Spring Reflections

It’s hard to believe how quickly Term 3 has flown by! As the days grow longer and the warmth of spring begins to settle in, we’ve had a wonderful term filled with learning, growth, and community connection.

A heartfelt thank you to all the families who came in to share evidence of learning with our staff. These moments of partnership are so valuable and help strengthen the connection between home and school. It’s always a joy to celebrate the progress and achievements of our students together.

Our continued focus on literacy and reading remains our number one learning priority, and we’re thrilled to see the positive impact this is having across the school. The dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students are truly making a difference.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to share some fantastic news about upcoming building works happening over the holidays. We’re getting a brand-new Teacher Resource Centre, which will provide staff with easy access to the tools and materials they need to plan rich, engaging learning experiences. This space will support both staff and students and enhance the quality of teaching and learning across the school.

We’re also beginning work on a bike track on the back oval, along with a new storage container for our school bikes. These additions will support active play and outdoor learning, and will be part of a new fence that will improve the connection between our Kinder/Prep area and the main building.

Thank you for your ongoing support throughout Term 3. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together and look forward to finishing the year strongly in Term 4.

Warm regards,
Tobin McColl
Principal – Herdsmans Cove Primary School

School Health Nurse Program (SHNP)

Hi there, I’m Isabel your school health nurse. I am looking forward to working at Herdsmans Cove Primary School for the remainder of the year and will be here every Tuesday!

Over terms 3 and 4, I will aim to cover a range of health topics, including:

• Kindergarten Health Checks
• Targeted Vision and hearing screening when required for students Prep to Grade 6
• Class visits on topics including hand hygiene, dental health, personal space and consent, self-esteem/body image and sun safety

If you have concerns about your child’s vision, hearing or any medical issues that could affect their learning, please contact me through the school office or speak with your child’s teacher about a referral.

Similarly, if there is an area of health in which you believe your child needs further attention, please don’t hesitate to let myself know.

For those families of kindergarten students who have completed a kinder health check consent form, you should expect to receive results home at some stage. Please contact the school if you didn’t receive said consent form.

If you would like to learn more about the SHNP please visit: https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/ and search ‘School Health Nurse Program’

Kind regards,

Isabel Barney

School Health Nurse

On Thursday we had footy colours day at Herdsmans Cove. It was great to see students and staff dressed up in their favourite team colours.

We also had a footy meal deal to celebrate the football grand final and last canteen day for term 3.

Thankyou to our amazing canteen team for making this day a success.

HERDY ART

Students in years 1/2 and 3/4 have participated in Art Club this term. Students have enjoyed exploring colours through painting, drawing and 3d collage. It has been amzing to see the growth of the students creativity, conidence, persistence and focus during our sessions. A special acknowledgement goes to Chase, Ani and Aubrey F for their positive attitude and wonderful work completed. I look forward to seeing our budding artists again next year.

Lauren Foley

In the Garden we've been learning about plants, and what they need to survive. Learning that plants need water to survive led to a fun experiment using dyed water to change the colour of flowers. We've also made our own window hothouses with our bush bean plants starting to grow. 

In the Kitchen we've been utilising our produce from the garden. The students loved making silverbeet and banana muffins. Students not only loved the colour but the taste too.

We'd also like to make a special mention to the incredible year 3/4s who have been helping weed and maintain the garden.

Last Thursday we had a visit from Maxxia who brought in breakfast for students and staff. 

On Monday 29th September three of our own students will be representing Tasmania in the National Schools Futsal Championships in Brisbane. 

We would like to wish Kyden, Shayla and Jett all the very best for the tournaments. 

This term in 3/4 Art, we have been learning about coral bleaching and the importance of protecting the Great Barrier Reef. We explored what the reef looks like when it is healthy and colourful, and what happens when it becomes bleached. Using this knowledge, we designed and created our own air-dry clay reefs, imagining what we hope the reef will look like in the future. We carefully shaped and painted our coral and sea creatures with bright colours to show a healthy, thriving reef.

This term in 5/6 Art, we have been working on creating our own graffiti fences featuring our names. We started by using stencils and transfer paper to carefully trace our names onto paddle pop sticks, which became the “planks” of our fences. Using paint pens, we designed and decorated our names with creative graffiti-style lettering and colours. To complete our fences, we added foam to represent grass and placed small rocks around the base for decoration, making each piece look unique and full of personality.

Replacement forms are available from the office.

Important dates coming up in Term 4.

Monday October 13 - Term 4 begins.

Wednesday October 22 - Splash Carnival (Clarence Pool)

Thursday October 23 - PUBLIC HOLIDAY (ROYAL HOBART SHOW)

Friday October 24 - Moderation day (No school)

Monday November 3 - Grade 6 single and group photos

Tuesday November 11 - Inter school swimming carnival (if selected)

School is where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most. If you as a parent show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that. The most common thing heard from students of all ages is that school is where children can spend time with their friends, create new and fun experiences, find their interests, learn new things, open up their options – for whatever future they want.

Talk to your child about school, open up a conversation about what’s happening. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it. Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available.

Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

Know when to seek help There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school.

For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website