19 March 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents, Families and Community

Autumn is arguably the best season in Tasmania, and we have certainly been enjoying the blue sky, wind free days at Snug Primary. The school has a special “buzz” at recess and lunchtimes, with the oval, bike track, and loose parts play, and our playgrounds filled with creativity and joy of our students enjoying our amazing school. There has been plenty else happening too.

Strategic Plan

Our school has completed our Strategic Plan for 2021, and have set our direction for the year. Our teachers are going to be building their capacity around assessment and data literacy, to establish clearly, where each student is at on their educational continuum. We are also looking at embedding our schools Common Instructional Model (our “way of teaching”) in the delivery of Maths. If you have any questions about teaching and learning at Snug, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your classroom teacher, or members of senior staff.

School Association

The School Association had its AGM this week, with the association members and officials elected into their roles. Chris Morgan remains the Chairperson, Ali Nichols-Howe the secretary, and Elanor Bell as Treasurer. Congratulations. Other members include Deb Lie, Natasha Cowles, Hannah Townsend, Ali Wright, Ben Andrews, Skie Mitchell. School members Dearne Coad, Kath Dolliver, Loretta Woolley and myself. The association does a wonderful job for our school, and we are appreciative of the time and energy members provide for the betterment of students, their families and the community.

Sunsmart…including right now!

I had a very informative medical appointment with my skin specialist this week, Dr Delfin Samson, Tasmania’s most qualified skin cancer specialist. Alongside getting my own treatment for sun damaged skin, I asked him what his recommendation was for our primary school students. Here’s what he had to say:

To Whom It May Concern,

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. In Australia, Tasmania remains high risk, despite our cooler climate. Our UV index is often high or extreme.

The Skin Cancer College of Australasia and other relevant medical bodies recommended sun

protection, including barriers (long sleeves, a hat and sunglasses) and sunscreen every day - to all exposed areas, when the UV index is 3 or higher. Where we live (in Tasmania), our UV index is generally above 3 outside of winter. Therefore sun protection should be used the majority of the year. Therefore I would recommend that all Tasmanians, including our school children follow the advice sun protection advice. Sunscreen use, counter-intuitively does not seem to inhibit vitamin D production. But a significant proportion of Tasmanians are vitamin D deficient, so if this is a concern, please consult your general practitioner or consider vitamin D supplementation.

Many Thanks and Kind Regards,

Dr Delfin Samson
MBBS MastersMedicine (skin cancer) DCH FRACGP ACCD ACCSCMS ProfDipSkinCancerSurg

Huon Channel Swimming Carnival

Snug Primary School sent our swimming representatives to the Huon Channel Swimming Carnival this week. As is so often the case, our students behaved impeccably. So much so, that accompanying teacher Mrs Andrews, said “They were, without a doubt, the best behaved school at the event. I was beaming with pride for our students and our school, and still am. Bravo team!!!”

Snug CARES in action.

Kind Regards,

Blair Curtis
Principal

Kath’s Spot

What does help look like to you? It may look different to everyone. Is it someone lending a hand, someone offering to look after the kids for a bit, someone letting you borrow the thing you may need?

In fact the word ‘Help’ can be both a noun and a verb. The dictionary shows that as a noun it is “the action of helping someone to do something” and as a verb it is to “make it easier or possible for (someone) to do something by offering ones services or resources”.

How often do you receive help from others? I am fortunate to receive help from others around me. A friend may check in on me if I am unwell, another friend might help drop one of my sons to soccer, others might get my washing in that’s about to fly away. I feel I am so blessed to be situated with many others around me to help out.

Our students have been learning this week to ‘look out’ for opportunities to help in the classroom. I wonder if we all ‘looked out’ for opportunities to help others, what difference do you think that may make to our Snug Community? Besides that, isn’t it a wonderful value to be role modelling to our young people. Let’s go out and look for something we may be able to do to help others!

Many Blessings

Kath Dolliver
Chaplain

Class In Focus – Year 4-5D

In 4/5D we have been working hard in all our subjects, but we thought we would share some Science with you today.

We have been studying what makes a fair test. After a lot of discussion, we agreed that if we change only one thing, we can conduct a fair test, so we changed the surface that we wiped a slice of bread on…

Needless to say, we have been watching that bread change over the last three weeks.

We have described the bread, which was hard because we could only use words that everyone agreed on, so we couldn’t say “a bit” or “little”.

In the end we used a ruler to REALLY describe the size of the mould spots and patches.

We are looking forward to using our fair testing knowledge to investigate more questions throughout the year.

4/5D and Mrs Burges Watson and Mrs Newton

School Association

Following the AGM for the Snug Primary School Association, you're elected Committee for this coming year is:

Chris Morgan (Chair), Ben Andrews (Vice Chair), Elanor Bell (Treasurer), Ali Nichols Howe (Secretary), Kath Doliver (Community Rep), Blair Curtis, Loretta Woolley, Dearne Coad, Grace Garwood (SPSOHC) Ally Wright, Hannah Townsend, Skie Mitchell, Natasha Cowles, Kirsty Morgan, and we welcome Deb Lie.

The committee has started strong with some great fundraising and community events in the pipeline for the coming months. Given the challenges of the past 12 months, the focus, in line with our School, is on Community. Stay tuned for some exciting new events, as well as some old favourites!

Stage 2 of the Bike Track is open and finalised, with fantastic feedback from everyone using it. We are now working on how else we can support the use of the track, and developing the skills of all riders, as well as exploring other opportunities.

In Outside School Hours Care, we welcome 3 new Educators. Kara, Eleanor and Maddison all join the team shortly. Looking for something for the children to do during the holidays? Grace has a fun and exciting refreshed Holiday program ready to go.

As always, we welcome all parents to come along to a meeting. If you have any thoughts or ideas, and can't make it, feel free to touch base with one of the committee members, or you can send an email anytime to snugschoolassoc@gmail.com.

Loose Parts Playground

Southern Student Leaders Conference

Entertainment Membership

It’s that time again! Help our school raise funds and enjoy a year’s worth of discounts and savings for you and your family. Click here to sign up today:

Book Club

Book Club orders are submitted and paid for online via the Book Clubs Loop. Please go to this link below.

The Loop for the current book issue will be closed off on Thursday 25th March so ensure you have your orders in by then. Books will arrive to school and be distributed to students a few weeks later, please note delivery of books will be in Term 2 for this particular issue.

Gym Timetable

Outside School Hours Care

Holiday Care Program Out Now

2021 Information and Enrolment (Including Re-Enrolment)

2021 Enrolment and Re-Enrolment information is now available from the office and OSHC. There is new and important information that families need in these packs, so please be sure to collect one ASAP. Thanks!

Little Sprouts

School Banking

Tuesday is school banking day. Please remember to write your student number on the deposit slips. Replacement Dollarmite wallets are available from the office.

School Banking Handbook

New Bankers are very welcome – for every new banker, the school receives a $5.00 commission and then 5% of every deposit made thereafter. Just head to any Commonwealth Bank with some ID for yourself and your child (a drivers licence and birth certificate, for example) and ask to open a Youthsaver Account for School Banking. You’ll be given a deposit book and Dollarmites wallet on the spot and will be able to begin banking the next business day - it’s that easy!

Rewards Program: For every deposit your child makes, they will receive a silver Dollarmite token. Once they have received 10 tokens then will then receive a gold Dollarmite token which they can redeem for an exclusive Dollarmite reward item.

Kids Matter eNewsletter

Kingston Library - What’s On

Coming Events

For more information please see our school calendar by clicking the link below:

2021 TERM DATES