Richmond Primary School Newsletter Wednesday 10th September 2025

Principal's Address

Dear families,

The last few weeks have been very busy at Richmond Primary School.

I had a delightful visit from three kinder students on Wednesday who wanted to share “what they are going to be when they grow up”.

Halle wants to be a hairdresser, Lewie wants to be a cow farmer, and Rosie wants to be a vet. I think you will agree their drawings are just beautiful as are the smiles on their faces.

Celebrating Recycling Success at Richmond Primary School

We are proud to share that Richmond Primary School was selected to take part in Tas Recycles celebration of reaching an incredible milestone - 30 million containers returned through the Recycle Rewards program. Our school was chosen in recognition of the outstanding efforts of our community, who have already raised over $1,000 through the scheme to support our playground redevelopment.

To mark the occasion, our students gathered on the school oval to form a giant ‘30’, symbolising this achievement and our commitment to sustainability.

In addition, the School Association is currently running a friendly class challenge to see which class can collect the most recyclable bottles and cans during the final four weeks of term. It’s a great way to encourage environmental responsibility while supporting our school.

We’d also like to acknowledge our dedicated Environment Group students, who work each week to keep our playground clean and litter-free. They play an important role in promoting care for our school grounds and reporting any concerns to the wider student community during our meet and greet sessions.

Jasper and Kyson lead our Environment Group, Clean Crew and were invited to meet with the Environment Minister Mrs Madeleine Ogilvie at the Tas Recycle Centre in Goodwood to help celebrate the success of the recycling initiative.

Swimming Carnival

On Friday, students from Years 3 to 6 made a splash at the annual Swimming Carnival, held at the Clarence Pool. The atmosphere was electric as students cheered each other on, showing great sportsmanship, determination, and school spirit. Congratulations to Archer who won the event with 1254 points, Thomson were close behind with 1123 points.

Swimming carnivals like this one are more than just fun - they promote physical fitness, confidence, and resilience. Students challenge themselves, support their peers, and celebrate personal bests, all while building lifelong skills in water safety and coordination.

Congratulations to all our swimmers who turned up on the day for their fantastic efforts. We’re proud of every student who gave it their best and made the day such a success!

Kinder Wheels Day: Rolling into Fun and Fitness

There was great excitement on Thursday as the Kinder students at Richmond Primary School held their much-anticipated Kinder Wheels Day. The playground came alive with the buzz of bikes, the whir of scooters, and the joyful laughter of children zooming around with wide smiles and boundless energy.

From tiny trikes, two wheelers and speedy scooters, students showcased a variety of wheels and a wonderful range of skills. Some were just learning to balance, while others zipped confidently around the course. Regardless of experience, every child radiated joy and enthusiasm.

Beyond the fun, Wheels Day offered valuable developmental benefits. Riding bikes and scooters helps children build gross motor skills, improve balance and coordination, and develop spatial awareness. These activities also support cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and encourage healthy habits from an early age.

Importantly, events like Wheels Day foster confidence, independence, and resilience. As children navigate turns, bumps, and new challenges, they learn to persist, adapt, and celebrate their progress.

By the end of the day, Mrs McCreadie had a group of very tired - but very happy students. Their flushed cheeks and proud smiles were a testament to a day filled with movement, learning, and joy.

Maths Relay - Thinking and Teamwork!

Yesterday, students from Years 1 to 6 took part in the Maths Relay, a fast-paced event that combined problem-solving, teamwork, and a whole lot of fun! Class groups worked together to tackle a variety of maths challenges, racing against the clock to solve as many problems as they could.

The relay encouraged students to think critically, communicate effectively, and support one another, skills that are just as important as the maths itself. It was wonderful to see students engaged, focused, and celebrating each other’s efforts.

A huge thank you goes out to Mr Ben Johnston for organising this event, and to our amazing volunteers, whose support made the event run smoothly. Whether helping with scoring, guiding groups, or cheering students on, your contribution was invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Class Placements for 2026 – Parent Input

As we approach the end of term, planning for 2026 class groupings will soon begin.

Class placements are carefully considered by teaching teams, support staff, and leadership. We consider: 

• Each child’s educational, social, emotional, and behavioural needs
• A balanced mix of student abilities
• Gender distribution across year levels
• Age and gender balance in composite classes

Our goal is to create inclusive, well-balanced classes that support all learners and reflect available resources and staffing.

As outlined in our Class Placement Policy (attached), we now invite parent input. If you have relevant information to share, please do so in line with the policy guidelines.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Have Your Say – Family Satisfaction Survey

A quick reminder that the 2025 School Satisfaction Survey is now open and so far, 12 families have completed the survey.

Each year, the Department for Education, Children and Young People invite families to share feedback about their child(ren)’s school—what’s working well and where we can improve. Your input is valuable and helps guide our planning and decision-making at Richmond Primary School.

If you haven’t completed the survey yet, it’s open until Friday 19 September and takes around 5 minutes. We ask that one person per family completes the survey.

Thank you for helping us to grow and improve!

Take the online survey by clicking this Link, or pasting it in your browser: https://nam.dcv.ms/AVFcYqxGEW

The survey is carried out on a secure website and all responses are anonymous and confidential.

All families in this school received the same survey link and no identifying information is collected. A summary of the survey results will be provided to schools. Responses from individuals or small groups will NOT be disclosed to any Department for Education, Children and Young People staff.

Please contact your school if you require any assistance.

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this survey.

Regards, 

Clare McVilly

Term 3 Dates for your Calendars

5/6A Excursion to Festival of Bright Ideas

On the 2^nd of August both 5/6A and 5/6B went on an excursion to the Festival of Bright Ideas, as part of National Science Week. The Festival of Bright Ideas involved over 30 local STEM organisations that showcased the innovation of technology and research happening in Tasmania.

We got to be involved in the action by exploring the different workshops. We explored areas of science such as geology, botany, physics, marine sciences, and environmental sciences, just to name a few!

Some key highlights that our class really enjoyed were:

Planting a daisy and fingerprinting with Tas Police – Scarlett
Using the robot cars – Xav L
Exploring the gemstones – Audrey
Making electricity with CDs that looked like lighting – Ollie
Making a structure to support a cup – MJ
Exploring sea urchins and dressing them up – Georgie
Matching skulls to their animal – Emily
Experiencing what it is like to be an archaeologist – Jordyn
Flying the drone – Cooper
Using sand to explore different terrains – Humphrey
Exploring different plants and looming under the microscope – Scotty
Exploring animals and sea life and how they are affected by pests – Mackenzie
Doing Hobart Hurricane training exercises – Henry

Thank you, Mr Purtell, of organising the day, we had a lot of fun!

Swimming Carnival Report

Swimming Carnival Wrap-Up

We had a wonderful Swimming Carnival last week, held at the Clarence Pool on Friday, 5th September. The day was filled with fantastic swimming performances in the main pool, and plenty of fun and laughter in the novelty pool.

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers, teacher assistants, and teachers who helped make the day such a success, your support is truly appreciated!

Final results:

Archer             1^st - 1254 points

Thompson       2^nd - 1123 points

Well done to Archer. What a great team effort!

The Interschool Swimming Carnival will be held on the 5^th of November, in Term 4.

Mr Nichols

Jordyn's Playground Fundraiser

Jordyn’s making the ultimate sacrifice, his beloved mullet, for our playground! Let’s rally behind him on Friday 26th September and turn this bold chop into a fundraiser worth every snip.