Welcome to Term Three – Principal’s Message

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term Three.

I’m pleased to share with our community that I was the successful applicant for the permanent Principal position at Sheffield School. I feel incredibly privileged to continue leading this wonderful school, working alongside dedicated staff, engaged students, and supportive families. It’s hard to believe I’ve already been part of the Sheffield School community for nearly twelve months, and I’m excited to keep building on the journey we’ve started together.

Attendance Matters

As we settle into Term Three, we continue to focus on the importance of regular attendance and living our school values. Consistent attendance is one of the most significant contributors to student success. When students are at school regularly, they build strong relationships, stay connected to their learning, and develop routines that support long-term achievement.

Currently, our school-wide attendance rate sits at 83.1%, and we are working closely with families to improve this. Missing just one day a fortnight adds up to four full weeks of learning lost over a year. We understand that illness and other circumstances can sometimes prevent attendance, and we encourage families to reach out if there are any challenges we can support you with. Our School Association representatives are also available if you’d like to connect with someone.

Living Our Values

At Sheffield School, our values—Respect, Responsibility, Connection, Growth, and Courage—guide everything we do. Over recent terms, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on Connection, recognising that when students feel a sense of belonging and genuine relationships within the school community, outcomes in attendance, behaviour, and learning improve.

This term, we’re turning our focus to Respect—what it means, how it looks, and why it matters. Staff are exploring this value with students, and we encourage families to continue these conversations at home. Values are most powerful when they’re taught and practised across different environments.

To support this, we’ve reintroduced our postcards in the senior school. These will be mailed home to recognise students who demonstrate behaviours aligned with our values. In the primary school, students continue to receive golden stickers and participate in the Principal’s Afternoon Tea as part of our positive behaviour recognition.

NAPLAN Success

Individual NAPLAN results will be sent home shortly. NAPLAN provides a snapshot of how students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 are progressing in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. It helps schools, teachers, and families identify strengths and areas for support.

We have much to celebrate this year! Tasmania’s Year 5 students showed the highest reading growth in the nation, and second-highest numeracy growth, just behind Victoria.  These results reflect the hard work of our students and staff, and we’re proud to share more of Sheffield School’s highlights in this newsletter.

 Term Three Highlights

This term is packed with exciting opportunities for our students, including:

• Book Week & Dress-Up Day
• Cattle Handling Preparation Program
• Year 10 Apprenticeship Talk
• Girls’ Footy Gala Day
• Sports Exchange with Mountain Heights
• Badminton Gala Day
• Year 5/6 Sports Expo
• Year 9/10 Excursion to RHS to hear from Tasmanian of the Year recipients
• ADF Careers Session
• Work Exposure at Freer Farm
• Year 5/6 Camp to Hobart

We’re fortunate to offer such a rich variety of experiences that support our students’ growth both inside and outside the classroom.

In the Classroom

One of the joys of my role is visiting classrooms and seeing learning in action. Just yesterday, I popped into a Year 1/2 class and was delighted to see students engaged in a reading lesson, tracking text with their fingers and participating in echo reading with enthusiasm. In another class, students were exploring suffixes and confidently sharing their ideas. These moments remind me of the joy and curiosity that fill our school every day.

Staffing Update

We wish Miss Olivia Stolp all the best as she begins her maternity leave. We look forward to hearing about her new chapter and send warm wishes to her and her partner.

Big Thanks

Thank you to The Hub for their generous donation towards our Year 5-6 camp.  We truly appreciate their support.

As Term Three is often a time when winter illnesses circulate, please take care, stay warm, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support.

Wendy Leonard
Principal – Sheffield School