Dear Parents/Guardians

Welcome to the 2022 school year!  I hope that students and staff are returning from holidays in a positive frame of mind and are feeling energised for a busy and productive year.  I would particularly like to welcome all our new Grade 7 students and any other students and families who are part of our school community for the first time.  We look forward to working with you in providing a quality education for your child.  Thank you to all our wonderful parents and carers for ensuring our students are organised for the year ahead with uniform, equipment and adjustments in supporting a COVID safe environment for all. Your support and involvement is invaluable.

I am very pleased and excited to be the new Principal of this great school.  Having grown up in Youngtown, attended Youngtown Primary School and started at Kings Meadows High School just over 35 years ago, it is somewhat nostalgic but also exciting to be leading in the environment in which I received a fantastic education.  I have worked for the Department of Education for the past 28 years with more than 20 of those years in a variety of school leadership positions throughout the north and north west, including as Principal.  For the last 5 and a bit years I have worked in Learning Services, firstly as Assistant General Manager and then as Director of School Improvement.  This work involved working with Principals and leadership teams right across the Northern Region.  This included over 100 schools.  If you were to draw a line from Bicheno to Strahan, then everything above that!  This has given me great insights into successful schools, effective school leadership and what is needed to focus on continuous improvement.  I am pleased to say that Kings Meadows High School is very well placed.  I would like to thank and acknowledge acting Principals Katie Wightman and Jeanna Bolton for their leadership in Term 4 and particularly the ongoing work of previous Principal Maree Pinnington, the broader leadership team and the staff in general for the excellent work that has been undertaken.  However, I am never one for resting on my laurels and very much believe we should always be aspirational and focus on continual improvement.  Thank you also to everyone who has made me feel welcome and supported.  I must admit it is not easy putting names to faces with masks on and I have never conducted a whole school assembly on the first day of a school year over TEAMS before!

It goes without saying that the start to the year has been somewhat different due to the COVID measures put in place.  We are certainly following the planning and guidance provided to us to implement a range of strategies to mitigate the risks of COVID but certainly require the support and involvement of students and families to do this.  The start to the year has been very encouraging and I would like to thank students, parents and staff for playing your part in this endeavour.  Just a reminder that all families should have received their COVID Care Pack (one per student).  These packs included a letter with supporting information, one box containing two rapid antigen tests and five face masks. These were distributed to students to take home on their first day of school if their parent or carer had not previously collected them from the office prior to the start of the school year. We have additional rapid antigen tests and face masks available so if you need these please ask.  The RATS are to be used if students are unwell.  If they have been used, please seek additional supplies from us rather than waiting until you might need to use them again.  Students must be kept home if they are unwell, even if a RAT indicates a negative result.  The currently planning is in place for the first five weeks of the term. Nevertheless, information is evolving all the time so please be assured that we are adjusting to the advice received and we will certainly endeavour to keep you informed as appropriate.

A considerable amount of work goes on behind the scenes in the lead up to the start of every school year.  We are lucky to have a wonderful team of staff that prepare all our buildings and grounds ready for classes.  Similarly, a lot of work goes into organising levies, book sales, student uniforms and the general operations of the school.  My sincere thanks to all our Education Facility Attendants, Office Administration Team, Teacher Assistants, Library and Laboratory Technicians and  Professional Support Staff for their commitment, dedication and hard work in supporting the teaching and learning program at Kings Meadows High School.  There have also been many teachers and school leaders back early preparing for the year ahead.  My sincere thanks to all the staff for their efforts in having our school ready for the return of students.

As is normal at the beginning of any school year, we have a number of new staff.  Although some of these colleagues are brand new, some have had some contact with the school through doing relief or pre-service teachers.  We welcome Isaac Pinnington, Daniel Richardson, Emma Attard, Emily Lovegrove, Wendy Coombes, Bec Rockliff, Derek Stagg and Scott Brewer, who will be on leave Terms 1 and 2.  We also welcome Caitlyn Osborne as our School Psychologist, Hannah Van der Velde as Chaplain, Raedon Deavin as the School Health Nurse and Emily Constantine as an Education Facility Attendant. We welcome back Nick Bennett, James Costick, Bowen Pearce, Priscilla Chilcott and Ron Denne as Teacher Assistants. I am sure they will all do a great job as part of the Kings Meadows High team and everyone will make them feel welcome and supported.

It has been great to see all our students back at school, smartly attired in their uniform and enthusiastic about their learning.  I am really looking forward to a great year at Kings Meadows High School and encourage students to always give their best, make the most of the opportunities available and always conduct yourself in line with our school values and expectations.  I look forward to getting to know more of our community as the year evolves.

Regards,

Cary Stocks

Principal

Celebrations

A huge welcome to our Grade 7 families and community. Last week, return to school was in full swing. It was great to see the Grade 7’s come to school with smiling faces, looking well rested and ready for the year ahead. The first three days have been centred around setting our students up for success, welcoming them to Kings Meadows High School and making connections with one another. We have named this up as our S.W.A.T days. S.W.A.T is an acronym for Success, Wellbeing, Aspiration and Teamwork.  This new application for the start of the year has been well received by the Grade 7’s and has been a huge success in connecting with our students. Our first teamwork challenge for the Grade 7’s, called the Class of Kings, was held on the final S.W.A.T. Day for Term 1. This involved teamwork challenges, brain teasers, general quizzes and group work.  All our Grade 7 groups did an amazing job on these tasks with the points being very close. However, we can only have one winner. Congratulations to 7A on being the first winner of our Class of Kings Trophy!! We look forward to completing many of these challenge days and seeing the teamwork develop amongst our Class Teacher groups.

Here are some student reflections of their first days in high school:

“I made some new friends and got offered to join their friendship group, I said yes as they were really lovely.”

“I love the teaching layout, having different teachers for different subjects, it allows me to learn about the subjects better as the teacher is more specialised in the subject.”

“All of the teachers seem really nice and I feel really comfortable in my class.”

“I was nervous about how I would react to new people and a new school but it’s not too bad.”

“It went really well. I enjoyed everything and getting to know new people. I want to be a god in down ball by next Friday!”

“Mostly everything went really well. I had lots of fun and met new friends. I’m really looking forward to being here at Kings Meadows High School!”

It is great to see such a positive start has been had by our students.

The focus for 2022 in Grade 7 is preparing our students for their learning in the high school setting, familiarising our students with the procedures and processes we have as learners at Kings Meadows High School, making connections and forming relationships between the school and home and ensuring that we allow students plenty of opportunity to challenge themselves and achieve success. We will be setting goals and putting plans in place for achieving these goals.

We have a wonderful team of teachers who have hit the ground running this week ensuring that students have started the term on the front foot and been given opportunity to connect with the school community.

Our Grade 7 team is as follows:

7A Home Group Teacher – Miss Isabella Maskell   isabella.maskell@education.tas.gov.au

7B Home Group Teacher – Mr Sam Maddern 

sam.maddern@education.tas.gov.au

7C Home Group Teacher – Mr Daniel Richardson     daniel.richardson@education.tas.gov.au

7D Home Group Teacher – Mrs Joh Breen

joh.breen@education.tas.gov.au

7E Home Group Teacher – Mr Tom Hartley

tom.hartley@education.tas.gov.au

7F Home Group Teacher – Mrs Jess Crawford    jessica.crawford@education.tas.gov.au

Additional teachers working with Grade 7:

Quality Teaching and Learning Coach - Miss Emily Lovegrove   emily.lovegrove@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 Leader – Mr Sean Stevenson    sean.stevenson@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 Leader – Mr Taylor Neilson   taylor.neilson@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 AST – Mrs Coleen Elliott   coleen.elliott@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 7 AP – Mrs Katie Wightman   katie.wightman@education.tas.gov.au

We welcome all parents to contact any teaching staff throughout the year either by phone call or email.

This week we will moving our focus to starting our new subjects and classes for the year. We are encouraging all Grade 7’s to grasp any opportunities made available to them and strive to achieve their best in every subject. This is a fresh start to their learning, where they each have the opportunity to set goals to achieve in their learning.

Grade Focus

We will be setting ourselves goals that challenge us and establishing good learning behaviours and academic rigour in all classes.  

Celebrations

It was fantastic to see our Grade 8 students return to school from the summer break with such a positive attitude. The first three days at school were dedicated to our S.W.A.T. (Success, Wellbeing, Aspiration, Teamwork) activities. The students remained in their Class Teacher Groups for these sessions and participated in a range of ‘Icebreaker’ and team challenges aimed at promoting student wellbeing and connected with their classmates. Along with this the students tuned into a series of online workshops facilitated by Dr Polly McGee, a therapist who specialises in neuroscience and transpersonal psychology. These workshops were aimed at improving students understanding of the science behind psychological reactions to certain circumstances. The Grade 8’s also engaged in a range of physical and wellbeing activities that were designed to enhance teamwork and resilience. From interactions with students it was clear that they valued their experiences during the S.W.A.T. days and this has set them up for success heading into 2022. 

Grade Focus

With a new year upon us and a range of expectations placed upon us all as a result of the pandemic, our focus in the first part of the term is to learn new systems and routines when entering classrooms and making sure all safety protocols are being followed. Students are moving into our learning spaces in a calm and orderly manner and a making sure that they are sanitising, wearing a mask and physically distancing within classrooms and corridors. The safety of students and staff remains the highest priority and students are doing a great job so far in following these instructions and adapting to change. 

Celebrations

Congratulations to all Grade 9 students who actively participated in the first three days of school. These days are called S.W.A.T. days that focus on connectedness and overall student wellbeing. It was great to see students smiling, talking about holidays and engaging in all the planned activities. Over the first three days, students were given time to set themselves up for success by collecting book packs, understanding timetables and sorting iPads reading for learning. Due to this, students have collectively felt comfortable coming into the first week of learning. On Friday 11 February, students enjoyed their excursion to Launceston Lanes Bowling. The grade team were proud of the way students represented the school and it was evident students had a fantastic time bowling. A very enjoyable first week of school.

Grade Focus

The Grade 9 focus for this term will be centred around how to be a respectful member of the Kings Meadows High School Community. We have emphasised the importance of being proud of your school, looking after our fantastic facilities, wearing uniform with pride and being respectful to all members of our school community. An important point we are focussing on is being a respectful member of the Kings Meadows High School Community extends outside the school gates. We want each and every student to build upon our schools already positive reputation. Our students are now in Grade 9, senior school, staff will be reminding students to be exemplary role models for the younger students in our school. A strong focus will be placed upon being a good person and looking out for all members of our school community.

Reminder about the important contacts for Grade 9 in 2022. 

Assistant Principal - Kate Blaubaum kate.blaubaum@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 9 AST- Mrs Hume kate.hume@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader - Mr Battle mathew.battle@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader - Mrs Megan Pel – megan.pel@education.tas.gov.au 

9A Mrs Megan Pel - megan.pel@education.tas.gov.au

9B Mr Matthew Chatwin - matthew.chatwin@education.tas.gov.au

9C Mrs Amy Jansen - amy.jansen@education.tas.gov.au

9D Ms Sherron Casey - sherron.casey@education.tas.gov.au

9E Mr Thor Pedersen – thor.porsbro.pederse@education.tas.gov.au

9F M Ben Killalea – ben.killalea@education.tas.gov.au

Mrs Tracey MacFarlane – tracey.macfarlane@education.tas.gov.au

Mr Jake Chamberlain – jake.chamberlain@education.tas.gov.au 

Celebrations

Welcome back and congratulations to our Grade 10 students and families for the settled, mature and focused start to 2022. Our S.W.A.T. days enabled us to think deeply and have discussions about how we understand ourselves as learners and ways to embrace the opportunities we are given. These days culminated with a great team building and bonding walk from the Hoo Hoo Hut at Trevallyn all the way to Riverbend Park. Students have shown that they are keen to begin their learning in all subjects with lots of positivity and aspiration.

Grade Focus

In Grade 10, students will be focusing on being organised and taking responsibility for their own learning. This means arriving to classes on time, with the correct equipment and ensuring all instructions are followed to enable the best learning outcomes possible.

Important Dates

• Rugby Jumper payment due Friday 25^th Feb (with jumper)
• Dates/Procedures for Induction Assembly and Leadership Retreat to be confirmed.

Important Contacts:

10A – Mr Leigh Richardson (leigh.richardson@education.tas.gov.au)

10B – Mr Solomon Walker-Bowd (solomon.walker-bows@education.tas.gov.au)

10C – Miss Elly Hart (eloise.hart@education.tas.gov.au)

10D – Mr George Edmondson (george.edmondson@education.tas.gov.au)

10E – Mrs Kathleen Hodges (kathleen.hodges@education.tas.gov.au)

10P (Packages of Learning) – Mr Glenn Wood (glenn.wood@education.tas.gov.au)

Grade 10 Leader – Mr Nick Stokes (nick.stokes@education.tas.gov.au)

Grade 10 AST – Mr James Guy (james.guy@education.tas.gov.au)

Your go-to guide to rapid antigen tests

This guide has been developed to support families using rapid antigen tests (RATs).

How to access more RATs

All students now have two RATs as part of their COVID-19 care pack. As you use your supply of RATs, parents and carers must ask for more RATs at school <Insert localised process here>. Each student has access to two RATs per week if requested.

It’s important to note that if you have run out of school issued RATs, and your child has symptoms, please don’t attend school to collect a RAT. Instead, we encourage you to reach out to the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to obtain a RAT. Thank you for your cooperation on this.

How to use a RAT

Your child only needs to use a RAT if they have COVID-19 symptoms. If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, they must stay at home and use a RAT.

Please refer to Public Health’s easy-to-follow instructions on how to use a RAT. In the information pamphlet contained in your rapid antigen test, under section 6.0 there is an instruction stating ‘you must take a laboratory PCR test immediately’ if your RAT tests positive. Public Health assures us that school staff and students do not need to do a PCR test if their RAT tests positive.

What to do with your test result

If a negative result is returned, and your child is feeling well, they can attend school.

If your child tests COVID-19 positive, you must immediately let us know, and complete the Public Health form. You must follow Public Health advice. During your child’s isolation period, if they feel well they can access learning via the Virtual Learning Centre.

If someone in your household tests COVID-19 positive, you must immediately let us know that your child is a close contact and follow Public Health instructions. Your child can access learning via the Virtual Learning Centre during this time.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office. For more information, please visit the Tasmanian Government Coronavirus website or contact the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738, or Department of Education COVID Support Hotline at COVID19support@education.tas.gov.au or on 1800 816 057.

The Passenger Conduct Code for School Bus Services (the Code) sets out the expected standards of behaviour for students when using a bus. It also provides guidance and processes for bus operators and drivers to follow when a student breaches the Code.