Thank you

Next week is our final week of Term 2 and what a busy term it has been. We have managed to pack in a whole range of opportunities for students including Cross Country, camps, and class excursions. All this whilst trying to dodge winter sickness and maintaining high levels of learning for all.
I have been impressed with the resilience of staff and students to make the most of all of these opportunities during these colder months. I wish all students a happy and safe break at the end of next week and look forward to the opportunities that are available in Term 3.
We will welcome students back to school on Monday 22 July. 

Reporting

The past few weeks have been busy for teachers with assessments and report collation dominating their evenings and weekends. This week we had the opportunity to meet with families to discuss progress across all learning areas. We were impressed by the number of families that took advantage of our 3-way conference sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It was also great to have Don Staff on hand to support Year 10 families with any questions relating to their Year 11 and 12 programs.

Attendance - Every school day matters

Start Term 3 right by making every school day count. Check out this new video from our Department for Education, Children, & Young People.

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success:

Make sure your child goes to school, every day

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

Get them excited for school

If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that. The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:

» spend time with their friends and teachers

» create new and fun experiences

» find their interests

» learn new things

» open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world).

Share these positives with your child.

Know when to seek help

There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school. For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website.

Colours Assembly

On Friday next week, we will hold our Colours Assembly. This is a celebration assembly to recognise those students who have performed extremely well inside and outside the classroom. All the students receiving colours have their own individual story that would involve setbacks, but with perseverance and focusing on our school value of “Best Effort”, they have excelled in their chosen field.

The Colours Assembly concept was engineered by a past HPE teacher in Derek Marsh. The idea for his concept came from a teacher exchange in 1987. Mr Marsh’s idea was taken from a High School in England which focused on recognising those students who excelled in different areas in the school and within the wider community. It recognises those students who have excelled in their area of expertise. It is great to see that Mr Marsh’s legacy lives on today. 

Work Experience

Our Year 10 students continue to do us proud. I have received numerous calls and emails stating how wonderful our Year 10 students have been on their work experience over the last few weeks. Tash and Whitney have done a wonderful job arranging work experience in fields our students are interested in exploring. We receive exceptional support from our community and this experience is extremely valuable in supporting career choice.

On Friday 14^th July, a number of brave (silly?) teachers and students took the dive down our Big Freeze slide into a pool of ice water. This event, organised by our Prefect Board, is to support the great work of the Neale Daniher Foundation in raising money and awareness around Motor Neuron Disease. Across the week, there were various cold-themed activities, as well as donation jars in each class to help raise funds. Overall, we made just short of $1000 raised. As Mrs Elliott and Mr Murray had put a $1000 price tag on themselves to go down, it was lucky/unlucky that we made a slight miscount at our first attempt meaning they made their way down the slide. It was only after they entered the cold water we realised our mistake!

In Term 2, Hub students have continued to work in the garden with Claire from the Devonport Community Garden. Students have been busy designing and making signs for the raised garden beds. We have planted beans, garlic bulbs, carrots, coriander, spring onions, lettuce, raspberries, and strawberries and have a plan for future planting when the weather warms up. During the term we visited the Community Garden and learned about pruning fruit trees and the different types of equipment that could be used.

Over the last couple weeks, students have been aiming to achieve a high attendance percentage as part of our focus on Responsibility this term. It has been wonderful to meet with families this week, to celebrate all of the amazing things Year 7 students are doing within their learning, and look at our next steps for the rest of the year.

In classes, students have been busy too. Here is some of the learning they have been taking part in. In Science, students have continued learning about particle theory and different separation techniques. Most recently, students have completed a filtration experiment, where they were able to separate different mixtures using the filter paper method.

In Maths, students are completing an Algebra unit. Students have been learning how to use variables to represent numbers, create expressions, and solve two-step linear equations.

In HASS, students have been learning about Ancient Rome, how it was established, the changes over various time periods, and who were the main people involved in the running of the empire.

In English, students have been delving into their novel A Long Walk to Water. They have been developing their reading comprehension skills of scanning and predicting. Students have been participating in Literature Circles where they have the ability to take on a role within the circle and actively participate in the discussion around the novel, developing their confidence in speaking within the group and showing their knowledge of the novel.

We are on the downhill run to school holidays, but we still have so much to learn! In Mathematics, students are completing a Measurement unit on area, and in Science, a unit on Chemistry. Students will have had or will have (depending on when the lesson is scheduled) the opportunity to witness various chemical reactions that will be demonstrated by our laboratory technician, Mel. These include dry ice sublimation and observing the reactivity of Potassium and Sodium in water.

In English, all Year 8 students experienced a walk-through of the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet. Instead of just reading the play, students were given the opportunity to get into character and take on some roles. Finally, an interesting fact that students learned during their HASS Viking unit was that Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – all came from the Viking language (Thor’s Day = Thursday).

Year 9 Science have completed their unit on Biology, focusing on Homeostasis, the body’s ability to maintain a set point. We completed a science experiment, called ‘Homer-ostasis’, that displayed to the Year 9 students all the moving parts that go into keeping the body stable.

   

We are now finishing up our unit on Chemistry and looking at chemical reactions. The Year 9 students have enjoyed all the experiments and investigating that this term has offered.

Hey diddle, with a cat and a fiddle, Term 2 is almost done.  Our students have studied and are in quite a hurry to end and have some fun. Many will join me in celebrating our march back toward the sun as we have passed the halfway point of the year.  In Year 10, this momentous event also signifies the end of the examination period. The Year 10 staff would like to congratulate the students on their efforts. 

In the upcoming Term 3, the Science team will begin to look at global weather and the greenhouse effect.  In Maths, we will be moving into units on trigonometry and Pythagoras theorem.  In English, the focus will be on film techniques and how filmmakers use these for a particular effect.  In HASS, the focus will be moving towards a more satisfying science-based geography. 

Term 3 will see the beginning of our transition to Don College and we will be including dates and more information in the newsletter at the start of term 3. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact Mr Jesse Connors or Mrs Sarah Elliott. 

We hope that you all have a happy break. 

Kind Regards,

Richard J. C. Robinson

Many of our Year 10 students have participated in work experience during term two.

Work experience is a great opportunity that helps increase self-understanding, maturity, independence, and self-confidence in our young people. It can increase motivation to continue studying and/or undertake further training. It gives them a better understanding of how the school curriculum can help prepare them for work.

A fabulous time has been had by all students with many making future contacts and employment possibilities in the industry area they hope to pursue. They have gained valuable insight into an industry that they may not have known much about before the experience.

Zara  @ Physio Tas/Strikers

I completed my work experience from the 3rd to the 8th of June with PhysioTas and the Strikers. Whilst on work experience, I got to work in group classes at PhysioTas and at Splash with so many amazing people such as Adam, Rob, Ben, Dan, Abbey, and Mikayla. I also got the chance to attend the Strikers triage sessions with Adam, as well as their rehab group with Taylah. On Saturday, I was strapping ankles and knees and even got to bench with the NC men. I have also been lucky enough to be offered the chance to complete my Sports Trainer course in the future!

Jackson  – Forth Vet

I spent 4 days at the Forth Veterinary Clinic. The experience was really good, the staff were amazing and involved me in all areas. I learned many new skills and gained a lot of knowledge about what it will take to be a Vet. I was given the responsibility of caring for animals while they wait or awake from surgery.  Spending the week on work experience has confirmed my future pathway in this Industry. 

Amber  @1912 Childcare and Education Centre.

Work experience was lots of fun. I worked in the junior/kindy room and preschool room. I really enjoyed working with all the little people who would welcome me with a hug every day. I worked with Amelia, Julie, and Ebony they were lovely, and I learned lots from them.

Ashton  @  GP glass

I really enjoyed it!  I am hoping for an apprenticeship in glazing when I finish Year 10. It’s definitely the career I wish to pursue. I fixed windows on the work site, fixing sashes on old and new buildings.  I liked working with the guys and learning lots from them.

Henry  @ The Cutting Edge:

Cutting Edge was a great company to work with. I painted residential houses, renovating and refreshing the outside, I changed colours and spray-painted a fence. It was satisfying to see the final result.  I did lots of outside activities which was great. It was a really nice working environment with great people to learn from.

A huge thank you to all the businesses and employers who supported our students to connect beyond the classroom. We appreciate your time, care, and the lessons you provided them.

If your child has missed out on work experience this term, there will be another opportunity in Term Three, just ask your teacher or Natasha Armitstead

We have a large number of lost property items at the student window. Please come and check if any of these items belong to you. These items are not named. To ensure lost items are returned back to you, please name clothing.