On Tuesday 15^th September in the School Gymnasium we held the PRIDE assembly. Students in each year group were recognised for academic achievement and application to studies. Students on learning plans who have achieved their goals and have had excellent application and effort to studies were also recognised.  Congratulations to all students and thankyou to the parents who were able to attend the assembly.

Academic achievement and application to studies

Year 10 Dinner 2020

We can confirm that the year 10 Dinner for 2020 will be held at the ‘Crazy Duck – Cove’ in GeorgeTown in Term 4. More information will be provided to Year 10 students closer to the time.  At this stage we are still working through the arrival plan but please be aware that arrivals and photos will not be occurring at the Cove this year due to the COVID restrictions.

Write A Book In A Day

Congratulations to the junior and senior students who participated in Write A Book In A Day last week.  Their teamwork, application to the task, motivation and encouragement of each other was outstanding.  Students worked from 8.00am to 8.00pm to collaboratively write and illustrate a book. Thank you to Mrs Broomhall, Miss Allen and Mr Grubert for coordinating the students on the day and Mr Flanagan and Mr Broomhall who supported in the second half of the day. Please find the report attached.

Course Selection 2021

Course guides have been sent home with students in years 7, 8 and 9 for students to select their elective classes for 2021.  Please encourage your child to speak to their class teacher if they have questions.  Students are encouraged to make their course selections based on their future career and educational pathways. This year we are offering a number of academic courses which directly link to years 11 and 12 and the courses offered in this sector.  The yearlong courses include Maths Extended, and Science Extended.

School Car Park - Agnes Street Side

As you are aware at the beginning of the school day and at 3.00pm we have a large number of parents and guardians picking up children.  Please ensure you drive slowly in the school car park and that cars are parked in the designated car parking spaces only. 

2021 Planning

We have started planning and staffing for 2021. It is most important if your family circumstances are changing in 2021 and your child is not going to be attending Port Dalrymple School that you notify the office or an Assistant Principal ASAP. 

Enrolment appointments for 2021 are now being booked for students in Prep-10 who do not currently attend Port.  If you require an enrolment appointment please contact the school.

STAS Eligibility Changes

The Tasmanian Government has announced the expansion of the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS), which waives the cost of Tasmanian Government levies for eligible students, for the 2021 school year onwards.

The eligibility for STAS will move to using the Health Care Card or equivalent as the assessment mechanism, replacing previous income thresholds that applied.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions has been developed to assist with any questions you may have and this has been sent home to students. 

Further questions about STAS or Levies and Charges in general can be sent to the Department of Education’s Financial Services Unit at stas@education.tas.gov.au or by calling 1800 827 055.

Merit Certificates – School Values

In Term 3 our merit certificates will continue to be presented to students who display our school values.  The certificate recipients are listed in the newsletter. The school values are Respect, Aspiration, Courage and Growth.  The presentation of certificates are recorded and placed on the school Facebook site also.

Dates to remember

Friday, 16^th October - Country Gold Cricket Selection TBC

Thursday, 22^nd and Friday, 23^rd October - Athletics Carnival

Friday, 30^th October - Teacher Professional Learning Day – Student Free Day K-12

Monday, 2^nd November - Long Weekend

Friday, 6^th November  - Last Day For 11/12 TASQ Classes

Tuesday, 10^th November - Year 6 Orientation Day and Year 6 Parent Information Evening

School Attendance

To get the most out of education, children need to go to school every day. School attendance has a major influence on educational outcomes at all grade levels. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve better results at school and are more likely to complete their schooling.

At Port Dalrymple if your child is absent from school and the absence has not been explained a text message will be sent to the parent/guardian mobile phone.  It is most important that if parent/guardian contact details change that the general office is notified.

Attendance alerts and letters are generated for students who have 5 or above unexplained absence.  It is most important that parents/guardians respond to the letter to explain the absence where possible.

Students who are late to school must sign in at the general office and students must sign out at the general office when leaving with parents before 3.00pm.

Parents/guardians can encourage their child to attend school by having a positive attitude to learning and their child’s involvement in school activities. Lots of options are available for parents/guardians to engage in the school.

Poor school attendance patterns can start as early as Year 1. It is important that from the first day of school parents/guardians set an expectation that their child will be at school every day.

TIPS - THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

• Talk positively about attending school and learning
• Help your child get into a routine for getting ready to go to school stress-free
• Help your child to get ready for school in the morning
• Talk about the positive social aspect of the school environment:
  • Friends
  • Favourite classes
  • Favourite teachers

Attendance reports will be sent home with school reports.  It is most important if you have a question regarding the attendance report or your child has unexplained absences which can be explained that you contact the school on the above number.

On Thursday 22^nd and Friday 23^rd of October, Port Dalrymple School will be holding the Kinder- Year 10 Athletics Carnival at school. Students in Kinder to Year 1 will have their events on Thursday only.

Please find the program attached.

At Port Dalrymple School we provide all students with the opportunity to participate in both traditional track and field and novelty events. Our focus is on participation and students giving their best effort.

The carnival is tabloid style where students rotate around several activities in year groups which are split into girls and boys. There will be a teacher attached to each group who will supervise for the two days.

The carnival begins at 9:10am. All students are expected to be at school at the normal time. Students will go to class teacher for attendance and will remain in class teacher groups until the first event of the day. The Athletics Carnival is a normal school day and students will be dismissed at 3:00pm

As the carnival is a busy day, there will not be a usual recess and lunch break. Instead we advise that students snack in-between their events. Please note that if your child has a lunch pass, this will not be in effect on the day of the carnival due to the change in timetable for the two days.

There will be a barbecue available and drinks to purchase on the day. Prep to Year 2 students will be able to pre order lunch from the barbecue. The barbecue is for students only due to COVID restrictions. 

We ask that students are dressed appropriately and prepared for all weather conditions. Warm clothing is strongly advised, however as we approach summer and warmer weather with its higher UV levels, it is imperative that your child has a hat and sunscreen. Hoodies are not an acceptable item of clothing. The school will provide sunscreen; however, we encourage students to bring their own.  .

House Pride

As a school, we are really trying to build school pride and some friendly rivalry at our sports carnivals Students are encouraged to wear their house colours and display signs/slogans that have been made at school. All students have been allocated a house – Norfolk (blue) and Paterson (white).

First aid and medication

A First aid and medication area will be manned by a staff member on the day. If your child takes regular medication at school, they will be able to access this at the first aid tent and will be supervised as per normal. If your child self-administers medication for asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes etc. please remind them to pack their medication.

Cancellation of the carnival

A decision by senior staff will be made at 7am if the carnival is to be cancelled due to weather. A notice will be posted on the Facebook page as well as a text message sent out so please ensure you check this. If either day is hit by inclement weather, the carnival will be rescheduled to Wednesday 28^th and Thursday 29^th October.

Spectators

There will be a designated spectator area, so we invite all parents to come along and support and we look forward to seeing you there. There will be a staff member designated to signing spectators in and completing the COVID Health screening form.  Spectatators are asked to sit in the designated seating area 1.5m apart and must not scoialise with students at the events.

If you have any further questions, please contact Mr Sanders at the school.

On Friday 11^th September, the second and final round of the NE Cup in 2020 was played at Scottsdale. Once again the focus of the event was for students to approach the day with an attitude of having fun, doing their best, supporting their team mates, and displaying school pride. All students displayed these attributes while representing the school throughout the day.

Unusually when the NE Cup is scheduled, the weather was great and the conditions of the grounds was excellent, with only a hint of the famous red dirt from Scottsdale seen on our football and soccer players knees. Again we entered one team in each of football, soccer and 6-a-side soccer, and two netball teams. With games against Brooks HS, Scottsdale HS and Lilydale HS competing in football, soccer, netball and 6-a-side soccer scheduled, our students had a full day of physical activity.

Although participation and giving their best effort was the main focus of the day, our teams were very successful with our football team winning all three of their games comfortably. Our Division 1 netball team played strongly all day and had a couple of excellent games against the Scottsdale High School team and our Division 3 netball team finally were rewarded for their efforts with a great win in their last game. Both our soccer teams showed great improvement and team work throughout their games, led superbly by Mr Austin and Miss Flint

Some personal highlights were Travis and Bradley displaying great tenacity in soccer; Niamh and Aidan showing huge improvement in their 6-a-side soccer skills; Mason, Hayden, Tallis and Dan playing at a high level consistently across the three games; and Molli, Hallie, Grace, Charlie and Charlotte all leading the way in great team performances with our Division 1 and Divisiom 3 netball teams.

A big thank you to our ‘coaches’ on the day – Mr Conroy (football), who went through the two rounds undefeated, Miss Allan and Mrs Howard (netball), Mr Austin (soccer) and Miss Flint (6-a-side soccer). Their positivity, support and direction to our students was fantastic.

Mr Sanders

The 3/4 classes have been working extremely hard in the garden this term weeding, tidying and planting new herbs and vegetables ready for us to use in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen.

Earlier in the term Miss Kuruvita applied for a grant from Keeping Australia Beautiful to help with the associated costs of renewing and maintaining the garden. We found out that we have been successful in our submission and won $500.

Chris from Keeping Australia Beautiful -Tasmania came to present us with a cheque and to see all the fantastic work we have been doing. We can’t wait to share our progress with you all as the garden continues to grow!

The PreKinder children are having fun getting ready for Kindergarten 2021.  

It’s so much fun getting to know each other, making friends and finding out about the routines at school.   If you know someone who was born in 2016 and in the Port Dalrymple School area please encourage them to enquire about our fabulous preKinder programme.    Call or text 0428 308 855.

Year 10 Examinations 2020

This term Port Dalrymple School will be conducting subject exams for students in Year 10. The exams will provide senior students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understandings and knowledge in a specific subject and develop study and organisational skills to prepare for the exam processes in Years 11 and 12.

The exam period will begin Monday 21st September, Week 10 and will be held during normal school hours.

Exams will take place in designated senior school classrooms and students will be under the supervision of their teachers and AST/AP. Attached to this letter are the exam procedures and schedule. It is important that students are familiar with the timetable and adhere to examination procedures, so we ask that you please read through this document with your child.

The subject exams for 2020 are:

-Mathematics

-Science

-English

-HASS (History and Geography)

-Health and Physical Education

If a student is absent for an exam, there will be an opportunity for catch up throughout week 10.

These exams will cater for a wide range of abilities and it is a great opportunity for students to learn about the process of exams for Years 11 and 12.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr Flanagan or Mr Austin at the school on 63820500.

On Thursday 10^th September, Port Dalrymple School had two teams compete in the Write a Book in a Day Competition.  Students participated in teams of ten where the aim was to write and illustrate a book in a day collaboratively within 12 hours (8am-8pm). 

Our primary team of year 5/6 students wrote the book titled The Land of Fiction. Our secondary team of year 9 and 10 students wrote the book titled Relatively Lucky.  Students demonstrated the school values of Aspiration, Growth, Courage and Respect all throughout the competition.  Well done to all the students who participated.  What an amazing effort.  These completed books will be sent to hospitals for children to enjoy.

A huge thankyou to all those who supported the students to participate in this program – parents, class teachers, Miss Bolton, Mr Flanagan, Mr Broomhall, Miss Allan, and Mrs Broomhall.

Throughout Term 3, Year 5/6 students have had the opportunity to represent Port Dalrymple in the three sports football, soccer and netball.

Mr Sanders and his Port Sport Leaders train and run activities linked with our chosen sports every Friday. The Port Sport Leaders have taught us:

• Team work
• Cooperation
• The rules of the game
• Ball skills
• Drills and activities linking with the sports

The different schools we competed against include South Georgetown, Star of the Sea, Lilydale District School, Exeter Primary School and Beaconsfield Primary School.

On behalf of the year 5/6 students, we would all like to thank Mr Sanders and the Port Sport Leaders for helping us be successful in our games that we have won each week.

In conjunction with South32, Port Dalrymple School are pleased to offer eligible current Year 10 students an exciting Scholarship Program for 2021 and beyond.

The scholarships will provide support to 10 students who are:

1. from low-socio-economic backgrounds and STAS approved
2. enrolled to complete Years 11 and 12 at Port Dalrymple School, George Town, and
3. considering a university or traineeship/apprenticeship pathway for the final year(s) of the scholarship.

The scholarships will be paid by instalment to successful students over a three-year period. Throughout this time students will need to demonstrate excellent school attendance, a commitment to learning and be focused on achieving their Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE). The value of the scholarships for each student is $9,000 over three years.

To find out more, please contact Port Dalrymple School on 63820500

On behalf of the Port Dalrymple School community we would like to thank South32 and the George Town Council for providing the financial resource that has enabled the school to purchase laptop computers for students.

The initiative will ensure students, primarily in Years 3-9, will have a device for learning which they can take home. It will enable students to stay connected to their learning, to the wider school community and provide opportunities for teachers to support and extend students learning throughout the year.

Families of students in Years 3-9 who do not have a suitable device for learning can ring the general office to loan a school laptop.  The general office will complete a loan form for the student and then the device can be collected at any time from Monday – Friday during school hours 9.00am-3.00pm. Please ensure you follow social distancing procedures when you enter the school administration area.

This is a wonderful initiative for the families in George Town.

The Tasmanian Government has announced the expansion of the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS), which waives the cost of Tasmanian Government school levies for eligible students, for the 2021 school year onwards.

The eligibility for STAS will move to using the Health Care Card or equivalent as the assessment mechanism, replacing previous income thresholds that applied.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions has been developed to assist with any questions you may have and this has been sent home to students. 

Further questions about STAS or Levies and Charges in general can be sent to the Department of Education’s Financial Services Unit at stas@education.tas.gov.au or by calling 1800 827 055.

Congratulations to the following students who were selcted for Country Gold

Soccer

Hayley 

Amber 

Sophia 

Hockey

Caeden 

Netball

Makayla 

Mia 

Emily 

Ella 

Octavia 

Shakiah 

Football

Zorana 

Drew