Dear Families,

Absence

I would like to inform you that I was away from school last week and anticipate being away for the duration of this week after having unexpected major dental surgery.

During this time, Alana Lava and Tania Walsh are overseeing school operations and will be available for any urgent matters.

Please continue to direct any general inquiries to the school office. I appreciate your support and look forward to returning soon.

I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

Primary Progress Report

I have no doubt that you will appreciate the honest information you will receive about your child.

Please remember that if you have any concerns regarding the progress of your child it is important to make an appointment with the teacher to discuss your concerns. The teacher should always be the contact in the first instance as they know, firsthand, the individual learning needs of your child.

School Association

In Tasmania, a School Association is a formal body that represents the interests of students, parents, staff, and the wider school community. It works in partnership with the school to support student learning and well-being.

Role of a School Association in Tasmania:

• Provides input into school policies and priorities.
• Assists in decision-making on matters such as school budgets and facilities.
• Supports fundraising and community engagement.
• Encourages collaboration between parents, staff, and students.

School Associations operate under the Education Act and have a constitution outlining their responsibilities. Membership typically includes the principal, elected parents and staff, and sometimes community representatives and students.

School Associations exist to:

• Foster Collaboration: Strengthen partnerships between families, educators, and the broader community.
• Support Decision-Making: Provide input on school policies, priorities, and strategic directions.
• Manage School Finances: Oversee certain aspects of funding, including fundraising efforts and voluntary contributions.
• Advocate for Student Well-Being: Ensure student needs are at the centre of decision-making.
• Enhance School Resources: Assist in securing grants, funding, and community support for school projects.

A School Association typically includes:

• The Principal
• Elected Parent Representatives
• Elected Staff Representatives
• Community Representatives

Parents, carers, and community members can join the School Association by nominating for a position during elections, attending meetings, or volunteering in association-led initiatives. Involvement is a fantastic way to have a voice in school decisions and contribute to a thriving school community.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday, 5 May at 7.00pm.

Warm Regards,

Karen Hay
Principal

What wonderful creations we had arrive on Monday morning for Brixhibition!  We had 18 entrants from Prep to Year 6. Thank you to all the students who participated, the support from families, the Junior Leaders and all primary students who showed great respect when viewing and voting during the exhibition.

Age group winners:

Prep: Claire
1-2: Hudsen
3-4: Lottie
5-6: Flynn

The overall winner was Flynn in 5-6.

Congratulations to all participants and winners!

Friday, 14 March our Secondary Leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference, joining many other schools from the northern region of the state. They explored the essence of leadership and how to contribute meaningfully to their school community. Our Lilydale leaders were notably engaging, enthusiastic, and eager to learn. They are excited to share their newfound knowledge with junior leaders and peers, fostering a collaborative effort to support and enhance our wonderful school.

Students in 9-10 Visual Art have been focussing on portraits of themselves or a special character that has special meaning to tell their story.

Art by Grace C, Ryan, Grace D, Ruby, Shyloe, Lily, Rory, Charlee, Zoe, Kahla & Indii.

On the Monday, 24th of February we started the swimming and water safety program at our local Lilydale Pool. It was a fun experience that all students got to participate in for two weeks.

This year the Year 1-6 cohort did the program. It was a blast, the teachers and students had their fair share of laughs, but we sure are glad it’s over because lugging 19 – 25 students to the pool and back is really tiring.

Our amazing coaches, Bianca, Michelle, Annette and Lou really helped us realise the dangers of the ocean and pool.

It was a great experience, we got to do lots of different activities like backstroke, survival swims, star float, freestyle, and even swimming in our clothes.

This year was the first year of the Year 1 – 2 students being able to enjoy their swimming and water awareness sessions and it seemed like they loved doing it.

Thank you to the teachers and HPE staff for organising it.

By Nikki, Maggie & Imogen (members of our junior leadership)

High School – Student of the Week

Every week, all staff, Student Leaders and the wider community have the opportunity to nominate a high school student as a ‘Lilydale Legend’. These nominations acknowledge when another person has noticed the student demonstrating our school values of being safe, respectful and learning. If a student is nominated by multiple people their name will appear twice. Lilydale Legends for the week will get recognised in our high school assembly and receive a certificate. Congratulations to the Lilydale Legends for Week 5, 6 & 7 - Term 1.

Week 5

Did you know… Tooth decay has a significant impact on a child’s health and wellbeing.

* Cavities and tooth decay are preventable with good oral hygiene habits.  

* All it takes is 2 minutes every day twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.   

* Spit and don’t rinse the fluoride toothpaste once finished brushing  

Oral Health Services Tasmania (OHST) will be delivering the Fissure Sealant and Fluoride Varnish Program (FSFVP) at LDS in March/April 2025. This programme is only funded for children is a certain age group. If you receive a consent form, please sign as return so we can take advantage of this free service.

Oral Health Services Tasmania also provides FREE dental care for ALL children and teenagers with a current Medicare card.

If you are concerned about your child teeth, please ring, and make an appointment with your local children’s dentist, or if you would like some advice, please feel free to contact Nurse Lauren, primary school health nurse. Lauren.frost@decyp.tas.gov.au

If your child has a medical condition, it is important that we have all relevant information. This includes 2025 Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication forms, Medical Action Plans and/or Student Medical Condition Plans before the start of the school year. 

A Medical Action Plan must be completed if the student is known to be at risk of a medical incident due to a diagnosed medical condition. Medical Action Plans for common medical conditions can be found by accessing the peak body website for that condition.   

A Student Medical Condition Plan sets out the adjustments that are needed in the school that assists with the day-to-day health and learning needs of the student as it relates to their medical condition. This Plan does not need to be completed if the student has a Medical Action Plan for a specific diagnosis (e.g. asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, or epilepsy).

Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication forms need to be filled out for both prescription and non-prescription medications. You can find blank forms attached below or request them from the school office. Form A is for non-prescription medicine and can be filled in by a parent. Form B is for prescription medicine and needs a GP or pharmacist input. Students needing short-term medication like antibiotics or Panadol must submit these forms before staff can administer them.

All medical forms must be updated yearly (or in-line with peak body recommendations) and signed by the child’s healthcare provider. If the current forms are less than two years old, a letter from your GP can confirm their validity.

Forms:

• General Medical Management Plan
• Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication Form
• Epilepsy Medical Action Plan
• Allergy Medical Action Plan
• Diabetes Medical Action Plan
• Asthma Medical Action Plan

If staff have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a student they must follow standard emergency response processes, which may include calling 000. Staff are required to follow the directions of Ambulance Tasmania.

For more information please contact the school office on 6395 0100.

Our School Association usually meets on the second Monday of each month in the Kinder space. Our next meeting  will be on Monday, 5 May at 7:00pm. We would love to see more people at the meetings and invite you to attend.

If you need to get in contact with members of the School Association, please contact the school office on 6395 0100. Thank you.

Please note: Due to unforseen circumstances our Annual General Meeting will not be held in April.

Please note: We are still waiting on stock of our Large Bucket Hats. Once these have arrived and back in stock, we will advise via the newsletter and facebook.

Apologies for the inconvenience.