Dear Families/Carers

Charlene Best
Principal

Staff Professional Learning Day

On Monday 13th October, our staff participated in the ‘All System Professional Learning Day - Applying Knowledge’. This provided our staff with an opportunity to;

• Listen to leaders and industry experts such as Dr Simon Breakspear and Dr Nathaniel Swain
• Engage in professional conversations, unpacking key concepts and theories
• Practice using resources to enhance planning and instruction. 

Our Support Staff participated in two targeted sessions throughout the day. The first session was an online course - Supporting Students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). The course provided a comprehensive understanding of DLD, including its key characteristics, the challenges students with DLD may encounter in educational settings, and evidence-based strategies to support their access to the curriculum. The second session was facilitated by our Catholic Care Counsellor, Jade Hales, which focused on Trauma Informed Practices. 

We are very pleased with the seamless introduction of our new Kiss and Drop Zone. Thank you for encouraging independence, and we appreciate the positive feedback we have received from families. This initiative supports our families during the busy transition times at the beginning and end of the school day.

The new zone includes designated bays where children can safely exit cars. Please note that this area is a stop zone only. Students should exit the car promptly and safely. Staff will be present to assist children between 8:30 am and 8:50 am, and 2:50 pm and 3:10 pm. If the driveway is full when you arrive, we kindly ask that you continue driving and circle back.

If you wish to walk your child/ren to class, please use the visitor carpark (marked on the map) and follow the yellow lines to the school gate. Please ensure you supervise your child/ren when moving from the car to the school gate. Families parking on nearby streets are asked to use the pedestrian entry marked on the map. If you are entering the school grounds to wait for your child at the end of the day, please be mindful of not waiting in the Link Area outside classrooms, as this can be disruptive to routines in our classrooms.

This change is being implemented following a recent RWC (Risk Work/Health/Safety and Compliance) risk assessment conducted by CET. The assessment deemed the Top Oval unsafe to use as a car park. As a result, the Top Oval is now closed and will only be accessible to authorised personnel. A gate will be installed to secure this area and ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we all adjust to this new routine.

From The Anxiety Project 

"A child's anxiety will not usually fix itself. Unless something changes, it will tend to worsen. However, the good news is that seemingly-modest interventions delivered by significant adults can make a difference and turn that progression around."

Michael Hawton -  MAPS Psychologist

TAP Student Lessons

Our classes have nearly completed their TAP lessons for 2025 and at all levels have learnt about their amydala and its role of processing emotions in the brain, particularly fear and anxiety. Children are learning how they can work to calm their own amygdalas by taking control and employing calming techniques.

Please see some of these calming techniques from TAP below:

TAP Parent Development Course

We wish to extend our thanks to all parents that attended our third TAP Parent Development Course session at the end of last term.

During this session we recapped and explored:

1. Fear reduction techniques
2. The need for children to develop their emotional vocabulary
3. The importance of preventing children from using inaccurate and inflammatory reactions to events
4. Managing parent reactions that may compel them to 'rescue' their child from stressful situations
5. The importance of 'Radical Downtime' ie. getting out in nature, meditation, tech free time

FINAL - TAP Parent Information Session

Invitation for parents who attended sessions last term...

New Students to SHU

Congratulations to Izzy who won 1st prize in the Andrew Hardy Youth Poetry Prize - Youth Division (8-15years). 

Izzy wrote an original poem, titled 'Tiagarra' about an excursion she went on with her class to Tiagarra in Devonport. 

The judges' commented:

This is a reflective poem about the shared experience of an encounter with indigenous history and culture, when “it felt like they awoke”, and to have their faces painted with ochre felt like “a grace.” Clear-eyed and insightful.

'Tiagarra' by Izzy

The outdoors is connected to our history,
But if we don’t learn it will end as a mystery,
Being in nature always makes us feel at home,
Like the bees in their sacred honeycomb,
We all need to give care for this earth,
So some lost plants can rebirth,
Our ancestors had a horrible past,
But we apologised finally at last,
Sacred hearts children came to Tiagarra,
In excitement they all yelled hurrah,
On the bus they sang sweet tunes,
It was like a party with a ton of balloons,
When they arrived they were so surprised,
The tiagarra sign was clear to their eyes,
They stood in a circle, watching the smoke,
As it blew it felt like they awoke,
While the ochre was placed on their face,
They felt blessed because the feeling was a grace,
As they learned about the beautiful nature,
They didn’t realise they were all standing where the graves were,
While students praying for the lost generation,
Some were sad about this poor nation,
Sadly after they learnt this new information,
They had to get on the bus with some hesitation,
As their arms reached high into the sky,
They started waving their arms signalling goodbye.

About The Andrew Hardy Poetry Prize

The Andrew Hardy Poetry Prize is an annual youth poetry prize awarded in memory of Andrew Hardy, who died at the young age of 22 in 1997. The prize was established in memory of Andrew, and of Tim Thorne, who recognised Andrew’s talent and wished to foster the love and practice of poetry in Tasmanian youth. The Andrew Hardy Youth Poetry Prize is offered for an original poem, written by a young Tasmanian poet.

Throughout the year, Eloise has worked hard at her dance studies and has celebrated some wonderful achievements.

She competed in the Launceston, Burnie & Devonport Eisteddfods & the Launceston Festival of Dance, receiving placings (2nd, 3rd & HC) for all genres of dance, including ballet, jazz, contemporary & demi-character.  

She successfully auditioned to dance with the Victorian State Ballet in a production of Beauty & the Beast.

Eloise was recently awarded 2nd place & prize money in the prestigious Susan Sargison Awards for the Royal Academy of Dance. 

Well done Eloise

As part of our PBS and celebrating success, staff look to catch our students actioning our school values of being Compassionate - Honest - Inclusive - Grateful - Sustainable.

Congratulations to our Heart Reward recipients:

• Eli, Madi, Amellia, Felix, Cooper, Sam, Hunter, Henry, Izzy, Elsie

As a reward for their kind gestures, these students enjoyed an afternoon surprise with Mrs Crouch and Ms Richards.

Playing in the Playground After School:

Please, parents, ensure you supervise your children after school hours while on the school grounds. It is important that we continue to work together to ensure that our expectations for behaviour align with our PBS Matrix and that we model appropriate adult behaviour. 

Medical Condition Updates:

If students have updated Medical conditions could parents please notify the school office by sending an email to shu@catholic.tas.edu.au stating 'Update regarding students Medical Condition' as its imperative that the school is aware of a medical condition that your child may have.

End of Day collection changes:

Please advise the office by phone or by emailing by 2.15pm of any change to pick up arrangements for your child . Thank you for your support.

Student absence:

Please ensure if you cannot log your child/ren absent in comapss that you call the office or send an email to advise of the absence before 8.45am.

If students are going to be away for a period of time please ensure to let the class teacher know and to update compass.

Our school canteen is requiring volunteers for Term  4 on a Friday from 9am -11.30am.

If you have a current WWVP card and would like to volunteer please contact the school office.

Please click on the link to view our updated uniform guidelines.

Please click on the link to view information from Midford.

Please see attached our attendance guidelines. Please ensure if your child/ren are absent fro school that you mark them absent via the compass app or email or phone the school prior to 8.45am.

Thank you.