Northern Support School - Launceston

School arrangements for Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Due to planned industrial action by the Australian Education Union, it is now confirmed that our school will be closed to students on Wednesday, March 25.

The school will reopen as normal on Thursday, March 26.

Thank you for your understanding.

Due to industrial action, Tasmanian Government Schools will be temporarily closed during this week as below:

• North-West region – Tuesday 24 March
• Northern region – Wednesday 25 March
• Southern region – Thursday 26 March

Schools will be communicating directly to families about these closures, and any local arrangements.

For current Tasmanian Government School alerts, please visit: www.decyp.tas.gov.au/about-us/alerts

School arrangements for Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Due to planned industrial action by the Australian Education Union, it is highly likely our school will be closed to students on Wednesday, 25 March.

The school will reopen as normal on Thursday, 26 March.

Thank you for your understanding.

Attendance – Reminder of Our Process

Following on from our previous newsletter, we are sharing a clear summary of our attendance process. A copy of the Attendance Flowchart is attached to this communication and will be sent home with families.

Notifying the School About an Absence (6339 1453)

If your child is absent for any reason, parents and carers must contact ADMIN at Northern Support School as early as possible on the day of the absence.
Please note:
• Absences must be reported directly to ADMIN
• Absence notifications should not be sent via Seesaw
• Absences should not be passed on through Bus Aids or transport staff
Direct communication with ADMIN ensures attendance records are accurate and student safety checks can occur promptly.

If the School Is Not Notified

If a student is absent and no contact has been made with ADMIN, the absence will be recorded as unexplained and:
• ADMIN will contact the family to confirm the student’s safety and reason for absence
• Until contact is made, the absence remains unauthorised

Please Review the Attendance Flowchart

The flowchart provides a simple visual overview of:
• Family responsibilities when a student is absent
• The school’s follow up process when no notification is received

We ask all families to take the time to review this information carefully.

If you have questions or need support with attendance communication, please contact ADMIN at the school on 6339 1453.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Lisa Wright
Principal

Start strong, stay strong!

We love seeing our students at school, and had almost 100% attendance on the first day of 2026 today. That is to be celebrated!

We are looking forward to supporting all families to have their child/ren attend every day - one of the focuses of our updated School Improvement Plan - so let us know how we can help. Thank you!

You can also find more information at www.anything.tas.gov.au

The successes of our most senior students were last night celebrated at a leavers' dinner we hope will live long in the memories of these wonderful young people. Thank you to photographer Steve Hansen for capturing the event, and to all those involved in its organisation.

ICYMI, stop-work action tomorrow morning (Friday, December 12) will mean Northern Support School will open to students at midday, with classes beginning at 12.15pm.

Dear families,

I am writing to provide an update on arrangements for Friday, 12 December.

Due to planned stop-work action, our school will be closed to students on Friday morning, as we will be unable to safely supervise students during this period.

The school will reopen to students from 12.00pm, with classes commencing at 12.15pm.

We recognise these closures due to industrial action will impact families; it is regrettable that school closure action is necessary, however, we must be able to ensure adequate safety and supervision of students.

If you are concerned you will be unable to make alternative arrangements for your child, please contact our office as soon as possible.

Kind regards,
Lisa Wright
Principal

Dear families and carers,

We have been advised of planned works at a property neighbouring our school, scheduled to take place on December 2 after 4pm.

These works involve the removal of asbestos from a structure on the property.

The works will be carried out by licensed asbestos specialists, and we have been advised that all required safety precautions will be in place throughout the process.

The company have lodged the asbestos removal with WorkSafe and are compliant with all aspects of asbestos removal processes and their Asbestos Removal Control Plan.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school.

Kindest regards,
Lisa Wright,
Principal.

We're excited about the opportunities this Young Leaders of Tasmania School Buddies program will create!

Dear NSS School Community,

As you are aware, some coloured sand products have been recalled by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) due to the possibility that they may contain asbestos. The current advice indicates that the release of asbestos fibres from the sand in its present form is unlikely, meaning the risk to people who have handled these products is considered low.

The Department has undertaken an urgent audit of all Tasmanian government schools, CFLCs and libraries to determine the use of recalled coloured sand throughout these sites.

The Department has also engaged an accredited asbestos assessor to assist in identifying the risks and any controls that may be necessary to mitigate and prevent any future risk in DECYP sites.

As part of the Audit, we have confirmed that the product has been used in our school.

The Department on advice from the relevant safety authorities has requested we undertake a number of actions based on how the sand has been used. For our school:

Sand in unopened containers:
We had unopened sand on site; this has been bagged and removed and the area deemed safe to continue normal activity.

Sand has been opened but in closed containers for over 7 days:
We have sand on site that has been opened and has been in storage in a cupboard and not used within the 7 days, we have closed and signed cupboard doors to prevent access and we have removed the product in line with the advice.

I do understand that this may be concerning for you and encourage you to review the public health advice in relation to this matter - Safe disposal and health information for consumers with recalled sand products | ACCC Product Safety: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/about-us/product-safety-news/news/safe-disposal-and-health-information-for-consumers-with-recalled-sand-products

If you have these products at home, you are advised to:
• Stop using them immediately.
• Seal the sand in a heavy-duty plastic bag and double-tape the opening.
• Keep the sealed bag out of children’s reach.
• Do not dispose of the product in general waste. Contact your local council for asbestos-safe disposal advice.
• Visit the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency: https://www.asbestossafety.gov.au

More information and advice about the recalled products is available at the ACCC Website: https://www.accc.gov.au/

The Department’s website also have information for parents and carers - Alerts for the Department for Education, Children and Young People Schools and Other Sites: https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/about-us/alerts/

I will continue to keep you informed in relation to this issue.

Regards,
Lisa Wright
Principal

Safe disposal and health information for consumers with recalled sand products A range of decorative and coloured sand products for children have been recalled as they may include asbestos. We are working with relevant agencies as this issue evolves.

Dear families,

As you may already know, Tasmanian Unions, including the Australian Education Union (AEU) and other school-based unions, have directed members to participate in stop work action next week.

For the Northern region, the stop work action is planned for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

As a result it has been determined our school will be temporarily closed for educational instruction until 11.30am on this day. With a number of staff participating in the stop work action, our school will be unable to provide adequate duty of care for students before this time.

Please be assured that normal school arrangements will resume as the school reopens at 11.30AM.

Morning bus transport will not be available on this day.

We recognise these closures due to industrial action will impact families; it is regrettable that school closure action is necessary, however, we must be able to ensure adequate safety and supervision of students.

Student drop-off will commence at 11.30am. We understand that this change in schedule may create challenges for some students, particularly in relation to medication, mealtime routines, and physical or emotional regulation.

If you have any concerns about how this may affect your child’s attendance or routine on this day, please contact your child’s teacher or the school directly to discuss arrangements.

Kindest regards,
Principal Lisa Wright