22 May 2025

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.

It has been an absolute privilege to be out and about watching learning in action across our school the past three weeks. Students are displaying our school values in various ways, participating in many and varied learning and extension opportunities.

Courage – as we progress with our reading priority, students are showing great courage to step outside their comfort zones to learn new strategies for reading to improve their outcomes. Stepping outside your comfort zone is never easy, but it’s where the most learning occurs. I just love being in the Kinder to Year 2 area when students excitedly bring their work to show Senior Staff. They are so proud of what they are achieving and wear their prized values sticker with pride. I also commend staff for working hard to support students to achieve improved reading outcomes. They do a lot behind the scenes to ensure all students have the best chance for success.

Growth – our growth motto is, “To grow you must have a go”. We work really hard as a school to encourage a positive mindset and can-do attitude. We see students across the school doing this with learning and extra-curricular activities. This fortnight has seen students from Year 7-10 participate in the Reclink Cricket Series, and make finals. Year 3-6 have participated in their Cross Country run. Students have embarked on excursions to Sorell Council, mountain biking and Sorell Library. The Chess Club continues to thrive and are training hard for their next competition.

Respect - The uniform is looking great – the school hoodies continue to be a hit amongst both students and staff. There is a sense of pride within the school and the uniform is a great opportunity to unite our students in the pursuit of excellence. The Community Curriculum is allowing the students an opportunity to learn ways to be good, fair and kind to each other, a fundamental message we reiterate constantly across the school.

Connection – there have been two amazing events run with and for our school community this fortnight. The Mother’s and Special Person Day breakfast was a wonderful way to bring families and the school together. mina nina and it’s surrounds were basically packed out for the morning whilst students sat with their mothers and special people to enjoy a pancake breakfast. The feedback from families was overwhelmingly positive and the pancakes were pretty delicious too. Thank you to staff and Student Leaders who supported this event. We also recognised Road Safety Week by holding a Walk Safely to School event last Friday morning. Students, family members, a Sorell Council representative and staff gathered together at Pembroke Park to walk to school together. It really was a great example of how important connection is to our school and community.

Responsibility – “Step up and own up” is our value of Responsibility’s motto. We continue to work in a highly restorative space with our students, ensuring opportunities for them to work through challenges and mistakes in a supported environment. Although sometimes larger consequences are required, there is extensive work on the ground to support students to own their behaviour and work to fix what they need to. Students are talking to each other about this more than ever, resulting in positive outcomes. This is not easy work for staff or students, but the benefits far outweigh the time it takes. We are committed to getting this right.

Lauren Clements
Acting Principal

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

ECE Campus

Congratulations to all our students in the Early Years for their focus and dedication to improving their reading development. It is so pleasing to see the gains across the board and the enthusiasm with which students are approaching their learning. We also appreciate the support you give children at home with our home reading program (Prep to Year 2).

In the Arts, our Year 1-2 students have been exploring colour theory, with a focus on complementary colours and tones.

Our amazing Art teacher, Gaby Falconer has worked with students to create the beautiful lino prints, which have been printed on delicate Japanese rice paper. These artworks are truly special, and we look forward to having them professionally framed and displayed in the Early Years corridor. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re up-please feel welcome to come in and take a look.

This week, we welcome the team from Bright Sparks who will be speaking to our students about electricity, how it works, and how to be safe around it.

Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who participated in National Simultaneous Storytime. This year’s book Truck Cat was read across the campus with older students visiting to read to our younger learners. It’s a much-loved annual tradition at our school, helping to foster a strong community spirit and a shared love of reading

Teresa Spinks
K-2 Assistant Principal

Meet the ECE teaching team

Name: Georgia Gowing 

Role: Year 1/2 Teacher

How long have you been at Sorell School? I have worked at Sorell School for 5 Years 

Tell us something about yourself: After I graduated from University, I taught in England and then travelled around Europe. 

YEARS 3 – 6 CAMPUS

Another busy fortnight in the primary building. The Year 3-5's are getting ready for their Swimming and Water Safety Program starting next week. This is an extremely important part of our student's learning which supports our students to become competent swimmers and be water safe. The program has a strong emphasis on:

• water safety, including boat safety
• using personal floatation devices
• survival swimming
• reach to rescue
• entering aquatic environments safely
• efficient stroke development
• building swimming stamina

As so many of our students live near the water, go fishing, enjoy our amazing beaches, swim in pools and enjoy water sports, it is important that everyone participates in this program to build the foundation for safe participation in aquatic activities.

Our teachers are currently working on an inquiry looking at the impact of the learning on environment in supporting student engagement and sense of belonging. This term the 3/4 team are focusing on self-regulation strategies for students to use, while promoting growth mindsets. The 5/6 team are looking at incorporating and teaching gratitude, with students looking at what they are grateful for and how the use of positive language can support students’ learning environment.

Wednesday this week is National Simultaneous Storytime. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year some of our amazing Primary Students will be reading to the younger classes the book Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. You can see in the photo our students practicing reading the story aloud in preparation for sharing the amazing story with the younger students.

Trent Sproule and Jamie Harwood
3-6 Assistant Principals

Sports Achievement

William was selected to represent the Southern Tasmanian team for the 4x100m Relay, Year 4 boys held in Launceston early May.

William and his team got first place against eight other regions across Tasmania, Sorell School and your community are proud.

Congratulations 

YEARS 7 – 8 CAMPUS

It has been a productive and exciting start to the term on the Year's 7–8 Campus. Students continuing to dive into their learning and strengthening connections with their peers.

Year 7 Science - students participated in a hands-on salmon dissection as part of their biology unit on classifying living things. This practical learning experience deepened their understanding of the differences between organisms and sparked some great classroom discussions. Meanwhile, vibrant classroom displays are showcasing students’ investigations into balanced and unbalanced forces, highlighting their growing ability to communicate scientific thinking visually and effectively.

Year 8 English - students are making great progress with their Gothic Horror narratives. Their writing is creative, descriptive, and wonderfully eerie. Classroom displays are beginning to fill with student work and setting the tone for this moody genre. Below is a sneak peek from Phoebe in 8A.

“Gothic horror settings are normally set in the ghostly darkness of midnight or the cold, early mornings. They are creepy places, such as unusual and secluded alleyways, gloomy and foggy graveyards or neglected churches… Around these creepy places you may find eerie things like looming spooky ghosts, wild bats, antique dusty crosses, and murky shattered mirrors.” – Phoebe, 8A

We’ve also been seeing students demonstrate teamwork and school spirit through Friday afternoon team games. This week, Year 8 students enjoyed a fast-paced game of ‘Flags’ – a fun way to stay active, build friendships, and foster a little healthy competition between classes.

A quick update regarding the Molesworth excursions: due to a change in bus availability, these excursions will now take place later this term. Families will be notified once new dates are confirmed.

It is wonderful to see students engaging with learning, supporting one another, and building a sense of pride in their work and school community.

Mel Symmons 
7-8 Acting Assistant Principal

Meet the Year 7/8 teaching team

Name: Cayd McGuire

Role: Year 8 Coordinator

How long have you been at Sorell School? Since 2019

Tell us something about yourself: I love most things outdoors, especially surfing and fishing.

YEARS 9-10 CAMPUS

In Year 9 our focus has been for students to be in their classroom on time and be ready to have a go at the work presented. Year 9 is an important year to be able to gain different skills, to ensure students don’t limit their future pathways.

Paul (one of our TA’s) has been taking small groups to practice their football skills during afternoon blocks. This group has been highly successful and engaging for the students involved.

In Year 10, the start of the term has been calm and productive. All classes have been studying everything from Shakespeare to learning about the Periodic Table. I have been impressed with their attention to detail, their work ethic and quality of their work. During community time, we have been finalising their transition plans ready for their Taster day on Tuesday 10 June. As part of this process, students have to think about their career pathways and aligning subjects to that pathway for both Year 11 and Year 12. If you would like to help your child with the selections and/or to see what their courses entail, all course descriptions are in the Subject Course Guide which can be found on the Rosny College website.

In week 9 and 10 of Term 2, students in Year 10 will be completing their first set of exams. Staff will be working with them to ensure that they have adequate study time, however, I would highly recommend some "at home study time" to ensure that they feel ready to sit the exams. The exams will be 80 minutes starting at 9am through to the end of block 1.

Bri Millhouse 
9-10 Acting Assistant Principal

Reclink Cricket and AFL Teams

Our students recently demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship in Reclink Cricket and AFL9's, showcasing their dedication both on and off the field.

In Reclink Cricket, students displayed impressive skills, with some standout performances in batting and bowling. Their commitment to fair play and encouragement of teammates highlighted the true spirit of the game, making every match a joy to watch. The Year 7/8 girls team qualified for the Grand Final and only missed out on the tournament championship, losing the match by 1 run. The Year 9/10 girls team performed extremely well finishing the tournament in 3^rd place.

Similarly, in AFL9's, our students embraced the challenge with energy and determination. Their ability to work together, adapt to dynamic game situations, and support one another was remarkable. Whether through strong defensive efforts or exciting goal-scoring moments, they embodied resilience and passion for the sport. Well done to the Sorell girls team who qualified for the tournament final and the Sorell boys team who finished the tournament in 3^rd place.

The participation of our students in these events is a testament to their hard work, positive attitude, and the values of teamwork and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and look forward to more sporting achievements in the future.

Well done to all involved.

YEARS 11 – 12 CAMPUS

Preparations for 2026 enrolments are already fast upon us in the Year 11-12 space. Year 10 students will have an opportunity to see all the exciting things we offer at the TTC on Friday 13 June with a taster of all the different courses on offer at Sorell as well as talking to the students who are already here to see what life is like in the senior secondary space. This will also back onto the Rosny taster day Tuesday 10 June making it a real taster week.

The TTC will also be hosting other schools on Friday 20 June to showcase what we offer and encourage more people to engage in the VET space. We are also in the process of getting more speakers to show all of our Year 11-12 students just what is available to them when they leave our school.

Brodie Walker
11-12 Acting Assistant Principal

School Calendar of Events

Walk Safely to School Day

Thank you to everyone who supported the Walk Safely to School event. We had a lovely number of staff, students and family members join us for a walk to school. Everyone was then rewarded with a delicious egg and bacon roll in mina nina krakani.

Year 7 2026 Information session

National Reconciliation Week

Blue Lagoon Holiday Camps