2023 - November 1 Newsletter

From the Principal

Welcome to Term 4.  Over the holidays there were more projects started to improve our school grounds.  We thank our non-teaching staff who spent many days during the holidays working to paint offices, the 5-6 deck and to remove some broken tree limbs.  We are are seeking student voice to help us decide what is needed to improve our school environment.   

Phase one of our library shelving was delivered.  Removing the old shelving has brightened the space and made the borrowing of books more accessible, especially for our younger students, who can now see all the beautiful books we have to borrow.  We look forward to phase two of the library shelving arriving and then of course the delivery of many new books as part of the Dymock’s grant. 

As we commence another school term, it is a timely to remind students of the expectations requiring students to wear our Waverly bucket hat outside as part of our Sun Safe policy. Students should not be using mobile phones during the school day as part of the ‘Off and Away' Policy. Chewing gum and bubble gum are not permitted at school. Students should be wearing full school uniform every day and it is important that students attend school as every day of learning matters. If your family is experiencing financial stress and may be finding it hard to provide uniform or other items for school, please contact the office, a member of senior staff or your child’s teacher. We will do our best to support everyone to access all they require to attend school.  Thank you in anticipation of family support with these items.  

 Tell Someone Website  

All children in Tasmania have a right to be known, safe, well and learning. We are highly committed to the safety of all students at our school. In October, DECYP launched the Tell Someone Initiative, to raise awareness in the community about child sexual abuse and grooming. The Tell Someone website gives children and young people clear advice on what to do in situations where they feel worried, unsafe or unsure. It also gives adults advice and support on how to respond if they suspect or know a child is being groomed or sexually abused or is at risk of harm. Please visit the website, read the information, and try to find a suitable time to talk with your children about this issue and the resources available. It’s important that you both understand the possible signs of sexual abuse or grooming behaviour and how to stay safe online and offline. If reading this information has caused you distress, please visit DECYP’s website for a list of support services. Please contact the school if you have any questions about this information. 

 Student Free Day 

Friday 3 November is a student free day for the purpose of Professional Learning for staff. This day leads into the Recreation Day long weekend on Monday 6 November. Professional learning days are extremely valuable opportunities for staff to build their skills, knowledge and understanding to ensure ongoing learning and growth. Students return to school on Tuesday 7 November.  

 Staffing

We warmly welcome Mr Scott Brown to our teaching team for Term 4.  Mrs Alison Baker has accepted an acting role as Senior Performance Consultant with Learning Service for the remainder of this year.  We wish Mrs Baker all the very best for term 4.  

School Satisfaction Surveys 

We recently received our 2023 Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey data. The report describes anonymously our Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students' views about their social and emotional wellbeing, their engagement at school and their experiences outside of school.   

Our 2023 wellbeing data will help inform our planning and the actions we will take in order to support student wellbeing and engagement. 

There are many strengths in our data, particularly in relation to connections to adults at school, friendships and access to organised activities. 

 The challenges in our data are in the areas of overall health, learning practices and meeting expectations for identity meaning the expectations students set for their own success.  Nearly half our students surveyed indicated they worry about things at home and at school, 41% are concerned about their resilience, and 41% stated it is hard to manage their feelings. 

 The table below shows data for Waverley and data for Tasmanian public schools as a whole. 

School Association 

There is School Association Meeting is Thursday 9th November at 6pm, 2024  

 Class Structures and Placements 

Planning for 2024 is underway.  We will have 6 classes Kindergarten-Grade 6 where we will continue to provide safe and supportive learning environments where all students can reach their full potential. 

The model we have developed to best meet student needs across our school and enable small class sizes. We take the process of student placements very seriously and ask that our school community understand that this can be a complex process. This model keeps our class sizes as low and as equitable as possible, provides opportunities for students to be split where necessary and allows for future enrolments to be managed successfully. 

 We are unable to accommodate all personal placement requests from parents and carers, as this will not support what is best for all students. Our amazing teachers know all of our children very well, including their learning, emotional and social needs. If you have specific requests regarding friendships and/or separations, please speak with class teachers or make an appointment at the office to speak with a member of our leadership team. 

 AFL Award 

It was a nice surprise to hear from the National Schools Lead to inform us that Mrs Paton has been awarded the AFL Female Teacher of the Year for Tasmania.  

Mrs Paton has been recognised for being a teacher that accesses the sporting schools program, is an advocate for football and for how she involves our students in AFL.  Importantly it has been noted that Mrs Paton always ensures students are happy and ready to learn when AFL are working with our students.   

 Congratulations Mrs Paton we are so very happy for you.   

 Basketball 

It was fantastic to spend Saturday and Sunday with students who were competing in the Primary Year 5-6 Basketball Tournament.  There were some amazing defence moves played, goals scored and best of all a real sense of team.  I was very proud to see our school perform well in the competition. Most of all it was wonderful to observe families and our students enjoying the games.  Thank you to all the parents and extended families and friends that supported our young people.  A special thanks to Mrs Paton, Damian and Jodie for coaching and being such great support to our students!   

 World Teachers’ Day 

World Teachers’ Day was recognised last Friday.  Our senior staff celebrated our teachers with a special morning tea.  We appreciate all our staff and their dedicated efforts.  We thank our teachers for all they do to ensure our students are known, safe, well and learning. We acknowledge our teachers expertise, commitment and dedication to what is an imperative role in our community.   

 National Children’s Week 

National Children’s Week was celebrated last week.  The purpose of the week is to focus the attention on children, their rights and achievements. 

Each year the theme of Children’s Week highlights a particular Children’s right from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.  This year celebrates the right of children to enjoy their childhood with the theme being: Children have the right to relax, play and to join in a wide range of leisure activities. 

 It was great to see families at school on Friday afternoon, enjoying the sunshine, relaxing, engaging with the activities on offer.  We thank you for taking the time to join in with your child(ren) to make the most of the event.   

Mrs Wightman 

Principal 

Book Fair

Event: Waverley Primary School Book Fair

When: Student visits during library – Week 3 

              Parent visits – Week 4 (Tuesday 7/11 – Friday 10/11)

Time: Parents are asked to visit for a chance to purchase books during Week 4 (8:30am-9:00am or 3:00pm-3:20pm). Students welcome.

Where: Music Room (enter via the office and follow the signs)

Cost: Book prices start at $5.00

It’s about books. It’s about your children. It’s about fun! It’s our Waverley Primary School Scholastic Book Fair — a special time for our school community!

During the next few days, students will be visiting the book fair as part of their library lessons to make a wish list of books they are interested in. Students will bring their wish list home and talk to their families about the books that excite them!

In Week 4 of school, parents are invited to visit the school at drop-off and pick-up times to see the selection of books and have the chance to purchase a book.

Prices start at $5.00. A perfect gift to give this Christmas!

It’s a perfect time to explore the affordable books and products with your children. Plus, a portion of the sales benefits our school directly with funds raised being used to add even more books to our growing library.

We encourage you to take time for this special event. Can’t wait to see you there!

School Disco

1/2 Meallin Incursion with Tool Skool

On Monday 23rd October, 1/2 Meallin attended a woodworking workshop with ‘Tool Skool’ lead by Asher Cooper—an experienced and qualified builder. During this hands-on woodworking session, students measured, sawed, glued, nailed and sanded timber to create their very own timber marble run. Children developed their design and practical skills and enhanced their knowledge of building and construction. The students then coated their marble runs with acrylic paint. It was so lovely to see all students highly engaged in their learning and following all instructions so beautifully. A big thank-you to the parent helpers, teacher’s aides, Constable Hartam and Tool Skool for such a successful afternoon. 

Miss Meallin

Teacher Year 1-2

Year 1-2 Tool Skool Class

3-4 Excursion to Queechy High School

On Thursday 26th October, Year 3-4 went to Queechy High School to participate in some sporting events.  The year 10 students at Queechy ran these events as part of the their course work.  Our students enjoyed spending time with the Queechy students and had fun learning new games to improve wellbeing. 

Mrs Paton

Teacher HPE

Year 3-4 at QHS

Interschool Basketball Tournament

Waverley Primary had the privilege of entering two teams into the Interschool Primary Basketball Competition. Our school SHINE values were displayed with honour, integrity and resilience as the student’s displayed sportsmanship on and off the court.  We had a wonderful school community of parents and friends to support both teams across the weekend. 

The girls’ teams lost two games and won two with only five players in their team. The girls all displayed good basketball skills which they have mastered over those last few years.  The girls while short on subs played with great team spirit. Thank you to Zarhlia’s grandma for taking over as coach on Sunday while I refereed.  

Congratulations to Charlotte who was third top goal shooter out of 169 players for our division. 

The boys won 3 out of the 4 games.  In two of their games the boys played particularly great basketball to win their games in the last minutes! There were some good short passes, accurate shooting from penalties and a layup where Bradley put his body on the line to win.  The way the boys played kept the support team on the edge of their seats! 

The resilience these young men have developed over the last few years was wonderful to see over the weekend.  The boys displayed team spirit through their care of one another and how they played together, it was a pleasure to be a part of their courageous efforts and to see their growth as basketballers.  

Congratulations to Beau who was third top goal shooter out of 160 players for our division. 

In the past 6 years of school basketball this year Waverley Primary achieved the best results.  This is due to the hard work of the students and parents who support their children. We make a great community when we work together and SHINE as one. 

Mrs Paton 

HPE Teacher 

5-6 Basketball

Celebrating Student Achievement

Year 6 student Beau competed in the Tasmanian All Schools Track and Field Championship on the 21-22 October.  Beau represented Waverley Primary School with pride and achieved some amazing results; Gold in shotput and Silver in discus.  Beau has qualified to represent Tasmania in the national competition  in late November.  Well done Beau!

Track and Field Champtionship

Crossing the Midline

Turning up matters

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope you enjoyed school holidays, and are ready for another exciting term. 

We all want the best for our children – for their futures to be as bright as possible. Showing up every day to school really matters. It gives your child every chance to learn, grow and find their interests. 

This last stretch of the school year can sometimes be tricky. Keep it up, because each day is another chance to: 

• be around friends 
• learn new things 
• find interests 
• create dream futures (whatever that may be!). 

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.  

Please always talk to us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We’re here to help. 

Tell Someone

All children in Tasmania have a right to be known, safe, well and learning. We are highly committed to the safety of all students at our school. 

Earlier this month, DECYP launched the Tell Someone initiative, to raise awareness in the community about child sexual abuse and grooming.  

The Tell Someone website gives children and young people clear advice on what to do in situations where they feel worried, unsafe or unsure. It also gives adults advice and support on how to respond if they suspect or know a child is being groomed or sexually abused or is at risk of harm. 

Please visit the website, read the information, and try to find a suitable time to talk with your children about this issue and the resources available.  It’s important that you both understand the possible signs of sexual abuse or grooming behaviour, and how to stay safe online and offline. 

If reading this information has caused you distress, please visit DECYP’s website for a list of support services. 

Please contact the school if you have any questions about this information. 

Hand Dominance

Uniform

Hats must be worn by students when outside in term 4.  Please check with your child that they have their school hat.  Students have already been encouraged to wear their hat outside on days when the UV is high.  School hats can be purchased from our uniform shop.

School shorts or trousers are plain black.  We have some examples of shorts and track pants in our uniform shop that can be purchased from Kmart.  We also have a range of second-hand items to give away or that you can purchase.  Our staff in the School Office are very happy to help you and your child(ren) with all uniform needs.

Please note: branded leggings and very short hot pant style shorts are not part of our school uniform.

Ice Cream Sales

A reminder that we have ice cream sales on a Monday at lunch time.  All proceeds support our Year 6 leavers activities.  You can order your ice cream or icy pole on the Qkr! app or you can bring cash on the day.

Merit Certificates & Principal Awards

Congratulations to the recipients of merit certificates and principal awards recevied at the assembly held on Wednesday 27th September.

Merit Certificates:

• Karleah C
• Harley C
• Leonard L
• Beau S
• Rubi D
• Lorenzo C
• Lochee R
• Amarli K
• Jakobi W
• Cobe B
• Zayah M-R
• Braxton T
• Jayda R
• Melodie D
• Jordy B

Principal Award's

• Louise Popovich - Staff Member
• Willow R
• Charlotte

Congratulations to the recipients of merit certificates and principal awards recevied at the assembly held on Wednesday 25th October.

Merit Certificates:

• Mia R
• Zarhlia W
• Charlotte F
• Sylvia A
• Harry R
• Gabriel B
• Zavier B
• Lillian W
• Daniel C
• Malakai S
• Layla B
• Harper A
• Connor D
• Elijah S-G

Principal Award's

• Peter Brown - Staff Member
• Gabby Anderson - Staff Member
• Leah R
• Jaydan T

2024 Kindergarten Enrolments

Children born in 2019 are required to enrol in Kindergarten for 2024.  More inforamtion about Kindergarten in Tasmanian Government Schools can be found by following the link below. 

We have a pre-kinder program that takes place every Friday morning the year prior to starting Kinder.  We invite families with pre-kinder age children to our Friday program. 

Any families that are yet to enrol their child in kindergarten need to do so as soon as possible.  If you have family or friends who would like to be considered, please encourage them to contact our school.  

2024 Enrolments

If you know that your child(ren) will not be attending our school in 2024, please let the office or Principal know in writing as soon as possible.  All schools are starting to plan for 2024.  This includes configuring our staffing and determining the number of classes we will have in 2024. Every enrolment is counted toward making important decisions regarding the classes we create for our learners.  Please contact us as soon as possible. 

Working With Vulnerable People Registration

Parents and carers if you remain with your child in their classroom beyond school drop off, or volunteer for parent help, or would like to attend a school excursion we must see a copy of your registration card.  When you sign in at the office please enter your RWVP number.  

It is against the law for a person to work or volunteer at any DECYP School without a current working with vulnerable people registration. 

If you would like to volunteer at Waverley Primary School we would love to hear from you.  To apply for registration please follow the link below:

Attendance

Please contact school when your child is absent.  We have many students missing days ‘here and there’ and this is having an impact on teaching and learning.  We are required to code absences each day.  If we do not know the reason why your child is absent it will be coded unauthorised unexplained. 

The Department for Education, Children and Young people continue to prioritise and follow up absences.  One way we do this is by sending you a text reminder to explain the absence.  Please reply to our text or phone or call into the office to explain the absence.  If there are any challenges for attendance, please contact the school and we will support you with your child’s attendance. 

Going to school every day means your child has every chance to learn, and be around their friends and teachers. Every day adds up, to benefit your child now and in the future.

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website. 

Communication

Messages from you to school

To ensure your messages are received and actioned in a timely manner and without error, please use the following:

• Absentee notifications - Enter details using the SZapp by 9:00am to notify the office of student absence.
• End of day messages - Send a message using the SZapp or call 63391455 before 2:30pm.
• Queries and other messages - Send a message using the SZapp or email waverley.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au
• Uniform & icecream/icypole orders - Order and pay on the Qkr! app

We endeavour to respond to enquiries within 2 business days during school terms.

Messages from us to you

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we will push information out to you via the SZapp.  It is very important that all of our parents have signed up to the Schoolzine app to receive notices and information. 

If you require assistance in setting up or using the SZapp or the Qkr! app, please contact the office. 

Vaping

Did you know that vapes can contain addictive nicotine?  

Vaping addiction can make you feel irritable, anxious and make it hard to concentrate in school.   

To learn more about vaping, visit https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/about-us/projects/child-student-wellbeing/vaping/ 

Move Well Eat Well

A reminder to everyone that we do not bring energy drinks to school.  

Term 4 Assembly Roster

Important Dates

Staff Information

Teacher details:

Leadership and Support Staff:

Community Notices