Welcome back to the 2024 school year at Forest Primary School. It has been wonderful to see all of our students proudly wearing our school uniform including hats when we are outside. The school environment is looking amazing, and I cannot wait for us to continue our Kindergarten redevelopment and installation of our new basketball systems. The grounds wouldn’t look the way they do without the hard work and dedication of Murray – thanks Murray!

We are focussing on developing a ‘collect’ space that will provide some shelter and seating for you all to enjoy so please, watch this space!

It has been a privilege to witness all of our staff working hard to ensure that all of our students settle in well to their new classrooms. We have all been working hard to ensure that we are supporting our students to feel safe, secure and connected. I warmly welcome all of our new and existing students and families to Forest Primary.

Leadership opportunities for students have been happening led by Toni Popowski (SRC) and Sarah Cuthbertson (Daily PE & House Captains). Students are excited to develop their leadership skills and are looking forward to the 2024 school year. Congratulations to our newly elected SRC members for Term 1 & 2; Kyra Coates, Charli Randall, Mily-Jane Grey, Joseph Heald, William Ettlin, Liv Ralston, Sienna Korpershoek and Rubie van Norden.

The Circular Head Cluster of Schools collaborated on 2 of our Professional Learning Days at the beginning of the school year. We were fortunate enough to access the SoSafe training as a whole school and what a great opportunity it was to spend time with staff from across our schools. We have also begun our journey of working together in Professional Learning Communities to support each other to initially complete the online Reading Modules as part of the DECYP Reading Priority. This is an exciting opportunity for our staff to collaborate and build upon our professional knowledge.

We are currently preparing the itinerary for this year's Grade 6 trip. The trip will be held the week of May 6th - 10th. Further details to come.

On Monday 26th February selected students will represent the school and participate in the Circular Head Athletic Carnival at the Smithton Recreation Ground from 10am to approx. 1.30pm. We congratulate and wish the following students all the best at the carnival. Brooke Russ, Sienna Korpershoek, Ortzi Garner, Tex Walker, Flynn Coates, Brax Emmett, Laila Haywood, Isabelle Heald, Makybe Grey, Ruby Medwin, Rubee Korpershoek, William Ettlin, Noah House, Dustin Brown, Layla Thorp, Lahana Horton, Kiara Waddell-Smith, Liv Ralston, Lachlan More, Monty Jones, Ari Korpershoek, Amity Lee, Joseph Heald, Montie Thorp, Nelly Grey, Mily-Jane Grey, Jaylan Pullen, Remi Reeve, Thomas Deverell,Tom McKinley, Charli Randall, Montana Horton, Amber van Norden, Zane Shelverton, Nate House and Leah Ainslie. An invitation is extended to families to come along and support. Eligible place getters at this carnival will then be offered the opportunity to attend the North West Primary School Athletic Carnival in Penguin on the 6th & 7th March 2024. 

Meet Your Class and School Barbeque

On Wednesday 28th of February, teachers would like to invite parents to come into our school for a meet and greet. Each class has been allocated a timeslot during the afternoon where teachers will share with parents some of the class routines, expectations for their class and to answer any questions parents may have about school at Forest Primary.  

Families are welcome to stay and enjoy a BBQ at the conclusion of classroom meetings. 

Classroom meeting times 

5 – 5:15pm Kinder Bransden & Year 6 Cuthbertson/Popowski 

5:15 – 5:30pm 3/4 Wright and Prep/1 Cox 

5:30 – 5:45pm 3/4 Higgins & 1/2 Hills/Poke 

5:45 – 6:00pm Year 5 Ollington 

If there is a clash in times due to siblings, please let us know so that we can organise a time to meet with you. Please RSVP to the school office by Wednesday 21st February. 

We would really like to see as many of our families come along! 

As always, I encourage each and everyone of you to pop in and speak with any of us. Our doors are always open, and we are open to your feedback (both the positive and the ‘room for improvements').  I feel like 2024 will be a thriving year for us here at Forest Primary School and I can’t wait to lead this community as your Principal – I am the lucky one!

Forest Primary School Staff 2024

Kindergarten: Kellie Bransden  

Teacher Assistant: Rhiannon Thorp

Prep/1: Melissa Cox                 

Teacher Assistant: Melinda Brown

1/2: Elyse Poke/Megan Hills     

Teacher Assistant: Mel Gillies

3/4 W: Blane Wright                 

Teacher Assistant: Teleeka Crowley

3/4 H: Rachael Higgins             

Teacher Assistant: Jasper Perry

5: Jessie Ollington                     

Teacher Assistant: Margaret Ollington

6: Toni Popowski/Sarah Cuthbertson       

Teacher Assistant: Haylee Deverell

Lil/The Arts: Fran Joyce                                                         

Japanese: Mina Howe                                                           

Education Facililty Attendent: Murray Horton & Sandra Ling          

Health/PE: Ryan Nibbs

Admin Clerk: Danielle Ollington

School Business Manager: Ann Young

Librarian: Sandra McCarthy & Margaret Ollington

Leadership Team

Principal: Megan Hills

AST: Toni Popowski

QTC (Quality Teaching Coaches) Sarah Cuthbertson & Melissa Cox

What a wonderful start we have had to the 2024 school year. The students in 3/4W have been working hard to establish an environment that we are all wanting to come into that leaves us feeling safe, valued and heard. We have spent the last few days setting up class structures and routines and have hit the ground running. We are a great bunch and have an awesome classroom dynamic with the added bonus of having Teleeka with us four days a week which will benefit us all throughout the year. I look forward to catching up with you and working together to create amazing opportunities for your children.

Blane Wright 3/4W classroom teacher.

Thank you for having me at your lovely primary school. I am an experienced paediatric and child health nurse, and I am now in the school health nurse program, which is great. I will be at Forest Primary on a Thursday at this stage, and in Kinder a lot this term and part of next term, getting to know the kids and doing kinder health checks.

Kind Regards,

Lisa Hutchin

Welcome to music at Forest Primary for 2024. This term we’ll be learning to read music while having fun playing recorders. Each child will have their own instrument which will be kept at school. Looking forward to a great year of music making and performances.
Annette

It has been a fantastic start with the Grade 6s this week and I can already see what great leaders they will be in our school.

I am really looking forward to working with them and Ms C in what is looking to be a busy but rewarding year. We have many exciting learning opportunities planned and I believe that the Grade 6s will all rise to the challenge and be amazing role models.

It will be amazing to watch this group of kids develop as they start to think about leaving primary years and start to think about high school.

Of course a highlight will be the Grade 6 trip. Although I don’t think the mattresses will feel quite as comfortable as they once did!

I am also looking forward to working with the many maths groups across the school, problem solving and working on challenges.

Here’s to a great 2024.

Toni Pop

2024 Grade 6 students  have a BIG year ahead of them as leaders in the school. Throughout the year, we will be focusing on those important skills to be a good leader and role model within the school and wider community-  the qualities to stand strong, listen, plan ahead, expect challenges and show resilience, speak confidently in front of others, teamwork, respect and showing the way. Every student has their very  “Leadership Passport” to record their leadership journey throughout the year.

Term 1 includes a detailed study of soil as part of their science learning, with experiments and experts assisting students to gain understanding of the science of soil. In HASS (History and Studies of Society) students will be learning about migration to develop understanding of the migrant experience, why people come to Australia and how migrants have contributed to our society and culture.  A BIG year full of expectation and success!

Ms C

Welcome back, amazing students and families! I hope you had a fantastic break filled with adventures and relaxation. I am ready to embark on this new school year journey with each and everyone of you. We have so many exciting things to learn, explore and create together.

As we step into this new chapter, I want you to know that my door is always open for questions, support, or simply to share a funny story. Together, we'll dive into the wonders of learning, discovering new talents, and building lifelong friendships.

This year, I'm particularly looking forward to seeing your growth, both academically and personally. Let's challenge ourselves, make mistakes, and celebrate our successes along the way. Remember, every day is a chance to learn something new and make a positive impact in our classroom and community. So, let's start this adventure with enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness. Let's make this school year one for the books!

Rachael Higgins

Lynne van Norden

President

Dear Families,

I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable summer break. It was lovely to have some beautiful weather to enjoy. I am filled with excitement for the 2024 school year! As the Grade 5 teacher, I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know my students and creating some positive relationships within our classroom environment. I wish to extend a warm welcome to each and everyone of you.

This year promises to be an incredible journey of growth, discovery, and learning. Together, we'll embark on a quest to explore new ideas, challenge ourselves, and create lasting memories. Whether it's mastering new math concepts, diving into some outstanding writing tasks, or unleashing our creativity through art, there's so much to look forward to!

Communication and collaboration are key to our success, and I want to assure you that I am here to support both you and your child every step of the way. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have throughout the year. Your involvement and partnership are invaluable, and together, we can ensure that this school year is truly remarkable.

I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you and building a strong classroom community together.

Warm regards,

Miss Jessie Ollington

Welcome back to school for 2024, my name is Ryan Nibbs, and I will be in charge of running PE at Forest Primary school for 2024.

My hobbies are surfing and getting outside and being active. Getting outside and being active is something I wish to hopefully inspire the kids to do more of.

I hope we all have a great year!

Ryan

Welcome back, awesome students! We hope you had an incredible summer filled with fun, relaxation and cherished memories.  

Do you remember last August, we made paper cranes after we read a book called Sadako from grade 3 to 6, A Bowl Full of Peace from grade 1 to 3? During summer holiday break we dedicated 1000 paper cranes to Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan for praying for world peace. 

Thank you for contributing this project especially for the students who donated their time to fold paper cranes during lunch time. 

Now it's time to ignite your curiosity, embrace new challenges, and strive for excellence, again. Remember, each day is an opportunity to shine and make a positive impact. We are excited to witness your growth and achievements this year. Let's make it one to remember!

Mrs Mina Howe

Japanese Language Teacher

Welcome to Prep/ 1! Wow what a wonderful and busy first few weeks we have had. Melinda Brown and I  have enjoyed beginning to get to know all the students and look forward to continuing to learn more as the year goes on. It has been lovely to meet so many of you at drop off/ pick up and I am excited to work with you this year to help your children continue on their learning journey. This term we are going to investigate who is in our family and what are their important roles, living things – their features, needs and habitats and begin unpacking picture books and how to retell a story.  I hope to see you at our welcome night to talk more about all the exciting things happening in our Prep/1 class this year. – Melissa Cox

Our School will be switching over to a new messaging platform for communicating with you. This will replace our current system Schoolzine.

The new platform, called EdSmart is an Australian platform which is designed to improve communication in school communities by allowing electronic messaging i.e. SMS and emails. For now, it will be used to manage absences messages i.e. you will receive a SMS or email alert if your child is absent from school requesting a response.  It will also allow us to send a communication message to all parent/guardians.

The platform will, over time, be rolled out across all Tasmanian Government Schools and new features will be added. 

You will receive a text message and/or an email with further details. Note, the text message sender will be a shortened version of our school’s name - Please keep an eye out for it!

Further information is available on the Department’s website

Communicating with your child's school - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au)

Welcome back! Let’s make every day count.

Here we go, another exciting school year ahead! We hope you enjoyed your holidays.

By showing up to school every day, your child will have the best opportunity at a bright future. It gives them every chance to be around friends, learn new things, and find interests.

Good attendance habits can sometimes be hard to stick. But creating a solid routine, from the start of Term 1, can set your child up for success for the year ahead.

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.

Please always talk to us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We’re here to help.

‘Welcome back to a brand-new school year at our amazing Kindergarten. We’re so excited to have all our wonderful families join us at Forest Primary School and I am looking forward to working alongside you all on your child’s first year journey at school. Get ready for a year filled with child-led learning through play using creativity, exploration, and collaboration. This term we will be getting to know one another, building our own self-identity, making friendships, and working together as a classroom family. Creating a space where we feel safe and a sense of belonging, creating magical learning moments together that will develop us into lifelong learners’.

Mrs Kellie Bransden

Welcome to 1/2 Hills/Poke. Miss Elyse Poke teaches this class on Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Mrs Megan Hills takes the class on Thursday and Friday. We have enjoyed getting to know our students and families and look forward to teaching this wonderful group of students. Miss Poke loves horse riding and animals, and Mrs Hills can’t wait to start developing an outside learning environment on the deck outside the Prep/1/2 classrooms. Over the next few weeks we will be exploring worms and setting up a Forest Primary worm farm that we can use to fertilise our gardens. We look forward to developing and maintaining positive relationships with you all and if you would like to come and speak with us – our door is always open.

Elyse Poke and Megan Hills