22 August 2024

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

I acknowledge, with deep respect, the traditional custodians of this land, the mumirimina people and pay my respects to Elders past and present, to the Aboriginal people with us today and to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community who continue to care for Country.  I stand for a future that profoundly respects and acknowledges Aboriginal perspectives, culture, language and history.

Our School Values

Our Commitment:  In partnership with community, we provide a welcoming school of choice that inspires and supports all learners to succeed as connected, creative and curious thinkers.

Science Fair Curiosity for Over 500 Young Minds

This year's Science Fair was a resounding success, bringing together more than 500 eager primary students from Dodges Ferry, Campania, Richmond, and Dunalley. The event was a vibrant celebration of curiosity and exploration, offering students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of science.

Throughout the day, students engaged in a variety of hands-on activities designed to ignite their interest in scientific inquiry.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Science Fair was the leadership shown by our Year 9 students, who took charge of running the event. Their dedication, care and enthusiasm were evident in every aspect of the fair, from setting up exhibits to guiding the younger students through the activities. We thank our Year 9 students for making such a positive impression on the event.

Sorell School Open Day

On September 17 we will be opening up the school to our existing and prospective families, to come and see the diverse and purposeful learning opportunities on offer Kindergarten to Year 12.

We invite families to attend mina nina krakani at 9 am for a drink and to hear about our school priorities and ways of teaching.

9.00am – mina nina krakani
9.30 – 10.15 Kindergarten to Year 12 tour

Sorell Winter Fest

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming school event that promises to be a memorable experience for all! Mark your calendars for Winter Fest on 30 August 5.30 – 7.30pm where the whole school community will come together for an evening of fun and community spirit.

Most importantly, this is a family event. Students must attend the event with a parent or guardian.

Food Vans, Fire Pits, Silent Disco, Art Displays including Winter Lanterns and a Costume Parade (glow in the dark theme) will provide two hours of fun.

More information to come.

Bullying no way: National week of action

Last week was ‘Bullying no way: National week of Action. On our Website our Behaviour Management Policy defines bullying and actions to minimise and prevent. Our School takes any ‘repeated action that disempowers others’ seriously. There are multiple tiers to the way we create a safe and positive school.

Tier 1 – policy
Tier 2 - procedures document that outlines levels of behaviour and actions including sanctions and parental involvement
Tier 3 – weekly social and emotional curriculum that is explicitly taught across our school
Tier 4 - community group or classroom expectations, routines and relationships
Tier 5 - Staff professional learning
Tier 6 – access to our support and wellbeing team including school psychologist, social worker, school nurse and support teacher.

In addition to the above our school invests heavily in external providers educating and sharing their knowledge to support student awareness and supports. In the last twelve months the school has welcomed

• SASS
• Police Social Media
• Bravehearts
• Protective behaviours

Redevelopment

The architect commented last week that he had been working on the Sorell School project for nearly 10 years! It is wonderful to be able to say that we are only weeks away from competition.

Year 7&8 Hub is complete, and students are well and truly moved in and enjoying their new learning space.

Old Big Picture demolished. This space will become a new grassed area for our Kinder to 2 students to kick a ball and get activity

Old Prep buildings demolished. This space will become a new Yr7 space to support transition.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Child Family Learning Centre ‘The Nest’ opening. What a dynamic space that Kim and the team have created. If you haven’t had a chance, please pop in and have a look. This space is such an important place for our community and families. If you wish to connect with other parents, seek external support or simply attend some of the amazing programs that they offer, just pop in.

Crucially for families, The Nest and our Launching into Learning (LIL) programs complement each other. Our families that have children aging from birth to 5 years have so many terrific options to support purposefully designed learning opportunities and experiences. Parenting children of this age does not need to be done in isolation. Please reach out anytime to gather more information.

Kelly Dyer – Principal

https://www.facebook.com/SorellSchool
Email: sorell.school@decyp.tas.gov.au
Phone: (03) 6269 1100

ECE CAMPUS

If you’ve visited the Sorell School Early Years Campus recently, you may have noticed some significant changes taking place. Our Big Picture building has been demolished, making way for a brand-new extension to the Early Years Playground. This space will soon be transformed into a lush, grassed area where our students can enjoy kicking balls around and engaging in active play. We believe this addition will enhance the outdoor experience for our children, giving them more room to run, explore, and grow.

To support positive interactions both in the classroom and playground, our Early Years Community lessons have focused on the theme aligned to National Action Week against Bullying. These lessons have centred around the importance of embracing our uniqueness and respecting each other’s differences. It has been heartening to see our students engage with these topics, learning valuable lessons about kindness, acceptance, and the strength that comes from diversity. Our Community lessons will continue to target themes around building respectful positive relationships.

YEARS 3 – 6 CAMPUS

We are now halfway through Term 3 and there are several exciting things happening in the 3- 6 space. Classes have been continuing to complete in our Sorell Olympic challenges and these will continue to the end of the term. Classes have been awarded Olympic points for demonstrating our school values of Respect, Connection, Responsibility, Growth and Courage and by completing weekly class challenges on Friday afternoons. Some of the challenges have been to re-create a famous Australian Olympic moment, create their own class mascot and competed in a synchronised dance off.  Well done to all students for their fantastic participation in these events.

In addition to this, we have our fire education program commencing this week led by fireman Drew from the Tasmanian Fire service and a visit from Marine and Safety Tasmania talking to students around boat and paddle board safety. On Wednesday students are encouraged to dress up in their favourite character from a book for our annual book week parade. We look forward to seeing student and staff outfits on this day.

YEARS 7 – 9 CAMPUS

It’s been an exciting few weeks! Grade 7 and 8 students moved into their new building at the start of Week 2. The transformation of the building inside is nothing short of amazing! Each grade has an entire end of the building all to themselves – classrooms, each with breakout spaces, a huge hub space and grade-dedicated toilets. Students have really welcomed the transition into the new space and are enjoying the facility. We look forward to working with staff and students to furnish the hub spaces in the coming months. Students have already suggested some great ideas for furniture – with learning at the forefront! I am thoroughly enjoying watching students embrace their new learning environments.

Grade 9s are enjoying the additional space in the 9/10 building. We welcomed Catalyst into their new double classroom at the start of Week 2. Their space is taking shape, the addition of new learning cubicles has provided a productive space for students to learn through their passions and interests. I’d also like to reiterate how fantastic the Grade 9s were at the Science Fair in Week 3. The students were outstanding – 21 different prac stations, and approximately 500 primary students participating over two days. We could not be prouder of the Grade 9s showing our values of Courage and Growth throughout the Science Fair. Well done!

YEARS 10 – 12 CAMPUS

Students in years 10-12 will have an exciting and busy period of time as we head into the second half of Term 3. Students enrolled in both TASC and VET subjects should expect their final written report for 2024 to be posted home shortly. This is an important indicator on how your child is progressing as we head into the later stages of assessment for the year. Students will have an opportunity in all classes to complete any missing assessment tasks and improve their internal ratings before having the end if year results posted home late in Term 4. VET students should be working closely with their teachers to ensure any missing assessment items for individual units have been completed. This will mean students achieve full recognition for the work undertaken in 2024.

Students enrolled in year 10 have been busily completing and confirming their transition plans. The transition plan will be posted home for families with the end of year report and will serve as an indication on what students are planning as they head into year 11 studies. Many Year 10 students have taken the opportunity to engage in work based learning actives allowing them to experience

different industry groups and gain insights into future work possibilities. We will continue to offer these opportunities to year 10 students as they arise, and support students to make well informed decision on their transition plans. If families would like to be more involved with the transition process or see a copy of their child’s transition plan please make contact with the office to schedule a meeting.

STAS

A reminder to parents, that the Student Assistance Scheme applications close at the end of August.

Forms can be obtained at the school office or further information can be sought by phoning

1800 827 055 or click on the following link: Financial assistance for school costs - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au)