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PRINCIPAL NEWS
Dear Families,
We have started off our year with such energy and enthusiasm, it has been just wonderful to share your children’s joy of learning during these first days of Term. Our 15 new Prep-Year 6 students and our 26 Kindergarten students have settled in beautifully. Our total enrolment is 315 children across our 13 classes.
Belonging: Identity and Diversity
- The 2020 TPS Annual School Review highlighted the need for us to continue our work in the area of wellbeing, specifically engagement and belonging. As a result, our school’s focus for 2021 is Belonging: Identity and Diversity.
- Prior to children returning last Wednesday, the teaching and teacher assistant teams joined together for 2 separate professional learning sessions to support this work in 2021 and beyond.
- On 1 February, the team worked with Xris Reardon, the DoE LGBTIQ+ school’s inclusion officer who works across the state, in primary through to college contexts. The session included an overview of gender diversities, our responsibilities under the Anti-Discrimination Act, a review of language and what is age appropriate, and discussion about why belonging for all students and families is critical. Resources were also shared, with the TPS library now purchasing picture books and reference materials to support discussions in classrooms and connections to the Australian Curriculum. Xris will be working with the TPSA to schedule an information session for families in the near future. The session will provide an overview of this area of belonging and facilitate discussions to support community understanding. The teaching team are certainly looking forward to working further with Xris and engaging in more learning.
- On 2 February, we worked with Nindarra Wheatley & Nerissa Waterfield from our Department’s Aboriginal Education Services. Our team engaged in the ‘From Gumnuts to Buttons’ program, a visual and interactive simulation activity that assisted us to gain understanding and empathy for the history of the Aboriginal community. The activity introduced us to new knowledge and awareness of important events and occurrences in the history of Tasmania that have contributed significantly to the social, political and economic situation for the Tasmanian community today. The team will use the knowledge gained through the session to support learning across the Australian Curriculum and during Nature Play sessions, which will continue to be held regularly in all classes throughout the year.
Staffing Updates
- Last week we welcomed 2 new teachers to the team Clare Russell (3-4D) and Nicole Taylor (Music) as well as Samara Jenkins (Teacher Assistant) and Cathie Gillam (Library Technician, Monday and Fridays). Sam Hyatt also joins the team in the role of School Psychologist (Tuesdays). It is lovely to have Kylie Frost return to our team after taking 18 months maternity leave.
- Over the holiday break, our Aboriginal Education Worker (AEW) Nicole Smith was fortunate to be offered a 6-month project with Parks and Wildlife for the first half of 2021. Nicole’s appointment, however, means that we do not have an assigned AEW for the first half of 2021. In the interim, we will work with Aboriginal Education Services (AES) during Terms 1 & 2 to access support for the work we started in 2020 with Nicole, especially assistance to progress our work on developing and implementing actions for our TPS Reconciliation Action Plan.
Covid Update
- Parents and carers are allowed onsite and in classrooms with Check-in -Tas now being available to our school for those who stay longer than 15 minutes onsite. Visitors still must sign in at the office during the school day for safety and security purposes.
- Home-made birthday and cupcakes are not allowed to be brought into the school. Individually packaged, commercially-made goods can be brought in by those families who wish to provide a treat for their child’s class on their child’s birthday.
- Assemblies continue to have restricted visitor numbers and will be open only to those classes who are scheduled to present an item on that day.
Welcome BBQ and Open Classrooms: Friday 19 February from 5:15-7pm.
All families (new and returning) will have the chance to meet their child’s teachers and visit classrooms between 5:15-6:00pm as well as gather together to eat and celebrate our return to school between 6-7:00pm (adhering to physical distancing and safety requirements of course!) The Taroona Primary School Association (TPSA) coordinate and run this fun event each year and require your support to ensure its success.
At this stage we need people to assist with set up from 4:30pm, BBQ cooking and serving (5:15 – 7pm) and packing up at the end of the event (6:45 – 7:30pm). Hilary Purdie is coordinating the Bar Service and would like to hear from anyone who is certified in Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA) and is able to assist with the bar between 6-7pm. Please email tpsaenquiry@gmail.com or complete this form TPSA Volunteer Form as soon as you can to let us know you can help out so we can run the event.
Best wishes
Danielle Bresnehan
Principal
Classroom News
Please click on the image below to see what our students have been up to during the first weeks back at school!
Launching Into Learning
Our Launching into Learning program recommences tomorrow, Thursday 11 February. Please sign in at the front office before heading to the Kinder room.
Sushi Friday
Please see information below regarding sushi orders for Years Prep-6.
TPSA NEWS
Please find below links to documents from the most recent TPSA Meetings
Principal Report TPSA Meeting 3 November 2020
Please send all enquiries / correspondence to TPSAenquiry@gmail.com
Validation Packs and Medical Information for 2021
Validation, Special Data forms, ICT agreements, aquatic consent, major excursion consent and medical forms were distributed to all families last week. Please make any adjustments on the forms and return to the office by Thursday 11 February. These forms need to be returned as it is not only important we have valid contact information, but one of the forms also gives consent for your child to attend minor excursions. If it is not returned your child may not be able to attend.
ICT Agreement: Your child will not be able to use a device until a signed form is returned to the front office. This form needs to be signed by both student and parent/carer.
A health plan for conditions such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, epilepsy and anaphylaxis should be completed annually in consultation with your GP or specialist, together with authorisation forms to enable us to administer both non prescribed and prescribed medication.
Medication must be supplied to us in its original packaging, in date, and in its correct dose to be administered by our first aid staff at school.
Blank medical forms can be accessed from the school office or sent via email.
School Levies and Changes to STAS Eligibility
URGENT – Student Assistance Scheme (STAS)
STAS provides financial assistance for eligible families, by waiving the cost of school levies. It is provided through school and college resourcing, rather than direct to families. From Term 1, 2021 all families that are eligible for a Centrelink Health Care Card, Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card will be eligible for STAS.
Please visit the Department’s website for more information: https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/parent-fact-sheets/fees-levies/
If you are eligible please apply as soon as possible, or full payment of levies is expected.
FEES / LEVIES
School fees / levies form an essential proportion of school income. All parents and carers, other than those approved under the Student Assistance Scheme, are expected to contribute towards the cost of their child’s education. Levies are due in full by the end of Term 1. Invoices are posted out at the beginning of Term 1 (February).
Levies for the 2021 school year, Kindergarten-Year 6, is $325.00.
Payment of levies and charges can be made by:
- Cash or credit card at the school office
- Bpay, Bpoint
- Service Tasmania.
UNIFORM SHOP NEWS
Uniform Shop Location and Opening Hours
The TPS Uniform Shop is open on Thursdays from 2:45pm – 3:15pm. The Uniform Shop is located directly underneath the staffroom, accessible via the Early Childhood Playground and the Quadrangle.
The TPS Uniform Shop is a volunteer-run service that provides TPS families the convenience of purchasing uniforms from the school campus during school / school office hours.
Help Needed
To run this service, we ask parents and carers to please offer assistance, where possible. Help is currently needed once or twice a Term on a Thursday from 2:40pm to 3:15pm. Please contact Katie Ferguson on katieferguson@netspace.net.au if you can assist.
Current items on back-order
Hats (Size M), Short Sleeve Polo Tops (Size 10) and School Bags are currently out of stock. Delivery is expected to arrive in March (hats and tops) and April (bags).
Uniform Ordering
We encourage all parents to order their children’s uniforms online via the QKR! App. Click here or instructions.
All orders received via QKR by 11am on Thursdays will have their order ready for collection at the School Office on Friday mornings. QKR is the preferred method to order uniforms.
Payment
Please note, Card/EFTPOS is the only accepted form of payment for uniform purchases.
Second-Hand Clothing
The second-hand clothing racks will be on display inside the uniform shop for purchasing. Second-hand clothing donations are very welcome, these can be dropped into the School Office during office hours.
Uniform Item and Price Lists
Please click here for the current list of uniform items.
Please click here for the order form (manual processing) and price list.
If you have questions about school uniforms, please contact the Uniform Shop Coordinator, Katie Ferguson via email katieferguson@netspace.net.au
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Student Absences
A reminder to parents/carers to advise the school office if their child is unable to attend school due to illness or any other reason.
- By phone (6227 8325)
- Email taroona.primary@education.tas.gov.au
A medical certificate is required if a child is absent due to illness for 5 days or more.
Holidays/Family Events
If your family is going away on holiday, please email taroona.primary@education.tas.gov.au with the details of your child/rens absence dates.
Signing Students in/out
To ensure we have an accurate record of student attendance, we ask that any student arriving at school later than 9:00am, or leaving for any reason during the school day, be signed in or out at the school office.
Messages to Students
If you need to get a message to your child, please contact the school before 2:15pm to ensure enough time for us to pass the message on.
Duty of Care
Please note that students are not to arrive before 8:30am. This is for the students’ protection and safety as there are no teachers on duty prior to 8:30am and classrooms remain locked until this time. Supervision is provided before and after school:
- Playground (EXCLUDING PLAY WEST & OVAL) 8:30 to 8:55am
- Car park & bus area 2:50 to 3:05pm
LADY GOWRIE
Lady Gowrie Taroona Before and After School Care operates from the hall each school day from 7:00-8:30 am (Before School Care) and 3:00-6:00 pm (After School Care), catering for children aged 4-12 years. We offer a safe and stimulating environment based on the children’s interests incorporating both indoor and outdoor play. We employ trained Educators and provide a nutritious breakfast and afternoon tea each day. Please contact the Lady Gowrie Outside School Hours Care Office on 6230 6806 or email us at oshc@gowrie-tas.com.au for more information.
To ensure the safety of our school property, please ring Crime Stoppers if you see anyone acting suspiciously in our school grounds
Move Well Eat Well
