St Marys District School
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13 Gray Road
St Marys TAS 7215
Subscribe: https://stmarysdistricts.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

st.marys.district.school@education.tas.gov.au
Phone: 03 6372 3900

1 September 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPALS REPORT

2017 is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. The changes we have seen to smart phones and their time saving applications have changed the face of the world including education. The changes in technology for the most part has been seen in positive light, however, there are aspects of smartphones and their applications which when misused, can impact negatively on our young people. We educate our students on the responsible use of technology and the vast majority are compliant. Just like bullying in the offline world, not all online bullying is criminal. Please take the time to visit the ACORN website below, particularly ‘staying safe on social media’.

https://www.acorn.gov.au/

According to ACORN, (Australian cybercrime online reporting network) cyber-bullying or stalking occurs when someone engages in offensive, menacing or harassing behaviour through the use of technology. It can happen to people at any age, anytime, and often anonymously.

Examples of cyber-bullying include:

  • posting hurtful messages, images or videos online
  • repeatedly sending unwanted messages online
  • sending abusive texts and emails
  • excluding or intimidating others online
  • creating fake social networking profiles or websites that are hurtful
  • nasty online gossip and chat, and
  • any other form of digital communication which is discriminatory, intimidating, intended to cause hurt or make someone fear for their safety.

As children and young people are often online, it can be hard for them to escape cyber-bullying. Youth do not often tell their parents in fear that it will make the situation worse, or out of fear they will lose internet access. Ongoing communication between parents and children is important to prevent and stop cyber-bullying. You may wish to consider more information about the support services available for children and cyber victims more generally.

Congratulations to our Maths relay team who attended a Maths Relay Competition at Scotch Oakburn College on a Sunday recently and Miss Redden who coached them through to some great results. Our team was one of the smallest yet had outstanding results, well done everyone.

Thank you also to Mr Spykers for attending the competition with the students

School Calendar

Sync Calendar

School Calendar

Term 4 Commences

All day

LIL 10.30-11.30 Kinder

All day

Pre Kinder Group 1 9-10am

All day

Grade 3 Sleepover

16 Oct 2025 - 17 Oct 2025

TasBGas Construction Skill Set Student interviews - Ref Tanya time tbc

All day

Construction Skill-Set Interviews

All day

HoL PL - KG, WI

All day

Kinder Excursion- St Marys Town Hall Children's Week

All day

Pre Kinder Group 2 9-10am

All day

LIL 10.30-11.30 Kinder

All day

NC/LC Enrolment Interviews

All day

Grade 9 Camp - CYC Blue Lagoon

27 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Immunisation Catchups - if required

All day

Grade 5 Camp Rostrevor

29 Oct 2025 - 30 Oct 2025

LIL 10.30-11.30 St Marys Hall

All day

Pre Kinder 9-10am

All day

Transition visit 4 BPS Y6 to SMDS - OPTIONS Day

All day

World Teachers' Day 2025

All day

Student Free Day - Professional Learning

All day

Recreation Day (Northern Tas only)

All day

HoL Pyegana Dairy Co

All day

'Knock Knock' Performance K-4 PAC

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Kinder Excursion Serpentarium

All day

Pre Kinder 9-10am

All day

LIL 10.30-11.30 PAC

All day

Sporting Schools Surf Groms Gr 5/6

All day

Secondary Athletics Carnival

All day

PAC/Common Room closed for Student Exhibition Set Up

07 Nov 2025 - 14 Nov 2025

RYDA (Simmons Plains)

All day

National Theatre Company Water Literacy Performance 3-6 2.15pm

All day

National Theatre Company Water Literacy Performance K-2 1.30

All day

2025 Student Exhibition

All day

Year 11/12 EOY Lunch @TBC

All day

LIL 10.30-11.30 Kinder

All day

Inter-High Athletics @ St Leonards

All day

Pre Kinder 9-10am

All day

Recurring event

LIFT NEWS: Kinder to Grade 2

Learning in Families Together is all about families engaging with their children’s learning, and building positive relationships with members of our school community. Research suggests that continued family engagement in student learning has a significant positive impact on student achievement in literacy and numeracy. So jump on board our LIFT initiatives and have some fun!

The School Association has given a substantial donation to the LIFT Games Lending Library to purchase sturdy containers and more boxed games. Week 7 will see all games lending paused to check all the games and to put them all onto our library barcode system. If parents could support the return of all games and any random pieces you may find, that would be wonderful. If you would like to donate second hand educational games to our library, please do, and if you are able to help go through the games (there are a lot!) that would be fantastic. Bec Mason is the contact.

Jack Foreman, in conjunction with our Sporting Schools Program, has continued to offer Friday soccer for our students at both Fingal and St Marys campuses. Grade 2/3 Cromb have started their soccer sessions and their parents are encouraged to come along to join the fun! It is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teacher. Please contact Mrs Cromb to make arrangements.

Grades 2/3, 1/2 and Prep/1 have participated in our LIFT “Feed Me A Story” initiative this year. Parents came into the school to work alongside their children, making four different, healthy, lunch-box friendly foods each week, for the entire class to taste. Students then rated the foods and took the recipes home. Lots of fun was had, and many children tried new foods. It was a lovely opportunity for parents and teachers to work together and get to know each other a bit better. Many thanks to the Building Blocks team who funded and helped run the sessions.

This week saw Gr 2/3 Cromb begin a Monday afternoon recycled art project, again with the support of the Building Blocks team. Parents of Grade 2/3 Cromb students are encouraged to come to one, or all, of the remaining three art sessions (Mondays 1:30-3:00pm). It is lovely if parents are able to RSVP, however, drop ins are more than welcome!! Please remember to sign in at the office. If you do not hold a WVVP card, please contact Bec Mason 0409 253 504.

Last term we were stunned and overwhelmed by the fantastic turn out for our Mother’s Day Devonshire Teas at Fingal and St Marys campuses. It was such a worthwhile LIFT initiative to see so many smiling faces and hear so much excited chatter. We absolutely loved having so many family members come and join the fun. This weekend is Father’s Day, and we certainly have not forgotten the wonderful dads in our community! We have an after school Father’s Day Bonfire and BBQ evening planned for Friday 1st September, from 5pm-7pm on the school farm. The cost is $5 per person, children who are under 8 years of age eat free! All families K-2 from both campuses are warmly invited to attend – bring your dad, bring your mum, bring your siblings, grandparents and carers! The $5 includes a basic BBQ, dessert, and tea, coffee and hot chocolate/milo facilities. There will be a bonfire, table games, photo booth and glow sticks (glow sticks can be purchased with a gold coin donation on the night). For the real coffee lovers, there will be a coin operated, fundraising coffee machine set up for you to purchase barista coffees, so please bring your spare change!

These events cannot occur without the invaluable help of volunteers. If you are able to help out on the night, please approach Mrs Bec Mason on arrival and she will give you a job! Alternatively, send her a text on 0409 253 504.

A big thank you to Bree Sweet and Hannah Chandler for helping with the Father’s Day catering. If you would like to be included on the LIFT volunteer register for upcoming events, please contact Mrs Bec Mason. We always need volunteers!

Lift Photos
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Lift Photos
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WOOLWORTHS EARN AND LEARN STICKER PROGRAMME 2017

Dear Parents/Carers

Our school has recently received information regarding the 2017 Woollies Earn and Learn Programme and I would like to inform you that our school will again participate in this wonderful opportunity to earn points to redeem for educational resources.

Since 2010, our school has benefitted from being involved in this programme. It is so exciting to open all the boxes of wonderful resources to share with our teachers and students.

For every $10 you spend at Woolworths you will receive one sticker. Stickers are to be attached to the sticker cards and these can be placed in the sticker card box in the school foyer. We are UNABLE to accept stickers THAT ARE NOT PLACED ON A STICKER SHEET. Just go to the link below, find the sticker sheet and print off however many sheets you need. To start you off we have attached a sticker sheet for you.

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/earn-and-learn

When the programme closes on September 19th, I will count all the completed sticker cards and return them to the head office. Woolworths Earn and Learn staff will then let me know how many points our school has earned. The selection of educational resources from the Earn and Learn Catalogue can then proceed.

Just remember, it is important that our community support the local supermarket store of choice where possible, but when it suits your shopping needs, we welcome as many Woollies stickers as possible.

Kind regards

Karen Bramich
Earn and Learn Programme Coordinator

Bruce Campbell
Principal

ACADEMY GALLEY INVITATION

Entangled: Art and the Tasmanian Primary School

Exhibition opening guest speaker: Alderman Danny Gibson, City of Launceston
Exhibition curators: Dr Abbey MacDonald & Dr Malcom Bywaters
Exhibition opening: 5.30 – 7pm Wednesday 23 August
Exhibition artists: Primary students from Launceston Church Grammar School, Scotch Oakburn College, St Marys District School, The Hutchins School, Trevallyn Primary School, Ravenswood Heights Primary School
Exhibition dates: 24 August – 22 September

Entangled explores a need identified within national research and the Tasmanian Art Teachers Association (TATA) to better support primary teachers to enact The Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Within this project, Tasmanian primary teachers and their students were mentored by a specialist art teacher to undertake an art inquiry for exhibition. The art inquiries showcase the explorations of community based topics and issues of concern undertaken in alignment with the existing primary school learning programs. Formative and summative evaluations of the mentors' and teachers' experiences will enable the researchers to identify challenges Tasmanian primary teachers encounter in enacting curriculum change, and articulate the implications these challenges pose for pedagogical transformation and student learning in visual art. The artworks shown in Entangled derive from a pilot investigation that has sought to establish how primary teachers can be best supported to enact curriculum change and deliver authentic visual art learning experiences in Tasmania.

Entangled is presented as part of the Academy Gallery Active Research Program. The Academy Gallery Active Research Program aims to exhibit the research undertaken by the University of Tasmania as a global educational provider.

Entangled is supported by a University of Tasmania Teaching Development Grant.

Entangled is presented by the Academy Gallery as part of the Junior Academy Program in partnership with the Tasmanian Art Teaches Association and Art Education Australia (AEA).

GRADE 6 TORRES STRAIT ART WORK

Sam Jordan

Zoe Johnson

Eric Trivett

Jasmine McKimmie

Jack Hendley

Max Salter

Ava Lockwood-Roden

Darshini Barnes

Jakobe Tatnell

Jayme King

Coneeka Thow

Ella Trivett

Keshon Anum

Tyler Garth

Evie Simpson

Mahalia Baldwin

Taylor Jones

Chelsea Jackson

Maggie Egan

Ruby Churchill

Kiara Ward

GRADE 6 TORRES STRAIT LINO PRINTS

Art Exhibition at the Academy Gallery Inveresk Art School

Wednesday 23rd August—22nd September

The Grade 6 class have been participating in a classroom art inquiry based on the patterns and symbols used to represent different ideas and meanings in many cultures.

Jill Lewis, the St Marys Art teacher, mentored Hannah Papworth, the Grade 6 teacher, to investigate whether Primary teachers need support to implement the Australian Curriculum in Art into their classrooms.

The students painted with posca pens and permanent markers on boards and printed their own lino prints based on the same lesson. All artwork on exhibition is included in the newsletter article and it would be wonderful if you are in Launceston to check out the exhibition and the art work from five other Primary schools from around the state.

Jasmine McKimmie

Sam Jordan

Jack Hendley

Elvis Russell

Eric Trivett

Keshon Anum

Maggie Egan

Sam Jordan

Chelsea Jackson

Jakobe Tatnell

Ava Lockwood-Roden

Mahalia Baldwin

Evie Simpson

Zoe Johnson

Jayme King

HEALTH EDUCATION GRADE 7-10

All Grade 7 – 10 students are learning about First Aid and Emergency Care. All aspects of learning fall under grade specific sections of the Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum Framework as follows:

  • Grade 7 and 8 students: Practise and apply details about personal social capacity where the students have learned about basic First Aid and strategies to use in emergency care situations.
  • Grade 9 and 10 students: Plan, rehearse and evaluate options (including CPR and First Aid) for managing situations where their own or others health, safety and well-being may be at short or long term risk. Students have been required to plan and practice responses to emergencies where they may be required to administer First Aid to a friend including CPR.

Depending on the grade, students have identified what to include in a first aid kit. They have completed on-line personal first aid audits from reputable sources. Students have written emergency care scenarios and created a range of multi-choice questions for self and peer assessment. Students have actively engaged in using a range of bandages and slings. They have positioned their peers in the recovery position. They have become familiar with the role of the bystander. Class time has also been dedicated to addressing how to make a 000 call. All students have become aware of the 4A’s – awareness, assessment, action and aftercare – and how this knowledge can supplement the primary emergency care protocol DRSABCD.

Health
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Health
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BOOK WEEK COMES TO K/P/1

In the early childhood class at Fingal we have been celebrating Book Week.

We travelled to St Marys on Tuesday to take part in celebrations with the St Marys classes. On Wednesday Building Blocks visited. We read The Snow Wombat by Susannah Chambers and Go Home, Cheeky Animals! by Johanna Bell.

The children enjoyed exploring snow and fairy tale themed play scenes, making animal masks and their own books.

Thank you to Tanya and Tash for visiting.

Here are some photos of us playing.

KP1
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KP1
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KINDERGARTEN BOOK WEEK

In Kindergarten, we have been learning about characters. We have been reading the Nick Bland series of books with our favourite being ‘The Very Cranky Bear’. We made our own masks of the characters in the story.

The class then had a fantastic time on the day of the Book Week Parade with everyone dressing up as their favourite characters. We had some very interesting costumes!

We enjoyed spending some time in the Prep and Grade 1/2 classes, along with the Fingal ECE class, where we read the book ‘Nanny Loves’. We then created our own patchwork pieces showing something that we love to do with our Nans. This is being put together into a collaborative artwork which looks great. The Kinder children had a great day spending their first lunchtime in the Primary area which was extremely exciting.

Some of the children have drawn pictures about the Book Week Parade in their writing books.

Bentley Coker-Williams

Judd Wilson

Calib Smith

Calib Smith

Cohen Piscitelli-Cole

Cohen Piscitelli-Cole

Cooper Griffiths

Cooper Griffiths

Ella Gillies

Ella Gillies

Shiloh Faulkner

Elka Woods

Emily Barnes

Emily Barnes

Jacob Mountford-Irwin

Jacob Mountford-Irwin

Oliver Hibberd

Oliver Hibberd

Oliver Jones

Oliver Jones

Sam Barnes

Sam Barnes

Shiloh Faulkner

Shiloh Faulkner

Book Week in Primary

Book Week was held at St. Marys District School from Monday 21st August – Friday 25th August

There was high excitement in the playground on Tuesday 22nd August, as children came to school dressed as their favourite book character. Students from Fingal Campus came to join in the fun, which included a character parade in the Hall. Teaching and support staff got into the act with some fantastic costumes as well.

Please enjoy our gallery of photos.

Primary Book Week
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Primary Book Week
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Scholastic Book Fair

It is Book Fair time again! Following on from Book Week, the Book Fair will be taking place at both St Marys and Fingal Campuses next week from Monday 4th September until Thursday 7th September.

This year’s book display at St Marys Campus will be in the school hall and at Fingal Campus books will be on display in the foyer.

Parents and students are welcome to view and purchase the amazing assortment of books on offer. As well as some great bargains for students, each year the book fair contributes an assortment of books to our library collection. So come along and check it out!

PRIMARY CERTIFICATE WINNERS

Grade Prep 1 Certificates

1-2 Cert
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1-2 Cert
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Grade 2-3 Certificates

Grade 3-4 Certificates

Grade 4-5 Certificates
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Grade 4-5 Certificates
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Grade 6 Certificates

CLASSY KOALA AWARD

Cambodia Garage Sale and Walkathon

Our garage sale of surplus items continues, with recent additions of typewriters and sewing machines. Please don’t forget our Auction of the 2010 framed, limited edition Hawthorn Team photo as well as our Monster Raffle. We will also be holding a walkathon for all our Kinder to Grade 10 students within our school grounds on Tuesday 19th of September to raise additional funds for our Cambodian Friendship school. A notice about this event will be sent home on Friday 1st of September and we look forward to students receiving lots of sponsorship for their walking.

Garage Sale
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Garage Sale
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Expressions of Interest/Tender MDT Machinery

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST REQUESTED

We have a number of MDT machines which are surplus to requirement and are seeking expressions of interest/tenders for the machinery listed below.

All machinery is sold as is/where is, and purchaser is responsible for engaging a licensed electrician at their own expense to disconnect the power from the safety switches and removal/transport of the items.

Inspections can be arranged by contacting Janine Burt 0363723900 to make an appointment.

Tenders close on 16th September and are to be addressed to :

Janine Burt
School Business Manager
St Marys District School
13 GRAY ROAD ST MARYS TAS 7215

Items must be paid for and removed from the MDT area by 25th September 2017.

MDT Machinery
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MDT Machinery
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