Newsletter - 23 May

Principal's Highlights

Dear Families,

We are thrilled to announce the completion of the redevelopment of our school oval. This important project has been made possible by the collective effort and support of a great team of supporters, including:

• Jerry De Grys from Inspiring Place for the initial designs and direction
• Julian Newman - Program Manager at Facility Operations

• Total Turf Care

• Donation from Madeleine Ogilvie's office

• Support from Councillor Ryan Posselt and Mayor Anna Reynolds

• We received an anonymous donation of $10,000

• Initial project management team 

• Sustainable Engineering

• The School Association and our wonderful school community!

The school oval is an essential part of our community, serving as a hub for various activities and events. Thanks to the efforts of our stakeholders, its revitalization marks a significant milestone in our school's journey, providing our students with a vibrant and dynamic space to learn, play, and grow.

We extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed to this endeavour. Whether through donations, fundraising efforts, volunteering your time to lend a helping hand. Your contributions have made a tangible difference in the lives of our students.

To our School Association, thank you for your efforts that enrich the educational experience of our students. Your dedication has played a significant role in  bringing this vision to life!

A special commendation goes to our previous School Association Chairperson Mary Blake for her unwavering commitment to seeing this project through. Her persistence and dedication have been indispensable in bringing about these improvements.

As we enjoy our revamped school oval, let's continue to cherish and maintain it for the benefit of all. We kindly request your cooperation in ensuring its upkeep and safety by keeping dogs off school site at all times. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to this request, to ensure our school remains a safe and enjoyable place for everyone.

Together, we've shown what can be achieved through teamwork, a shared vision and purpose.

Thank you once again for your support.

Catherine Grace
Principal

Student Voice

Hi everyone, it’s the School Executives here, we would like to give you a little update of what’s been happening around the school lately.

We would just like to say congratulations to everyone who participated in the recent Cross Country our school held. A big congratulations to Bass for winning and amazing job everybody. Speaking of cross country, it was amazing to finally run on the oval again, and a big thank you to Madeleine Ogilvie MP for officially opening our oval and thanks to all the parents for the support of the children.

Lastly, we would just like to say a big thank you to the teachers for organising and giving out our badges, we were very excited to get them.

Bye for now from the School Executives!

India, Ivy, Henry B & Joe M
2024 School Executives

Class Spotlight - 2/3B

We have been exploring collage and line work in our Pete Cromer art Inquiry.
We love how unique and colourful our birds are, just like Pete's!

Mini Open Classroom - 4/5/6S

On Friday 17, Christie’s class 4/5/6S, had a Mini Open Classroom. The open classroom was about a book, called Yahoo Creek, which was about the Yowie sightings, and the author had gotten a lot of newspaper cuttings, where people had seen a Yowie, and put them in a book with artworks made from stamps. Some of our work that we did about this book included our own art (made from stamps), and also some writing as if we were a settler seeing a Yowie, and as if we were a yowie being seen by a settler, and we also got given one of the articles from the book, and write about whether we thought it was reliable, and what some of the interesting words meant. We had done a lot of work on this book, so we thought we may as well show our work to other people. Parents could come in from 8:30-9:00. We asked them to give us their opinion, and most of the parents had an interesting opinion. Other classes came in as well until ten o’clock to have a look at our work and we had to show them around. Most of the other kids thought none of it was true!! It was fun doing all the Yowie things, and I hope the rest of the year will be that fun!!

Alvina
4/5/6S Student

Kinder E & Prep F Excursion to the Frog Ponds!

"What lives in this place?"

This is the big question the Kinder and Prep class are Inquiring into. What better way to explore this than to investigate the changing physical environment of the Frog Ponds? The children are being Little Scientists, which means not only were they making predictions about what they would see, they needed to find the evidence to back up their ideas!

STEM Extension Program

This year, Virginia Fleming has begun offering a STEM Extension Program to small groups of Grade 2, 3 and 4 students on a Thursday morning. The have begun by focusing on engineering, including creating a procedural plan, recording and explaining results and evaluating the product!

Cross Country Carnival

Cross Country is an amazing event for our students to be a part of. If this doesn’t teach our children about goal setting and resilience nothing does.
Displaying perseverance, grit and determination. Keeping on going and not giving up.
Giving your personal best and not comparing yourself to others.
Being brave and courageous in your effort.

Well done to all students from Kinder - Grade 6 who participated in our schools annual Cross Country Carnival yesterday. It was an excellent day and all students should be proud of their efforts!

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Library News

Due to a change in staff roles, we will no longer be opening the library to families on a Wednesday morning before school.  Keep an eye out for upcoming Book Week activities!

Donation of Books!!
With over 100 books being donated to our library it has been a busy start to the term with lots of books to process and cover to be put on the shelves ready to borrow!
Scout, who donated some beautiful picture books, got to help to Sheree get them ready! Big thanks to Scout and her family and also Kristy and her family who donated a humongous amount of novels and picture books for our school community!

School Improvement Priorities – Attendance

This year as part of our School Improvement Priorities, the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) are committed to all schools maintaining or improving their student attendance data.  In 2023, DECYP launched their campaign ‘Every School Day Matters’ with the goal of reducing student absentees and increasing attendance at school. This video https://youtube/2hSg5_ys-2w gives more information.

Our school attendance goal as part of our Improvement Plan is to meet with all families where student attendance is below 80%, with the aim to reduce the number of students in this category.  We understand that students become unwell, and we ask families with students who are unwell to keep them at home.  Our attendance focus is more on limiting the days that students do not attend due to school avoidance, which may include reluctance of students to participate in certain programs or issues around peer groups or friendship issues. Teachers and Senior Staff will monitor individual attendance and be in touch to meet with you and look at how we can best support your child to be at school. Please reach out to your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or their reluctance to attend school. 

Safeguarding

A friendly reminder that if you need to come into the school prior to 3 pm, you must come via the school office so you are able to check in.  It is vital for the safety of our students that we are aware of who is in our school. 

Please note that adults who need to use the toilet at school are asked to use the adult toilets in the corridor next to the office.

You may have seen a Volunteer poster around the school (and featured later in this Newsletter) with a QR code which will direct you to complete the DECYP Safeguarding Training that is essential for all volunteers at our school. This video only takes 10 minutes.  If you have any questions/queries, please contact the school office! 

Premier's Reading Challenge

Student sign ups close on Friday 31 May!

Don’t forget to encourage your child to sign up for the Premier's Reading Challenge by the end of the day on Friday 31 May.  Signing up Prep to Year 10 students is done through the PRC App. If you need help, please contact the school office.

Premier's Reading Challenge - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au)

Important School Reminders

Notification of Student Absences

A reminder to parents and carers to please use the ‘Absentee’ tile through SZapp if your child is not going to be attending school due to illness or another reason.

If your family is going away on holiday, please use the ‘Absentee’ button through the SZapp with the details of your child/rens absence dates.

Signing Students in/out

If your child/ren arrive late or need to be collected early for an appointment, please make sure that they are signed in/out on the Kiosk system at the school office for accurate attendance records.

Messages to Students

If you need to get a message to your child during the day, please contact the school before 2:15pm by phone only (6223 2879) to ensure enough time for us to pass the message on.

Please make sure your child knows what to do at the end of their school day.
Are they going to:

• After School Care?
• Walking home?
• Office Carpark / bottom carpark pick up?
• What do they do if they usually walk but it is raining?

Update your details!

If you've recently moved houses, updated your contact information, or need to include a new emergency contact for your child, please inform us!

To ensure our records are current, kindly complete the attached form and return it to the office for updating. Thank you!

Parent/Carer Grade 6 Camp Meeting

We are busy preparing for our Grade 6 camp and would like you to join us for a parent meeting at 3 pm on Wednesday, 5 June 2024 in Janelle’s room (5/6D).  Teachers and Senior Staff will be there to answer all your questions, go over the updated itinerary, what to pack, rules around devices etc.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, 5 June!

Support your child’s online learning at home

Digital skills are critical to every child’s success, but supporting online learning can be overwhelming.

The Digital skills for families team are delivering a program to help Tasmanian families support online learning at home. Spending time online at home gives children an opportunity to practice what they are learning at school. Positive home environments help children develop the skills and independence they need to succeed in a digital future.  

Learn about communicating online with schools, digital education at school and how to support online learning at home.

Digital skills for families is offering free:

• information sessions
• workshops
• one-to-one help

In libraries, schools and community locations statewide.

Email the team at digitalskillsforfamilies@libraries.tas.gov.auto find out more and book a free session.

National Volunteer Week!

In honour of National Volunteer Week, we want to extend a massive THANK YOU to all the wonderful volunteers who selflessly give their time, energy, and passion to support our school community! 🙌

We are deeply grateful for everything you do, and we want you to know that your contributions do not go unnoticed. Each smile you bring, each task you tackle, and each moment you spend with us is deeply appreciated.

So, here's to you, our amazing volunteers! Thank you for being the heart and soul of our school. Your impact reaches far beyond the walls of our classrooms, and we are so fortunate to have you as part of our team. Together, we are making a difference, one act of kindness at a time. 💖

1. Click here to apply for a Working with Vunerable People Card

2. Click here to complete the DECYP Mandatory Safeguarding Training 

3. Click here to fill out the Mount Nelson Primary Volunteer Expression of Interest Form 

From the School Health Nurse

Student Achievements - Let us know!

If your child has been selected to be part of a representative team, has won a prize in performing arts, has a part in a major stage production or any other significant achievement outside of school, let us know via the webform below so that we can share the news and celebrate the achievement in our school newsletter.  Let's Celebrate!!

2025 Enrolments

Our school is starting to look at enrolments for 2025 from families within our school catchment area and out-of-area. We encourage all families with children who will be  joining us in 2025 to contact the school office mount.nelson.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au or fill in the form below.

Please note, all out-of-area families will still be required to complete the Expression of Interest Out-of-Area application form and are not guaranteed a place at Mount Nelson Primary.

If your child is not in grade 6 and your child will not be continuing with us next year - please let us know for our future planning by contacting the school office or filling in the form below. 

From the School Association

Thank you for Volunteering!
During National Volunteer Week, we would like to acknowledge and thank all the parents, carers and community members who volunteer for the school and for the activities of the school association.

We thank our coordinators for their ongoing commitment to the uniform shop, canteen and sports teams, including their coaches and managers.

Our weekly canteen helpers make this service a regular success.

Equally important and worthy of our gratitude are those who offer to help out for an hour when they can: cooking some sausages, setting up a fundraising stall, doing to heavy lifting at our working bees, or providing hot drinks for cold cross country spectators. 

So to all our volunteers, including any we’ve missed in this message, we say a big thank you for all that you give to the school and to our students. 

If you would like to know more about these opportunities please complete the volunteer registration form on Qkr.

Update from the Committee
The School Association Committee met last week to discuss a wide-ranging agenda. Key outcomes included:

• Finalisation and approval of the Before and After School Activity Policy, clarifying supervision responsibility for children attending activities such as soccer, netball or other Association-led activities. 
• Agreement to fund a free BBQ lunch for all students at this week’s Cross Country in celebration of the first event on our newly refurbished oval.

If you have any questions about the activities of the association committee or would like to suggest a topic for discussion, please email mnpsassociation@gmail.com

Fundraising for our Students
The School Association is driving a fundraising initiative to enhance our students’ educational experience. We have worked with the teachers to pinpoint crucial educational resources that require funding. These are things the school does not currently have funding for. They will benefit all classes across the school. 

Your contributions will directly fund:

• updated maths resources
• decodable literacy resources
• digital piano and microphones
• atlases for geographic exploration
• new marquees for sports activities and events

Your generosity drives our collective commitment to nurturing a dynamic and inclusive learning environment where our children can thrive.

Donations can be made through Qkr!

Canteen Coordinator Vacancy
The return of weekly canteen has been a great success, and we thank Lihini and Sarah for their stellar work! Sarah will be stepping back from this position in Term 3, and we are seeking interest from the school community for a new coordinator to share the role with Lihini and allow us to continue a regular canteen offering.

Make the role work for you, no cooking required! Please contact mnpsassociation@gmail.com if you’d like to know more.

Veggie Garden Beds
Happy Autumn, everyone!

It's that time of year when the leaves are falling from the trees. Did you know that those fallen leaves are not just pretty, but they can help us create awesome, nutritious soil for our school veggie garden?

Get out with your parents, caregivers, neighbours, and friends to collect them! If you see a pile of leaves (but not from gum trees—they’re a bit too oily and don’t break down easily), grab a bag and collect them, no twigs! Bring your leaves to school and add them to our veggie garden beds, and let's make some super soil together. It’s a low-cost, no-chemical way to build some beautiful, nutritious soil ready for spring planting! So get out there and help make our garden grow! 

You could also have a chat with your adult about how soils are made—it's really fascinating!

Last chance to register for City to Casino
Registrations close on Saturday! Don’t miss your chance to join the Mount Nelson Primary School team in the City to Casino fun run on Sunday 26th May.

Click on the link to join the team: https://raceroster.com/events/2024/84922/raine-and-horne-city-to-casino-fun-run-and-walk/register?team=646191 or search “Mount Nelson Primary” in teams list.

Wear your uniform and run/walk at your own pace & we could win a prize for our school!

Contact lucy.klein@decyp.tas.gov.au for more information or check the webpage https://citytocasino.com.au

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