14th March

Welcome to our Newsletter

Principal's Report

FAMILY COMMUNICATION

Seesaw QR codes were sent home on Friday for you to join your child’s class. If you have more than one child at school you will have more than one QR code to join your children's classes. Please read the letter that was sent home with your child’s QR code on the Departments expectations of how to use Seesaw. This has changed from 2024, so please make yourself aware of this change by reading the letters sent home.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

What an amazing carnival! The weather was beautiful, the new gazebos purchased for the school by the School Association were fabulous in keeping our students out of the sun while they waited for their events, and students continued to ‘slip, slop, slap’ throughout the day! I would like to take the opportunity to thank Bianca Bell for her hard work and organisation for this event. It ran so smoothly and students were engaged and participating throughout the whole event. We had many wonderful family volunteers who supported the students brilliantly – recording or cheering or both! And a thankyou to Kingston High School students who also came and supported our students – encouraging, cheering, recording. Thank you to all our staff who joined in the fun and lastly, our students who once again, demonstrated the values of our school – particularly courage and growth.

Our early childhood students also had a fantastic day at their Athletics carnival, participating in a wide range of events. The joy on our young students’ faces is always such a heartwarming experience when they participate in their first race, help others and join in team events. It really highlights and promotes our value of Connection. Well done to everyone involved.

 SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

The Margate Primary School Association undertake an important role in our school. The school association provides you with many opportunities to assist the school in fundraising activities, share your own thoughts and ideas in a non-threatening environment. It also gives you an opportunity to gain a better understanding and have input into the educational journey of the school as well as opportunities to have a stronger input into Department of Education, Children and Young People policies and procedures. We discuss many issues that concern the community, and we talk about solutions and ways to enhance our school. If you would like to be part of our Margate Primary School Association, nomination forms will be available on Monday 17th of March - nomination forms can be collected from the school office and need to be returned to Suzanne Oates by 21st of March.  The AGM will be held on the 31st of March. It would be fantastic to see you there.

NAPLAN

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 12th and 24th March 2025.

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers. It is a great idea to talk with your child/ren in a positive manner as it is a snapshot on a day that helps inform the school aspects that we are excelling in, and also areas where the school can further develop their strengths.

This is the third year NAPLAN has been held in March, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year. These can then be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

A smooth start has been made with Naplan testing this week and I thank the students for the positive way in which they are approaching this, especially our year 3 students who are experiencing this for the first time. The testing consists of four tests – Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy.

Families will receive a NAPLAN report later in the year, usually during Term 3, to let you know how their child performed. If you have a Year 3 or Year 5 student, make sure you congratulate them for their efforts at the end of each day. 

ATTENDANCE

One of our DECYP priorities is Attendance.  It is an extremely important priority as Every School Day Matters. Supporting positive school attendance is a shared responsibility between home and school, everyone has a role to play. Every school day matters. Regular attendance and arriving at school on time helps students to:

• develop a sense of belonging
• develop and maintain friendships
• be more engaged at school
• progress with their learning

Our department has many resources that can be of assistance:

• Anything Can Happen Campaign ~ Anything can happen - Department for Education, Children and Young People
• Anything Can Happen – Information for parents ~ Information for parents - Anything can happen

Illness is an issue that affects student attendance. If your child is unwell then they need to stay at home. An unwell child coming to school can pass the illness on to others. One child missing some days is better than many children from one class missing days.  If your child is unwell or absent for any reason it is important to let the school know. There are a number of ways to do this:

• Phone the school: 6267 2238 (if you call after hours, you can leave a message, the administration staff will receive this).
• Text Message the school mobile:  0437 294 856 please include students name and explanation of absence.
• Email the school: margate.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au

DECYP attendance policy states that a medical/doctor’s certificate is required for students who have been absent for more than 5 days. If you take your child to the doctor because they are unwell, it is advisable to ask for a certificate. Send this to school so it can be recorded.  We want all students to have the best chance for success.

Suzanne Oates

Acting Principal

Golden Tickets

School Captains

Introducing Our 2025 School Captains

We are excited to announce our 2025 School Captains, Lewis and Isla, along with our Vice Captains, Audrey and Lachlan.

Lewis & Isla

We have always looked up to our previous school captains. Stepping into these roles is a dream come true for us, and we will be honoured to represent our school at various events throughout the year.

Our goal is to continue improving our school, support our committee groups in shaping a better future for Margate students, and inspire others by leading with passion and pride. We look forward to sharing our Year 6 achievements with you.

Meet Our 2025 House Captains

We are excited to introduce the Margate Primary School’s House Captains for 2025!

Mawson:

• Captains- Thomas and Brooke
• Vice Captains-Lewis and Hamish

Davis:

• Captains – Amayah and Ollie
• Vice Captains – Rosalie and Isla E

Casey:

• Captains – Alexis C and Kelsey
• Vice Captains – Isla H and Mary

Kelsey and Isla E on behalf of the 2025 House Captains

Our leadership journey began with reflecting on our strengths, past experiences, and areas for growth. The process was both exciting and nerve-racking—like having butterflies in our stomachs! But once it was over, we felt relieved and proud that we had the courage to give it a go.

The moment our house voted, it didn’t feel real—almost like we were in a dream! Finding out we had been chosen as House Captains was an incredible feeling, and we were really, really happy.

We recently had our first leadership meeting, and that’s when it truly sank in—we were officially House Captains! It felt a little surreal after watching previous leaders in action for years.

Our responsibilities will grow as we support the Early Childhood (ECE) carnival. We’re looking forward to cheering on the students, encouraging everyone to participate, and making sure they have fun. We can't wait to help create a great school spirit in 2025!

Grade 6 Camp

Hello, we are Oliver and Lewis!

Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to go on camp, and it was an unforgettable experience filled with lots of fun. We made some great memories.

From rock climbing and abseiling to being brave enough to try the Big Dipper (which was pretty big!), every activity pushed us to step outside our comfort zones. We also took part in wheelchair sports, team-building challenges, and other activities that tested our skills and teamwork. It was a great opportunity to push ourselves, the range of activities taught us valuable lessons.

One of the highlights was the breathtaking sunset, which made for the perfect end to a memorable camp.

Ollie (Davis Captain) & Lewis (School Captain and Mawson Vice-Captain)

Athletics Carnival

Athletics Carnival Recap

What an incredible two days of back-to-back Friday carnivals! We started with the Years 3-6 Carnival, followed by the Early Childhood Carnival, with students showcasing their enthusiasm, determination, and sportsmanship across both events. The energy was high as students gave their all in, sprints, long-distance races, relays, and field events. House spirit was alive and well, with students cheering each other on, giving their best effort in every event, and showcasing some amazing outfits on the day.

A big highlight of the carnival was the Japanese games, with the Big Pants Relay and Ball Toss becoming instant favourites among students and spectators alike.

For the first time in 20 years, Mawson took out the top spot as our winning house—an incredible achievement! A big congratulations to all our participants, especially our grade champions.

We also want to extend our congratulations to the students who have been selected for the 2025 Huon and Channel Representative team—a fantastic achievement!

A huge thank you to our staff, volunteers, and families for their support in making these two days a success. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Kingston High student volunteers, whose help throughout both carnivals was invaluable. Well done to everyone who took part—we are so proud of your efforts!

Gumnuts Early Learning

MPSA News

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

Kiss and Drop off Zone Mornings Only - Top Carpark

Please remember this is a drop-off zone only in the mornings and is not to be utilised in the afternoons due to many buses entering and exiting this space and to ensure safety.  Please be mindful that the carpark is for staff members only.  There are alternate parks at the bottom of Area 4, the hall and the cricket club.  

Duty of Care

We have had a number of students at school well prior to 8.25am.

We would like to remind families that the school does not have duty of care for children before 8.25am and encourages families to drop student/s off from then onwards.

The school office is open during each term from 8.25am - 3.45pm Monday to Friday.  

Safety of Van Morey Road

Van Morey Road is very busy around school times with buses and cars going everywhere.  This is why we had a school crossing installed.  For the safety of yourself and your children please only use the school crossing to cross Van Morey Road.

Booking of the Gym

Just a friendly reminder if you wish to use the gym after hours for training, please make sure you ring and speak to the office first to check that there are no other bookings.  Thank you.

Collecting your child from school within the school day

If you are collecting your child from school within the school day for an appointment or other early departure reason, please come by the office first.  The office will then assist in calling your child up to the office and you can sign your child out.

Attendance Notifications

Please contact the Office with attendance notifications no later than 9.30am to avoid receiving a phone call from our office staff.

Phone 62 672 238

Text Attendance's Only: 0437 294 856

Email: margate.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au 

Facebook

Please follow us on our School Facebook page for infomation about upcoming school events and celebrations.

Lost Property

Please help us by coming along and looking through the lost property items. Named lost items will be returned to the student (where possible) and all un-named items will be passed on to the uniform shop at the end of term.

Community Notices