Let’s Take a Look at Reading

You may have noticed some changes in the way we’re teaching reading in our school. These changes are part of a statewide commitment to ensure every student develops strong reading skills that will support them throughout school and beyond.

Learning to read is a skill that must be taught—it's not something we’re born knowing how to do. That’s why our teachers are using high-quality, evidence-based strategies to help every child become a confident reader.

Our students are learning to read in through structured and explicit literacy teaching. This means they are building foundational literacy skills step by step, with each new skill reinforcing the last. This approach helps students grow into capable, independent readers.

We’re proud to be part of this statewide effort to provide structured literacy lessons that are proven to work. Thank you for your ongoing support as we help every student succeed.

Celebrating the Special Men in Our Lives – Father’s Day at Lilydale

We would like to invite all our fathers, grandfathers, pops and male caregivers to join us for our Father’s Day Celebration at Lilydale District School.

Date:  Wednesday, 3 September

Time: 9.00am-10.00am or 1.55pm-2.55pm

Come along and enjoy some time with your child at school as we celebrate the important role fathers play in our community. 

Please collect your child/children from their classroom and explore the activities set up around the school which include the photo booth, reading, footy target, fishing, totem tennis and lots more.

Come and create special memories with your child; we can’t wait to see you!

Planning for 2026 is Underway

Some initial planning for 2026 has commenced. Accurate student numbers are integral when planning for the future.  I would ask that if you are leaving our school at the end of the year or know of families that may be moving to the area, that you provide this information to us as soon as possible. 

If you know of any students who will be four on or before the 1 January 2026, they are eligible to attend Kindergarten.  Please encourage these parents to make contact with the office to organise your enrolment.,

If your child currently attends our Pre-Kindergarten sessions on a Friday morning with Mrs Gilmartin, I would like to inform you that enrolment forms are ready to be given out.  Once these forms are completed, I ask that you return them to school at your earliest convenience.

Some useful documentation that will help with this process and make it easier for you includes:

• Student identity – birth certificate, passport, birth verification form
• Parent/Guardian identity – birth certificate, passport, drivers’ licence, personal information card
• Student residential address – bank/financial statement, phone or electricity bill, council rate notice, lease or rent agreement, tax assessment
• Immunisation – child health record book, signed letter from a doctor, print out from Medicare.

Please contact Mrs Donnelly at the office if you require further information. I thank you for your assistance with this.

Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey – Coming Soon!

The time of year has arrived when we check in with our students through the annualwellbeing survey. At Lilydale District School, student wellbeing is a top priority, and we value hearing directly from our students about their experiences and perspectives.Students in years 4 to 12 will be participating in the survey in week 8 and 9. A letter with more details will be sent home with your child/ren.

For more information contact the school office on 63950100.

Warm regards,

Karen Hay
Principal

Being SunSmart in Tasmania means using sun protection when UV levels reach 3 and above, this occurs from September to April. From May to August, sun protection is not recommended unless near highly reflective surfaces such as snow or being outdoors for extended periods.

Therefore, this means implementing sun protection measures from the beginning of the school year until the end of April and again from the beginning of September until the end of the school year. Implementing sun protection measures throughout Terms 1 and 4 only is insufficient to protect against UV risks.

Students in Kinder to Year 6 will be required to wear SunSafe hats from 1st September through until the end of April 2026.

In 3-4A we have been exploring ways to be more sustainable, focusing on saving water. We found that water is wasted in many different areas, such as evaporation from the heat, leaking pipes, and using too much water when cleaning or bathing. Some solutions we came up with were watering the garden in the morning or at night, fixing pipes and taps, and using timers to conserve water. We put our thoughts and ideas into posters.

Velveteen Rabbit

In 5-6C, we have been learning about the Velveteen Rabbit during our English unit. We have been studying the text of the Velveteen Rabbit because it explores heartfelt themes of love, loss, and the thought of reality through a simple and well-loved story.

The primary theme of the velveteen rabbit is the transformative power of love and the journey of becoming “real” through love, experience and a sense of belonging. The story emphasizes that true worth comes from genuine connections.

To understand the story, we built some background knowledge, where we discussed and learnt about the illnesses, the lives of children and the toys they played with during the 19th century.  The background information we learnt includes the following. In the 19th century, infectious diseases were spread and a major cause of death, particularly among children.  Some of the illnesses include tuberculosis, smallpox and Scarlet Fever which were most common among the most significant threats. Therefore, these infectious diseases were dangerous due to having limited or no cures.

During this time, children's lives varied depending on their social class and location. Non affluent (unwealthy) children often worked long hours in factories or mines, facing dangerous conditions and low wages. Meanwhile affluent (wealthy) children and their families experienced a more protected childhood focused on education and social graces.

The children played with various toys. Affluent children often played with porcelain dolls, dollhouses, toy soldiers, toy trains, rocking horses and clockwork toys. Compared to unfortunate/unwealthy children, who on the other hand, might have had rag dolls, corn husk dolls or toys made from repurposed materials like rocks wrapped in yarn for balls or vines for skipping ropes, some children didn’t even get to play with toys.

From reading this story, we have learnt that you do not need to look or be like everyone else to belong. This is a good thing so students can learn that we may look, or be different to others, but we are all worth the same and everyone is different in their own unique ways.

By Nikki and Maggie on behalf of 5-6C

Book Week Parade

This year in 7-8 Physical Recreation, students have been diving into the exciting world of sport through the lens of the Sport Education Model. It’s been fantastic to see them not only participate in a variety of sports but also take ownership of the entire experience by learning all the roles involved in running a successful sporting activity.

From referees and coaches to scorers and team managers, students explored what it takes to make sport happen behind the scenes. They worked together to organise games, assess rules, and manage teams, all skills that go far beyond the playing field.

One of the highlights was allowing students to choose the sports they wanted to explore. This led to a diverse mix of activities that kept everyone engaged and active.

Overall, the students enjoyed all parts of the unit. They not only had fun playing and organising sports, but also gained valuable insights into teamwork, leadership, and responsibility.

This term, our Year 9 and 10 students have been exploring the geometric side of mathematics through Pythagoras’ Theorem and Trigonometry. From calculating unknown side lengths and angles in right-angled triangles to applying sine, cosine, and tangent in real world practical contexts.

Meanwhile, our Year 7 and 8 students have started their new unit on Linear Relationships, where they have extended their algebra skills to solve for unknowns. Students engaged in activity that really put their algebra skills to the test, solving for unknown variables to unlock each piece of a challenging puzzle. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they move from simple one-step equations to more complex multi-step problems.

This week, our Year 9 students took part in the incredible Smith Family Work Inspiration Program! From learning about innovation at ACL Bearing Company to touring UTAS Stadium, exploring career paths at Bunnings, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at Hotel Grand Chancellor — it was a jam-packed experience!

Students showed creativity and initiative in the survival challenge (where they had to choose 4 items in bunnings to help survive on a deserted island), learned towel art and how to professionally make a hotel bed.

Huge thanks to The Smith Family and all the businesses involved — what an inspiring glimpse into future career possibilities!

On Thursday, 7 August, our Year 9-10 students, along with Year 7–8 Drama, had the fantastic opportunity to attend Launceston College’s vibrant production of Once Upon a One More Time. Our students represented Lilydale beautifully and were buzzing with excitement afterwards!

We were especially proud to see former Lilydale students shining both on stage and behind the scenes — a wonderful reminder of the amazing opportunities that await at college.

High School – Student of the Week

Every week, all staff, Student Leaders and the wider community have the opportunity to nominate a high school student as a ‘Lilydale Legend’. These nominations acknowledge when another person has noticed the student demonstrating our school values of being safe, respectful and learning. If a student is nominated by multiple people their name will appear twice. Lilydale Legends for the week will get recognised in our high school assembly and receive a certificate. Congratulations to the Lilydale Legends for Week 2, 3 and 4 - Term 3.

Week 2

The Lilydale School Association is an elected group of people including the school's Principal, teachers, parent/carers, and community members.

The committee is required to hold a minimum of four meetings a year (one meeting per school term) and we meet on the 1st/2nd Monday of the nominated month.

The School Association Committee has the important role of supporting the school in a variety of ways including policy development, financial arrangements, evaluation of school performance and encourages positive community engagement.

Being an elected member or an interested meeting observer, is a great way to stay informed!

Our next scheduled meeting:

When:  Monday, 20 October, 2025
Where: Year 7/8 Room
Time:   7:00pm

We have also scheduled meetings for Monday, 17 November, 2025

If you need to get in contact with members of the School Association, please contact the school office on 6395 0100.

Thankyou.