14 February 2024

Principals Report

  Welcome to 2024

What a wonderful start to the year. It has been lovely hearing about all the adventures students had over the holidays from days at the beach, overseas trips, sleepovers and visiting with family. Day one saw our students happily greeting friends, making new ones and getting to know their new class and teachers. This is the time we set up our school and class routines as well as reinforcing our school expectations of being Safe, Fair, Respectful Learners. These expectations are the basis of our behaviour policy and students are working with their teachers to clarify their class’s expectations for great learning and respectful relationships.

Reminders –

• Duty of Care – students are supervised in the playground and classrooms from 8:30 am. If you need to drop your child off earlier, we now have before school care run by Lady Gowrie from 7am - 8:30.
• Nut Aware – we have several students with allergies to nuts and other foods, specifically cashews, pistachios, peanuts and seafood. Please ensure that you do not send food with your child that includes these ingredients.

Remember, if your child has an allergy or asthma, you need to send a Medical Action Plan from your doctor to school so we can ensure the safety of your child.

New staff:

We welcome some new staff to our school:

Ms Xinman Wang – Hello everyone, my name is Xinman Wang. I graduated from Deakin university Master of Teaching. I am the new classroom teacher for Prep1W. 2024 is my first teaching year and I am looking forward to embarking on this journey with you! 

Mrs Miri McShane - Hi, my name is Miri McShane and I am very excited to be joining such an amazing team and school community at Albuera Street Primary School.

I am a mother of three; Amelia (20), Ari (17) and Alana (14) and a fur baby Nunu (60 human years).

I love swimming in the ocean, cooking and trying out different craft projects. I also enjoy collecting children’s books and, as such, I have a text to go with every learning concept that I teach.

I have worked in Education for over 12 years. I started as a teacher assistant and then qualified in Early Childhood Education teaching in various schools from Kinder to Grade 6 and as a Launching into Learning co-ordinator.

I love focusing on inquiry and the way very young children pose so many fabulous wonderings and I love seeing their pure excitement when discovering new things about the world.

I am looking forward to meeting families and working together to support every child with their unique learning journey.

Ms Renee Britton will be leaving us to have her baby in a few weeks and Mr Nick Corney will be taking her place for the rest of the year. Mr Corney will be working with Ms Britton while she is still here to learn the ropes of PE at ASPS.

Staff Professional Learning –

You may have noticed that students began school on a Thursday rather than Wednesday this year. This is because of negotiations between the Department and Union which happened last year. We use these days to give staff time in their classrooms to set up for the beginning of school as well as professional learning. Staff participated in CPR skills, revising the responsibilities of our roles, undertaking online courses in Mandatory Reporting, Child Sexual Assault and Reading – all of which are priorities of the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) for 2024.

The whole state is undergoing an improving, refining and systemising our teaching of reading. As such there will be some changes to our approach to reading, including Home Reading, and as we learn more about the expectations, we will share them with you.

Volunteers:

Volunteers at our school play an important part in the overall education of our students. As part of the response to the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse, a focus on reporting concerns has led to the creation of a short online video explaining mandatory reporting and child sexual abuse and our responsibilities within that. All volunteers wishing to help in our school or on excursions will need to show your certificate, along with your Working with Vulnerable People card before volunteering. You can access the video using this link:

Thank you to the people who have already done this. Together we can help keep our children safe.

Meet the Teacher – Tuesday 20^th February:

Come into school and your child’s teachers will talk to you about their classroom expectations, routines and important information. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about the running of the classroom.

Students will be supervised outside in the Northern Yard only during this time. The sessions will be in your child’s classroom.

• P-2/3 -3:15-3:40
• 3/4/5 – 3:45-4:10
• 5/6 – 4:15-4:40

Kinder teachers will organise a session for all kinder families. You will be informed of this through Seesaw, shortly.

Curriculum Overview letters will be handed out at the Meet the Teacher session or sent home if you are unable to attend. Specialist teachers will also share what they will be doing and their class expectations via Seesaw.

Parent/Teacher Phone conversations:

Class teachers will be making phone contact with families in week 5 (4^th – 8^th March) to have a chat about how your child has settled into school, their aptitude to learning and give you the opportunity to share information about your child, their interests, feelings about school and anything else you feel would be relevant to the teacher to support your child with their learning and wellbeing. If your child has a Learning Plan, they will also discuss the initial goals they have before the updating of these plans nearer to the end of term.

There is a booking system for you to allocate a time suitable for this phone conversation. Information will go out shortly.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is now this term from Wednesday 13^th March until the 22^th. All Year 3 and 5 students around Australia will be participating at this time. We will be sending information out soon. If you have any questions or concerns or wish to discuss the withdrawal of your child from the testing, please talk to your child’s teacher or Jo Waldon

Parent Tip – positive thinking and conversations about school and goal setting can help set up the way forward for the year. Here are some suggestions:

I’m looking forward to a great year joining in with the learning journeys of your children.

Jo Waldon
Principal

School Association

Canteen 2024

Welcome back to the canteen for 2024. To those who are new to the school, the Albuera St Primary school canteen operates on each Friday during the year. We are dedicated to providing healthy, child friendly food. Once again, the canteen will offer food at both recess and lunch. Weekly specials will be advertised in the news latter each fortnight. A full list of options can be seen on the ordering app.

Orders need to be submitted by 10.00 am Thursday morning. This is achieved via the Qkr! App. The App can be down loaded free from the app store. Please follow the links to Albuera St. Your child’s name needs be inputted along with the class details. Banking details must also be included. For existing accounts, please update the class details for each child. It really does help me to deliver the food o the correct class.

The canteen attempts to accommodate food allergies and any cultural requirements. However, this can only occur if the school and the canteen are provided with correct and up to date information.  If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions to ensure your child receives safe and appropriate food please feel free to contact me.

Urgent Volunteers Required

The school canteen can not nor will not operate without the kind assistance for the parent population. Assistance is required from 9:00 to 2:15ish. However, as this may be problematic for some people shorted periods of time can be negotiated. If you are able to assist on a Friday, please consider volunteering. All volunteers will need a Working with volunteer card/ check as well as completing the Mandatory Reporting video (it only takes 13 minutes).

Caron Summers   Canteen Manager   0417 559 920

Canteen Specials 16^th and 23^rd February 2024

16^th February

Recess: Sweet Special:   Apple Crumble with custard.
(Gluten free option available on the app)
Savoury Special: Margherita Pizza (on an English Muffin base)
Berry Muffin:     Blueberry

Lunch:   Pasta with a Meat Sauce
(Gluten free option available on the app; Vegetarian option by direct contact with Me)

23^rd February

Recess:  Sweet Special:  Banana Cake
(Gluten free option available on the app)
Savoury Special: Cheese Muffin
Berry Muffin:     Strawberry

Lunch: Vegetarian Fried Rice with egg omelette garnish

Canteen Helper

Please remember to choose the correct order date on the Qkr! App.

Nut Allergy – Reminder

We have a number of students in our school who are allergic to nuts and nut products. Exposure to nuts can trigger an allergic reaction and be life-threatening for these students, so please avoid sending nuts or nut based products to school. We aim to keep our school as nut-free as possible to keep our students safe.

New online information hub for families

Some exciting news! The Department for Education, Children and Young People has recently launched a new online information hub for families with school-aged children in Tasmania. Our new website has information to help you navigate your child's education, from birth all the way up to 18 years of age.

Visit our new webpage at Welcome to your child's Tasmanian education - The Department for Education, Children and Young People Tasmania (decyp.tas.gov.au)

Some of the things you’ll find include

• tips on how to support your child’s learning at home
• information to help you keep your child safe and well
• a guide to explore courses for the career they want
• school holiday and term dates.

We hope this website will be a valuable tool for you as you help your child navigate their education journey. We would love to know what you think of our new information hub for families. You can tell us by completing a quick survey on the webpage.

Launching into Learning 2024

LiL will be on Wednesday afternoon next year at 1.45 pm to 2.45 starting 21st  February.

Albuera Ukulele Kids

Mr Williams will be offering ukulele classes on Tuesdays at lunchtime this year.  This program will be open to grades 2 to 6. The first class starts on 20^th February.

Students need to bring along their own ukulele. These can be bought from music shops and cost from $45.  Ukuleles that are less than this price are usually toys and are not suitable.

Students will also need to get a plastic folder with inserts to keep their music clean and together. This will be brought along to the lesson each week.

Is your child a righty or a leftie? This is important for knowing the tuning, so ask the music shop to help you have it appropriately strung and tuned. Tuning of ukuleles is so important, so purchasing either a ‘pitchpipe’, or an electric one (e.g., Snark) is recommended. There are free iPhone/computer ones so students should learn to how to tune their own uke and keep them tuned. Parents need to support their students in keeping ukes tuned at home too. Please be vigilant in regularly tuning your child’s ukulele, and/or teaching them how to tune, as tuning multiple students’ ukuleles when class is on is wasted time.

Although an elective, students who would like to join the group must commit to practising at home as so no one is left behind. We can then move on as a group to playing lots of more complex music together. 

There are only 15 spots so, first in - best dressed!  Last year’s uke players are welcomed back at the beginning of Term 2 to play when the newest students have gained some greater skills. They are, though, truly encouraged to come along (without their ukuleles) and support our new players to learn the basics during this first term.

Come along and be an AUK! [Albuera Ukulele Kids]

Mr Williams

Uniform Times

This year as we are setting times available for the purchase of uniforms.

Tuesdays:  2.30pm to 3.00pm
Thursdays: 8.30 am to 9.15am

Orders can be made and paid for over the phone and be ready to pick up at an arranged time if the above times do not suit you.

LEVIES REMINDER

Thank you to parents who have paid levies and to those who are making regular payments. Levies are now overdue, if you are experiencing difficulties with making payments, please contact Annette and discuss a payment plan.  Payments can be made weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Payment Options

• BPay, Service Tasmania, Eftpos
• Credit Card over the phone (6223 2268)
• Cheque payable to Albuera Street Primary School
• Levy Instalment Plan (Please contact reggett@education.tas.gov.au or 6223 2268)

Student Medications

It is a Department of Education requirement that all medications to be taken by students during the school day are to be passed into the office or teacher in charge of an excursion or camp. The medications require a signed doctor/pharmacist as well as parent permission form (these forms are available in the Forms and Documents panel in the newsletter or at the office). The medication is also to be in the original packaging so that staff know what they are administering. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Medical Action Plans

Every child at Albuera Street Primary with a medical condition needs to supply an updated medical plan to the school each year, especially those with Anaphylaxis and Asthma. Staff from Albuera have been trained in Anaphylaxis using EpiPens and also in Ventolin administration for Asthma. If you are new to the school and your child has a medical condition please come into the office and collect an appropriate action plan form, or if you just have questions please don’t hesitate to phone the school.

WWVP Card & Mandatory Reporting

Sign In Requirements and Checks

New requirements for record keeping have been in effect from August 2018 which specifies that all sites are required to keep visitor sign in registers. All volunteers, external providers, contractors and visitors (where appropriate) must sign in using the visitor register.

A DoE site must request the RWVP card and perform a status check via the DoJ website each time someone presents at or attends a site in their respective capacity. The status check will return current information and indicate any conditions applying to a registration.

If a search fails to return information, this indicates a change in registration has occurred. DoE staff at the worksite must sign off on the visitor register to confirm that RWVP verification has occurred.

The Department requirement is that you must present your RWVP card EVERY time you sign in.

Mandatory Reporting

Our Department now requires all volunteers to do a short online course (short 13 min video) about Mandatory reporting. This is one of the ways we are working to keep all our students safe. Please use the link below or see the flyer.

Information for those who need to apply for WWVP card

To volunteer at this school, you will be required to hold a “Registration to Work with Vulnerable People”. It is extremely important that parent helpers and volunteers are registered and Albuera Street Primary School is recorded in your application.

How to apply for a WWVP Card

Complete the online application form.  This is available from the website at 

Chose Department of Education from the organisation drop-down box and also select Albuera Street Primary School from the location drop-down box. Please remember each time to volunteer at the school you need to bring your card each time.

Sickness

Parents/carers are reminded to advise the school office if their child is unable to attend school due to illness or any other reason.

• By phone (62232268) leave a message anytime on the answering machine.
• Email street.primary@education.tas.gov.au
• Schoolzine – click on the absentee tab

A medical certificate is required if a child is absent due to illness for 5 days or more

After School Care & Before School Care

ASC & BSC is provided on site by Lady Gowrie Child Care Services (Ph: 6230 6806).
BSC is available from 7 am to 8.30 am.
ASC is available from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm each school day and 1.00pm – 3.00pm Wednesday for Kinder.

Term Dates for 2024

O’Grady Drama Poster

What is Saver Plus?  

Saver Plus is a program for people on lower incomes. It’s about bolstering their financial skills, so they can develop (and keep) good savings habits.   

Community Notices