WEATHER ALERT
Hail, thunder and damaging winds coming
BoM website, 2 Jan 2023
Large hailstones, heavy rainfall, severe thunderstoms and damaging winds are forecast for parts of south-east Tasmania before and after 4.00pm today (Monday 2 Jan 2023)..
BoM warnings

TasALERT
Power outages
Road closures (Police)
DECYP (DoE) alerts
SES
ABC Emergency
The Mercury

ASSESSMENT AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Does AI threaten assessment?
The Conversation (opinion) by Vitomir Kovanovic, 18 Dec 2022
Artificial intelligence chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT provide answers of such quality that traditional assessment and examination procedures may need to be modified.

TASMANIAN STUDENTS
Top ATAR students named
Tas Govt media release, 14 Dec 2022
A list of the Tasmanian students with the highest Tertiary Entrance Scores has been released by education minister Roger Jaensch.

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
More solar schools named
Tas Govt media release, 13 Dec 2022

A Seventeen more Tasmanian government schools are to receive solar power installations, education minister Roger Jaensch has announced.

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Remembering the Hillcrest tragedy
Tas Govt media release, 7 Dec 2022
A ceremony to remember the six students who died and the three who were seriously injured in last year's Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle tragedy will be held in Devonport on Thursday 15 December 2022, the Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, has announced.

INTEREST RATES
Interest rate up yet another 0.25%
ABC News, 6 Dec 2022
The Reserve Bank has raised the cash rate from 2.85 per cent to 3.1 per cent, a rise of 0.25 per cent

STUDENT PRIVACY
Should schools use biometrics?
The Conversation (opinion), 30 Nov 2022
The use of fingerprint technology in a Sydney high school has sparked a discussion of the use of student biometrics and student data protection.
Data of 820,000 NY students breached, K-12Dive, 31 Mar 2022

TEACHING PROFESSION
Teachers recognised
Tas Govt media release, 28 Nov 2022
Seven Tasmanian teachers have been certified under the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers(HALT) initiative, education minister Roger Jaensch has announced.

BULLYING
Bullying advice for parents
The Conversation (opinion by Mandy Shean), 23 Nov 2022
Bullying can occur at school for behavioural and systemic reasons but there is action parents can take, an academic says.

STUDENT SUPPORT AND LEARNING
Personalised learning on the way?
The Conversation (opinion by Maya Gunawardena), 22 Nov 2022
Customising a learning program for individual students would appear to suit students who are self-motivated and it would facilitate culturally responsive teaching, an academic says.

LITERACY AND INFORMATION SKILLS
Free ebook access for students
Tas Govt media release, 16 Nov 2022

Tasmanian government school students now have free access to ebook platform Sora, education minister Roger Jaensch has announced.
Sora: The student reading app, State LIbrary website

STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Relationships good
Tas Govt media release, 11 Nov 2022
As many as 94 per cent of Tasmanian students felt they had good relationships and support from their teachers, the 2022 Annual Student Wellbeing Survey shows.
Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy delivering positive results, Jeremy Rockliff, Premier, 22 Nov 2022

ANZAC COMMEMORATIONS
Frank MacDonald winners announced
Tas Govt media release, 5 Nov 2022
The Tasmanian Minister for Veterans Affairs, Guy Barnett, has announced the winners of the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize, a student essay competition which promotes the Anzac spirit.

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Early school closure Wed.
DECYP Alerts page, 3 Nov 2022
Almost all Tasmanian government schools will close from 12.15pm on Wednesday next week (9 November) to allow for stop-work meetings to be held.
Year 11 and 12 exams to go ahead, Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, 4 Nov 2022

WORLD NEWS
Imran Khan shot
ABC News, 3 Nov 2022
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and cricket star Imran Khan has been shot in the leg in an assassination attempt.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Improving attendance
The Conversation (opinion by Jess Whitley and Beth Saggers), 1 Nov 2022
Four suggestions would help schools address the complex problem of non-attendance, two academics say.

STUDENT HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Lunch schools named
Tas Govt media release, 2 Nov 2022
An additional 15 schools will join the School Lunch Pilot Program which is part of the state government's School Food Matters program.

INTEREST RATES
Interest rate rise 0.25% again
ABC News, 1 Nov 2022
The Reserve Bank has raised the cash rate from 2.6 per cent to 2.85 per cent, the seventh rise in a row, The increase of 0.25 per cent is the same size as last month's rise.

WEATHER ALERT
Damaging winds coming
BoM website, 31 Oct 2022

Damaging winds gusting to 100km/h and even as much as 110km/h in the south east are forecast for Monday. Severe thunderstorms are also possiblew.
BoM warnings

TasALERT
Power outages
Road closures (Police)
DECYP (DoE) alerts
SES
ABC Emergency
The Mercury

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Bothwell tender on horizon
Tas Govt media release, 29 Oct 2022
A request for tender has been issued for a $2 million agricultural learning facility at Bothwell District School, education minister Roger Jaensch has announced.

UK POLITICS
Rishi Sunak to be next UK PM
BBC News, 25 Oct 2022
A recent Chanceller of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, will become the UK Conservative Party's new leader and therefore Britain's new Prime Minister.

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Fire at Bowen Road Primary
ABC News, 22 Oct 2022
The library, computer lab and two classrooms have been lost in a fire at Bowen Road Primary School.

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Brighton High tender released
Tas Govt media release, 22 Oct 2022
The tender for the new $50 million Brighton High School has been issued, education minister Roger Jaensch has announced.

UK POLITICS
PM Liz Truss resigns
ABC News, 20 Oct 2022
Britain's Prime Minister, Liz Truss, has resigned just 45 days into the job.

WEATHER ALERT
Flash floods, heavy rain and damaging winds coming
BoM website, 12 Oct 2022

Heavy rain and flash flooding in the north of the state are expected from tonight (Wednesday) with the addition of strong winds in the east and south coasts tomorrow.
BoM warnings

TasALERT
Power outages
Road closures (Police)
DECYP (DoE) alerts
SES
ABC Emergency
The Mercury

NEW ZEALAND
Streaming doomed
The Conversation (opinion), 7 Oct 2022
Teacher unions in New Zealand have voted to end streaming by 2030, noting that the practice is particularly harmful to minority racial groups.

News continued in the
October 2022 news archive
See also the News archive index

TASMANIAN FIRES For updated alerts, see:

For OUTAGES of any kind, see:
DownDetector

See also our

INTERNET SAFETY
YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is a new app designed for children and their parents to use.

WATER RESOURCES
Sharing Water

Resources and information from TasWater for Tasmanian students and teachers.

ELECTIONS
AEC election resources for teachers

Student activity sheets, fact sheets and more from the Australian Electoral Commission.

DRIVING
Free TrafficTAS app

A free app that will advise Tasmanian drivers and other road users of traffic flow problems has been released.

UKRAINE WAR & KIDS

Classroom discussion on the invasion of Ukraine
(From The Conversation, 7 Mar 2022)

How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine
(From The Conversation, 1 Mar 2022)

Helping kids interpret news on the Ukraine war
The impact of the war on children and how to talk to them about it.
(From The Conversation, 25 Feb 2022)

How teachers can answer kids' questions on the war
Includes a list of resources. US site.
(From weareteachers.com)

Resources for discussing the Ukraine war with students
US site.
(From sdcoe.net)

Spotting fake viral Ukraine war footage
(From The Conversation, 26 Feb 2022)

CORONAVIRUS
How to RAT your kids

Guide for parents on how to perform a Rapid Antigen Test on their children.
(From The Conversation, 28 Jan 2022.)
How accurate is your RAT?
(From The Conversation, 27 Jan 2022)
15 things not to do when using a RAT
(From The Conversation, 10 Feb 2022)

CORONAVIRUS
DoE's COVID info for Tas parents

CORONAVIRUS
Protecting children from COVID-19

Ensuring safe indoor air in schools is one of a number of recommendations in this detailed report [pdf] from OzSAGE on how schools can be made COVID-safe for students.

CORONAVIRUS
Have COVID? When to see your doctor
(From The Conversation, 9 Mar 2022) 

CORONAVIRUS
How to keep school students safe from COVID

Tips on maintaining a school environment that keeps students as safe as possible from the coronavirus (from The Conversation, 2 Sep 2021).

CORONAVIRUS
Getting kids to wear a mask: tips

Advice on how to encourage children to wear a face mask (from The Conversation, 25 Aug 2021).

TASMANIAN HISTORY
Beatties Studio photos

Thousands of Beatties Studio photos of early Tasmania are being placed online.

CORONAVIRUS

Schools, children and COVID-19
What we know about children and COVID, outbreaks in schools and what to do. 

Events Framework
"A Framework for COVID-19 Safe Activities and Events in Tasmania"

FACE MASKS
Which mask should I wear?
Surgical mask, cloth mask or bandana? (The Conversation, 10 Jul 2020).

FACE MASKS
Which way round?
Don't wear your face mask inside out. (smartairfilters.com ).

FACE MASKS
How to make a cloth face mask

Instructions on how to make a face mask, and related issues (The Conversation,  7 Jul 2020)

CORONAVIRUS
ABC Coronavirus Story Streams

Tas Govt Coronavirus site - Media releases - Dept of Health Facebook page Coronavirus information (Tas DHHS) Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Aust Govt Dept of Health)

Roadmap to Recovery (Tas)

COVIDSafe app
Read about the COVIDSafe app and download it free from the Apple or Google app store.

North west outbreak report [pdf]
(Tas Govt website, 30 Apr 2020)

ONLINE GAME
Social Distance Dash

In this free online coronavirus safety game for kids, the aim is to deliver a roll of toilet paper to your grandmother while keeping 1.5 metres away from others and collecting as much hand sanitiser as you can. Page shows a video demo at the top. Scroll down for computer or mobile version.

CORONAVIRUS
Dramatic handwashing demo

A simple experiment using black pepper and water hammers home to students the powerful effect soap has when they use it to wash their hands. (From metro.co.uk)

ABC Education: Online learning resources

ABC Coronavirus news stories pages

COVID-19 Cyber security tips for when working from home

The Conversation's COVID-19 articles

Google's COVID-19 resource

The articles from The Conversation that were previously listed here may be found on The Conversation's special COVID-19 page

More new and useful sites in the
Useful sites archive