Newsletter - 27 November 2023
From The Principal
Dear Fairview Community,
As we find ourselves quickly approaching the end of another school year, it's hard to believe how swiftly time has passed. With only a few weeks left, I want to emphasise that every learning moment matters, and we are committed to making the most of these final weeks with our students.
Our recent athletics carnival was a resounding success, thanks to the incredible participation of our students, the enthusiastic involvement of parents and friends, and the valuable support from our extended community. A special shoutout goes to the students from New Norfolk High School who volunteered their time to support the running of different events and the School Association Fundraising Group for their dedication in organizing a fantastic sausage sizzle.
The last few weeks have seen many exciting opportunities for our students. The Terrapin Puppet Theatre performance captivated young minds, and the Footsteps Dance program proved to be immensely popular. The students that participated in our Children’s University Program attended their graduation ceremony at UTAS being recognised for the extra-curricula learning they have logged throughout the year, thank you to Mr. McArthur for bringing this program to Fairview. On Friday night our band students performed wonderfully at the Derwent Entertainment Centre as part of the combined school bands program, thank you to our wonderful music teachers for enabling this opportunity for our students, this program will be continuing in 2024 so please keep an eye out for when this is advertised. Additionally, numerous excursions are currently underway, providing our students with hands-on experiences that enhance their learning journey.
I want to remind parents of our older students about the risks associated with technology use, particularly on social media platforms. Many of these platforms have age restrictions, and it's crucial for parents to be aware that our students may lack the maturity to navigate them safely. Please take the time to speak with your children about the permanence of their online actions and monitor their technology use closely.
With the weather warming up, it's wonderful to see our students enjoying the sunshine during break times in a sun safe manner. A friendly reminder that caps are not part of the school uniform and when students are riding or scooting to and from school that they should be doing so wearing helmets.
As we approach the final stretch of the school year, let's continue to work together to create a positive and supportive learning community for our students. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and commitment to the success of Fairview Primary School.
David Webster
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 29th November- Grade 6 High School Orientation
Wednesday 29th November- Step Up Excursion Grades 4 and 5
Wednesday 6th December- Kinder Concert
Friday 8th December- Excursion PGH, P1J, 1BT
Monday 11th - Friday 15th December - Kinder-Grade 2 Swimming Lessons
Monday 18th December- Grade 6 Activities Day
Tuesday 19th December - Kinder - Grade 5 Celebration Assemblies
Thursday 21st December - Grade 6 Leavers Assembly
K-2 Swimming and Water Safety Program
Kinder to Grade 2 Water Orientation Program begins on Monday 11th December and finishes on Friday 15th December.
Please check the note that will be sent home with students for more information.
Science with Grade 6
The year 6s in 5/6 Bardelmeyer and 5/6 Luttrell have been exploring Earth and its place in space. Students have used their research skills to create posters of the sun and 8 planets in our solar system. Fun fact: the sun is so big, 1 million earths could fit inside it!
From the Art Room
Students from Prep to grade 6 have been very busy in the art room over the past few weeks.
Here you can see students working hard on their ........ and their .......... . Other students have made ......... and dried them on their messy mats. Of course no one wants to let you see what they've been doing (apparently there's a big day coming up) but I hope you enjoy the results.
Happy decorating from Ms Mad.
Reading Stars
At Fairview we value our reading as a main priority within our school programs. Part of this program is home reading. We continue to have a large amount of students getting rewards for certain amount of nights reading. Free books are given out at certain amounts of reading nights. The students below are getting prizes for 100, and 250 nights reading!! Many students will also be getting a movie and popcorn session for their nights reading.
Kindy Excursion
This week Kinder R and Kinder B visited Mt Field.
We walked to the beautiful Russell Falls and looked at the water falling over the falls, on the way we saw lots of plants, ferns, and some huge trees. We investigated a fallen tree trunk and wondered what might live inside. We guessed the age of some of the trees that we saw.
We explored the Curiosity Room at the visitor centre and had an ice cream.
Footsteps
Footsteps dance were invited to our school and created an engaging dance routine that had our students dancing along to a well choreographed routine. With a supportive and inclusive atmosphere the participation levels were high…including many staff members. Mr McArthur will continue to practice his dance moves! The students loved the music selection as you can see in the pictures below.
Hats, Water Bottles and Jumpers
Tasmanian weather is unpredictable this time of year, some mornings can be quite cool.
Please assist your children by packing a water bottle and a jumper.
Remember to label jumpers and water bottles so these items can be returned to students when they are misplaced.
School Association
The Fairview Fundraisers have been working hard getting ready for our Annual Christmas raffle. We have been collecting donations from local and other Tasmanian businesses. Please consider supporting these generous businesses.
Raffle tickets will be sent home soon with students.
Thank you for your support.
Gastroenteritis
Stay at home while you are sick and do not go to work or school.
Infants and children attending childcare or school should not return until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped.
If you work in healthcare or childcare or are involved in food handling, you should not return to work until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.
Do not prepare or handle food for other people.
Wash your hands after going to the toilet and/or after vomiting.
Drink plenty of fluids such as water or juice (diluted one part to four parts water), to prevent dehydration.
Rehydration solutions that replace fluids and salts are available from pharmacies.
If you are vomiting a lot, try drinking small amounts of fluids more frequently.
Go to your doctor or hospital if you have signs of dehydration, are unable to keep down fluids or your symptoms get worse.
Student Assistance Scheme (STAS)
Families who were approved and received STAS in 2023 have been sent correspondence regarding STAS 2024 directly from the Department for Education, Children and Young People and do not need to complete another STAS application.
STAS application forms for families who have not applied for, or been in receipt of STAS in 2023 including new enrolments who believe they meet the eligibility criteria are now available from the school office or families can apply on-line: https://stasonlinesubmission.education.tas.gov.au/
The eligibility criteria means that if a parent/carer holds a current concession card as listed below they are eligible to apply for STAS:
- Centrelink Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card or
- Department of Veteran Affairs Concession Card
Parents/carers cannot apply again online if they received STAS in 2023. If a parent/carer wishes to add a newly enrolling student to their STAS file (ie: a Kindergarten student or sibling) they simply need to email their name and the student’s full name, date of birth, grade and school they will be attending in 2024 to: stas@education.tas.gov.au
Completed hard copy application forms can be returned to the school office or sent directly to the Department for Education, Children and Young People by post, fax (6173 0315) or scanned and emailed to stas@education.tas.gov.au Please ensure that forms are signed and dated before submitting.
It would be greatly appreciated if you would complete new applications prior to the end of the year to avoid invoices being sent in error early in 2024.