Port Dalrymple School eNewsletter

Leadership Assembly

Last week we formally recognised our junior and senior leaders for 2023. The focus of our student leadership groups for this year is student voice and to empower our students and young people to help shape the culture and climate of our school. By having a strong student voice and engaging young people in the decision making will allow;

students and teachers to collaborate and design solutions together
increase engagement in learning
build greater connections and sense of belonging
create a positive environment and culture
develop personal and social capability.

Our Student Leaders will have a voice and be active in setting the tone in our classrooms, across our school from Kinder to Year 12 and in the broader community. Being a leader is a huge commitment and one which we will support them in.

Congratulations and we wish you all the best on your leadership journey

As we work together, we will have a shared responsibility to all our learners. Through effective communication, mutually respecting relationships, and collaboration, together we will strive to provide learning opportunities in our classrooms, across our school and into our community that will ensure a bright future for our students. I am very proud of our school and what it offers, and I am committed to our young people, as staff we are driven and committed in supporting our students, showing them that they are in control of their futures. To be successful you have to work hard, you have to make the choice and take responsibility for your actions as we do this, we will make mistakes, but we will learn and be resilient, we will work together to problem solve a more positive approach. In working together, we foster partnerships that open doors for all our students to have a successful future. Together we want Port Dalrymple School to be a positive part and experience within life's journey.

Meet, Greet & Peek

Staff love the opportunity to engage and connect with parents. On Tuesday night at the Meet, Greet & Peek this is exactly what they had the opportunity to do. We understand that parents are the ones who know our students best and we relish any opportunity to work together. These partnerships strengthen the support for our learners by improving engagement between staff, families and our system. Together we aim to inspire and support all learners to succeed as connected, resilient, creative and curious thinkers.

Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten playground upgrades were completed last week and on Monday our students got to experience the new area. The playground surface and environment are inclusive, safe and allows for positive play. For our young people we have considered the sensory needs, physical activities and social needs to ensure they can grow as learners. This work compliments the inside space and new furniture to make our Kinder an inclusive, creative learning environment. Thank you to the work Miss Knowles and Miss Salter have done to support a positive start for the newest members and their families to our school community.

Cara Howlett

This week we welcomed Mrs Cara Howlett as AST in the Middle School and leader of the student support team. Mrs Howlett comes with a breadth of experience and knowledge, which will enhance learning opportunities for our students

Attendance

If your child has been absent or missed days at school and they have not been explained, you will soon receive a phone call. This call is just to follow up and ensure that all students are supported and engaged in their learning. Just a reminder that if you child is absent for more than three days, then we require a medical certificate in order to explain these absences. Please support us by notifying the school of any absences. Our AST’s are available to chat if you have any ongoing concerns around your child’s attendance and have a range of approaches to help you.

The Middle School has enjoyed a busy and action-packed start to the term. We have welcomed a host of new teaching staff and students to the Middle School in 2023 and no doubt they will all be highly valued members of our school community.

Well done to our newly appointed Junior Leadership Board, who were officially sworn in for duty last week at our Leadership Assembly. Congratulations to Cruz, Taj, Hudson, Rhiannon, ebony, Gracie, Chloe and Joel, we are sure that they will lead our school student community with pride and personify our department values of Courage, Growth, Aspiration and Respect.

The Grade 5/6 classes are currently participating in our annual Swimming and Water Safety Program that is run down at the George Town Community Pool. This is a highly important program for our students, especially given that they are blessed to live in such close proximity to the water. Thank you to the staff and volunteers that make this happen.

Coming up over the next couple of weeks there are a number of activities and opportunities for our students to enjoy and extend themselves. These activities include an excursion for the 5/6 students to the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre, a Cricket gala day for our 5/6 students and our short courses for our 7/8 students. All of these activities allow our students to grow and extend themselves in and around our wider community.

We have a range of uniform available at the office, items to cater for all needs.Uniform brings a sense of connectedness, school belonging and equity. Can we please support students to arrive at school ready to learn, with full school uniform. A reminder that hoodies are not to be worn on site. Trousers and shorts are to be navy or black. We would value feedback regarding the ordering of trackpants for winter. This is a sample of them, The approxiamate price is $55.00. Over the past weeks students have looked amazing in class and in the community wearing their uniform.

Students in Years 2 -6 have started their Swimming and Water Safety Program at the George Town Pool. It has been enjoyable for everyone and fantastic to see all of our students showing our school values of Respect, Courage, Aspiration and Growth.

Port Dalrymple School seeks to add a school-based Trainee Grounds Person to our team. The traineeship will be perfect for someone who has a love of working outside and wants to mix up their study week. A passion for the environment and the sustainable use of resources is also desirable.

The successful applicant must have the following attributes:

Hard-working
Punctual
Team player
Positive attitude
Pro-active approach to tasks
Strong attention to detail

Throughout the training, you will be taught the requirements needed to maintain turf and school grounds to the highest level. This includes the management of turf surfaces, as part of the technical training provided through Work and Training. Work and Training will provide ongoing support to the successful trainee including regular school visits and mentoring. Port Dalrymple School will cover the cost of tuition fees associated with Working and Training and will provide you with uniforms and necessary PPE. The position is part-time, 7-20 hours a week. You will be paid for the hours worked.

Applications for the position close Friday 17th March 2023.

Please email your cover letter and resume to:

stuart.austin@decypt.tas.gov.au

Feeling curious and courageous? Ready to get out of your comfort zone a little?

The GFG Foundation Student Programme 2023 applications are open now. This is open to all students in years 9 and 10 and can be accessed now via the GFG Foundation Website;

https://www.gfgfoundation.org.au/student-programme/

Apply now - Applications close on March 7 at midnight.