Just like that we are past the mid-point of the term!

After having recently moved into the district I am thankful for the cooler evenings and mornings whilst still having enjoyable, sunny days. I am very grateful for my move to Campbell Town District High School and am thrilled with our start to the year. If you could walk the hallways of the school as I do, you would see young people interacting respectfully and positively with each other and adults and students being engaged in rich learning.

Both students and staff have demonstrated courage in the way they have adapted to new, more explicit teaching practices and we will see dividends from this approach in student confidence, growth and achievement across the year. Schools are often a hive of activity and our school, with over 200 people on-site every day, is no exception. Our core focus, however, is on deep learning. For that reason, I ask that you do all you can to have your young person arrive to school on-time (by 8.50am) and that they are here every day, unless they have a valid reason.

As well as ensuring your young person is at school each day, ensuring they are well-rested is also another important precondition to their success. I read with interest the article in this newsletter shared by our school health nurse and encourage you to consider putting in place boundaries regarding evening/night use of mobile phones. In my experience, this is an argument worth having!

Swimming Carnival

Thank you so much for your attendance at the Swimming Carnival. I know that students were very excited to have their family members present and I hope you enjoyed the day or a short time in the sun. My sincere thanks to our staff for organising the event and particularly to our HPE teacher Ms Ash Lowe. Here are some of my favourite photos from the day:

Assembly

I am so thankful to our families for their attendance at our first whole-school assembly. Students were recognised for their demonstration of our school values. Significantly, we were able to formally introduce and induct our 2025 student leaders. I greatly admire students who are willing to put themselves forward to lead and serve their peers and look forward to working with them throughout the year. Student leaders signed a leadership pledge, which is proudly displayed in our front office. The pledge reads:

I pledge to uphold the traditions, values and reputation of Campbell Town District High School.

I will strive to foster a positive and respectful school culture, lead by example and work with others to create an environment where all members of the community are valued, respected and included.

I will be a voice and advocate for other students and I will always conduct myself in a way that is consistent with my school’s expectations.

Furthermore, our secondary leaders are asked to pledge to provide mentoring, support and guidance to the school’s primary student leaders.

Mrs Blake’s class courageously performed an Acknowledgement of Country and the choir performed the National Anthem. Thank you

School Association

We have set the date for our first School Association meeting of the year, which will also serve as the Annual General Meeting. I encourage and invite families to get involved in the School Association, as our peak representative body. Association members are involved in guiding the school’s direction and having input on key school policies and procedures.

The meeting will be held on Monday 31 March commencing at 9.00am.

Current Chairperson Ms Lauren Klomp would welcome contact from any interested family or community representatives to find out more about the Association.

Nomination forms for our 2025 committee are included in this newsletter or a copy can be collected from the school office.

This is a bumper newsletter edition and I encourage you to read with wonder the variety of opportunities on offer to our young people. I am relieved to read that I wasn’t dreaming when I thought that one day one of our younger students told me they had buried some undies in the veggie patch!

Please reach out if there is anything I can support you or your family with.

In partnership,

David Bryant,

Acting Principal

Swimming Carnival 2025 – A Day to Remember!

What an incredible day we had at this year’s Swimming Carnival! With perfect weather, enthusiastic competitors, and a fantastic crowd of spectators, the energy around the pool was nothing short of amazing.

It was wonderful to see so many students giving their best, participating in races suited to their ability, and showing great sportsmanship throughout the day. Whether it was competitive races, across-the-pool events, or the always-entertaining relays, every student contributed to the fun and excitement. A special mention to Ruby, who wowed the crowd and took home the title of Biggest Splash Champion for 2025!

One of the highlights of the day was the staff vs students relay, where the teachers once again proved they’ve still got it, taking out the victory for another year! Better luck next time students!

House Results

This year’s champion house was Elizabeth, who claimed victory in a very convincing fashion! Their incredible participation numbers made all the difference, proving that every single race and every single effort counts towards house success. A massive congratulations to all Elizabeth House swimmers for their determination and team spirit!

⭐ Record Breakers! ⭐

A huge congratulations to our Grade 5/6 girls relay team—Stella, Mia, Miriam, and Hazel—who broke the school record by one second! An incredible achievement, and we can’t wait to see what they can do next year!

A huge thank you to our staff, parents, and secondary student helpers for making the day run smoothly, and to our wonderful students for their enthusiasm and sportsmanship. We look forward to seeing our selected students represent our school at our representative carnivals later in the year.

Students in Grade 2 Kuna have been diving into the world of place value to strengthen our understanding of hundreds, tens and ones. We created our very own Place Value Caterpillars. Each caterpillar segment represented a different digit, helping students visualize and build numbers in a hands-on way. It was wonderful to see their excitement as they worked together, discussing and constructing their colourful creations.

Gayathirry Kunasegaran

Teacher

Grades 1, 3A, 4, and 6 have been busy harvesting, weeding and replanting the garden.

Our huge yield of potatoes by the Grade 1s was turned into air fried chips and zucchini and potato fritters.

Grade 3 entered the Let It Grow competition and are currently in the running to grow the biggest radish to enter at Agfest in May.

Grade 1 buried a pair of cotton underpants as part of the Soil Your Undies competition for Agfest, where we hope to dig up the dirtiest and most bug eaten pair of undies. This will also tell us how healthy our soil is and what bugs, microorganisms and bacteria live in our garden.

Grade 6 and Grade 4 have been harvesting and cooking with zucchinis and tomatoes and maintaining our garden by weeding and wood chipping the garden paths. There have been several visits to the school orchard, where Apples, Pears, Peaches and Green Gages are growing and taste fantastic.

Yvonne Albers

Food and Fibre Teacher

Our Outdoor Education program is off to an exciting start! Over the past few weeks, we have been busy at school learning essential skills such as first aid, snake bite treatment, basic rope techniques, and what to pack for different types of outdoor adventures. We have also been honing our bike skills in preparation for our upcoming mountain biking excursion to Kate Reed Park in Prospect. To ensure we are fit and ready for the challenges ahead, we have been participating in a fitness program designed to prepare us for the rest of the term’s adventures.

Our first major excursion took us to Bare Rock in Fingal, where we tackled the challenging climb to the summit. The steep and rocky terrain tested our endurance and determination, but the breathtaking views from the top made every step worth it!

This hike was not just about reaching the summit - it was about challenging ourselves, building courage, strengthening our connection to nature, supporting one another, and growing as individuals. Outdoor Education is all about stepping outside of our comfort zones, and this walk definitely helped us do just that.

We cannot wait for our next adventure - bring on the mountain biking!

Ashlee Lowe and Andrew Martin

Teachers

On Thursday 6th March eleven students from Grades 10 to 13 had the opportunity to learn Basic First Aid and CPR. The day involved learning about how to manage emergency situations and provide a first aid response to a casualty. It covered common first aid injuries and illnesses such as choking, allergic responses, asthma, heart attacks and external bleeding. Students learnt about the recovery positions and how to use the defibrillator on an unconscious, non-breathing casualty.

Once they had learnt the theory, they got to put the skills into practice on each other and CPR mannequins.

A very big thank you goes to Julie Howard and Josie Chester who organised the grant application for the funding of this event. Thank you to MAIB for funding and seeing the positives this training has for our students. Thank you to Josie for purchasing morning tea and lunch of donuts, sausage rolls, pies and sandwiches with bottles of water. They were very well received.

Thank you, Roxy, the St Johns trainer who spent the day with the students, teaching them basic first aid and CPR.

Jill Bennett

AST

Order forms for our Easter fundraiser will be sent home with students this week.

Why is sleep so important? - Sleep is vital for children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing. Sleep supports healthy development of the body and mind. Evidence shows that children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have more trouble learning. In Australia, the number of children and adolescents who are sleep-deprived is rapidly growing due to our lifestyle behaviours. Good sleep habits are often referred to as good sleep hygiene. Here are 10 tips to help for a better night’s sleep.

• Set up a bedtime routine- A regular bedtime routine starting around the same time each night encourages good sleep patterns.
• Relax before bedtime- Encourage your child to relax before bedtime. Older children might like to wind down by reading a book, listening to gentle music or practising breathing for relaxation.
• Keep regular sleep and wake times- Keep your child’s bedtimes and wake-up times within 1-2 hours of each other each day.
• Keep older children’s naps early and short- Most children stop napping at 3-5 years of age. Longer and later naps can make it harder for children to get to sleep at night.
• Make sure your child feels safe at night-If your child feels scared about going to bed or being in the dark, you can praise and reward your child whenever they’re brave. Avoiding scary TV shows, movies and computer games can help too.
• Check noise and light in your child’s bedroom- Check whether your child’s bedroom is too light or noisy for sleep. Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets suppress melatonin levels and delays sleepiness.
•  Avoid the clock- If your child is checking the time often, encourage your child to move the clock or watch to a spot where they can’t see it from bed.
• Eat the right amount at the right time- Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make your child more alert or uncomfortable. In the morning, a healthy breakfast helps to kick-start your child’s body clock at the right time.
• Get plenty of natural light in the day-Encourage your child to get as much natural light as possible during the day, especially in the morning.
• Avoid caffeine-Caffeine is in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Encourage your child to avoid these things in the late afternoon and evening.

How much sleep do children and adolescents need? As with adults, every child is different in terms of how much sleep they need. The amount of sleep your child needs also changes as they age.

• Children aged 6-13 years should ideally be sleeping for 9-11 hours, although anywhere from 7-12 hours may be appropriate for some children.
• Teenagers aged 14-17 years should ideally be sleeping for 8-10 hours, although anywhere from 7-11 hours may be appropriate for some teenagers.

For more information look at www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au  & How to sleep better: 10 tips for children | Raising Children Network

If you are concerned about your child's sleep habits and would like some support, feel free to contact your me through the school office on 63811166 or email louise.hawkins@decyp.tas.gov.au.

School health nurses play an important role in our school community, delivering health education and promotion, and supporting student wellbeing.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) has recently introduced the internationally recognised DAISY Award program in schools through the School Health Nurse program.

Those with a health background may already be familiar with this program. Run by the DAISY Foundation, it is a way to acknowledge and celebrate the care and compassion that nurses deliver to the people they care for each and every day.

The program is run in 38 countries, but this is the first time anywhere in the world it will be delivered in a school setting.

Nominations are now open for the DECYP DAISY Award.  If you or a family member have had a positive experience with a school health nurse and would like to see their work recognised, why not consider nominating them! 

You can nominate them using this form, by sending an email to daisy@decyp.tas.gov.au, or getting in touch with school staff for help or more information.

Whether you’re a student, parent or carer, or a DECYP staff member, anyone can nominate a school health nurse you think is worthy of recognition.

Nominations will close on 13 June, with winners announced at an awards ceremony on 4 July. For more information, you can also visit DECYP’s website