Welcome back to the beginning of the 2025 school year. It has been a pleasing start, students have settled into structure and routines well. Upon reflection our end of year processes of organising class groupings significantly contributed to this. Teachers were able to plan supports for their students before they arrived on the first day.

Communication is key to ensuring that students are engaged, feeling supported, safe, and ready to learn. Teachers will communicate via emails, phone calls and letters. If you have any concerns, there are changes to home schedules, structures or student sickness / illness,  please contact your child’s class teacher as soon as it is practicable.

Attendance

Every school day matters!  We are excited for what’s ahead! Start the year right by making every school day count. Check out this new video. There are many things you can do to set your child up for success:

https://www.anything.tas.gov.au/information-for-parents

Make sure your child goes to school, every day. Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow and connect with their mates and teachers. Its where bright futures start and where they will benefit the most.

Get them excited for school If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will notice that. The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:

• spend time with their friends and teachers.
• create new and fun experiences » find their interests.
• learn new things.
• open their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world). Share these positives with your child.

Talk to your child about school. Open up a conversation with your child about what is happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they will know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember, all milestones look different. If it is a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it. Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal if you are struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation.

We will support you, in whatever way we can. Know when to seek help. There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school. For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website : Anything can happen - Department for Education, Children and Young People

End of Day Bus or Pick Up Arrangements

One of the big issues for us as staff is the end of day arrangements, can you please ensure students are aware of which bus they are to be on or if they going are being picked up. If there are changes to these arrangements, please contact the school office no later than 2.15pm. Teachers rarely check emails throughout the teaching day so please do not rely on this for communicating changes. If your child attends the Child Care Centre and there are changes, please communicate with both the school and the centre.

Bus Behaviour

Please have conversations with your child about bus behaviour and safety. We need to be supporting our bus drivers to do their job, ensuring travel is safe for all road users. If there are any issues, please contact your transport provider.

The following link provides more information about the roles and obligations of parents and students who use buses for transport to and from school.

Passenger Conduct Code for School Bus Services – Transport Services

Welcome Back BBQ

With the support of The School Association, we will be hosting a Welcome Back BBQ for families, next Thursday, February 20. Classrooms will be open to visit between 4.30pm -5.30pm. The BBQ will be available between 5.30pm–6.00pm. More information will be provided in the coming days via an invitation from your child.

Volunteers – Safeguarding Training

We are extremely fortunate to have volunteers who make themselves available to support the learning of our students in classroom and on excursions. It is now a requirement for volunteers to undertake Mandatory Reporting Training to be active in the school environment.

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 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.  

To complete your training, simply visit Safeguarding Training.