Thursday October 23 Newsletter
Dear Families,
On Wednesday, we hosted Grandparents for our annual 'Grandparents' Day' event. It is fantastic to have community events such as this and there was a noticeable sense of joy and warmth across the school. Whilst walking around the school, the engagement and care between Grandparent and Child provided a significant spark. This is a sign of great love as well as our school values of Care and Connection. Grandparents play an integral role in many families. They are of great support and always there to lend a hand when needed. Grandparents assist with looking after children, pick ups of an afternoon, education- the list is endless. For those of us who have had the privilege of knowing our Grandparents and hearing their stories of life in another time and place, we have been inspired to work hard, be patient, courageously endure hard times and encouraged to follow our dreams.
Last Sunday in the Church is known as Mission Sunday. World Mission Sunday is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. World Mission Sunday is celebrated annually and is a means to highlight and raise funds for those in need across the world in alignment with the Church's mission. Mission Sunday is a reminder for us about how fortunate we are for the opportunities we have here in Australia as well as encouraging us to give to those in need. Events such as Socktober that will be held at SBW on Friday also raises funds for those in need and provides teachable moments for our students.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Nic
On Friday, Archbishop Anthony will celebrate Mass at the Star of the Sea Church in Burnie commencing at 5:30 PM. During this Mass, Harriet, Tilly, Matilda, Raphael, Mayson, Theo and Madeline will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Thank you to Mrs Ella Plapp for her work in preparing these students as part of the Sacramental Program.
Thank you for keeping our candidates in your thoughts and prayers and for supporting them as they reach this important milestone in their faith journey.
God our Father,
We thank you for our young people who are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
You call each one of them by name and promise that whatever happens in their lives, you will be with them always.
We pray that this journey to Confirmation will be an opportunity for them to deepen their faith and renew their hope in you so that your love may shine through them to the world.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide.
Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We’ve kicked off Term 4 with lots of excitement in Prep! To start the term, we shared some of the fun and interesting things we got up to during the school holidays. Everyone took turns telling the class about their favourite holiday experience, then used all of the writing skills we’ve been practising to create a detailed recount. We thought carefully about where we went, what we did, who was there, and what made it so much fun!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve also been working hard on our Tricky Words, learning new sounds, and blending them together to read and write words. All of this wonderful learning has helped us create some amazing pieces of writing that we are very proud of!
Following inclement weather for the last two End of Year Concerts, the decision has been made in consultation with staff and the school board to hold the End of Year School Concert at Marist Regional College (MRC). As a school we have a close relationship with MRC, inparticular as we are a feeder school. The End of Year Concert will be held in the Harcombe Centre at MRC on Thursday 4/12. Thank you to MRC for their support in allowing us to host the concert on their site. More communication regarding the End of Year Concert will be communicated prior to the 4/12.
Thank you to Rachel Summers who organised the SBW Parkrun Takeover at the Wynyard Foreshore Parkrun last Saturday. This was a fantastic event and it was great to see students, families and staff participating. The message of Parkrun of being active, whether it is walking, running or jogging is of high importance for our students. Thank you to all who participated and supported this event. Parkrun is held every Saturday at the Wynyard Foreshore beginning at 9 am. We will look at having another special SBW Parkrun event in early 2026.
We would like to inform you of some important changes to the school booklists for 2026. The exercise books listed for next year now come with coloured plastic covers. As a result, we ask that you do not purchase additional book covers or decorative stickers. Additionally, students will no longer require a pencil case. Instead, each student will have a small container on their desk provided by the school for everyday stationery. Any extra items will be stored in a plastic pouch which is now included on the booklists.
These changes have been introduced to:
- Simplify the back-to-school preparation process,
- Reduce costs for families, and
- Ensure consistency across all student materials.
Please contact our administration team if you have any questions.
The 2026 Schedule of Fees and Payment Arrangement forms are being sent home on Thursday, 16th October.
If you intend to pay your fees in full, there is no requirement to return the forms unless you would like to apply for the Family Discount (this is on the Schedule of Fees letter). All fees paid in full by the 28th February 2026 will receive a 5% discount on the total cost of fees, including the Capital Levy. This discount equates to $116 for one child and is applied only after your payment has been confirmed. If you are unsure as to what your exact total will be (due to other discounts applied or credits) please email: marnie.wells@catholic.tas.edu.
If you do not wish to pay in full and would like to enter into a payment arrangement or change your current arrangement, then please return the Payment Arrangement Form by Friday, 7th November. Please note that any direct debits with 2025 start dates will conclude at the end of 2025 and a new direct debit will need to be completed and returned to the front office for next year.
If your child/ren will not be returning to SBW in 2026 can you please advise the office or Mr Saltmarsh as soon as possible. We are currently in the process of finalising our staffing for 2026. Our staffing is based on current enrolment numbers and unknown changes can affect what we are able to offer. Vacancies exist in some classes for 2026. If you know of anyone who is considering enrolment, please ask them to complete the EOI form on our website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScm1L2cknAmnetFKRHXQX7GUbwt3yXUyrdWLSGts3nDA7FxnQ/viewform) and/or contact the school office as soon as possible.
Today we held a Lockdown practice and our all of students and staff did an amazing job!
Lockdowns are designed to protect and secure students and staff from a variety of dangers in and around the school and it's important to practice this regularly to ensure school preparedness.
We are looking forward to our Athletics Carnival on Friday, 31st October 2025! It is always a wonderful day that brings together our students, staff and families to celebrate participation, teamwork and school spirit.
Students will walk to and from Wynyard High School to take part in a range of track and field events. Families are warmly invited to come along, cheer from the sidelines and share in the fun of the day.
Please note that, due to the unavailability of facilities, there will be no backup day in the event of poor weather. If the carnival is cancelled, students will still have the opportunity to complete events during PE lessons so that selection for the North West Athletics Carnival on Wednesday, 12th November 2025 can continue.
We are hoping for sunshine and a fantastic community day together!
Please see below the Mobile Phones Policy created earlier this year by Catholic Education Tasmania. Also attached is the SBW Mobile Phones and Wearable Technologies Protocol.