Newsletter 8 August 2025 No. 4

Principal’s Report

Dear Families

This term marks the beginning of a transition period for our prospective Year 6 students and our current Year 10 students. On Wednesday night we held our Parent Information Evening for students transitioning into Year 7 at Devonport High School. This was a very successful evening with our Year 6 students a little nervous and very excited. During Term 4, Year 6 students will have the opportunity to attend 4 Taster Sessions to ensure a smooth transition in 2026.

Year 10

On Thursday morning our Year 10 students attended an information session outlining the opportunities available to them in Senior Secondary at Devonport High School and Don College. This year we have 30 Year 11 students studying full time on site. Cert 2 in Resources and Infrastructure Work Preparation (Civil Construction) and Learning through Internship have proved very popular with our student cohort.  Adopting a personalised approach to learning for individual students, matching student interest and the needs of a growing industry has positively impacted our Year 11 students.

Kinmen Visit

Next week is our final week hosting the international students and chaperone from Kinmen County, Taiwan. It has been an invaluable experience for many students providing an authentic way of introducing students to another culture, their customs, and traditions. This exposure helps them develop a deeper understanding of global issues, cultural differences, and the interconnectedness of our world.

Naplan

Families with students in Years 7 and 9 will have received individual NAPLAN reports for 2025. Recent 2025 NAPLAN data show DHS Year 7 and 9 students achieving well above similar schools in all domains. The snapshot below shows the achievement of our students, we are the selected school, where the line is trending upward!

Value of Growth

The value of Growth has been a focus this year and this is just one measure of where students have demonstrated growth and risen to the challenge (the DHS slogan).

Changing our Approach to Teaching 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.

Lockdown

Each year we are required to familiarise staff and students with prevention and mitigation strategies and preparedness in the event of a threat at our site. We are to undertake lockout-lockdown drills at least annually. On Wednesday 27 August, we will be undertaking a lockdown drill. A text message will be sent the day before to all families as a reminder of the drill. Please speak to your child and reinforce that the drill is to be taken seriously and emergency planning is necessary to mitigate threats at school.

Rum’un – Devonport Living Well Challenge

We have just received word that Devonport High School has won the Rum’un in Devonport Living Well Challenge. Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 recipients who created a Where’s Rum’un search and find illustration. We look forward to meeting the Tasmanian Football Club Mascot Rum’un!

For more information, please see our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Fiona Gaby
Principal

Our Commitment to SafeguardingYoung People

At Devonport High School, the wellbeing, safety and dignity of every student is our highest priority. As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe and supportive learning environment, we are guided by the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Safeguarding Policy and Framework.

This policy provides clear guidance for schools and staff on how to uphold child safety, promote respectful behaviour, and protect the rights of all young people in our care. It includes expectations for how spaces across the school are used to ensure both physical and emotional safety.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind families and students about the appropriate use of single occupancy spaces at school, particularly toilets and shower facilities. In addition, group change rooms which are divided by gender. These areas are provided for private, individual use and are not to be used for socialising, loitering, or group activities. Students are expected to:

Enter these spaces one at a time (with exception of change room), and only when necessary

Use the facilities appropriately and respectfully

Exit the space promptly once finished

Maintain DECYP’s phone policy of ‘off and away all day’

Report any misuse or concerns to a trusted staff member

The use of these spaces in a respectful and safe manner is essential for maintaining privacy and promoting a positive school culture for all.

We appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations with your student. Together, we can help ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and supported during their time at Devonport High School. If we believe a breach of these expectations has occurred, a staff member will reach out to parents individually to inform you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me on 64249461 or caitlin.midson@decyp.tas.gov.au .

Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize 2026

Year 9 students recently had the opportunity to enter the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize Competition, 2026.

Special mention to Jamie and Evie for their hard work preparing wonderful, creative submissions.

The three finalists who have had their entries forwarded on behalf of the school are Ekam, Connor and Kaelen. We wish the finalists best of luck.

The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize is open to Tasmanian Year 9 students. Students respond to a question about World War 1 and eight winners get to travel to the Western Front (France and Belgium).

Devonport High School has a strong history of Prize recipients.  The prize is named after Tasmania’s last surviving World War 1 veteran, Frank MacDonald, who passed in 2003.  The aim of the prize is to encourage research of individual contributions to war and shares this information through the publication of a book called Reflections. We encourage younger students to keep an eye out for information about how to enter when they are in Year 9.

Mrs Midson

Geography Competition

Our students tested their geographical skills and knowledge against students from all around Australia in the 2025 Australian Geography Competition.

Mrs Midson recently received the results and was pleased with how our students performed.

Over 52,000 students from 600 schools across Australia entered the competition. The Competition aims to encourage student interest in geography and to reward student excellence. Geography is such an important subject because it develops in students a holistic understanding of the world around them, and their place in it.

Well done to the following students for achieving amazing results:

Credit:

• Willow (7)
• Drew(8)
• Brendan(9)
• Dykota (9)
• Jesse (10)

Distinction:

• Liam (7)
• Connor (9)
• Jamie (9)

High Distinction:

• Toby (10)
• Shomik (10)

School Nurse

Breakfast Club – Devonport Chaplaincy

Breakfast Club is on Tuesdays and Thursdays before school from 8:00am onwards. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy something to eat and have a chat.

Darra Boerma, Chaplain

Canteen Menu

Schoolzine App