Dear Families,

Mid-year parent/teacher//child learning conversations will take place next week.  These are a great opportunity to find out more about your child’s learning goals, progress and next steps for their learning.  If you haven’t yet booked a conversation time with your child’s teacher, please contact our school office who can make a time for you.  Please know that entry to school will be through the School Office foyer.  Kinder families will have a waiting area at the Launching into Learning Room.  Prep to Year Six families will wait for their conversation in the School Hall where mid-year reports will be collected.  We look forward to seeing you at school next week!

Staffing

School wishes Miss Griffiths-Lee all the best while she is on leave for the last three weeks of this term.   During this time 6GL will be taught by Ms Belderson Monday to Wednesday and Ms Parker on Thursdays and Fridays. 

School welcomed back Mr Slade on Tuesday after he spent several weeks in an Acting Principal role at another school. Thank you to Mrs Harback who took on Mr Slade’s role during this time and to Mrs Chynoweth and Ms Hedington who backfilled Mrs Harback’s role. 

Think U Know sessions

These days students access digital technology as part of their everyday life whether it be for gaming, communicating with friends, finding information or online activity on their phone.  To support students to make safe online choices, each class from Years 3 – 6 will have one session across this week or next presented by Think U Know. 

Think U Know is supported by the Australian Federal Police and presentations are made regularly in schools to raise awareness about online safety.  Our school sessions will be delivered by members of Tas Police.  The aim of the sessions is to guide students to understand and manage online safety challenges, to identify safe or unsafe situations and know when and how to seek help.  

Students who completed sessions this week have been involved in age-appropriate conversations about password safety, posting photos online and tips to help them to not reveal their identity online.   

Did you know the average age of people online is 34 years.  This really surprised our students this week.  Sessions encourage students to really think about what they know about people online and how to keep themselves safe by making choices to engage with friends that they know in person.

Did you know that just over half of parents and carers talk to their children regularly about online safety (Source: Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation).  Think U Know sessions this week have guided students to talk to a trusted adult such as their parent, family member, teacher or police about any online issue that they are worried about and to actively seek help. 

Winter illness

Colder weather has meant that more families, and staff, are experiencing viral illness.  School is working hard to cover classes when teachers are away unwell and has been using relief teachers, other teaching staff and cut and shut of classes when other cover is unavailable.  We are encouraging everyone at school to wash or sanitise hands regularly and cover any coughs or sneezes.  Please support us to protect our school community by keeping students at home if they are showing symptoms of being unwell and seeking regular supports through your GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for 24/7 advice. Please notify our school office if your child will be absent from school due to illness.  

Year 6 Leavers

There was great excitement on Wednesday as Year 6 students received their leavers’ tops for 2025.  Students were eager to put their new tops on and have been wearing them with great pride.  The tops have been designed in our school colours and are a special way for students to celebrate their final year of primary school.

Sonya Plunkett-Smith

Principal