From the Office

Dedication Service

On Friday 8th March we invite you to join us as we come together as a school community to dedicate the year to our almighty God.

The Dedication Assembly will be held in the Jiloa Centre and led by DCS Secondary from 8:35am. Jiloa Cafe will be open and hot drinks are available as we gather, connect, look forward and give thanks in expectation for all 2024 will bring.

'Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him, Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.' - Psalm 62:1-2

School Parking - Outside Admin Office

Please note some important changes to parking outside the administration office:

Five parking bays opposite the front office are marked with yellow paint and are reserved for Visitors, Special Guests and Emergency Student pick-up.

Please only park in these bays for the above reasons.  

For dropping off and collecting students at the start and end of the day, please use the parking along the left-hand side of the Lapthorne Close entry driveway, or utilise the curbside parking along Jiloa Way or in the surrounding courts.

Employment Opportunity

We are looking for a Casual Junior Administration Support person to assist our Administration Team. 

Do you have a heart to serve others, and are available before and/or after school and possibly during some school holidays? We are looking for a Junior (14-17 years old) to support our Administration staff on a casual, ad-hoc basis (no set weekly hours). Contact employment@dcs.tas.edu.au if you would like further information. Applications will be accepted up until 10:00am Wednesday 6th March.

NAPLAN 2024

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 13 and 18 March 2024.

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school  On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school's assessment and reporting process - it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

This is the second year NAPLAN has been held in March, having previously taken place in May.  This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year.  These can be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online:

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing.  The questions a student receives depends on their answers to previous questions.  This means that students answer questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

Parent information brochures and other resources:

A parent information brochure and questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child can be found at: NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website and covers a variety of topics such as the timing of the tests and how results from the assessments should be understood.

It also allows access to a Public Demonstration Site which shows the types of questions students will answer and the functionalities that are available in NAPLAN tests.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

School Photos

School photos are scheduled to be taken on Wednesday 27th March. If you would like to place an order for photos of your child or family group, these are to be placed online. Please find information below on how to order. Please note that the cut-off date for sibling photos is Sunday 24th March at 4:00pm. Orders for individual photos can be taken up until the day.

Full summer uniform is to be worn, including either the blue woollen jumper or navy layered jacket for primary students and the maroon blazer and formal uniform options for secondary students.

For students who have PE on Wednesdays, please come to school in full summer uniform. 

Saver Plus

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. 

Since 2003, Saver Plus has supported more than 58,000 people to start saving. It’s helped overcome the barriers around education expenses. And it’s set them up for a brighter future.   

85% of our past participants said they’re better prepared to manage environmental changes (such as cost of living pressures or unexpected bills) since completing Saver Plus.  

Saver Plus was developed by ANZ and Brotherhood of St Laurence, Berry Street is proud to be the delivering partner for the Saver Plus program in your school's area. 

Early Learning

At DCS we offer two fun and friendly Early Learning programmes.  Come along and connect with others over a delicious hot drink while your children play.  Please call the school office on 6423 1373 if you require further information.

Little Sprouts

Little Sprouts is a hands-on nature-based playgroup for children aged 3 and 4 years and is held every Thursday from 8:45am - 10:30am. Gather together in the Kinder room and we will then move across to the garden area.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Lauren at heagneyl@dcs.tas.edu.au

Jiloa Juniors

Jiloa Juniors is held every Friday from 8:45am - 10:45am and is for children from birth to 5 years with their carers. Jiloa Juniors is held in the Kinder area.

We hope you can join us!