Dear Families,

As we come to the end of Term 1 I wanted to congratulate all students on a fantastic start to the school year. This term we have had a significant focus on our value of Connection: Building positive relationships and a sense of belonging. We have observed many positive examples of connection throughout the term.

Next term we will focus on the values of Courage and Growth – accepting challenges, being resilient, trying new things and always looking to improve.

Thanks to Mr Luttmer and the breakfast club crew who yesterday hosted a group of media (tv and newspaper) to help launch an initiative between Aurora Energy and Variety Tasmania which sees our school, along with 11 other schools receiving funds to support our breakfast club. We were so proud to see our lovely school in the spotlight last night on the news and in the newspaper today.

At the beginning of each year all schools must create a plan for school improvement. We look carefully at our school data and consider areas that we must prioritise to improve student learning outcomes. We have two priorities this year:

Reading

Attendance

Reading: All schools have reading as a priority and we are working hard to align our teaching practices with the ‘Lifting Literacy’ report; which requires all schools to be utilising a structured, evidence based approach to the teaching of reading.

Attendance: ‘If children are not at school, we can’t teach them’…It is really important that if children are well, then they should be at school. Having a day off here and there adds up and can have a significant effect on student learning outcomes.

We are looking to increase the students who are attending school at least 90% of the time. Currently we have 56% (just over half) of our students attending school 90% of the time. If you are having troubles getting your child to school, please have a chat with their teacher.

We will share more about our priorities throughout the year.

After a little Easter break, we are now at the end of the term. School holidays start this Friday and we look forward to having everyone back on Monday the 29th of April. Have a safe and relaxing break.

Kind Regards,

Jaime Allen

Principal

Students from 2/3 invited families to a fun afternoon of games in their classroom.

Everyone enjoyed a range of games such as reinforcing literacy concepts learned this term, reading high frequency words and more!

There are so many benefits to playing games with your children as a family:

• Children who play games at home learn skills that will help them in the classroom and with social situations, such as sharing, learning to take turns, waiting, patience and learning how it feels being disappointed when not always winning.
• Your child will learn to think for themselves, learn cooperation and teamwork skills, work on strategies and tactics and hold conversations with adults and peers.
• There are so many games to choose from - traditional board games, indoor or outdoor games.

If you would like to ask about games your child enjoys in their classroom, please ask, and we can help your put together some fun games to enjoy at home.

Jenny McGuire

LiFT Coordinator

This term we have been lucky enough to spend some time with our School Health Nurse - Nurse Jess.

Nurse Jess has spoken to us about hand hygiene and the importance of washing our hands thoroughly to avoid the spread of germs.

We have also been talking about the importance of caring for our teeth and how we do this by brushing both morning and night. Nurse Jess had some fun activities for us to explore the importance of brushing our teeth.

We also had an opportunity to look at Nurse Jess's equipment that she will be using during the Kinder Health Checks next term.

Marcelle Lilley

Kinder Teacher

During week 9 and week 10 students in Grade 2/3 have been focusing on Onset and Rime during Spelling.

Students have learned that the onset is the consonant or the consonant cluster within a syllable that comes before the vowel. They have also learned that the rime is the part of the syllable that contains the vowel and any remaining consonants.

Grade 2/3 students have done a fabulous job of identifying the Onset and Rime in words with the long /i/. They also created their own silly sentences with a picture to match.  

Miss Galpin

Students moving to another school in 2024

Please contact the school office if your child will be leaving Goodwood Primary School at any time during 2024. It is now the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school in writing when their child is leaving to attend another school. This is a Department of Education requirement and verbal confirmation is not enough. Once the school has received this notification in writing the enrolment can be closed so the student can then be enrolled at the new school.

Levies 2024

There will be no increase in Levies for 2024.

Families who are supported through the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) do not need to pay levies. Applications for the Student Assistance Scheme may be made online, or paper forms can be provided at the school office. 

A reminder that if your child is absent from school for any reason that you notify the school office by 9:30 am of that day.  You can either contact the school office on 6272 9100 or email goodwood.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au

Did you know if your child has 10 days off school per year, that by Grade 4 they are 1 year behind?

The best thing for your child's future is to come to school every day.

Student Medication

Please advise office staff and your child’s class teacher if your child needs to take medication during school hours so arrangements can be made for the medication to be administered.

It is a Department of Education requirement that the following forms must be completed and signed before the commencement of dispensing medication to students: ‘Administration of Routine Medication Authorisation Form for Parent/ Guardian’; and ‘Administration of Prescribed Medication Authorisation Form for Doctors’. The administration of medication to students is undertaken by Admin staff who will ensure it is taken correctly, details (e.g. date, time, dose etc) entered on the student’s personal medication sheet, and signed by a staff member and witness.

Medication is kept locked in the school safe or safe room. Students should not have any types of medication in their school bags.

School and Office Hours

A reminder that our gates open at 8:30am. Students are not to be left unsupervised by parents until 8:30am when staff are on duty. The office also opens at 8:30am. Students are to be collected promptly at 2:50pm. If you will be late collecting your child at the end of the day you will need to notify the office on 6272 9100.

Late Arrivals

If your child arrives at school after 8:50am unaccompanied by a parent/guardian the office will be marking their attendance as unexplained other. The procedure for late arrivals will be as is for unexplained absences in that office staff will be calling the parent/guardian to clarify the reason the student was late arriving to school.

Student Long Absence in 2024

REMINDER

Our carpark has become quite congested due to increased staff at both Goodwood Primary School and Tas eSchool. We are again asking parents/carers to not enter the staff carpark when dropping off and collecting students. The carpark is for school staff of Goodwood Primary School and Tas eSchool and can be dangerous for students. The exception is for those parents whose child/children have a disabled parking permit.

To ensure the safety of our students and staff please follow the information below:

Students are to be dropped off and collected via the Elmsleigh Road carpark.

We thank you in advance for keeping our students safe!

Dear Goodwood Primary School community,

Screen-Free Week is celebrated every year during the first week of May. It is an opportunity for children and adults to switch off screens and devices to spend more time enjoying the world around them.

Anyone can participate! Simply choose the platforms/apps/devices you feel your family needs a break from, set a goal (take an hour off, a day, or the whole week!) and enjoy the free time that opens!

Despite our best intentions, screen time can creep up on us especially when life gets tough. However, thinking outside the box can be an easy way to find new ideas to minimise the amount of time your kids spend on a device. Need inspiration? Here are some ideas for disconnecting without hearing the dreaded “But I’m so boooorrred!”

• Get them outside – do a scavenger hunt at the beach or in the bush.
• Crafting – colouring is always an option but messy activities often engage more. Paint, collage, make paper garlands or beading.
• Start a collection or drag out an old one of yours – seashells, Pokémon cards, stamps or coins.
• Fort building – they can be made from dining chairs, bed sheets and clips. Or the cardboard variety. Bonus: let them eat lunch in there!
• Build anything – now’s the time to drag out the lego, magna-tiles, playmobil or construction sets.
• Cooking – younger kids love to assist in the kitchen and older ones can scour cookbooks to help select a recipe or two they like the look of.
• Podcasts – its not screen time and some contain stories and facts.

The goal isn’t necessarily zero screen time but looking at setting boundaries and sticking to age-appropriate screen time limits. For further information on screen time recommendations please see the Esafety commissioner website (www.esafety.gov.au/kids).

Warm regards,

Jess Walter - your School Health Nurse

To all our volunteers – have you completed your safeguarding training yet?

You will need to finish it before working with any children or young people this year.

If you are a parent and are thinking about volunteering for us, you can also do the training. You will need this to work with children and young people. Make sure you save the certificate to show you have completed it.

The training is compulsory under new laws designed to better safeguard children and young people in Tasmania. It will help you understand what to do if you believe a child or young person is or may be being harmed, and to make sure you are doing all you can to prevent this from happening. The training will also tell you what you must report under the new laws.  

To complete your training, visit Safeguarding Training. Or ask at the school front office

Thank you for leading the way in caring for our children and young people safe so that they can focus on living bright lives with positive futures.  

Hugo Luttmer                                                 

Safeguarding Lead / AST

Jaime Allen

Principal

Volunteers and visitors are welcomed into the school environment as valued school members and role models.

This includes parents and carers, and friends of the school.

• All Department for Education, Children and Young People employees, volunteers (including the School Association Committee), contractors and external providers are required to maintain a current Tasmanian RWVP.
• You will need proof of a current Tasmanian RWVP to be a volunteer at your child’s school or school activities.
• If you are simply visiting your child’s school (i.e. are invited to attend particular school events or activities at your child’s school) you will not require a RWVP.
• You do NOT require a RWVP to:
• Drop off or collect your child, including a short period of settling your child in class where the teacher is present.
• Attend school events such as assemblies, school sports carnivals, plays and concerts, whole-school events (where you are not a direct participant and/or do not assist in the organisation or operation of the event).
• Attend school activities for parents or public events such as a parent information evening, parent/teacher meetings, school fairs, opening of new school facilities or programs, or to hear a guest speaker (where you do not assist in the organisation or operation of the activity).

Please find below the Launching into Learning Schedule for Term 2:-

Please remember that school hats are required to be worn in Term 1 2024.

Hats can be purchased from the school office for $9.00.

(Don't forget to put your child's name in it)

Do you have a Health Care Card?

You may be eligible for a school levy exemption

STAS provides financial assistance to families. Families who are eligible do not need to pay school levies. Levies contribute towards costs of your child's education program and includes items such as learning materials and school excursions.

Parents who have a current concession card as listed below can apply for dependent students for assistance under STAS.

Services Australia - Centrelink Health Care Card

Services Australia - Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card

Services Australia - Pensioner Concession Card

Department of Veteran Affairs - Pensioner Concession Card

Please note that if you received student assistance in 2023 you do not need to reapply.

A new online form is available to assist with processing applications for new applicants. The online form can be completed here:

Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) (decyp.tas.gov.au)

Once a validated form is completed the Department of Education, Children & Young People will confirm the outcome of your application in writing, this process takes approximately 14 days. 

We understand that the online option may not be possible for all families, so if you require a hard copy form please contact the school office or the Financial Assistance Unit on stas@decyp.tas.gov.au or phone 1800 827 077.

If you meet the below criteria and would like to express your interest in the Learning for Life Program, please complete a form that you can pick up at the school office.  For more information you can contact Ashlee Bartels, Family Partnership Coordinator.

Join a Learning Club and learn together in a safe and supportive learning environment, outside of school hours.

If you would like to follow our progress in the garden, please scan the QR code below to check out our photos on Goodwood Primary Kitchen Garden Instagram page.

We wish to inform our school and broader community that we are having quite significant damage caused by the rabbit's infestation throughout our school grounds. 

Can all visitors to our school site to be advised to watch for uneven surfaces and holes.

We are working with DECYP Facilities for advice to find a solution.