is wonderful to see your academic strengths recognised in this way.

High Distinction Award
Aravah – Science, Maths
Elise – Spelling

Distinction Award
Elise – English, Maths
Calvin – Science
Cody – Maths
Audrey – Maths
Harvey W – Maths

Credit Award
Addison – Digital Tech, English
Elise – Writing
Calvin – English, Maths, Spelling
Cody – English
Harry P – Science
Elden – Maths
Bronte – Spelling

Merit Award
Amelia – Writing
Sophie A – Maths

Jo Rossiter
Principal

Thankyou Natalie, welcome Merridy!

Welcome Georgie, thank you Eleni!

The Book Chooks

Welcome Book Chooks to the Junior School Library. Thank you to Grace from B5 for her wonderful crocheting talents creating these wonderful additions to the library space.

The Book Chooks are available for students to sit with and read when visiting the library. Looking forward to making them library ambassadors in 2026.

The chickens that live on the school farm are so loved by the school community and the Book Chooks are a beautiful connection for the students.

Week 6 is the final week for borrowing from the Junor School and Early Years Library.

Week 7 & 8 will be set aside for returning all books that students have borrowed and taken home along with those kept at school. Thank you for assisting your children locate and return the items before the end of the year.

Sarah
Library Officer

How We Express Ourselves

Each day, within the carefully curated environment of the ELC, children make choices about how to communicate their ideas and thinking. Their decisions are often subconscious, driven by interest as they choose materials and methods that bring them the most joy. When educators observe these choices, they are provided with a window into the uniqueness of each child’s learning and their preferred ‘voice’.

This term, for our unit of inquiry How We Express Ourselves, we have explored the idea that we can learn from each other’s creativity by celebrating the different ways we can ‘voice’ our ideas. The children have been exploring the concept of journeys and how this relates to place, time and events. Using diverse learning languages, they chose painting, drawing, dance and modelling, to express and communicate their ideas with each other.

Narratives such as Jack and the Flum Flum Tree and Hercules the Fish, provided a common springboard and helped us tune in to the idea of ‘journeys’. What ensued was joyful: map making, songs, construction, book making and role play. As the children engaged, collaborated and enjoyed their artistic expressions they deepened their understanding of sequences of events. When learning is enriched by universal concepts children can make both broad and personal connections. ‘Now I am 5, I am going to Reception. First I was in Banksia, then Wattle.’ ‘It is a long way to granny’s house and when I get there I go in the garden.’ ‘I’m going to Vietnam, on a plane, it is not Australia.’ ‘We are on Kaurna land and Ngaityalya means respect, we respect the place and the people.’

This term in Enterprise, our Grade 3 students have been busy creating Bee Hotels! The idea came from our Unit of Inquiry topic “How the World Works,” where we visited the Zoo weekly through the Quest program, explored ecosystems and researched endangered animals. Building on that learning, we wanted to apply our knowledge and create a product that would make the world a better place and reflect sustainable practices. This also connects beautifully to our current Unit of Inquiry topic, “Sharing the Planet,” which focuses on sustainability. We started with a small creature that makes a big difference—bees! Bees are vital to our ecosystems and in need of our help.

Students collaborated to research Bee Hotels and discovered what materials and designs would best support native bees.We even had a “Bring Your Own Screwdriver to School Day,” where students became carpenters, screwing together the frames of their Bee Hotels. They’ve been sanding bamboo, tying rope, and building resilience while learning new skills.

A huge thank you to Grade 3 parents Georgie and Lee for generously donating all the pre-cut, measured wood and screws for our frames. We truly appreciate your support! Thank you also to all Grade 3 parents who volunteered in the classroom and those continuing conversations about this learning at home.

The finished Bee Hotels will be available for purchase at the Annesley Buy Market, so come along and support our students’ incredible work toward sustainability!

Congratulations to Annesley Reception student Isabel Hudson, who has achieved a Special Merit in her Cecchetti Ballet exam a distinction awarded only in rare cases for exceptional artistry and achievement. Isabel completed the exam with her friend Poppy, and we’re incredibly proud of this outstanding result in our Annesley community.

Christmas craft, songs, cuddles, connection and celebration!

What a joyful day we shared together at Annesley this week. From creating beautiful crafts to singing festive songs and enjoying special moments.

A huge thank you to our grandparents and special friends’ who joined us and made the day even more memorable. Your presence truly added to the spirit of celebration!

U-Turns:
We kindly ask families to avoid making U-turns on Rose Terrace when dropping off or picking up children. Performing a U-turn over the yellow road barriers is not only unlawful but also poses a safety risk during peak times.

Permit Zones:
As a courtesy to our neighbours, please also ensure you are not parking in any designated permit zones along Rose Terrace.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to road safety.

A reminder to all families that if you have younger children that you have not yet submitted an application form for, that it can be done via this link: https://enrol.annesley.sa.edu.au/application-for-admission/start

An application must be submitted in order for a child to be considered for a place.

If you are not sure if you have submitted an application and wish to check, or for any other questions, please contact Laura in the Student Enrolments Office on 8422 2211 or email enrolments@annesley.sa.edu.au

Through recent engagement with the Unley Council, they have confirmed guidelines for our community to follow when using the Kiss & Drop zone. Drivers must remain within 3 metres of their car in this zone and can only remain stopped for 2 minutes. If a driver moves further than 3 metres away, the 2-minute period no longer applies. We have had regular inspections from Unley Council of this zone recently. We ask our community members to adhere to these guidelines to avoid getting fined, and to keep our Kiss & Drop zone functioning effectively.

A reminder to Primary families that supervision for our students is provided from 8.30am on school grounds. Prior to this time, students are not to be left onsite without an adult family member. Our Before School OSHC Service is available to families requiring early supervision from 7.30am to 8.30am. Similarly, staff supervision is provided after school until 3.45pm. OSHC is available to families needing care after school until 6pm.

From 4.30pm each day, OSHC requires exclusive access to the eastern playspace (including the soccer field and Adventure playground). After this time, families are asked to move to the western end, utilising the Court and Daphne Gum playground.

Calling all families to donate gently used Annesley uniforms to Unify, our student-led pop-up shop for second-hand uniforms. Your contribution not only promotes sustainability but also helps support many of the school’s initiatives. Your ongoing participation is greatly appreciated and contributes to the continued success of our school community. Donations can be left in the Unify tub located in the Front Office.

Our Bouncing Bean Café and Unify Second-Hand store are open at the following times each week:

Before School: 8.15am – 9am, Everyday
Morning Break: 11.05am – 11.45am, Everyday
Monday & Wednesday Afternoons: 3pm – 4pm

Wednesday 26 November: Year 6 Graduation Assembly
Monday 1 December: Year 6 Pool Day
Tuesday 2 December: Year 4-6 Pétanques Incursion
Wednesday 3 December: ELC Orientation Day
Thursday 4 December: Year 6 Graduation Celebration
Friday 5 December: End of Term 4

If you need further information about upcoming events at Annesley, please contact enquiries@annesley.sa.edu.au.

Our website now has a volunteering page under the Community Tab that outlines clearly the process we require our family members to follow to volunteer at Annesley. This process meets legislative requirements in order to keep our children and volunteers safe at Annesley. See more here.