30 June 2023

From the Principal

Last Newsletter for the term – next week is our last week of the term before two weeks of well-deserved holidays and a break. Next week will see Ditto back for their Body Safe message for our youngest students while the start of next term will see Swimming and Water Safety Program start up in week 3 for two weeks for our grades 3 to 5 students, with a swimming carnival later in the term.

Independence Month

Since COVID times, we have held an annual “Independence Month” at school. In consultation with the School Association, we are naming up August as this month. We found that during COVID restrictions, our students flourished with the increase in personal responsibility that came from not having adults around as often to do routine things for them. This finding was common across most schools. We kept (and will continue to) a supportive and nurturing environment, to ensure that failures are good learnings for resilience and to build the capacity of students to take the step they need.

We thoroughly enjoy having regular parent contact at school. And for August, we ask that our families limit their time on school grounds. Drop off at the gate, put your children on a bus, or have them walk or ride to school or home. For Kinder families, it might be about having your children walk the last bit of the path or from the gate – either way, we know that they flourish in the long run and we will work to support them to grow.

Any queries or questions, please ask your class teacher.

Cambridge Capabilities

Currently, our students are exploring experimenting for this week and next. For us, experimenting is defined as: Trying things out to see what happens. We believe that experimenting is a key component of being a creative and curious learner, linked with wondering from our last fortnight.

Experimenting is about taking a risk, seeing what could be and acting on your thoughts and curiosities. We know that not everything will work out perfectly when we are experimenting, and so it is also closely linked to resilience. Importantly, we also know that you learn an awful lot from your mistakes and so the process of experimenting, of trial and error is critically important to what we are trying to achieve.

Please tell us what you think about Experimenting as a Cambridge Capability below:

As explained to the School Association on Wednesday, we have, after a process, recently engaged a communications firm to help us create and communicate our Cambridge Capabilities project. Over the next 2 years, this firm will help visually communicate the ideas and learning with our students and families. We are very excited to be working with Inclusive Creatives and you should see some products coming out by the end of next term or the start of term 4.

During term 3, there will be several consultation processes with students to help design the visuals and imagery that we will then use for many years to come. Additionally, we will work with the School Association for community voice and the consultants would also like to work with a focus group of parents to see what supports we can provide to help bring this learning home. We will share more details next term.

Redevelopment

We “ticked off” another milestone in the project this week by testifying at the Standing Committee for Public Works in Parliament. It was a big achievement for all. The Committee reviews all public works over $8M. They had a site visit on Monday morning for an hour, followed by 2 hours of hearings before they deliberated after that time.

Our development application will soon be on the Clarence City Council website. While we are awaiting that approval, we are continuing to seek more cost estimates to ensure our budget is on track. We are also about to start the drawings for internal layouts and then look at material and colour palettes – which will link to working with a furniture supplier to start planning for the fit out of our rooms.

Behind the scenes, the architects are busy drawing detailed plans, still getting ready for a tender process in October.

We will have some more imagery for you in our first newsletter next term!

Apologies for the late Newsletter, I’m currently fixing this up with an unwell one year old at home. We’re all trying our best, but the lateness was definitely my fault.

Wishing you all a very enjoyable and restful break ahead – Courtney

Levies

Invoices were generated in late February and are now overdue for payment. Please contact the office on 6248 5168 if you wish to discuss payment options.

Medication in Tasmanian Government Schools

Advice to parents and carers on what you are required to do if your child requires medication during school hours.

If your child requires medication while they are at school, you must discuss with your child’s teacher to ensure that the school staff are clearly advised on how to give your child their medicine.

Medication should only be prescribed during school hours when absolutely necessary.

Self-administration of some medication may be authorised by a parent and/or a doctor. This must be stated in their medical action and management plan.

You must tell the school and provide permission, for any non-prescribed (e.g., paracetamol) or prescribed medication taken by your child at school.

The school will ask you to…

• Complete a written request to the school to administer the medication. You can download and print the Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication form.
• Provide signed authorisation from your medical practitioner/pharmacist or practice nurse giving specific instructions for the administration of the medication.
• Transfer the medication safely to the school and hand it to the office staff to sign in.
• Provide the medication in the originally prescribed containers only.
• Help prepare a Medical Action Plan and aMedical Management Plan for your child if ongoing medication is required.

How you can help

• Ask your doctor to prescribe medication doses out of school hours where possible.
• Ensure that regular scripts are filled on time and the school doesn’t run out of medication.
• If you think your child may need prescription medications, download and print the Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication formand take it with you to the doctor’s appointment.

What your school will do

• An official register for the administration of medication to students will be maintained by your school. This is to comply to the 2018 Poisons Regulations.
• Schools will keep a medication register of Schedule 8 medicines/drugs of addiction for individual students.  Due to the nature of these medications, schools follow additional storage and administration practices to ensure safe administration
• Schools must only accept prescribed medication provided in the dispensed, labelled container, or the original over-the-counter packaging for non-prescribed medication.
• Two people should be present when any medication is administered.
• All medication will be kept under lock and key, with the exception of EpiPens which may be kept in a first aid kit or in close proximity to a student for whom an EpiPen has been prescribed.  Ventolin inhalers may be carried by the student.
• Training will be provided for all first aid qualified staff in schools, and additional training for staff where required for the administration of certain medication such as EpiPens.

Please contact the office for further information.

Reminder – Term 3 Starts on Tue 25 July

Monday 24 July 2023 is a state-wide Kinder to Gr10 Professional Learning Day for staff. Students return to school on Tuesday 25 July 2023.

Young Archies Awards

Based on the famous Archibald Prize, the Young Archies Awards is an annual portrait competition open to all students in the Department for Education, Children and Young People (Decyp).

Awards are presented in year categories for the best portrait of a person created by a student during the 12 months before the closing date.

All Cambridge Primary Students have had their portraits exhibited in the school for the past week or two. This year’s exhibition shows outstanding work across all grades. Unfortunately, only four portraits from each age category can be selected. Our panel of judges have chosen this year’s finalists. Click on the images to enlarge.

Our Cambridge entries for the 2023 competition will be given to the Education Department Learning Events branch before Friday, 4 August.

All entries will receive a Certificate of Participation and prizes will be awarded for:

• Category winners ($100)
• Overall Primary Winner (Kindergarten to Year 6 – $150)
• Overall Secondary Winner (Year 7 to Year 12 – $150)
• People’s Choice Award ($100)
• Packing Room Prize ($100)
• Department of Education – Secretary’s Award ($100)
• Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Award ($100)

Schools will be notified of award winners in the week before the Young Archies Awards Presentation.

All entries in the 2023 competition will be uploaded to the Young Archies Virtual Exhibition which will go live on Monday, 4 September.

Congratulations to our finalists and good luck!

Sally Sari

Gum Boot Fundraiser

The Green Team is doing a gumboot sale to raise money for Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.  If you have gumboots that don’t fit anymore bring them in and pop them on our gumboot trolly at the front of the school. Gumboots will cost a gold coin donation!

Thank you, Esme K-R and Mabel

Start to Talk About Child Safe Sport

Parents, carers and sport organisations are being encouraged to talk about how they can create child safe environments through the Start to Talk national child safe sport awareness campaign.

The campaign was developed by Play by the Rules in response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse which identified sport clubs as having an important role to play in the prevention and detection of abuse.

Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport.

Visit the campaign website for information and resources for sporting clubs and parents, for example,
A Parents/Carers Guide to Selecting a Safe Sporting Club.

E-Safety Resources for Parents and Carers

As parents and carers, you play an important role in protecting your child from harm in the digital world.

Thankfully, there are many resources available to support your child to safely navigate this world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences.

Online resources include advice sheets, home learning and family activities, webinars and videos to help you talk with your children about online safety.

Here are just two recommended eSafety resources for further information and support:

eSafety Commissioner Australia – eSafetyparents

ThinkUKnow Australia – Resources for Parents and Carers

2023 Term Dates for Students

Term 1 - Wednesday 8 February to Wednesday 5 April
Term 2 - Wednesday 26 April to Friday 7 July
Term 3 - Tuesday 25 July to Friday 29 September
Term 4 - Monday 16 October to Thursday 21 December

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lily McC who recently competed in the City of Hobart Eisteddfod Performing Arts Contemporary Voice division.

Lily won the Barbara Warner Memorial Award for the most outstanding vocal performer aged 14 years and under. This is an outstanding achievement Lily!

Lily also won the 11 and 12 Years Vocal Solo and she was highly commended for her Song from a Musical solo.

Lost Property

Please encourage your child/children to check the Lost Property before the end of term. Any un-named items will be disposed of during the July holidays.

Community Notice Board