School Newsletter - Vol.1_7th February 2024

From the Principal

Welcome  to a brand new school year! We hope this newsletter finds you well-rested and ready for the exciting journey ahead. As we embark on another year of learning, growth, and community engagement, we are thrilled to reconnect with our students, families, and the broader school community.

School Association

There is a School Association Meeting Monday 19^th February at 8:30am in the Boardroom.  Parents welcome. We have vacancies to fill. To express your interest to join our committee please contact the school office.  

Important information and forms to complete

Please update, sign and return the following forms by Friday 16th February.  The class that returns all their forms signed will receive a FREE pizza lunch. 

• Student validation form
• Consent to publication of personal information
• Data collection form
• ICT User agreement
• Medical Action Plans 

2024 Student Validation Form

We have mailed to all families the 2024 Student Validation Form. Your cooperation in completing this form is crucial to ensuring that our school maintains accurate and up-to-date information for each student, especially in case of emergencies. Please carefully review the provided information and make any necessary changes on the form. The class that returns all their forms signed will receive a FREE pizza lunch. 

Consent to Publication of Personal Information

The Consent to Publication of Personal Information section on the form is of utmost importance. Your consent is sought for matters related to minor excursions, photographs, publication of student and family names, as well as samples of work in the school newsletter and media. This section requires annual updates.

Please ensure that the form is signed and dated by the parent/guardian listed, and return it to the school by Friday, 16 February.

Additional Documents

Accompanying the Student Validation Form, you will find the following documents that demand your attention:

Special Data Collection Form - For Parents

This form is designed to gather specific information that will aid us in providing the best possible support to your child throughout the academic year.

ICT Acceptable Use Agreement

 A document outlining the acceptable use of information and communication technology within the school. Your acknowledgment of this agreement is essential. Students Kinder-Grade 6 who have returned their ICT Agreements will be able to use the class iPad or laptop as a learning tool. 

Kindly take the time to carefully review and complete these forms, returning them to the school office by the specified deadline.

Medical Action Plans

If your child has a medical condition which may require special treatment (for example asthma, allergies) your child will need a Medical Action Plan.

A plan from the Doctor and information from you is required so that we can ensure we have current and correct information. Please make sure your child's class teacher is aware of your child's condition as a priority.

Please contact Amanda Chugg at the school office to formalise the Medical Action Plan.  

Student Medication

If students require any medication whilst at school, we require a signed form from the doctor stating dose and time of medication, plus a signed form from the parent authorising the administration of medicine or tablets. These forms can be obtained from the school office. Medication must be provided in the original packaging.

Student Mobile Phones

The DECYP policy on mobile phones, Off and away all day, applies to all Tasmanian Government Schools. Students are reminded that if they bring a mobile phone to school, it must be handed in to the Admin Staff each morning. Phones will be returned to students at the end of the school day.

Walking to School

Please make sure you remind your children about being safe on the way to and from school. Please encourage them to use the road crossings safely.

It is very important that students do not enter or leave school through the staff carpark as this is a very busy place from 8:30 am - 9:00 am and from 3:00 pm.

Scooters and Bikes

We encourage students to take up the healthy practice of riding scooters or bikes to school if parents consider it a safe option. The law requires helmets to be worn when riding. When students enter school grounds, bikes and scooters cannot be ridden and need to be pushed, thus ensuring all people in our school yard are safe.

To ensure the safety of bikes, a bike lock is essential. Bikes are stored in the bike shed located beside the primary toilets.

Scooters are stored in the bike rack at the front gate.

Drinks at School

Fizzy drinks, cordial and sports drinks are not appropriate at school. Water is the preferred hydration option for learning and play. Please no glass drink bottles. Thank you for supporting your children's health and learning.

Our times of the day

Important Room Change Update for Early Years Programs

Itsy Bitsy Babies and Little Steps Playgroup.

We would like to inform you about a decision we've made regarding the allocation of classrooms for our Early Years programs.

In our ongoing effort to enhance the learning environment for all students, we have made some adjustments to better accommodate the needs of our growing community. Specifically, our Year 5-6 class has been relocated to Room 012, which was previously utilised for Early Years activities.

To better facilitate the Early Years program, we have moved it to Room 034, conveniently situated opposite the Prep-1 class. This strategic placement aims to foster increased engagement and deliver improved learning outcomes for our youngest learners.

The new Early Years room in Room 034 provides a larger space, allowing us to create designated play zones tailored to the needs of our birth to 4-year-olds. Additionally, we are excited to share that we have invested in a plan to soon astro-turf the outdoor play area, expanding the surface for outdoor activities, and creating a more enjoyable space for our little ones.

We believe that these changes will contribute positively to the overall learning experience for our Early Years and 5-6 students. We understand that adjustments can sometimes be challenging, but we are confident that these enhancements will create a more conducive and engaging environment for everyone.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new Early Years space and appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to strive for excellence in education.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to meeting with you soon to discuss these changes in more detail.

Access to Prep-1

A reminder of the pathway to access Prep-1 is via the Prep-1 playground.  Currently the hallway from the admin block is closed due to repairs required to the carpet. Please find below the access paths to Prep-1.

If you have any queries, please contact me or any other member of staff at school.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Wightman

Principal

Pre-Kinder and Early Years Programs

Thursday 15^th 9am-10am join Mrs Foley and Mrs Salter to view the new Early Years room and chat about our programs for 2024.

Friday 23rd 9am-10 join Mrs Salter and Mrs Allen in the Kinder room to chat about the pre-kinder program 2024. 

Tea, coffee and fruit available for morning tea.

Maggie Dent: From Boys to Men

We have 15 tickets available to give away to Waverley Primary School families. Please notify the office if you would like a FREE ticket(s).  Limited spaces available.  Be quick to attend this event. 

Sunday, 3rd March, 2024, 10:00am-12:00om at The Tramsheds Function Centre 4 Invermay Rd, Launceston. 

In this seminar, parenting author and educator and ‘boy champion’ Maggie Dent shares insights, tips and common-sense wisdom from her 2020 book, From Boys to Men: Guiding our teen boys to grow into happy, healthy men.

Our School and Department for Children and Young People Values

Our school values - SHINE

 
We are: 

• Safe: We work and play in a way that is safe for all members of the school community
• Helpful: We work together to support each other
• INclusive: We value the right of everyone to learn and take responsibility to ensure that access to a high-level educational program is accessible to all
• Excellent: We aspire to be our very best at all times

Our system values 

Our  system values represent the foundation of our Department’s culture. They reflect what we stand for, guide our decision making and underpin all aspects of our work. It is everyone’s responsibility to live our values and bring them to life through our everyday actions. Our values give us a shared understanding of behavioural expectations and provide us with common language to overcome challenges and celebrate success.

Uniform

Hats must be worn by students when outside in terms 1 and 4.  Please check with your child that they have their school hat. 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.

Communication

Newsletter access

Please note the following information: 

Schoolzine SZapp and our Text message service are our main source of communication. 

The newsletter is published every second Wednesday through Schoolzine and can be viewed through the SZapp.   

The Waverly Primary School Facebook page is a great way to stay informed about what is happening in and around our school. 

Attendance

At Waverley Primary students attendance and safety are high priorities.  If your child is absent or late please phone our school office ph: 6339 1455 or send a note via the SZapp.  All lateness and absence must be explained.  This is a legal requirement by the Department for Education Children and Young People.  

An SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phones of parents/carers explaining that our records show that your child is absent from school.   

The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number: 0407 580 106. Please save this number as ‘WPS Absentee’ so that when the message arrives you are aware is has come from our school.   

You can reply to the text to explain the absence please add: your child’s name, reason they are absent or late.   

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. 

Allery Aware

We are an allergy aware school.  We discourage the use and consumption of nuts and nut products as well as eggs and egg products. 

Ice Cream Sales

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

Excursions

Students will participate in excursions, related to our class program. There will also be an opportunity for a small group of parents with a Working with Vulnerable People registration to assist help with our excursions.  

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:

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.  

Move Well Eat Well

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

Important Dates

Staff Information

Staff – Student Support and Wellbeing Team

Staff - Teacher Assistant

Administration Team

Education Facility Attendant

Community Notices