Issue 1 Term 2
- Message from our Principal
- Grade 3 / 4 afternoon sessions
- Children's University
- ANZAC Day Ceremony
- Whole School Cross Country
- Huon and Channel Cross Country
- Interhigh Cross Country
- Congratulations to our amazing Chess Team
- Bush Play Program - Kinder and Prep / 1
- Creative Writing in Grade 1 / 2
- National Simultaneous Storytime
- Years 7 - 9 Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Excursion
- High School UTAS Excursion
- Years 9 and 10 School Camp to Port Arthur Historical Site
- Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews
- Mid-Year Student Reports
- Bendigo Bank Grant.
Message from our Principal
Dear Families and Carers,
As Term 2 draws to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect on the many exciting events and achievements that have made it a busy and fulfilling term at Dover District School.
We started our term with our whole-school cross country carnival. It was fantastic to see such enthusiastic participation from our students across all grades. It was also great to see the involvement of staff - and even some brave parents, who laced up their runners and joined in the fun! A big congratulations to those students who went on the represent Dover at the interschool cross country carnivals, showcasing determination and sportsmanship. We are also proud to share that a select group of students will participate in the upcoming All Schools Cross Country at Symmons Plains in mid-June.
In other exciting new, our school chess team achieved third place at the recent interschool chess competition at Huonville Primary School. Congratulations to all team members for their strategic thinking and fantastic teamwork and for the staff who enabled this competition to happen.
For our senior students, the camp to Port Arthur was undoubtedly a major highlight of their time in high school. Our students got the opportunity to explore the historical sites and joined a memorable Ghost Tour. Students returned tired but very happy with lots of fantastic stories and memories! on behalf of our entire school community, I extend a sincere thank you to staff who gave up their time to make this enriching experience possible.
Academically, we continue to be impressed by the learning progress of our students. Our recent DIBELS data shows significant improvement in literacy outcomes across the school. These results are a reflection not only of the hard work happening in our classrooms but also of the compressive support structures we have in place to ensure all learners are supported to reach their full potential.
Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome families to our Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews on Wednesday 25 June. These conversations are a vital part of our partnership with families, and we encourage all parents and carers to attend. In addition, please join us at our upcoming School Association Meeting on Monday 16 June, our High School HASS Showcase at the Dover Sailing Club on Thursday 3 July and our Term 2 Assembly on Thursday 26 July. We look forward to celebrating our students' achievements with you.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school community for the ongoing support of our school uniform policy. It is fantastic to see our students wearing full school uniform, upholding our school value of connection. If any families are having difficulty obtaining a uniform, please don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance.
Lastly, we extend our sincere thanks to our EFA Kylie and School Association members Liv and Gemma, for their tireless work running our Breakfast Club and Free Lunch Program. These meals are not only nutritious and delicious but are eagerly anticipated by students across all grades. We would also like to thank Food Matters and IGA Geeveston for their generous contributions to our daily snack platters.
It continues to be a real privilege to get to know more families and members of our wonderful community. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and celebrating another successful term together and as always, please do not hesitate to contact the school or myself if you have any enquiries or concerns.
Warm regards
Sam Jesney - Principal
Grade 3 / 4 afternoon sessions
Afternoon sessions in the 3 / 4 class can be lots of fun and include board games, Scrabble with Mrs Coulson, arts and crafts, dancing and technology.
Fun in Grade 3/4
Children's University
Children's University lunch clubs are fun! Members, please don't forget to give your hours to Mrs Stocker.
Children's University Activities
ANZAC Day Ceremony
We had 11 students proudly represent the school at this year's ANZAC Day Service.
Jordan J, Jayda Z, Tyler M, Shawn M, Eleanor F, and Precious R who read the ANZAC Day Poem, 'On this Hallowed Day'. Kobi W, Jacob D, Cody H. Jordan and Shawn carried the flags. Kaylah D, Marley P, Precious and Jayda laid the wreaths. A display of children's work at the RSL Club received many compliments.
ANZAC Day
Whole School Cross Country
Cross Country Fun
The sun was out and the frost had been kicked off the top of the course for the annual Dover District School cross country early in the term. All year levels were p[repped and raring to go, with a good number of parents and spectators eagerly awaiting the blast of the loudspeaker that would set the students off on their first lap. After 45 minutes of running, it was Shawn Morrisby in Yr 10 and Jaxon Jones in Yr 5 who managed the most amount of laps. However, it was a great effort by all, with students as young as Kinder managing a few laps around the track. Those students who did exceptionally well were selected for the interschools cross country where they could test themselves against surrounding schools.
Our representatives at the Huon and Channel, Interhigh and State Cross Country events were as follows:
Huon and Channel - Year 3 Boys - Orion Caban and Max Vallance, Year 3 Girls - Alannah Duncombe, Year 4 Boys - Ruarigh Foale and Loukas Tzimas Year 5 Boys -Jaxon Jones and Jacob Dillon, Year 5 Girls - Marley Pratt, Year 6 Boys - Tyler Morrisby, Year 6 Girls - Jamelah Jurgens,
Interhigh Cross Country - Yr 7 Boys -Dustin Pratt and Frank Ng, Yr 7 Girls - Precious Repana, Dakoda Hill and Izzy Ford, Yr 8 Boys - Campbell Stubbs and Zayn Newton, Yr 9 Boys - Memphis Caban, Yr 10 Boys - Shawn Morrisby and Euan Leitch.
State Cross Country - Yr 5 Boys - Jaxon Jones and Jacob Dillon
Huon and Channel Cross Country
Students who managed some stella performances during the school cross country were then selected for the Huon and Channel cross country team, where Yrs 3 - 6 students were able to test themselves against students from other schools in the surrounding area. The event was held at the Huonville running track and, much the same as our school's event, the sun was shining providing optimal running conditions for students. All in all, Dover students represented the school exceptionally well, pushing themselves to their limits.
Special congratulations go to Jaxon Jones and Jacob Dillon who put their hands up to represent the school at the State Cross Country Championships which will take place in Symmons Plains. Great job boys and great job to everyone who participated in the Huon and Channel event.
Our Huon and Channel Superstars
Interhigh Cross Country
Eager and competent students from the high school were selected to represent Dover District School at the annual Interhigh Cross Country event held at Rosny Golf Course on 23 April. Despite a small contingent, all students put in stella efforts and pushed themselves to their limits to put on a good show as they made their way around a challenging 4km course. With some big Hobart schools as competition, Dover students did their school and their community proud on and off the running track. Well done team.
Congratulations to our amazing Chess Team
On Monday 2nd June, the Dover District School Chess Team competed in the Interschool Chess Tournament hosted by Huonville Primary School.
Our team consisted of the following members:
Jobe B, Alex T, Ned E, Jaxon J, Max V, Milla B, Ruarigh F and Liam R.
7 Schools took part in the event. Each student played 7 rounds. It was amazing to watch the students interacting with a different player each round, and to remain engaged and focused throughout the day.
Our team did exceptionally well to achieve 3rd Place overall. Every student was awarded a certificate, and our top four players were awarded medals.
Mandy Yorke
Bush Play Program - Kinder and Prep / 1
Kinder and Prep/1 have been busy this term participating in bush play. The last few weeks we have been looking for birds in our backyard and finding them in bird books, creating dream catchers, building cubbies, and learning to balance on a rope bridge. The cold weather won't stop this group from having fun!
Bush Play Fun
Creative Writing in Grade 1 / 2
Year 1/2 students are having a blast with creative writing sessions led by Miss Gordon and Mr. O'Connor! Following the InitiaLit program, each week brings a new focus, whether it's using adjectives and verbs, crafting stories with a beginning, problem, and resolution, or mastering the elements of a Super Sentence. To spark their creativity, they do a lucky dip of three hilarious photos from a website called Pobble (you can try this at home too!). The students then dive into their imaginative worlds and get creative. 📚✨
Our Creative Writing Skills
National Simultaneous Storytime
This year Dover District School was one of the 16, 632 locations for this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime, held on the 21st May, and our students helped make up the total of 2,202,658 participants for the 25th anniversary of the annual event.
Held by the Australian Library and Information Association, this year’s featured book was “The Truck Cat” by Deborah Fenkel. A beautiful story based on the themes of immigration and loneliness, the book was read by the author who was watched by young students all over Australia and beyond. Our students very much enjoyed the story and were blown away that they were only a small number of the total children who were watching at the same time.
We very much look forward to the event next year. Meanwhile, “The Truck Cat” is available to borrow from the library.
Years 7 - 9 Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Excursion
Our recent excursion to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) was an educational tour into the heart of Tasmania's rich cultural heritage. Students were introduced to the enduring traditions of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people through a wonderful collection of exhibits and storytelling.
Guided by the well-informed TMAG guides, we explored the living culture, history and resilience of the Palawa people, gaining a deeper understanding of their connection to land, community and identity.
We also admired the incredible artwork of Rex Greeno. The students were fascinated with the skill of the artist to bring to life the tall ships and spent time admiring the works.
One of the most fascinating activities of the day was the interactive Island to Ice exhibition, now a permanent feature of TMAG, and the students experienced the ice display with great enthusiasm.
It was a day of learning, reflection and inspiration.
Art Gallery and Museum
High School UTAS Excursion
On Monday, 19th May, Grades 7 to 10 visited the University of Tasmania to see the Classics Museum and the Morris Miller Library. Ms Harrison, Ms Lock, Mrs Bloomfield and Ms Price accompanied the students, along with Karen B, Eleanor and Jess as the teacher assistants. The day was lovely and sunny for an excursion, which saw the students learning how to write their names in hieroglyphics at the Classics Museum and enjoying a special visit to the Restricted section of the Morris Miller library.
To finish off the visit to Utas, the students were broken into four groups to undertake a scavenger hunt around the Uni. The hunt literally took us all over the campus, even to places that teachers and teacher assistants had never been, even though some had studied there! The winning group was “Mad Cow Disease”, led by Ms Lock.
To round out the excursion, the group stopped at the Heritage Park in Geeveston for hot chips and a rather lively time on the play equipment before heading back to school at the end of day.
A Day at UTAS
Years 9 and 10 School Camp to Port Arthur Historical Site
Our Grades 9 and 10 students had an unforgettable school camp last week.
From scenic hikes to Port Arthur to getting up close with local wildlife, every day was packed with adventure. Wednesday took a historical twist as we explored the Port Arthur Historic Site. We even braved the ghost tour after dark!
Evenings were just as exciting, with each cabin teaming up to cook delicious woodfired pizzas and hearty pastas. Games, shenanigans and plenty of laughs made this a camp to remember!
Port Arthur by Day and Night
Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews
Our parent, teacher and student interviews will be on Wednesday, 25 June, commencing at 3:30pm and finishing at 6:00pm.
The interviews will be held in the hall for Kinder to Year 6 and in the 11/12 block for all high school students.
A letter has been sent home with more information. If you did not receive a letter, please let the office know and we will send one out to you.
Mid-Year Student Reports
A reminder to families that mid-year reports will be distributed at the Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews in Week 9 this term.
The parent/teacher interviews are a great opportunity to discuss how your child is progressing with their learning. for more information regarding these, please see the information notice above.
There will be no teacher comments in the reports. The report will show your child's learning achievement on a 9-point visual scale for students in Years 1 to 10 (and for Prep students at the end of the year).
The 9-point scale shows where your child's learning achievement is against the expected standard for their year level.
For more information about reports, please use the links below.
Bendigo Bank Grant.
We are extremely grateful to the Bendigo Bank for awarding us a grant for $500 to go towards the Huon Valley Schools Breakfast Club Program.
It is with wonderful donations and grants such as this that help our school to provide nutritious meals to our students.