Welcome to this fortnight’s edition of our school newsletter! We're excited to share some wonderful updates and highlights with you.

Connection and feeling a sense of belonging to our school is so important for us. We will be listening to you on how we can continue to build our positive school culture at Glenorchy Primary School.

Next week on Wednesday 5^th March at 3:00pm we have our 'Party in the Playground’ where staff are here to connect with you all and have fun! I will be at the ‘Beads and Buddie’s' stall with our EAL team and would love to meet you and chat.

Again, on Wednesday 12^th March at 2pm we are offering a ‘Coffee Meet’ in the Staff room as we look to form our School Association, or just hear from you, about what you love about our school and ways we can improve it too. Another chance to meet me and to have a chat.

Thank you for your support (and patience!) with Seesaw, our communication tool. Each class will have a Seesaw Class where the term timetable and welcome letter are uploaded, along with at least two celebrations of learning for the class each week. Thank you to Miss Ali for all of the work behind the scenes to get Seesaw up and running for us!

Please remember calling or emailing the office is the best way to get a message to teachers, as teachers are not always checking Seesaw during class time.  Also remember that staff are not able to respond to Seesaw messages outside of work hours. All staff will respond as soon as they can during their workday. 

It has been a fabulous fortnight of learning and playing at Glenorchy and we thank you for your support.

Theme: Embracing the Joy of Reading

Professional Learning Focus: Reading

In 2025 our dedicated staff are diving into professional learning sessions focused on enhancing reading skills. Our key areas of focus include:

• Fluency: Developing smooth, expressive reading.
• UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute): Exploring effective literacy instruction strategies and ensuring all our children are taught the foundational skills of word recognition.
• Assessment: Understanding and implementing effective reading assessments to monitor growth.
• Word Origins: Delving into the fascinating history and roots of words in Year 3 to 6.

Student Highlights

We are thrilled to see our students' enthusiasm for reading! Here are a few standout moments from this week:

• Book Discussions in class: Our library and classrooms have been buzzing with lively discussions about their current reads.
• Reading Challenges: Many students have set reading goals and are making impressive progress.
• Letters and Sounds: Watching students in Prep to Year 4 blending sounds together to read and spell words and learn their heart words.

"Reading is a gateway to endless possibilities. As we focus on enhancing our reading skills, let's remember that every book we open is a new adventure waiting to be explored. Happy reading!"

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Let's make this week a memorable one filled with the joy of reading!

We will be sharing ways with you throughout the year how you can help your child to develop their reading skills. It is going to be fun!

What a great start to the year we have had in 2-3 Crowley.

We have such a great space for our learning this year with space for learning and a calm play area.

Our class has made great connections and we have been busy sharing time painting and drawing portraits of ourselves on to the material on the art table and also onto lids.

We began our 21 days of kindness challenge last week. First we thought of all the ways to be kind and to whom we could show kindness. We have been excited each day to find out what our next challenge is going to be.

In Literacy we have all been busy re-telling some interesting books like the book ‘The Bear Ate Your Sandwich’ and ‘This is My Hat’. Whilst in maths we have been learning about place value, addition and number lines.

We are looking forward to many more exciting learning experiences.

Seesaw is back up and operational at GPS!

DECYP has rectified the issues with Seesaw (hopefully!) and the family communication app is back, functioning and replacing Class Dojo. Thank you for your contining patience as we all learn our way around the app. 

Information has been sent home with a QR code for easy setup. If you have not yet connected to your child's class, please contact your child’s teacher or call into the office for help.

The budding Picasso's in Prep/1 Walters have created wonderful artworks of their family. As the masterpieces came together, the students were able to see that not all families look the same, but the members share a special bond and help each other through life's ups and downs. 

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 12 and 24 March 2025.

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.

NAPLAN has been held in March since 2023, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year. These results can then be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

Parent information brochures and other resources

Your questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child:

NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

☀️ Sun Safety Reminder

As we enjoy the sunny days, please remember to stay sun safe:

• Wear sunscreen: Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen and reapply every two hours.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Wear protective clothing: Hats, sunglasses, and long sleeves can help protect your skin.
• Seek shade: Take breaks in the shade, especially during peak sun hours (10 AM - 4 PM).

Please make sure your child is not bringing a cap to school, but the school sun hat which helps protect their skin.

Hobart Chess Cup

Glenorchy Auskick

Hook in 2 Hockey

Saver Plus Program

Van Diemen Fencing Club