Dear Parents/Carers

Thank you to everyone who supported our Trivia Night last Friday evening.  Congratulations and thank you to our Student Leaders under the guidance of Rebecca Glasby, for the significant work they undertook in bringing the event together. These nights are always a bit of fun and healthy competition, while also raising valuable funds for the students’ legacy gift. Whether you participated on the night, were part of the catering class with Todd Nankervis who prepared the food platters, donated gifts and prizes, or helped the event behind the scenes, thank you for contributing to a great night for our school community.

Over the past fortnight there have been many opportunities for engagement, extension and enrichment of student learning through the ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) academic competitions in Writing and English, the Australian Mathematics Competition, Young Tassie Scientists visiting our school, Write A Book In A Day and the Dance/Drama/Music excursion to the Launceston College production, “Bring It On’.  We also have students involved in online extension programs, a Japanese Club, Games Club, Music tutorials and opportunities for students to get extra assistance with Mathematics or their Artwork during the lunchbreak. Just last week Nathan Meurant started the first lunch time Music History Listening group with 16 students spending their lunch listening to an important piece of orchestral music, followed by some group discussions about the compositional aspects of the music. It is great to see students embracing these opportunities and thank you to our wonderful staff for providing these extra experiences for our students. In the near future, we also have the spelling competition, Beacon Polish lunch, Netball Championships and S.W.A.T. (Success, Wellbeing, Aspiration, Teamwork) Day on 20 August.

We have been considering for a while how we can continue to improve our sporting facilities and strengthen community partnerships to enable better access. I am pleased to advise that we have just signed an agreement with AFL Tasmania under the Breaking New Ground Program, which will provide significant funding for the undertaking of detailed project scoping and feasibility work resulting in the development of an AFL Partnership Opportunity Plan. The AFL is supportive of our interest to partner with them to provide better sporting facilities and access for the community. In addition, we have also secured a grant to install an electronic scoreboard on our site. While the grant will only pay for a portion of this, we will be contributing the balance. I would like to acknowledge the support of Brendan Poke and Wendy Dalton in working towards our vision in this regard.

After analysing our school summary for 2024 NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy), it was very pleasing that our mean scores for each NAPLAN domain (reading, numeracy, writing, grammar/punctuation and spelling) were above similar schools in every instance for Years 7 and 9.  Similarly, for both year groups, the percentage of students with strong or exceeding proficiency levels all exceeded similar school results across all five domains.  Results for Tasmania and Australia will be released in the near future and this will allow for further analysis and comparison. While all our relative gain data for Year 9 was positive, of particular note was numeracy and grammar/punctuation, both with 80% of students achieving medium to high gains. These are some great results for our school community to celebrate and be proud of.

On Friday 2 August students, staff and parents/carers should have all received a message from me providing an update regarding ongoing work that has been happening with student uniform and some of the future changes that will occur. For those who may wish to inspect physical samples, we hope to have these available in coming weeks and certainly by the end of the term. You will be asked to vote on the preferred polo top in due course. This process will be transitional and we certainly want this to occur in a strategic and supportive manner. Please be reminded that if students are wearing additional coats or jackets to school, then these should be removed and stowed upon arrival at school. Similarly, students should not be wearing non-uniform items underneath their uniform which are exposed (e.g. the hood of a hoodie hanging out the back of a spray jacket or rugby top). Thank you for your ongoing support with student uniform.

For the first time, the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (or NDA) has expanded into a week-long initiative – now known as Bullying No Way: National Week of Action (being held this year from 12 to 16 August 2024). The new hero colour (purple) symbolises peace, strength and standing up against bullying in a bold way. This year’s theme is’ Everyone Belongs’. Belonging keeps us connected and is a powerful protection against bullying. In school, belonging is like a superpower against bullying. It's what brings us together, makes us stronger and helps us understand and support each other. We all have a part to play in promoting inclusion, respect and belonging.

Some of our Year 10 students will be away this weekend on the Melbourne Trip. Thank you to parents and carers who attended the information session on Wednesday 7 August. I wish all students and staff participating, an enjoyable, interesting and safe excursion.  Thank you to teachers James Guy, Nicole Lynch and Steph Sheedy who have given up their weekend and time away from family, to provide this fantastic opportunity for our senior students. I look forward to hearing the recounts upon their return.

Regards

Cary Stocks
Principal

As part of our Positive Behaviour Support Program at Kings Meadows we will be acknowledging students who have been contributing positively to our learning environment.  This means that they have been supporting our school wide expectations.

Respect for others, self and environment

Organisation

Commitment to learning

Keeping safe

Sensible behaviour

We would like to acknowledge the following students:

Year 7:

Alice Rymer – For continuously following the R.O.C.K.S. and setting a good example to her peers.  

Quinton Brown – For showing improvement and perseverance in his learning and always having a positive attitude.  

Year 8:

Merryn Williams – For demonstrating a consistent and engaged commitment to learning over the last two weeks.

Bronx Kearney-Saunders - For showing an improved attitude and commitment to learning and a big improvement in his daily attendance.

Year 7 students have jumped right back into the swing of things in Term 3! As always, we are impressed by the consistently high standard set by our students in terms of living up to our R.O.C.K.S. expectations both in class and in the yard.

Last week, several Year 7 classes were lucky to work with Young Tassie Scientists from UTAS. This program gives students exposure to a variety of future pathways available in Science, expanding on their understanding in an engaging manner. This year, students learnt about some of the big picture issues and solutions considered by health scientists, deepened their understanding of density and applied this to thinking about planets and worked with a conservationist to create a plan to protect ring-tailed possums in a woodland area. It was fantastic to see our Year 7 students highly engaged with our guest presenters and their presentations and we thank the Young Tassie Scientists Program for providing this opportunity.

At the end of the week, we will be saying a temporary farewell to Mr Battle as he goes on a period of extended leave. He will be returning later this year. We welcome Mr Steer to the Year 7 team, who will be taking over Mr Battle’s classes during this period. Mr Steer is an experienced teacher who is well known to our students, who I am sure will make him feel welcome.

As usual, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s Class Teacher if you have any queries or concerns, or messages to pass on throughout the term. We look forward to continuing to work with families to achieve the best outcomes for every student.

Year 7 Contact Details

7A Class Teacher – Mrs Anu Grewal - anu.grewal@decyp.tas.gov.au

7B Class Teacher – Miss Isabella Darsaklis - isabella.darsakli@decyp.tas.gov.au

7C Class Teacher – Miss Eloise Hart - eloise.hart@decyp.tas.gov.au

7D Class Teacher – Mr Matt Battle - mathew.battle@decyp.tas.gov.au

7E Class Teacher – Mr Matt Chatwin - matthew.chatwin@decyp.tas.gov.au

Additional teachers working with Year 7:

Mrs Renee Lunson - renee.lunson@decyp.tas.gov.au

Mr George Edmondson - george.edmondson@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 Leader – Mr Scott Brewer - scott.brewer@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 AST – Mr Robert Johns - robert.p.johns@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 Assistant Principal - Mrs Kate Hume - kate.hume@decyp.tas.gov.au

We invite parents to contact us either by email or by phoning the school 6343 1000.

There has been a lot to celebrate since our last Year 8 newsletter item.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate Daegan Withington on his selection into the State U14 Hockey Squad. Through this selection Daegan can increase his skills and competitive spirit against other high players across Tasmania and a potential future opportunity to play at a national level in Perth, Western Australia later this year.  We wish him continued success in his sporting endeavours and congratulate him on this wonderful achievement.

Reading continues to be a focus here at Kings Meadows High School and I would like to thank and congratulate Alix, Taylor, Imani, Bella A and Dakota for producing their book ‘The Documentary Move’. I would also like to congratulate Ambria, Amalie, Scarlett, Isla, Charlotte, Bella H, Evie and Jarvis for their significant achievement in writing their book ‘The Search for Kaylah’ and finally I would like to congratulate Ella F, Oceane, Mahi and Josie for writing and illustrating their book ‘The Lurking Eyes’ on Monday 5 August during our 'Write a Book in a Day Challenge'.  Not only did these dedicated students write and illustrate some wonderful literature but they were also able to demonstrate a sense of teamwork, collaboration, problem solving and prioritisation by working together to overcome challenges to produce their work.  Our Year 8 staff are certainly proud of all these students for the way they demonstrated our KMHS R.O.C.K.S. and also our DECYP Values of Connection, Courage, Growth, Respect and Responsibility through their work on the day.    

Thank you to Miss Attard, Mr Karas, Mrs White and Mr Carswell who joined Mr Stocks to compete against parents and other staff in our recent ‘School Trivia Night’ last Friday 9 August. Although we didn’t win as a team, we certainly held our own finishing in the top 5 on the night against 12 teams.  Our team had lots of fun on the night and enjoyed being part of such a wonderful student led event.  Congratulations to the Year 10 team for placing first on the night!

Our current attendance inquiry shows that our Year 8 students are currently sitting above our School Improvement Plan goal of reaching a school wide target of 81.2%.  We are currently sitting above 82% for our cohort and students are now more consistently starting to show improvement to their attendance week after week.  Thank you to our parents who are supporting our current focus, we have more effort to put into this space but from time to time it’s nice to see that we are on track and ahead of our current target.

Finally, I would like to wish our students every success in their upcoming S.W.A.T. Day on Tuesday 20 August and to also thank our team of staff, specifically Miss Attard, for her role in planning activities on the day.  We look forward to working with Grade 1/2 students from Youngtown Primary School during Blocks 2-4 when they engage in a range of student designed and led activities that provide engaging and supportive partnerships between primary and high school students. 

I would also like to wish Mr Withington and Mrs Selby all the best while they share the leadership of our Year 8 team whilst I’m on Long Service Leave until 30 August. 

Year 8 contact details:

8A Class Teacher – Mr Todd Nankervis - todd.nankervis@decyp.tas.gov.au

8B Class Teacher – Mr Leigh Richardson - leigh.richardson@decyp.tas.gov.au

8C Class Teacher – Ms Sherron Casey - sherron.casey@decyp.tas.gov.au

8D Class Teacher – Mrs Emma Dobson - emma.l.dobson@decyp.tas.gov.au

8E Class Teacher – Mr Dylan Warren - dylan.warren@decyp.tas.gov.au

8F Class Teacher – Mr Nick Stokes - nick.stokes@decyp.tas.gov.au

Additional teachers working with Year 8:

Mrs Jade Howard - jade.howard@decyp.tas.gov.au

Mrs Jo Bent - joanna.bent@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 8 Leader – Miss Emma Attard - emma.attard@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 8 Leader – Mr Daniel Richardson - daniel.richardson@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 8 AST – Mr Nathan Karas - nathan.karas@decyp.tas.gov.au

Year 8 Assistant Principal – Mrs Kate Hume  kate.hume@decyp.tas.gov.au

Name:   Debbie Rigby 

Role at KMHS:   Admin, office lady!! 

What is the best book you’ve ever read?  

Oh, there have been so many – maybe the last one, it was really good but I cannot remember all the ones that I have read and liked as I don’t keep a record!!  'Reminders of Him – Coleen Hoover'.  

Which book is on your ‘to-read’ list at the moment?
All of them!!!   

What is it that you enjoy the most about reading?  
I have a very active mind, so I read to keep it busy.  If I read the first couple of pages and feel like I am not interested, I don’t take in the words, so I usually give up and go on to another book.  I really should persevere because some books do start slow but it needs to grab my attention and interest straight up or I lose focus!! 

Name: Eloise Hart 

Role at KMHS: English and HaSS teacher 

What is the best book you’ve ever read?
It is difficult to pick just one book as ‘the best I have ever read’ as I read across a range of genres. In the fantasy genre, my favourite books would be the classic Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling and almost anything by author Sarah J. Maas because I love the detail that both authors put into creating fantastical worlds with three dimensional characters, creatures and politics. Whereas, in the historical fiction genre, I am obsessed with Kristen Hannah. She is fantastic at retelling women’s roles across crucial moments in history and her book The Nightingale brought me to tears. I highly recommend her novels to everyone I meet!

Which book is on your ‘to-read’ list at the moment?
I have two books on my, ‘to read’ list at the moment. One book is called Spark of the Everflame which is a fantasy book recommended to me by another teacher at the school and the other is a psychological thriller by author, Alex Michaelides, 'The Silent Patient', which I keep hearing really positive reviews for.

What is it that you enjoy the most about reading?
The thing that I love about reading is how immersive it is. I get lost in good books and love being transported to other worlds and other eras across history.

Name: Scott Brewer 

Role at KMHS: Teacher and Grade Leader Year 7

What is the best book you’ve ever read?
One Minute to Midnight: This is about the Cuban Missile Crisis where the United States and Russia became agonisingly close to full nuclear war.  Russia began transporting medium range ballistic missiles to the island of Cuba, which were uncovered by photographs taken by American U2 spy planes.  When pressured in the United Nations, Russia denied the existence, to be proven wrong and then the subsequent back room deals done to prevent the break out of nuclear war.  A significant event in world history, the evidence of a calm President John F Kennedy and his Russian counterpart Nikita Krushchev. A must read for those who enjoy history and non-fiction.

Which book is on your ‘to-read’ list at the moment?
The Winter King trilogy by Bernard Cornwall.

What is it that you enjoy the most about reading?
Reading provides me the down time before sleep.  It allows my brain to switch off and for total relaxation.  Reading is also great for building brain fitness, expanding knowledge and vocabulary.  Non-fiction books also allow for understanding about the world around us.

Write a Book in a Day was a jam-packed event, full of team collaboration and commitment to the completion of each team's novels. On Monday 5 August, teams worked tirelessly from 8am right up until 8pm.

The day kicked off with teams planning and brainstorming their novels with the themes and words that were provided, meticulously crafting their novel whilst illustrators carefully designed imagery that reflected their stories. After recess, teams rejoined each other with an abundance of snacks to fuel themselves to reach a word count goal. Teams spent several hours both writing and illustrating for their book. Illustrators brought their images to life through vivid drawings and bright colours whilst writers crafted engaging novels. When this was achieved each team polished off their novel through endless editing.

At 5:30pm pizza arrived which created an influx of hungry students swarming the pizza. By the end of the night all teams rushed to put together the remaining parts of the novel and hand it off to Mrs Hart. At 8pm all students were raring to leave and head home to a night of well rested sleep after the day's exhausting activities. Thank you to all of the staff who supported students throughout the event. 

Written by Charlize Peters and Chelsea Whitchurch- 10F

Leadership Staff

Support Staff