Junior School, Term 3 Week 2 2026

Over the holidays one of our classrooms, Year 5C, underwent a little bit of a makeover. This refurbishment has delivered an immediate transformation, not simply aesthetically, but in the quality of the learning environment. The improvements have created a lighter, larger, more flexible space that better supports contemporary teaching and learning, with children commenting on how surprised and excited they were when they returned for Term 3.

There will be some continued works in this are of the school over the coming months, providing an opportunity for all in the community to consider what the modern classroom at Pulteney should look like. If you haven’t seen this space, wander past and have a look.

A reminder that all sport co-curricular will commence Week 1 with Performing Arts co-curricular commencing form Week 2. 

Traffic & Parking Reminder – Wednesday 29 July

Families are advised that buses will be parked along South Terrace and Gilles Street on Wednesday 29 July to transport students to and from the Middle & Senior School Swimming Carnival at the Marion Aquatic Centre.

As a result, morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up may be busier than usual, with some impacts to traffic flow and available parking. We encourage families to allow a little extra time for travel and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Grandparents’ and Special Friends Day

Our ELC and Junior School students are looking forward to welcoming their grandparents, special friends and other important people in their lives to School on Friday 31 July.

To help ensure a comfortable experience for everyone, we ask that each family invite no more than four guests.

ELC Event Details
8.45am – 9.30am                   ELC Stay and Play Visit, ELC Classrooms
Grandparents, special friends and significant people are invited to join our ELC students for a special Stay and Play session, sharing in their play-based learning.

9.30am                                    Morning Tea, Kurrajong under croft (ELC guests only)
Guests attending the Stay and Play are invited to remain for morning tea.

Reception to Year 6 Event Details
9.45am – 10.30am                 Junior School Assembly, Robert Henshall Sports Centre
Reception to Year 6 students will celebrate their learning, talents and school spirit in a special assembly for the important people in their lives.

10.30am – 11.00am               Classroom Visits, Individual Classrooms
Guests are invited into classrooms to explore students’ work and share in their learning.

11.00am – 11.30am                Shared Morning Tea
Kurrajong under croft (Reception – Year 2 guests)
Junior School Basketball Court (Year 3 to Year 6 guests)

Reception to Year 6 students and their guests are invited to enjoy First Break together. Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be provided for guests, while students will bring their usual First Break snack.

Important Information

• ELC children who are not normally booked on Fridays are welcome to attend with their visiting grandparent or special guest.
• ELC guests are welcome to attend the 9.45am Junior School Assembly if they also have grandchildren in Reception to Year 6.
• Students without grandparents attending are warmly encouraged to invite a special friend or another important person in their life.
• Short-term parking is available on the corner of King William Road and Gilles Street.

Registration
Please register via the Humanitix link HERE.

As a parent or caregiver, if you are able to assist with serving morning tea, please indicate your availability when registering.

We look forward to welcoming our grandparents, special friends and wider school community for this special day.

Chinese Singing Club

We will now begin preparing to participate in the upcoming Australian Voices Chinese Singing Competition. The competition entries opened on 15 July 2026. Competition registrations will be reviewed in October 2026, and the Australian Voices Showcase will be held on Sunday, 15 November 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

As part of the competition, we will record a video of the students singing, which will be submitted as our competition entry. Students will practise every Friday during first break in the Kurrajong Chinese classroom to prepare for the competition.

If your child is interested in participating, a permission form will be sent home for you to read and sign. The form will include further details about the competition.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Minmin.Huang@pulteney.sa.edu.au

Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to seeing our students enjoy this wonderful opportunity to share their Chinese language learning through music.

Minmin Huang, Chinese Teacher

Upcoming Key Dates

Jason Fay
Head of Junior School

Performing Arts

Term 3

Middle & Senior School Instrumental Lessons & Outlook Email Calendar

There is currently an issue with Year 7 – 12 students being able to view their Instrumental Music/Drama lessons via their Outlook Email Calendar. This has been reported to E-Services, and they are currently working to resolve it.

In the meantime, students were emailed last Friday with the below options, so they can successfully check their lesson time:

1. Ask parents or caregivers to log in to the community portal and view your timetable (select the Timetable tab once signed in)
2. Email Laura Brougham or pop into her office (Ground Floor, Nicholls Building) and she will be able to assist
3. Email the instrumental or drama teacher directly

I strongly recommend checking lesson times the day before the scheduled lesson to ensure students don’t miss it.

Co-Curricular Updates

A reminder to please ensure you’re logging your child’s absence for Performing Arts Co-Curricular activities via the Pulteney App. Please follow the below instructions:

• Select Co-Curricular Tile
• Select Log co-curricular absence

Junior School:

• All junior school Performing Arts Co-Curricular activities resume this week (Week 2, Term 3).
• Junior Percussion Ensemble and Junior Handbell Ensemble will still run as normal this Friday 31 July, prior to Grandparent’s Day

Grandparents Day – Junior School, Friday 31 July

This Friday is our annual Grandparents Day, where grandparents of our Junior School students are invited to spend the morning at Pulteney. They will have the opportunity to visit classrooms, see the wonderful work their grandchildren have been doing, enjoy a short Performing Arts showcase, and share morning tea together. Please refer to Mr Fay’s report in PRW for further details.

Our musicians and dancers have been working hard in preparation and are looking forward to performing as part of this special event. The following groups will be performing:

• Junior Kurrajong Choir
• Junior Year 3/4 Concert Choir
• Junior Year 5/6 Concert Choir
• Junior Concert Band
• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe BLUE
• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe WHITE
• Pulteney String Orchestra

Please note that the Junior Handbell and Junior Percussion ensembles will rehearse as normal before school that morning.

SA School Band and Orchestra Festival (ABODA) – Week 4

In Week 4, we will compete in the annual South Australian Schools Band and Orchestra Festival, facilitated by the ABODA SA Committee.

This year, we have seven ensembles participating (see the table below). Information has been, and will continue to be, distributed to parents and families so everyone is fully aware of student movements throughout the week.

This year’s festival will feature 45 schools from across the state, with more than 200 ensembles performing. A new format has been introduced, with all string ensembles performing at Brighton Secondary School on Monday and Tuesday, while concert bands, percussion ensembles and drum corps will perform at Westminster School from Tuesday to Friday.

We look forward to representing Pulteney Grammar School and giving our very best performances. Festivals such as these provide a wonderful opportunity for our students to perform, receive feedback from respected adjudicators, and hear other outstanding school ensembles from across South Australia.

Pulteney Dance Showcase

In Week 7, we present our annual Pulteney Dance Showcase on Saturday 5 September in Wyatt Hall. This event is always one of the highlights of the Performing Arts calendar. Tickets will be released in coming weeks.

There will be two performances, which will feature the below troupes and dancers:

2.30pm Matinee Show

• Junior Year 1 Dance Troupe
• Junior Year 2 Dance Troupe
• Junior Year 3 Dance Troupe
• Junior Year 4 Dance Troupe
• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe BLUE
• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe WHITE
• Middle School Dance Troupe BLUE
• Middle School Dance Troupe WHITE
• Senior School Dance Troupe
• Year 9-12 Academic Dance classes

7.00pm Evening Show

• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe BLUE
• Junior Year 5/6 Dance Troupe WHITE
• Middle School Dance Troupe BLUE
• Middle School Dance Troupe WHITE
• Senior School Dance Troupe
• Year 9-12 Academic Dance classes

Please ensure you purchase the correct tickets to see your child perform. As ticket numbers are limited, we encourage families to book as soon as tickets are released, as both performances are likely to sell out.

All students will be required for a technical rehearsal on Thursday 3 and/or Friday 4 September, and will also be required to arrive on Saturday 5 September prior to the start of the Matinee Show (approximately 1.00pm). A detailed email with confirmed times and important information will be sent to parents of performing students in the coming weeks.

The Friends of Performing Arts will again be providing a BBQ sausage sizzle and bar between the two concerts. We warmly invite everyone to stay, enjoy a meal and a drink, and spend time with our Performing Arts community from approximately 5.00pm to 7.00pm. A bar service will also be available during the interval of both concerts. My sincere thanks to all the FoPA members for their time, effort and wonderful support.

Instrumental Music and Drama Program

Pulteney’s Performing Arts Department offers private tuition for a range of instruments as well as voice and drama lessons.

Applications for this year opened in December 2025 and have been finalised, however students from Reception right through to Year 12 can enrol at any time across the year. If an instrument, type of lesson or teacher is already fully booked, we can place your child on a waiting list until a lesson becomes available.

For more information about our program please click here. If you’re interested in enrolling your son or daughter, please complete the online application form.

Long Lunch Class Basket Donations

• Make a monetary donation online, allowing the organising committee to curate beautiful hampers; or
• Donate an item, with collection baskets available in all ELC and Junior School classrooms.