22 October 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 and carers,
Welcome to Term 4! It was fabulous to see our students re-engage with learning last week after what we hope was an enjoyable holiday break. The year however is far from over with lots of important learning still to come. Reading remains our absolute focus with a specific focus on cementing the repeated reading technique as a key driver to improving reading outcomes. It has been rewarding to see the power of the repeated reading technique with positive monitoring data demonstrating increased achievement and growth across the school.
Heritage Day
Heritage Day has been rescheduled for next Tuesday - 28 October. Hopefully we will have blue skies and little wind! Heritage Day is etched into the Sorell School tradition. The day encompasses the unparalleled resource of the Pioneer Village, and the History and Social Sciences curriculum that our students engage with. The day allows our students an opportunity to be transported back in time, immersed in the sights, sounds and stories of the past.
We hope to see lots of families next Tuesday.
Swimming carnival
Congratulations to our Year 3–6 students on a highly successful intraschool carnival last week. It was wonderful to see our students having a go, cheering each other on, and showing great determination and pride in their efforts. A big thank you to Ryan Mills on his organisation and leadership of the carnival.
JumpStart Program
Students enrolled in Year 10 will be participating in a two day program to support transition into Year 11. Our students have a plethora of pathways available as they finalise transition plans and start to refine their choices for Year 11 courses. Sorell is a member of the teggana regional partnership supporting multiple TASC and VET subjects across eight sites: Sorell, Rosny College, Bayview, Rose Bay, Clarence High, Campania, Triabunna and Tasman District. Please keep an eye out for important information coming out to parents regarding this transition program.
Kelly Dyer
Principal
https://www.facebook.com/SorellSchool
Email: sorell.school@decyp.tas.gov.au
Phone: (03) 6269 1100
ECE Campus
As our Year 2 students prepare to transition to Year 3, they have been taking part in a range of activities designed to build confidence, connection, and curiosity. One highlight at the end of Term 2 was a collaborative scavenger hunt across the 3-6 campus, where pairs of Year 2 students teamed up with Year 3 buddies to explore, problem-solve, and have fun together. The competition was close, but the winning team celebrated with an icy pole treat.
Another memorable experience this term was our Multicultural Cuisine Experience, in 1/2 Gowing, inspired by the children’s storybook The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name. This special event gave students the opportunity to explore diverse cultural traditions through food. Thanks to the generosity of our wonderful parent community, students sampled dishes such as ada, a South Indian treat made with rice flour and ghee dough filled with coconut, jaggery, and cardamon, wrapped in banana leaves, tanghula a sweet Chinese dessert, and spanakopita, a Greek pastry filled with spinach and feta.
Students embraced the chance to try new flavours, with many agreeing that the food was “very delicious”. Following the experience, they wrote recounts, some of which are shared below.
Last week, Prep Forbes class held a very special surprise celebration for Miss Forbes in honour of her upcoming wedding. Remarkably, the children managed to keep the surprise a secret right up until the big moment! We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our parent community for their generosity and support in helping make this celebration such a memorable success. A very special thank you to Mrs Lockhart for leading this celebration.
Just a couple of reminders to finish with -
- Hats - with UV levels reaching 5 during the school day, all students are required to wear hats when playing outdoors. While spare hats are available, please ensure your child brings and remembers their own hat each day.
- Sunscreen - teachers will continue to encourage students to apply sunscreen. If your child requires a particular type of sunscreen, they are welcome to bring it from home.
- Assembly Day Change - please note that our assemblies have moved from Fridays to Wednesdays at 12:50pm in the GP Room, allowing our Kinder students to attend.
Teresa Spinks
K-2 Assistant Principal
Year 3–6 Campus
Students have returned refreshed from their holiday break and are adjusting quickly to their learning routines in their classes. We have had a busy start to Term 4 with the school swimming carnival being run last Thursday. There was improved participation in the carnival this year and it was pleasing to see students being courageous, having a go and trying their best in swimming races and novelty events. A team of students will be selected from this carnival to represent Sorell School at the upcoming interschool swimming carnival. Congratulations to Hart, who were our winning house for this year’s swimming carnival. A big thank you to Mr Mills for organising a successful carnival.
A reminder that on Tuesday 28 October, all students in Years 3-6 will participate in Heritage Day at the school’s Pioneer Village, including the running of the prestigious Pioneer Cup. All parents and carers are invited to attend and participate in the festivities of this day. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
Trent Sproule
3-6 Assistant Principal
Year 7–8 Campus
There have been many things happening in the Year 7 & 8 space since the beginning of Term.
The Year 7's are preparing for visits to the Sustainability Centre and Year 7 Camp. Some students have also been participating in lessons in our Salon area. This has been a great way for the students to see what some of our specialist areas look like prior to selecting subjects in Year 9 & 10.
This term, our Year 8 students have been putting their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test by designing earthquake-resistant buildings. With a strict budget of $60—where each piece of pasta costs $3 and each piece of plasticine costs $10—students have had to think like real engineers, balancing strength, stability, and cost-effectiveness.
To inspire their designs, students have been researching real-world earthquake-resistant techniques, such as base isolation, cross-bracing, and tuned mass dampers. They are learning how these innovations keep skyscrapers and homes safe during seismic events—and applying those ideas to their own models. It has been amazing to see the blend of science, maths, and creativity in action. We cannot wait to test their structures and see which designs stand strong when the “earthquake” hits.
As the weather warms up, we have been reminding students and families that school uniform is required. Uniform can be purchased from School Locker.
Cayd McGuire & Tom Burford
7 & 8 AST's
Year 9-10 Campus
Our Year 9 students are getting ready for an exciting outdoor adventure next term.
From Wednesday 5 November to Friday 7 November, students will head to Spring Beach Youth Camp in Orford for a 2-night, 3-day camp filled with fun, teamwork, and new challenges.
Camp activities will include the commando course, low ropes, orienteering, photo hunt, team initiatives, and lifeguard-supervised beach activities. Students will also get to enjoy the Flying Fox.
All meals will be fully catered, and students will stay in comfortable dorm-style accommodation.
This experience gives students the chance to build friendships, develop confidence, and create lasting memories in a supportive and safe environment.
Year 9 parents/carers, if you have not sent back the forms yet, please do so ASAP and contact admin if you have any questions or concerns and they will get Senior Staff to call you back.
We have partnered with The Beacon Foundation to help delivering hands-on, engaging Work-based Learning (WbL) experiences for students in Years 9–12. This week The Beacon Foundation ran a panel with a variety of industry representatives who came to talk about careers and life with interested students.
We would like to thank the following people for volunteering their time to come chat with our students.
- Darryn Perry - Apprenticeship support DECYP
- Jodie Hayes - Lady Gowrie
- Gerri Cooper - Southern Cross Care
- Jai McWells - Multicap
- Kym Self - The District Nurses
- Marisa Bain - Tas Tafe Beauty
Our Year 9/10 Tourism class was once again out experiencing the amazing tourism opportunities Tasmania offers This time they spent a day exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Tasman Peninsula. They immersed themselves in the region’s rich natural heritage and amazing coastal views.
Jamie Harwood
9-10 Assistant Principal
Years 7-10 Athletics Carnival - 29/10/2025
Year 11–12 Campus
Year 11/12 students are quickly approaching the end of their school year with only 2 weeks to go. They are quickly finishing units for their VET subjects and getting their final assignments in. In celebration of this time of year, all of our students are invited to a lunch on 6 November provided by the staff at school. A letter will be sent home soon clarifying details as well as information about the end of the year program.
Given the time, many of our students are getting their last bits of work experience and understanding in. Our Sustainable Energy class is heading to Tarraleah to see the Hydro equipment there and our Electrotech class is heading to Repulse Power Station to see an example of a small hydroelectric dam. Both classes are going to learn more about how a career in electrotechnology can get them anywhere in Tasmania.
Our Animal Care class is also in the middle of their busiest time of the year as they prepare to show animals at the Royal Hobart Show. They have always been a hit amongst the patrons and I am sure this year will be no different. Good luck to Lynn and the class and we cannot wait to hear all the stories from the day.
Brody Walker
11-12 Acting Assistant Principal
Term 4 Important Dates
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