Austins Ferry Primary has been a hive of activity as we approach the halfway mark of Term 1, students are developing new friendships and finding their feet in new learning areas. I have been very impressed with student effort and behaviour during my walkthroughs over the past few weeks.

School Association

As we continue to build our team, we encourage more community members to attend our School Association meetings and have input into our school. Our next meeting is Tuesday 16 March at 6:10pm. This meeting will also see us hold our AGM which is a great opportunity to meet new members. During the meeting we will provide supper and drinks.

Staffing Update

I would like to welcome Lizzie Park to our team who replaces Claire Huxtable who has gone on long service leave for the remainder of Term 1. I would also like to congratulate Malcolm McArthur who was successful in his application for an Advanced Skills teaching position at Springfield Gardens Primary, we wish Malcolm all the best and will inform parents shortly about who his replacement will be.

Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival

It was fantastic to witness the wonderful efforts of students over the past 2 days at our Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival! Students were encouraging each other in all events and some outstanding performances were witnessed. It was also pleasing to see many parents and community members attend the event while still supporting COVID restrictions.

Year 6 Camp

We are very excited to send off our 2021 Year 6 students on camp next week to Swansea. Staff have been extremely busy behind the scenes organising the event and ensuring all activities are ready to go. We have our fingers crossed for favourable weather in the second half of next week. Staff have also organised an exciting program for Year 5 students who remain back at school.

Kind regards

Tim Nicholas

Principal

KISS & DROP

A friendly reminder that the school 'Kiss & Drop' zone is not for car parking - please do not leave your vehicle unattended in this zone.

STUDENT PICK-UP

If you need to collect students throughout the school day for appointments please arrive in time to allow us to locate your child.  We do not call to the classroom until you have arrived.   This limits interruptions to the class and avoids your child missing out on valuable learning time.  Thank you for you co-operation.

UPDATING STUDENT DETAILS

It is vital for the school office to have updated details for all students.  In the event of a medical issue or emergency event this information is crucial in the care and response that we provide for your child/children.  Please ensure to update information with the office staff as required: emergency contact details, phone numbers, address details and any changes to your childs' medical needs eg. asthma, anaphylaxis.

ABSENCES / ATTENDANCE

If your child is absent please notify the school office before 9:30am:

• Leave a message on the answering machine 6275 7272
• Speak to the office staff face to face
• Call the office staff 6275 7222
• Email:  austins.ferry.primary@education.tas.gov.au
• Via the web form:  www.austins.ferry.primary@education.tas.gov.au
• Submit details through the Schoolzine SZapp

We care about your child's safety and will text you if your child is absent unexplained.

CAR PARK SPEED LIMITS

Speed limits throughout the school are restricted to 10km.  Please note that regardless of what time of day, if the gates are open there is someone here! Everyone's safety is important. 

END OF DAY MESSAGES

Please notify the school office as early as possible and prior to 2:25pm if you need to get a message to your child/ren for the end of the day. Class notice bags are collected at 2:30pm and passing on messages after 2:30pm becomes quite difficult.  We cannot guarantee messages will be received effectively after this time.

CANTEEN & QKR!

Please remember to place your canteen lunch orders through Qkr! prior to the 8:45am deadline.

OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOUR CARE & HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

Playtime Sports offer both after school care and school holiday care and operates out of our school gym.

After school care is open every week day from 2:45pm to 6:00pm.  School holiday programs operating hours are 7:30am to 6:00pm.

All enquiries to Karen Morgan at Playtime Sports on 0407 199 160.

Easter Raffle

Within the next week all families will receive a book of 10 tickets @ $1 each to sell for the Easter Raffle.  If you are able to sell more books please contact the school office.  Please return raffle books either sold or unsold to the school office no later than Thursday 25 March 2021.The raffle will be drawn on Monday 29 March 2021.

Funds raised will go towards supporting the schools educational programs.  

In kindergarten so far this year we have been familiarising ourselves with new routines and also working on our relaxation skills.  We have been having fun and listening to stories whilst participating in Cosmic Kids Yoga!

In Kinder Nair we are learning to following the school routines such as wearing our hats and lining up, while also visiting and familiarising ourselves with the different areas of the school. We are enjoying playing on the different equipments in the Infant Playground, discovering the growing plants of the School Garden and splashing around on Water Wednesday's. We are starting to make new friends, share resources like dress-ups and learn skills like Cutting on the Line using scissors with concentration. Ms Tayla our Health Nurse also helped us learn about Hand-Hygiene. We are off to a flying start to school!

Kinder C have had a successful start to their year. Together we have been making friends, learning about our school and the routines, and enjoying the many play experiences on offer.