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Dear Parents/Guardians
It is hard to believe we are in week 4 of the term already. Last week I had the pleasure of sitting on a school review panel for 3 days on the North West Coast. All public schools in Tasmania have an external review every 4 years and this is a wonderful opportunity to learn and share with colleagues as well as giving and receiving valuable feedback as a school. This time makes me reflect on our wonderful school and as I said to the Grade 8’s at their assembly last week; I was very excited to come back “home” on Thursday. Not because the school I was visiting was not good, I was just looking forward to coming back to our wonderful learning environment where everyone contributes to make it a calm, welcoming and respectful place to learn and work.
This was certainly affirmed to me last Friday when I had a school visit from my new School Improvement Leader – Mrs Sam Woodham and Executive Director Learning -Ms Ann Fedyk. Ms Fedyk is a past Principal of KMHS and both were overwhelmed and amazed by our wonderful school as we toured. They commented on not only the beautiful learning environments but how calm and settled the students were and what a lovely “feel” the school had. Such lovely feedback to receive and I certainly ensured that they knew this is because of everyone’s contribution to our positive culture.
We have had some other fabulous events that have also contributed to this culture:
Leadership Camp
All of our senior student leaders have attended their Leadership Camp at Camp Banksia in Port Sorell on Monday 10th February to Wednesday 12th February. They spent time learning more about their roles and responsibilities and planning their year ahead. A big thank you to Mrs Hodges, Mr Neilson, Mrs Williams, Ms Vernon, Mr Chamberlain and Mrs Selby for attending the camp. I spent the morning with the group on Wednesday and was extremely impressed with how collaborative and supportive they all were of each other regardless of what group or roles and positions they will be undertaking. They have already brainstormed fabulous mottos and slogans and have an exciting array of ideas already for the year ahead. I have full confidence that they will be another outstanding group.
GRIP conference
Last week was a busy week for our new senior student leaders. On Tuesday 18th February a contingent representing all the leadership groups attended the Grip Leadership Conference with Mrs Hodges. I know that every year this conference provides students with some wonderful ideas and strategies to then share collaboratively with the whole student leadership group on return.
Induction Assembly
On Thursday 13th February these wonderful student leaders were formally inducted into their roles. This occurred at the Induction Assembly where they pledged their oaths and received their badges and blazers. Even though I was unable to attend due to another DoE executive meeting I know that the assembly was a wonderful event with past student Hamish Sytsma speaking and the keynote address was delivered by Mrs Wightman’s husband Brian around leadership and I know was very motivational. The celebrations continued at a reception function for the students and family members and was once again exceptionally catered for by our catering team. Thank you to everyone involved in ensuring our Induction Assembly was a wonderful event for all.
Welcome Barbeque and Communication
Thank you to all those families who attended our annual Welcome BBQ event last Monday evening. I apologise for my absence again due to undertaking the school review, but I know that the feedback I have received from parents and staff has been very positive about this event. We certainly know that to educate children requires a collaboration and positive partnership with families and to meet so many of our new families was wonderful for staff. We also know that not everyone can attend these events but certainly stress that our communication channels are always open. Please call and make an appointment to speak with a teacher, email is also a great way to make contact and we have access through Schoolzine App. We are very active on our social media sites communicating information to families and at times I will send out important information to families via an email.
F1 in Schools Nationals
Our F1 in Schools Racing Team – “Red Sprite Racers” (Ella Copeland, Riana Francia, Cleo Taylor, Chilli Kettle and Jaxon Bassett) are travelling to the National Final in Victoria early March to compete again against school teams from across the nation. This is a fabulous achievement from our team who won the State Final late last year and their second time at Nationals. It does come at a considerable expense. The team has been working very hard to secure sponsorship to cover expenses and materials needed to be able to compete equitably with others on the big stage.
The team held a Free Dress day last week to also assist with some fundraising. However, they are always happy to receive any other sponsorship they can. If you are able to assist, please contact the main office. We will bring more exciting updates about their competition soon.
Mobile Phone Policy Update
We have been very impressed with the way our students have adopted the new State Government Mobile Phone Policy ”Off and Away”. Students have been very respectful of the policy and the restrictions and I would also like to thank families for their support. If you need to contact your child during the school day please do so through the main office. If your child is unwell they need to go to the main office and First Aid and we will again provide assistance and contact home. This means we can monitor and support our students well.
Maree Pinnington
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:
Grade 7:
Sharni Farrell - for setting herself high academic standards and applying herself in all aspects of her schooling.
Dylan Copolov - for making a wonderful start at Kings Meadows High School and consistently following the ROCKS, making himself a fantastic role model within 7A.
Grade 8:
Jaslyn Freestone - for an excellent start to Grade 8 and displaying the ROCKS expectations in classes.
Grace de Jong - for settling in well to all her classes and always trying her best.
Lilian McCormack - for always being willing to support and help all students and staff.
Marcus Kelly - for being supportive and kind to new students within the class.
Grade 9:
Emilie Kirby – for consistently looking out for others.
Ethan Stebbings – for a positive attitude and consistent effort towards his mathematics work.
Grade 10:
Hannah Crawford - for always following the ROCKS and showing kindness and compassion to her fellow peers.
Maddi Gray - for always following the ROCKS and supporting the Grade 7 students in her role as a Peer Support Leader.
Welcome to the second article for Grade 7. We are pleased with students’ progress so far and the way they have settled into routine. There are lots of exciting events coming up so have a look at the upcoming events section. We would also like to welcome back Mrs Hume who has returned from her honeymoon. We hope she has had a great first week back!
Celebrations
In Grade 7 we love to celebrate student achievement both inside and outside of school. We would like to encourage all students and families to contact their class teacher to share their successes without grade.
Congratulations to:
- Jonte Groves 7C who represented the Launceston Touch Association at the state cup last weekend.
- Toby Harrop 7F who last weekend participated in the National Skills Acquisition Festival in Devonport for Soccer
We also had a number of student successes through Little Athletics in both state and centre championships
- Caitlin Lyons - Javelin, High Jump, 200 (PB)
- Lucy Smith - 800m (bronze), High Jump, Javelin, 200m, 70m
- Lucas Freestone - Field Relay Hobart (Silver-State Champs), Javelin 2nd, High Jump (PB)
- Lochie Harris - Javelin (Gold), 200m, 70m (Gold), High jump (Gold), 800m (Silver)
- Riley Harris - Relays 4 gold Hobart State Champs, 70m (Silver), 200m (Silver), High Jump (Second), Javelin (PB-Bronze)
Grade Focus
Our Grade focus for the first part of Term 1 is students knowing and following our ROCKS expectations.
ROCKS stands for:
R - Respect, ourselves, each other and our environment
O - Organisation
C - Commitment to learning
K - Keeping Safe
S - Sensible Behaviour
Our current focus is following the ROCKS at break times, in particular the common room and canteen spaces. Where there are a large number of students in areas around the school we are focusing on being safe and respecting our beautiful learning environments
Celebrations
In Grade 8 we are celebrating a very settled start to the term, with fantastic learning and collaboration happening in our classrooms. Last week, we completed our iPad rollout for 2020 with Grade 8 students. Our staff worked with students to provide them with a refresher in order to utilise the full functionality of the iPads. This week, staff will all participate in further Apple training to enable us to maximise the learning opportunities that iPads can provide.
We would also like to congratulate Grade 8 students on their adherence to the new Department of Education ‘Off and Away’ policy. Students have been very co-operative around ensuring that their mobile phones remain locked in their lockers throughout the day. The Grade 8 teaching team have been very impressed with the way students have been able to focus on their learning, as well as their positive social interactions in the school grounds at break times.
We are very proud of our cohort and we look forward to the many exciting upcoming events at KMHS, including our Swimming Carnival!
Grade Focus
- Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Using these questions to filter our thoughts and actions.
Celebrations
Just like that we are already 4 weeks into the term. This week in Grade 9 we will be choosing our class leaders. Nominated students will present a short speech to their class teacher group and voting will commence immediately prior to that. Students should grasp these opportunities when they are presented to them and we look forward to working with our nominated leaders for this term.
Congratulations to Phoebe Atkins for her selection in the Tasmanian Junior Girls Cricket Team travelling to Canberra this week. We wish her all the best and look forward to hearing about her successes.
Grade Focus
For the next few weeks the Grade 9’s major focus will be on settling into their new classes and subjects and creating a strong work ethic from Day 1. Students will also be setting themselves some goals to achieve for the year either academically, socially or in their leadership aspirations.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind all students to ensure they have all required equipment for their lessons, including calculators, change of HPE gear, books and writing materials.
Celebrations
A fantastic Leadership Camp and Induction Assembly.
16 Student Leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference at the Tailrace.
Grade Focus
In Grade 10 students are focusing on taking responsibility for their learning. A strong year of teamwork and maturity will set the tone for our culture of positive learning outcomes. We are excited to welcome our new students into our culture and continue to build strong relationships with staff and students preparing us for post Year 10 studies and work.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Mitchell Bingham is representing Tasmania at the Clay Target shooting championships in Melbourne and Albury during May.
Abbie Butler is representing Tasmania at the National Junior Championships in Sydney competing in the Under 17 Steeplechase and 1500m.
Nykahlia Down has been selected in the NTJFA Representative team (Football).
F1 RED SPRITE RACERS:
After having come away from our last F1 in Schools competition as State champions, the Red Sprites Racing Team is preparing for the National Finals in March of 2020. Their current focus is on publicity in the aim of making our name a known one. This will help as we continue to contact businesses around Tasmania and even around the world in hope of receiving material, mentorship or financial support. We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the team over the past few years and also mention our sponsors which made our journey to winning the State Final possible; Island Block and Paving, Definium Technologies, Reece Plumbing, Think Big, Tamar River Cruises, Wyllie Tiles, YMCA and Chilli FM. If you would like to hear more about the competition, follow us on Instagram @redspritesracing or send us an email at redspritescbce@gmail.com.
On Thursday 13th February, the student leaders presented their pledges for 2020 and were presented with their blazers at the Induction Assembly. The leaders were fortunate to have the following guest speakers; Mr Brian Wightman, Mr Hamish Systma and Beacon representative Ms Ebony Bridle who assisted in inducting our student leaders. Many family members attended and afterwards joined us for morning tea. We thank our guest speakers, presenters for the time and effort you took to share your thoughts, experiences and advice and we thank Mr Pedersen plus the catering team for supplying the morning tea.
We have had a great start to the year thanks to some outstanding preparation from our wonderful teaching and dedicated teams. I’m always delighted when I see our senior students step up and lead. They have certainly been great peer support to our Grade 7 students helping with a range of administrative activities. The whole school approach to welcoming our Grade 7 students has created a seamless and enjoyable transition to High School. Thanks especially to Miss Males, Ms Vernon and Mrs Poslon for developing and implementing a comprehensive student transition program that has underpinned our wonderful start to Grade 7.
Thank you to all parents and carers for ensuring that our students have been prepared for their start to High School. As always, we invite parent contact as we know relationships between home and school are key to our students experiencing success.
Our annual Welcome BBQ was held on Monday 17th February. It was wonderful to observe proud students sharing with younger siblings their new classroom, locker and student common room. We were especially appreciative when our students introduced us to their family it was so very nice to meet everyone. We look forward to continuing the conversations about social, emotional and academic achievement over the course of this year. Good partnerships between home and school supports our students to achieve. For day to day information at school the first person to contact is your child’s class teacher.
You may find your child is more tired at the end of this week. Negotiating new routines, finding classrooms, experiencing new subjects and developing relationships is exhausting work. Please encourage your child to enjoy plenty of sleep each night. The Australian Parenting website suggests just over 9 hours sleep for teenagers. For more information:
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/sleep_early_teens.html
Plenty of sleep will support your child to be ready for learning and to face the challenges and wonderful opportunities on offer at Kings Meadows High School.
Mrs Wightman - Assstant Principal
We would like to advise of upcoming work in Blaydon Street (Janet to Guy Streets). Work is scheduled to commence on 3 March 2020 with an 8 week construction period. The work includes the construction of a new road to rectify pavement failures, as well as the installation of subsoil drains and pedestrian access ramps. The road surface will also receive a new asphalt seal. During the work there will be some traffic delays and disruptions. Traffic management will be in place to direct traffic, ensuring access is maintained.
Please note that the road will be closed to through traffic for a period of 2 weeks to facilitate road pavement construction. The Council will work closely with their contractors to ensure disruptions are minimal and will keep you updated with progress and also advise when the road will be closed. Thank you for your support and patience.
Attention: Parents and Carers
Student Wellbeing Survey
The wellbeing of our students is important to us.
To get an understanding of how students across Tasmania feel about their own wellbeing, students in Year 7 – 10 at Kings Meadows High School will be taking part in a wellbeing survey.
The Student Wellbeing Survey is part of the Department of Education’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy.
The details for the survey are:
When: Between March 10 -April 3, during a Health lesson
Who: 7-10
What do I need to do: You and your child don’t need to do anything. The survey will be done in class time and will not require your child to prepare in any way.
A letter with more information has been sent home with all students, including Frequently Asked Questions and a form to sign and return to the school if you do not want your child to participate in the survey.
If you would like further information, please contact Kate Blaubaum via email: kate.blaubaum@education.tas.gov.au
Thank you for supporting us to ensure that all our learners are safe, feel supported and are able to flourish, so they can engage in learning.
UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS 2020
Tuesdays - 1.30pm - 2.30pm
Thursdays - 2.30pm - 3.30pm
STOCK UPDATE:
Midford shirts and boys shorts are stocked up again.
All girls summer dress sizes are back in stock.
Winter skirts are back in stock.
All sizes of sports polo tops are available again.
Rugby jumpers will be approximately 2 weeks.
Spray jackets will be the middle of March.
TERM 1
- Monday 24 February - KMHS Aquatic program begins - ends 20 March
- Monday 9 March - Eight Hour Day Public Holiday
- Friday 13 March - KMHS Swimming Carnival (Launceston Aquatic Centre)
- Tuesday 17 March - Whole School Photos
- Wednesday 18 March - Friday 20 March - Grade 7 Camp - Camp Clayton, Ulverstone
- Thursday 26 March - Photo catch up day
- Tuesday 31 March - Grade 7 & 10 immunisations
- Friday 3 April – NHSSA Division 1 Swimming Carnival (Launceston Aquatic Centre)
- Wednesday 8 April - Last day for students Term 1
- Thursday 9 April - Student Free Day
- Friday 10 April - Good Friday holiday
- Monday 13 April - Friday 24 April (School Holidays)
- Monday 27 April - First day of Term 2 for students