Middle School

Matilda The Musical Jr - Applications Closing Tomorrow Friday 7 February

We are excited to be undertaking a 5-8 Musical this year, Matilda the Musical Jr. Auditions will be held for Named Characters on Saturday 15 February, and for students wishing to be a part of the Ensemble on Sunday 16 February. Please find detailed information about the auditions, including audition materials and sign-up form in the link below. Audition Applications close on Friday 7 February at 4 pm. Once the show is cast we will seek expressions of interest for students who would like to work backstage.

Matilda the Musical Jr. Information

NAPLAN - Years 3, 5, 7 and 9

For those families with students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, NAPLAN assessments will be held in March. The NAPLAN assessments will be conducted online (with the exception of Year 3 Writing, which remains paper-based). The NAPLAN assessments in Primary, Middle and Senior Secondary School will take place between Wednesday 12 March and Monday 24 March. 

Further information and specifics on the tests and timing will be provided to families with students in these year levels soon. In the meantime, more information for parents regarding Naplan Online can be found here  Please contact John Hoggart for Year 7 questions.

Road Safety - Boa Vista Rd

The School and other families have witnessed several poor road safety and non-compliance choices on Boa Vista Road, which is compromising good safety, traffic flow and parking. Understandably, wellbeing and safety of everyone is paramount at Friends’ and as a School, we take road safety very seriously.  

Drivers are asked to exercise patience, obey the road rules, act with respect for others and follow the parking restrictions that are in place to ensure good order and safety at busy times. 

Should the traffic build up, please do not allow children to jump out of the car onto  the road, rather please wait until you can access a ‘stop and drop’ space.

Music Co-curricular Ensembles

The Music Department is very excited about the launch of our ensembles for 2025! All ensembles start in Week 3, after the Regatta Day Holiday. We hope to see many of you there! If you are interested in joining an ensemble, simply turn up to the first rehearsal. See more information here.

Year 8 Connections Activity Day

Year 8 students will be heading to Kingston Beach as part of their Connections Beach Day. They will have the opportunity to participate in Beach Volleyball, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and Swimming.

Classes will rotate through this Connections Day on the following dates:

Further information, including a permission form, will be shared in Operoo soon.

If you have any queries please contact Kylie McKinnon and/or your child’s Key Teacher.

Year 7 Mountain River Sea Camps

Camp dates are in the following class groupings:

• 12-14 Feb Backhouse and Oats 
• 17-19 Feb Fry and Walker
• 19-21 Feb Mott and Penn

In the morning, students do not come to Middle School - camps depart from Bell Street and drop-off is back at Bell Street.  

Please advise the Middle School Office on 6210 2235 if you are running late on your departure morning or unwell. 

Classes will be camping at Rivers Edge Campsite in tents and participating in a range of activities including rafting on the Huon River, bushwalking at Hartz Peak and also a beach program at Kingston.  

All information, including a list of equipment, has been sent out this week through Operoo but please also ensure medical information has been updated on Operoo.

Middle School Handbook

The Middle School Handbook provides families with detailed information about The Friends' School, the School structure and locations, learning principles and frameworks, pastoral care, communications and publications, transport and road safety and day-to-day matters and activities. The handbook is also located on The Friends' School website. For any further questions, please contact us.

Physical Education Lessons

As part of our Physical Education lessons this term, Year 7 and 8 students will have one of their weekly timetabled double PE lessons at our Bell Street grounds. The first two classes are scheduled for this Friday, 7 February and other classes will then go during the next 5 weeks of term.

Students will need to bring sunscreen, personal medication, a water bottle and also a jacket in case of cold weather.

Students will be accompanied by teaching staff on the walk to Bell Street and back to school. Our double PE lessons are either the first two lessons or the last two lessons of the day and students will still start and finish their day at the Middle School campus.  

Please advise the Middle School Office if your child is going to be late in the morning or needs to leave early and we will confirm if they have a lesson at Bell Street that day.

Matilda The Musical Jnr - Uniform Donations for the 5-8 Musical

We would love you to consider donating items that you no longer need to the 5-8 Musical, Matilda Jnr! As we will be casting students in Years 5-8,we are looking for items that are appropriately sized for students of that age.The items we will gratefully receive are;

• Grey formal school shorts
• Grey formal school pants
• Old white shirts which can no longer be worn at School

Please drop off any freshly washed donations to the Middle School office, marked for Essie Hoggart. Thank you!

Parent Representatives 2025

The Friends’ School Parent Representatives are a selection of parents/guardians from each year level at the School.

They work together with the School to foster community spirit, communicate relevant and useful information to the parent community and enhance the quality of relationships within the school between teachers, parents and the children.

The following names are the Year 7 and 8 Parent Rep contact details plus their Facebook groups. Please feel free to reach out to them.

Currently we are looking for parents who might like to assist with Year 8. If you are interested, please contact Bill Avery, Director of Community Engagement. 

Year 7

FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1196295820468575/

Year 8

FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1681094518804863/?hc_location=ufi

Music Tuition for 2025

If you would like to register your child for music tuition in 2025, I kindly ask you to complete the Instrumental and Vocal Tuition application form. Tuition arrangements from 2024 do not automatically transfer into 2025. A new registration form will need to be completed.  

This is contained at the end of the Music Tuition Guidelines, which may be found here. 

The registration process for tuition in 2025 can commence from now, and this will need to be submitted by 7th February. You will be then notified of a lesson time and contacted by your allocated Tutor in mid February.

Absentees

If your child will be absent from school for the day please advise the Middle School Office (phone: 6210 2235, or email: middleschooloffice@friends.tas.edu.au ). We appreciate your support in this process.

Important Dates 

Term 1 Friday 31 January to Friday 11 April

Thursday, 6 February - Shine Your Light Festival

Wednesday, 12 February - Year 7 Camp departure (Backhouse & Oats)

Friday, 14 February - Year 8 Beach Day (Rustin & Bracey)

Monday, 17 February - Year 7 Camp departure (Fry & Walker)

Wednesday, 19 February - Year 7 Camp departure (Mott & Penn)

Friday, 21 February - Year 8 Beach Day (Stowe & Knight)

Friday, 28 February - Year 8 Beach Day (Tuke & Preston)

Wednesday, 25 June - Sibling Photos