22 October 2025

Principals Report

Buddy Play Day

Welcome back. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday despite the wet and windy weather. I have heard to many of you escaped the weather to warmer climates 😊. The staff are looking forward to a fantastic Term 4. We know that it is jam packed with learning, assessing. excursions and also some celebrations, so it will be busy.

Class configurations for 2026

Next year the classes will be:

1 Kinder, 2x Prep/1, 2x 1/2s, 2x 3/4s, 1x 4/5 and 2x 5/6s

Each year we need to tweak our classes due to student numbers in different grades. Teachers have not yet been allocated to classes.

Class placement process

Every year we go through the complex process of organising the class placements for the following year. We give students to opportunity to choose up to five friends they would like to be in their class and we guarantee there will be one. We also consider having a mix of academic and social skills, gender mix where possible and also consider requests from families. We consider the friendship requests before any request for a particular teacher.

Teachers spend weeks sorting, reviewing and checking their placements. Sometimes the changing of just one student to a different class can cause the rearranging of up to half a dozen other students.

Students and families will find out their classes and who their teachers are on the last Monday of the year during our Step-Up transition process. Kinders will have their Step-Up the week before. Some students who need more transition times will be going through that process organised with their class teachers and our support teacher.

Once the classes have been decided, it is very rare for there to be any changes made as the domino effect can be dramatic.

Swimming Carnival

We began the term with the Year 3-6 swimming carnival. It is always wonderful to see the students participate and put their all into their races. Congratulations to Team Albuera for the win.

Students will find out shortly who will be attending the Interschool Carnival.

Term 4 Assessments

Starting this week with PAT assessments for students from prep to Y6. Helping your child get a good night’s sleep is a wonderful way to support them during assessment times.

Term four also includes the final assessment of DIBELS – our new reading screening tool, the Single Word Spelling Test followed by the common tasks for EoLs and teachers will be making on balance judgements of their students’ learning for the reports which go home near the end of the year. All these assessments support our ability to share where the students are in their learning as well as knowing how best to support student learning. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s teacher.

Play Day

I received some wonderful persuasive texts requesting a Play Day from 1/2 Echidnas. They had some excellent arguments, so, on the first Wednesday of Term 4 we had the requested Play Day when buddy classes went from station to station engaging in play-based activities.

Play is a wonderful way for students to learn. Through unstructured play children learn and practice social skills like turn taking, working together and giving praise, gross motor skills with skipping ropes and other equipment, problem solving skills, resilience, trying new things, building language skills to express and respond as well as listening.

After the wet and windy holidays, it was also a great opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and be outside.

Some comments from the students have been:

This was the best thing in the whole, wide world – Konrad
I wish there were more activities so we could keep going like dressing up and fort building with pillows – Ada
I liked how it was set up and my favourite station was the sports equipment on the netball court – Hemangi
It was really fun and I loved the box work one best – Leela
I wish there was a paper plane competition – Alfie
I am so tired, but I loved it. - Aidan
My favourite part was making the house with boxes then knocking it down. - Leo
Diving under the parachute. - Orla 
The train tracks in the multi-purpose room. -Peggy
It was very awesome!  Gabriela
It was exhausting but in a good way.  – Sammy
It was an extravaganza of fun! – Jennifer

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Chess State Finals

For the second year in a row Albuera Street Primary School has made it to the state finals. This year we have four students who will travel to Launceston to compete in the finals next Monday. Last year we were the state champions, and the team went to Perth WA. We wish 2025’s team all the best.

School Association

Don’t forget to organise a table for our Trivia Night on Saturday 15^th November. There will be lots of fun to be had and delightful artwork from our classes to be auctioned.

Student Free Day –

This Friday is a Student Free Day. Our staff will be at school participating in Professional Learning. Our main focus will be on refining our structured literacy block for 2026 as part of DECYP’s lifting literacy priority. This year we have been upskilling ourselves in the areas of phonics, decoding and word recognition. We have introduced UFLI (a phonics program) in Prep – Y2 and Word Origins (word studies), attended PL on Fluency, spent to year assessing using a new assessment procedure called DIBELS. All this new learning will be unpacked and refined on Friday so that we are ready to begin 2026. Throughout 2026 we will be implementing more fluency routines and learning more about how to improve our teaching of comprehension.

Hobart City Council Traffic Survey

Thanks again all who participated in the traffic survey earlier this year. We now have a draft report to share. The School Association has already had the opportunity to have a read and will chose a recommendation that they will encourage the Council to enact.

Parent Tip –

School Association meeting – Thursday 30^th October 6pm
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 462 800 283 848 9
Passcode: Lc3tG3NK

Thank you, Mr Steve Jeffrey for holding the fort while I was away on LSL.

Jo Waldon
Principal

School Association

Inter School Swimming Carnival – Tue 4^th Nov

School Calendar

Student Voice

Grade 1/2P

1/2 Echidnas

Last term we worked on writing persuasive texts. We wrote letters to Mrs Waldon to persuade her to let us have a play day. Our letters worked and on Wednesday last week our whole school got to have a play day. We were so lucky with the weather and we all had a wonderful time with our buddy classes.

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Grade 3/4SW

Canteen

24^th October      NO CANTEEN

31^st October

Recess

Sweet Special: Apple Crumble with Custard

Savoury Special: Cheese Muffins

Fruit Muffin: Raspberry

Lunch

Gnocchi with a light tomato sauce.

Volunteers Required.

The canteen CAN NOT NOR WILL NOT operate without assistance. If you are able to help on Fridays, please contact Caron on 0147 559 920 or the office. Whilst I need people from 9 to 2, shorter hours can be negotiated.

Caron Summers     Canteen Manager

Canteen Helper

Please remember to choose the correct order date on the Qkr! App.

Nut Allergy – Reminder

We have several students in our school who are allergic to nuts and nut products. Exposure to nuts can trigger an allergic reaction and be life-threatening for these students, so please avoid sending nuts or nut based products to school. We aim to keep our school as nut-free as possible to keep our students safe.

Launching into Learning 2025

IMPORTANT

Albuera Street Primary Launching into Learning (LiL) uses email, Schoolzine (the school newsletter) and Facebook to communicate with our families. Families are responsible for ensuring the school has your current email address. Stay up to date with LiL through the school Facebook page and the newsletter. If you have any questions, please email mandy.newton@decyp.tas.gov.au

IMPORTANT

Albuera Street Primary Launching into Learning (LiL) uses email, Schoolzine (the school newsletter) and Facebook to communicate with our families. Families are responsible for ensuring the school has your current email address. Stay up to date with LiL through the school Facebook page and the newsletter. If you have any questions, please email mandy.newton@decyp.tas.gov.au

Uniform

Uniform is now available from Uniform City from Monday 3 November.  We will still be selling 2nd hand uniforms.

LEVIES REMINDER

Thank you to parents who have paid levies and to those who are making regular payments. Levies are now overdue, if you are experiencing difficulties with making payments, please contact Annette and discuss a payment plan.  Payments can be made weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Payment Options

• BPay, Service Tasmania, Eftpos
• Credit Card over the phone (6223 2268)
• Levy Instalment Plan (Please contact annettereggett@decyp.tas.gov.au or 6223 2268)

Student Medications

It is a Department of Education requirement that all medications to be taken by students during the school day are to be passed into the office or teacher in charge of an excursion or camp. The medications require a signed doctor/pharmacist as well as parent permission form (these forms are available in the Forms and Documents panel in the newsletter or at the office). The medication is also to be in the original packaging so that staff know what they are administering. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Medical Action Plans

Every child at Albuera Street Primary with a medical condition needs to supply an updated medical plan to the school each year, especially those with Anaphylaxis and Asthma. Staff from Albuera have been trained in Anaphylaxis using EpiPens and also in Ventolin administration for Asthma. If you are new to the school and your child has a medical condition please come into the office and collect an appropriate action plan form, or if you just have questions please don’t hesitate to phone the school.

WWVP Card & Mandatory Reporting

The Department requirement is that you must present your RWVP card EVERY time you sign in.

Information for those who need to apply for WWVP card

To volunteer at this school, you will be required to hold a “Registration to Work with Vulnerable People”. It is extremely important that parent helpers and volunteers are registered and Albuera Street Primary School is recorded in your application.

How to apply for a WWVP Card

Complete the online application form. 

Chose Department of Education from the organisation drop-down box and also select Albuera Street Primary School from the location drop-down box. Please remember each time to volunteer at the school you need to bring your card each time.

Mandatory Reporting

Please Note: that this needs to be done annually, please check your certificate for the date of expiry, link below to sign in and redo.  

DECYP requires all volunteers to do a short online course (short 13 min video) about Mandatory reporting. This is one of the ways we are working to keep all our students safe. Please use the link below.

Sign up with your work email (mygo1.com)

Sickness

Parents/carers are reminded to advise the school office if their child is unable to attend school due to illness or any other reason.

• By phone (62232268) leave a message anytime on the answering machine.
• Email: albuera.street.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au 
• Schoolzine – click on the absentee tab

A medical certificate is required if a child is absent due to illness for 5 days or more

GASTROENTERITIS –
If due to norovirus, or the cause is unknown, exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion or vomiting for at least 48hrs.

After School Care & Before School Care

ASC & BSC is provided on site by Lady Gowrie Child Care Services (Ph: 6230 6806).

BSC is available from 7 am to 8.30 am.

ASC is available from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm each school day and 1.00pm – 3.00pm Wednesday for Kinder.

Term Dates for 2025

Student Free days 2025

Term Dates for 2026

Student Free days 2026

Merit Certificate

Prep McShane

Aiya for your dedication to phonics and your wonderful improvement in all areas of learning.

Camille for showing great confidence when speaking to the class about your special things.

Liam for making an improvement with your handwriting.

Prep/1 Button-Corrigan

Saira for reading and writing excellence.

Izzy for trying hard with her work, especially UFLI.

Daisy for her kindness, gentleness and beautiful artwork.

Gr 1/2 Parker

Monty for always striving for improvement in all areas.

Farzin for his much-improved work habits during learning time.

Anh for significant improvement in all areas due to wonderful focus and hard work.

Gr 2 Baird/Adderton

Gabriela for always striving to do her best in all learning tasks.

Theodore for working hard at applying his self-regulation in class.

Selwyn for using his strength of love of learning and always sharing his amazing thinking during class discussions.

3/4 Burnett/Edwards

Aylin for her creative attitude towards all areas of learning.

Charles for his creative approach to futuristic city construction.

Genuli for her perseverance and grit in completing her Canva sustainability poster.

3/4 Watkins

Dal for an improved attitude and a fine effort with his poster presentation.

Hugh for the effort he’s made to remain focused on his work and support others.

Anna for being a role model to our class and setting an excellent example of poster design.

Olive for her excellent poster design and being a fine example to our class.

3/4 Wilson

Levin for his great improvement in his focus and quality of work.

Max for an excellent informative heat transfer poster.

Matilda for being a respectful, focused and diligent member of the class.

5/6 Smithurst

Zoe C for consistently showing initiative and regularly volunteering to take on extra responsibilities.

Layth for a great start at Albuera street Primary School.

Abel for being kind and thoughtful and making new students feel welcome.

5/6 Dilger/Jeffrey

Rose for showing pride in your work and completing activities to the best of your ability.

Henry for your continued improvement in Maths due to your hard work and asking questions.

Huxley for your amazing performance as the scarecrow in the Year 5 play.

Community Notices