Kings Meadows High School eNewsletter

Dear Parents/Carers

Welcome back to the school year for 2024, in particular, welcome to our new Year 7 students and to any students and their families who are joining our school community for the first time. I hope that everyone enjoyed the summer break and you are feeling refreshed and motivated for the year ahead. I know that I am very much looking forward to this year and I am feeling very optimistic and positive about 2024.

In addition to new students, we also have some new staff joining our team. Welcome to teachers Brendan Poke, Grace Bannon and Todd Nankervis as well as our non-teaching staff in Luke Brooks (Education Facility Attendant – Grounds), Susan Millwood (Education Facility Attendant) and Ashlee Woodberry (Teacher Assistant). All these staff will enhance our already strong team and I hope everyone makes them feel welcome and supported. I am also pleased to report that we are starting the year with a full complement of teaching staff. I would also like to thank our Administration staff, Education Facility Attendants and technicians for all the work they have done getting things ready for the return of students.

As we start the beginning of another year, it is very important that students develop good habits and routines regarding school. Regular attendance at school is vital for learning, wellbeing and for developing and maintaining relationships. The minimum recommended attendance rate is 90%, so every minute, every hour, every day of school matters. Ensuring students get enough sleep, manage time well and are organised with the correct equipment, all contribute to fostering regular attendance at school. If students and/or families are finding this challenging, then please seek support from us as we are only too happy to work with you. Afterall, when school staff work in a constructive partnership with parents/carers and the student, then positive outcomes for the child are more likely to result.

We expect every student to wear full school uniform every day. If you require support in accessing uniform, then please let us know. As part of this, only school branded hats are able to be worn at school. Following on from work regarding school uniform over the last year or so, a small working group is in the process of refining our uniform options. This builds on the previous work of last year whereby greater flexibility with day-to-day uniform was provided. We hope to have this resolved in the first half of the year.

You may have noticed a huge crane hovering over our gymnasium. This is part of works that are currently underway to re-roof our gym as well as some other modifications. This will mean this facility is out of use this term and possibly the early part of next term. While this will be disruptive, we are sure to get a positive outcome at the end. We will all need to be patient, flexible, adaptable and tolerant while these works are underway. The gymnasium and surrounding builders’ compound are out of bounds until further notice. Thank you for your support in this matter.

With students returning to school the roads around schools and within the boundary, become very busy at the start and end of the school day in particular. Please be a patient and respectful driver during these periods to ensure the safety of all our students. Please remember to slow down in and around our schools with 40km/hr limits on the roads and even lower speed limits within the grounds. Pedestrians are also reminded to use the crossing to cross our internal road and students must not cut through the school car park at any time. Please take care and let’s ensure we keep everyone safe.

We understand that running a household, transporting children and work responsibilities can be a ‘juggling act’ for many parents/carers. As a result, getting students to school and collecting them at the end of the day can create some time pressures. Please note that while we have staff on site at various times throughout the day and evening, the active duty and supervision of students occurs from 8.10am until 3.20pm. As we cannot provide active supervision outside of these times, please ensure students are not on site prior to 8.10am or after 3.20pm unless there is a specific event they are attending. Thank you for your anticipated co-operation in this regard.

This year we enter the second year of our School Improvement Plan. Our three priority areas will continue to be literacy with a focus on reading, quality teaching and learning with a focus on the five key teaching practices and a culture that ensures learning for all with a focus on engagement and wellbeing. In November, we will have an External School Review. The previous review occurred in 2021.

At the end of last year I received a letter from Mr Tim Bullard, the Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP). This letter congratulated us for being one of about 20 schools in Tasmania to achieve good results in 2023 NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) when compared to similar schools. This was particularly in relation to our Year 7 students in 2023. Well done to our current Year 8 students. Keep up the good work!

In the latter part of 2023, DECYP launched the new Strategic Plan 2024-2030 and, as part of this, updated the values. As such, our school has adopted the five values. You may note that three of these have not changed. The five values that shape our thinking and behaviour at Kings Meadows High School are as follows:

Courage - Accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.

Growth - Aspiring to learn and improving, even when it is tough.

Respect - Caring for ourselves, each other and our environment.

Responsibility – Stepping up and doing what is right.

Connection – Building positive relationships and a sense of belonging.

While I believe we are a good school with a great community, I also think that it is important that we continuously keep trying to improve and aspire to be better. A school community is about people and if we can all adopt a growth mindset and ensure we uphold our values then I am sure we will have another great year at Kings Meadows High School. I look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

Regards

Cary Stocks
Principal

Welcome back! Let’s make every day count.

Here we go, another exciting school year ahead! We hope you enjoyed your holidays.

By showing up to school every day, your child will have the best opportunity at a bright future. It gives them every chance to be around friends, learn new things, and find interests.

Good attendance habits can sometimes be hard to stick. But creating a solid routine, from the start of Term 1, can set your child up for success for the year ahead.

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.

Please always talk to us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We’re here to help.

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

Respect for others, self and environment

Organisation

Commitment to learning

Keeping safe

Sensible behaviour

We would like to acknowledge the following students:

Year 7:

Mavrick Morphett-Bannan - For his help and flexibility on camp.

Declan Perry - For being a supportive friend to others.

Year 8:

Charles McMahon (8A), Caleb Roberts (8B), Gracie Jones (8C), Ella Brown (8C), Bella Hammond (8D), Amalie Hodgetts (8E) & Erin Rigby (8F) - For making an enthusiastic and positive start in their class groups through their attitudes and actions.

Year 9:

Bella Bunton - For having a really positive approach to her schooling and being extremely respectful in classes.

Grace Webster - For making a wonderful start to Year 9 and helping new students to the school settle in.

Year 10:

Thomas Portelli - For demonstrating leadership qualities and remaining focused on learning.

Will Thomas - For making mature decisions and being a supportive class member.

We are incredibly excited to be welcoming our new Year 7 students to Kings Meadows High School! The first two days was very busy for our students as they were introduced to their Class Teachers and peers. With the support of our Peer Support Leaders, students have been supported to understand their first high school timetables, find their classrooms and set up their iPads ready for classes.

This year, our Year 7 cohort will trial the use of keyboards to go with their iPads. It is intended that this will support student use of iPads for learning.

This week sees the return of a Year 7 Camp at KMHS! Students have travelled to Port Arthur - activities include a tour of the historic site and Isle of the Dead, a visit to Zoo-Doo and plenty of opportunities for students to build relationships with their peers and get to know their classmates.

Each Year 7 class has a Class Teacher, where students go every morning and is the first point of contact for families. We have a phenomenal team and we encourage families to communicate with their child’s Class Teacher with any queries throughout the year. Our team of Class Teachers are supported and lead by our Year 7 Leaders Mrs Pel and Mr Brewer, Year 7 AST Mr Johns and Junior School Assistant Principal Mrs Hume. We look forward to working with families to support each student to achieve their best learning outcomes over the next four years.

Meet the Year 7 team

My name is Mr Johns and I am the Year 7 AST. I have been teaching for 12 years and this is my second year at KMHS, where I also went to school! This year I am teaching Years 7 and 9 Science as well as Senior Computing. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with friends and family and am a leader in my local Scout group.

Hi, I’m Mr Brewer and I am a Grade 7 Leader. I have been teaching Maths and Science for 15 years and have been Grade Leader at my previous school. It is a really fulfilling role which I am really looking forward to. In my spare time I am an Assistant Coach at Launceston Cricket Club and also Perth Football Club. I also enjoy cooking and spending time with my family.

I’m Mrs Pel and I am one of the Grade 7 Leaders for 2024. This year I am teaching Year 7 HPE and Year 9 Science which I am super excited about. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband, family and friends, playing netball, going to F45 and travelling. I look forward to working with the Year 7 families to make a smooth transition to KMHS.

Hello, my name is Miss Hart and I am 7C’s Class Teacher. This is my 7th year teaching and I am excited to teach both English and History across Years 7 and 10. As my subject areas may suggest, I am an avid reader and love travelling.

Hi, I’m Mrs Lunson and this year I am teaching Year 7 and 8 English. This is my 18th year of teaching and my second at KMHS. In my spare time I enjoy exercising, reading and spending time with my family and friends. I have three young children and we love spending time together at the beach.

Hi, I’m Mrs Grewal and I am the Class Teacher for 7A. This is my second year teaching at KMHS. This year I am teaching Maths and Science across Years 7 and 9. My hobbies include spending time with my family and friends, travelling and watching cricket.

I’m Mr Chatwin and I am the Class Teacher for 7E. This is my 10th year of teaching and 8th year here at KMHS. I am one of the MDT teachers as well as being a part of the Learning Support Team. In my spare time I play lots of golf, maintain an immaculate lawn and spend time with my golden retriever Archie and my 7 month old daughter Addison.

I’m Mr Battle and I am the class teacher for 7D. This is my 6^th year working at KMHS, I teach both Mathematics and Science. In my spare time I play golf and enjoy trail running. I have a young family and we love going on adventures together.

Hi, I’m Miss Darsaklis and this year I am 7B’s Class Teacher. This is my first graduate year teaching at KMHS. I’m looking forward to teaching HPE & HASS in 2024. KMHS is where I graduated from high school and it feels very special to be teaching in this space. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, exercising outdoors and having fun with my two labradoodles.

Year 7 contact details:

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

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

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

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

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

Additional teachers working with Year 7:

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

Grade 7 Leader – Mrs Megan Pel - megan.pel@decyp.tas.gov.au

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

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

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

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

I would like to firstly thank our parents who helped to ensure that all students arrived back in their correct school uniform looking smartly dressed ready and prepared for Term 1.

Our teachers have worked hard making sure that each classroom was well organised and the layout is conductive to great learning conditions prior to students returning. They also worked hard to design learning programs for the first two days that were highly engaging for our students while helping them settle into their new class groupings in a cohesive way ready for learning. This year Mr Warren (8E) and Mr Nankervis (8A) have joined our team and students made them feel welcome through their participation and enthusiasm during S.W.A.T. Day activities.

Students started their year with a virtual whole school assembly then grade assembly where the expectations and goals for 2024 were shared. Attendance, wellbeing and engagement continue to be focus areas for us as well as working hard to improve the academic growth for all students through our learning and teaching programs. After assembly, our students returned to their classrooms and participated in teacher led activities that allowed students to feel comfortable and organised in their classrooms for the year ahead. They then worked collaboratively to look carefully at the Kings Meadows High School R.O.C.K.S. and DECYP Values discussing the types of attitudes and actions that are important in each then looking for related links or concepts between them. This also gave students the opportunity to actively discuss and work on our new DECYP value of 'Connection' that has been added this year. They finished that day with a whole grade question-based scavenger hunt around the school that included physical activity, teamwork and learning.

On Friday, students started their morning with a Check-in Survey followed by personal goal setting for 2024. Following this they created vision boards that shared their goals for the year and included visual images found in magazines that reflected their individuality that can be used as displays within classrooms. Their day ended with 'Class of Kings' challenges and outdoor activities designed to build teamwork in a fun and semi competitive environment.

It certainly felt wonderful to be back amongst our school community again and to watch our students working together as learners in Year 8.

Year 8 contact details:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional teachers working with Year 8:

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are incredibly pleased with the start of 2024 for our Year 9 students, with many maturing and growing a foot taller over the summer break. With a busy term coming up, our studentS are being put under the pump to be organised and get themselves ready as they consolidate their position in the senior school. As our Year 9’s are becoming more independent over their own learning, we expect Enrichment and Full Year course changes to be in motion, with the closing date being 23 February.

In our S.W.A.T. days we enjoyed a day at Punchbowl Reserve, embracing the warm weather to set ourselves up for success for Term 1.

Our Class Teachers should be the first point of contact for your child here at Kings Meadows High School with Grade Leaders and Grade AST being there for more urgent or important matters. Please find the contact information for each teacher on the Grade Team below:

Year 9 contact details:

9A Class Teacher – Mrs Jessica Crawford - jessica.crawford@decyp.tas.gov.au

9B Class Teacher – Mr Solomon Walker-Bowd – solomon.walker-bowd@decyp.tas.gov.au

9C Class Teacher – Mrs Joh Breen - joh.breen@decyp.tas.gov.au

9D Class Teacher – Miss Grace Bannon – grace.bannon@decyp.tas.gov.au

9E Class Teacher – Mr Lachlan Bryan – lachlan.bryan@decyp.tas.gov.au

9EL Class Teacher - Miss Emily Lovegrove - emily.lovegrove@decyp.tas.gov.au

9F Class Teacher – Mr Mick Bent - mick.bent@decyp.tas.gov.au

Additional teachers working with Year 9:

AST - Mr Jake Chamberlain - jake.chamberlain@decyp.tas.gov.au

Mr Isaac Pinnington – isaac.pinnington@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader - Mr Sean Stevenson – sean.stevenson@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade Leader - Mr Sam Maddern – sam.maddern@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade AST - Mr Brendan Poke – brendan.poke@decyp.tas.gov.au

Year 9 Assistant Principal - Ms Kate Blaubaum - kate.blaubaum@decyp.tas.gov.au

Celebrations

Welcome back and congratulations to our Year 10 students and families for the settled, mature and focused start to 2024. We have a busy and exciting year ahead filled with fantastic opportunities for our students to learn and grow and take that next step into young adulthood. College transition, work experience, school-based apprenticeships, leadership duties, industry excursions and participating in school events and carnivals for the final time are just some of the many and varied opportunities for our students this year. It has been great to see students really engaged and focused during our S.W.A.T. activities last week and this has also extended into their core classes and options/enrichments throughout this week.

Grade Focus

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. As a result, 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

School Photos - Thursday 22 February
Rugby Jumper payment due before Wednesday 28 February (with jumper)
Leadership Retreat - Thursday 29 February to Friday 1 March
Induction Assembly - To be confirmed

Our Year 10 team is as follows:

10A Class Teacher – Mr Chris Murray - chris.murray1@decyp.tas.gov.au

10B Class Teacher – Mrs Rebecca Glasby - rebecca.glasby@decyp.tas.gov.au

10C Class Teacher – Miss Mikhala Graham - mikhala.graham@decyp.tas.gov.au

10D Class Teacher – Mrs Belinda Selby - belinda.selby@decyp.tas.gov.au

10E Class Teacher – Mr Ben Killalea - ben.killalea@decyp.tas.gov.au

10EL Class Teacher - Miss Emily Lovegrove - emily.lovegrove@decyp.tas.gov.au

10F Class Teacher – Miss Steph Sheedy - steph.sheedy@decyp.tas.gov.au

Additional Teachers working with Year 10:

Mr Richard Goss - richard.goss@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 10 Leader – Mrs Nicole Lynch - nicole.lynch1@decyp.tas.gov.au

Grade 10 Leader – Mr Stuart Withington (stuart.withington@decyp.tas.gov.au)

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

Year 10 Assistant Principal - Ms Kate Blaubaum - kate.blaubaum@decyp.tas.gov.au

Thursday 22 February	Whole School Photos
Wednesday 28 February	STUDENT FREE DAY - (Launceston Cup)
Monday 4 March	Catch-up Photo Day
Friday 8 March	KMHS Swimming Carnival
Wednesday 13 March - Monday 25 March	NAPLAN
Friday 29 March	Good Friday
Monday 1 April	Easter Monday
Tuesday 2 April	Easter Tuesday
Monday 15 April - Friday 26 April	Term 1 school holidays
Monday 29 April	First day of Term 2

Leadership Staff

Principal	Cary Stocks
Assistant Principal 9/10	Kate Blaubaum
Acting Assistant Principal 7/8	Kate Hume
Acting Assistant Principal	Claire Lovitt
School Business Manager	Wendy Dalton

Support Staff

Psychologist	Anita Markham	Wednesday & Thursday (every second Monday)
Social Worker	Jasmine Poslon	Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
School Nurse	Danni Seadon	Mondays & every second Wednesday
Chaplain	Hannah Page	Monday & Friday

ELPHIN_JUNIOR_BADMINTON.pdf

ELPHIN_JUNIOR_BADMINTON _pdf 70.53 KB


22 Nov	INTERHIGH ATHLETICS CARNIVAL All day

22 Nov	State Basketball tournament - Elphin 22 Nov 2024 - 23 Nov 2024

6 Dec	Year 8 Newstead College Taster Day All day

6 Dec	S.W.A.T. Day /Healthy Me Expo/Big Day Out All day

13 Dec	Year 10 Leavers Dinner @ Casino All day

17 Dec	Year 10 Mystery Picnic All day

17 Dec	Reports go home - Years 7, 8 and 9 All day

18 Dec	Graduation/Presentation Assembly All day

19 Dec	End of Year Picnic - Years 7-9 - Bridport All day