7 November 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Student Free Day – November 1st

For the third time this year, the student free day on November 1st has been focused on the work of the muka layna Collaborative. muka layna, meaning ‘fresh water, salt water’, is the name selected to identify the group of schools we are working in collaboration with. Our work with these schools centres on our school improvement priority of quality teaching. The muka layna schools are Bicheno Primary School, St Helens District High School, Winnaleah District High School, Campbell Town District High School and St Marys District School. Last Friday, teachers from these schools met at St Marys and spent the day together participating in professional learning. The focus of this learning was to develop a teacher planning template that is aligned with the muka layna Instructional Model. Our Instructional Model was developed during the first half of this year and it provides clear guidance for our schools and teachers on the key elements of effective teacher instruction in relation to planning and teaching great lessons. The planning template we are currently developing will further support our teachers by ensuring that each lesson taught is carefully and effectively planned. At St Marys this work will support every teacher to be more effective through great planning and great teaching. Below is a link to the muka layna Instructional model.

Student Free Day

muka Layna is palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aboriginals, with thanks to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

Student Awards

The Department of Education Student Awards recognise student achievement and the values of aspiration and growth.

Aspiration and Achievement – a culture of high expectations and high achievement

Growth – improving by always learning and finding better ways to do things.

Eligible students come from Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. This year two students from St Marys District School were recognised at a celebratory event held on Wednesday 23 October.

Alexandra Syka received the Aspiration and Achievement Award. This award is to recognise high achievement and was calculated using the NAPLAN literacy and numeracy data and Australian Curriculum assessments in English, Mathematics and Science over the past year.

Alex

Lowen Li received the Growth Award Lowen received this award for demonstrating the most significant academic growth within St Marys District School. This award involves student growth over a two or three year interval between literacy and numeracy tests which are held in Prep and Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. This award also included the most recent year of growth in student learning as shown through the Australian Curriculum.

Lowen

Congratulations to both Alexandra and Lowen on this wonderful achievement.

Swimming and Water Safety Program

The 2019 SWSP for students in Grades 3 - 5 concluded on Thursday 31st of October. All students participated in daily fifty minute lessons over the two weeks of the program and their improvement was clear for all to see. Class teachers had the opportunity to spend time on the pool deck this year and while there, they supported students to complete follow up workbooks linked to their in pool learning. Thank you to Miss Karen Bramich and Mrs Carol Bennett for their wonderful organisation and delivery of this very important program. This week the students had the opportunity to put this learning into practise at the Grades 3 – 6 Swimming Carnival.

End of Year Assemblies and Events

As part of a review of all Term 4 events, we have added an additional assembly into our end of year events.

On Wednesday the 18th of December, the newly elected Student Representative Council will host a Merit Assembly for all students from Kindergarten to Year 9. Parents are also warmly invited to attend the Merit Assembly and share in our celebrations which will include awarding Merit Certificates Kinder – Grade 9. The Kinder – Grade 9 Sporting and Attendance Certificates usually given out during the Presentation Assembly will also be awarded at the Merit Assembly. Mr Wardlaw and Miss Bramich and their music students are busy preparing musical items for this assembly as well as the usual, much anticipated items that will be performed during Presentation Day.

These changes have been made to ensure that we have time to acknowledge and celebrate all aspects of our Kindergarten to Year 12 school year while supporting all members of our school community to participate and share in our celebrations. We look forward to sharing the following events with you.

Friday 13th December - Presentation Assembly
Tuesday 17th December – Grade 10 Graduation Dinner
Wednesday 18th December – Grade 10 Picnic
Wednesday 18th December – Kinder – Grade 9 Merit Assembly
Thursday 19th December – Grade 10 Celebration Assembly

RESPECTFUL SCHOOL VOLUNTEER AND VISITOR BEHAVIOUR POLICY

We welcome the contributions of volunteers and visitors, and recognise the role they pay in supporting and promoting a safe and respectful school environment, by behaving in a way that is aligned with the Department of Education’s values and goals, and our school values. Respectful school volunteer and visitor behaviour is critical in ensuring that the school environment supports child, student and staff wellbeing.

Please click the link below to view the St Marys District School Volunteer and Visitor Behaviour Policy.

2019-20 BUSHFIRE PLAN

The recent fire in Dune Street, Scamander has highlighted the anticipated severity of this year’s bushfire season.

St Marys District School annually updates its Bushfire Response Plan (BRP) and in conjunction with the Department of Education, reviews planned responses if a bushfire starts whilst the site is operating and procedures around days of high fire danger.

You can help us by:

• Ensuring that your contact details are up to date, by notifying the school office of any changes;
• Completing and returning the Parent Authorisation Release form, which will be circulated to all students next week.
• Ensuring that your child’s emergency contact details are up to date and that nominated emergency contacts are available and capable of acting on your behalf;
• Referring to the information below, outlining procedures for planned closure or relocation of schools due to a bushfire page.
• On days of high fire danger monitor the TFS Website www.fire.tas.gov.au, and our school Facebook Page.

Department of Education

St Marys District School

13 Gray Road, TAS 7215
Telephone: (03) 6372 3900
Email: st.marys.district.school@education.tas.gov.au

Planned Closure/Relocation of Schools due to a Bushfire

The Department of Education (the Department) is concerned to maximise the safety of its students, and staff. St Marys District School has been added to the Bushfire Ready Register. Inclusion on this register means that the school may be required to invoke a closure/relocation on a day where a Severe or above Fire Danger Rating (FDR) has been declared for St Marys. At these ratings, it means that if a fire starts, it may become uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving.

When given advance warning by TFS that a Severe FDR has been forecast for a given day, the Principal may direct the pre-emptive closure/relocation of St Marys District School. Once the decision is taken, you will be informed of the possible planned closure/relocation by a letter sent home with your child. Parents of students absent on the day this letter is sent home will be contacted by telephone, so please ensure the school has up to date contact details for you.

In the intervening period between the declaration of the pre-emptive closure/relocation and the day of planned closure/relocation, DoE Facility Services staff will monitor weather patterns to stay informed of any change to the forecast for the declared day. The final decision to pre-emptively close/relocate the school will be confirmed by the Principal with the Department no later than 1.30 pm on the day before the declared day. If the forecast changes after that deadline, the closure/relocation will stand, regardless of improvements to the weather conditions later in the afternoon of the day before the declared day or overnight. The intention is to limit confusion or uncertainty for parents and to allow you ample time to make alternative child care arrangements.

Parents will be advised of the confirmation of closure/relocation, or its reversal, by a note sent home with your child on the day before the planned closure/relocation. Again, parents of students absent on this day will be contacted by telephone.

It is anticipated that the school will only be required to close for a single day at a time, but this will depend on the weather. You will receive an SMS to advise you whether the site will reopen the day after the planned closure/relocation, or whether it will remain closed. The school website will contain a notice to advise you of the current status of the school closure/relocation and when it is expected to reopen.

I ask that you monitor local media for current information about fire danger ratings and notification of schools reopening. Staying tuned to ABC Local Radio in your locality is advisable. You can also check with TFS on 1800 000 699 or visit the link below. If any of the options listed above for finding out when to send your child back to school will prove problematic, please contact the school to arrange for us to phone you to advise you when the site will reopen.

Please contact the school on 0363723900 if you have any questions about planned closures/relocation during the bushfire season.

Carolyn Watson
Principal

ARTS ON TOUR

GRADES PREP, ONE AND TWO – MATHS AND LITERACY GAMES

Oh what fun we have practising our number skills and using our mathematical strategies to add and subtract faster and more efficiently. Playing group games is also a fun way to consolidate the learning of our focus words in Literacy. Having a range of abilities in the three grades and older students working with younger students, provides opportunities to solve problems cooperatively in groups and most of all learning from each other. Some of the games we had fun playing were; monopoly, Uno, monster shape bingo, doubles and Zingo word games.

Prep,1,2 Maths and Literacy

SPOOKY GRADE SIX

Halloween came to the Grade 6 classroom with a variety of STEM and art challenges.

Students worked in groups to build a bridge of bones (cotton tips), lift a cluster of ghosts (cotton wool), build a net to keep out creepy crawlies, design their own haunted house and create a marble run for an eyeball! They also completed a number of art activities. Here is a snapshot of our day.

Spooky Grade six

LIFT

Children’s Week Celebrations at the Town Hall were lots of fun. Children and parents enjoyed cooking, eating and playing games. Leo won the Lucky Door Prize and Ella collected a special gift for her mum. Thank you to all the families who came along. Have a look in our photo gallery!

Parachute Challenge

What a crazy challenge this turned out to be. Well done to all who participated. Special congratulations to Taz and Paige, whose parachutes were completely successful! Photos are now in our photo gallery.

Anyone wanting to participate in the current cooking challenge, please send your photo entries to rebecca.mason@education.tas.gov.au The challenge is to cook/make a healthy snack with your family. We’d love the recipe too!

Challenge # 4

Maze Maker

Use recycled items to make a maze for a marble or ball. You might like to use straws taped onto a meat tray, sticks taped onto a piece of cardboard, lego bricks or wooden blocks. You may need to move the board to make the marble roll, or you may like to use a straw to blow the marble/ball around the course, you may prefer to make the maze life size and dribble the ball around the maze instead. Use your imagination! Please send your photo entries to rebecca.mason@education.tas.gov.au or by text/class dojo.

Lift

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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.

WHOLE SCHOOL

Premier’s Youth Advisory Council

Call for Members

If you are a young person aged 12 to 24*, living in Tasmania and passionate about Tasmania’s future, you are invited to express interest in becoming a member of the recently established Premier’s Youth Advisory Council. There are 12 positions are available.

The Council is an opportunity for young people to meet with the Premier and Government to discuss their ideas on how we can make Tasmania a better place.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 5pm, Wednesday 13 November 2019.

For more information and to apply, visit the link below or by emailing youthadvisorycouncil@dpac.tas.gov.au or by calling (03) 6232 7550.

*as at 1 December 2019

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS