4th July 2025

Welcome to our Newsletter

Principal's Report

Dear Families,

As we wrap up another term at Margate Primary, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our families for your ongoing support. The upcoming break comes at a welcome time, offering us all a chance to rest, recharge, and hopefully recover from the various illnesses that have been circulating in our community. We look forward to returning refreshed and ready for a successful start to Term 3.

This term has seen some incredible learning across our classrooms and some great results that we need to celebrate. Work on our values will continue into Term 3 as these have begun to positively influence not just our classroom behaviour, but also our interactions in the playground. This term we have focused on the value of RESPONSIBILITY with classes investigating what this looks like, sounds like and feels like in our school. We refer to values in every Monday Muster, demonstrating that we approach this work as a whole team.

Online Safety Session - A huge success!

As parents, carers and educators, we understand that many of our students regularly engage in online activities – whether through games, with friends, social media interactions, or educational platforms. These digital spaces, while offering opportunities for connection and learning, also come with age restrictions designed to protect children from content and interactions they may not be ready to navigate, such as online bullying.

Earlier this term, we addressed these concerns head on by hosting a highly successful online safety session with our students in Years 5 and 6, and a parent session on Wednesday evening for families. These sessions sparked important conversations about the complexities of social media use among children under 16 and the risks associated with interacting with unknown individuals online. To support this, we asked the ThinkUKnow program, developed over a decade ago by the Australian Federal Police. This initiative educates children and families about the dangers of the online world and equips them with practical strategies to stay safe.

We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout from families across the year levels. The engagement and thoughtful discussions during the session demonstrated our shared commitment to keeping our children safe online. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this event such a meaningful and impactful experience.

I have included Some Key Messages for students about Cyber Safety, from the sessions they have or will be attending, that you should be aware of for your child and even yourself:  

Staying Safe

Usernames: Use a username that does not overshare personal information about yourself, i.e. using your real name and birthyear, e.g. BarneyRubble2010 gives people your name and age. Also don’t include your actual photo as your profile picture.   

• Passwords: Make sure you use a strong password – or better still a passphrase, e.g. richmond is a weak password, whereas RichmondPremiers2020 is a passphrase and much stronger. Students should never share their password with anyone (except their parents if required).   

• Keep accounts private so only people you trust can access them.   

• Do not chat to people you don’t know online, ask yourself, “Would mum or dad be happy with me talking to this person?” This includes in online games. If someone keeps trying to chat with you, know how to block them. Never reveal personal information about yourself in online games.   

• Shared content is there forever. Always think before you send, think about who it is getting sent to: ALWAYS ask yourself: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?   

• Photos: be careful with photos shared online. What do they reveal about you: School logo (provides location and indication of age)? Name of park where you are playing? Remember to never share photos of other people online unless you have their permission to do so, also their permission to tag them.   

• Reminder popularity is not about having the most friends. Trying to have lots of friends means you probably accept requests from unknown people. Many people make fake profiles pretending to be someone they are not using fake images. A question to ask – Do you know all of your online friends? Can you justify to your parents who they are and why they are your friends? Is your online friend, Christiano Ronaldo, really that person?    

• If an unknown person online offers you a gift the answer has to be NO. The person then needs to be reported and blocked from your account. NEVER agree to meet in real life.   

Cyberbullying   

• The important message is that if your parents have provided you with a device then you are accountable for what you do with it and you own the consequences.   

• Cyberbullying (along with any type of bullying) is upsetting and harmful and can have long term effects on people. It is never ok even if you think you are joking or if someone else did it top you first.   

• BE an UPSTANDER. Don’t become a part of unkind online activity.   

• If anything happens online that causes you to be upset, talk to someone. Your parents are a great place to start. Your teacher can help, the police can help so can Kids’ Helpline.   

If you are online always be respectful: Think KIND!   

Upcoming Parent Information Night

Join us for an upcoming Parent Information Night where we will explore the key principles behind how children learn to read and introduce the fantastic programs we use at Margate Primary – UFLI and Word Origins. It’s a great opportunity to gain insight into your child’s learning journey and discover how you can support them at home.

Date to be announced soon – stay tuned!

This year, Book Week runs from 16 – 23 August and the theme is ‘Book an Adventure’.  During book week students will celebrate by reading stories and exploring the amazing power of books, appreciating how they can take you on amazing adventures through time, lands and your imagination.

2025 is also a milestone year for us as we celebrate 80 years of Children’s Book Week! For 8 decades, CBCA has been dedicated to inspiring young minds to journey through the countless worlds that books offer.

Keep an eye out for the date for our Book Week parade.

Marvellous Margate

Our school is more than just a place of learning – it’s a vibrant, welcoming community where students feel safe, supported and inspired. I’ve walked around classes this week and the engaging learning opportunities provided to our students is fabulous. The classrooms are filled with curiosity and creativity which was evident as our Year 5 students were learning about the electoral process in a ‘hands on’ way and our kinder students were cooking! We are so fortunate to have staff that are dedicated, approachable and always ready to help, creating a nurturing atmosphere that encourages growth and confidence. Our grounds are spaces where children feel happy to play, collaborate or spend time on their own.

Thank you to all our school members who make this community wonderful.

What a fabulous view from our grounds! 

Suzanne Oates

Acting Principal

Working Bee

What a tremendous success our Garden Working Bee was! Many hands certainly do make light work – and get lots done! Held on June 22nd, the main projects for the day were installing a new garden bed, and giving our outside tables a new lease of life with a sand and oil, and a new sturdy gravel platform to sit on.

It was wonderful to see so many families come together to offer their time, skills and muscle to give our beautiful kitchen garden space some love. The space provides such rich experiences for our students, and we are very grateful to the families who came to contribute and improve this treasured asset. Many thanks to the P&F for organising the event, funding the materials needed, and providing cuppas, snacks and delicious woodfired pizzas! And thanks to Chris, school gardener extraordinaire for being there to guide and direct.

Look out for future Garden Working Bees. They’re lots of fun and a great way to connect with other families. And I guarantee: as you nurture the garden, the garden nurtures you!

NAIDOC Week Tree Planting

This Thursday, our school community came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week with a meaningful and memorable day of connection, culture, and care for Country.

The day was a focused on a special tree planting activity in our beloved Eucalypt Walk. With the generous support of BJ from Kingborough Council and Angela, Kath and Roz from the Margate Tramway Landcare group, students planted over one hundred native grasses, shrubs, and tree seedlings. These plants, kindly provided by local nurseries Redbreast and Plants of Tasmania, were carefully selected to complement the existing flora and enhance the habitat for future generations.

Students worked alongside their buddy classes and our very own garden guru, Chris, to plant, water, mulch, and protect the new seedlings. The teamwork and enthusiasm on display were truly inspiring. Here’s what some of our Grade 3 Magpies had to say:

“The tree planting was amazing! It was so good to care and love our culture. I’m so excited to see them grow as I do.”
“I really enjoyed the tree planting because it’s a great way to spend time in nature, and in a few years there will be lots of trees.” – Annabelle
“It was really fun and good. I love getting the soil.” – Max Ab
“It was very fun, I feel like a very special moment. I can watch them grow with me.” – Frankie

In addition to the planting, students participated in a cultural workshop led by volunteers from the South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC). Aunty Libby captivated students with the Parrabah creation story, which tells how a mother whale shaped the Channel landscape to protect her calf from a giant shark. Students also enjoyed bush crafts, including painting with natural materials and stringing gumnuts, guided by SETAC’s Aboriginal Education Worker Kate and working on country rangers Bella, Zac, and Sally. They were so impressed with our students’ artwork that they’ll be proudly displaying it as part of their NAIDOC Week celebrations.

This event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our local community, and we are deeply grateful to all the volunteers and family members who contributed their time. Our students embraced the experience with enthusiasm and respect, engaging positively with new adults and trying activities they may not have encountered before.

BJ, the Landcare volunteers, and SETAC representatives all commented on how smoothly the day ran and praised the respectful and engaged attitude of our students. What a fantastic way to honour this year’s NAIDOC Week theme: The Next Generation – Strength, Vision, and Legacy!

Courtyard Connections

Golden Tickets

News from 5 Quolls

We have been learning about democracy. We have been learning about democratic/undemocratic behaviour, the democratic process, different levels of government, the roles of each level and their leaders. We looked at the rights of Australian citizens and the challenges of section 44 of the constitution. We wrote persuasive texts about how voting is compulsory and if we agreed/disagreed with section 44 of the constitution that dual citizens can’t run for Parliament.  

We all worked together to make our own political party, chose a name for our candidate and decided our Party’s beliefs and values.  

We then wrote a speech from the perspective of our candidate and presented these to our classmates. We made ballot papers,  designed our own voting centre and made persuasive posters for our Party.

Then we worked together to set up our very own voting centre in our classroom. We had different roles. Some of us were the AEC (marked off names), others met people as they arrived and tried to give them papers to persuade them to vote and some were responsible to hand out the ballot papers. It was just like a real voting centre. After listening to the candidates, we had to get into our roles. Everyone had to vote.  It was a close call so we had to look at preferences. In the end John Browner (Sustainability Party) came first. Then John Meaner (Margate Party), Jeff John (Environment Party) and Jeffy Johnson (Sports Party).

We didn’t think it would be fun but we all loved learning about democracy. Next time we would like to have a sausage sizzle too!

Kinder 2026

Gumnuts Early Learning

Story Circles

Stories Under Kunanyi used the natural classroom of Coningham Reserve to extend our thinking and learning about storytelling and First Nations culture. Thankyou to all the families who could attend and help us celebrate our stories and create new ones.

DECYP Volunteers - Safeguarding

Safeguarding Children and Young People

All DECYP employees and volunteers must complete Safeguarding training every year, before working with any children or young people. This is compulsory under new laws determined to better safeguard children in Tasmania from sexual abuse.

The volunteer training is a 14-minute video, you do need to register and will receive a certificate on completion. Please download certificate and provide a copy to the school (in person or via email).

Compulsory Safeguarding Training for Workers - Department for Education, Children and Young People

Certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of completion.

MPSA News

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 - 3.30pm Monday to Friday.  

Safety on 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