School Newsletter - 5th March 2025

From the Principal

Athletics Carnival 

On Tuesday 4th March, Waverley Primary School hosted our Athletics Carnival. Students Year 3 to 6 had opportunity to participate in field events long jump, discus and shotput, as well as run the 100m, 200m and 400m running events.   

 Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 had the opportunity to participate in a rotation of novelty events including the sack race, an egg and spoon race and the game ‘rob the nest’.   

This year we are delighted to share our newly built long jump was a great success.   

Our students participated in their grade groups and represented their Sport House. Having teams to compete against one another creates a sense of community encouraging a sense of fun and competition.    

 At Waverley we are committed to cultural diversity, reconciliation, and creating an inclusive educational environment that respects and honours Australia's indigenous heritage. We have Aboriginal names for our house groups to symbolise unity within our school, bringing students from diverse backgrounds together under a shared appreciation for indigenous culture.  

 We have two house groups;   

• laymina – lake         The palawa kani ‘ay’ sound in ‘laymina’ is said as in ‘pie’.    

• truwala – mountain   

You will notice both Aboriginal words are not spelt with capitals.  The use of lower-case for these names is different to English.    

We will continue to work with our school community to develop the house team logos.  

 Students have been divided into either laymina (blue colour) meaning lake, or tuwala (green colour) meaning mountain.  

 It was great to see parents and carers join us to watch their child(ren) as they participated in events and earned points for their house.   

  Our students displayed the SHINE expectations of:   
  

• Being Safe   

• Being Helpful   

• Being Inclusive   

• Being Excellent   

This includes being a fair and friendly team member as well as opponent.   

 Parents and Carers were invited to join our school for a BBQ lunch fundraiser, hosted by our School Association with generous support from Rotary Tamar Sunrise. The funds raised will go directly towards purchasing new sporting equipment, helping to enhance opportunities for our students to stay active and engaged. 

The Athletics Carnival was a fantastic day filled with energy, teamwork, and community spirit. It was wonderful to see our students demonstrating SHINE expectations throughout the day, cheering each other on and giving their best effort in every event. Thank you to our families for coming along to support and to the School Association for running the BBQ fundraiser. Your contributions help us continue to provide excellent sporting opportunities for our students. We look forward to more exciting events where our Waverley community can come together, celebrate our achievements, and continue to SHINE! 

A special thank you to Mrs Matuska, our HPE teacher, for her dedication and hard work in organising our Athletics Carnival. Her commitment, together with the tireless efforts of Mr Doolan and Mrs Anderson in setting up the grounds and preparing the tracks, ensured the day was a great success. We also appreciate the support of our staff who encouraged and guided students throughout the day, along with the student leaders from Queechy High School who volunteered their time to assist. Thank you to our admin team and staff who took on additional roles to keep the event running smoothly and on time. Your teamwork, dedication, and enthusiasm are truly valued. 

Interim Reports 

Interim reports will go home on Friday 7th March and we will have Parent Teacher meetings on Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th March from 3pm.  This opportunity is extended to all families with children from Kindergarten to Year 6.  The link to book parent teacher meetings is below. 

We have an exciting opportunity for parents/carers and learners to connect with us at the upcoming Parent Teacher Meetings. It's a chance to celebrate your child's progress, set goals together, and share valuable information. We believe in open communication, so feel free to ask any questions or share insights about your child. 

For Prep to Year 6, teachers will provide you with an Interim Report on your child's learning behaviours. A letter will be sent home this week with all the details you need. Please read it carefully and return the form with your preferred times and dates for the meeting as soon as possible or visit the below link to make a booking. 

We encourage you to jot down specific topics you'd like to discuss about your child your active participation in these meetings is important. 

We look forward to connecting with you and working together to support your child's learning journey! 

Our Values 

Our school learning behaviours

   
We are:   

Safe: We work and play in a way that is safe for all members of the school community   

Helpful: We work together to support each other   

INclusive: We value the right of everyone to learn and take responsibility to ensure that access to a high-level educational program is accessible to all   

Excellent: We aspire to be our very best at all times   

Our Values   

• Connection- Building positive relationship and a sense of belonging.  

• Courage- accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.   

• Growth- aspiring to learn, and improving, even when it is tough.  

• Respect- Caring for ourselves, each other, and our environment.  

• Responsibility Stepping up and doing what is right.   

At Waverley, we value respect and our SHINE expectations. Swearing is not acceptable at school. We expect all students to use kind and respectful language. 

Please support this message at home. If your child hears inappropriate language, encourage them to tell a staff member so we can address it. 

Together, we can keep Waverley a welcoming and respectful community. 

Thank you for your support. 

Important Notice: Safety and Security at School After Hours 

We would like to bring to your attention an issue that has recently occurred, prompting us to address the safety and security of our school premises after regular school hours. 

Regrettably, there have been instances where some individuals accessed our school grounds after hours, leading to damage to the play equipment, windows and wiring on the roof. Such incidents not only compromise the integrity of our facilities but also pose potential safety risks. 

In light of this, we kindly request your assistance in maintaining the security of our school. If you notice any suspicious behaviour or individuals on the school premises, especially on the roof, we urge you to contact the Tasmanian Police immediately. Your vigilance and prompt action can help ensure the safety of our school community and prevent further damage. 

We understand and appreciate that many families enjoy using our school grounds after regular school hours, and we would like to reassure you that our play equipment is available for your enjoyment.  

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families are of utmost importance to us. Let's work together to create a secure environment for everyone. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and ongoing support. 

Please be safe and help us in looking after our beloved school. 

 Kind regards, 

Katie Wightman 

Principal 

Dining Hall

We are thrilled to share that work on our Dining Hall and Kitchen Redevelopment is officially underway! 

Construction began on 24th February, and the project is expected to take approximately 16 weeks to complete. This is a major step towards creating a fantastic new space for our students and community to enjoy. 

Right now, builders are busy removing old carpets, knocking down walls, and clearing out the space to make way for the new design. Asbestos removal was also completed safely during the student-free day. 

A big thank you to everyone who has played a part in making this project happen. Your support and contributions are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to seeing the finished space in the months ahead! 

Amber Adams

School Business Manager

REMINDER 2025 Student Validation Forms

We have nearly 100% of our 2025 Student Validation Forms returned. Your cooperation in completing this form is crucial to ensuring that our school maintains accurate and up-to-date information for each student, especially in case of emergencies. For those families that received a reminder last week please carefully review the provided information and make any necessary changes on the form. The class that returns all their forms signed will receive a FREE pizza lunch.   

Amanda Chugg

School Administration Clerk

Kindergarten Health Check

Every Kindergarten child at Waverley Primary School can have a Kinder Health Check (KHC) with the School Health Nurse. The health check includes vision and hearing screening, height and weight measurements, and an oral health check. 

The KHC form will be sent home with your child this week.  

If you would like your child to have the KHC, please complete the form and return it to the Office or your child’s teacher as soon as possible. If you do not want your child to have the KHC, tick the box on page 2, add your child’s details and return the form. 

Louise Webster

Primary School Health Nurse

National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) 2025

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is held in March. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. 

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests.  NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school's assessment and reporting process, and it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. 

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy. 

NAPLAN is an online assessment (except for Year 3 writing which is a paper based assessment). NAPLAN Online provides a better and more precise assessment. The assessments feature a tailored test design where the questions a student receives will depend on their answers to previous questions.  

2025 NAPLAN testing will be held from Tuesday 12th March to Monday 24th March. 

Individual student performance in NAPLAN is shown on a national achievement scale for each test. The performance of individual students can be compared to the average performance of all students in Australia. Parents will receive their child's individual report. 

Thank you for supporting your child’s participation in this important national initiative.  All we ask is they simply do their best. 

Mr Sam Millwood

Instructional Specialist and NAPLAN Coordinator

Communication

We believe that communication between families and staff is crucial in building relationships. You are welcome to speak with teachers face to face before or after school.  The school office can book an appointment or pass on a message.  You can visit the school office in person or phone: 6339 1455.  

Professional Support Staff 2025

Readers's Club

Hot Lunch Program 2025

Run Club

Easter Egg Raffle

Our School Association are seeking donations of easter eggs to create an Easter raffle. Please donate chocolate to the school office.

Caitlyn Olding

Chairperson

Schoolastic Book Club

📚✨ Issue 2 of Scholastic Book Club - Online Only Edition! ✨📚

Great news, book lovers! 📖 Issue 1 orders have been placed and are on their way! However, please note that our school will only be receiving one paper issue per term. So, if you’re looking to order from Issue 2, it’s only available online, orders will be sent to schools after 19th March! 

💻 Why you’ll love the online edition:
✅ Shop from the comfort of home—no waiting for the paper issue!
✅ A huge selection of books for all ages, including brand-new titles.
✅ Special online-only deals and exclusive offers!
✅ Digital extras and sneak peeks you won’t find anywhere else!

Don’t miss out! Get your hands on Issue 2 NOW and explore everything it has to offer. Remember, it’s only available online for a limited time! 🌟

👉 Visit the Schoolastics website  to check it out and order now through LOOP!

Early Years Programs 2025

The DAISY Awards

Communication

Newsletter access

Please note the following information: 

Schoolzine SZapp and our Text message service are our main source of communication. 

The newsletter is published every second Wednesday through Schoolzine and can be viewed through the SZapp.   

The Waverly Primary School Facebook page is a great way to stay informed about what is happening in and around our school. 

Attendance

At Waverley Primary students attendance and safety are high priorities.  If your child is absent or late please phone our school office ph: 6339 1455 or send a note via the SZapp.  All lateness and absence must be explained.  This is a legal requirement by the Department for Education Children and Young People.  

An SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phones of parents/carers explaining that our records show that your child is absent from school.   

The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number: 0407 580 106. Please save this number as ‘WPS Absentee’ so that when the message arrives you are aware is has come from our school.   

You can reply to the text to explain the absence please add: your child’s name, reason they are absent or late.   

Messages from you to school

To ensure your messages are received and actioned in a timely manner and without error, please use the following:

• Absentee notifications - Enter details using the SZapp by 9:00am to notify the office of student absence.
• End of day messages - Send a message using the SZapp or call 63391455 before 2:30pm.
• Queries and other messages - Send a message using the SZapp or email waverley.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au
• Uniform & icecream/icypole orders - Order and pay on the Qkr! app

We endeavour to respond to enquiries within 2 business days during school terms.

Messages from us to you

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we will push information out to you via the SZapp.  It is very important that all of our parents have signed up to the Schoolzine app to receive notices and information. 

If you require assistance in setting up or using the SZapp or the Qkr! app, please contact the office. 

Sun Smart

Uniform

A reminder to please ensure your child(ren) are dressed in school uniform for their day at school. Our school has very high expectations for our school uniform and many visitors to our school give extremely positive feedback about how smart our students look. We ask that any long sleeves under polo tops are gold keep to with our school colours. We ask that students please wear black trackpants/trousers or shorts. 

A reminder that our Waverley Primary School jackets are great for an extra layer over a school jumper. Uniform items can be purchased at the main office or through our Qkr! app, with items being delivered to students within a day. 

Please note: branded leggings and very short hot pant style shorts are not part of our school uniform.

School Association News

School Association

The School Association is made up of the parents, staff and community members of a school. The School Association is an important part of the school, working with the Principal to achieve shared outcomes for learners and for the whole school community.  

The School Association Committee is an elected group of members that work together for the benefit of the school. The Committee manages and conducts the affairs of the School Association and performs administrative and decision-making tasks on behalf of the School Association. 

Parent participation on our Committee is highly valued.  We meet on the third Tuesday each month, excluding school holidays, from 1:40-2:50pm.

Ms Caitlyn Olding

Chairperson

Ice Cream Sales

A reminder that we have ice cream sales on a Monday at lunch time.  All proceeds support our Year 6 celebration activities.  You can order your ice cream or icy pole on the Qkr! app or you can bring cash on the day.

Important Dates

School Opens at 8:30AM

4/5/6 Sport Roster

Allergy Aware

We are an allergy aware school.  We discourage the use and consumption of nuts and nut products as well as eggs and egg products. 

Working With Vulnerable People Registration

Parents and carers if you remain with your child in their classroom beyond school drop off, or volunteer for parent help, or would like to attend a school excursion we must see a copy of your registration card.  When you sign in at the office please enter your RWVP number.  

It is against the law for a person to work or volunteer at any DECYP School without a current working with vulnerable people registration. 

If you would like to volunteer at Waverley Primary School we would love to hear from you.  To apply for registration please follow the link below:

Move Well Eat Well

A reminder to everyone that we do not bring energy drinks to school.  

School Student Broadband Initiative

Launnie Connecting Community in Waverley

Community Notices