Circular 14/2023

On behalf of the School Governing Body and all staff members we wish to thank you for your continued support throughout 2023. 

We aim to make York Road Primary a place where it is easy to be yourself.  It is a responsibility we all share and is integral to our purpose as educators as well as to the values of York Road Primary.

We need to be continually mindful of our biases and consciously inclusive, we need to encourage each other to embrace opportunities for growth.  We need to recognise that a diverse and inclusive York Road family is essential to our ability to be a school that can adapt and prosper in an ever changing world.

The York Road culture must become our strategic differentiator, it is what will ensure that we stand out from the rest. As a culture-driven school, our values and morals must underpin and inform our conduct. Our greater school community and the learners have always been at the heart of York Road Primary. The Values we try to inculcate in our learners and community should be known as the York Road Experience.

We enable these Values through our physical and digital workplaces, how we position the York Road brand, how we communicate with and support each other, how we prioritise diversity and inclusion and create meaning, specifically focused on our purpose.

Our culture drives our behaviour, standards and expectations.  It enables us to fulfil our purpose and achieve our objectives and creates a distinctive York Road Experience which requires everyone to play their part in a reciprocal way.

The Senior Management Team together with learners and the greater school community are responsible for delivering the York Road Experience with the intention of creating value, maximising growth and enhancing performance.

TERM FOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Once again we wish to share our memorable moments with you:

• Visit from Always Grade 6 – 7 girls
• Pedal Power and Active Bodies presentation on Bicycle Safety.
• A donation of 4 bicycles to implement Bicycle Safety Programme in 2024.
• Grade R Concert and excursion to the Science Centre
• Grade 5 excursion to the Castle
• Mediators Fun Day “ It’s Game Time” Thank you to all the learners and educators for their support.
• Grade 7 Awards Ceremony
• Congratulations to Mrs. Muller on her appointment as our newest Departmental Head for the Foundation Phase.

SCHOOL FEES for GRADES 1 – 7 for 2024

Thank you to the parents who attended our Budget Meeting. The SGB and School Management Team are very aware of the financial strain which many households are experiencing.  It is however, essential that the SGB staff component, as well as the Municipal expenses and the day-to-day maintenance of the school continue to be paid.

It is an absolute necessity to raise the annual fees by 1%.  This decision was unanimously accepted by the parents in attendance.  Parents who are unable to pay the fees are encouraged to apply for the ‘Exemption of School Fees in 2024.

The new fee structure for 2024 is as follows:

• • R6500 per annum which is payable as follows
  • R1625 at the beginning of each term ..
  • R650 over 10 months (Jan – Oct) to be paid into the schools banking account.

I would like to thank ALL parents who paid their school fees for 2023 and encourage parents with outstanding balances to please settle their accounts in the coming month.

2024
Stationery Lists for 2024 have been emailed with the Reports to all learners.
School commences for the learners on Wednesday, 17 January 2024.

DISMISSAL TIMES for 2024
The school commences at 08h00 daily.
Dismissal times for the first week of the new term are as follows:

Revised dismissal time schedule will be issued during the 1^st week of the 2024 for the rest of the 1^st term.

2^ND HAND CLOTHING SALE (2024)

Please note that a 2^nd hand clothing sale will take place in the ‘Stop and Go’ area on the following days:

Congratulations to all the learners who will be proceeding to a new Grade next year. Well Done!

To those learners who require more time in their current Grade, view it as an opportunity to try again.

If your son/daughter will not be proceeding to the next grade, please note you are able to lodge an appeal if you feel an assessment irregularity has occurred. You may collect an Appeal Form at the School’s Office on 15 – 16 January 2024 between 09h00 – 10h00.

Please take care and let the learners have a restful break.  Learners who have not been academically successful need to utilize their holidays for revision.  However, please be mindful that.. among the children who completed the exams there is an artist who does not need to understand Mathematics, there is an entrepreneur who does not care about History or English, there is a musician whose Natural Science marks will not matter, there is an athlete whose physical fitness is far more important than Technology. If your child did get top marks, that’s great! But if he or she didn’t, please don’t take away their self-confidence and dignity. Tell them it’s ok, it’s just an exam! They are cut out for much bigger things in life. Tell them, no matter what they score, you love them and will not judge them no matter what.

We especially wish our Grade 7 learners well as they begin the next chapter in their academic career.

EDUCATORS LEAVING THE SCHOOL

On behalf of the SGB and school community I wish to thank the following educators who will be leaving our school at the end of this term: Mrs. Mapswayi, Ms. Kerchhoff, Ms. Jacobs and Ms. McCann. We wish them well in all their future endeavours.

In closing I would like to congratulate Mrs. Mars and Mrs. Carelse on their retirement after many years of dedication and sterling service to York Road and the greater school community. Mrs. Carelse has been with York Road for 13years. Mrs Mars leaves education after 31years of service at York Road Primary. Mrs. Carelse and Mrs. Mars’s departure is a great loss to York Road and the community. We wish them well on the journey which awaits them.

To the staff of York Road, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your commitment and dedication to our learners.

In closing, may CHRISTMAS remain a time of peace and goodwill for all our Christian families.

May you all enjoy a peaceful festive season and end-of-year holiday as you STAY SAFE!!!

Yours in Education

M.C. JOHNSON
(PRINCIPAL)