I hope those of you who had time off for the long weekend enjoyed some time relaxing with family and friends.  We are now about halfway through Term 1 and I am pleased to report we are still tracking well in terms of the impact of COVID.  Whilst we have had positive cases amongst students and staff, these numbers are still at relatively low levels and we have not had any group outbreaks at this point.  You may have heard the Department of Education’s plan for weeks 6 to 10 has been released.  For us this means very little change.  Students and staff will continue to undertake COVID safe practices such as mask wearing indoors, physical distancing where possible, increasing ventilation, reducing large groups coming together, increased cleaning and regular hand washing and sanitisation. Visitors to the school, including parents, still need to wear masks indoors but not when outside. I would like to thank those parents who assisted in our canteen recently due to some staff shortages therefore enabling our canteen to remain open. Thank you! It is important to be reminded that some of the rules and directions that are in place for the broader community are not the same as in schools.  Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and understanding in this regard and let’s hope we can continue to minimise the impact of COVID at our school.

The pandemic has certainly required us to examine and rethink how we are able to undertake certain activities within the school and this certainly encourages agility and innovation.  Last Tuesday we ran our school Swimming Carnival, albeit in a very different way to a traditional carnival, with no spectators and limited numbers.  We felt it important that this opportunity was still provided to students who are capable and committed swimmers and may have been focussed on breaking records, personal bests and/or representing the school at the Inter-High Swimming Carnival, should it occur.  This year it was an opt in school carnival which attracted about one hundred students.  Congratulations to the students involved as there were some fine performances.  Thank you also to our Health and Physical Education Learning Area Leader, Mrs Coleen Elliott and the team of staff for their efforts and adaptability in providing this opportunity for our students.

It is that time of year again when our School Association year concludes at the end of March.  All parents are automatically members of the School Association unless they wish to formally withdraw.  The School Association is currently seeking nominations for the Committee.  I would encourage you to think about nominating as it is an important group and a crucial link between staff, parents and the broader school community. The nomination form is included further on in this newsletter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to make contact.  The Committee meets at least once a term, sometimes two and occasionally there are also subcommittees set up.  The nomination form also includes some relevant hyperlinks if you are interested in reading more.

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the local YMCA for the launch of a film titled, ‘The Hidden Gems of Kings’.  This event was opened by the Mayor of the City of Launceston, Albert Van Zetten and Sarah McCormack, the Community Connector, Liveable Communities from the Launceston City Council.  This project involved a group of our students working with Sarah and the Action Crew to produce a ten minute film about many assets within the community.  It was a vox pop which means students interviewed several people from within the community to gain their perspectives and opinions.  This was a great example of an authentic learning experience that connected students and community together.  Congratulations to all the students and teacher, Mrs Joh Breen on their great efforts in this project.  It was a great advertisement for our school and our local community.

In conclusion, the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is on Friday 18 March.  While it is important that every day is a day against bullying and violence, acknowledging such a day reminds us all that we have a part to play.  This may be how we commit to and role model positive behaviour, how we educate and prevent such acts of bullying and violence, or how we all respond to such acts in school, in homes or ‘up the street’.  I particularly like the theme this year of a ‘Kindness Culture - It starts with you’.  How often do we stop and reflect on how we are treating each other with kindness as opposed to focussing on the negatives and what is going wrong.  In all my years in education, I know that most of our young people are great people who will grow up into strong adults.  Perhaps we should all think about how many acts of kindness we have undertaken recently and next week.

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:

Grade 7:

Lucy Anderson: Lucy has hit the ground running in Grade 7 and has applied herself enthusiastically to her studies. She is constantly engaged in her work and continues to be a role model for the year group in how she attends to her tasks. Lucy has made a fantastic start to Grade 7 and is deservedly a ROCKS STAR for this week.

Oliver Midson:   Oliver is a ROCKS STAR for his continued effort to give his best every day. He is polite and respectful to all of his peers and is regularly seen holding doors open during the morning rush. Oliver completes his work with great enthusiasm and is a pleasure to have in the classroom.

Grade 8:

Celebrations

Term 1 seems to be flying. It is hard to believe that we are already in week 6 and we are over halfway through the term. Our Grade 7 students have settled in nicely to the routines of their timetables and are now getting into the academic rigour of their timetabled subjects. We continue to be pleased with the grade who are impressing us with their work ethic, respectful behaviour and courage to try new things.

This week we are continuing with our Organisation focus as part of our embedding of the school ROCKS into the Grade 7 language. Mr Neilson and Mr Stevenson have issued a challenge to our Grade 7’s around coming to school with their iPad charged and ready for learning. Each morning iPads will be checked for charge over 80% and these will be recorded for each student and Class Teacher Group. At the end of each week tallies will be viewed and the best Class Teacher Group will receive the prestigious Class of Kings trophy. This trophy is currently held by 7A, earnt for their fabulous teamwork on our SWAT days. Good luck to all students in this challenge.  We are expecting to see outstanding organisation from all class teacher groups and look forward to seeing which class teacher group wins the Class of Kings trophy.

Respectful relationships underpin our positive and diverse school culture. We invite contact between home and school.  Most of you will have received an email and/or phone call from your child’s class teacher.  The relationships we develop with you are very important to support your child in their learning journey. Please find below the contact details of our wonderful team of Grade 7 teachers.

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

Last newsletter we introduced you to our Grade 7 teachers for 2022. In addition to this team, we also have another group of wonderful teachers who have leadership and student support roles for the Grade 7 students. This teaching group can also be contacted at any time if you have any queries, questions or need support for your child.

GRADE 7 LEADERSHIP TEAM 2022

Grade 7 Leader – Mr Sean Stevenson

My name is Sean Stevenson and I am one of the Grade Leaders of Grade 7 in 2022. I have been at Kings Meadows High School for six years and predominately teach English and HaSS.

I love spending time with my family and friends and have a keen interest in Aussie Rules and cricket. I have twin babies at home who turn two next month, a lovely partner and a chocolate Labrador named Opie.

Grade 7 Leader – Mr Taylor Neilson

My name is Mr Taylor Neilson and I am one of the Grade Leaders, Mathematics and Spanish teachers attached to Grade 7 for 2022. I have been teaching at Kings Meadows High School for just over two years after a short time in the United Kingdom - working at a primary school in the north of England (Leeds). In my spare time I enjoy running faster than Mr Hartley for distances over 3km, playing & coaching soccer at Riverside Olympic and most recently indoor bouldering. My goal for the year is for the new Grade 7s to have the smoothest possible transition to high school where they feel safe, welcomed yet challenged to do their best. 

Grade 7 AST – Mrs Coleen Elliott

My name is Coleen Elliott and I have been teaching here at Kings Meadows High School for the last three years but have been teaching in the Launceston area for over 25 years. I teach predominantly HPE but also teach Child Studies and Photography this year.  Being an HPE teacher I have a love of all things sport and keeping fit.  You may see me on the touch field, swimming at the beach, riding the mountain bike trails, walking in and around Launceston or instructing a class at the gym. I enjoy spending time with my two children, husband and two Labradors Eddie and Stanley and when not being active I love reading books, enjoying a meal out or watching a movie. I am very much looking forward to working with the amazing Grade 7 students. 

Grade 7 Assistant Principal – Mrs Katie Wightman

I was born and raised in Launceston and went to Youngtown Primary School.  When I graduated from the University of Tasmania Art School I decided to study teaching.  I have been a teacher for 24 years and in that time have taught students from Kinder to Grade 10.  In 2006 I was fortunate to win a Hardie Fellowship to study in New York and Boston. 

I am married to Brian and have boy/girl twins aged 13. We spent the summer holidays camping on the East Coast of Tasmania.  We all love to surf, snorkel and mountain bike ride.  At home we have a dog and a cat.   

I love teaching because I know where students are coming from and exactly where they need to go. Having experience teaching across the grades will really help me to challenge your child and to reach for the stars this year.  

Quality Teaching and Learning Coach – Miss Emily Lovegrove

After teaching for approaching eight years, this is my first year at Kings Meadows High School. With a history in both primary teaching and high school English, my role here at Kings Meadows has shifted to Quality Teaching Coach, working predominantly with other staff members.

Beyond the world of Kings, I am quite eclectic in my interests. I enjoy everything beach related (except fishing as they are what I consider the snakes of the ocean) and being outdoors camping, running or playing netball. On the flipside, I also enjoy reading a range of genres, attending the theatre and above all else, travel!

My older siblings are amongst my favourite people in the world and beyond anything else, I value my family, friends and socialisation. With that said, my door is always open!

At Kings Meadows High School, we strive to provide interesting, varied programs that challenge all students to realise their full potential and achieve personal success in their learning. Along with core subjects and an extensive list of optional and enrichment courses, students are given many opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities and undertake leadership roles. This week students have been given the opportunity to undertake the nomination process for Grade 7 Class Leaders. This is a formal position for students where they will be representing their class in the Grade 7 Student Leader group. Each class teacher group has elected two students from their class to be representative on this student board. The successful students will hold their position for two terms after which there will be another election process. Miss Isabella Maskell will be the teacher representative overseeing the work of our Grade 7 Class Leaders.

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to these positions for the first half of the year:

7A: Danny St Claire and Olive Baker

7B: Lauren Anstey and Amelia Styles

7C: Charlie Hogarth and Lucy Anderson

7D: Alex House and Sadie Marshall

7E: Jai Chugg and Rose Jones

7F: Oliver Midson and Gabriella Nababiro

Last week our Grade 7 students had the opportunity to be involved in their first ever High School Swimming Carnival. This was a wonderful day out with students from all grades participating. Our Grade 7’s did an amazing job and had the highest participation of all grades across the school. Congratulations to all students who showed courage to participate in this carnival and represent their school House. We had some outstanding performances from Grade 7’s on the day and it was wonderful to see the students wiling to have a go and enjoying themselves in this event. Congratulations to the following Grade 7’s on achieving awards for their swimming efforts:

Swimming Champions: Madison Crawford and Lincon Talbot

Runner Up Swimming Champions: Ruby Steel and Jai Chugg

Third place: Lacey Pearton and Thomas Harrington/Billy Nicholson

Grade Focus

This term our DoE value focus is Respect.  We are expecting all Grade 7’s to show respect for themselves, for other and for the environment. This focus will encompass how we relate to ourselves, one another and our surroundings. Our Grade 7’s will be focussing on seeing every individual’s worth and positive sense of identity. They will be looking at positive interactions with others in their class and across the grade, working together with staff and students in respectful ways and developing respectful community connections.

On March 31st our Grade 7’s will be able to put this value of respect into practice in our second SWAT day. Traditionally this session involves a walking excursion to Punchbowl Reserve as a group and then organised teamwork activities run by this year’s Grade 10 Peer Support Leaders. Our students will have the opportunity to be involved in some challenges and sessions involving teamwork, courage and co-operation. This will also be another opportunity for our Class Teacher Groups to compete for the Class of Kings trophy. More information about this day will be communicated via a letter home in the coming week. We value this day and the relationships it fosters between our students and the Grade 10 Peer Support Leaders and know that there will be some significant benefits in improving and developing respectful relationships amongst our grade cohort.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Interim Reports – Friday March 25^th

Punchbowl Excursion – Thursday 31^st March

Inter-High Swimming Carnival – Wednesday 6^th April

Celebrations

The Grade 8 teaching team would like to congratulate the Grade 8 cohort on their continued settled start this year. It has been pleasing to see students enjoying their new Enrichment and Option courses. Respect is a core value of Kings Meadows High School and as a Grade Team we have been asking students to ensure they are being respectful to staff, students and our school. Many students have achieved this and are being rewarded for their respectful efforts by receiving a ‘Caught in the Act’ (CIA) nomination from their teachers. CIA’s are drawn out and announced in Grade Assemblies each week and these students receive a prize. Congratulations to the Grade 8 students who competed in the Swimming Carnival on Tuesday. It was fantastic to see such great participation and encouragement throughout the day! We have been encouraging Grade 8 students to apply for Class Leader for Terms 1 and 2.  Speeches and voting for Class Leaders will occur in Class Teacher on Thursday 17th March. Once again, thank you to the support of parents for ensuring we create a COVID safe and positive learning environment for our staff and students. As we reach the half-way mark of Term 1 we look forward students embracing new learning opportunities in the coming weeks.

The email contacts for the Grade 8 teaching team are as follows:

8A Pinnington, Isaac isaac.pinnington@education.tas.gov.au

8B Glasby, Rebecca rebecca.glasby@education.tas.gov.au

8C Murray, Chris chris.murray1@education.tas.gov.au

8D Hudson, Mel mel.hudson@education.tas.gov.au

8E Attard, Emma emma.attard@education.tas.gov.au

8F Coombes, Wendy wendy.coombes@education.tas.gov.au

8G Bent, Mick mick.bent@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader Williams, Nicole nicole.williams1@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader Withington, Stuart stuart.withington@education.tas.gov.au

AST Gale, Brenton brenton.gale@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Focus

Students in Grade 8 will continue to focus on being respectful to staff, other students and our school. We are rewarding students for their respectful behaviour with Caught in the Act nominations. Our upcoming S.W.A.T day on 31st March will involve many teamwork challenges and we hope to see students work collaboratively and respectfully to achieve common goals.

Celebrations

Congratulations to all Grade 9 students who are continuing the high standards they have set for themselves in Term 1. It is fantastic to see students engaged in their learning and understanding the importance of developing into a respectful senior student here at Kings Meadows High School. The Grade 9 teaching team will continue to encourage our students to work hard and take every opportunity that is presented to them this year. In the coming months, students will have the chance to participate in a variety of academic competitions and the annual Science and Engineering Challenge day at the University of Tasmania. Any students interested in these events are to get in touch with the relevant teachers here at school.

Student Leaders

Congratulations to all the students that have applied for Student Leader positions. Mr Chatwin runs a great program and successful applicants will have the opportunity to have their say and input into activities offered to Grade 9 students this year. The Grade 9 teaching team look forward to watching successful applicants display the commitment and dedication needed to fulfil this role.

Swimming Carnival

Well done to all of the Grade 9 students that opted to participate in the swimming carnival last week. Due to COVID, the carnival was run a little differently and it was great to see plenty of Grade 9 swimmers take the opportunity and hopefully be successful in representing the school at the Inter-High swimming carnival later this month.

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 which extends outside the school gates. We want each and every student to build upon our schools already positive reputation. As our students are now in Grade 9 (senior school), staff will be reminding them 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

Our Grade 10 leaders have now been inducted to their positions and received their blazers. They have been working hard to map out their roles and responsibilities as leaders at Kings Meadows High School and will now look the part as they continue to inspire positive change for our school community. All students in Grade 10 are leaders and role models for younger grades and we have been impressed with the way they have conducted themselves over the first half of Term 1.

Also a big congratulations to Lachlan Oliver for participating in the Bell Track Carnival and Austral Wheelrace in Victoria earlier this month. 

Grade Focus

Students in Grade 10 will continue to focus on being committed to, and taking responsibility for, their own learning. Over the coming weeks, students will begin conversations around the next steps in their educational journey and transitioning to further study, training or the workforce. Our SWAT Day on 31st March will give students the opportunity to consider their options and make some preliminary decisions about possible pathways that will suit them.

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) 

This year, you will notice some changes to reporting in Tasmanian Government Schools.

Firstly, you won’t see A-E reporting any more for Prep to Grade 10 students.

Most families in Tasmanian Government Schools have told us that A-E reporting isn’t meaningful enough for them. So, the Department is introducing a new 9-point visual scale.

Along with the visual scale a worded description will be included to help you understand how your child is going against the expected standard for their year level. The 9-point scale will show more specifically where your child is at with their learning. This change won’t apply to students in Years 11 and 12.

The second main change you’ll see is that teachers will be communicating with you more regularly throughout the year, instead of providing written comments on reports.

This more regular communication might be through online communication, telephone calls, or face-to-face conversations.

By having more regular information about your child’s learning progress you’ll get a better understanding of how your child is going across the entire school year (not just twice a year).

What you should expect across the school year:

Families will be supported to understand the new reporting requirements and the changes to mid and end of year report as they are implemented.

Watch the video introducing the changes: Changes to reporting in 2022

If you’d like to know more about why these changes are occurring, visit Review into Reporting to Families - The Department of Education Tasmania

There may be times that your child notices their teacher or a member of staff wearing a face shield over or without a face mask while the Public Health directive is in place.

The Department of Education face shield guidelines apply to limited situations where a face shield with – or without – a mask will support staff members to work safely with children and provide better outcomes for those learners.

A school may decide that a face shield is appropriate for staff members under the following circumstances:

• when an additional barrier from contamination is required, especially when there is significant risk of splash from bodily fluids
• they have a medical exemption and are unable to wear a face mask
• they are unable to perform their role unless their face, mouth or facial expressions are visible, including supporting a student with hearing impairment, helping students with speech and singing and helping young children or students learn how to read.

At Kings Meadows High School we will take care to support students with disability on an individual basis, working closely with parents and carers as necessary.

8A, 8B and 8C recently took part in an online workshop with Questacon which encouraged them to flex their “creativity muscles”. Students were tasked with inventing a Strange Device, a novel gadget which was to combine students’ favourite hobby with their most onerous chore.

Ingenious ideas were explored: a musical speaker which purifies the air, a bedside mini-fridge for lazy breakfasts, a football which mows the lawn, a sticky ball which “vacuums” the bedroom, a bike-powered clothes’ folder and a pen with a noodle cup attached were some of the devices which were modelled from straws, paper cups, rubber bands and icy pole sticks.

Popular creations were a slingshot or cannon which allowed bedroom cleaning to be “gamified”, hands-free phone holders which allowed for using the phone whilst doing the dishes, and devices for allowing the user to drink from a cup whilst still involved in other activities.

Can you spot the device which relys on a hockey stick to fling clothes onto the washing line….?

QUESTACON: 

Are you keen to sink your teeth into solving real world problems? Want to meet local innovators, and other young people interested in technology and design? 

The Questacon Invention Convention is a FREE three-day workshop with tools, equipment, and local mentors on hand to help you build the skills for wherever the future takes you – so come along!

Our regional Invention Conventions are free, three-day workshops that let you explore design, technology and innovation with other young innovators. The program is open to 14-18 year olds in regional Australia attending an Australian secondary school and may be run as virtual workshops.

In the April School Holidays Questacon will be heading to Northern Tasmania. For more information or to register your interest in the Tasmanian Invention Convention, please send an email to invention.convention@questacon.edu.au with the subject line: Questacon Invention Convention: Tasmania 2022. 

Tamar House leads from the front to win the 2022 opt in Swimming Carnival! The participation seen from Tamar was impressive, with so many students entering the various events on the day. This was a massive turnround from last year where they were in third place! Congratulations Tamar House on a wonderful effort!

Albeit different, 2022 was again a very successful Swimming Carnival, with participation from all houses and grades making it one to remember. The traditional events had many students participating, particularly in the junior grades, again showing the positive sporting culture at Kings Meadows High School! 

With the event being held for the first time as an opt in carnival, the traditional swimming events were battled over only 50m, longer in distance than some of our 25m events, however we still saw some wonderful performances.

The highlight of the day was the relay races at the culmination of the carnival, where almost all students were involved. This was very pleasing to see and highlighted Kings Meadows High School students’ exceptional teamwork.

Three records were broken throughout the course of the day: Grade 9 student Ryan Schieler breaking all three. Congratulations Ryan on these outstanding performances.

Thank you to Caleb Nason, Sam Lucas and Anthony Schieler for volunteering their time to help us on the day, it was much appreciated. Special mention should also go to our student helpers and student leaders on the day.

The HPE team, Student Leaders and House Captains did a brilliant job and we would like to thank all staff who helped make it so successful.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING 2022 GRADE CHAMPIONS AND RUNNER UPS FROM OUR SCHOOL CARNIVAL.

                                                                                  Boys                                                  Girls

Records:

Final House Points

1^st Tamar 716

2^nd Esk 553

3^rd Nevis 545

4^th Lomond 385