Dear Parents/Carers

Welcome back to Term 2 at Kings Meadows High School. I hope those members of our school community with holidays had an enjoyable break and returned feeling enthused and motivated for the term ahead. Term 2 is certainly a time to really get focussed on learning and for taking on the many opportunities and supports that are available for students.

Last Wednesday 1 May, some of our senior students attended an umpiring clinic at Prospect High School. This clinic was run by the Northern High Schools Sports Association (NHSSA) to support senior students who assist with umpiring junior sport. I hope students found this opportunity useful and thank you to them for providing a valuable service in supporting the junior sport program. Thank you to Emma Attard for co-ordinating this experience for our students.

Congratulations to Alex Bartlett who recently competed in the Australian Little Athletics Championships in Adelaide toward the end of April. He came 7th in discus and threw a personal best to come 5th in the shot put. Well done Alex!

Yesterday, Tuesday 7 May we had students from all age groups participate in the Launceston Competitions. We have a very strong Arts program at our school, with skilled and dedicated teachers.  Although, at the time of writing, I am unaware of the final results. I have no doubt our dancers and drama performers will have done an outstanding job at the Competitions.  Performing in front of a real audience is a crucial part of learning in the Performing Arts. Thank you to parents, extended family and friends who attended the Launceston Competitions. Similarly, thank you to teachers Belinda Selby, Joh Breen and Kate Blaubaum for all the work they have put into developing our talented students and for facilitating this important, real-world learning experience for them all.

Today we are hosting the AFLW Gala Day which is co-ordinated by the NHSSA. This event brings interested schools together (Brooks, Deloraine, St Marys and Kings Meadows) to provide girls with a ‘taste’ of football, in the hope that this will foster ongoing interest and participation in the sport.  School teams participate in a round robin format with shortened games. Thank you to Emma Attard for co-ordinating this event in conjunction with Rachel Buck, the Executive Officer of the NHSSA.

Tomorrow, Thursday 9 May we hold our annual Cross Country Carnival at school. We will also be hosting the NHSSA Inter-High Cross Country on 24 May, with the backup day for poor weather on 31 May. It has been great to see students training and familiarising themselves with the course(s) during their Health and Physical Education classes. Although many of our more capable athletes may be looking to gain selection for our inter-high team, to run a personal best or simply put in a good run, cross country is something that all students can easily participate in irrespective of their fitness level. I look forward to seeing some great performances and high levels of participation tomorrow.

Recently we have had some painting undertaken in our school. This has included updating the ‘values wall’ that you see as you drive into the school. This has been possible with a small grant from the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) and has allowed us to update the wall to reflect the five current values of Respect, Courage, Growth, Responsibility and Connection. We have also repainted the speed hump and pedestrian crossing to ensure these are clearer and not confusing. We have also included a new pedestrian crossing to encourage greater student safety, particularly when accessing busses at the end of the day. Due to the busy nature of our car park, particularly at the beginning and end of the school day, and the presence of private vehicles in these car parks, students must not cut through the car park at any time and must use the crossings available. All drivers and pedestrians, please take care in and around our busy car park and bus turning circle.

Additional crossing shown

The re-roofing and refurbishments of our gynmasium have progressed very well. At this stage, we are working on a hand over in the next fortnight, although we have already had access to the changerooms which has meant we no longer have to use the temporary changerooms provided. We are very pleased with the outcome and I thank everyone for their patience, flexibility and adaptability during the construction period.  The upgraded basketball hoops, backboards and frames will take a bit longer due to supply issues. Thank you also to Batchelor Construction Group who have been great to work with as the contractors for the project and to our School Business Manager, Wendy Dalton for her fantastic work.

During Terms 2 and 3, a new flexible program called iTrack will be running. This is delivered through The Smith Family and offers Year 9 and 10 students who have expressed an interest, the opportunity to work with a mentor online for an hour a week to discuss career pathways. This program will run from B16 during Block 2 every Friday and will commence on Friday 10 May. I am sure students will gain a lot from the experience.

Looking ahead we have:

• The Geography Competition will be held on 15 May
• F1 in Schools workshop on 17 May
• Immunisations for Year 7 and 10 students on 20 May
• S.W.A.T. (Success, Wellbeing, Aspiration, Teamwork) Day on 21 May
• Bulldog Cup on 22 May
• Science and Engineering Challenge on 23 May
• Theatre program titled SmArts Grin and Tonic during week 3 of the term.

All of these are great opportunities for students to engage and extend their learning experiences.

During the holiday break, I was informed that our Quality Teaching Coach, Emily Lovegrove was the successful applicant for the acting Assistant Principal role at Winnaleah District High School until the end of the year. Emily has been a significant contributor to leading our reading priority and we wish her well in this new professional challenge. A selection process will be undertaken in due course to replace Emily.

I look forward to a busy but productive term ahead and please remember, every school day matters.

Regards

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:

Thasnim Ashraf & Indiah Ackroyd – For going above and beyond in challenging themselves in music when performing in front of others. 

Isabel Murphy - For following R.O.C.K.S. expectations, helping others and going above and beyond in science. 

Year 8:

Isabella Cooper - For making a great start to Term 2 through her commitment towards learning and showing resilience in overcoming challenges.

Sam Davis - For his ongoing efforts in sporting events and for his quiet but dedicated effort towards his learning programs.

Aden Quillerat - For showing a dedicated commitment towards his learning and his willingness to attempt and participate in higher order thinking activities.

Year 9:

Brent Kremmer – For always abiding by our school R.O.C.K.S. and showing initiative within the classroom to aid his learning. 

Thomas Harrington – For being polite, respectful and always giving 100% to any task he undertakes.

Year 10:

Hailey Styles and Shade St Claire - For continued diligence and application in all Learning Areas.  

Welcome to Term 2! It has been great to see our Year 7 students return from holidays fresh-faced and ready to learn. We are only early into term, but students have already taken every opportunity to take on new challenges to continue their growth.

Last week, Mr Richardson spoke in a Year 7 assembly about the F1 in Schools competition, where students work in teams to design, build and race model cars. Mr Richardson explained the enormous amount of extra work students put in when participating in this program, yet a large number of students have not been deterred, keen to make the most of this learning opportunity!

An absolute highlight this week has been with the students in 7A, 7C and 7E in their music lessons. Mrs Howard organised for Glenn Moorehouse, a skilled musician who has performed around Australia, to workshop with classes. In these lessons, students all learned how to play multiple chords on guitar, create a melody by sequencing them together, with nearly every student performing their piece in front of an audience of their peers! With many students stating at the beginning of the lesson that they couldn’t preform in front of others, the courage and growth shown by all students, along with the support they gave each other, was terrific. Well done to all students who participated and thank you to Mrs Howard and Glenn Moorehouse for organising this amazing learning opportunity.

A continual focus this term will be on attendance and engagement. Every school day matters and we want to maintain a culture of students making the most of each day of learning. If a student were to miss a single day of school each week from Kindergarten to Year 12, that adds up to 2½ years of schooling missed. Where a student needs support with their attendance, we want to be working with that student and their family. If your child has multiple unexplained absences, Class Teachers may be in contact with. It is vital that you contact our school office if your child is absent. When talking with your child about school, if they speak of any barriers to their attendance or engagement in lessons, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their Class Teacher.

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

Mr George Edmondson - george.edmondson@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 congratulate all our Year 8 students for the terrific start they made during the first two weeks of Term 2 and for showing such a dedicated commitment towards their learning. I would also like to thank our hard working and dedicated staff for the efforts they continue to make each day in support of providing high quality teaching and learning programs.

In the last week of term 1, we shared a raising of our expectations for students around ensuring they are arriving to class on time and the importance of making a dedicated effort to work with teachers in support of their teaching and learning programs and commitment towards their learning.  Our Year 8 staff continued to look at ways of supporting students with their attendance and collaboratively set a goal for our cohort of 90% during our first attendance inquiry meeting this term.  During the rest of this year, we will continue to work with students and their families to remove any barriers for students who are having problems attending less than 90%, whilst acknowledging and rewarding students above this level for their efforts and whilst helping them to understand the benefits this has on improving their learning outcomes, relationships with peers and sense of being part of our school community. 

We hope our efforts in this space help us better understand each student whilst building strong and collaborative partnerships with parents. We also hope to work closely with our students in helping them set their own attendance goals so they understand how close they are to reaching or exceeding our target of 90% attendance and any changes or supports they might require reaching this goal.

As cross country is approaching this Thursday, we certainly hope that we continue to have high rates of participation and attendance on the day. While we accept that not all students might have a strength in running, participation on the day has many other benefits.  Participating in  sporting events offers numerous benefits beyond just excelling in one particular sport. Even if students aren’t great runners, joining cross country can improve their overall fitness, endurance, mental toughness and resilience. Additionally, it exposes them to a diverse range of athletic experiences and fosters teamwork and camaraderie among teammates. Attending sporting events, regardless of whether you're competing or not, is crucial for showing support to your peers, fostering school spirit and cultivating a sense of community within our student body.  On this note, we certainly hope parents support their children to attend and participate on the day and we encourage you to come into our school to show your support, if you are available on the day. 

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

Our Year 9s have started the term extremely well as we come in to the colder months here at school. We encourage students to have appropriate uniform as we approach winter with rugby jumpers, spray jackets and beanies. Students are not permitted to wear non KMHS hoodies to school as this is not part of our uniform policy.

The whole school has started undertaking cross country training as a part of HPE lessons, with the Year 9s setting a great standard with their participation and endeavour – cross country for our Year 9s will be this Thursday so students are reminded to bring their PE uniform. Winter Sport is approaching quickly in term 2 with matches starting next week.

As our students are now in the senior school, we expect that their organisation and initiative in having the required equipment and paperwork completed if they are wanting a class change.

Our Year 9 students have started some new units of work in Term 2. In English, our cohort has begun the novel T.H.U.G. (The Hate U Give) while in History we are focusing on the unit of Slavery.

Some key dates to keep in mind coming up include:

• Cross Country – Thursday 9 May
• Bulldogs Cup – Wed 22 May
• Student Free Day – Friday 7June
• Public Holiday – Monday 10 June

We have unfortunately had to say farewell to two of our Year 9 teachers recently. Miss Lovegrove departs us for a role at Winneleah High School while Mr Pinnington is on a working holiday interstate, combining teaching and travel. We wish them all the best.

As always, our Class Teachers should be the first point of contact for your child here at KMHS, 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 – Mr Nathan Meurant – nathan.meurant@decyp.tas.gov.au

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

9EL Class Teacher - 

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

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

ANZAC Services
During the holidays, some dedicated Kings Meadows High School students and staff volunteered to represent our school at ANZAC Day services in our community. The feedback received was fantastic and we would like to congratulate Amarli, Amir, Makinley, Levi, Ash, Petra, Steph, Holly, Bree, Amelia and Jayda for taking part. Thanks also to Mrs Hart, Miss Sheedy and Mr Murray for supporting these students at the services and to Mrs Glasby for all of the planning, co-ordination and encouragement of these students. 

Positive Learning Attributes
Congratulations to all students who have returned from the holidays with a positive attitude and motivation to learn to the best of their ability and assist others to so the same. At our assembly last week we recognised three of these students:

Brett Lane – For being a caring and support classmate.

Cameron Gurteen – For his continued effort and focus in History.

Darcy McMahon – For commitment to learning in English.

Grade Focus

Our focus for Year 10 this term is making positive choices and being responsible for our own learning. Following the school R.O.C.K.S. is one element of this focus, as is ensuring we make the most of learning opportunities we are presented with. Parents and carers have a pivotal role in the learning of our students, so we ask that you regularly engage in conversations about learning and also support your child to seek further opportunities in the form of work experience, employment and post Year 10 pathways. Please also support your child to follow school expectations by not communicating with them via text/calls during the school day. Urgent messages can be relayed via the school office if necessary.

Melbourne Trip
At the end of Term 1, students who had expressed interest in attending a Melbourne trip were given a detailed letter and proposed itinerary, which included a section that needed to be returned as an acknowledgement of requirements and payment information. This needs to returned ASAP as the proposed trip is only three months away and there is a lot of work still to be done if it is to proceed. Please contact James Guy if you would like more information.

Important Dates

• Cross Country – Thursday 9 May
• Build-Up Tassie Presentation – Tuesday 14 May
• Grade 10 Immunisations – Monday 20 May
• S.W.A.T. Day – Tuesday 21 May
• Bulldog Cup – Wednesday 22 May
• Science and Engineering Challenge – Thursday 23 May
• Inter-High Cross Country – Friday 24 May

Year 10 Contact Details:

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

A MESSAGE FROM THE PREFECTS ABOUT THE ANZAC SERVICES 

During the term break, a group of teachers and Year 9/10 student leaders participated in four of the ANZAC services that were held on Thursday, 25 April. These students demonstrated their commitment and dedication by laying wreaths on the cenotaphs at Launceston, Evandale, Longford and Perth to honour those service men and women who have given their lives for Australia. 

The Launceston service was attended by Amarli Harrison, Amir Rahmi, Makinley Robins, Levi Swift and Miss Sheedy, while the Longford service was attended by Amelia Armstrong, Bree Dwyer, Jayda Hodgetts and Mr Murray. At both of these services, it was wonderful to see a vast number of current and past students who were actively involved in the ceremonies. 

The Evandale service was attended by Ash Clarke, Petra Bourke and Mrs Hart. We would like to offer a special mention to Petra for reading In Flanders Field by John McCrae during the service. Bob Strachan who co-ordinated the service thanked KMHS in an email “for it's continuing support to the Evandale ANZAC Day commemorations”. He also wrote that “Petra did a great job reading the poem and it was very nice to meet Petra and Ash.” Additionally, Mr Parker, who many may remember, was at the service, supporting the sound team. 

The Perth service, which started at 9.00am, was attended by Steph Watson, Holly Dunn and Mrs Glasby. During the service, there was a short exposition about two local Perth men who served during the Boer War and had to travel first to Melbourne and then to South Africa. Through this experience, the students who attended gained a deeper understanding of the ANZAC spirit and its enduring importance in Australian and New Zealand history. 

Ms Sheedy, Mr Murray, Mrs Hart and Mrs Glasby commended the students who dedicated their own holidays to attend the services and represented the school beautifully. 

We are so grateful for the Florist on David for providing lovely wreaths and their flexibility around the wreath collection and delivery. 

There were numerous ANZAC services and we would like to thank all KMHS students, staff and families who attended these to remember and honour our fallen soldiers. 

Lest we forget.

Left: Holly and Steph holding the wreath.

Right: Steph and Holly paying their respects after laying the wreath.

Left: Ash and Petra in front of the Cenotaph.

Right: Petra reading In Flanders Fields.

Jayda, Bree and Amelia holding the wreath before the service.

Levi, Amir, Amarli and Makinley at the Launceston ANZAC service.

Year 10 students have been extracting DNA samples from strawberries, to see the process of obtaining DNA . Modern forensics rely on “fingerprinting” using minute amounts of DNA.

Towards the end of Term 1 and to begin Term 2, our students have been busy practicing for the upcoming cross country carnival throughout Physical Education. The cross country carnival is on Thursday 9 May from 9:15am through until 12:10pm.

Race times are as follows:

• Year 7 boys - 9.15am
• Year 7 girls - 9.25am
• Year 8 boys - 9.35am
• Year 8 girls - 9.45am
• Year 9 boys - 11.20am
• Year 9 girls - 11.25am
• Year 10 boys - 11.30am
• Year 10 girls 11.35am

Parents and carers are welcome to come along. You will however, need to enter the school via the gate along Hobart Road and view from the carpark on the Eastern side of the ground.  

We look forward to all our students participating and having fun during this year’s cross-country carnival and we encourage parents and carers to come cheer their children on throughout the day.

We look forward to an amazing day!

Leadership Staff

Support Staff