Dear Families,

Last week we celebrated 80 years of Children’s Book Week with a focus on the joys of reading and how important reading is to our everyday life and our future.  Classes had the opportunity to visit our School Library which was full of activities and displays centred on this year’s ‘Book an Adventure’ theme.   Students were taken on a bush adventure from the moment they entered through the library doors – the smell of gum leaves, the chance to investigate bush plants through a microscope, to read interesting bush animal facts and quick quiz questions, and, to try out tying knots and applying bandages as part of the ‘in the bush’ experience. 

Thanks also to our fabulous staff who supported students to have many opportunities to read, discuss and share texts during Book Week. 

Thank you to all families who supported their child to come along as a book character or to join in.  Our Book Week parades saw students enjoying a lap of the gym in their costume, enthusiastically sharing the moment with their friends and their class.  Thanks also to families for taking the time to come along to the parades and to celebrate reading, stories and characters with us.

In the week beginning 8 September our Book Fair will provide another opportunity for families to explore books.   More information about our Book Fair will be sent home soon, but, do know that it will be open on the afternoon of Tuesday 9 September.  On this day it will  be open afternoon between 3 and 4pm for families to come in and see what’s been happening in their child’s classroom and have a catch up with the teacher.   Save the date and we look forward to seeing you at school for a catch up and to check out what our Book Fair has to offer.

Long after our school days have finished it is often friendships, excursions, teachers and ‘special days’ that are remembered.  Thanks to our Year 6 School Leader's for organising this week’s Goodbye to Winter Cosy Day fundraiser.  Who wouldn’t want to come to school in their cosy clothes, particularly at this time of the year?   Thanks to everyone who participated and to Taylor in 6GL who designed the Cosy Day advertising poster.

There are two more sector assemblies left for this term.   We’d like to remind you that our 4-5 and Year 6 classes will have their assembly on Wednesday 3 September.  Kinder and Prep students will enjoy their assembly on 17^th September.  Assemblies are held in the School Hall from 9am.

Kinder enrolment for 2026

School has already had many enrolments for Kinder.  If your child was born in 2021 they can be enrolled for Kinder next year.  Completing enrolment now supports us to connect with you and to begin a pre-Kinder transition into our school.   Please contact our School Office for more information about enrolment.

Parent requests for Class Placements in 2026

During October, teaching staff will place students into a class group for the following year.  The educational, social and emotional needs of the child will be taken into consideration as will the balance of student abilities and gender within the new class group.

Parents, if they choose, may make a class placement request for their child for the following year and this will be considered when classes are being put together.  A new class placement request would need to be made each year.

Class placement requests must be communicated to the Principal either by letter to the School Office or email to our school public email address  brighton.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au   by 3pm on Friday 19 September. 

A parent/carer request for class placement will only be considered on educational grounds, family relationships or friendship preferences.  It is important to note that teachers will not necessarily have the same grades or roles each year, and, that in the next year there may be new staff into the school and current staff moving to other schools.  It is not appropriate to nominate a teacher in your class placement request.

Further information about how to make a class placement request and what can be included in a request will be sent home during next week.  Information is also available through our School Office.

Pre-Service Teachers

Welcome to our UTAS Education students who have joined 2 Groves and 6 Griffiths-Lee for their teaching placements.  Placements provide vital opportunities for UTAS students to see other teachers planning and delivering lessons for students, how classrooms are set up, how student needs are catered for and to further develop their own knowledge and skills in a classroom environment.  We look forward to supporting your learning during the coming weeks.

Help us keep students safe on roads near our school

At all times, especially when we have high numbers of cars around school in wet weather,     we need your help to ensure the roads around our school are safe at pick up and drop off times.  It is really important to ensure safety through making sure that students crossing our roads before and after school can be seen by oncoming traffic.  Please avoid double parking, parking too close to intersections or on grassed areas and u turns or three point turns on roads next to school.  We also encourage families to have children use the door closest to the footpath when getting in and out of cars at pick up and drop off.  Please supervise children closely and remember that it is advised that up until at least 10 years old hold their hand when crossing the road.  Thanks for your ongoing co-operation and support of all students.

Swimming Trials

We will be holding our Swimming Selection Trials on Friday 19 September at the Clarence Pool for students in Years 3 – 6.  Trials will consist of five different styles of races ranging from 20m-40m. We have used recent data from our recent Swimming and Water Safety sessions to identify students to compete as they have displayed the ability to complete these races confidently and safely.  Students will bring home a letter to advise of arrangements for the day.  Families are invited to attend and there will be no charge for admission.  We respectfully ask that families do not take photos within the pool venue and to remember to only take photos of their own child if taking photos before leaving trials.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Daft by Friday 12September if you would like more information or to discuss the possibility of adding your child to the trials.

School Association meeting

Thank you to parents and staff who attend Monday’s School Association meeting.  Our School Safeguarding Lead, Tash Bannerman, shared a Safeguarding at School update with the Association and our new School Chaplain, Allie de Lacey attended the meeting and presented a report about her first six weeks in the Chaplaincy role. 

School Association discussed our school’s Class Placement Policy, support for our Year 6s at end of year, fundraisers across the rest of the year, school uniform sales and an overview of our school budget during this meeting.

Our School Association have a few fundraisers organised during the rest of this term and are very keen to hear from any family members who may be able to come along and lend a hand for an hour or two.  You will need to have a current Working with Vulnerable People card and have completed a DECYP Safeguarding certificate and a short Volunteer Induction session at school.  Let our School Office know if you are keen to help and we can support you to be ready to volunteer.  We desperately need a hand on the day of each fundraiser and would love to hear from you if you can help.  

The next fundraisers will be the Fathers’ Day Stall days:

 September 3 (Lil and Kinder)

September 4 (Prep – Year 6)

For more information about the stalls please see inside today’s newsletter, our school Facebook page or school messages via Seesaw.

Sonya Plunkett-Smith
Principal