27 July 2023

Principal Report

Dear Families,

The school has been humming this week and running like a well-oiled machine with a very smooth return to learning for all classes after the holidays. Hopefully some of the illness we have been seeing will dissipate with the days growing longer and warmer.

We are looking forward to a positive and productive Term 3. The NED Show is visiting next week (see below for further information), and the following week sees a visit by the Terrapin Puppet Theatre with a production of The Riddle of Washpool Gully. Plans are underway for our Kids Matter afternoon later in the term, the Winter Sports Carnival and Book Week are coming up as well as the IPSA Quiz night on Saturday the 26^th of August. Lastly, there is another opportunity to discuss your child or children’s progress through parent-teacher meetings towards the end of Term.

Next week most classes will be attending The NED Show. This is a character education program that centres around three important messages that have lifelong relevance: Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. During the show, students will learn about the importance of these three life skills while also enjoying storytelling, magic, humour and yo-yo tricks. Yo-yos will be for sale from the office in the days after the show. Further information on this is below.
http://bit.ly/NEDassembly

Staff news: Michael Hayen (one of our Assistant Principals) has won a secondment to the position of Principal/Senior Staff Organiser with the Tasmanian Branch of the AEU. This means Mr. Hayen will be working at the AEU on Thursday and Friday for the next 12 months starting this Term. We wish Mr. Hayen well in this new part time position but are grateful we continue to benefit from his expertise and leadership on the other three days of the week. As a result, Bec Copeland will teach 3/4 Bilson on Fridays and Chris Waugh will come off class on Friday to provide further leadership support. Kat Wood will teach 6 Catterall on Fridays in place of Mr. Waugh. Mr. Waugh will also take on the role of Safeguarding Lead, replacing myself in this capacity.

On Monday teaching staff and several teacher assistants worked with Linda McKillop from Speech Pathology Tasmania. Linda supported staff to continue consolidating their knowledge on the science of reading. This is an ever-growing body of research demonstrating how the human brain learns to read. “Informed teachers can explain language to students, including sounds,  spelling and word meanings that might be confusing. They use lessons based on reading science and understand the process of learning and to read and write” – Louisa Moats ED.D. The day spent with Linda was hugely informative and gave teachers increased confidence and many take-aways they can implement to enrich students literacy learning.

A reminder that the school’s duty of care for students does not begin until 8.30 am and finishes at 3 pm. Students on school grounds outside of these times are not supervised by staff.

Kind regards,

Cathryn

Calendar of Events

Assembly Roster Term 3

ONYAS

Congratulations to all of our ONYA award recipients. These awards will be handed out at the next assembly which will be held on Monday 31 July 2:00pm start. 

Family Members are welcome to attend. 

Erin P - For being a very kind and caring student, who is always willing to help others.

Max R - For his excellent improvement in reading and his willingness to give in maths and writing.

Zoe S - For making the effort to join in discussion and share her ideas with others.

Chloe W -For being keen and engaged learner who always gives her best.

Daniel C - For continuing to strive to do his best by using open communication and having a willingness to apply feedback to his learning.

Evie F - For the effort she goes to when writing. Creating interesting, expressive texts and showing a willingness to edit and improve where possible.

Audrey M - For her insightful contributions to class discussions and her focussed and creative approach to all her learning.

Marcel B - For his creative writing, where he uses vocabulary and expression to create outstanding pieces of work.

Oliver P -For outstanding improvement in his reading skills and for an excellent attitude when writing.

Shinji H -For always having a positive attitude to his learning and consistently presenting his work to a high standard.     

Mia J - For being a ray of sunshine and approaching all tasks in a very positive manner. 

Stella M - For trying so hard when spelling unknown words and for improving her writing stamina!

Jack B - For regularly engaging in discussions about our class novel by offering his thoughts and predictions. 

Pippa H - For the bright and cheerful way that she enters the classroom every day (with a smile on her face), ready to learn and do her best.

Seren L - For diligently working on independent tasks and putting in her best effort in order to complete tasks to a high standard.

Eve B - Eve is a steady and determined learner and she has made excellent progress with her reading this year. Well done, Eve!

Harry V - Harry is a focussed learner who takes care to complete all learning activities to a high standard. Well done, Harry!  

Stella R - Stella is working on shifting her relationship with Maths. Stella has improved her ‘Maths Mindset’, she is beginning to enjoy Maths lessons, and her Maths knowledge is growing. Well done, Stella!

Evelyn X -Evelyn has mastered her multiplication facts to ten. During Maths Groups she was able to improve her confidence in using them to solve problems. Great job, Evelyn!

Ella D – For her excellent attitude to learning and hard work towards her goals.  Keep up this fantastic work!

Harry W -  For his growth mindset and willingness to keep working hard even when the work is challenging. 

Josh S – For listening carefully to feedback and using this to improve his writing.  This resulted in an amazing emotions poem – well done Josh! 

Liam S - Liam is giving everything a go at the moment and is doing so well with his poetry. Excellent job Liam!

Tilly H - Tilly enjoys learning so much she couldn't possibly smile any wider when she's in school! Polite, a wonderful can-do attitude, Caring and always thinking of others – that’s Tilly!

Henry F - Henry is an amazing student who contributes so well to class discussions. He's always ready for a challenge and achieves so much in his work. Keep up this great effort Henry!

Ellis B - Ellis is a cheerful achiever who works hard in class - always giving his best in tasks and keen to show his understanding. Keep up this wonderful effort Ellis!

Natalie O -  For being a kind and respectful student who always encourages and helps her fellow class members.

Will B - For being a helpful and caring class member who has kindly cooked food each week to share with his fellow classmates.

Levy Reminder

Levy payments are overdue and need to be paid ASAP. If this is not possible, please talk with our School Business Manager, Cassie Steele, to make a payment plan illawarra.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au  or 6229 6295.

Some families may be able to apply for Student Assistance (STAS)0 so please enquire at the Office for eligibility criteria.

Families experiencing financial difficulties with payment are invited to discuss their situation with the Principal, as payment options can be arranged.

Accounts are sent out by the Department of Education on a monthly basis until the account is paid in full.

Kingston High School Information

Grade 6 Important Information

High School Intention forms were sent out via Seesaw on Tuesday 25 July. This form can be filled out via the link or you can come into the office and collect a hard copy. 

A few important dates to add your your calendars:

* Grade 6 Camp - Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 November

* Leavers Dinner - Wednesday 20 December

* Leavers Assembly - Thursday 21 December 

Chess Club Term 3

Kindy Enrolments 2024

Every School Day Matters

Are you making every school day count?

As we move through the school year, sometimes regular school attendance can be challenging.

It’s important your child keeps up good attendance habits though.

Going to school every day means your child has every chance to learn, and be around their friends and teachers. Every day adds up, to benefit your child now and in the future.

If you’re having trouble getting your child to school, please talk to us. We’ll listen to your situation, and help in any way we can.

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.

Community Notices