Dear Families,

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who participated in our recent 3-6 Athletics Carnival at the Domain. Congratulations to Phoenix who were narrow winners over Oak, it was wonderful to witness all the students participating and doing their best in every event. Personally, the highlight of the event was the care and support provided by our students to their peers throughout the day. A big thanks to all the staff for their hard work and the invaluable assistance from our dedicated parent volunteers. A special thank you goes to Mr Latham for organising such a successful event.

As we look ahead, I would like to remind you about our upcoming Meet the Teacher and Welcome BBQ event scheduled for tomorrow, from 3:15pm to 4:30pm. This event provides an excellent opportunity for you to meet your child's class teacher/s, explore the learning spaces, and gain insights into the daily happenings at our school.

Furthermore, we will be conducting parent volunteer workshops aimed at providing Safeguarding training. Additional details regarding these workshops can be found later on in this Newsletter.

Mark your calendars for Harmony Day on Friday, March 22nd. This annual celebration is an integral part of our school's culture, and we are excited to commemorate it once again. As part of our Harmony Day assembly, classes will share their learnings and experiences. In past years, we've enjoyed cultural performances showcasing the rich diversity within our community. If you belong to a cultural group interested in participating in this year's assembly, please reach out to the school office.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. Together, we continue to create enriching experiences for our students.

Warm Regards,

Michael

On the 5th of March 2/3 James and 1/2 Shepherd will be travelling to the Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre as part of our inquiry into living things this term. We will be leaving school promptly at 9:15am and will return at approximately 2:45pm. Students will need to bring a packed lunch, morning tea and a drink. Students will need to wear full school uniform, bring a hat, coat(depending on weather forecast) and wear sensible shoes. Parents are warmly invited to join us, but will need to travel in their own cars, as there are limited spaces available of the bus. Please let the class teacher know if you are available to join us!

Graffiti Appreciation, Cenotaph & Historical Hobart Rivulet Tour

On Friday 8th March Year 5/6 Brelis & Tymms students will be having an historical walking tour excursion to Hunter Island near Zero Davey, the Cenotaph and including a Graffiti Art appreciation detour on the way back. There is also an opportunity to see the HMAS Hobart (DDG39) dock at Mac Wharf no 6, view from the Cenotaph at 9.45 am.

Our recess break/morning tea will be at Mures Lower Deck where students will have the option to purchase an ice-cream if they like. Please provide your child with $5 if they wish to purchase one or provide them with a snack.

We will leave school at 9am and return by 1pm. Students will need to wear full school uniform a sun smart hat, drink and appropriate walking shoes. Parents who have completed the Safeguarding training and have a current Working with Vulnerable People card are welcome to join us if you are available.

Wendy Brelis & Jenny Tymms

Phoenix:

House Captains – Sebastian Taylor and Isadora Arendt

Vice Captains – Bernie Hughes and Maya Hensley

Oak:

House Captains – Austin Orr and Emily Davis

Vice Captains – Samuel Davies and Joanna Wu

With Easter not far away, we are once again holding our Easter Raffle which contributes to our fundraising.  Participating families are asked to send along an Easter treat for the raffle which are then made into many small prizes. Participating families are asked to sell 10 raffle tickets to family and friends. The tickets are only $1.00 each ($10.00 per book). Students will be given raffle books to bring home today. Books should be returned with money to the office before Friday, March 22nd. Any tickets not sold should also be returned to the office. 

The raffle will be drawn on Wednesday March 27th.

We have had a busy start to the year!!

We have started the year learning about the Chinese New Year and all the customs and traditions associated with this celebration.  One activity we did was to create our own red envelopes inspired by the Chinese New Year custom.  During the Chinese New Year, people give red envelopes containing money to young people, rather than doing this, we wrote a wish or a hope for the year and popped it inside our envelope.  We will look at our envelopes at the end of the year and see if our wishes have come true.  

During the Chinese New Year, there is also a tradition to hang red decorations to drive away bad luck and welcome good luck.  We made some beautiful decorations to hang in our classroom to welcome good luck and good experiences to our new year of learning.

We have also been creating some artworks about ourselves to decorate our room. We are very proud of our work!

We all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe.  

This year, there is important training that anyone who works with children or young people must complete. This includes all our parent volunteers and service providers.

The training is compulsory under new laws designed to better safeguard children and young people in Tasmania.

It will help you understand what to do if you believe a child or young person is or may be being harmed, and to make sure you are doing all you can to prevent this from happening. The training will also tell you what you must report under the new laws.  

This simple, online training must be done as soon as possible, and you will need to complete it before you work with any children and young people this year.   

Once completed, you will receive a certificate, which you can save. Please email a copy of the certificate to louise.anders@decyp.tas.gov.au

To complete your training, simply visit Safeguarding Training. 

Thank you for leading the way in caring for our children and young people safe so that they can focus on living bright lives with positive futures.  

Louise Anders

Safeguarding Lead

NAPLAN 2024

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be sitting NAPLAN between 13th and 25th March 2024.

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

Further information can be found on the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website, and a parent information brochure has also been attached.

Please speak with your child’s teacher or Mrs Chante Ellerton if you have any concerns.

Due to staffing changes our Launching into Learning Program will now run on Friday mornings from 9-10:30am upstairs in the Early Childhood building (next to Prep/1E).

Mrs Chante Ellerton is excited to be working with our youngest students and their families during these sessions, which will begin on Friday 23^rd March!

Our timetable will be released early next week, so look out for it in the newsletter, on the school noticeboard and on our Facebook page!

Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) 2024 hard copy forms are available on the Intranet on the School Levies and Charges page for schools to print if required. Alternatively, schools can contact Financial Assistance Services via email at stas@decyp.tas.gov.au and request forms to be posted.

Parents/guardians who are applying for STAS for the first time are encouraged to apply online at www.onlinesubmission.education.tas.gov.au , alternatively applicants can search STAS in Google and be taken directly to the online application site. Applications can be completed on any electronic device including mobile phones. Parents/guardians must hold a current Centrelink concession card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs concession card to be eligible.

STAS 2024 assessment letters have been posted to all families.

If a parent/guardian wishes to add a newly enrolling or additional student to their existing STAS file they need to email their full name, the student’s full name, date of birth and school attending in 2024 to stas@decyp.tas.gov.au  and the file will be updated. Financial Assistance Services will also accept details of newly enrolled children of families who are approved for STAS directly from schools via email to stas@decyp.tas.gov.au.

For queries, please contact stas@decyp.tas.gov.a