Welcome back! The Grade 8 team would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome our Grade 8 students and their families to another fantastic year at Kings Meadows High School. We hope that students have had a relaxing holiday and are ready to focus on their learning this year.

A few staffing changes have been made to our Grade Team since the end of 2020. Mr Whitford has moved to Melbourne to pursue a job with the Melbourne Football Club (AFL) and their affiliated VFL team furthering his coaching career. We would like to thank Mr Whitford for his work with our grade last year and wish him all the best for the future. What an amazing example of aspiration for our students.

Mr Battle has moved into our Co-Grade Leader position and will be working alongside Miss Males in this space to support our students and Class Teachers. Mrs Hume will continue to be our Grade AST and Mrs Wightman our Grade Assistant Principal. Please see the contact details below of each of our team members this year.

Assistant Principal - Mrs Wightman  katie.wightman@education.tas.gov.au

Grade 8 AST - Mrs Hume kate.hume@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Leaders - Mr Battle & Miss Males mathew.battle@education.tas.gov.au lillian.males@education.tas.gov.au

8A - Mr Chris Murray chris.murray1@education.tas.gov.au

8B - Mr Matthew Chatwin matthew.chatwin@education.tas.gov.au

8C - Mrs Kathleen Hodges kathleen.hodges@education.tas.gov.au

8D - Miss Grace Bannon grace.bannon@education.tas.gov.au

8E - Mrs Amy Jansen amy.jansen@education.tas.gov.au

8F - Mrs Jessica Crawford jessica.crawford@education.tas.gov.au

8G - Mrs Tracey MacFarlane tracey.macfarlane@education.tas.gov.au

Grade Support - Mr Pedersen thor.porsbro-pederse@education.tas.gov.au

Celebrations

We have been impressed by the way our Grade 8 students have settled into their new learning space (at the top of B Block) and their new Class Teacher groups. Last week our students participated in three S.W.A.T. Days (Success, Well-being, Aspiration, Teamwork) where they were taken through a variety of activities to being building relationships with their new Class Teacher groups.  

On Thursday Will Smith was our guest speaker and spoke to the Grade 8’s about setting themselves up for success and recognising the different influences on their lives. This included identifying their top five people who they engage with the most in their life, who are positive influences on them and people who are going to make them the best they can be. We were proud of the way our Grade 8’s embraced Will and his session, participating in the activities and actively hanging off each word he said. It was a very powerful session for our young people and we would encourage families to discuss this session in the future.

Grade Focus

Throughout our S.W.A.T. days one of our Grade foci was ‘Acceptance’ - acceptance of ourselves and others.  Activities have been focused on students' similarities and what makes them unique.

‘Differences make us interesting and unique. Exploring and respecting other people’s differences and connecting through similarities enables us to feel safe, to trust others and to express ourselves.’

Whilst getting to know their new Class Teacher groups students explored ‘acceptance’, what it means and how we can show/be accepting of others. It is important that our students are accepting of each other, their similarities and differences as this provides us all with a positive, safe and welcoming learning environment where students and teachers can be the best they can be.