Oh my goodness - what a fantastic Party in the Playground we had last week! It was great to see so many families attending to share in what was such a great afternoon. The weather was wonderful and there was so many activities to participate in and to share with family members. It was special to see the connections being made between parents and teachers as they got to know each other in this informal setting.

There has been a lot happening since our last newsletter!

Firstly, our 'Party'. I sincerely thank Susan Miles, Ali Clarke, Scott Langworthy and all staff for their commitment to, and passion for making this event such a success

Selected students also attended the 24 Carrot Carnival at MONA. This event celebrates the diversity in our community and helps our students to learn about sustainability, and how to provide great meals from items they can grow in their own backyards. We thank MONA for their continued support of our school and the efforts they put into our school garden and the kitchen program where many aspiring chefs of the future get the chance to shine.

We are currently undertaking NAPLAN. This should not be a stressful time for your child, please remind them that it is a normal process in a normal school day. I am sure we can all recall the 'stress' that came with the word 'test' from our school days. Reassure your child that the work they are doing is the same as they do every day in class just presented a little differently!

We have been lucky to have had Bike Education for our younger classes this last week and it has been great to watch the improvement of our little people as their confidence has grown with each lesson. We love that our education includes these outdoor opportunities. 

Each school has a School Association. Unfortunately our school has not had one in the last few years. We would like to change this. A School Association is made up of parents, community and staff members who all work together to improve our school. This may be in something as simple as how our school looks but will also include the policies and procedures that will shape our school and outcomes. We will be having an Annual General Meeting during term 2 and we invite any parent or family member who feels they would like to help us make a difference and improve our school to pop into the office and grab a nomination form to become a member for 2024.

Due to calendar conflicts our delayed 3-6 Atheltics Carnival will be held on Wednesday 20 March.

Our senior students were invited to nominate for the position of house captain - a sought after position! Thank you to all students who had the courage to nominate.  Congratulations to our leaders for 2024.

I am hoping that many of you will be able to come along and cheer our students on.

Kind regards

Thank you to all the families who attended the Party In The Playgound last Wednesday. This event is always a wonderful opportunity for parents to get to know their child's teacher in an informal and fun setting. 

Thank you to our staff for providing the various fun activities!

The weather has been fantastic for our Prep to grade 1/2 classes who took part in bike education sessions this week with Mr C.

There was some trepidation and nervousness as some of our students took to two wheels for the first time but with the support and encouragement of our staff and their fellow students, our first timers were away in no time at all.

There was a mix of skill levels on the astroturf, but as you can see from the photo gallery, no one was left behind!

Meet the stars of Prep Walters!

We asked our children about themselves and we received a geat response as they shared some likes and dislikes.

Our Grade 3 - 6 Athletic Carnival will be held on Wednesday 20 March.

We recently advertised that it would be on Wednesday 13 March. Unfortunately this clashed with another date in the school calendar. We apologise if this change has created any problems for families. 

We are hoping for a great turn out to cheer on our enthusiastic participants.

Our next School Association AGM will be held in Term 2.

We are always looking for fresh faces with new ideas to join our committee each year with a view to helping the school grow and develop.

If you are interested in becoming involved and taking on a more active role within our school community, we would love to have you join us. We are looking for three parent nominations for our School Association Committee.

The committee consists of about 7-8 people and represents parents, teachers and community members. We meet once a term to discuss and plan for issues relevant to the school.

Nomination forms are available from the School Office. Forms need to be lodged by 12:00pm 22 March.

If you would like to know more, contact the school office on 6272 7574 or pop in for a chat.

Last Wednesday a number of lucky students from grades 4-6 were invited for a special trip to MONA for the 24 Carrot Carnival.

In partnership with our school Kitchen Garden Program, Glenorchy Primary students joined other surrounding schools for a fun-filled day.

Our time was spent listening to music, learning and performing dances, working on a giant group art piece and eating some yummy fresh food.

We all had a great day!

Vaping continues to be a trend amongst children and young people.

Electronic cigarettes, or vapes, are similar to smoking cigarettes, but don’t use tobacco.

Instead, vapes are a battery-operated device which heats a liquid. This liquid turns into an aerosol and is inhaled.  Like smoking cigarettes, vaping is highly addictive. Research shows that young people are three times as likely to start smoking if they vape.

While Tasmanian law says that a person under 18 can’t use, possess or buy vapes, we know that some young people are doing it because they believe it’s a safer option than smoking cigarettes.

It’s important to work together to educate them about the health impacts of vaping and the harm it can cause on their short - and long-term - physical health.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People has a webpage with information and resources for teachers, parents/carers and young people.  This includes tips for talking to your children about vaping and how you can support them in quitting.  

It is important that we all work together to nurture the wellbeing of students so they can continue to grow, thrive and succeed.

Just a reminder to any parent, family or community member who would like to volunteer in our school.

Our department, DECYP, has introduced new standards for volunteering in our schools. DECYP now requires all volunteers to view a video that will help you understand what your obligations are if you feel that a child you may be working with is at risk of harm in anyway. If you are volunteering at our school please review this videao

To complete your training, visit Safeguarding Training. 

Once you have viewed the video, there will be a certificate to acknowledge this. Please save this certificate and bring a copy into school.

Thank you for taking the time to help us ensure the safety of our students.