Thank you

Next week is the 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, work experience, and class excursions. All this while trying to dodge winter sickness and maintain high levels of learning for all.
I have been impressed with the resilience of staff and students in making the most 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 available in Term 3.
We will welcome students back to school on Monday, 21^st July. 

Reporting

The past few weeks have been busy for teachers with assessments and report collation dominating their evenings and weekends. Next week, we have the opportunity to meet with families to discuss progress across all learning areas. Booking for 3 Way Conferences opened up on Monday, 23^rd of June and will close at 8:30am on Monday, 30^th June. Please see our school app, sZapp, for further details on how to book. Our 3-way conference sessions will be on Monday 30^th (3:00-5:30), Tuesday 1^st July (3:00-7:30) and Wednesday 2^nd (3:00-4:30). We will also have Don Staff on hand on Monday 30^th to support Year 10 families with any questions relating to their Year 11 and 12 programs.

Colours Assembly
On Wednesday, 2nd July, 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

We have had 31 of our Year 10 students out on Work Experience this week, with another 19 students due to go out next week. I have received such positive feedback on how they have represented themselves and Reece High School during this time. Tash and Laura 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.

Realising Potential Celebration Night
On Tuesday night, despite the rain, we held our Realising Potential Celebration Night. This showcased a range of talent from our Realising Potential subjects, including: music performances, a dance item, artworks, MDT projects, photos of cooking, and a dramatic play. Well done to all students involved in the amazing showcase of talent. These opportunities allow students to shine and share their pride in their work with families and our community.

Moderation Day/Student Free Day

A few weeks ago, our staff combined with the staff at Devonport High School to run our annual moderation process. This opportunity provided dedicated time for teachers to moderate with colleagues from another school. Our teachers spent time moderating work samples from students at both Devonport High and Reece High. This process allows all teachers to build consensus and understanding of where students are rated for particular pieces of work. It is very timely work as we head into mid-year reporting.

Big Freeze – 2025

On Thursday the 5^th June, we had our Big Freeze/Fight MND event. Students were able to come to school in their PJs, Oodies, warm clothes, and beanies. We collected gold coin donations on the day and added to the total that the Prefects collected from classes during the week. The class with the most money raised had the opportunity to all go down the slide. Each class had a nominated person to go down the slide. Together, we raised $980 to go towards research into finding a cure for MND. Well done!

Years 11 & 12 at Reece High School

At Reece High School, our Year 10 students have started investigating what 2025 will look like for them. Reece High is working closely with Don College and the Mersey/Leven Collective to make sure that our students are well-informed about the course options available to them, so their transition is as smooth as possible. You are most likely aware of the Tasmanian government's plan for extending Years 11 and 12 into high schools. Currently, we have 2 students enrolled in Years 11 and 12 at RHS. For some of our students, the change to Year 11 can be very challenging. It is with these students in mind that we are working with Don College, Devonport High School, Latrobe High School, Ulverstone Secondary College, and Sheffield School to investigate alternative programs for these students. These programs are personalised to the individual student’s needs and may include study at their high school. Work has begun reviewing student data to identify those students who may need additional support in order to complete Year 12. The aim is to assist all of our students in completing their Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

If you feel your child may struggle with the transition to Don College and might benefit from an alternative transition process, please contact Mr Jesse Connors (Transition Coordinator) at school on 6420 8100 or Miss Amber Loone (AST Year 11 and 12) on 6420 8100.

Below are some web-based resources that would help with subject selection and give parents and students access to information that will be helpful.

Resources

Don College Website:    http://doncollege.education.tas.edu.au

TCE planner:       https://www.tasc.tas.gov.au/students/course-planner/

Devonport Winter Solstice Splash

Well done to the brave students, teachers, and prefects who took part in the Devonport Chaplaincy Solstice Swim last Saturday morning. What a great way to show our support to Devonport Chaplaincy and the great work Darra does for our school, year after year. Devonport Chaplaincy organised the cold solstice plunge to raise vital funds to continue Chaplaincy in local schools, and support mentoring, training, our learner driver program, and school breakfasts. We have all benefited from the great work Darra has been doing at Reece over the last several years, and we are keen to see this continue into the future. The solstice plunge was a 3-minute ocean dip at the Bluff.

Conduct in the Community
As members of Reece High School, you represent more than just yourselves—you represent our entire school community. Whether you’re wearing our uniform, participating in activities, or simply spending time in the community, your actions reflect the values we stand for: Respect, Responsibility, Best Effort, and Inclusiveness.

I encourage you to carry these values with you wherever you go. Be kind to others, look out for one another, and make choices that you can be proud of. Remember, people notice how you conduct yourself in the community, how you speak, and how you behave—even when you think no one is watching.

Let’s work together to build a reputation in the community that we can all be proud of. You have the power to make a positive difference.

On the 24th of June, we held our annual Realising Potential evening. The evening is run to celebrate the outstanding talent we have at Reece High School. The evening showcased work from MDT, Art, Drama, Dance, and Music. Work from years 7 to 10 was on displa,y and despite the weather, it was great to see how many people came to support the work that our students have been doing.

MDT displays saw year 7's displaying timber puzzle/maze projects and their metal action figures. Year 8's had device desk tidies, wooden knot puzzles, sliding lid boxes, and slingshot hockey games. Year 9's had timber/metal drawer units. Year 10 building and construction class had their small model houses on display, and Hayden had his timber 'Carlton' box.

The dance item performed at RP night had a focus on interpreting emotions and connecting movement and emotion together. They had looked at connections between dancers, connections to music, and connections to emotion

Music saw a range of performances from a piano solo, a rock band, to a high energy and catchy original written by Ethan. There were many students performing for the first time, but you certainly couldn’t tell because of the confidence and musicality they all displayed.

The year 10 drama item saw them tell the story of William J Astor, who lived and died as the greatest playwright of his time, but only had 1 success.  

All students should be immensely proud of their work, and we look forward to hosting another Realising Potential evening later in the year. 

The past month has seen some exciting events in Music and Dance. On the 5th of June, a group of year 9 and 10 students participated in a collaboration project called Shine – North-West Schools Extravaganza. It involved six schools from the North-West Coast who each performed a 15-minute set. Reece was represented by students from the year 9 dance class and a band with year 9 and 10 students. They all performed with great confidence and were excellent representatives of our school.  It was inspiring to see schools come together in such a collaborative and non-competitive way, celebrating the incredible talent we have along the coast.

On the 18th of June, a number of students were lucky enough to watch the first performance of Don College’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was great to see so many former Reece High students on the stage. Students thoroughly enjoyed the show, although Ayden was very disappointed not to win the Golden Ticket (and a block of chocolate!) during the interval!

In Term 1, a group of students from Year  7-10 participated in the Mathematical Association of Tasmania’s Problem-Solving competition. Over 600 students participated in the Problem-Solving Competition statewide venturing beyond the curriculum to apply logical thinking, reasoning, and mathematical skills.

We are thrilled to announce that out of the 9 schools and 146 students entered in the Junior Section, Edward won 1st place.

Congratulations Edward!

During term 1, the Hub has been busy tidying up the garden with Claire as part of the Devonport Community House Garden Program.

We've pulled weeds, planted seeds and seedlings, and saved our own broccoli, herbs, and flower seeds from last year's crops for future use.

Our garden beds are looking much better, with students offering great ideas for things we can plant this term.

Looking ahead, we'll be doing some soil CPR, creating bug hotels for beneficial insects, and visiting a blackberry farm and cheese factory to learn about cheese-making.

Thanks to this excursion, next term we should be able to make our own cheese! Exciting times ahead! 

In Year 7 WINN English, groups of students have been invested in studying 'George's Marvellous Medicine' by Roald Dahl. Students have been enjoying the text with many a laugh, whilst they develop their reading comprehension skills. They have been focused on retrieving information from the text to support their answers, developing fluency skills to read aloud, and digging deeper into the writer's choices of words used throughout the book to engage the reader. This week, students have been working on developing their own cover for the book, before they finish off by writing their own ending and a book review. By looking at the wonderful examples of front covers, we cannot wait to see the creativity students use to write their own ending!!

English and HASS

Shakespeare Lives On in Year 8! Year 8 students dove headfirst into the world of William Shakespeare—and no, he’s definitely not dead! Students have been sharpening their oral language skills by reciting some of his most iconic lines and phrases. The highlight? A chance to perform a dramatic death scene from one of Shakespeare’s famously gory plays. Oh, the drama!
Mr Yeates brought Romeo and Juliet to life with a dynamic walked synopsis, where students stepped into character to act out the key events of the play. Through this interactive experience, students explored timeless themes like love, betrayal, fate, power, and jealousy.
Teachers have also been guiding students through the skills of decoding Shakespearean language, helping them interpret and appreciate the richness of his words. Up next: an assessment where students will translate and summarise a scene from Romeo and Juliet in their own words.

Maths:
In Maths, we are deep in our "Measurement" unit. We have finished learning about perimeter and have started area. This is where those future builders, farmers and labourers really shine! Look out for our Year 8s who will build your house or carpet your floor in the future!

Science:
In Science, we have been learning about energy. We are experts on energy types, energy transfer, and energy transformations. We are investigating the effect drop height has on the bounce height of tennis and ping pong balls. This is our first assignment where we are writing our own scientific report.

Attendance Goal

The goal: Make Mrs Baxter “zooper dooper´ proud with the highest-class attendance rate at the end of the term. Term 1 winners = 9D.

Current class attendance %:

9A – 82%

9B – 80% (but we did win the highest Year 9 attendance for cross country!)

9C – 81%

9D – 83%

9E – 82%

Student movements

New to 9A - Maddi

New to 9C – Cayla

New to 9E - Violet

Staff movements

Mr. Eeles – out for the remainder of Term Two (9A + Maths WINN)

Mr. Schmidt – in for the remainder of Term Two (9A + Maths WINN)

Maths

A new unit started this week: Quadratics! Students are learning how to expand and factorise monic expressions, and they are diving into the world of quadratic equations. This includes understanding the standard form of a quadratic equation, solving them using various methods such as factoring, completing the square, and the quadratic formula.

In addition to these foundational skills, students will explore real-world applications of quadratics, such as projectile motion.

A group of enthusiastic Year 9 students recently had the exciting opportunity to attend a mathematics incursion hosted by the University of Melbourne. The session focused on the fascinating world of optimisation—the art and science of finding the "best" solution to complex problems.

Through hands-on activities and expert guidance, students explored real-world applications of mathematical thinking, learning how optimisation plays a crucial role in fields like engineering, economics, and computer science. It was a fantastic chance for our students to stretch their problem-solving skills and gain insight into how maths is used beyond the classroom.

We’re proud of our students for representing the school so well and embracing this enriching experience!

English

Poetry in Action – at the end of this term, the members from Poetry in Action will be visiting our school to perform for all of our Year 9 students. We have been lucky enough to have them perform in previous years, and are looking forward to seeing their ‘Words of War’ performance this year. This will lead us into our Poetry Unit next term.

Science

We are continuing with our Earth Science unit. In Year 9 Science, students are diving into the carbon cycle—a vital Earth system that connects all living and non-living things. This cycle shows how carbon moves through the geosphere (land), biosphere (living things), hydrosphere (water), and atmosphere (air).

Key processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and combustion play essential roles:

Photosynthesis: Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into energy, storing carbon in the biosphere.

Respiration: Animals and plants release carbon back into the atmosphere as they break down food for energy.

Combustion: Burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon from the geosphere into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

By examining these interactions, students gain a deeper understanding of how Earth's systems are interconnected—and how human actions can impact the balance of this delicate cycle.

HaSS

Our journey through the Industrial Revolution continues as students begin their final assessment: Source Analysis. This task challenges students to apply their historical thinking by analysing primary and secondary sources. To support their success, we are emphasising the importance of accurate in-text citations, APA referencing, and strong inferencing skills. These focus areas will help students build on their previous assessments and demonstrate their growth as critical thinkers.

Science Meets the Kitchen: Year 9 Students Create Fruit Caviar!

During this term, students in Year 9 Foods dove into the delicious world of molecular gastronomy – a culinary technique that blends science and cooking. The result? Fruit caviar!

Fruit caviar involves using chemistry to transform fruit juice into tiny, jewel-like spheres that burst with flavour. The process involves a technique called spherification, where fruit juice is mixed with a setting powder called agar agar and then dropped into cold oil. The result? A thin gel-like skin forms around each droplet, creating a texture similar to real caviar, but fruity and sweet! You might have tried it in a bubble tea?

Students worked in groups with their given fruit (lemon, orange, berries), where they followed step-by-step instructions to create their caviar. The activity not only taught students about food chemistry but also encouraged creativity, teamwork, and precision. Plus, it was a great way to see how science can be applied in the kitchen!

Like a geomagnetic storm, the end of term is raging ever closer.  With the skies alight with the aurora of our students’ potential energy, exams are marching towards us like the coronal mass ejection from sol (that’s Spanish for sun).  The exams are an opportunity for student to refine their study skills in preparation for either Don next year or apprenticeship aptitude tests in the near future.  Like the discovery of a new astral body, students will also have a brand-new experience with their upcoming work experiences.  Students also attended the RYDA driver awareness course, ran by local members of the Devonport Rotary Club. 

Like a comet from the outer reaches of our galaxy, the University of Melbourne staged an incursion at Reece High School, relaying ways in which the maths taught at school can be applied in practical and real-world situations. Last week also saw the running of the annual cross-country carnival; one of this writer’s favourite moments of the school calendar, up there with Navidad and Pascua de Resurreccion (Spanish, again).  Much fun was had by all who attended, and there were wails of despair and gnashing of teeth by those students who missed this intergalactic event.  Thanks to the HPE team for all of the effort in organising this event. 

By Jehanne C

In Grade 10 hospitality, students have had the chance to experience an intro to espresso course at Drysdale. Each group had the pleasure of being taught coffee skills by David. We learnt 10 basic coffees and basic skills such as creating an espresso shot and foaming milk; we also had some attempts at latte art. It was helpful getting to know what TAFE courses look like and what being a barista is like as a potential career path. We look forward to seeing what our grade 10 hospitality students do in the future with this knowledge.

The annual RHS Cross Country Carnival was held on Tuesday, May 27th. Congratulations to the 300 participants on their energy, team spirit, personal best efforts, and for embracing the challenge.

In preparation, students have been working hard in HPE lessons, dedicating 30 minutes to continuous movement each lesson with the goal of improving cardiovascular fitness and overall well-being. This term, our focus value has been responsibility, which students have demonstrated by bringing their drink bottles to PE, a small but important reminder of the role hydration plays in our health. Additionally, every bottle brought to PE earned House points, adding to the competitive spirit. Over the holidays, many staff and students took the challenge further with our Strava Challenge. Staying active and earning even more points for their House. Congratulations to all Champions, Runner Ups, and Mersey as the winning house!

On Wednesday, 4th June, the Reece High School Cross-Country Interhigh team travelled to Dial Park in Penguin to compete against schools from across the North-West Coast. Every team member gave their all, demonstrating determination, sportsmanship, and true school spirit.

We are excited to announce that Reece High School was crowned the Division C Champions!

Special congratulations to our standout performers:

Bailey C – 1st place, Year 10 Boys

Elysha H – 2nd place, Year 10 Girls

Eva P – 2nd place, Year 9 Girls

Will S – 5th place, Year 10 Boys

Josh G – 10th place, Year 10 Boys

Ciel F – 9th place, Year 8 Boys

Maya M – 7th place, Year 7 Girls (despite a delayed start!)

A special shoutout to our Year 7 Girls, who showed incredible resilience after missing the start of their race. They still ran with heart and achieved some outstanding times!

Thank you to everyone for your contributions we raised approx $980 for MND

Who knew maths could be so much fun?! On Friday, 30th May, 60 students participated in a maths workshop run by the University of Melbourne Outreach program. Our junior school students immersed themselves in modular arithmetic, exploring the mathematics behind codes. In the senior school, students explored mathematical optimisation and its application to everyday life. We are extremely grateful for the exciting and engaging learning opportunities that the team from the University of Melbourne provided our students and look forward to continuing to participate in enrichment and extension opportunities in the future.