Canberra 2011 arrivals

[Meintjies]

We will definately be arriving in July or november 2011 because our visas was granted today!!!!!!

[MWP]

Hi,

We will be arriving in Canberra on the 21 March 2011. Only my wife and I. Would love to meet up with ex saffers. Will be using the Live in Canberra meet and greet service.

See you soon,

Morné and Belinda

[Serendipity]

Who ever goes, when ever they arrive we need to plan a get together - I am keen to take a drive to our Capital City and

have promised Cramer we would go - even if its just for a glass of wine

When we know who is where we can arrange a date, place etc, i will need help form the locals on this, what i know about

Canberra is scary

[JennyG]

Gheeeeeeeeeeee, starting to get all jealous here! Some people who started the process long after us and now they are all settled and happy in Canberra!

Hopefully we'll join you guys by the end of the year

[4Coetzees]

Gheeeeeeeeeeee, starting to get all jealous here! Some people who started the process long after us and now they are all settled and happy in Canberra! <img src="http://www.saaustralia.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

Hopefully we'll join you guys by the end of the year <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="blush.gif" />

Hi Jenny!

Toemaar, as jy oorkom het jy darem 'n soft landing!! Ennnn ek kan lekker koek bak!!!

Ek wag vir jou!

[louiset]

Hi Louise,

That is fantastic news. My kids are also going to Gold Creek Primary. Mikey is 9 ( in Grade 3 here, but will go to grade 4) and Gaby is 6, so in Grade 2. We did not do an LSD to Canberra, so did not visit the school. But, it looks like an excellent school.

We will hopefully settle in Nicholls in Gungahlin. Which area will you be staying in?

We will be arriving on 9 March.

Hi Jenni,

Sorry for the late reply but I only saw your message today.

The Gold Creek School is lovely, the teachers were very friendly and helpful and I actually left the choice of the 2 schools (Gold Creek and Amaroo) to my boys. They both chose Gold Creek (I asked them independantly so that one did not influence the other) so that was a good sign for me.

Currently my boys are in a private school here in Jhb but I do not have any reservations about putting them into a fairly new public school in Oz.

In ACT, the grades (or Year as they call it) are the same as here. Your child will be in Year 1 during the year they turn 7. My sons are 13 (Grade 8) and 11 (Grade 5).

They gave me lovely info packs when we went and we had meetings with the principals of both the junior and senior school.

The PEA (priority enrolment area) for Gold Creek changed in 2011 and we will be moving into the PEA area to make sure they can attend Gold Creek. Our #1 area would be Casey as we are keen to purchase land in Springbank Rise which is a new development. Nicholls is also very new and lovely.

When we came for our LSD trip, I did not want to come back to SA!!!

Please let me know if there is anything I can help with before you leave. Where in SA are you currently?

I'm sure we can lean on each other for support once we are there!

Louise

[Toitjie]

Hi Louiset

Wrt the school age calculator - I got completely different info. Admittedly, mine via the internet, but Im assuming you got your info from the school? It worries me that its such a big difference. My daughter turns 7 in April, therefore she is in grade 1 this year in South Africa. According to the school age calculator she would have been in year 2 this year! so next year she should be in year 3, which is a big difference

Children born kindergarten pre-primary Year 1 Year 2

1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 2006 2007 2008 2009

1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 2007 2008 2009 2010

1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004 2008 2009 2010 2011

1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012

1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014

1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 2012 2013 2014 2015

1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016

[IamInACT]

Hi Louiset

Wrt the school age calculator - I got completely different info. Admittedly, mine via the internet, but Im assuming you got your info from the school? It worries me that its such a big difference. My daughter turns 7 in April, therefore she is in grade 1 this year in South Africa. According to the school age calculator she would have been in year 2 this year! so next year she should be in year 3, which is a big difference

You are correct Connor will be 6 when he starts year 1 and only turn 7 in December of that year.

[Orion25]

Hi Louiset

Wrt the school age calculator - I got completely different info. Admittedly, mine via the internet, but Im assuming you got your info from the school? It worries me that its such a big difference. My daughter turns 7 in April, therefore she is in grade 1 this year in South Africa. According to the school age calculator she would have been in year 2 this year! so next year she should be in year 3, which is a big difference

Children born kindergarten pre-primary Year 1 Year 2

1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 2006 2007 2008 2009

1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 2007 2008 2009 2010

1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004 2008 2009 2010 2011

1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012

1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014

1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 2012 2013 2014 2015

1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016

HI Toitjie,

So if I read this correctly my son born 20 June 2007 will be in what we call grade R next year 2012 and then grade 1 in 2014? If so all is well for us as we saw this coming and have already arranged with his school that from June this year he will be in Grade 00 or Kindy till the end of the year to prepare hime for Pre-school / Grade 0 next year. Personlayy I am not ready for this. My eldest son is turning 13 this year in grade 6 and we have been told that when we land in OZ he will effectivly skip a grade so go straight to Grade 8 (high school) we have been preparing him for this too, but once again mom is NOT ready.

T

[louiset]

Hi Louiset

Wrt the school age calculator - I got completely different info. Admittedly, mine via the internet, but Im assuming you got your info from the school? It worries me that its such a big difference. My daughter turns 7 in April, therefore she is in grade 1 this year in South Africa. According to the school age calculator she would have been in year 2 this year! so next year she should be in year 3, which is a big difference

Children born kindergarten pre-primary Year 1 Year 2

1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 2006 2007 2008 2009

1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 2007 2008 2009 2010

1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004 2008 2009 2010 2011

1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012

1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014

1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 2012 2013 2014 2015

1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016

Hi Toitjie,

According to both schools I went to in Canberra, children start school in the year they turn 7. That is the same as here in RSA. For example, my eldest was 6 turning 7 in September when he started school way back in 2004 here. I was told they would remain in the same grades they are in now.

Needless to say, my eldest was very disappointed as our very close friends emigrated to Cairns in Queensland in May 2008 (there son was in grade 5 with mine in 2008) but because the schooling system is different in Queensland, he went into grade 6 instead of 5. Thus he will finish school a year ahead of my son!

If what you are saying is correct, my eldest will remain in grade 8 but my youngest (born May 2000) who is currently in grade 5, will go into grade 6 now. Oh boy, even more moaning is going to come from my eldest now!!!!

HOWEVER, I was given this info by the schools last year (March 2010) and could have changed since then. What website did you get your info from?

I did contact Gold Creek School a couple of weeks ago to let them know we would be arriving in the next couple of months and they did not mention anything about a change in enrolment years.

Louise

[louiset]

Hi Louise

Our kids are in Kingsford Smith school year 7 and 8. So not our sun, but as you can see lots of us around and even more from Pretoria!

HI

Sorry to hear it wasn't your son.

I believe the Kingsford Smith school is lovely and was only built a year or two ago. Are you children enjoying it? Have they managed to make friends easily?

[IamInACT]

Hi all

In Act we do pre-school, kindie (year 0) ,year 1 - 10 then College year 11 -12 in the public schol system.

The age requirements are that same for public and private

Prs-schoolers must be four years of age on or before 30 April 2011 to enrol in a preschool program.

Kindergartens must be five years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

Year 1 must be six years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

for more infromation:

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/enrolling_in_an_act_public_school/about_our_schools

Regards

T

[Orion25]

Hi all

In Act we do pre-school, kindie (year 0) ,year 1 - 10 then College year 11 -12 in the public schol system.

The age requirements are that same for public and private

Prs-schoolers must be four years of age on or before 30 April 2011 to enrol in a preschool program.

Kindergartens must be five years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

Year 1 must be six years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

for more infromation:

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/enrolling_in_an_act_public_school/about_our_schools

Regards

T

Hi Terence,

Thanks for this I was just on this site but couldn't find what I was looking for so I emailed them too, also asking about my 2 older kids as it seems we might be in for a bit of fun there. This is why we are hoping I won't have to work for the 1st year when we arrive, or at least maybe get a 1/2 day job as my kids are going to need all the extra help they can get. But before we stress I will see what they come back to me with.

Looking so forward to our move, just wish things in general would get moving. but ag nee a we all know the story.

See you all in ACT soon

T

[louiset]

Hi all

In Act we do pre-school, kindie (year 0) ,year 1 - 10 then College year 11 -12 in the public schol system.

The age requirements are that same for public and private

Prs-schoolers must be four years of age on or before 30 April 2011 to enrol in a preschool program.

Kindergartens must be five years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

Year 1 must be six years of age on or before 30 April 2011.

for more infromation:

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/enrolling_in_an_act_public_school/about_our_schools

Regards

T

Hi T

Yes, you are right and so what I was told by the schools is also right. My sons will stay in the grades they currently are in. Whew, what a relief, I thought I was going to have World War III on my hands if one son moved up a grade and not the other.

I think Toitjie was looking at the dates for the other states which is July to June cut-off.

I sent you a mail on fb the other day re our house sale - did you get it?

L

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

HI

Sorry to hear it wasn't your son.

I believe the Kingsford Smith school is lovely and was only built a year or two ago. Are you children enjoying it? Have they managed to make friends easily?

Kinsford Smith is only 2 years old. It is a "Superschool" meaning it will be from year 1 to 10. At the mement the oldest year is year 9 and it grows every yaer as the kids move a year up. Being a new school it has got the newest and best in facilities and tecnology. The kids use computers and smart bords in most of their classes and the school even have the Ipads that the kids can use to work and play with. The ACT have a big budget to be spend on education!

The only negative thing I can say about the school is the lack of dissepline (and I think you will find this in most state schools). Kids can be very disruptive and there is not much the teachers can do. My kids found this and the resulting noise levels hard to adjust to. Since last year both of them were placed in a gifted and talented class with the result that the kids in that classes are more focussed on learning and it is quieter. They are both now very happy. One of the biggest reasons people concider private schools here, is the lack of dissipline in the state school, and we might also concider this down the line.

My son made friends easily. He was 10 when we arrived. My daugter had a more difficult time. She was nearly 12 and I think it has something to do with the age group and the gender! They both have settled in well and made good friends at school and church. What helped my daughter a lot was to attend the school camp and to also get involved with sport.

[Alida]

I wish I was in a position to give a date, but we will be arriving in 2011 !! just dont know exactly when. We are anticipating our visa during this month, and then to sell properties, and then the great trek.

We are still not sure when will be best since our daugther is in grade 1 this year, and I dont think its a good idea to uproot her in the middle of her first schoolyear. That points to us coming end 2011, which has its own problems such as shortage of housing during December months etc.....so still trying to figure out the best approach

Hi, Toitjie,

I'd think not to worry too much about 'uprooting' a first grader in the middle of the year. My brother's 7yr old son has made this change without a glitch ~ the little ones are amazingly adaptable. If I were you, I'd go whenever the time is best for the whole family. Your little one won't loose and 'opportunity-of-a-lifetime' because of this one change.

Maybe it's just my eagerness to go myself, that is speaking, but I guess that's what I'd do when we'll have the privilege to ourselves ...

[Toitjie]

My apologies. I had a closer look at the website I got that table from. Long ago, just when we started I found that table, on a department of education (oz) website. So I thought it was legit, never looked further...it appears that its for WA!

So I can relax, all this time I thought my kids would be way behind. this looks like a good link to ACT's school stuff...

http://www.bubhub.com.au/infoeducationact.php

Like T said...from 6 years old...I am relieved!

[Orion25]

Hi Toitjie and everyone else following this thread the way I am.

I sent an email to the Department of Eductaion ACT and this was their response.

Dear Tania

Thank you for your enquiry. By way of background - in the ACT it is compulsory for children from 6 to 17 years of age to be enrolled in a school.

The following is a general guide to the age of children in each school year level in the ACT:

Primary School

• Preschool: Most parents in the ACT send their four year old child to preschool, although preschool is not compulsory in the ACT. Children entering preschool must turn four years of age on, or before 30 April in that year.

• Kindergarten: Children entering school at the kindergarten entry point must turn five on, or before 30 April in that year. Most parents send their children to kindergarten, although the Education Act 2004 states that a child does not have to commence school until they turn six years of age.

• Years 1-6: 6 to 12 year olds.

High school

• Years 7-10: 13 to 16 year olds.

Senior Secondary College

• Years 11-12: 17 to 18 year olds.

When placing students from outside the ACT, principals try to take into account their previous educational experiences and social needs.

Each ACT public school gives priority to the enrolment of children living in its priority enrolment area (PEA), and your children will be guaranteed a place if you live in the PEA for that school. If a school has room after accepting students from its PEA, it may offer places to students who live outside the area.

Applications for enrolment should be submitted directly to the individual school once you are resident in Canberra s proof of a residential address is required at that time. Schools will accept applications from students who have recently arrived in the ACT at any time, and these can be processed quickly.

Parents/carers are also required to complete the Application to Enrol in an ACT Public School form when their child first enters the ACT public school system. The form is available on the Departments’ website (www.det.act.gov.au) and I have attached a link to it below. This should be submitted to each school, together with an enrolment application form.

An application to enrol in an ACT public school is available here:

http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/57627/enrolment_form.pdf

The following links will take you to:

the pages of the Department’s website regarding enrolment processes and priority enrolment areas (PEAs)

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/enrolling_in_an_act_public_school

to a directory of ACT schools

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/directory_of_schools

and to the department’s Enrolment in ACT Public Schools (Preschool – year 12) policy

http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/107123/Enrolment_in_ACT_Public_Schools_Preschool_to_Year_12.pdf

I hope this information is helpful. Regards,

Sheelagh Brennan

Community Liaison Officer

ACT Department of Education and Training

GPO Box 158

CANBERRA ACT 2601

p (02) 6205 5429

f (02) 6205 8327

e DET.CommunityLiaison@act.gov.au

Hope this help clear it up.

Hope to be seeing you all soon in ACT

[Meintjies]

We have made the decision, we are making the big move 2 September 2011. The kids will start school October 2011. I am still concerned about the fact that they are starting school so late in the year. My eldest is in Gr6 and my biggest worry. although I have heard that kids only write exams about the terms work and not the whole year.

[Keglin]

Hi Meintjies,

Speaking as a teacher............I think that by starting in October you are giving your children/child an opportunity to settle in and find friends before the long christmas holidays. They can also start the new off with a better understanding of the school and how it works. See it as a settling in period. In the new year they can then just 'get on' with their learning. Also hopefully you can get a few playdates before the holidays which will always help with the settling in period.

Keglin

[Meintjies]

Hi Keglin

Thanks so much for that, makes me feel much better!

And it makes sense, when they then start in Feb 2012, they will be more confident for the new year.

:-)

[IamInACT]

We have made the decision, we are making the big move 2 September 2011. The kids will start school October 2011. I am still concerned about the fact that they are starting school so late in the year. My eldest is in Gr6 and my biggest worry. although I have heard that kids only write exams about the terms work and not the whole year.

Congrats on making the decision

[JennyG]

Hi Jenny!

Toemaar, as jy oorkom het jy darem 'n soft landing!! Ennnn ek kan lekker koek bak!!!

Ek wag vir jou!

Thanx tjomma!! Kannie meer wag nie!

O ja, en ek hou BAAAAAJA v sjokolade koek

[Jenni]

Hi Jenni,

Sorry for the late reply but I only saw your message today.

The Gold Creek School is lovely, the teachers were very friendly and helpful and I actually left the choice of the 2 schools (Gold Creek and Amaroo) to my boys. They both chose Gold Creek (I asked them independantly so that one did not influence the other) so that was a good sign for me.

Currently my boys are in a private school here in Jhb but I do not have any reservations about putting them into a fairly new public school in Oz.

In ACT, the grades (or Year as they call it) are the same as here. Your child will be in Year 1 during the year they turn 7. My sons are 13 (Grade 8) and 11 (Grade 5).

They gave me lovely info packs when we went and we had meetings with the principals of both the junior and senior school.

The PEA (priority enrolment area) for Gold Creek changed in 2011 and we will be moving into the PEA area to make sure they can attend Gold Creek. Our #1 area would be Casey as we are keen to purchase land in Springbank Rise which is a new development. Nicholls is also very new and lovely.

When we came for our LSD trip, I did not want to come back to SA!!!

Please let me know if there is anything I can help with before you leave. Where in SA are you currently?

I'm sure we can lean on each other for support once we are there!

Louise

Hi Lousie,

Thank you for the reply. I am delighted that we have chosen a good school, and a good area.

We are currently still in SA (Midrand), but are flying to Sydney on 5 March and arriving in Canberra on 9 March!!! I still have so much to do and finalise, and my head is spinning!

My kids are also in a private school in Midrand, so I was not sure if they would be able to adjust easily to the public school system in Oz. But I am certain that they will be fine at Gold Creek.

The school has informed me that Gaby (turning 7 this July) will be going into Year 1. She is actually in Grade 2 in SA, because we got special permission for her to do grade 1 a year early. I am not concerned though, because I am sure they will do what is best for each child.

When are you arriving in Canberra?

I look forward to meeting you, and I am also happy to assist with anything you need.

[Jenni]

At the end of the day it worked out cheaper than hiring a car for 2 weeks! That was when we took receipt of my car.It took the pressure off the search for a good car. It was also sold to us by a mechanic who checked it all out. Of it didn't look gr8 but it served it's purpose

Hi Deon,

Do you still have contact with Sandra and her hubby who helped you to buy the car? We will also be looking for a cheapy when we arrive (9 MARCH!!), until we have decided what we want to buy. OR, does anyone else in Canberra have anyone they can refer us to?

Thanks