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- Penguin District School Calendar
- Assistant Principal's Report
- School Association Committee (SAC) - Upcoming Events and Thank you
- HPE Events Term 3
- Secondary Health Term 3
- Primary Health Term 3
- Year 9/10 Outdoor Education & Sport Education Term 3
- Green Penguins
- KINDER - Parent and Carers Information Sheet
- 2026 Hellyer College Parent Information Evening
- 2025 Bookfair
- PDS Beanies
- Friendly Reminder
- Book Week Photo Competition
- Dental Health Week
- Blue Gum August Calendar
- 2025 Science Week @ HIVE
- Tasmanian Tennis Academy at Devonport Tennis Club
- School Calendar
For all upcoming events please see the Penguin District School Calendar
Our focus value this term at PDS is Courage. Well done to two Year 10 students who this week participated in a 2-day Hydro Tasmania work placement with students from other north west schools. A great example of having the courage to try something outside of their comfort zone. We’ve also had four new enrolments in Term 3 and those young people have shown great courage to adapt to a new environment. Pleasingly, they have been welcomed and supported by peers in their year level who have also had the courage to expand their friendship group. A warm welcome to those new families to our school community and welcome back to another family that returned to PDS this week after some time away exploring Australia.
NAPLAN Results
This week, students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 received their NAPLAN results for 2025. If relevant for your family, please take this opportunity to have a look at how your child went in the Numeracy, Writing, Reading, and Conventions of Language tests.
As a school, we will be carefully reviewing these results to monitor student growth with their numeracy and literacy skills. It also provides us with a valuable data set to review and refine the programs we have in place to support students.
If you need assistance understanding your child’s NAPLAN results, please reach out to your child’s teacher or our admin team.
Safe at School Survey
In the next fortnight, students in Years 3-12 are completing our annual ‘Safe at School Survey’. The survey is designed to gather information from students about how safe they feel at school, and to identify any trends that we can action to make our school even safer in the future. This presents a good opportunity at home for families to ask their children about how they are feeling about school, what/who makes them feel safe at school, and if there is any information that might be worth sharing with our teaching staff.
7/8 Boys Football Grand Final
Next Wednesday, our Year 7/8 boys are playing in a school football grand final against Ulverstone Secondary College. Their participation in the gala days last term was successful both from a winning point of view and in the way that they represented themselves and our school. The girls also have a football gala day on Friday, and we wish all our team’s good luck.
NWPSSA 5/6 Sport Day – 11 August
Held at various venues in Burnie, students are asked to go to “new” sports that they do not already participate in. Selected students may be asked to represent a team in Devon vs Darwin and the Launceston Exchange program are an opportunity that will run after this event.
Swimming and Water Safety Program – Year 3 -6 Students (1-12 September)
Please ensure that consent forms are being returned to class teachers with all necessary information i.e that you have signed the major excursion and aquatic consent form and circled the swimming ability.
7/8 Boys Football Grand Final @ The Ulverstone Football Club
Congratulations to the Year 7/8 Boys Football Team who have made the Grand Final next Wednesday at 11:00 am Good luck!
8-10 Girls Football Gala Day @ Byard Park, Devonport (Friday, 8 August)
7/8 Badminton Gala Day @ Burnie (Friday 29 August) / 9/10 Badminton Gala Day @ Burnie (Friday 15 August)
Selected students will represent PDS against other schools at this event. With limited numbers, students have been selected based on ability and showing the PSR values during the school day.
Mr de Ruyter HPE teacher
Year 7 - Nutrition
This Term in health for the Year 7’s has them looking into nutrition. This unit will allow students to look at the Australian Guide to healthy eating and what nutrients and vitamins are. They also briefly look at food labels, what these represent and how these can assist them in making healthier choice options. Overall, this unit will allow the Year 7 students to analyse health information and messages to propose strategies that enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
Year 8
Students have spent considerable time looking at safe and healthy relationships through a variety of learning experiences. Work has been completed on conflict resolution and stereotypes that exist in the community and how they align with respect, gender and power. They have learned how to seek information on mental health issues through various online outlets. This Term learning moves into the area of our personal wellbeing in the online space.
Year 9 – Health Benefits of Healthy Activity
The Year 9’s this term will be focusing their knowledge of the health benefits of physical activity. They will look at their own physical activity in their current lifestyle and the different levels of physical activity needed for different occupations. They will also look at the components of fitness as these are currently being assessed in fitness testing for physical education.
Year 10 – Road Safety and Safety
The Year 10's worked hard on their road safety last term and are currently finalising their road safety videos. The students were required to create their own videos of a road-risk theme for an intended audience. These will be all handed in this week for a movie watching block next week. Following that, the Year 10's will be working through a unit on safety. The safety unit focuses on negative and positive risks, first aid, cyber safety and becoming aware of their digital footprints.
In Year 1/2 health this term, students will start developing their understanding around nutrition and why it is important to eat well to maintain positive health. Students have started exploring what makes a food healthy and what does not. We will continue to unpack what nutrition means to us and how it benefits us.
In Year 3/4 health this term, we are continuing on from where we left off in Term 2 and how developing our social health can impact our overall wellbeing.
Mr de Ruyter - HPE teacher
Year 9-10 Outdoor Education
Mountain biking was the major focus for Term 2. Students completed bike-riding skills and activities around the school learning about gears, brakes and body position. These new skills were then taken to the nearby Penguin Mountain Bike Park where students rode a number of mountain bike trails with varying obstacles and challenges, including the pump track. They were able to negotiate varying weather conditions and have learned how to wash and store bikes and load the trailer. This Term students will learn how to cook on a variety of camping stoves and begin looking at weather and navigation.
Mr Taylor HPE Teacher
Year 9/10 Sport Education
This Term, the Year 9/10 sport education class will participate in a roster undertaking various roles and responsibilities to enhance their knowledge around sport management.
Mr Abblitt HPE Teacher
