School Newsletter - 6th August 2025

From the Principal

Despite the winter chill, we have started the term with a wonderful sense of positivity, calm and connection. It has been fantastic to see students returning with such enthusiasm. Their presentation has been excellent and the pride in wearing our school uniform is clear. This sets a strong standard for the term ahead.

As shared last newsletter, our school focus is on the value of Growth. Waverley students will be learning about the skills and attitudes that help them succeed. These include perseverance, setting goals and reflecting on their learning. Whether in the classroom, the playground or at home, we will be building resilience as an important part of student growth.

Disco Success

A big thank you to our capable and creative School Association for organising a very successful school disco. It was great to see our Kinder to Year 2 students enjoying the early session and the chance to mix across classes as part of our lower primary group. Later in the day, our Year 3 to 6 students returned to school after hours to enjoy the disco. There were both free and structured dance activities and the students had a fantastic time.

Thank you to all staff who gave up part of their evening to attend. Thank you also to DJ Matuska for her excellent music choices, and to Mrs Price and our senior staff for cooking the barbecue and making sure every student received their snack pack. We also thank Mr Doolan for helping with setting up and packing away the lights and the barbecue. Events like this bring our community together and we appreciate everyone who contributed.

Disco Photos

Kinder Family Lunch in Our New Dining Hall

Another highlight this past week was the wonderful Kindergarten family lunch held in our new dining hall. It was lovely to see mums, dads and carers sharing a meal with their child, having a chat and being among the first to enjoy our brand-new cooking and dining space.

We are very excited to be able to share this space with our school community. We will be holding a formal opening later this term and look forward to sharing more exciting plans with you over the coming weeks.

Dining Hall Kinder Lunch Photos

Attendance Matters

Being at school every day gives your child the best chance to learn, grow and build friendships. If your child is not attending regularly, please get in touch. You can speak with your child’s teacher, a member of our leadership team or with me directly.

If you are finding it hard to get your child to school, we are here to help. Please speak with us about your situation. We will do everything we can to support your child and your family.

For helpful tips and more information, visit the Department for Education Children and Young People’s website: Anything Can Happen.  I need help getting to school - Anything can happen

Thank you to all families who continue to let us know when their child is absent. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Reminders about school-wide expectations

We would like to remind you of the following:

• Mobile phones must be off and away during school hours (8:30 am – 3:00 pm). This is a statewide government directive for all DECYP schools. Please support your child by ensuring their phone is either left at home or handed in at the office upon arrival.
• School uniforms are required. Wearing the uniform helps set a mindset for learning and improves safety by making it easier for staff to identify students. This is a Ministerial requirement for all DECYP schools. If you need assistance with purchasing uniforms, please contact your child’s class teacher or a member of senior staff, and we can discreetly provide support.
• Students are not permitted to leave class without permission. This is for safety, as teachers are responsible for their care (the legal term is "in loco parentis"). Students are always allowed to ask to use the bathroom, and they will be given permission without delay. However, they may be asked to wait if other students have already left in groups.

We know that there are students who, every day, uphold our SHINE learning behaviours and DECYP values of connection, courage, growth, respect, and responsibility. We see them and appreciate their contributions to our school.

Please feel free to contact me any time by calling the school office to make an appointment, or by saying hello when you see me around the school.

Wishing everyone a great term filled with learning, growth and excitement across our Waverley community.

Please feel free to contact me any time by calling the school office to make an appointment, or by saying hello when you see me around the school.

Wishing everyone a great term filled with learning, growth and excitement across our Waverley community.

Kind regards,
Katie Wightman
Principal

Our Vision

At Waverley we foster a safe, inclusive community, nurturing lifelong learners through trust, respect, and positive relationships, empowering students for success.

This means we care for one another, help each other learn, and treat each other with kindness. A key part of this is our Learning Behaviours, which help students reflect on how they learn — including being ready to learn, staying focused, and supporting their classmates.

Our School Learning Behaviours

  We are:   

Safe: We work and play in a way that is safe for all members of the school community   

Helpful: We work together to support each other   

INclusive: We value the right of everyone to learn and take responsibility to ensure that access to a high-level educational program is accessible to all   

Excellent: We aspire to be our very best at all times   

Our Safe and Ready to Learn Model

Our Values  

• Connection- Building positive relationship and a sense of belonging.  

• Courage- accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.   

• Growth- aspiring to learn, and improving, even when it is tough.  

• Respect- Caring for ourselves, each other, and our environment.  

• Responsibility Stepping up and doing what is right.   

At Waverley, we value respect and our SHINE expectations. Swearing is not acceptable at school. We expect all students to use kind and respectful language. 

Please support this message at home. If your child hears inappropriate language, encourage them to tell a staff member so we can address it. 

Together, we can keep Waverley a welcoming and respectful community. 

Thank you for your support. 

Merit Awards

Kindergarten

• Cooper B
• Levi H

Prep-1A

• Nate F
• Malakai A
• Mason Mc

Prep-1B

• Connor D
• Harriette G

Year 2

• Rylan M
• Lochie B
• Alydia P

Year 3-4 Keddie Gray

• Zavier B
• Hunter T

Year 4-5 Popovich

• Amarlia K
• Zara M

5-6 Harrison

• Phoebe F
• Savannah C

Merit Award Winners

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Book Week

Our Book Week Parade will be Wednesday 20th August.  

Parents and carers are invited to join students in their classroom from 8:30am for a morning of reading. The parade will begin at 9:30am in the hall.

We have events every day during Week 5, including guest readers, library club, and treasure hunts.

100 Days of Prep

On Friday 25th July, Prep-1A and Prep-1B celebrated a very special milestone — 100 Days of Prep!

Attending school every day gives children every chance to learn, grow and connect with their friends and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most. When students attend school every day that they are healthy and able to, they have the chance to learn with their friends.

The class celebrated by learning about the number 100 through a number scavenger hunt, art and craft. Students from upper primary joined in the fun to support the younger students. All students were presented with a certificate to recognise their special day.

What I enjoy most about Prep….

“I love the big playgrounds and PE!” – Kaidan

“I like helping my friends in Prep when we are in class” – Harriette

“I like learning about letters, sounds, and numbers.” – Rory

“I love my number jobs!” – Phoenix

Mr Sam Millwood

Instructional Specialist/AST K-2

100 Days of Prep Gallery

Student Medical Conditions

If your child has a medical condition, it is important that we have all relevant information. This includes 2025 Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication forms, Medical Action Plans and/or Student Medical Condition Plans before the start of the school year. 

A Medical Action Plan must be completed if the student is known to be at risk of a medical incident due to a diagnosed medical condition. Medical Action Plans for common medical conditions can be found by accessing the peak body website for that condition.   

Our School Nurse Mrs Louise Webster, Learning Support AST Ms Jo Beven and Office Clerk Mrs Amanda Chugg are working to update our MAPs.  If you have indicated your child has a medical condition, we will be in touch to update our MAPs.  

A Student Medical Condition Plan sets out the adjustments that are needed in the school that assists with the day-to-day health and learning needs of the student as it relates to their medical condition. This Plan does not need to be completed if the student has a Medical Action Plan for a specific diagnosis (e.g. asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, or epilepsy).

Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication forms need to be filled out for both prescription and non-prescription medications. You can find blank forms attached below or request them from the school office. Form A is for non-prescription medicine and can be filled in by a parent. Form B is for prescription medicine and needs a GP or pharmacist input. Students needing short-term medication like antibiotics or Panadol must submit these forms before staff can administer them.

All medical forms must be updated yearly (or in-line with peak body recommendations) and signed by the child’s healthcare provider. If the current forms are less than two years old, a letter from your GP can confirm their validity.

Forms:

• General Medical Management Plan
• Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication Form
• Epilepsy Medical Action Plan
• Allergy Medical Action Plan
• Diabetes Medical Action Plan
• Asthma Medical Action Plan

If staff have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a student they must follow standard emergency response processes, which may include calling 000. Staff are required to follow the directions of Ambulance Tasmania.

For more information please contact the school office on 6339 1455.

Mrs Amanda Chugg

Office Clerk

School Opens at 8:30AM

Please sign in at the office if you are at school prior to 2:50pm

Reminder to Families and Carers

If you are at school before 2:50pm for any reason, you must report to the school office first. All adults on DECYP sites are required to sign in at the office and show their Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card before entering the school grounds or classrooms.

If you are collecting your child during the school day, this must be done via the school office. Parents and carers that do not hold a WWVP card are only permitted on school grounds before 3:00pm if accompanied by a Waverley Primary staff member.

If you are attending assembly in the hall you can sign in at the hall from 2:15pm. 

From 3:00pm onwards, parents and carers may enter the school grounds to collect their children without needing to sign in via the office.

Thank you for supporting the safety of all students.

Early Years Programs 2025

Hot Lunch Program 2025

e-Safety Education

Technology is an integral part of our daily lives, so it is vital to prioritise the online safety of our children and young people. This helps them understand how to safely navigate the digital space. 

Here are some tips and resources to help you when considering e-safety for your children. 

⭐ Educate: Teach your children about the potential risks online, including cyberbullying and privacy concerns. Explain how to recognise suspicious behaviour and the steps they should take if they encounter something uncomfortable or threatening. Encourage them to think critically about the content they view and share, and the people they interact with online.  

For e-safety education resources designed for children, see Kids | eSafety Commissioner 

For resources designed for teens, see: Young People | eSafety Commissioner 

⭐ Monitor: Keep an eye on their online activities and use parental controls to set boundaries. Check out the Parental Control factsheet on the e-Safety Commissioner website for more details on steps you can take to improve e-safety through parental controls.  

⭐ Communicate: Encourage open discussions with your children about their online experiences and reassure them they can come to you with any issues. It is important to have ongoing conversations about digital safety – with the online landscape changing rapidly, children and young people are often the first to adopt these changes. Continually touching base on these topics allows you to monitor what is happening while also ensuring their safety. 

To find comprehensive info on e-safety, as well as some great links and resources, check out:  DECYP Staying Safe Online fact sheet  

Safeguarding Articles

Volunteer Requirements 2025

As we are well into the new school year, we want to remind our school community about the important requirements for volunteering at our school.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, it is mandatory for all volunteers to have their RWVP (Registration for Working with Vulnerable People) and to have completed the Your Obligations-Safeguarding training 15-minute video before engaging with children and young people in a volunteer capacity at our school. Certificates for the training video are valid for 12 months from the date of completion. These steps are essential in helping us maintain a safe and supportive environment for our children.

To apply for a Working with Vulnerable people, please visit the Service Tasmania website.

To complete the Your Obligations-Safeguarding Training 15-minute video please visit the DECYP website.

Volunteers are a vital part of our school community, and we are excited to collaborate with you the year ahead!

Working With Vulnerable People Registration

Parents and carers if you remain with your child in their classroom beyond school drop off, or volunteer for parent help, or would like to attend a school excursion we must see a copy of your registration card.  When you sign in at the office please enter your RWVP number.  

Reminder: all adults visiting our school must sign in at the office and wear a name badge.  

It is against the law for a person to work or volunteer at any DECYP School without a current working with vulnerable people registration. 

If you would like to volunteer at Waverley Primary School we would love to hear from you.  To apply for registration please follow the link below:

Staff Email

We believe that communication between families and staff is crucial in building relationships. You are welcome to speak with teachers face to face before or after school.  The school office can book an appointment or pass on a message.  You can visit the school office in person or phone: 6339 1455.  

2025 Staff Contact Information

Professional Support Staff 2025

Communication

Newsletter access

Please note the following information: 

Schoolzine SZapp and our Text message service are our main source of communication. 

The newsletter is published every second Wednesday through Schoolzine and can be viewed through the SZapp.   

The Waverly Primary School Facebook page is a great way to stay informed about what is happening in and around our school. 

Attendance

At Waverley Primary students attendance and safety are high priorities.  If your child is absent or late please phone our school office ph: 6339 1455 or send a note via the SZapp.  All lateness and absence must be explained.  This is a legal requirement by the Department for Education Children and Young People.  

An SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phones of parents/carers explaining that our records show that your child is absent from school.   

The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number: 0407 580 106. Please save this number as ‘WPS Absentee’ so that when the message arrives you are aware is has come from our school.   

You can reply to the text to explain the absence please add: your child’s name, reason they are absent or late.   

Messages from you to school

To ensure your messages are received and actioned in a timely manner and without error, please use the following:

• Absentee notifications - Enter details using the SZapp by 9:00am to notify the office of student absence.
• End of day messages - Send a message using the SZapp or call 63391455 before 2:30pm.
• Queries and other messages - Send a message using the SZapp or email waverley.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au
• Uniform & icecream/icypole orders - Order and pay on the Qkr! app

We endeavour to respond to enquiries within 2 business days during school terms.

Messages from us to you

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we will push information out to you via the SZapp.  It is very important that all of our parents have signed up to the Schoolzine app to receive notices and information. 

If you require assistance in setting up or using the SZapp or the Qkr! app, please contact the office. 

School Association

Committee Meetings

The School Association is made up of the parents, staff and community members of a school. The School Association is an important part of the school, working with the Principal to achieve shared outcomes for learners and for the whole school community.  

The School Association Committee is an elected group of members that work together for the benefit of the school. The Committee manages and conducts the affairs of the School Association and performs administrative and decision-making tasks on behalf of the School Association. 

Parent participation on our Committee is highly valued.  We meet on the third Tuesday each month, excluding school holidays, from 1:40-2:50pm.

Ms Caitlyn Olding

Chairperson

Uniform

A reminder to please ensure your child(ren) are dressed in school uniform for their day at school. Our school has very high expectations for our school uniform and many visitors to our school give extremely positive feedback about how smart our students look. We ask that any long sleeves under polo tops are gold keep to with our school colours. We ask that students please wear black trackpants/trousers or shorts. 

A reminder that our Waverley Primary School jackets are great for an extra layer over a school jumper. Uniform items can be purchased at the main office or through our Qkr! app, with items being delivered to students within a day. 

Please note: branded leggings and very short hot pant style shorts are not part of our school uniform.

Ice Cream Sales

A reminder that we have ice cream sales on a Monday at lunch time.  All proceeds support our Year 6 celebration activities.  You can order your ice cream or icy pole on the Qkr! app or you can bring cash on the day.

Important Dates

4/5/6 Sport Roster

Allergy Aware

We are an allergy aware school.  We discourage the use and consumption of nuts and nut products as well as eggs and egg products. 

Move Well Eat Well

A reminder to everyone that we do not bring energy drinks to school.  

Community Notices