Term 4 is well underway with students and staff returning to school with a positive focus on making the most of their learning time.  Teachers are continuing to collaborate and plan together to ensure all students are being supported to make gains in their learning in all areas.  Term 4 is also a time for review.  During this term we will be reviewing student learning growth and the progress we have made against our school improvement goals.

Staffing Update

It has been fantastic to welcome Nic Wardlaw and Lucie Cornelius back to our teaching team after their long service leave.  They are both looking amazingly refreshed and have some fantastic stories to tell of their travels.

Due to a number of changes during last term it’s important to update you on our leadership team and their areas of responsibility.  Please see the table below for this information:

• Andrew Martin, Assistant Principal 7-12
• Susan Scolyer, AST 7-12
• Ros Smith, Assistant Principal LiL-6
• Sandra Cook, AST K-6
• Lucie Cornelius, Quality Teaching Coach 

If you have a question or concern regarding your child/ren at school, please contact our administration office on 63723900 to make a suitable time for you to speak with their class teacher or a member of the leadership team. 

Classes 2022

At St Marys District School, we work collaboratively to make decisions regarding class placement.  These decisions are informed by students, teachers, parents and guardians.  Classes are formed to provide the best possible learning environment for all students catering for academic needs, to support friendships and increased social connections, to improve work habits and to foster diversity.

Parents and carers may provide specific information about their student's learning and/or social needs. Such information would not include a request for students to be in a particular class or with specific students or teachers.  The information should be provided in writing (letter or email) to the Assistant Principal, Ros Smith K-6 or Andrew Martin 7-12 by Week 6, Term 4.

Warm regards,

Carolyn Watson

PRINCIPAL

The Tasmanian Government is bringing COVID-19 vaccination clinics to specific high schools in regional areas of Tasmania this October and November.

All students aged 12 and above and school staff will be offered the vaccine if they haven’t already been vaccinated.

Some appointments are also available for parents on a first come first serve basis.

The vaccination clinic will be coming to St Marys District School for one day on Thursday 4^th November.

Students will receive the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine. This vaccine has been approved for use in Australia for people aged 12 years and over by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and is delivered in two doses, three weeks apart.

The clinic will return to the school to deliver the second dose on Thursday 25^th November.

Receiving the vaccine is a personal choice and is not compulsory for our students. However, all Tasmanians aged 12 and over are being strongly encouraged to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family and the wider community from COVID-19.

 

Vaccination day

On vaccination day, students will attend the vaccination clinic as directed by school staff to minimise disruption to lessons. Students will be vaccinated and then observed in the observation area for 15 minutes afterwards.

Students are advised to wear loose clothing such as sports gear. Parents are welcome to attend with students to provide support if needed.

 

Consent to receive the vaccine

Students aged under 16 years must provide parental consent to get vaccinated.

For students aged 16-17 years, our preference is that the decision to get vaccinated is reached jointly with their parent or guardian and that consent forms are completed jointly. However, students in this age group may be able to give their own consent following discussions with a nurse immuniser.

We request that consent forms are completed and returned to school by 28^th October. Consent forms will be sent home with students (spare copies are available at the office) or can be accessed online in English and a range of other languages.

For those parents wanting to take up the opportunity and be vaccinated at the school you will also need to return your consent form.

 

Students were asked to draw a shoe, their own or a made up one, and create patterns and designs of their own  to decorate them.  Great ideas came from all students.

Ms Brown’s Grade 3/4 class are beginning to explore fractions and equivalency. This week, students followed a recipe (with fractions in it) to create their very own playdough. Once the play dough was the perfect consistency – not too slimy, not too sticky and not too powdery, the students had a chance to create fractions and represent equations using their playdough. We explored the ideas of fractions as parts of whole, parts of a group and the of equivalency of fractions. We had a blast, learned a lot, and made a very big mess!

Exciting things are happening in the early childhood playground area this term. 

Our long awaited playground redevelopment has begun.  Currently there is lots of digging, drainage and form work taking place, in between showers of rain,  under the intense scrutiny of our Prep - Grade 2 students.  

The redevelopment has been supported by the St Marys District School Association with funds raised at the St Marys Op Shop,  operated by an amazing group of hard working volunteers.

We hope to share more photos of the redevelopment over the coming weeks. 

Students from the Grade 8/9A class are conducting skills sessions in the Gymnasium for the next four weeks. This program gives the opportunity for our senior students to lead and guide our junior students through activities to benefit their motor skills, and assist with greater development across all curriculum areas. We are also really excited by the opportunity to build relationships and connections between our students. Please enjoy some pictures from our first session.

Attendance will be a major focus for Term 4! It is well documented that there is an undeniable connection between attendance levels and improved student academic outcomes. These outcomes directly impact on quality of life for the rest of our students’ days, and as such, this is very important to us.

Whilst you can continue to expect a phone call home, or letter, or both following up on absences (as usual), we thought that we would change things up and reward those students that are doing their best to make every minute count.

Starting from last Monday (October 10), student attendance rates will be monitored and the students with the best attendance will be receiving a monumental reward at the end of this term. These students will be transported to a secret location and enjoy a day of fun-filled activity and treats as recognition for their fantastic attendance. This is also an acknowledgement and deliberate reinforcement of a very simple rule of life: effort = reward.

We will be assessing attendance based upon data that specifically looks at unacceptable reasons for not being at school (examples could be: can’t be bothered, going shopping, slept in etc.). If a student has a legitimate reason for not attending (medical certificate, attending a funeral, doctor’s appointment in Launceston etc.) then this will in no way affect their ability to demonstrate excellent attendance.

We hope that this incentive motivates and inspires our students and families to go the extra mile in relation to attendance and look forward to announcing our winners later in the term.

Kind regards,

Andrew Martin | Assistant Principal

On Wednesday 20^th October, UTas visited St Marys District School. Students engaged with current UTas students and teachers in a range of workshops, including Engineering, Aquaculture and Drones. Students discussed possible career pathways, degrees and how knowledge and research can be used in a range of industries and careers. 

CLASS	TEACHER	HOMEWORK/ASSIGNMENT	DUE DATE
11/12 DAP	Richard Levett	Design and Production Assessment. 1 - Environmental factors	22/10/2021
9A HASS	Adalia Draghici	SPICESS home survey homework task	25/10/2021

These notices have been sent home to parents in the last fortnight.  If you did not receive one and would like to receive a copy of the notice, please contact the school office on 63 723 900.

 

PRIMARY

• Grade 3 Sleepover

SECONDARY

WHOLE SCHOOL