Dear Families, Friends and Students,

Last Wednesday we celebrated Harmony Day with many members of our school community coming dressed proudly in their national dress or wearing orange to show their support for making everyone welcome. Harmony Day is about valuing the diversity of our school. This year’s message is Everyone Belongs, which fits very well with our inclusive, kind and welcoming school culture. Our students come to school to learn as kind and caring friends. Thank you to families who helped our students to look amazing on Harmony Day.

Acting AST

Last week we were delighted to welcome our newly appointed A/AST – Nicole Lynch. Mrs Lynch joins us from Kings Meadows High School. We welcome Mrs Lynch and look forward to her contributions to our school.

Student Leaders

During the past few weeks our newly elected SRC representatives have been presented with their badges. SRC representatives are elected for grades 2 – 5, with grade 6 representatives forming the SRC Executive or holding positions as House Captains.

Student leadership is an important aspect of our school and helps to make Glen Dhu the very best school possible.

Easter Raffle

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing for this year finished on Monday this week. Congratulations to every student who showed the resilience needed to give their best efforts. NAPLAN is one test on one day across a number of domains, and the results help us to learn more about what students know, understand and can do. School wide results also help us to understand what we teach well and where we can improve. Many thanks to Rhiannon Morrison who co-ordinated our NAPLAN testing this year.

Slide Update

Work is progressing on our new slide and playground and we are looking forward to playing in the space once work is complete. We are excited to see the area coming together to lots of different play activities. We know many parents enjoy peeking over the balcony railing to check on the progress of works!

Camp

The Grade 5/6 team are busy preparing for 5/6 camp, which is scheduled for the final week of the term. Many thanks particularly to Grace Evorall who has completed much of the enormous organisational role for this camp experience. We know students will have an amazing time and look forward to sharing some photos of all the fun.

PPRs

Preliminary Progress Reports will be shared with families on Friday 4 April. PPRs are intended to provide a quick snapshot of how your child is developing the essential dispositions and qualities which are important for learning and success. The report is not about academic progress but describes your child’s behaviours in the classroom. Please talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions about the report.

Welcomes/Farewells

This week we welcome Navid who joins 3/4B.

We also farewell Effie who has moved interstate.

Regards

Lee Craw

Principal

Mother's Day Stall

This year our Mother’s Day Stall will be held on Friday 9 May for Prep – 6.

We are currently seeking donations for the school. In particular we need chocolates, lollies and cans of soft drink.

All donations can be left at the office in the tub provided or alternatively be given to your child to deliver to their class teacher.

If anyone can help with making some yummy baked goodies/sweets for our stall that would be greatly appreciated. These must be individually wrapped, have ingredients listed and can be brought to the library on the morning of the stall.

Plants are always popular please let the office know if you are able to help with donating these closer to the stall date.

More stall information will be provided at a later date but if you have any further queries or can help out in any way please let us know.

Please help us support our school by donating so that students can buy that special loved one a gift for Mother’s Day.

Mother's Day Breakfast

Save the date Friday 9 May, more information to come.

Uniform

The School Association has some stock left over from the transfer of uniform to Midfords that we are clearing at heavily discounted prices.

For all orders please head to the link below to purchase.

We will deliver uniform items to your child's class within 7 days of the order being placed.

https://glen-dhu-primary-school-association.square.site/ +

School hats are available from the office for $10.

Limited items available.....while stocks last.

School Association Facebook Page

Don't forget to become a member of our private Facebook page 'Glen Dhu Primary School Association', so you can keep up to date with upcoming events and information. You will be asked to complete a series of questions to ensure membership is exclusive to GDPS parents. This page is facilitated by the School Association executive and endorsed by the school.

Glen Dhu Primary School Association | Facebook

Meetings

The School Association meets in weeks 3 and 8 of each term. All parents at GDPS are members of the association and are welcome to attend these meetings as guests. RSVP via email is essential for attendance; glendhusa@gmail.com

We Are Your Voice

If you have any items you would like to raise with the School Association executive, please feel free to send us an email; glendhusa@gmail.com. Relevant items can be added to our agenda but must be received one week prior to the meeting to be considered. We welcome all contributions and ideas from parents.

We look forward to sharing more exciting events with you next newsletter!

Kind Regards

Mel Prewer - Chairperson School Association

Volunteering at GDPS

The School Association are always looking for helpers and volunteers for our events and activities. To be able to assist all volunteers MUST have 2 things:

Working with Vulnerable People Card- Apply for registration to work with vulnerable people | Service Tasmania
Safeguarding Training : https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/safe-children/safeguarding-children/safeguarding-training/

A copy of both your Working With Vulnerable People card and Safeguarding Training certificate need to be shown to the office prior to being able to assist at an event at the school. Safeguarding training must be completed every year. This includes parent help, being a member on school association, excursions and helping at SA events.

The Glen Dhu Super Skippers took their incredible skipping skills beyond the school grounds last Friday, heading to Sacred Heart to perform and run clinics for other students, sharing their passion and expertise in skipping.

The Super Skippers had been practising diligently for weeks, perfecting their routines and developing new tricks to showcase. Their hard work and dedication were on full display as they put on an exciting performance, demonstrating teamwork, rhythm, and skill. Following their performance, they led interactive skipping clinics, giving students from other schools the opportunity to learn new techniques and build their confidence with the rope.

This event was not only a fantastic opportunity for our Super Skippers to showcase their talent, but it also fostered leadership and sportsmanship as they mentored and encouraged other students. We are incredibly proud of their commitment and enthusiasm and know they did an amazing job representing Glen Dhu!

Well done to our Super Skippers – we loved hearing all about your experience at Sacred Heart!

Congratulations to the following students who have received certificates at our Assembly on Monday 17 March

Prep A	Piper C, Maggie P
Prep B	Chance C, Navyana P
1-2A	Grayson M, Jack G, Toby S
1-2B	Felix T, Cora J
1-2C	Abrar A-N, Harlow F
1-2D	Essa B, Fergus L
3-4A	Melah L, Evelyn C
3-4B	Aria B, Arabelle C, Lilah S, Eli C
3-4C	James D, Asher L
4-5A	Willow P, Jake S
5-6A	Benita R, Mackenzie H
5-6B	Grace L, Vaiga A
5-6C	Hunter C, Priscilla F

Our Prep to Gr. 2 classes are using Little Learners Love Literacy and UFLI to help them become successful readers. These phonics programs focus on learning about the relationship between letters and sounds.

This video will tell you more!

Stream

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On Wednesday 19 March we celebrated Harmony Day which celebrates Australia’s culture of diversity and inclusion. We shared this year’s message: Everyone Belongs. Students and staff came dressed in national costume or wearing orange to show their support. Student leaders helped to attach flags to our boundary fence to show our support for all the nationalities and cultures which make the Glen Dhu community a rich and vibrant culture where students come to school as kind learners and good friends.

5-6C will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1 during Break 2 on Tuesday for Term 1.

27 March	LSSSA Athletics Carnival (Selected students)
29-30 March	Grade 5-6 Schools Basketball Tournament
5-6 April	Grade 3-4 Schools Basketball Tournament
9-11 April	Grade 5-6 Camp
11 April	Last Day Term 1
28 April	Term 2 commences
9 May	Mother's Day Breakfast - 7:45-8:45am Mother's Day Stall - Prep - Grade 6
6 June	Student Free Day (Students do not attend school)
9 June	Public Holiday - King's Birthday

	2025
Term 1	Thursday 6 February - Friday 11 April
Term 2	Monday 28 April - Friday 4 July
Term 3	Monday 21 July - Friday 26 September
Term 4	Monday 13 October - Thursday 18 December

Student Free Days - 2025

Friday - 6 June

Friday 31 October

Dear Parent/Carers,

If you have received medical forms that require filling out, please return to the school office as soon as possible. If your child no longer requires medication please still return the forms with "no longer requiring medication".

Subway Lunches are on Wednesdays.

Lunches can be ordered multiple weeks in advance. Don't forget to update your child's profile to their 2025 class (they are listed as Kinder A etc. rather than their teacher's name this year). Please email contact@subsforyou.com for more information.

We are always looking for volunteers for our Breakfast Club every morning from 8:30-9.00 am. If you would like to help just let the school office know. Helpers can volunteer for a day, a week or day a fortnight. We would love to hear from you.

We will be communicating with parents via email throughout the year and want to keep our email contact list as accurate as possible. Please notify the office if your email changes, in person by phone: 6344 1349 or email: glen.dhu.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au

Our school uniforms can now be purchased from Midford School Uniforms located at 132 Charles Street Launceston. They also offer online services Midford School Uniforms | School Uniforms Online and School Wear | Midford.

School hats are available at the office $10.

We are an allergy aware school and need your support as we have a number of students with severe allergies to nuts as well as some other common allergens. Students are asked not to bring any food items that contain nuts or traces of nuts. If you are not sure, please keep this as a home food rather than a school lunch box item. For example, peanut butter, nutella and many muesli bars contain nuts and CANNOT be brought to school! Thank you for your support in helping to keep everyone safe.

Volunteering at Glen Dhu Primary School in 2025

We love having families involved in their children’s education at Glen Dhu Primary School.

Did you know if you want to volunteer at school as parent help, on an excursion or in Breakfast or Reading Club you need to complete Mandatory Safeguarding Training? This is to help keep all our children safe and so that you know what to do if you see or hear something that concerns you.

The training is easy! Watch the 15 minute video at the link below, save a copy of your certificate to show at the school office and you are ready to go!

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

Training must be completed every 12 months.

Thank you for helping to keep out children safe!

No smoking is permitted on school or DECYP property. This includes grounds and carparks. Thank you for setting a healthy example for all students.

To access our newsletter see below. If you wish to have a hard copy please let the school office know.

SZapp Version 4.0.0

There is a new version of SZapp available for Android and IOS Devices. Please ensure that you have updated to this version to assure you receive communications from the school.

If you are using an Android Device, you will need to uninstall the old app and install the new version.

IOS Devices (iPhones) will be able to update without requiring a re-install.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we are confident that the improvements in the new version will make it worth it.

An online guide on how to install and register/login to SZapp is available on the Schoolzine Website here:

Click here to view the Installation Instructions

If you experience any difficulties with completing this process, please reach out to Schoolzine using support@schoolzine.com. To assist with your query, they ask that you provide a description of the issue you are facing, the email address you are using when facing this issue and a screenshot of the issue.

If you are intrested in knowing more about Saver Plus, please collect a Saver Plus letter from the office.