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Dear Parents/Guardians
Welcome back to Term 4 and a special welcome to all our new students and families.
As I said last week to everyone, Term 4 is such an exciting term for a school with lots of activities events and celebrations. This will certainly be the case for Kings Meadows and we look forward to sharing all of these events and celebrations with everyone through our Newsletter and Social Media sites.
Footy Gala Day
On the last day of last term, we hosted the senior teams playing in the NHSSA Girls Football Gala Day and despite inclement weather, a fabulous day was had by all. The Junior Girls played at Brooks High School and were very competitive and our Senior Girls thoroughly enjoyed their day coming out victors in the end which was a wonderful achievement against strong opposition. Well done to all who participated.
Momentum
Last term we had Marcus Kelly, Charlotte McLennan, Jasmine Jones and Lincoln Newman-Beams involved in the Examiner’s journalism program where they learnt vital skills involved in being a journalist including research, interviews, editing and producing a publication. The launch of the publication “Momentum” was held on 26th September and hopefully many of you have seen the finished product from these students. The skills they learnt were invaluable and motivational for those on a career pathway especially into journalism.
F1 In Schools Success
Our school teams once again did an outstanding job at the State F1 in Schools Finals late last term. The development team “Evolution” (Grade 7's - Felicity Johns, Hayley-Jayne Green, Maddilyn Parker and Zac Bosworth-Firth) won an award for their racing – Fastest Reaction Time.
Our Professional Class Team, “Red Sprites Racing” (Grade 9's; Riana Francia, Jaxon Bassett, Ella Copeland, Cleo Taylor and Chilli Kettle) were successful in several awards: Best Team Marketing, First in Grand Prix Racing, Fastest Lap, Best Team Verbal Presentation and Best Managed Enterprise. A magnificent achievement and overall State Champions! They have now begun the preparations to compete at the Nationals again next year in March in Melbourne. Fundraising and sponsorship have already commenced again and if you think you are able to assist in any way please contact the school or message the team via their Facebook page Red Sprites Racing.
A huge thank you to Mr Leigh Richardson for all his amazing work and support with the teams and this valuable program in our school.
RYDA Grade 10
On Friday our Grade 10 students braved the cold conditions and attended the annual RYDA day at Symmons Plains. This is a Rotary sponsored and produced event and is a valuable experience for our students in gaining further insight into driving and the necessary safety considerations for them as they embark on their future driving careers. Thank you to the Grade 10 team for co-ordinating.
Leadership Speeches
Thursday last week saw over 70 Grade 9 students present their leadership speeches to the students in Grade 7-9 in a whole school assembly. This is an important part of the selection process for our future leaders of 2020. Students have been through a rigorous process already of completing an application then an interview with a panel and then through to election speeches. Congratulations to all students who have shown courage, determination and aspiration by putting themselves forward for selection. I was very impressed by all the speeches and the maturity and professionalism displayed by all. Thank you to Mr Chamberlain, Mrs Williams and the Grade 9 team for co-ordinating this rigorous process and best of luck to all candidates in the elections this week.
Nicola McDermott (Commonwealth Games and Olympian)
Grade 7’s on Thursday last week had the opportunity to work with Nicola McDermott who is a 2017 Commonwealth Silver Medallist and will be competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Nicola spoke to the Grade 7 classes and then conducted a practical workshop in their HPE lesson on athletics. Thank you to Scripture Union Tasmania for co-ordinating the visit for us.
Congratulations to :
Jewel Banks on her recent Silver Medal at the National U17 Weightlifting Championships.
Monique Booth on her success as well at these Championships in U15 And U17 Weightlifting Nationals.
Abbie Butler for running a PB at last weekend's Burnie 10 Sprint Race.
Reminders:
KMHS Athletics Carnival next Wednesday 30 October (School) and Thursday 31 October (St Leonards)
Student Free Day next Friday 1st November
Long Weekend Monday 4th November
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:
Ashlea Harrison - for approaching all aspects of her schooling with a positive attitude.
Travis Conrades - for always following our school ROCKS and showing kindness and empathy to his peers.
Grade 8:
Sienna McSwan & Ryan Hickey - for consistently following the KMHS ROCKS.
Grade 9:
Lilith Tipper - for great improvement with her attendance, commitment to learning and following the ROCKS.
Grade 10:
Gurnoor Gurnoor - for exceptional effort in all areas of school life.
Kaiden Page - for going above and beyond expectations.
Celebrations
Recently, we had the pleasure of watching all of the Grade 9 Student Leader candidates for 2020 deliver their speeches in a special assembly. The Grade 9 students were poised, polished, brave and articulate as they spoke about their leadership goals. It was clear that hours of preparation had gone into all of the wonderful speeches. Throughout this assembly, we were incredibly impressed with our Grade 7 students and their listening skills. They remained quiet and attentive throughout the assembly and encouraged each candidate with a hearty round of applause. The audience skills of our Grade 7 students certainly made the team very proud.
A common theme of the candidate’s speeches was the fact that leadership does not just start in Grade 10 – leadership opportunities exist throughout our school, and the journey begins in Grade 7. We encourage our Grade 7 students to take risks, to do the right thing (even when no one is watching) to respect their peers and their environment, to stand up for things that matter and embrace opportunities. Leadership is about growth and about making decisions each and every day to choose courage over comfort and to look for the best in people and in situations.
We are so fortunate to watch our Grade 7 students learn and grow and we know that in 2 years’ time, when we watch our student leader candidates delivering their speeches, we will be feeling very proud once again. Some very important messages for us to reflect on as we make the most of Term 4!
Grade Focus
Leading by example; respecting our peers, our learning and our environment and making good choices.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 30 October - Athletics Carnival at KMHS
Thursday 31 October - Athletics Carnival at St Leonards
Friday 1 November - STUDENT FREE DAY
Monday 4 November - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Celebrations
There was a comment made around the staffroom the other day regarding how much the Grade 8s have matured over the year and how ready they are to progress into the senior school. We are certainly very proud of the progress and growth they have made this year and look forward to this continuing in Term 4.
This term is about capitalising on those foundations laid in the first three terms and the students setting themselves up for further success into the senior school.
Grade Focus
Making sure all course selections for 2020 are all ready to go and we are striving to get the best possible results on their end of year reports.
Upcoming events
Wednesday 30 October - Athletics Carnival at Kings Meadows
Thursday 31 October - Athletics Carnival at St Leonards
Friday 1 November - STUDENT FREE DAY
Monday 4 November - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Thursday 14 November - My Education Day 7 - Careers on Wheels
Thursday 5 December - My Education Day 8
Celebrations
Congratulations to the following students:
Student Leadership Positions:
44 Grade 9 students have been successful in moving to the next round of speeches for leadership positions for 2020. The speeches will be delivered on Thursday 17th October during Blocks 3 & 4 to students in Grades 7, 8 and 9 with voting to follow in the next couple of days.
Hannah Crawford playing in the State Under 15 National Championships competing against teams from the mainland.
Monique Booth competed in the National Weightlifing Championships in Brisbane achieving 4th U15 (by 1kg), 5th U17, Snatch - lifted 49kg, Clean & Jerk - lifted 61kg.
F1 Racing Team: A fantastic effort from our team of Ella Copeland, Cleo Taylor, Riana Francia, Chilli Kettle and Jaxon Bassett Red Sprite Racers. A very close competition against Queechy High School teams. The Red Sprites won several awards:
- Best Team Marketing
- 1st place Grand Prix Racing
- Fastest Lap
- Best verbal presentation
- Best Managed Enterprise
The team did a great job representing our school and themselves and have been crowned State Champions for 2019 a wonderful achievement justly deserved for their determination and dedication to the project. Planning for 2020 has begun - Go Red Sprite Racing Team.
Grade Focus
Term 4 we will continue with the focus on leadership opportunities exploring the roles and responsibilities for Grade 1 positions. These will include Prefects, House Captains, Beacon Ambassadors and Peer Support Leaders. Successful candidates will be presenting their speeches on Thursday blocks 3&4 to students in Grade 7, 8 and 9.
Polish Program:
25 students from Grade 9 participated in the Beacon Foundation High Impact Program. This program will empower students to better navigate their transition into the future world of work. The program will equip students with an awareness of global trends, the demand for cultivating a transferable set of skills and the importance of self-advocacy. Research indicates that students who build enterprising skills while still in education transition faster and more confidently into full-time work once leaving school. Polish is a one day program facilitated by a professional Beacon Facilitator. The involvement of industry mentors in the afternoon session gives participants an invaluable opportunity to meet and network with industry mentors from their own business community. Topics covered included;
- The new ‘world of work’
- Identifying and celebrating existing employability skills
- Personal presentation and pitching
- Communicating and networking
- Interview techniques
Students had an excellent day and enjoyed discussing various topics with our guest speakers and also having a sit down luncheon with all participants.
A big thank you to Thor Pedersen and the 9/10 Catering Team for providing morning tea and lunch, it was amazing.
Drama News:
Preparation for Arts Night continues. The theme for Arts Night this year is “What if…” and we are currently planning and discussing our ideas for performances. This is an exciting process and we are looking forward to sharing our work with you come Arts Night.
Arts Night tickets are on sale from Theatre North from Monday 21st October - Adults $10.00, Students/Concession $6.00.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 30 October - Athletics Carnival KMHS
Thursday 31October - Athletics Carnival St Leonards
Friday 1 November - STUDENT FREE DAY
Monday 4 November - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Tuesday 12 November - Arts Night Princess Theatre
Thursday 14 November - My Education Day - Careers on Wheels
Friday 22 November - Inter-High Athletics Carnival at St Leonards
Thursday 5 December - My Education Day - Healthy Me Expo
Celebrations
Congratulations to Jewel Banks (10E) who during the school holidays represented Tasmania in the U/17 National Weightlifting Competition. She performed incredibly well, placing 2nd overall in her age category and recording a 49kg ‘snatch lift’ and 56kg ‘clean and jerk lift’. What a fantastic achievement Jewel.
Charlotte Layton has also just returned from competing with the Tassie side in Sydney during the most recent school holidays. Charlotte performed well and was able to get five wickets across the three games played. Keep up the good work.
We would also like to acknowledge the work of our Prefects during the school holidays. You may have seen that they spent the first Monday of their holidays cleaning and painting the canteen space. This is step 1 of their legacy gift - canteen refurbishment. The canteen now looks better than ever and they are working hard at selecting furniture and finalising the design for the mural that will feature on one of the walls. What a great team effort and thank you for giving up your own time to make our school a better place.
Last Friday our Grade 10 students participated in the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program (RYDA) held at Symmons Plans. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about car safety, road rules and driver awareness. Although the weather wasn’t on our side, all students had a great day and learnt a lot. We would like to thank Rotary for putting on such an educational event for our students.
Grade Focus
Our grade focus for the first few weeks of the term is to be aware, be committed and be organised. It will be vital for our Grade 10 students to ensure that they are up to date and know when events are occurring at school and what they are required to do at each of these events. Last week, students were sent home with a summary of important dates for Term 4. This includes College enrolments, My Education Days, Arts Night and Graduation Events. There is a short summary below and more dates will be added with each grade report for the remainder of the term.
We are also encouraging our Grade 10 students to stay committed and fully engaged in their learning for the remainder of the term. It is important that students continue to value the learning that takes place in Term 4 because it may have a significant impact on their end of year results and in turn, the subjects or courses they complete next year. The content knowledge gained from the Term 4 curriculum across all subject areas is of high importance and it will assist in providing students with a solid background for their future endeavours. We would ask parents to continue to encourage their Grade 10 students to keep focused and committed to their learning for the remainder of the year.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 30 October - Athletics Carnival Day 1 - KMHS
Thursday 31 October - Athletics Carnival Day 2 - St Leonards Athletic Centre
Friday 1 November - STUDENT FREE DAY
Monday 4 November - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Tuesday 12 November - Arts Night
Thursday 14 November - My Education Day- Careers on Wheels Expo
Graduation Events
Thursday 12 December - Graduation Dinner - Country Club Casino (arrival from 6:30pm)
Monday 16 December - Presentation Assembly
Tuesday 17 December - Grade 10 Mystery Picnic
Wednesday 18 December - Graduation Assembly
Crown of Kings Riddle Points
To encourage our students to read our newsletter report each newsletter there will be a riddle that must be solved. The award for solving this riddle first and presenting their answer to either Mrs Elliott or Miss Males will be 50 bonus points towards the ‘Crown of Kings’ Shield.
‘When does Christmas come before Easter?’
Student name: Jasmine Jones
Student class: 8A
What can you tell us about this piece of work?
This piece of work is an article I wrote for the Examiner’s Youth Newspaper; Momentum. I chose to write my article about children’s rights and why they’re important to me and other members of the community. I really enjoyed writing for the Examiner and it was really fun getting to put together all the elements, like interviews and photos.
What is your favourite thing about English?
I really like independent reading and thinking of creative ideas and ways I can include them in different styles of writing, like poetry.
What are you working on at the moment?
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading ‘Predator’s Gold’ by Philip Reeve, the second book in the ‘Mortal Engines’ series. The series is set in the future in a world where all the cities and towns are massive machines on wheels that hunt each other down. The story revolves around two main characters; Tom and Hester and their struggle to survive.
What is your favourite book and why?
I have lots of favourite books! One of my favourite genres is historical/realistic fiction. Some books I love from that sort of genre are; ‘Within these Walls’ and ‘Refugee’. I’m interested in learning about past events and how they’ve impacted people’s lives. I have a lot of empathy for those characters. I also enjoy fantasy and Science fiction novels.
What are some books you would like to read?
I’d like to finish the 'Mortal Engines' series and read 'Chaos Walking' by Patrick Ness.
A MATTER OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS:
Picture: Jasmin Jones
Children have rights, just like adults. Although they are very similar, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) explains that all adults and governments have additional responsibilities to ensure that young people have access to their own rights.
“Article 1: If you are under 18 years of age, you are a child, and you have rights” - Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. |
The Convention has 42 articles in total, all based around 4 key principals, which are non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, ensuring survival and development and participation. It also incorporates a full range of international human rights including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights as well as a few aspects of humanitarian law. But why do they matter?
“They matter to me because I’m a child and I get to have some say in what happens in my life” answered Stella Jones, age 12 when asked about why her rights are important to her. “It’s not all up to the adults and I get at least some freedom”
“The best interests of children and young people should be a top priority in all decisions that affect them.” The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Leanne McLean says. “Children and young people have the right to have a say in all matters that affect them and for their views to be taken into account. This “right to be heard” is essential to promoting and safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people.”
14 year old Alexander Lyons explained that from his point of view it’s all about being equal. “In my eyes children’s rights are so important as they give all children a sense of equality. No matter who they are or where they’re from they all have the same rights. I feel that nowadays equality is such a big issue but things like this can help change that”
There are so many well grounded and justifiable reasons as to why children’s rights really do matter. From my perspective it’s about making children feel valid and giving them opportunities. By having our own rights, we are recognised as individuals, not controlled by the adults around us, but defined as equals. They give us a voice to speak up about our changing world, which is especially important with the increasing issue of climate change and other topics of social injustice. It’s crucial for children to have their own rights to aid in healthy development. The rights are a safety blanket for young people, reminding them they’re not alone, they are important, and they deserve the best life possible.
Kings Meadows High Athletics Carnival:
Dust off your shoes, clean your spikes and bring out your house coloured sports gear, the annual Athletics Carnival is on the way!! Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st October are the dates to put into your calendar for this awesome event. Day 1 will be held on the school oval area and Day 2 will be held at St Leonards Athletics Centre. Students will be expected to attend school as normal on both days. On Day 2 buses will be provided to transport the students to and from St Leonards. More detailed information around buses and times will be provided to students at a date closer to the day.
On both days students must ensure they have adequate food and fluids to get them through all of their events. The school canteen will be open on the Wednesday for students to purchase their usual yummy goods and on Thursday at St Leonards students will also have access to a canteen if required. We would respectfully ask that parents and friends please support both canteens or send students with a packed lunch and refrain from bringing take-away food purchased elsewhere into the carnival setting.
Below is a rundown and times for each event. Our students will work their way around the activities in Grade groups and the activities range from the usual competitive athletics events to more fun novelty type events, catering for everyone.
We would encourage students to be sun smart and bring along hats, wear sun smart clothing, drink plenty of water and apply sunscreen on a regular basis. Shade shelters and sunscreen will be provided on both days.
In the event of inclement weather a notice will be placed on the school Facebook pages and students should come to school prepared for a normal school day.
Last year’s winner of the carnival was Esk. Will they be able to go back to back or will Tamar, Nevis or Lomond spoil the party? Despite which house wins we know that both days will be brilliant, fun filled and will create memories for years to come.
Nicole McDermott Visit:
In HPE on Thursday a few chosen Grade 7 students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to get coached by an Olympic high jumper and a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Nicola McDermott. The Grade 7s learnt many tips to help them for the athletics carnival coming up in a couple of weeks, including a knee drive, how to create a run up and the proper techniques just to name a few. Three of our Grade 7 classes also got to listen to Nicola and were very intrigued when Nicola told her story leading up to her profession of being a high jumper. Nicola was very encouraging towards the students and inspired them to do whatever they desire. We will be cheering her on in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Written by Bonnie Talbot, Kaili Powe and Brielle Banks, all in 7B
Weekend Basketball Tournament:
Our school will be participating the Northern High School Basketball Tournament in November. Basketball Tasmania coordinate and organise this event. Our teams will play a series of matches throughout the weekend. Rosters will be given to team members prior to the event. Winning teams have the opportunity to go onto the state championships which will be held on the weekend of 23 & 24 November 2019. This tournament is for grade 7, 8, 9 and 10 students.
The cost for registration and insurance will be $50.00 for students not currently registered with Basketball Tasmania and $40.00 for students who have a current registration. In addition to registration costs there will be admission charges to games. Again, these have been set by Basketball Tasmania, with admission options being a family weekend pass of $25.00 or individual entry costs of $5.00 per day for players and adults. The admission costs will be payable at the venues at the time of the Championships.
For this tournament all team members are expected to have the normal safety requisites in respect to Basketball. These include appropriate footwear and any necessary strapping tape. We strongly encourage all players to wear navy shorts when playing. Team members will be given Kings Meadows High School basketball singlets to wear in games. This is important as it will encourage a sense of pride in belonging to a team. If any parent has difficulty accessing any of these items, please contact Mrs Elliott as soon as possible.
Money needs to be paid to the school office by Friday 25 October if you wish to participate in this tournament.
Just a reminder that our end of year magazine team and extra-curricular group photos will be taken tomorrow (Thursday 24 October). Please ensure that you remember to bring any required sports uniforms for your photo.
To view our Packages of Learning 2020 information, please click on the link below:
https://kingsmeadowshs.schoolzineplus.com/packages-of-learning-2020
The School Uniform Shop has now moved to the Administration Block. Please see below our price list:
We’re having a BBQ and you’re invited!
Where: Kings Meadows Bunnings
When: Saturday 30 November 2019
Time: 8.00am – 5.00pm
Why: KMHS Association is holding a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle to raise funds to enable the continued support of our school community. The earnings will in most part be used to fund scholarships offered to grade six students who attend KMHS feeder schools and to assist current students with their endeavours.
If you are able to support by giving a couple hours of your day to help with the BBQ or donating money for items required (such as sausages, onions, napkins sauces) please RSVP to the school office on 6343 1000 or via email kings.meadows.high@education.tas.gov.au
Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you there chowing down a sanga or two!
CHANGES TO SCHOOL BUS SERVICES:
The Department of State Growth is finalising it's review of general access and school bus services across northern Tasmania, with new routes and timetables to take effect from Sunday 19 January 2020.
School communities were consulted in May 2019, which resulted in revisions being made to a number of Metro’s school routes. The new school bus network will take effect from Wednesday 5 February 2020, being the first day of the school year.
We are posting a hard copy of this information with further details of the changes that will affect your school, however in the interim you can find the relevant information at the link below