The 2020 school year is now rapidly coming to a close with school exams underway, leavers dinners to attend, school events being held, and school carnivals conducted. I know for a fact that a student from Howrah Primary School is extremely excited that they were told that their parents can now attend their first school athletics day.

I think we can safely say for all families, students, school associations, the Department of Education and general community that it will certainly be one year that will unquestionably go down in history as a huge disruption to everyone’s lifestyle and a lot of hurdles jumped. The good news is that we all found a way to unite and get through this year as a community.

There were several announcements were made by the State Government regarding –

  • the provision of more support for early learners in Tasmanian Government Schools – providing $4.9 million over three years to provide the equivalent of 80 Teacher Assistants.
  • Ogilvie High School and New Town High School will become co-education ins 2022 as part of the next phase of the Hobart City Partner Schools’ collaboration with Elizabeth College,
  • reforming child and adolescent mental health services, investing $4 million in the 2020-2021 budget.

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As is now the norm in 2020 many meetings have been conducted online via Zoom and Teams. Contact with the community has primarily been about COVID and its impact on end of year school events, and as you would appreciate the boundaries are rather fluid when it comes the restrictions.

Meetings and interviews held:

  • Meeting with DoE – Al things school associations
  • TasCOSS Community Services – Covid 19
  • ABC Drive with Lucy Braedon interviewing TASSO President
  • ABC Breakfast with Ryk Goddard interviewing TASSO President
  • State Budget Community Lockup
  • TasCOSS State Budget Briefing
  • DoE State Budget Briefing
  • DoE School Association Team & DoE Web designers
  • DoE Covid 19 – Scenarios and action planning (TASSO office site)
  • TASSO Regional Meetings in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart
  • TasCOSS AGM
  • TASSO Board Meeting
  • ACSSO Board Meeting

TASSO NEWSLETTER

The November TASSO Newsletter (TASSO News) will be distributed to all School Associations and placed our website in the next week.

Should you or your school have any articles of interest you would like to place in our monthly Newsletter please contact us at info@tasso.org.au to discuss this further