Upcoming Events

Term Dates

Professional Learning Days & Public Holidays

Welcome back to School

I hope that all of our students have had an excellent, fun and enjoyable holiday. I know that for all of our school community that the holidays were very timely. The Covid-19 situation has meant many changes to all of our lives and especially so on our students and their schooling. I was though, highly impressed with the resilience of our students and how well they did overall when we got back to the “new normal” of school life in term 2.

Hopefully, we will not have another major C19 outbreak in Tasmania so we can get back to operating schools more closely to the way they were before the virus. From today the government and our DoE has allowed significant changes to how schools may operate. The first of these will be that stop and go now moves from the playground to the classroom doors for most classes and the deck for the ECE area. I have included the DoE’s Advice to Parents and Learning at School: a parents and carers guide, in this newsletter so that you will know what changes will be implemented from the start of this term and others envisaged for later this term.

At the end of term 2 we had two changes in our staffing. Miss Ruby Moore was the successful applicant for the Acting AST position at Montello Primary School. I congratulate Miss Moore on her promotion and wish her all the best in this role. Miss Moore’s class will be taught for Term 3 and 4 by Mrs Lisa Piper. Mrs Piper has transferred to our school from Montello PS. I would like to welcome Mrs Piper to our school and wish her the very best in her new teaching role. Another change for the 2-3 class is that teacher assistant Ms Kerri Sanders decided to retire and move to Queensland. She too will be missed by all. I wish her all the best for her move. Ms Sanders replacement on 2-3 Piper will be Mrs Lori Van Der Hulst.

There will be other staffing changes this term. Mr Youd will be on leave for a month from the 17^th of August and also the week the 3^rd of August. Whilst Mr Youd is on leave Mrs Youd will be the Acting Principal. Miss Jessie Simmonds will be the Acting AST.

Staff Professional Learning

This term we will continue with our commitment to the professional learning for our staff, with a number of staff attending professional learning activities over the next couple of weeks. Our PL Program on the student free day on Monday was learning about the effects of Trauma and Toxic Stress on students. We will be learning this term with regard to Collaborative Problem Solving. CPS is a method parents and care givers can learn to help children solve problems and learn skills. It will help children become less challenging. We will also be working on the teaching of literacy, inquiry learning and behaviour management. By participating in these programs we ensure that our staff maintain their knowledge and skills about current best teaching practice and this also supports a consistency in approach across the school

School Association

Mrs Allison Gleeson has replaced Miss Moore as a staff representative on the School Association. 

EDPS Learn to Swim and Swimming Lessons

All students at EDPS in Years 1 – 6 will have an opportunity to participate in the DoE learn to swim and swimming lessons from next Monday.

Students in Years 3 – 5 participate in the Department of Education compulsory 2 week program which is funded by the DoE.

Our Year 1-2 will have the opportunity for a 5 day program and our Year 6 students this year will have the opportunity for the full 10 day program. This is funded from our school resources.

Learn to Swim and Swimming lessons are very important for all students. Swimming is a significant part of the Physical Education program and all students are expected to participate.

Information and Permission forms were sent home last week. Our program will start from Monday 3^th August for students in years 3 – 6 and either week 1 or week 2 for our year 1 - 2 students.

We request that the permission forms be returned to class teachers as soon as possible to allow organisation of the program.

Due to the Covid 19 situation there have been changes made by the Department of Education on how this year’s state swimming program will run.

The major change is that parents are NOT permitted to attend / observe the swimming lessons as in past years – except for an exceptional circumstance.

Non swimmers will stay at school and work in another class.

Any child with cold or flu like symptoms are to stay home and are also not be permitted to attend swimming.

Reasons why your child should learn to swim – improve their swimming are many and varied.

You need to give your child the chance to learn to swim and to improve their swimming ability.

The most important reason is that swimming is the only sport which can save your child’s life.

Drowning is still one of the most common causes of accidental death in children, so being able to swim is an essential life-saving skill.

Swimming is lots of fun for people of all ages and children especially love getting in the water and enjoying themselves.

But it is not just fun, swimming also provides loads of health benefits which can help to keep your children healthy and happy at the same time:

Swimming keeps your child’s heart and lungs healthy, improves strength and flexibility, increases stamina and even improves balance and posture

Another great thing about swimming is that children of any age or ability can take part and it is more accessible for children with additional needs than almost any other sport.

Swimming provides challenges and rewards accomplishments, which helps children to become self-confident and believe in their abilities

Your child will have plenty of opportunities to make friends and grow in confidence.

But health, fun, and confidence are not the only reasons why your child should learn to swim.

Some parents prevent their children from attending swimming because they believe that their child will catch a cold from the cold or water.

This is actually a MYTH as your child won’t / can’t catch a cold from water as colds are caused by viruses.

Children who find learning to swim difficult often have their parents excuse them from swimming. Children naturally try to avoid things that they find hard to do.

If your child does not want to attend our swimming lessons (other than for  legitimate health reasons) we need your strong support for them to attend.

Learning to swim is one of the most important life lessons we can give our students / children.

If you have any questions about the Swimming Program please contact Miss Sharman.

Bus Changes 

Merseylink have notified the school it is now no longer possible to put mutiple students on the bus using our smartcard when students have forgetten their money or bus pass. 

As a result of this it is important that all students have their bus pass/smart card or money in order to be able to catch the bus. Students who forget will be required to be collected from the school office or alternative arrangements made (contact will be made with parents as required)

Donation

The school would like to thank the Lawrence family for their kind donation to the school library. 

DOE Learning at School – Parents and Carers Guide

The DOE has developed a web site – learning at School – a parents and Carers guide to keep families informed of the requirements for schools during Covid 19. The website will be regularly updated as the Government makes changes to what schools are required to and may do during these times.

New Expectations for parents and carers dropping off and collecting children

The first of the changes will be a change to the Drop and Go requirements. From today Parents / Carers may now drop off and collect their children from the ECE deck for classes P-1C, P-1M and 2-3P and from the classroom doors for all other classes, except for Mrs Thow’s class which will be from the doors near the Primary toilets. When dropping off children at the new drop off and collection points parents / carers will not be required to hand sanitise or fill in the C19 screening forms. Physical distancing from non-family member adults of 1.5m though is still to be maintained when on the school grounds. However, please note that if you need to enter the classroom for a brief period – under 5 minutes – it is  a requirement that you hand sanitise with the provided hand sanitiser before entering the classroom.

If you are visiting the school at any other time than before school for dropping off your children and or collecting them at the end of the day the following requirements are to be followed.

Entry to the school at all other times will be via the school office. At the Office the formal Covid-19 screening form must be filled in and hand sanitising is to take place before entering the school buildings other than the office foyer.

In line with health advice, schools are operating full time, and many additional activities are now able to recommence.

Learning at School – Introduction

School attendance

School activities/ school site usage

Physical distancing

School cleaning and hygiene supplies

School activities return and timeline

Reporting and assessment

Responding to COVID-19 cases

Learning at School – Parents and Carers Guide (PDF, 7.4MB)

All schools have returned to full-time learning at school. With updated health advice and changes to state and national restrictions, schools are currently able to undertake a number of school-based activities. More activities have restarted from today, the start of Term 3 (21 July 2020). Some activities are continuing to be considered.

The following principles underpin these guidelines:

Schools continue to be safe. Operations are in line with Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and Tasmanian Health guidelines.

There are existing infection control protocols at schools. We put in place new health and safety measures. It will help maintain the health and safety of students and staff.

All activities permitted at school are safe and appropriate in a living with COVID-19 environment.

School students do not need to follow strict adult physical distancing guidelines. They should follow good hygiene practices like:

• staying home when you are sick
• regularly washing / sanitising your hands
• avoid sharing drinks or food
• cough or sneeze into your elbow, or a tissue which should be discarded immediately

 School attendance

All students should be at school unless:

• they have medical advice which states that they are unable to return to school due to an ongoing medical condition and the expected timeframe
• they are currently unwell.

School activities / school site usage

Most school-based activities can restart, as long as the following measures are observed:

• all visitors and external providers must adhere to relevant hygiene, distancing and safety protocols
• principals may continue to restrict, limit or prohibit activities if they are seen as contrary to the current health advice
• external providers and visitors are required to demonstrate compliance with health and safety requirements including adhering to strict guidelines and completing relevant forms

Further information may be found a the following web site https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/learning-at-school-parents-and-carers-guide/

Social Media and Cyberbullying

Recently we have become aware of incidences of inappropriate use of social media and possible cyber bullying involving our students outside of school hours.

To inform our community about how to educate our children and to deal with this increasing societal problem we have included the federal government’s  guide to online bullying for parents and carers.

Online bullying can have a devastating impact on young people, whose online life is a key part of their identity and how they interact socially. Cyberbullying behaviour takes many forms, such as sending abusive messages, hurtful images or videos, nasty online gossip, excluding or humiliating others, or creating fake accounts in someone’s name to trick or humiliate them. 

Targeted advice is also available for kids, young people or adults who may be experiencing online abuse.

I think my child is being bullied

Your child may not tell you if they are experiencing bullying behaviour online because of a fear it might make things worse for them or they may lose access to their devices and the internet. 

Signs to watch for

• being upset after using the internet or their mobile phone
• changes in personality, becoming more withdrawn,
  anxious, sad or angry 
• appearing more lonely or distressed 
• unexpected changes in friendship groups 
• a decline in their school work 
• changes in their sleep patterns 
• avoidance of school or clubs 
• a decline in their physical health 
• becoming secretive about their online activities and
  mobile phone use

What to do if your child is being cyberbullied

Try to resist immediately taking away their device. Removing your child’s phone or computer could be really unhelpful. Cutting off their online access does not teach them about online safety or help build resilience. It could alienate them from their peers, and it also removes an essential tool for them to communicate and connect with friends.  

Stay calm and open — don’t panic 

You want your child to feel confident that you’re not immediately going to get upset, angry or anxious if they tell you about the situation. You want them to know they can talk to you and feel heard. The best way to do this is make sure you have an open dialogue from the beginning. Talk to them without being judgemental or angry, and make them feel like they can come to you with anything, without fear of being punished.

Listen, think, pause

Gauge the scale of the problem. Does it exist in a peer group or is it more widespread? Is it a few remarks here and there? Or is it more serious? Empathise with your child and let them know that you understand how they feel.

How badly is it affecting your child personally? If the bullying itself is not very intense, but your child seems quite seriously affected, this could be a symptom of something larger. In this case you may need to seek help, from a school counsellor, a helpline, or an external professional.

Try not to respond immediately. Take some time to consider the best course of action. Reassure your child you are working on it and will come together again very soon to talk through some options. Let them know you are there if they feel like they need to talk in the meantime.

Act to protect your child if necessary

If your child is being threatened, or if they indicate a wish to harm themselves, you should get professional help.

Call Triple Zero (000) immediately, if their physical safety is at risk.
Contact a counselling and support service like Kids Helpline.

Empower your child

Wherever possible, try to build your child’s confidence and help them make wise decisions for themselves, rather than telling them what to do. If you feel they may be struggling to open up to you, connect them with other trusted adults or with professional support.

Collect evidence 

Before you or your child block someone or delete posts or other bullying material, take screenshots and collect evidence including dates and times. The evidence may be useful if the bullying behaviour continues and you need a record of how long it has been going on. You may also need evidence if you want to report it.  However, if the bullying material involves sexualised images, be aware that possessing or sharing such images of people under 18 may be a crime, even if you have just taken a screenshot for evidence purposes. For information about relevant laws in Australia, visit Youth Law Australia. You can also read our advice about sharing intimate images in sending nudes and sexting.

Manage contact with others

Advise your child not to retaliate or respond to bullying messages, as sometimes people say hurtful things just to get a response and it could make things worse. If they have already responded, encourage them not to respond further. Help your child to block or unfriend the person sending the messages to limit contact with them. Help your child change their privacy settings to restrict who can see their posts and profile page. Advice on privacy settings is available in The eSafety Guide. Encourage your child to ask their friends whether mean content is still being posted and if so, ask them to report it.

Report

Many social media services, games, apps and websites make it easy to report content posted by other people. Our The eSafety Guide has links to report abusive content and online safety information.  If serious cyberbullying is affecting your child and you need help to get the material removed from a social media service or other platform, we can help. You can make a cyberbullying report to eSafety on your child’s behalf if they are under 18 years of age. It may be useful for you to read the frequently asked questions about making a report and information about how we handle cyberbullying reports

Consider seeking support from your child’s school.

Your child’s school may have a policy in place to address cyberbullying and may be able to provide support, whether or not the bullying is from a student at your child’s school.  With your child’s agreement, talk to their teacher or the school counsellor. 

Encourage positive connections and coping strategies 

Try to keep your child engaged with interests like sports or dance that connect them with other young people outside school, or with activities that involve extended family. These things will also remind your child that they are loved and lovable. Help your child identify tools they can use to work through the current situation, as well as help build resilience for any future challenges. Check out good habits start young for some tips. 

Stay aware 

Check in with your child from time-to-time about how they are feeling. Keep an eye on their eating and sleeping habits, their ability to concentrate and make decisions and their overall mood.  If you notice any changes that concern you, get help for your child through a counselling or online support service. 

I am worried my child may be bullying others.

It is best to deal with any bullying behaviour as soon as possible, before it gets too serious or becomes a regular pattern. Good habits start young has some useful advice. 

Further information may be found at https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/cyberbullying

• A firefighter from the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is visiting our school from Monday 24 August to Friday 28 August to present a Home Fire Safety Program to our Prep to Year 6 students.
• Kindergarten students, whilst not receiving a structured lesson, can expect a visit from the firefighter who will leave some free fun activities for the students to complete.
• The age appropriate program is designed to raise fire awareness in children and includes fun in class activities, videos, activity books, giveaways and a new kids website tfskids.com.au.
• Parents and other family members are also encouraged to participate by reading the information and assisting your child with the after school activities.
• The TFS aims to deliver appropriate fire safety education to every primary school child in Tasmania and is part of the TFS’s ongoing commitment to create a fire safe Tasmania.
• Key Fire Safety Messages include,
• Wake up - Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom
• Plan and practice a home fire escape plan with the whole family
• In a fire crawl low and go, go, go to the nearest exit
• In an emergency call triple zero
• Keep flammable material at least two metres from the heater
• If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, rock and roll
• Keep matches and lighters away from children
• Cooking - Turn it off before you turn away
• Cool a burn under cold water for at least 20 minutes
• Most house fires can be avoided. Make your home fire safe
• More information for parents, carers and teachers tfseducation.com.au
• Exciting new website just for kids tfskids.com.au
• SUBSCRIBE to our free bi-monthly newsletter

EARLY CHILDHOOD

TFS receives regular requests from preschools and child care centres asking for firefighters to visit and teach children about home fire safety.

TFS does not deliver structured fire safety programs to children below primary school age. This decision was made based on research carried out by the Mental Health Services of the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne. This research indicated that:

• Children under the age of five had low retention of the information they had learned; and
• In some children, the information had actually stimulated their curiosity about fire and they had begun to play with fire.

TFS believes that parents and caregivers are the best people to make sure that very young children are safe from fire. To help with this, TFS has a fire safety website for parents, carers and teachers.

TFS has also developed free giveaways for young children that introduce them to the friendly firefighter characters that they will meet when they receive the School Fire Education Program including a colouring book, a money box shaped like a fire truck, and stickers with home fire safety messages for the whole family. Click here for free giveaways for your preschool or child care centre.

Wanted! Children 4 and under to attend our fabulous Early learning East Devonport Programs. Allison Gleeson, Karen Whish-Wilson, Sharon V along with the lovely ladies from the CFC, run programs every day in the CFC or East Devonport Primary School pre-kinder room to  support you and your child in their development.

It’s a great time for parents/carers to have a moment whilst staff provide fun, educational activities for your child to enjoy. It is also a good way for parent/carers to socialise with other parents and to also  build memories with their child.  Groups include:

• baby groups
• music
• cooks and books
• messy play/art fun
• playgroups and much more.

Science Week is coming up starting Monday 10 August which will feature many fun activities. 

Pre-kinder restarts this week which is held  every Tuesday afternoon. Please contact the school or see Allison or Karen in person around the school.

Pop onto the CFC Facebook page to see starting times of our group sessions and for any further information.

Hello everyone. Your child was given today another booklet that they may choose to complete some or all of the tasks to gain hours for their graduation. Now that many sporting clubs and after school activities have recommenced, remember your child can gain hours for attending these interest groups. If it is an accredited group, take your child’s passport with you and the coach can sign and stamp the passport. There is a maximum of ten hours for each group your child attends. Otherwise, get your child to ask Mrs Whish for a form that we can use to accredit hours.

Jesse Brenan from the Children’s University will be meeting with CU students from our school next Wednesday at lunchtime. Also your child can gain hours if they join our lunchtime Garden Club or attend our after school Thursday CU club which will start back in the next few weeks. Your child can bring in their work and passport for stamping.

This Wednesday, your child may bring home a form seeking your permission to attend a lunchtime Garden club which will be run by our very own gardening guru, Mrs Kylie Clinton. There will be two Gardening Club groups, one each for our ECE and primary students. Interested students will be working in our Community Garden. We look forward to seeing what they grow and hopefully we all can enjoy their harvest.

Please note: permission forms will be required to be completed and returned to the school office before they can participate.

It has been great to come back and see everyone in their school uniform. We hope you had a lovely two weeks worth of holidays and are ready to get back to learning.  Don’t forget our school expectations of:

Remember the SRC are always watching for those students showing these and you never know when we will be doing our random acts of kindness. We would like to welcome Mrs Piper to our school. We hope you love teaching here.  In our next meeting we will be discussing ideas for school improvement such as drinking fountains, planting new trees or new play equipment. We are also hoping each class could build a bird house for around the school.

From Bonnie and Aleira.

We would like to welcome to the EDPS Team our Speech and Language Pathologisy Sarah Green.

Hi, my name is Sarah and I have been a SLP for almost 10 years and been with the Department of Education for almost 3 years.

I look forward to working with the staff, students and families at EDPS.

I am at EDPS on Wednesday mornings and all day Thursdays for this term.

Wombat Stew

Last term, students read Wombat Stew. They then had to list all the ingredients from the story and write instructions how to make Wombat Stew. Below are some posters of their Wombat Stew writing tasks; Instructions and reconstructing the story.

Preps have been busy making connections with alphabet letters. Below are some of the beautiful letter craft they have created.

Prep-1 Portlock have been creating their houses using shapes are part of the unit 'place we live'

Hello and welcome back to term 3. In 2-3 Howard we have been busy making sure we remember all of our routines and expectations. We have been working hard to make sure that we are displaying all of our classroom expectations without needing reminders. This term, additional to our Literacy and Maths, we will be focusing on a new HASS unit that allows us to investigate daily life over time.

We recently sent home a questionnaire that we have asked an adult to fill in that will help us understand how simple things in daily life have changed over time.

In 3-4 Simmonds we have just begun learning about day and night. We did some brainstorming about what we already knew. We already know lots and are learning more each day!

Silhouette Art by 5-6D.

THURSDAYS 3:30-5:00pm

Starting THURSDAY 23rd July at Byard Park.

New format with the Cats, Pies & Saints combining for season 2020.

Grades Prep to 4, boy & girls!

Come down and join in the fun!

For more information please contact:

Adam: 0499 885 521, Danny: 0400 870 404

Denelle: 0499 801 141

Or find us on Facebook at 

Devonport Saints Auskick

Devonport Cats Junior Football Club

Devonport Mini Pies

Have you ever wanted to play rugby but didn’t know where to start? Then get into Rugby is for you. The Devonport Bulls Rugby club will be running a Get into Rugby 6 week program starting on Thursday the 6th of August 2020 and finishing on Thursday 10th of September. The cost of the program is $45. To register you can download the ‘Get into Rugby” app or at https://rugbyxplorer.com.au/. Our entry-level program is non-contact and for all participants, boys and girls aged 5-12 years old. All sessions will be held at the Devonport Rugby Club at 8 Richardson Drive, Don from 4pm-5pm and delivered by our club Development Officer James Hourigan. For more information please like our page on Facebook  for weekly updates or email President Sam O’Keeffe at devonportrugbyclub@outlook.com