Principal’s Message

As we near the end of winter, it’s lovely to see signs of spring emerging. The days are getting longer, and we’re hopeful that some warmer weather is just around the corner. With the unpredictable weather we’ve experienced recently, we’ve had a number of students and staff away due to illness. If your child has been absent, please remember to notify the school via text, email, or phone call so we can keep our records accurate and up to date.

At Sheffield School, we continue to place a strong focus on improving attendance and fostering a sense of belonging. Every day at school matters. The more your child attends, the greater their opportunities to learn, build friendships, and support their overall wellbeing. Every day counts!

Last week we celebrated Book Week, and Friday’s annual dress-up day was a highlight! It was fantastic to see so many students dressed as their favourite book characters, and equally wonderful to see staff joining in the fun. The creativity and enthusiasm on display created a vibrant and joyful atmosphere across the school.

Reading is a cornerstone of learning at Sheffield School. It fuels imagination, builds empathy, and strengthens critical thinking. Events like Book Week help us celebrate the joy of reading and reinforce its importance in every student’s educational journey. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the week so special.

Over the past few weeks, our students have had some exciting learning opportunities beyond the classroom. In partnership with the Beacon Foundation, students visited the TasTAFE Freer Farm Training Facility in Burnie, gaining valuable insight into further education and careers in the agricultural industry. Senior students also attended an inspiring event at Reece High School, where they heard from two speakers as part of the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards – Tasmanian Tour of Honour: Sam Elsom, Founder of Sea Forest and 2025 TAS Australian of the Year, and Keren Franks, Founder of Young Leaders of Tasmania and 2025 TAS Local Hero. Both presentations were informative and inspiring for students and staff alike.

We also hosted a Year 10 Apprenticeship Talk and an ADF Careers Session, providing students with valuable information about future pathways as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Next week, our Year 5 and 6 students will head off on camp to Hobart, where they’ll explore significant sites such as the Female Factory, Parliament House, and Port Arthur. A great deal of planning has gone into this excursion, and I’d like to thank all staff involved in the organisation and those attending. We hope it’s a memorable and enriching experience for everyone.

Lastly, a reminder about school uniform: we appreciate the support of parents and carers in ensuring students wear appropriate footwear. Shoes should be enclosed and supportive—crocs and slippers are not suitable for school. If your child needs assistance with any uniform items, please don’t hesitate to speak with one of our senior staff so we can help.

Enjoy the final four weeks of Term Three!

Warm regards

Wendy Leonard
Principal

Golden Tickets

Early Childhood - Bucket Fillers

Aussie of the Month - July

Aussie of the Month - August

Achievement Certificates - Book Week Assembly

Railton K-4

Sheffield K-6

Sheffield 7-13

Class	Name	Certificate
7/8A	Sophie	outstanding achievement in numeracy
7/8A	Mia	outstanding achievement in literacy
7/8B	Emily	outstanding achievement in literacy and numeracy
9/10A	Clint	outstanding achievement in numeracy
9/10A	Nether	outstanding achievement in literacy
9/10B	Abigail	outstanding achievement in numeracy
9/10B	Sapphire	outstanding achievement in literacy
9/10C	Imogen	outstanding achievement in literacy and numeracy
11/13	Zeke	outstanding achievement in numeracy
11/13	Stirling	outstanding achievement in literacy

Mountain Heights Sports Exchange

Football

Sheffield School hosted Mountain Heights in the annual Roland – Owen country cup sports exchange on Thursday 14 August.  Teams competed in football, netball and chess in the 10^th edition of this competition.

The secondary boys played football at the Recreation ground and after a very competitive affair narrowly lost to Mountain Heights.  The final scores being Mountain Heights 9 goals 8 points 62 to Sheffield School 8 goals 9 points 57 an close margin of 5 points.  Jack, Cooper, Jett and Xavier proved to be best for the home team.

The game was a tough affair with plenty of hard knocks and solid tackles yet was played in good spirits and exemplified the comradery we share with the Mountain Heights School.

Netball

While the boys were down at the rec, us girls played some netball. There were two teams entered: Years 7/8 and Years 9/10, but we also had some Year 6 students join in. Scarlett, Charlotte, Quinn and Amelia played with the 7/8 team and did exceptionally well.

Everyone was pumped and eager to begin the tough game ahead. Despite Mountain Heights having a very tall team, the 7/8 girls powered through. Hailey and Tamzin kept popping in goals one after another, backed by strong defence throughout all four quarters. Chloe showed awesome leadership and made phenomenal intercepts, while Tamzin racked up the goals, earning her the MVP for the 7/8s.

9/10 girls

Many of the players were new to netball but showed incredible effort in their first game. Lily and Marli helped run the warm-ups alongside Mrs Eastley, and we were all keen to get started. In the first quarter, Sophie and I were scoring goals, with Lily bringing the ball speedily down the court, giving us a slight lead over Mountain Heights.

We started the second quarter strong with some position changes. Izzy scored several goals, and Imogen did an excellent job moving the ball down the court, helping us build a solid lead. In the final quarter, even though everyone was tired, we pushed through to the end, finishing with an amazing score.

Hailey stepped up in defence, and Lily’s speed and agility made her a standout player. Both were named MVPs for the 9/10s.

Mountain Heights was a great team to play against—kind, fair, and full of compliments. They also provided an excellent umpire. A big thank you to our umpires, Mrs Eastley and Chloe, for giving us a fair game, and to Miss Baldock for organising the day and making it fun for everyone.

Ruby - Year 9

News from 1-2B

1/2B completed their text-based unit on 'The Koala Who Could' by Rachel Bright.

'Most Meritorious Capture' Award - Ollie in Year 4

This award was for catching a sword fish weighing 48.1 kgs on 37 kilo line. This was caught at Eaglehawk Neck 33 kms off shore, 520 meters deep.  A brick was used to get the bait to the bottom.  It took 35 minutes to wind in.  This fish is now pending Tasmanian, Australian and International Game Fishing Association, World Record.

Well done, Ollie!

Young Tassie Scientists

On Thursday 21 August, 5/6A and 5/6B were visited by the Young Tassie Scientists who gave three presentations about different scientific concepts.

The three scientists that came were: Atilda Mohd (Immunologist), Rhiannon Terry (Natural Product Bio Prospector), and Samuel Hansen (Astrophysicist). Samuel’s presentation was a favourite, as he showed the properties of magnetism, and even made his own thunder and lightning! We are thankful that we had access to this amazing program, we hope to see them again next year.

StoryBox Hub

We are delighted to announce that Australia's most celebrated education resource is now available to your child at home as part of our school subscription - StoryBox.

A digital library designed to help inspire reading in kids of all ages, your child can now watch their favourite stories, read aloud by fun storytellers at home as well as in the classroom.  

Happy story sharing!

Secondary Postcards

Attention Secondary Parents/Carers! 

Please keep an eye on your mailbox for Postcards for students who go above and beyond at demonstrating our values of Connection, Courage, Growth, Respect and Responsibility.  Each student who is recognised for this, will go into the draw for a prize at the end of each term.

Railton's canteen day is Wednesday.

Please make sure your orders are in by 9:30am.  You can either order on the QKR app or at the office.

Order (and pay) for school lunches for up to two weeks in advance from your Smart device.      QKR Set Up Instructions

When logging on to QKR for the 1st time each year you will be asked to enter your child's year level and home group.  It is important that you add both of these details and not just home group.

Edsmart (DECYP Communication Platform)

Sheffield School is switching to using digital communications through EdSmart.

EdSmart is a secure online platform used by schools across Australia. DECYP schools, including Sheffield, are currently using it for Broadcast messages and student absence notifications.

We have switched to Edsmart to make communicating with parents/carers easier and timelier. We currently use Edsmart to send digital broadcasts and student absence notifications and in the near future this will include excursion consent forms, major excursion forms and hopefully by next year, validation forms.

When you reply to the absence notification, EdSmart will automatically update your child's absence record. This will save time and lesson the need for as many follow up phone calls or letters for unexplained absences. When notifying us of your child's absence, please ensure you select the correct dates.  

 How it works:

• For a Broadcast message, you will receive an SMS message 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.

 Why are we switching?

• It makes it easier for families to receive and respond to forms.
• It helps reduce the number of paper forms we need to send home.
• EdSmart helps reduce the time and effort required by staff to manage communications.

 What else do I need to know?

• Communication from EdSmart can only be sent to the primary parent/carer contact at this stage.
• If you are not the primary contact but would like to receive a copy of a form or provide consent individually, please contact the school office.
• If you would prefer a paper form, please contact the school office.
• If you need to update your mobile phone number or email address, please contact the school office.

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

Every School Day Matters

Every day counts, as regular attendance helps students to:

• develop a sense of belonging
• develop and maintain friendships
• be more engaged at school
• progress with their learning
• be more aware of career and life options.

Supporting positive school attendance is a shared responsibility - everyone has a role.

Parents and carers can help foster positive attendance habits by:

• helping their child learn the importance of punctuality and routine
• ensuring their child arrives on time from the start of the school day, ready to participate in learning
• reducing disruption to learning where possible, by planning any necessary appointments outside of school time
• promptly communicating any absence to the school (within 7 days of the first day of any absence)
• working with the school to encourage and support regular attendance.

Healthy Lunchboxes for Happy Learners

Creating a nutritious lunchbox helps children stay focused, energised, and ready to learn.  A balanced lunch should include foods from the five core food gorups:  fruits, vegatables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy.  A great example is a wholegrain sandwhcih with lean meat or cheese, carrot sticks, a piece of fruit and yoghurt.  Water is the best drink - skip sugary juices and soft drinks.

Healthy lunch boxes support physical growth and mental wellbeing.  Schools encourage "green" choices - food low in sugar, salt and saturated fats.  Involing children in lunch prep can make them more excited to eat well.  Try planning lunches together on weekends and using reusable containers to reduce wast.

Let's work together to build lifelong healthy habits - one lunch box at a time!

Youth, Family and Community Connections (YFCC)

Youth, Family and Community Connections (YFCC) is currently seeking nominations for the 2025 Inspiring Youth Awards, an annual event that celebrates exceptional young people aged 13–18 from the North West Coast of Tasmania who make a real difference in their communities—often without recognition.