23 October 2024

From the Principal

Welcome back from break, we hope you all are well rested for the term ahead. Only 8 more weeks for the 2024 School Year!

Redevelopment Update

With the scaffolding down, the new building is really taking shape. It is exciting to see some of the feature windows and balcony railing coming into place. The internal fit out for the lower level is not far off completion and the top level is pushing ahead with plastering at present. This building is expected to be with us sometime in December. VOS are working hard to get the building back to us at the start of December, rather than later. We will keep you informed as we know more, but it is really only 5-6 weeks away, hopefully! The landscaping in front of the build will not be completed by then, yet we should have access to the rooms. We have ordered some new furniture and are really excited for the main part of the project to come to life soon!

Outside the Canteen and the northern side of the main building is now a full construction zone with footings being dug and elevation being increased with diggers and rollers being busy. Over the holidays we had a small slab poured for the extension for the Canteen and this extension is already being framed up. We are looking to frameup and be ready for the extension/expansion as fast as possible in the holidays to reduce any possible impact on the Canteen operations. We can’t thank VOS enough for their commitment to work with us on this.

The main building works will extend well into Term 2 next year with the landscaping to follow after that.

Hopefully, we can announce more about a second stage (gymnasium) timeline when we have more engagement with Council over the next few months.

Class Placements Process

As per the message sent out last week, and repeated below, we will close off parent submissions for class placements at the end of this weekend. This is so we can begin our processes here at school.

Over a period of roughly 6 weeks (leading right up until the end of week 9), class teachers will be following a set of protocols to mix and match classes for next year. Class teachers know their students best and, in our school, they do most of the work to set next year’s classes up. The Leadership Team and I will spend some time also going over the class placements and then finally, allocating teachers to the classes for next year. We always start this process before our staffing for the next year is fully finalised, as placing students together is always more important than whom the teacher is going to be. Additionally, to do the process right, we do a little bit at a time, allowing us the chance to stop and think repeatedly about any changes and adjustments we might be able to make.

The whole process is very thorough and takes a lot of considered energy and effort. The timing of the process is also important as we need to take our time to give us lots of thinking and reflection time. We really value the time we put into this and the information that staff and (where needed) parents bring to the process. Some schools use a computer system to code the solution, we think our processes generate much better outcomes. If you as a parent have valuable information you wish to share, please get this in before the cut-off date of 27 October. Due to the extremely puzzle-building nature of this task, late information, unless we have already accounted for it (which most of the time we have), often cannot be worked into the already started solutions.

Uniform Policy

We have tabled a review of the School Uniform Policy for the next School Association Meeting (next Wednesday). If the Association reaches agreement, we will then be sharing with you, in the next Newsletter, an updated Policy for your comment. Our current Uniform Policy, which forms the majority of our proposed updated Policy, can be found on our website:

We suggest that if you have feedback about either our uniform, or the way it is worn (the dress code), then please email them to cambridge.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au or talk to a School Association member.

In short, I have always said I wasn't going to worry about uniform as it has a low impact on student achievement… so long as it stays generic, and the brand names and logoed items stay out. Unfortunately, bit by bit, overtime, our uniform has very much degraded and slipped. Part of this is due to some items not being wanted to be worn – ie a rugby jumper that some students find too hard to manage. Too many students are daily wearing free dress. And this is not in the ideal for government schools and uniform policies. We also need to resolve the "soccer hoodie" as this has now bridged, understandably, to any sports team with a navy hoodie.

Nothing is set in stone; we are trying to work things through. I have consulted with the SRC, and they have had some strong feedback on what our uniform should and shouldn’t be. We’ve worked to find free moving designs, nice fabrics, that create durable, timeless items, which also should be relatively cheap compared to all other schools we have looked up thus far. We have a concept of some updated uniform items, and we have shown these to the students in rough format for now. We will take the initial feedback from our students and hone our designs and fabrics.  

The uniform itself, from a policy point of view, must be set and then is to be enforced through our student behaviour policy. As I have explained to our students, they will ALL be coming across much stricter uniform policies for any high school that they attend.  

I know I may personally wear a bit here, but I will stick my head out and wear it. We need to bring it back together for equality’s sake, school can't be a fashion parade. A few years ago, I got rid of the chicken goujons from the Canteen - highly unpopular at the time, but we couldn't staff the preparation as a growing school. We also removed a slushie machine, due to health and rubbish reasons. All these decisions passed the test of time… they don’t get brought up anymore. As a school, I know that we can be mature enough to start to wear a consistent uniform, like every other school. Much like the Canteen changes in the past, I feel we need to bring our uniform into alignment so that a further growing school can have a clear identity and reduce the branding that we see.

Please understand, and this is really important - we don't seek to remove the flare or personality of our students - wear bright socks, put on a head band, we won't make them wear black shoes, and throw some festive cheer into your hair if you like.

Any new uniform items, if formally adopted, will have at least 12 months to come into play. And I'd suggest that old uniform items can be worn for quite a while after that. We want to reduce the cost, not increase it. We want to have a sustainable, long-term durable, quality offering. Any new items we bring in, based on our current research, will be the cheapest or equal cheapest uniform items of any school near us. All from a certified ethical clothing manufacturer.

And we want to do it all for you, from our own Uniform Shop where we can be personable and helpful – we won’t make you head off to another shop when you’re working!

This might cause a bump, at least a good conversation, but we think in the long term it will be worth it. And maybe it won't be that big a bump - many parents have been asking for this for over 10 years.

If you have a viewpoint, please send it in and we can collate the feedback for the School Association meeting.

End of Day Arrangements

Every family is welcome to play in our playground after the school bell… with direct supervision of a parent/carer or another nominated adult. Our minimal staff supervision is only for students who are catching the “Late Bus” to Seven Mile Beach.

• At the first bell, ONLY students on the first three buses are supposed to leave classrooms (Acton, Midway, Dulcot).
• Soon after, students who are pick-up and have been collected, and students who walk home, leave their classrooms.
• Students who are pick-up are NOT to wait in the playground. They are to wait in their classrooms for a few moments after the last bell, if their parents/carers are running late.
• If parents/carers have not collected their children, the children should head to the Office to wait and for phone calls to be made.
• On the final bell, Late Bus AND After School Care students are to depart classrooms.

Parents, please help us out with this. If you are running late, then please contact the Office so we can let your child know. If you pick up at a gate or via your child walking out of the playground to your car, please understand that our duty of care cannot stretch to supervising play after school unless your children are on the Late Bus.

Families are very free (and welcome!) to play in the playground after school, we can only supervise Late Bus students and not lots of others. Thank you for your help.

We hope you all are enjoying the extra-long weekend.  See you soon – Courtney.

2025 Class Placements

In a couple of weeks, we will start our school-based processes for planning for classes for next year. Sometimes parents like to provide input for their child’s placement. Class teachers will then use this information to assist with placements for next year. Class teachers know their students well, there is no need to put in a placement form, it is a choice if you would like to, using the webform below.

If the information is sensitive, it will only be viewed by Leadership Team members. If you would like to make a submission for next year, we need this in writing by Sunday 27 October 2024. Please understand that anything received after this date may not be able to be taken into account, as our processes will have started. Please write down anything you think that is important. Please do not rely on the memory or knowledge of any staff member from previous years or from past events. In working with nearly 400 children, staff do forget things from time to time that may be very important to you and your family. It certainly is not intentional, it’s just an outcome from a busy workplace. We destroy previous years’ submissions so they will not be able to be used and you may have to re-write information that you have provided in the past. 

Click below to access the webform and fill in the Additional Information section.

Important Points:

At this stage we are unsure of our exact class numbers and compositions for next year.

After Kinder and Prep – we will have all composite classes (ie, 1-2, 3-4) throughout the school as we have done, successfully, for over a decade.

Requests for specific teachers will not be taken into account (this is common across all State Schools). Teacher staffing make up will not be confirmed for some weeks yet, neither will allocation of teachers to classes. There will be changes for next year from this year.

All requests must be for an educational reason.

Sometimes “best friends” may not be kept together if we deem this important for social and academic developmental purposes. Best friends may not be best learners. It is very important to us that your child does have a friend or someone who they can become friends with in their class.

Families will be informed of their class teacher on the final Monday of this term. This will be the same date that reports go home (16 December 2024).

This is the same successful process as the past 10 years.

We will try to accommodate all requests, but this may not always be possible as we may have competing considerations with all of our children and families. We will be able to share our thinking with you after we make the placements.

It is imperative that you make the submission on time. The cut-off date is Sunday 27 October 2024.

Please provide the information on the web form provided, or email cambridge.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au (subject: Class Placements 2025). Alternatively, you can put your input in writing and leave at the office.

Leaving Cambridge Primary in 2025?

Kinder – Grade 5 families please let the Office know if your child or children will not be attending Cambridge Primary School in 2025. Email cambridge.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au or call 6248 5168.

Start of Term Reminders

We are a Nut and Egg Aware School

A reminder to families that we are a ‘nut and egg aware school’. There are several students within our school community that are highly allergic to nuts as well as students highly allergic to eggs.

Please do not send nuts, or foods containing nuts in your child’s lunch box.

Please do not send egg sandwiches, or hard-boiled eggs in your child’s lunch box.

SunSmart Program

Children are required to wear hats when outside, at all times, from September to April.  Digger, Legionnaire or “Bucket” hats are the only hats to be worn at school and children without a SunSmart hat will be required to remain under the shaded area.  Sunscreen will also be available to students, and this will be located in classroom areas and at the office.  Application of school sunscreen is your child’s responsibility so please ensure they can confidently apply this to themselves.  Please also feel free to apply sunscreen at home in the morning prior to the school day. This is in line with the SunSmart Program sponsored by the Cancer Council.  Hats are available for purchase from the School office for $10.

Contact Details

Has your phone number, email or address changed? Please inform the office of any changes as they occur.

Volunteering at School

If you are volunteering in our classrooms and/or coming along on an excursion this year, you MUST obtain a Working With Vulnerable People Card and complete the Safeguarding training 

When you have completed your training, please send your certificate via email to cambridge.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au and take a screenshot of your certificate and save it on your phone.

Lost Property

Lost property is located at the MPR end of the main corridor. Please clearly name items of clothing, drink bottles and lunch boxes. If students are recycling second-hand clothes, please delete the old name. Any un-named items that are left at the end of each term will be disposed of.

Car Park Safety

Please drive slowly and with care in the carpark. Do not park in the bays allocated to buses, even for a short time.

Disabled Car Park

We have two disabled carparks near the school gate. We also have several families who either have disabled children or carers. These families need the car parks. We understand that the carpark can get full at times, but please, do not park in the signed spots unless you have a valid disabled parking sign.  

School Gates

As we all know, manners are very important, but we ask that when opening the school gates, please only let out the child that is in your care.

Office Hours

8.10am – 3.30pm

Uniform Shop

Opening hours 8.10am – 3.30pm. Alternatively, uniform can be paid for via Qkr. Items can be collected from the office or handed to students. See side panel of newsletter for Qkr instructions. 

Class Times

School commences 8.40am
School concludes 2.40pm

Duty of Care

It is important to note, before 8.10am and after 2.40pm, your children need to be supervised by an adult (unless they are at after school care or waiting for a bus to go home). To be clear, please do not drop your child off before 8.10am and please collect them at 2.40pm, as our duty of care is not before 8.10am or after 2.40pm. We appreciate your support in keeping everyone safe with supervision.

Student Absences

Please notify the school office by 8.40am each day your child is absent from school. There is a link to an absentee form on the sidebar of the Schoolzine newsletter.

Or call, or leave a message, on 6248 5168.

Student Late Arrival or Early Departure

Students must be signed in/out by a parent/carer using the Kiosk electronic sign in/out at the office, if they arrive late or are leaving school early. If you take your child after Assembly please sign them out at the office.

Qkr App

The Qkr phone app gives parents the opportunity to pay for uniform, canteen orders and the Cooked Lunch Programs on smart phones and other devices. Instructions are on the side panel of the newsletter.

Clarence Children’s Services

Please see link below for information regarding all care services Clarence City Council have to offer.

Cambridge Primary Open Day – Tuesday 12 November

Do you know of any parents who live in our catchment area and who might be considering Cambridge for their child’s education?

Please forward the link to the booking form below or pass on our phone details – 6248 5168, and they will be given a very warm welcome. They will be able to:

• See the school in action.
• View our classrooms and our flexible learning spaces. Come and find out more about our new school build.
• Understand how our Early Years Literacy Support works.
• Find out about Bush School.
• Hear about the whole school Cooked Lunch Program.
• Visit our school garden.
• Chat with staff about questions you may have.

Every School Day Counts

Welcome back to Term 4 – we hope you had a great break!

This term we have lots of exciting plans, including Assemblies, excursions, Gr 5 Camp, Marimba Mania, Rose Bay High School Transition sessions, Double your Dollars markets and much more.

School is the best place for our kids, it’s a chance to be around friends, learn new things, grow and have fun. 

Sometimes the final stretch of the year can be challenging for regular school attendance. Here are some tips to make everyday count:

Create a routine.
Allow enough time in the morning.
Be on time, every day.
Plan appointments and trips outside school hours.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Set some technology boundaries.

For more information, visit the Anything can happen website.

If you’re having trouble getting your child to school, please talk to us. We’re here to help.

JATNET Japanese Speech Competition

The annual JATNET Japanese Speech Competition was recently held.  A dedicated team of year 4 - 6 students met with me once a week during their lunchtime to write and memorise a self-introductory speech in Japanese.  They worked diligently since term 2 and should be very proud of their effort.  Well done to all students involved!

Wedd Sensei

Help Us Shape the Future: Seeking Fundraising Coordinator and Volunteers!

As we approach a new chapter for our school, we find ourselves in need of fresh energy and new perspectives. Many of our dedicated fundraising team members are transitioning out as their children finish primary school, leaving us with an exciting opportunity for new parents to step in and take the reins.

Fundraising Coordinator Needed! We are on the lookout for a passionate and organised Fundraising Coordinator to lead our efforts. This role involves overseeing event logistics, managing communications, and ensuring that our initiatives run smoothly. Your leadership will be crucial in continuing our tradition of successful fundraising and making a positive impact on our school community.

Volunteer Opportunities Available: If you’re interested in contributing but aren’t ready to take on a coordinator role, we still need you! We are seeking volunteers for various tasks such as event setup, promotion, and day-of support. Your involvement, big or small, will be greatly appreciated and will help ensure the success of our events.

Why Join Us?

• Make a Difference: Your efforts will directly benefit our students and support their educational experiences.
• Connect with the Community: Meet and work with fellow parents, teachers, and community members.
• Enjoy the Experience: Be part of a team dedicated to creating memorable and impactful events.

How to Get Involved: If you’re interested in becoming the new Fundraising Coordinator or would like to volunteer, please reach out to us via our Facebook page @cambridgefungroup or contact the school office.

We’re excited to welcome new faces and ideas as we continue to build and support our vibrant school community. Thank you for considering joining us. 

The Fundraising Team

Have Your Say on Foundational Supports

All levels of government are working together on disability reform, including designing and delivering additional supports.

The Department of Social Services is seeking community feedback on General Foundational Supports. These are specific supports that will be available outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to help people with disability, their families and carers.

You can participate by:

• Completing the General Supports questionnaire on the Consultation Paper, open until 30 November.
• Contributing to the Foundational Supports Ideas Wall , open until 30 November.
• Attending an online event.

Who they want to hear from:

• people with disability, whether they are on the NDIS or not
• people who might need extra support but don’t identify as having a disability
• families, carers, kin and advocates for people with disability
• stakeholders across disability, including health, mental health, early childhood, schools and other areas.

More information:

• Foundational Supports | engage.dss.gov.au

Contact:

• Disability Reform – drc@decyp.tas.gov.au

Scholastic Book Club – Orders due 28 October

We have had Scholastic Book Club at Cambridge for many years and at present Sophie Allen is our fantastic Book Club organiser. It’s a great way of shopping for books and our school Library benefits greatly from the Reward Scheme offered by Scholastic. This term there will be 2 issues as we have an extra one for Christmas. Issue 7 orders are due in by 28 October 2024.

Combined Primary Schools Annual Concert

Tickets for the Combined Primary Schools Annual Concert, to be held at MyState Bank Arena on Friday 22November 2024, are now on sale.

The concert performance will start at 7.00pm sharp, and students are requested to be at the venue by 6.30pm. Student performers do not require a ticket.

Please note, due to copyright and privacy, recording and photography are not permitted during the performance.

2024 End of Year Presentation Assembly

The Cambridge Primary School End of Year Presentation Assembly is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the many achievements of our students and to farewell the Grade 6s. This year’s Presentation Assembly will take place on Monday 16 December at Rose Bay High School, in the gym at 11.30am. Doors will open at 11.15am.  Prep – Grade 6 students and their teachers will travel to and from Rose Bay by bus. Parents/carers of Grade 6 students will be allocated 2 seats.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to James K-S, Blair A and Will M who were selected to play in the Under 10 State Soccer Team. After winning their way into the highest division at the Premier Invitational on the Gold Coast, they came 7th out of 68 teams from across Australia. The boys played extremely well and certainly put Tassie on the map. Many other parents of the other competing teams were very impressed with the talent of our boys.

Let’s Celebrate!

2024 Term Dates

Term 1:  Thursday 8 February to Friday 12 April (Easter Break Fri 29 March -Tue 2 April)
Term 2:  Monday 29 April to Friday 5 July (Student Free Day Friday 7 June)
Term 3:  Monday 22 July to Friday 27 September
Term 4:  Monday 14 October to Thursday 19 December (Student Free Day Friday 25 October)

Remaining Student Free Days 2024

Friday 25 October 2024, Term 4 week 2. (Thursday 24 October – Hobart Show Day Public Holiday)

Assemblies in Term 4

Assemblies are held in the MPR and start at 1.40pm. All are welcome to attend. This term’s Assemblies will be on:

Friday 8 November
Friday 15 November
Friday 13 December

Community Notice Board