25 September 2025

Principal’s Report

This term Montello has once again shown the incredible opportunities our students are embracing, both in and beyond the classroom. Our students have been engaged in BIG Science Investigations, developing their curiosity and critical thinking skills through hands-on experiments and inquiry. We were proud to see two Montello teams represent us in the North-West Maths Relay, giving their best effort and showing great teamwork. Congratulations also to our students who represented the Darwin sports teams – a remarkable achievement and a wonderful experience for them. On the sporting field, our boys took part in the Dockers Cup, playing with determination and pride. We are looking forward to seeing our girls take to the field in Term 4 for the Humphries Cup.

Alongside these rich learning and sporting experiences, the progress on our school redevelopment continues to build excitement for the future. A recent decision to update all exterior windows from the original 1950s design will ensure our new spaces celebrate Montello’s history while offering a modern learning environment. We are also delighted to see the new playground in the early childhood area now open, already bringing joy to our youngest learners and adding to the sense of community in this part of the school.

Have a good holiday everyone and see you in Term 4. 

Key Dates for Term 4

Monday 13^th October     
First Day Term 4     

Friday 17^th October
Pre-Kinder Orientation Session #1

Friday 24^th October
Pre-Kinder Orientation Session #2

Monday 27^th – Thursday 30^th October
Fireman Craig Fire Education K-6

Friday 31^st October
Student Free Day

Friday 7^th November
Pre-Kinder Orientation Session #3

Friday 14^th November
Pre-Kinder Orientation Session #4
Humphries Cup begins (Girls football Gr 4-6)

Friday 21^st November
Pre-Kinder Orientation Session #5

Monday 24^th November
Grade 6 Big Day Out
Kinder-2 Ditto Keep Safe Adventure Show

Monday 1^st – Friday 12^th December
Swim Water Safety Program 3-5 & at risk 6’s

Wednesday 3^rd December
Grade 6 Orientation Day at PHS

Tuesday 9^th December 
P-2 Christmas Lunch 

Wednesday 10^th December 
Grade 6 Assembly 

Thursday 11^th December 
Grade 6 Celebration Evening 

Friday 12^th December 
LiL Christmas Party 11am-12:30pm

Tuesday 16^th December 
School Picnic Burnie Aquatic Centre
Kinder Last Day & End of Year Party

Wednesday 17^th December 
Grade 3-6 Christmas Lunch 

Thursday 18^th December  
Last Day Term 4   

Term 3 Merit Award Winners

House Point Tally

Humphries Cup – Girls Football Competition

New Playground now OPEN!

Our Early Childhood play equipment is open for fun. Thanks to everyone who has made this happen.

Lifting Literacy

 We are committed to helping every student become a confident, capable reader. That’s why we use a structured and evidence-based approach to teaching literacy, built around what’s known as the Big Six.

The Big Six are the essential foundations of literacy. They work together to support students as they move from learning to read, to reading to learn—and beyond. These six areas are taught explicitly and in a clear, sequenced way to ensure all students, no matter their starting point, can grow and succeed.

What are the Big Six?

1. Oral Language – The ability to speak, listen, and understand the sounds we use when we talk.
2. Phonological Awareness – Recognising the sounds in our speech.
3. Phonics – Understanding how letters and sounds work together.
4. Vocabulary – Knowing and using a wide range of words.
5. Fluency – understanding the meaning of words and sentences as they are being read.
6. Comprehension – using the other five skills to understand what is being read.

The Big Six are not just skills for early readers or young students. They continue to be important throughout your child’s education.

How can families support literacy at home?

You play an important role in your child’s literacy development. Talking with your child, reading together, playing word games, and asking questions about stories are all powerful ways to support what your child is learning at school.

If you’d like to know more about how the Big Six are taught in our classrooms or how to support your child’s literacy at home, please contact your child’s teacher.

Together, we can help every student thrive as a reader, writer, and thinker.

StoryBox Library for families

Our school now has access to StoryBox Library as part of the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Lifting Literacy initiative.

Here's how to get started:

1. Go to:
2. http://storyboxhub.com/login
3. Sign in using:
   Username: montello
   Password: montello25
4. Click on the Browse Stories tab and start exploring a diverse range of Australian children’s literature read aloud by engaging storytellers.

Penguin Rehab and Rescue Team Visit

Penguin Rehab & Rescue are the only facility in the North-West of Tasmania dedicated to rehabilitating penguins (and other seabirds) that come into care due to illness, injury or misadventure, with the aim of preparing them for successful release back into the wild. Meadcon (who are working on our redevelopment) offer community sponsorship through their business. As part of this sponsorship Meadcon gave a generous donation to the Rehab & Rescue team and they came and did a presentation for teachers and students from Prep to Grade 6.

Kitchen News

This term has been an exciting one, with our move into the new school kitchen. The space is bright and airy and works well.

All students started the term with making sweet muffins. They had a variety of different mix ins to choose from, the favourites were Raspberry with chocolate and Oreo. The students said these were delicious, especially when they were still warm from the oven.

We followed this by making savoury muffins using some ingredients from the garden. Again, each group got to choose what they put in their muffins, and we came up with some very tasty combinations.

In our last sessions for term 3 I wanted to use the lemons from the garden and after a brainstorm with our EFA Sheldyn, I decided to make lemon slice (our eyes both lit up with the imagined taste), with the Grades 5 and 6s and lemon cordial with the younger grades. The students juiced a lot of lemons, ate a lot of left over lemon pulp and the kitchen and dining room smelt amazing. Thank you to Kellie and Sheldyn for donating lemons as I needed a lot more than we had in the school garden.

The School Lunch Program has gone well this term with a lot of students starting to try foods they may not normally eat and enjoying them. We will have more new and exciting food to try next term.

Enjoy your holidays & the amazing photo gallery of our students enjoying the great new space!

Lisa M.

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Intake High School for Montello Primary School

Parklands High School is the local high school for Montello Primary School

The intake high school listed for Montello Primary School has been updated.  When your child completes Year 6, they are entitled to enrol at Parklands High School. This has been the current practice for the school in recent years with most of our students transitioning to Parklands High School. However, if you would like to enrol your child at Burnie High School, you can apply for out-of-area enrolment.  You can find the local high school for each Tasmanian government primary school at DECYP’s Find Your Local High School webpage.

Launching into Learning

Pre-Kinder Orientation Sessions Term 4

Class Snapshot

1/2 Potoroos

Chaplain’s Chat

• Last week it was great to have 18 students "choosing kind" by joining me in preparing items for Christmas Boxes to send overseas to children in need. We constructed our boxes, made bracelets & beaded fish, wrote a letter & decorated pencil cases & "stamps" for our boxes. It was great to see students from Grade 3-6 working so well together.

This week we'll work towards finishing our boxes packing them with Wow items, school items, clothes, hygiene items, toys and NO liquids or second-hand items.

• I have been blown away this year by the generosity of members of our school community who have contributed items for the boxes & funds to cover postage. If you would like to contribute items or funds they can be left at the School Office, where you can pick up a list of suggested gifts, before Wednesday 23rd October and if you'd like to pack your own box contact me via the School Office.

• Next Term, Inside Out 4 Kids will be running their Emotional Literacy program for the one Grade 1/2 class that missed out this term. If you want to find out more about the program content check out Inside Out 4 Kids on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/@insideout4kids902/videos There may also be an Understanding Worry or Change Grief & Loss Program running. Let me or other staff know if you think your child would benefit from being part of this group.
• Lots of our students enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles. Two weeks ago, during a wet lunch hour Miss Gbenga's class, some students & some puzzle club members took part in an Interschool Puzzle Club online event with schools from around Australia. We puzzled socially while some schools competed. We also received some speed puzzling tips from Katrina Coleman, a Tasmanian who was ranked 7th in the world & last weekend was part of the Australian team "The All Stars" who came 4th at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain - which believe it or not was quite exciting to watch!
• Fun fact & thought - In all puzzles produced by Ravensburger, both small & large, all pieces are unique whether there are 100 pieces or 1,000 pieces. Each unique piece, together with the other pieces creates a beautiful masterpiece. It's the same at school or any other group we belong to - we are all unique & all important. We need to find the place we fit & I think Montello staff do a great job of helping each member of the school community find where they fit in our school. I encourage us all to appreciate everyone else's uniqueness & help them to find their fit in whatever activity we are involved in.

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@ Montello Primary Wednesday Lunch Times

• I'd like to wish everyone a safe & enjoyable holiday. I will again be helping at Riverbend camp which will be attended by some of our Montello students.

If you think I can help you and your child in some way, or you'd like to chat please leave a message at the School Office.

Chaplain Sue & Otto, the Otter

Fireman Craig – Fire Safety Program

• Fireman Craig, from the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is visiting our school in Term 4 to present a Home Fire Safety Program to our Prep to Grade 6 students.
• Kindergarten students, whilst not receiving a structured lesson, can expect a visit from the firefighter who will leave some free fun activities for the students to complete.
• The age-appropriate program is designed to raise fire awareness in children and includes fun in class activities, videos, activity books, giveaways and a new kids website tfskids.com.au.
• Parents and other family members are also encouraged to participate by reading the information and assisting your child with the after-school activities.
• The TFS aims to deliver appropriate fire safety education to every primary school child in Tasmania and is part of the TFS’s ongoing commitment to create a fire safe Tasmania.
• Key Fire Safety Messages include,
  • Wake up - Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom
  • Plan and practice a home fire escape plan with the whole family
  • In a fire crawl low and go, go, go to the nearest exit
  • In an emergency call triple zero
  • Keep flammable material at least two metres from the heater
  • If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, rock and roll
  • Keep matches and lighters away from children
  • Cooking - Turn it off before you turn away
  • Cool a burn under cold water for at least 20 minutes
  • Most house fires can be avoided. Make your home fire safe
• More information for parents, carers and teachers tfseducation.com.au
• Exciting new website just for kids tfskids.com.au
• SUBSCRIBE to our free bi-monthly newsletter

Community Notice Board & Holiday Programs

Shark Cage Group

Burnie Arts Centre – Holiday Programs

Burnie City Council

Slipstream Circus

Woolworths Cricket Blast Programs

Come & Try Track Cycling

Sibworks Day Camp

Riverbend Camps - October

Exciting Activities, Encouraging Studies, Action Packed Games & All Sorts of Fun. More information can be found at from https://riverbend.org.au/ where you can also book online. If you would like your child to attend but finances are an issue, please contact the school. 

Camp 1

Theme: SAFARI Picture This Grade 3-5 September 28^th - October 3rd

Camp 2 

Theme: MINECRAFT

Grade 5-7 October 5^th - 10^th

2025 Term Dates

Department for Education, Children and Young People
Montello Primary School