School Newsletter - 25th June 2025

From the Principal

Mid-Year Reporting and Student Progress Update 

As we reach the midpoint of the school year, we take time to reflect on student growth, celebrate progress, and consider next steps for learning. Mid-year reports will be delivered to families this week, offering a snapshot of each student’s academic achievement and effort across all learning areas. These reports are an important way for families and teachers to connect around learning, highlight areas of success, and support areas for growth. 

Strong partnerships between families and schools create a supportive environment to better understand your child’s strengths and areas for improvement. When families and schools work together, students are more likely to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, setting a solid foundation for their future success. 

While communicating with families meetings are a formal opportunity to discuss learning, I encourage all families to stay connected with your class teacher either by reaching out through the General Office, phoning, or arranging a meeting at a mutually agreed time. Regular communication between families and teachers ensures that parents are aware of their child's progress, challenges, and achievements. This partnership allows for early intervention when issues arise. 

Kindergarten Mid-Year Conversations 

In Kindergarten, mid-year reporting is a face-to-face conversation between families and teachers. These conversations are guided by the Kindergarten Development Check (KDC), which helps to build a holistic picture of your child’s strengths and next steps in development across key learning areas. 

This year, one of our key areas for improvement is in Gross Motor development, with a particular focus on a group of 15 physical indicators. These include being able to hop, balance on one foot, climb with coordination, and catch or kick a ball. Gross motor skills are not only vital for physical health but also support brain development, coordination, and classroom learning. Children need daily opportunities to jump, run, climb, balance, and move with purpose. Practising these skills at home—such as walking along a chalk line, playing with balls, climbing at the playground, or hopping between stepping stones—can have a big impact. 

We are also focusing on Listening, Speaking and Understanding, where critical markers include asking and responding to questions, retelling personal experiences in sequence, and being understood by adults. These skills are essential for effective communication, comprehension, and building relationships. You can help at home by asking your child to retell their day, explain how they did something, or sequence events using prompts like “First… Then… After that…” 

Our Kindergarten students show strong development in Personal and Social Behaviour, particularly in separating comfortably from parents and carers. We’re proud of how confidently our children enter the classroom and engage in learning routines, and we thank families for supporting this transition so positively. 

Other areas of strength include Fine Motor skills—such as copying shapes and forming letters—and Cognitive development, including pattern recognition and puzzle completion. These skills reflect early thinking and problem-solving abilities that set the foundation for future learning. 

Overall, our Kindergarten cohort shows a positive developmental profile, with key focus areas identified to support continued growth in the second half of the year. 

 Year 1 to Year 6 Mid-Year Report Snapshot 

This year’s mid-year reports show that: 

• 31.5% of students are approaching the standard, compared to 24.4% across all Tasmanian Primary Schools 

• 38.4% are at the expected standard, closely aligned with 37.9% across like schools 

• 9.6% are performing above standard, exceeding the 6.1% average in like schools 

These results reflect our school’s inclusive, high-expectation learning culture. While we continue to support students working towards the standard, we are pleased to see a strong proportion at or above expected levels. 

NAPLAN Growth and Achievement: 2024 to 2025 

The recently released 2025 NAPLAN data shows encouraging signs of academic growth across Years 3 and 5. We are particularly proud of the significant increases in strong and exceeding growth in several areas: 

Year 3 

• Numeracy: 77.8% of students showed strong growth (up from 35.7% in 2024) 

• Reading: 77.8% strong growth (up from 33.3% in 2024) 

• Writing: 44.4% strong growth (up from 36.4% in 2024) 

• Spelling: 44.4% strong growth and 22.2% exceeding a total of 66.6% (up from 27.3%) 

Year 5 

• Numeracy: 25% strong growth (slightly up from 23.1% in 2024) 

• Reading: 25% strong growth and 8.3% exceeding a total of 33.3% (up from 23.1% in 2024) 

• Writing: 18.2% strong growth and 9.1% exceeding a total of 27.3% (38.5% strong growth in 2024) 

• Spelling: 16.7% strong growth and 8.3% exceeding a total of 25% (30.8% strong growth in 2024) 

These results show strong upward movement in Year 3, particularly in numeracy and reading. Year 5 students also show gains in exceeding growth, especially reading and writing. These improvements reflect the impact of our whole-school focus on explicit teaching, fluency routines, and targeted small group instruction. Our commitment to the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) continues to provide differentiated learning pathways that meet students where they are and move them forward. 

We thank our dedicated teaching team, support staff, and families for working together to ensure every child grows academically, socially, and emotionally. We look forward to sharing more growth in the second half of the year. 

 School Uniform 

A reminder to please ensure your child(ren) are dressed warmly 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 black or maroon to 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. 

Our Vision

At Waverley we foster a safe, inclusive community, nurturing lifelong learners through trust, respect, and positive relationships, empowering students for success.

This means we care for one another, help each other learn, and treat each other with kindness. A key part of this is our Learning Behaviours, which help students reflect on how they learn — including being ready to learn, staying focused, and supporting their classmates.

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 Safe and Ready to Learn Model

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. 

Student Mobile Phones - Off and Away All Day

As a reminder, the DECYP policy is “Off and away all day”. At Waverley, this means mobile phones must be switched off from the moment students enter the school grounds. Mobile phones are to be handed into the office for safe storage. 

If a student is found using a mobile phone between 8:30am and 3:00pm, this is considered non-compliance, and the Behaviour Policy should be followed accordingly.

Thank you to all our students, families, and staff for continuing to show trust, respect, and kindness every day. Together, we’re making Waverley a safe, strong, and supportive school for everyone. 

 Kind regards, 

Mrs Katie Wightman 

Principal 

Principal Awards

Congratulations to the recipients of Principal Awards received at the assembly held on Wednesday 18th June.

• Miss Keeley Williams
• Lillian W
• Rylyn M

Merit Certificates

Congratulations to the recipients of Merit Certificates received at the assembly held on Wednesday 18th June.

• Cruz T
• Zavier B
• Ryder T
• Marshall S
• Gabriel B
• Alistair N
• Lucas S-B
• Agnes W M
• Oliver H
• Kaidan T
• Chase A
• Dominic N

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Term 2 Reporting and 3-Way Conversations

Term 2 reports will be sent home with students on Thursday 26th June (Week 10). 

Kinder Reports will include: 

• Kinder Development Check 1 reporting achievement against key markers for Kinder aged students. 

Prep 

• Work habits tick-box based on SHINE Learning Behaviours from all teachers  

 Year 1-6 Reports will include:  

• A 9-point assessment scale for English, Mathematics and Science. 

• A 5-point assessment scale for Health and Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts, and Digital Technology  

• Tick-box based on SHINE Learning Behaviours (Positive Behaviour Learning also reports against SHINE) 

• For students assessed against their Learning Plan, they will be assessed against their personal goals. 

3-Way Conversations 

Parents and carers from K-6 are invited to attend parent-teacher conversation with their child(ren): 

Week 10 (Mon 30th June – Thur 3rd July). 

Follow the link to book your appointment: https://waverleyprimary.schoolzineplus.com/Term2_2025_ParentMeetings 

We encourage students in Kinder-Year 6 to attend these conversations with their parent/carer to ensure they have an opportunity to hear about their learning and have input into future focus areas and to celebrate their progress.

The focus of this discussion is to share information about your child’s learning and behaviour progress and areas for improvement.  

Mr Sam Millwood

Instructional Specialist (IS)

Pyjama Day

The SRC is excited to announce that our annual PJ Day will be held on Wednesday 2nd July. It’s a fun way to stay warm and enjoy the winter season together. We look forward to seeing everyone in their cosiest pyjamas! 

Robot Man

Waverley Primary School had the pleasure of once again hosting Robot Man, who brought his incredible robotics expertise to our students. The incursion was filled with interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities, and fascinating insights into the world of robotics. Through teamwork and cooperation, students were able to program their own mini-robots, sparking a lot of creativity and fun. This was once again an incredibly engaging and interactive experience for our students, resulting in new knowledge and skills.

A huge thank you to Robot Man for inspiring our young minds and making learning fun! 

Miss Amelia Harmey

AST

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Hawks Premiership Cup Tour

Last Friday Waverley Primary School was lucky enough to be visited by the Hawthorn Football club to celebrate their 100 years of club history. Students were able to see the very first four premiership cups won by the club and had the opportunity to ask questions like “Has the cup changed at all over the years?” “What do the players eat before their games?” and “Will Hawthorn have to share the stadium with the new Tassie Devils team?” Students were then able to hold the cup and take lots of photos. Thank you Hawthorn for giving us this special experience!

Mrs Siobhan Matuska

HPE Teacher

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Flexible Programs - Sew and Grow

Some of our students are enjoying the opportunity to learn some new skills and create some hand-stitched masterpieces in the Sew and Grow Flexible program. This program, ran by our school Chaplain Tracey, is an opportunity for students to learn sewing and needlework skills. At the same time, they can foster emotional connection, communication and safety in a safe, supportive environment.

Mrs Anita Price

Assistant Principal

School Opens at 8:30AM

Please sign in at the office if you are at school prior to 2:50pm

Reminder to Families and Carers

If you are at school before 2:50pm for any reason, you must report to the school office first. All adults on DECYP sites are required to sign in at the office and show their Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card before entering the school grounds or classrooms.

If you are collecting your child during the school day, this must be done via the school office. Parents and carers that do not hold a WWVP card are only permitted on school grounds before 3:00pm if accompanied by a Waverley Primary staff member.

If you are attending assembly in the hall you can sign in at the hall from 2:15pm. 

From 3:00pm onwards, parents and carers may enter the school grounds to collect their children without needing to sign in via the office.

Thank you for supporting the safety of all students.

Early Years Programs 2025

StoryBox Library

Free Access to StoryBox Library for Tasmanian Families!

Tasmanian primary school students now have free access to StoryBox Library - a fun and educational digital library you can enjoy at home!

StoryBox Library is a subscription-based website and app featuring Australian storytellers reading hundreds of much-loved children’s books. It’s a fantastic way to nurture your child’s love of reading and support their literacy development.

With features like Read-Along, Closed Captions, Auslan stories, and engaging audio-visual content, StoryBox Library is designed to be inclusive and accessible for all children.

How to Access:

1. Visit www.storyboxhub.com or search “Story Box Library” on your device’s app store.
2. Click LOG IN at the top right of the homepage.
3. Enter the school username and password (provided below)
4. Start exploring hundreds of stories - Anytime, anywhere!
   
   

School Login Details
Please contact the school office for login details

Please visit the DECYP website or StoryBox website for more information.

Hot Lunch Program 2025

Every School Day Matters

As Term 2 kicks off, we wanted to share a timely reminder about the importance of school attendance.

We love seeing your child at school every day – it’s the best place for them to learn and grow. It’s a chance to be around their friends, learn new things (including life skills), spark their curiosity and have fun.

Term 2 is packed with exciting things your child won’t want to miss:

• Cross Country
• Swimming and Water Safety Program
• Robot Man incursion
• School Disco
• PJ Day

For tips on creating positive attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.

Please talk to us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We’re here to help and support is available.

Run Club

e-Safety Education

With the school holidays fast approaching, it is a good time to reflect on the importance of keeping our children safe online. Technology is an integral part of our daily lives, so it is vital to prioritise the online safety of our children and young people. This helps them understand how to safely navigate the digital space. 

Here are some tips and resources to help you when considering e-safety for your children. 

⭐ Educate: Teach your children about the potential risks online, including cyberbullying and privacy concerns. Explain how to recognise suspicious behaviour and the steps they should take if they encounter something uncomfortable or threatening. Encourage them to think critically about the content they view and share, and the people they interact with online.  

For e-safety education resources designed for children, see Kids | eSafety Commissioner 

For resources designed for teens, see: Young People | eSafety Commissioner 

⭐ Monitor: Keep an eye on their online activities and use parental controls to set boundaries. Check out the Parental Control factsheet on the e-Safety Commissioner website for more details on steps you can take to improve e-safety through parental controls.  

⭐ Communicate: Encourage open discussions with your children about their online experiences and reassure them they can come to you with any issues. It is important to have ongoing conversations about digital safety – with the online landscape changing rapidly, children and young people are often the first to adopt these changes. Continually touching base on these topics allows you to monitor what is happening while also ensuring their safety. 

To find comprehensive info on e-safety, as well as some great links and resources, check out:  DECYP Staying Safe Online fact sheet  

Safeguarding Articles

Volunteer Requirements 2025

As we are well into the new school year, we want to remind our school community about the important requirements for volunteering at our school.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, it is mandatory for all volunteers to have their RWVP (Registration for Working with Vulnerable People) and to have completed the Your Obligations-Safeguarding training 15-minute video before engaging with children and young people in a volunteer capacity at our school. Certificates for the training video are valid for 12 months from the date of completion. These steps are essential in helping us maintain a safe and supportive environment for our children.

To apply for a Working with Vulnerable people, please visit the Service Tasmania website.

To complete the Your Obligations-Safeguarding Training 15-minute video please visit the DECYP website.

Volunteers are a vital part of our school community, and we are excited to collaborate with you the year ahead!

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.  

Reminder: all adults visiting our school must sign in at the office and wear a name badge.  

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:

Staff Email

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.  

2025 Staff Contact Information

Professional Support Staff 2025

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. 

School Association

Committee Meetings

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.

Grant Award

We’re delighted to share that the School Association has been successful in securing a grant to fund the purchase and installation of a sandpit for our Year 3–6 students. We extend our sincere thanks to the Great Regional City Challenge Inc. for their generous support of our school, and to our wider community for backing the project with your votes. Your support helps us create engaging and playful spaces that enhance learning and wellbeing.

Ms Caitlyn Olding

Chairperson

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.

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

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. 

Move Well Eat Well

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

School Student Broadband Initiative

Community Notices

RECYCLE REWARDS WAVERLEY DEPOT OFFICIAL OPENING

Public Open Day: Saturday 28th June

• Burnie Depot: 2 McKay’s Road, Somerset , 9:00am - 4:30pm
• Launceston Depot: 10 Swanston Drive, Waverley, 9:00am - 4:30pm 

Activities at both sites include: 

• Free sausage sizzle from 11:00am - 2:00pm 
• Competitions and prizes 
• Receive a limited-edition container collection bag in ‘City Mission yellow’ with every load of containers processed 

Come along, bring your containers, enjoy a snag, and help us celebrate the launch of this fantastic new service. 

Our depots in Burnie and Launceston are open Tuesday - Saturday, with: 

• Cash refunds paid onsite 
• Bag drop and donation options 
• Business & school collection services 
• All proceeds from any containers donated support City Mission’s important work in your local community. 

It’s recycling made easy – and meaningful.