Dear Families

You may have noticed some changes in the way we are teaching reading in our school. These changes are part of a statewide commitment to ensure every student develops strong reading skills that will support them throughout school and beyond.

Learning to read is a skill that must be taught - it's not something we’re born knowing how to do. That’s why our teachers are using high-quality, evidence-based strategies to help every child become a confident reader.

Our students learn to read through structured and explicit literacy teaching. This means they are building foundational literacy skills step by step, with each new skill reinforcing the last. This approach helps students grow into capable, independent readers.

We’re proud to be part of this statewide effort to provide structured literacy lessons that are proven to work. Thank you for your ongoing support as we help every student succeed.

Sharon

Congratulations to the following students who, following our school round held earlier this term, were invited to participate in the state round of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. These students competed this week, against the top spellers in their year level from across Tasmania! Wishing our super spellers good luck in getting through to the final round!

Bootcamp @ Riverbend Park

Kingball MHPS v Glen Dhu Primary School

Netball Norwood Primary School v MHPS

Football MHPS v East Launceston Primary School

Soccer Glen Dhu Primary School v MHPS

Dear Parents and Carers,

Mowbray Heights Primary School has switched to using digital communications through EdSmart. EdSmart is a secure online platform used by schools across Australia. DECYP schools are currently using it for Broadcast messages and student absence notifications. 

How it works:

• For a Broadcast message, you will receive an SMS or an email. These messages are general notices and do not need to be replied to.
• For Parent Slips, you will receive an SMS or email notification with a link to click. This opens to a secure web page where you can complete the form.
• Any data you submit in the forms is stored safely with EdSmart and is only visible to authorised school staff.

From 1 September Mowbray Heights Primary School began using EdSmart for student absence notifications. An Absence Notification slip will be sent to the primary parent or carer contact, asking for a response in relation to why the student is absent.

We appreciate your support with this new communication method. If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please don't hesitate to contact our Admin Team. 

At MHPS, families are valued members of the school community and play an important role in their child’s learning. There is a strong culture of mutual trust, and parents/carers and staff work in partnership to support student learning and well-being. This is evidenced by the outstanding attendance data at our previous two communication opportunities, in March we had 97% of our students represented and in June we had 96% of our students represented.  

Communicating Learning Progress with Families for all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will take place again, in September.  This is our third opportunity to formally communicate about learning this year and once again we are providing two options for communication in Term 3.

Parents/carers can choose either a face-to-face conversation at school or a phone call from your child's teacher.

The conversation will focus on any follow-up matters from the June meeting, evidence of learning, progress and strategies for improvement, and your child’s wellbeing. 

Students are not required to be part of this meeting.  Childcare will be available for school aged students in the PAC.

We have sent home a letter containing the details you need to know, a preference sheet for dates and times, and an agenda where you can record anything you would like to discuss.  Please return the preference sheet and agenda to class teachers as soon as possible.  If you have misplaced your letter please do not hesitate to ask for a replacement.

On Tuesday 9 September, our Prep Classes will be travelling to the QVMAG at Inveresk. Students will be engaging in learning experiences offered at the museum relating to science. We will also visit the Launceston Tramway Museum where will have a ride on a tram.

Classes will depart school at 9:45 am travelling by bus to the QVMAG. After our time at the museum, we will travel by bus to City Park for lunch. Classes will depart City Park by bus to return to school by 2:45 pm.

Children will need to wear full school uniform and suitable shoes for walking. A packed recess, packed lunch, and a drink bottle containing water are required. There will be no canteen lunch orders on this day.

Prep Team

On Wednesday 10 September, all Kindergarten, Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students will have the opportunity to experience Braveheart's personal safety education program - Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Show. The show is age appropriate and will provide students with personal safety tools and strategies, while supporting positive self-esteem and resilience building. An information sheet is coming home with all Early Childhood students today.

Jasmine Bird - AST Early Childhood

Family Planning Tasmania will be visiting our school from Monday 15 September to Wednesday 24 September to provide The Growing Up Program – a relationships, sexuality and protective behaviours program.

The Growing Up Program (GUP) is Tasmania’s leading relationships, sexuality and protective behaviours’ program for students from Kindergarten through to Year 6. 

It is facilitated by an experienced team of Family Planning Tasmania educators, and is age and developmentally appropriate, sequential, and evidence-based. 

The program is aligned to the: 

• Australian Curriculum 
• Early Years Learning Framework 
• Respectful Relationships and Consent Teaching and Learning Package 

GUP reflects the latest in sexual and reproductive health research, and aims to maximise learning outcomes, and increase positive communication between parents and carers and their child/children. 

Family Planning educators will encourage children to talk to their families and other trusted adults and consider their own family’s beliefs and values. 

Family Planning Tasmania recommends that students be provided with relationships, sexuality and protective behaviours education each year. 

By clicking on the below link, parents and carers will be able to access information to their child/children’s program. https://fpt.org.au/programs/parents-carers/the-growing-up-program-gup-parents-carers/

As part of our HASS unit, children in Prep Freeman, Prep Fletcher and Prep Lockhart will be walking around the Mowbray community. We will be looking at the different shops and mapping our walk.

This walk will take approximately 45 minutes and will be completed during school time on Tuesday 16 September. Children will need to wear school uniform and bring a coat in case the weather is cold.

Prep Team

On Thursday 18 September, all Year 5 students will be visiting Newstead College. They will have an opportunity to tour the College and participate in some classes. Students and staff will leave school at 9:00 am and return at 12:20 pm. Your child will need to wear full school uniform, and bring a packed recess and a drink. This experience is an initiative of, and funded by, The Smith Family.

Cindy Wright - Assistant Principal

The eSafety Commissioner has released resources to help parents and carers from all backgrounds protect their families online.

The Online Safety for Every Family resources cover how to:  

• get started with social media
• enjoy safer online gaming
• help your child if they are bullied online

To make sure more families can start a conversation with their children about online safety, the resources are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Swahili, Tamil, Tigrinya, Uyghur and Vietnamese.

Janaha Williams – Safeguarding Lead

The 2025 School Satisfaction Survey is here!

We want to hear from you, as input from families is very important to help us inform our school-planning and decision-making. Every year the Department for Education, Children and Young People conducts a School Satisfaction Survey to find out what your child(ren)'s school does well and where it may improve.

We would be grateful if you took part in our online survey about Mowbray Heights Primary School.

The survey will be open until Friday 19 September 2025 and should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Each family should nominate one person to fill in this survey for their child(ren).

Take the online survey by clicking this Link, or pasting it in your browser: https://nam.dcv.ms/J9SjAQl0Yw

The survey is carried out on a secure website and all responses are anonymous and confidential.

All families in this school received the same survey link and no identifying information is collected. A summary of the survey results will be provided to schools.  Responses from individuals or small groups will NOT be disclosed to any Department for Education, Children and Young People staff.

Please contact us if you require any assistance.

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this survey.

Sharon

We are now accepting Kindergarten enrolments for next year.  To be eligible for Kindergarten in 2026, children need to be 4 on or before the 1st January 2026.  When enrolling in a Tasmanian Government school for the first time, evidence must be provided in relation to student identity, the parent/guardian identity, student residential address and student immunisation. 

Evidence is required in relation to student identity which may include one of the following:

• Australian Birth Certificate
• Current Australian or foreign passport and visa

Evidence is required in relation to parent or legal guardian identity which may include one of the following:

• Birth Certificate
• Current Australian Drivers Licence
• Current Australian passport or foreign passport and visa 

Evidence is required in relation to residential address which may include one of the following:

• Utility bill (phone, electricity, gas)
• Lease or rental agreement

Evidence is required in relation to immunisation which may include one of the following:

• The child's Health Record Book (Blue Book)
• A printout from the Medicare - Australian Immunisation Register

Kindergarten at Mowbray Heights Primary School is a three full day program. Please phone the office or drop in to register your child’s name and begin the enrolment process. 

If you have completed an enrolment form for Launching into Learning your intention to enrol your child, if in our intake area, is already known and underway.

Please note: We are not able to accept Expressions of Interest for an Out of Area Enrolment as we are at capacity.

Sharon

The following sizes are available in the 2025 Year 6 Short Sleeve Leavers Polos. The tops are $40.00 and can be purchased at the school office. These are the last sizes available and no further orders will be placed.

We have depleted our spare clothing supplies (trousers, underwear and socks).  If you think your child might require a change of clothes at school please pack some spares.  If your child does not have anything to change into, we will call families as soon as we become aware of their needs. If you have school uniform items that your child has outgrown, donations are always gratefully received.

The Dental Carpark is a designated carpark for people using the Dental Service. Our families are unable to park in this carpark to drop off or pick up their children.