Riverside Primary School

Department of Education

Issue No 26 25 August 2016

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Principal Mrs Jane Bovill Psychologist Mrs Rebekah Mizzi

Assistant Principal Mr Colin Pearson (Grades 4, 5 & 6) Speech Pathologist Ms Danielle Le Rossignol

Assistant Principal Mrs Annette Langdon (Grades 1, 2 & 3) Social Worker Mrs Karen Button

Acting AST Mrs Lorraine Todd (Kinder & Prep) Chaplain Mrs Lindy Bailey

What a wonderful spring day for the Readers Picnic as part of our

Reading Rocks week!

It was a wonderful opportunity to share together. We appreciate

that not everyone can attend but it was also an opportunity for

many of our buddy classes to read with each other. Our special

guest this year was Wesley, the Manager of Woolworths, who is

always a great supporter of the school.

Our week culminates in our special Literacy week assembly and

the awarding of prizes to individual students in recognition of their

efforts to improve their reading.

The Little Mermaid finished on Saturday with a matinee and night

performances – all sold out. Congratulations.

On Sunday we had two Maths Relay teams competing in the

Northern Maths Relay competition. Both teams collaborated well

and participated very strongly.

Congratulations to Harvey Bender, Quinton Death, Archie

Wise, Hari Eri, Fawz Ahmed, Maisie Burns, Sophie Roberts and

Cameron Howie.

A special thank you to Jess Bennett and Ryan Walker who

supported the teams on Sunday and Wendy Wilson who gave

up her Saturday to support The Little Mermaid performers.

Well done to Jesse Deans and Will Bottle who competed in

the Australian Cross Country Championships in Canberra last

weekend. What an achievement!

Staff Changes

Ms Michelle Temby returns from long service leave next week.

Thank you to Mrs Kellie Cook who has taken 2MT. Kellie will

now be moving to 1/2CS whilst Mrs Cathy Scolyer is on long

service leave. Mrs Naomi Calnan is also taking leave – we

welcome back Mrs Inga Clarke on Mondays and Tuesdays.

On Wednesday the Tassie Young Scientists visited Riverside

to inspire our Grade 6’s in a program connected to Science

Week. Those who visited were Bianca Deans (plant chemist),

Ana Paula Berger (oceanographer) and Owen Williams (plant

scientist). They shared short presentations on their areas of

study.

Jane Bovill

Principal

OUTDOOR LEARNING AND ACTIVE PLAY

AREAS STRATEGY Have you any suggestions for improving our grounds to cope

with long periods of wet weather (and soggy grass!)

There is a meeting Thursday, 1 September at 2.15pm in

the literacy room. Come along and share your ideas.

If you can’t come send your suggestions via email to

riverside.primary@education.tas.gov.au

Registration to Work with Vulnerable People

If you volunteer at this school, you will be required to register for “Registration to

Work with Vulnerable People”. This will be mandatory by 1 September 2016.

The WWVP process becomes effective from Thursday, 1 September. This means if you have not been

approved, we will not be able to allow you to work as a volunteer in your child’s class or at a school activity.

If you have applied for your WWVP, and have had difficulties with the application, or for some reason your

application has been held up (payment issues, wrong work type status selected) or you have not heard anything

at all in relation to your application, please contact the office staff urgently.

Changes can be made independently via the Department of Justice website at the below link.

http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/working_with_children/change_details

then click on the Online Registration Amendment Form

Please contact the office staff if you need any assistance.

TEACHERS HEALTH FUND OUTSTANDING YOUNG TEACHER FINALIST

Congratulations to Miss Carmel McGee who is a finalist in this award. Carmel is being

recognised as a young educator who has shown flexibility and outstanding commitment

as both a Drama specialist and classroom educator. Her work in after school Drama

Club is also acknowledged. What an achievement and our best wishes at the award

presentation in October.

Do you want your child to be able to go on excursions?

Do you want school events to go ahead?

Do you want to take on an RPSA role in the school?

Do you want to help with cooking, reading, craft in your child’s classroom?

Then you need a WWVP by Thursday 1 September.

It will be impossible to have extra in the school without your support.

RPSA NEWS (Riverside Primary School Association Inc)

REPORT FROM THE AUGUST RPSA MEETING

It was good turnout for the meeting on Monday 15 August with much of the discussion being focused around the proposed changes to

the Education Act, and in particular, the change in school starting age. The Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO),

of which we are a member, will be discussing this at their forthcoming annual conference at the end of August and is not supportive of

the proposed changes. Further discussion of this important change is expected at forthcoming meetings, please feel welcome to have

your say using either the email below, attending a meeting or talking to a committee member.

It was noted that we are still critically short of donations to run the Father’s Day stall. Any donation, from a box of chocolates that

could be packed down, to spare fishing lures or golf balls/tees would be most gratefully received and can be given to either your child’s

teacher or placed in the box at the office. Please help!

On September 1st it is compulsory for any volunteer in the school to have a “registration to work with vulnerable people” check. Not

having enough volunteers with this registration will have a huge impact on many aspects of our current functions, including how, when

and what fundraisers we can hold (yes you need the registration to simply turn sausages at a BBQ), being on a committee, as well as

parent help in your child’s classroom or assisting with excursions. Please see the notice in the newsletter and get the process started

now!

Feedback on the communication publications that have been run in the newsletter for the last few weeks has been positive, together

with the general view of the Skoolbag app for keeping parents updated on upcoming events.

A reminder that the association has set up a new email account rpsa7250@gmail.com should parents wish to get in contact or raise a

query.

The next meeting is Monday, 19 September at 7:30pm.

FUTURE STARTING AGE UPDATE As you may be aware, the Government has been working on a change to the school starting age through the Education Act review

process. The original proposal to make the compulsory starting age of Prep 4 years and 6 months has now changed to a minimum

starting age.

This is in recognition that parents and carers are best placed to decide when their child should start school, the Government has agreed

that, although the age at which a child can commence in Prep will be lowered to 4 years and 6 months, the compulsory school starting

age will remain at five.

The commencement of this change would take effect in Prep in 2021, which means children who are born in the first half of 2016 will be

eligible for Kindergarten in 2020.

These changes result in an optional Kindergarten starting age of 3 years and 6 months in 2020, parents can decide on what suits their

child best.

For further information on this topic please see the below link to an updated fact sheet:

http://www.education.tas.gov.au/documentcentre/Documents/Early-Years-Education-In-Tasmania-Fact-Sheet.pdf

If you have any questions about the upcoming changes, please email: comments@education.tas.gov.au

WOW - what a wonderful effort

by the 40hr famine participants this year-all 90 of them!! We

had 69 furniture freebies, 54 rice munchers and 27 Zero

Techs who learnt a little about having to 'go without' as they

became more aware of the

many children living in extreme poverty around the world.

Thanks to all the students, all the sponsors and all the

teachers who allowed our students to develop their

understandings of poverty despite it meaning a change to

the class routine on the Friday.

Please remember to bring back the famine booklets you

received-even if you were unable to fundraise. Take any

books and monies to the office

as soon as you get to school. Well Done. So far $570 raised

to save lives.

CALENDAR 29 Aug – 2 Sept Literacy Week

Thursday 1 September

2.15pm

Outdoor Learning and Active

Play Areas Strategy Meeting

31 Aug – 2 Sept Father’s Day Stall

Thursday 15 September City Park Radio 4.30-5.00pm

Friday 16 September LSSSA Mass Dance Event

Monday 19 September RPSA Meeting 7.30pm

Wed 21 September LSSSA North vs NW Carnival

PREPfast breakfast event

Friday 23 September Last day of Term 3

Monday 10 October First day of Term 4

Friday 21 October Student Free Day

SCHOLASTIC AUSTRALIA BOOK CLUB Issue 2 Book Club brochure have arrived, the first for the year.

All brochure order forms and payment/receipts need to be given

to the classroom teacher by TUESDAY 8 March 2016.

The school has opted NOT to do the LOOP Program, so

you will need to get a receipt if you pay by credit card over the

telephone or via their online services.

No late orders will be accepted this year, they cause

problems, please make sure that your order is

presented by due date given.

Please follow the below reminders of what needs to be done

when ordering something from the brochure for your child/ren.

1. All order forms need to have your child’s name and

classroom details on them as well as on the envelope

please. Example: Joe Bloggs 2AH

2. If you are paying by cheque or money order, please

make it payable to Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd. (not

Riverside Primary School)

3. If you are paying by cash please ensure that you have

the right amount of money enclosed in the envelope –

we are finding it harder to get the right change from

Riverside Primary School

PO Box 205 RIVERSIDE Tasmania 7250

Phone (03) 63273731 Fax (03) 63271858

Email: riverside.primary@education.tas.gov.au

Website: www.schools.education.tas.gov.au/riversideprimary

ASSEMBLIES 9.00AM Friday 26 August Whole School

Friday 9 September Prep-2 1GH

Friday 23 September Whole School

2016 TERM DATES Term 3 (Monday 18 July Student Free Day)

Tuesday 19 July to Friday 23 September

Term 4 Monday 10 October to Wednesday 21 December

(Friday 21 October Student Free Day)

CITY PARK RADIO Date for your calendar!

On Thursday 15 September some of our Grade 6 students will host

the City Park Radio’s Schools Out Program. Turn on your radios

from 4.30-5.00pm and tune into 103.7FM to hear about what is

happening at our school! Add this date to your calendar now!

LOST PROPERTY LOST size 6 polar fleece jacket, clearly named Annabelle Jack.

If found, please return to the school office asap. Thank you.

FINAL REMINDER

It’s not too late to donate!

Items still desperately needed please!

We’re still in need of donations for our

Father’s Day Stall. If you have yet to make a donation and

would still like to, it’s not too late!

Please leave any items in the box at the front office. Thank

you to those people who have already made a donation, your

support has been greatly appreciated.

Class shopping days

Wednesday 31 August

6CD, 6SB, 6JJ, 6CW, 5RW, 4CS, 3RZ, 2JA, 1/2FK, PRE, KEH

(blue, red, green)

Thursday 1 September

5MW, 5AL, 4MW, 4SC, 3RO, 3SM, 1/2DL, 1/2CS, 1GH,

PHW, PHP, KAH (red, orange, blue), KKD (green, red,

orange)

Friday 2 September

3/4BW, 2MT, 1MD, KEH (orange), KAH (green), KKD (blue)

The stall is open for class groups Wednesday-Friday. Please

note students are able to purchase one item during class visit.

The stall will be open Friday recess and after school

for all students, siblings, mums etc who wish to make

additional purchases.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Free Science Program for Grade 5/6 Students

Launceston Church Grammar School is continuing to run free

science programmes for the local community for students in

Grades 5 & 6.

The Double Helix Science Club for Term 3 will be held on

Thursday 8 September and Thursday 22 September in a

Senior Campus science laboratory.

Online registrations for Term 3 Double Helix sessions will

open on Monday 29 August and the link to the website is

https://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.

aspx?eid=216325

For further information, please contact Sally Cunliffe

scunliffe@lcgs.tas.edu.au or 63366060

WINNERS OF THE PROPERTY WISE

COLOURING-IN COMPETITION

Congratulations to Isabelle

Bleathman, Maisie Burns, Eryn

Walker, Jesse Jillett and Kiran

Summers. The winners received a

$25 Smiggle Voucher.

COMMUNITY NEWS

All gifts sold for $4 or $5

Biome Trioramas in 4CS

In 4CS we have been comparing the major biomes of Australia, South America and

Africa. We researched about grasslands, deserts and different types of forests, then we

worked in groups of three to model what we had found out.

During the creation of our trioramas, the Learning Assets we were focussing on were

‘Researching’ and ‘Collaborating’.

Please feel free to visit our classroom to view all of the trioramas in our gallery.

Readers’ Picnic