Dear Parents/Carers

As we start heading into winter, it is timely to remind ourselves of accepting responsibility for trying to stay healthy with good hygiene, adequate sleep, good diet and appropriate exercise. All of these things, along with a structured daily routine, support student learning and engagement. It is perhaps most important at this time of the year when it is colder, days are shorter and we are not at the beginning or end of the year, and therefore it might be tempting to stay in bed that bit longer or not venture outside in the cold. Nevertheless, every school day matters, irrespective of the date or the weather.

In a similar vein, full school uniform is an everyday expectation of all our students. We have multiple layers to our uniform and students can also wear undergarments that are hidden from view. Just because it is cold and wet, this is not a reason or excuse to be out of uniform. All of our classrooms are also heated. In addition, it is an opportune time to remind families that we are going through a transition year with uniform in 2025. It has been great to see many families already embracing the new polo tops and shorts.  Please remember that the sports uniform of white polo and sports shorts will cease being day to day wear in 2026. If your child is in need of new uniform, it be worthwhile updating to the new items now.

Last week we had students involved in the Smart Arts Program, immunisations were conducted for relevant students in Years 7 and 10 and winter sports rosters commenced for both junior and senior students. We also conducted successful visits to local primary schools as part of our highly valued Year 6 to 7 transition program.

This week, we have a group of Year 10 students venturing interstate for our Melbourne Trip. I am sure this will be a fun, exciting and memorable journey. Trips such as this cannot occur without staff volunteering their time to make these experiences happen. I cannot direct staff to undertake these duties as part of their employment but they do so because they care, are committed and believe in providing well-rounded and enriching experiences for our students. Thank you to Joh Breen, Brendan Poke, James Guy, Sam Maddern and Kate Blaubaum for enabling this opportunity to occur and for giving unpaid time away from their family, friends and their ‘down time’. I hope students and families also appreciate their efforts as much as I do.

Thank you to those people who were able to attend our School Association Committee meeting last Thursday evening, including our student leader representatives. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 19 June.

Next Tuesday, we are hosting the Northern High Schools Sports Association (NHSSA) Interhigh Cross Country Carnival. This has become somewhat of a tradition in recent years and we are always happy to support the Association with sporting events. However, hosting comes with added responsibility and workload. Thank you to our Sports Co-ordinator, Emma Attard for her work in this regard and the broader Health and Physical Education teaching team led by Brendan Poke. Congratulations to all students who were selected in our cross country team and I hope you perform ably on the day.

In the second half of the term, teachers will be completing mid-year reports, so it is important students focus on their learning, submit work on time, seek support if needed and generally accept the responsibility for their learning and embrace the many wonderful opportunities they are presented with.  There will be progress conferences for parents in the final week of Term 2. However, if you are ever concerned about your child’s learning and progress, please do not hesitate to make contact with your child’s teacher(s).

From time to time, we get asked about the rules regarding students undertaking employment and things like apprenticeships and traineeships. Students can undertake paid employment outside of school hours. Generally, there is no minimum age to start casual or part-time work in Tasmania but there are age restrictions for certain types of work. Students are not permitted to work for an employer during school hours unless an Application for Part-time Attendance or an Application for Exemption from Attending School is completed and approved in advance.  There are also opportunities for older students to undertake work experience/ work placements and Australian School-Based Apprenticeship (ASbAs) whilst at school. If you would like more information, please follow the links below.

Employment while studying - Department for Education, Children and Young People

Apprenticeships and Traineeships - Department for Education, Children and Young People

Whether it is students going to Melbourne, representing our school in winter sports, going on some other excursion or simply walking to and from school, we want our students to represent our school with pride, loyalty and distinction. As such we want our students to be good community citizens whether that is at a school activity or otherwise. Afterall, everyone and everything associated with our school reflects on us all. I encourage and remind all students to think about their actions and behaviour at all times. Everyone who goes through our school should feel connected to our community and contribute as good human beings. One saying that I often recall in this regard is, ‘do you do the right thing even when no one is looking?’  I encourage our students to accept this responsibility and reflect upon this question.

Regards

Cary Stocks
Principal