Primary School
Assembly
Next week we will be holding a Walpole Assembly in The Farrall Centre for our Year 3 - 6 students. The assembly will commence at 2.15pm on Monday afternoon. We welcome families to attend. There will be no Wells Assembly next week. Please remember that due to privacy concerns and to respect the photo permission choices of other families we ask you to refrain from taking photos and videos during assemblies.
Father's Day Movie - NEXT WEEK
Tuesday 3 September - 5pm to 6.30pm | The Farrall Centre
All students and their families are warmly invited to our Father's Day event to celebrate their Dad, Guardian, Grandparent or special family friend. This is a free event and is accessible to all students and their families. This year we will be offering a viewing of the Dreambuilders, along with complimentary ice cream and popcorn treats.
For more information, please email our Events and Marketing Coordinator Emma Gilligan
Kindergarten to Year 4 Growing Up Program
Monday 2 - Friday 6 September
Growing Up – a relationships, sexuality and protective behaviours program, will be run by Family Planning Tasmania for our Kindergarten - Year 4 students starting on Monday 2 September. There will be a parent information session for the Kindergarten to Year 4 parents on Monday 2 September at 8.30am - 9am in the Primary School Library.
For information about talking to your child about relationships, sexuality and puberty see this publication from the Department of Health.
Year 3 - Outdoor Education Excursion and Sleepover
Thursday 5 - Friday 6 September
The Year 3 School Sleepover will take place from Thursday 5 September until Friday 6 September in The Farrall Centre at school.
On Thursday morning students are to meet in classrooms, in their school sports uniform with their bags and bedding, at 8.45am and attend regular classes until 1pm. At 1pm we will commence a walk to the school grounds at Bell Street for some team building activities. We will then walk to Cornelian Bay Park and return to school by bus at 4pm. Back on campus we will make preparations for the overnight setup and enjoy a lovely community dinner before sleeping overnight in The Farrall Centre Auditorium.
On Friday 6 September, Year 3 students will be going on an Outdoor Education Excursion to explore the coastline of the Alum Cliffs in Kingston. We will depart school at 9am and return to school by 2pm. Students will need to wear appropriate clothing for all conditions and sturdy shoes for walking. This should include a warm jumper (wool, polar fleece or puffer jacket), sunhat, sunscreen and a waterproof raincoat and a water bottle. As part of the school sleepover students will be provided with lunch and snacks for this day. All of this equipment will need to be packed into a day backpack or their school backpack.
Detailed information about the sleepover, including a packing list has been provided to parents in the Operoo permission form. If you have any questions please contact your child’s class teacher: Chelsea and Nathan.
Students may be collected on Friday afternoon at 2.30pm from their classrooms, if possible.
Year 4 Excursion - Marine Discovery Centre Woodbridge
Friday 6 September
Year 4 will be going on an excursion to the Marine Discovery Centre in Woodbridge. The day's focus will be on consolidating our learning in our ‘Sharing the planet’ unit. The bus will be departing at 9.10am returning back to school by 3pm. Students need to come dressed in their sports uniform, including a warm jacket. They should bring their lunch and snacks, there will be no lunch orders on the day. The children should also bring a full water bottle and any personal medications (labelled) required for the day. We will be returning to school at the end of the school day. Please update student Operoo profiles before the excursion.
In order to facilitate smaller groups, parent helpers would be appreciated. Our volunteers will require a current Working With Vulnerable People card. You will also need to fill in a volunteer form at this link. Please email your class teacher if you are able to assist. Parent helpers are required to meet us at the Marine Discovery Centre at approximately 9.30am. We will be leaving the venue at 2.10pm to return to School. We look forward to an exciting day of learning.
Primary Library: Helpers Needed
Our primary library is one of the busiest places in our school: would you believe we do around 35,000 loans per year?! We also have 18 classes a week and process many new resources over the course of the year to keep our collection up to date. We are looking for volunteers who may be able to help us out in the afternoons with reshelving, tidying, and putting books back in order on the shelves. We would also appreciate help with book-covering: we are happy for this to be done at home if you cannot make it during the afternoon! Helpers will be given training, and will require a WWVP card. You will also need to fill in a volunteer form at this link. If you would like to volunteer, or would like more information, we would love to hear from you! Please email one of our Teacher-Librarians Sharon Ryan and Catherine Duffett.
Empowering our Children: A Child Safeguarding Information Session
Friday 13 September
We invite all parents and guardians of Friends’ Early Learning and Primary School children to join Morgan Norris, our Primary School Psychologist, and other members of staff for our upcoming information session. We will focus on how to empower and upskill children in protective behaviours, as well as providing an overview of child safeguarding practices at The Friends’ School.
Date: Friday 13 September, 9am - 10am
Location: The Farrall Centre, Green Room (downstairs)
Please note: This information session aims to provide general information regarding protective behaviours. We will not be able to provide individual advice or recommendations for your child, however we can advise you of the next steps to take if you are seeking support or further information.
Please RSVP to secure your spot, places are limited. Book your place here.
Waste Free Lunch Day
Wednesday 18 September
In Week 9, The Primary Environment Council is holding its third Waste Free Lunch Day for 2024. Building on the success of the previous events, we are calling on all families to have a go at reducing their lunch box waste. We will be measuring any disposable lunch box wrappers and containers brought to school on this day in an effort to reduce our environmental impact. The aim of this event is to develop positive habits over time that minimise the amount of rubbish that is brought into our school environment. We encourage families to consider working with your child to pack a lunch box full of healthy snacks and bulk food items in our quest to tread lightly on the earth.
Kindergarten Earthcare Excursions - Lenah Valley
Thursdays until 19 September
This Term Kindergarten students will again be visiting a site near the Lenah Valley Linear Park for their Earthcare Days, going out each week, on Thursdays. We will travel to and from the site by bus leaving school at 11.50am and returning by 2.45pm. Collection time for all children will be at 3pm from the Kindergarten area, at the end of the Kindergarten day as per usual.
On Earthcare days, the children come ready for active learning, in their sports uniform. Your child will need appropriate warm clothing for the forecasted weather and spare clothing packed for the excursions as we will be playing outdoors, even if it is raining. The school has special wet weather jackets and overpants that the children will wear as necessary, depending on the forecasted weather. You can also support your child by encouraging them to carry their own bags to and from school - they will be doing this independently on our Earthcare Days too. Please pack a rubbish free lunch with plenty of food and water for an active day out. We have been asking the children about the concept of belonging, how they can care for places where they feel they belong as well as what Earthcare means to them.
Absentees
If your child will be absent from school for the day please advise the Primary School Office (phone: 6210 2228, or email: primaryschooloffice@friends.tas.edu.au ) and the classroom teacher before 9.00am. We appreciate your support in this process.
Important Dates
Term 3 Tuesday 23 July to Friday 27 September
Monday 9 September – Wellbeing Day, as part of Wellbeing Weekend (no K-12 classes)
CLICK HERE to view the School calendar