Message from the Principal - Huonville Primary School

Message from the Principal
Dear members of the Huonville Primary School community
I have just been involved in the latest update from the Department, and although Tasmania is hosting only a
singular case of COVID we need to maintain our conservative approach. This is most important when we consider
schools and the range of adults that either congregate or engage in work, other than teaching.
With this in mind, we will still be adhering to our contextual restrictions. Rather than assemblies for the remainder
of the Term, we will be providing celebrations and performance by classes on the Facebook and SeeSaw
platforms, filmed and edited by staff and students. The first of these will be shared with our community next
week.
With our newly won grant for ‘Breakfast Club,’ we are focussing on how we can provide healthy breakfast options
without resorting to a full clean of the canteen, when/if volunteers come into the school. So, the delay will
continue, with a newly revised and permanent structure for breakfast club beginning in Term 4. As stated
previously this continuing hiatus will not have any negative effects on students who arrive without breakfast; we
have identified a group who require ongoing assistance and their needs will be met on a daily basis.
For anyone who wishes to have the latest update on COVID – 19 and the Education Departments advice, please
log onto https://www.education.tas.gov.au, then go to the tab - Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Latest information about COVID-19. This site is both dynamic and organic and as soon as a new recommendation
is made it is updated on that day.

The latest reiteration of restrictions on sending ‘cupcakes’ to school is; anything prepared at home/off site for
class consumption is not permitted! Sorry about that, I know that there have been conflicting view on this
protocol, however, we must abide by the Department’s directives-
Good morning Ian
Please see below:
“Following our telephone conversation, please find the below advice supplied to another Principal on Wednesday
5 August 2020:
“In line with the advice that we have received from Public Health we are still continuing to restrict food that is
prepared off site being brought on to school sites to be either shared or sold. It is possible for students to prepare
 food on site on the basis that this can occur within a controlled environment and with appropriate
 supervision by staff to ensure that all hygiene requirements are met.”
I hope this helps address your query.

Jacquie Sartori ‘

In line with the COVID -19 requirements from the Department we have at the school completed a COVID-19 Plan
Checklist which will be available in our front office from Monday 17 th. August for anyone who wishes to view the range
of protocols for our school.

Beginning next week we will be engaging in the Fire Safety program for all students in the school. This will be
conducted over a two week period – details below.

A firefighter from the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is visiting our school from the 17th. August to the 28th. August to
present a Home Fire Safety Program to our Prep to Grade 6 students.
Kindergarten students, whilst not receiving a structured lesson, can expect a visit from the firefighter who will leave
some free fun activities for the students to complete.
The age appropriate program is designed to raise fire awareness in children and includes fun in-class activities, videos,
activity books, website www.tfseducation.com.au and giveaways.
Parents and other family members are also encouraged to participate by reading the information and assisting your
child with the after school activities.
The TFS aims to deliver appropriate fire safety education to every primary school child in Tasmania and is part of the
TFS’s ongoing commitment to create a fire safe Tasmania.
Key Fire Safety Messages include,
Wake up - Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom
Plan and practice a home fire escape plan with the whole family
In a fire crawl low and go, go, go to the nearest exit

In an emergency call triple zero .
Keep flammable material at least two metres from the heater
If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, rock and roll
Keep matches and lighters away from children
Cooking - Turn it off before you turn away
Cool a burn under cold water for at least 20 minutes
Most house fires can be avoided. Make your home fire safe
More information www.tfseducation.com.au

EARLY CHILDHOOD
TFS receives regular requests from preschools and child care centres asking for firefighters to visit and teach children
about home fire safety.
TFS does not deliver structured fire safety programs to children below primary school age. This decision was made
based on research carried out by the Mental Health Services of the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Metropolitan Fire
Brigade in Melbourne. This research indicated that:
     Children under the age of five had low retention of the information they had learned; and
     In some children, the information had actually stimulated their curiosity about fire and they had begun to play
      with fire.

TFS believes that parents and caregivers are the best people to make sure that very young children are safe from fire. To
help with this, TFS has a fire safety website for parents, carers, teachers and students. TFS has also developed resources
for young children that introduce them to the friendly firefighter characters that they will meet when they receive the
School Fire Education Program including a colouring book, a money box shaped like a fire truck, and stickers with home
fire safety messages for the whole family.

Please also excuse the delays in the implementation of “Children’s University Tasmania”.
There are sessions this weekend but we do not have the ‘Passports’ to support students in this opportunity. The
intention is to secure all the necessary documentation for students interested and this will be taking place over the next
couple of weeks. More info in the newsletter next week.
Kind Regards
Ian Thomas

Young Archies – Portrait Competition 2020
Each year the students of Huonville Primary are encouraged to create a portrait to coincide with the timing of the
National Archibald Prize.
This year each class displayed portraits in the Assembly Hall for all the school community to see.
Congratulations to Logan, Miranda, Benjamin, Charli, William, Hugh, Gracie, George, Xander, Ash, Lucas, Morgana,
Lucas, Jaxon, Oscar and Justin on their works being selected to represent Huonville Primary at the Statewide Young
Archies Competition.
Congratulations also to the following students who received Huonville Encouragement Awards from the judges:
Kiarah, Kate, Indy, Aaron, Zoe, Thomas, Kyson, Hamish, Ayda, Erin, Blake, Marcus, Riley, Millie, Laura, Sabien,
Sharnie, Jay, Ruby, Maggie, Phoenix, Silas, Maddison, Riley and Rohan.
Well done to all our students who worked hard to produce a creative portrait of someone they know; and thank
you to the panel of judges for giving up their time to judge the hundreds of entries.
Mrs Petersen (Art Teacher)

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