School Newsletter - Vol. 03_ 06 March 2024

From the Principal

Staffing

We are delighted to share that Mrs Megan Pel has been appointed to the position of Advanced Skills Teacher. Megan brings with her a wealth of skills, exceptional qualities, and experience that make her a valuable addition to our school.   

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Megan as she becomes an integral part of our team. We are confident that her expertise will enhance the learning experience for both students and staff. 

Athletics Carnival

 On Friday 8th March, Waverley Primary School will be hosting our Athletics Carnival. Students in Grades 3-6 will have the opportunity to participate in field events discus and shotput, as well as run the 100m, 200m and 400m running events.   

 Students in Prep-2 will participate in a rotation of novelty events including the sack race, an egg and spoon race and the game ‘rob the nest’.   

 The Kinder athletics carnival will be held on Wednesday 13th of March and information about this will be sent home soon.  

This year we are delighted to introduce two sports houses. House groups are two teams of students within the school that come together for sporting events. Having teams to compete against one another creates a sense of community encouraging a sense of fun and competition.    

At Waverley we are committed to cultural diversity, reconciliation, and creating an inclusive educational environment that respects and honours Australia's indigenous heritage. We have Aboriginal names for our house groups to symbolise unity within our school, bringing students from diverse backgrounds together under a shared appreciation for indigenous culture.  

  We will have two house groups;   

•   laymina – lake         The palawa kani ‘ay’ sound in ‘laymina’ is said as in ‘pie’.    
• truwala – mountain   

 We will continue to work with our school community and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre to develop the house team logos.  

 Students have been divided into either laymina (blue colour) meaning lake, or tuwala (green colour) meaning mountain. We invite students to wear their house colours on the day, however this is optional.   

 Parents and carers are invited to join us to watch your child(ren) as they participate in events and earn points for their house.   

Students from 3-6 who place 1st, 2nd or 3rd on the day may earn the opportunity to represent Waverley in the Launceston State Schools Sports Association Athletics Carnival, to be held at St Leonards Athletics Centre on the 28th of March.    

As students will be representing Waverley Primary School, it is expected that they will follow and display the SHINE expectations of:   
  

• Being Safe   
• Being Helpful
• Being Inclusive
• Being Excellent     

This includes being a fair and friendly team member as well as opponent.   

RSVP for FREE Hot Lunch after Athletics Carnival

Parents and Carers are invited to join our school for a hot lunch as part of our lunch program on Friday.  Please RSVP for lunch to:  

Your childs teacher 

Or 

At the General Office ph: (03) 6339 1455 

Or 

                                                             Use the link https://forms.office.com/r/SAyaAFYsZK 

                                                              Or 

                                                              Use the QrCode 

Interim Reports

Interim reports will go home Friday 8th March and we will have Parent Teacher meetings on Thursday 14th March from 3pm.  This opportunity is extended to all families with children from Kindergarten to Year 6. 

We have an exciting opportunity for parents/carers and learners to connect with us at the upcoming Parent Teacher Meetings. It's a chance to celebrate your child's progress, set goals together, and share valuable information. We believe in open communication, so feel free to ask any questions or share insights about your child.  Please follow the below link to book your Parent Teacher meeting.

https://waverleyprimary.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/8

For Prep to Year 6, teachers will provide you with an Interim Report on your child's learning behaviours. A letter will be sent home this week with all the details you need. 

We encourage you to jot down specific topics you'd like to discuss about your child in the 2024 Parent Teacher Agenda section. Your active participation in these meetings is important. 

We look forward to connecting with you and working together to support your child's learning journey! 

Important Notice: Safety and Security at School After Hours

We would like to bring to your attention an issue that has recently occurred, prompting us to address the safety and security of our school premises after regular school hours. 

Regrettably, there have been instances where some individuals accessed our school grounds after hours, leading to significant damage to electrical wiring. Such incidents not only compromise the integrity of our facilities but also pose potential safety risks. 

In light of this, we kindly request your assistance in maintaining the security of our school. If you notice any suspicious behaviour or individuals on the school premises, especially on the roof, we urge you to contact the Tasmanian Police immediately. Your vigilance and prompt action can help ensure the safety of our school community and prevent further damage. 

We understand and appreciate that many families enjoy using our school grounds after regular school hours, and we would like to reassure you that our play equipment is available for your enjoyment.  

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families are of utmost importance to us. Let's work together to create a secure environment for everyone. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and ongoing support. 

Please be safe and help us in looking after our beloved school. 

Our Values

At Waverley 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   

Last week DECYP Leaders were invited to a meeting in Hobart to discuss our department strategic plan and how we will live our DECYP Values.  At Waverley we have been focusing on the value of connection.   

DECYP Strategic Plan 2024  

Why we are here: Bright Lives. Positive Futures.  

How we will work to achieve it: by making sure every child and young person is known, safe, well and learning.  

Our belief: The rights of children and young people are upheld in all that we do, particularly the right to an education, to influence decisions that affect them, and to be safe from harm.  

Our new Values:  

• Connection- Building positive relationship and a sense of belonging.  
• Courage- accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.   
• Growth- aspiring to learn, and improving, even when it is tough.  
• Respect- Caring for ourselves, each other, and our environment.  
• Responsibility Stepping up and doing what is right.   

Our foundations as a department: a valued and capable workforce; strong partnerships with children, young people, families and community; and focusing on continuous improvement informed by inquiry and evidence.  

Yours sincerely 

Katie Wightman 

Principal 

REMINDER 2024 Student Validation Forms

We have nearly 100% of our 2024 Student Validation Forms returned. 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. For those families that received a reminder last week 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.  

Mrs Amanda Chugg - School Clerk

Kindergarten Health Check

Every Kindergarten child at Waverley Primary School can have a Kinder Health Check (KHC) with the School Health Nurse. The health check includes vision and hearing screening, height and weight measurements, and an oral health check.

The KHC form will be sent home with your child this week.

If you would like your child to have the KHC, please complete the form and return it to the Admin team or your child’s teacher as soon as possible. If you do not want your child to have the KHC, tick the box on page 2, add your child’s details and return the form.

Stu Davidson - Primary School Health Nurse

National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) 2024

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is held in March. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests.  NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school's assessment and reporting process, and it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

NAPLAN is an online assessment (except for Year 3 writing which is a paper based assessment). NAPLAN Online provides a better and more precise assessment. The assessments feature a tailored test design where the questions a student receives will depend on their answers to previous questions. 

2024 NAPLAN testing will be held from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 25 March.

Individual student performance in NAPLAN is shown on a national achievement scale for each test. The performance of individual students can be compared to the average performance of all students in Australia. Parents will receive their child's individual report.

Thank you for supporting your child’s participation in this important national initiative.  All we ask is they simply do their best.

Mr Sam Millwood – Quality Teaching Coach and NAPLAN Coordinator

Learning to read sets you up for life

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. 

EdSmart

Our School will be switching over to a new messaging platform for communicating with you.   This will replace our current system SMS Global. 

The new platform, called EdSmart is an Australian platform which is designed to improve communication in school communities by allowing electronic messaging i.e. SMS and emails. For now, it will be used to manage absences messages i.e. you will receive a SMS or email alert if your child is absent from school requesting a response.  It will also allow us to send a communication message to all parent/guardians. 

The platform will, over time, be rolled out across all Tasmanian Government Schools and new features will be added.   

 You will receive a text message and/or an email with further details.  Note, the text message sender will be a shortened version of our school’s name - Please keep an eye out for it!  

Further information is available on the Department’s website  

Communicating with your child's school - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au) 

Allergy 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.

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:

Athletics Carnival - 8th March

We need your help for the Athletics Carnival on Friday, 8th March!

If you have a Working with Vulnerable People card and have completed the Safeguarding Training, we'd love your support.

The compulsory training is designed to help us better safeguard kids in Tasmania. Throughout the training, you’ll learn what to do if you believe a child or young person is being harmed. You will also learn what your reporting requirements are.

For more information on our Safeguarding Training, visit: https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/safe-children/safeguarding-children/safeguarding-training/#:~:text=The%20training%20is%20compulsory%20and,you%20must%20complete%20this%20training

To find out how the Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People is working to safeguard and protect children in the Department’s care, visit: https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/safe-children/safeguarding-children/

Contact the office on 6339 1455 to register your interest. Let's make it an awesome day for our little athletes!

Miss Siobhan Matuska - Health Physical Education Teacher

Easter Raffle - Donations Required

Our School Association are seeking donations of easter eggs to create an Easter Raffle.  Please donate chocolate at the General Office.   

Caitlyn Olding 
Chairperson 

School Association

The School Association is made up of the parents, staff and community members of a school. The School Association is an important part of the school, working with the Principal to achieve shared outcomes for learners and for the whole school community.  

The School Association Committee is an elected group of members that work together for the benefit of the school. The Committee manages and conducts the affairs of the School Association and performs administrative and decision-making tasks on behalf of the School Association. The Committee is made up of parents, staff and community members.  

Parent participation on our Committee is highly valued.  

We have advertised for parents/carers to join a fundraising sub-committee of the School Association.   

Support Staff

Please find below detailed inforamtion to describe our support staff roles and responsibilities. 

5/6 Friday Sport

Move Well Eat Well

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

Vaping

Important Dates

Staff Information

Staff – Student Support and Wellbeing Team

Staff - Teacher Assistant

Administration Team

Education Facility Attendant

Community Notices