5 June 2025

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

I acknowledge, with deep respect, the traditional custodians of this land, the mumirimina people and pay my respects to Elders past and present, to the Aboriginal people with us today and to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community who continue to care for Country.  I stand for a future that profoundly respects and acknowledges Aboriginal perspectives, culture, language and history.

Our School Values

Our Commitment:  In partnership with community, we provide a welcoming school of choice that inspires and supports all learners to succeed as connected, creative and curious thinkers.

Dear families,

On Monday 26 May, the redevelopment was officially opened by The Honourable Jeremy Rockliff MP Premier of Tasmania and The Honourable Jo Palmer MP Minister for Education. I would like to congratulate the Student Leaders who presented. They spoke amazingly well. Congratulations to Tilly, Ruby, Morgan, Estelle, Ashlee, Freya, Matilda, Poppy-Rose, Baxter and Noah.  We are very proud of you. We look forward to sharing the redevelopment with our extended school community through other school events during the remainder of the year.

We collected student, staff and family voice about the redevelopment. Here is a snapshot of what they think:

From students in the Early Years 

Some of our favourite things about the new school are:  

New classrooms, the playground, the hallways, the wooden playground near the Year 3-6 building, swings, the outside eating area, the open paddock area. 

We like the new buildings because:  

When we come in, everything is new and fresh, there’s plenty of room and space to learn, the new playground is bigger. 

The new school makes me feel:  

Happy, excited, ready to learn, comfortable.

From students in Years 3 to 6 

Some of our favourite things about the new school are:  

The new playground, slides and swings, lots of grassed areas to play in, the circles in the ceiling, mina nina krakani, more space, new furniture, new classrooms, looks a lot better than the old rooms.

We like the new buildings because:  

The toilets are connected to the building, more space in the classrooms and hub areas, easier to move around, Years 3-6 all close together, they look nicer, more play areas outside.

The new school makes me feel:  

Good, energetic, relaxed and open.

From students in Years 7 to 12 

Some of our favourite things about the new school are:  

The bigger canteen which offers more space and options, the umbrellas that provide shade, the basketball court, the playgrounds are fun, I like that the toilets are closer to my classrooms, the classrooms are colourful.

We like the new buildings because:  

Our learning spaces are light and bright, they are big, and they are undamaged. 

The new school makes me feel:  

Proud, happy, calm. It’s a space where we feel motivated, supported, and excited for the future! 

From Families: 

The kids absolutely love the new playground and sports area outside the Years 3-6 classrooms. 

I was a past student of Sorell, the thing I like best is that the classrooms are light and bright. They used to be so dark. 

It feels welcoming and the events in the central eating building are so enjoyable. 

My child in Year 1 loves all the outdoor play areas. He is spoilt for choice.

I really like how all the classrooms for a grade are in the same part of a building and getting their own toilets is such a bonus. 

From Staff: 

Sitting outside at the umbrellas eating lunch with students in the warmer months is one of the favourite parts of my day. 

The technology in every room is modern and working.

I’m excited to be using the hub spaces for learning. 

The lighting in classrooms is so much brighter and more welcoming than before the redevelopment. 

The playgrounds are a hit with the students.

I like having a staff office and kitchenette within the building I teach in. 

We are so incredibly lucky to have such modern, functional, welcoming spaces for our students to thrive in.

Lauren Clements
Acting Principal

https://www.facebook.com/SorellSchool
Email: sorell.school@decyp.tas.gov.au
Phone: (03) 6269 1100

ECE Campus

We were thrilled to welcome so many families to our recent Prep Reading Information Session, held after school in our ‘Hive’ (intervention and digital technologies space). It was fantastic to see such strong support from our school community. These sessions are a valuable opportunity to share important information about what to expect in the Prep year and how families can support early reading development at home. Thank you to everyone who attended - your involvement plays a huge part in supporting successful transitions and building confident, capable readers.

Our current Community lesson focus is on bike safety. Students have been learning about the importance of wearing helmets, being visible on the road or footpaths, and practising safe riding habits. These conversations are an important part of helping our young learners stay safe and build independence in their local communities.

We would also like to take a moment to recognise and thank the amazing volunteers who contribute their time and energy to our Early Years Campus. A special shout out to the Friday afternoon clean-up crew and our parent helper who comes in each Friday afternoon to support students to weed the gardens, sweep paths, and other tasks to help keep our grounds and building looking well maintained.

Teresa Spinks
K-2 Assistant Principal

Meet the ECE teaching team

Name: Wayne Gaffney

Role: I am a teacher assistant, currently working in Georgia's 1/2 class.

How long have you been at Sorell School? I have been with Sorell school for 7 years.

Tell us something about yourself: I have previously been a bank officer, motorsports facility manager, administration manager, law clerk and a stay at home parent for 12 years.

YEARS 3 – 6 CAMPUS

Currently students from Years 3-5 are enjoying the second week of the Swim and Water Safety Program undertaken at Oceana Health and Fitness.

This program runs for two weeks each year for all Year 3, 4 and 5 students in Tasmanian Government Schools.

This three-year program consists of ten consecutive lessons each year. It supports our students to become competent swimmers and be water safe.

The program has a strong emphasis on:

• water safety, including boat safety
• using personal floatation devices
• survival swimming
• reach to rescue
• entering aquatic environments safely
• efficient stroke development
• building swimming stamina.

These skills build the foundation for safe participation in aquatic activities.

Trent Sproule and Jamie Harwood
3-6 Assistant Principals

YEARS 7 – 8 CAMPUS

Years 7–8 Campus Update – Week 6

We are now well into Term 2 and it’s fantastic to see students engaged in a wide range of rich learning experiences across our campus. Here's a snapshot of what's happening in our learning spaces.

Flexible Learning in Our New Hub Spaces

We are excited to share that our new hub furniture has arrived, funded through our building resource budget. These modern additions allow for more flexible, student-centred learning environments and beautifully complement our Year 7 and 8 learning hubs. Students and staff have already begun making the most of these adaptable spaces. See the attached photos for a peek into our updated learning areas.

Exploring Word Origins in English

As part of our literacy program, students in Years 7 and 8 are exploring word origins—also known as etymology. This is the study of where words come from, how they have evolved over time, and how they connect across languages.

This learning supports students to:

• Build stronger vocabulary
• Improve spelling by recognising root words and patterns
• Develop deeper comprehension when reading
• Make sense of unfamiliar words in context

For example, learning that “photo” (Greek) means light helps students understand words like photograph and photosynthesis, while “aqua” (Latin) meaning water supports words like aquarium and aquatic.

This knowledge strengthens both reading and writing skills and helps students connect with the history and richness of language.

Hands-On Science Learning

In Year 8 Science, students have been investigating the structure and function of plant and animal cells. To show their understanding, they created detailed 3D models using modelling clay. The results are creative, accurate, and a wonderful demonstration of learning in action. Well done to all our budding biologists.

Mid-Year Reporting and Interviews

Teachers are currently finalising assessments and collecting evidence to determine mid-year academic reports, which will be distributed in Week 8.

Students in Years 7 and 8 will be assessed using the Department’s 9-point scale for:

• English
• HASS
• Mathematics
• Science
• Health and Physical Education

Additionally:

• Application to Learning (Effort, Organisation, Behaviour) will be reported for all subjects including electives.
• Students on Individual Learning Plans will be assessed against their personalised learning goals.

Parent–Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 9 (June 23–27), with a late-night session on Tuesday, June 24. This is a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and learning goals. Keep an eye out for our electronic booking system for families.

Mel Symmons 
7-8 A/Assistant Principal

Meet the Year 7/8 teaching team

Name: Olive Ashmore

Role: Health PE and Outdoor Education 

How long have you been at Sorell School? This is my first year! 

Tell us something about yourself: I have recently moved to Hobart from Launceston where I taught at Queechy Highschool.

YEARS 9-10 CAMPUS

In Year 9, we have continued to focus on being in class on time and prepared for learning. Students have been learning about persuasive devices and writing compound and complex sentences in English. In Science, the focus has been waves - including light, sound and electromagnetic waves. 

Last week in Year 10, staff and students went to see the musical, Newsie’s, which was a fabulous depiction of the newspaper delivery people in the early 1900’s. This was a great first visit to Rosny. Our second transition activity will be the Taster Day which will be held on Tuesday 10 June at Rosny College. During community this week, students have selected the subjects they will trial during the Taster Day next week. This is a great day for students to see what college life is like. Students have just finished their unit of work in Science on the periodic table and they learnt about all of the different groups on the table and why elements behave the way they do. In English, students have been busily studying Shakespeare’s Macbeth and they have been decoding the language and annotating the text. All of this learning will be added into their exams which will be held in Week 10 of this term.  

Bri Millhouse 
9-10 A/Assistant Principal

Sporting Achievements

We have recently competed in the SHSSA inter high cross-country championships held at Rosny golf course.  35 students from Year 7-10 ran fantastically. 

The Year 9-10 boys have also kicked off round 1 of the Reclink Youth Football Leage and sit third on the table. 

YEARS 11 – 12 CAMPUS

Year 11/12 students have been working hard in all of our subjects. Our Animal Care students have been working closely with all of our wonderful farm animals, learning how to examine for faecal worm count and making sure they pass their health checks. Students in the Hospitality class continues to do wonders with the Paddock to Plate program to feed our primary classes every day while learning valuable kitchen skills and our Electro and Construction students are learning key skills to help their future pathways.

It is a busy couple of weeks coming up in the TTC. Our Electrotech class is holding an excursion to the Tas Networks facility in Cambridge to engage with key players in the state energy market on 18 June. Nearly all of our classes are undertaking First Aid training on 25 June to build life skills and hopefully earn another accreditation to put under their belts. We also have year 10 students from other schools coming on 20 June and our own year 10 students coming over on 4 July to see exactly what’s on offer at the TTC.

Brody Walker
11-12 A/Assistant Principal

School Calendar of Events

Year 6 Transition to Year 7 Information Session

Kinder Enrolments for 2026

Please see Admin staff for more information.

School Hoodies

Did you know that the uniform shop is now stocked with more hoodies. Due to the quantity we now have in stock there is no limit of how many you can purchase.