Newsletter - 8 November

Principal's Highlights

Defining what we stand for at Mount Nelson Primary School. 

Understanding and articulating what our school stands for is a powerful way to unite and inspire our Mount Nelson community.

As a school community we collected insights from students, staff, and families, which revealed recurring themes in our mission and vision statements. 

We Nurture

• Nurturing is about creating a safe, welcoming space where everyone - students, teachers, and families - feels like they belong. It’s not just about academics but also about making sure we all feel supported, cared for, and connected.
• When we take care of each other, our school becomes a place where people are happier, feel safe to take on challenges, and look forward to being here every day.
  

We Strive

• Striving represents our dedication to keep learning and growing. We celebrate curiosity, resilience and hard work, encouraging everyone to ask questions, seek answers, and always aim higher.
• This commitment to striving creates a vibrant school culture where learning is exciting and dynamic. It’s a place where people actively seek new challenges and take pride in achieving their personal best, making the school experience rewarding and fulfilling.
  

We Empower

• Empowering means helping everyone feel confident to make choices, learn, and grow in ways that work best for them. We want everyone to feel they have the tools and support to reach their goals.
• When we’re empowered, we’re motivated to learn and take pride in what we do. It means each person here feels ready to take on challenges and make a positive difference in our school and beyond. This empowerment builds a community of confident, capable individuals who are prepared to make meaningful contributions to the world around them.
  

Nurturing growth, pursuing excellence, and empowering others – together, we shape a vibrant, supportive, and ambitious school community where every individual feels valued, inspired, and equipped to make a meaningful impact.

Catherine Grace
Principal

Student Voice

Hi everyone, it’s the School Executives here to give you guys an update of what’s been going on around the school lately. Let’s start off with what happened late last week, we had taster day at Taroona High School and the Book Fair!  The Year 6's that are going to Taroona High School next year learnt how to make slime, woodwork, HASS and even cooking class. And I think we all had a great time and can’t wait for next year. And all thanks to Sheree we could go into the library and have a look at the books and decide if we want to get them, we could write then on a wish list.

On Tuesday we also had some Taroona High students come and show us their stem work.

And on Wednesday some students participated in the Interschool Swimming Carnival, we hope everyone tried their hardest and had a great time.

Goodbye for now and we will be back to tell you guys what’s been going on in the next Newsletter!

2024 School Executives

Class Spotlight - 4M

4M have been looking at robotics. Before we started building our robots, we started by coding on Tynker. Next, we chose groups of 2, 3, and 4 and worked together to build the robots by following the instructions. We have started to program our robots to move and make noises. We are having fun, and it is not as easy as it looks!

Jamie K and Molly M
4M Students

Staff Spotlight - Alice Pyke

What is your role at Mount Nelson Primary?

Teacher's Assistant 

How long have you been working at Mount Nelson Primary?

This is my second year!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Reading and spending time in Orford or away camping. 

Do you have any pets?

Yes, 2 dogs Rufus and Flo  

Where is your favourite place to travel to?

Anywhere hot and with a beach 

What is the best part about your job?

The children and the wonderful staff! I really enjoy watching the growth and development of the children I work with, and I love being able to have a laugh with my colleagues. 

💚💛💚💛

Interschool Swimming Carnival

On Wednesday, 6 November, the Mount Nelson Primary School swim team travelled to the Hobart Aquatic Centre to participate in the SPSSA Division C Swimming Carnival. Our students had a fantastic day participating in races and working as a team. Our team finished second which was a fantastic achievement as we had many students filling in and stepping up. It was a fantastic day and thank you to Christie and Mr McVeigh for their support on the day, as well as Leng and Aleks for volunteering their time and making the day a huge success.

Declan West
HPE Teacher

On the 6^th of November, our school participated in the Interschool Swimming Carnival. I was a great day, and everyone tried their best and had to be adaptable with changing their events. Congratulations to everyone who participated and thanks to Christie, Mr McVeigh and a big thanks to Mr West for organising everything for our school. The overall scores were very close and we were a very close two points behind first, resulting in us getting a very good second place. Also thank you to Leng and Aleks for volunteering their time and helping make the carnival a huge success

Annabel and William
Grade 6 Students

Marimba Mania Recap

On Friday, 1 November 2024, the Year 6 Marimba group went to the Kingston Park Community Hub. We got all the Marimbas ready, on the bus and left school at 10 am. 

We arrived at Kingston at 10:30 am and set up the Marimbas. Once all of the schools were set up, we turned to the instructor, and he told us what to play and what order the songs were in. Our first song was 'Marimba Jam', which sounded really nice when we all played together. 

We played 10 songs all together including Marimba Jam, Namaste and Fizzy Pop. We played all of the songs, then after that we had some lunch and went to play in the playground. On the way back to the hall, we realised that it was just a rehearsal, and we have to play all 10 songs again in front of a huge crowd. We have lots of fun playing altogether and it was a great experience. 

By Joe F and Joe M
Grade 6 Students 

Friendship Dramas? - Lisa Ford

We are so lucky to have worked with Lisa Ford over the last few years.  Here are her tips about how you can support your child when they are challenged by friendship drama, as well as what to do when your child is the mean one.

Supporting Anxious Children Workshop
Lisa Ford - The Resilience Co. 

Do you care for or work with anxious children?

This practical, interactive and informative workshop will help equip you with the understanding and tools you need to support anxious children through difficult moments and move closer to their fears. Packed with ideas, discussions and useable frameworks for parents and educators alike.

When: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Where: Kickstart Arts (The Old School Room) 12 St John’s Avenue, New Town Tas 7008
Time: 9 am - 2.30 pm

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE: Supporting Anxious Children: For Parents and Teachers/TAs Tickets, Kickstart Arts (The Old School Room), New Town | TryBooking Australia

JackJumpers Clinics - Discounted!

We had an incredible time hosting the JackJumpers at our school – their visit brought so much excitement and energy to our students!

To thank our community, the JackJumpers are offering a 10% discount for their upcoming basketball clinics! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to improve their skills, learn from the pros, and have a great time on the court.

🟢 Discount Code: JJSKILL2
🔗 Sign Up Here: JackJumpers Basketball Clinics

Let’s show our support and join the JackJumpers for some unforgettable basketball fun!

From the School Association

Our Canteen Needs You!

We are seeking expressions of interest from our school community for a new canteen coordinator in 2025. You’ll be supported by our wonderful existing canteen volunteers, with the flexibility to make the role your own.

The canteen coordinator receives an honorarium, a tax-free payment each week in recognition of the contribution to the school community.

Please get in touch with us to find out more: mnpsassociation@gmail.com

Colour Run Celebration

The School Association is fully funding a colour run for our students this year, and you’re invited to come along and watch the fun.

When: Wednesday 27 November, 2-3pm

Where: Colour stations and obstacles around our School Oval

Why: To celebrate a fantastic year!

Keep an eye out for details to be sent home closer to the event.

Celebration Assemblies in Term 4

As you can imagine, Term 4 is a very busy period for our school with lots of opportunities for families to connect and engage with us.  Therefore, we have decided our Celebration of Learning Assemblies will look a little different this term with certificates being awarded at our weekly Monday morning assembly at 9 am.  If you child is receiving an award, you will be contacted by the school prior to the assembly and invited to join us on the day. 

Please see dates below for Group A and Group B assemblies:
Group A - Monday, 18 November 2024
Group B - Monday, 25 November 2024

Before & After School Care

If you are unable to drop off your child by 8:30 am or pick up your child by 3.10 pm families will need to book their child into Before/After School Care. 

Before School Care (BSC) & After School Care (ASC) is provided on site by Lady Gowrie Child Care Services.

Please contact them directly to book in - Phone: 6230 6806

BSC is available from 7 am to 8.30 am
ASC is available from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Return of Library Books

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it is time to search through your house to find any books you may have overlooked through the year. We currently have over 300 overdue books and over 400 missing books, which as you can imagine makes a BIG impact on our little school library.

I appreciate your help in tracking down all these books 😊

School Uniform

We kindly request parents to assist our staff and the School Association by ensuring students wear their Mount Nelson Primary School uniform every day. Lately, we've observed more students wearing non-approved clothing items.

We take pride in our uniform as it fosters unity, a sense of belonging, and promotes our school within the community. It also minimizes competition and is a cost-effective choice. During colder weather, please keep warm with coats and beanies outdoors, removing them inside classrooms, while ensuring our Mount Nelson Primary uniform is worn daily.

Thank you for your co-operation.

End of Year Reports

A reminder to families that end of year reports will be distributed on Friday, 6 December 2024

The report will show your child’s learning achievement on a 9-point visual scale for students in Years Prep to 10. The 9-point scale shows where your child’s learning achievement is against the expected standard for their year level.

For more information about reports:

• School Reports FAQs
• Understanding the 9-point scale
• Visit the Department’s website at: School reports - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au)

Student Achievements!

On the weekend Sophia C competed in the Infinite Spirit Cheer and Dance Championship and her team 'Celestial' placed 2nd for their routine! This is Sophia’s 3^rd year of cheerleading training.

Well done, Sophia! 🤸🏽‍♀️

End of Year Celebration Assembly

School Intentions 2025

Our school well underway with planning for 2025. We are asking families within our school catchment area and out-of-area with children who intend to join us in 2025, to contact the school office mount.nelson.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au or fill in the form below.

Please note, all out-of-area families will still be required to complete the Expression of Interest Out-of-Area application form and are not guaranteed a place at Mount Nelson Primary.

If your child is not in grade 6 and your child will not be continuing with us next year - please let us know for our future planning by contacting the school office or filling in the form below. 

Contact Us

Mount Nelson Primary School
388 Nelson Rd, Mount Nelson TAS
Phone: 03 6223 2879

Email: mount.nelson.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au 
Website: Home - Mount Nelson Primary School

Principal: Catherine Grace
Advanced Skills Teachers: Georgie Field, Margaret Crosswell, Rachel Viney
Support Teacher: Rachel Viney (Mon - Thu)
School Psychologist: Lesli Hokanson-MacKinnon (Wed)
School Social Worker: Grace Coleman (Thu)
School Speech Pathologist: Jessica Rooke (Mon)
School Health Nurse: Laura Leworthy (Wed)

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