27 March 2020
Newsletter Articles
- PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
- School Status update from the Premier
- PERSUASIVE WRITING GRADE 5-6B
- GRADE 7 ART LESSONS
- ART EXCURSION TO THE GLOVER AND Q.V.M.A.G.
- GRADE PREP-1
- Grade Prep-1 – Room On A Broom
- GRADE 4-5 SCIENCE
- GRADE 5-6A Burbury/Kelly
- KINDERGARTEN
- SWIM SQUAD
- SHORT COURSES
- PRIMARY NEWS
- #SMDS@Home
- SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
MDT/Art Redevelopment
I have the most exciting news to share with our school community. We have recently heard that we have received funding through the DoE’s Later Finishing Age funding initiative to redevelop the MDT/Art building. This redevelopment will involve reconfiguring and extending the current building to create a wood studio, a metals studio, an art studio and a central design hub. Planning is already underway with a project brief being worked on currently. I will keep you informed as we progress this project. This is such wonderful news for our students, staff and community and will make such a difference to the opportunities we are able to provide for our students, particularly in the curriculum areas of visual arts and digital and design technologies.
COVID 19 Update
The first message from me this week is of course about the Coronovirus (COVID-19) pandemic that the entire world is dealing with. This is a serious and unprecedented situation that requires extraordinary measures. It places the responsibility on to each and every one of us to ensure we are doing all we can to mitigate the risks of contracting the virus and/or passing it on to others.
Last week, as a school, we acted swiftly putting in place several strategies to support good hygiene practices and social distancing requirements. We implemented a hand washing strategy into every class, staggered access to the canteen, put in place management plans for high traffic and high congestion areas and planned and implemented social distancing requirements within our classrooms and playground areas by changing seating arrangements and regular reminders about social distancing in the playground. Although these new arrangements seemed novel at first, everyone in our school community is aware of the importance of following these expectations. Other measures in place include access to soap and hand sanitiser across the school in all areas, additional cleaning around hard surfaces, door handles, light switches, remotes and computer keyboards, as well as equipment such as cooking aprons and musical instruments. We have visual reminders across the school to support these strategies.
I would like to apologise in advance for the overload of information being shared with families currently but it is vital that we keep communication channels very open and inform our community as much as possible. We will continue to use the Schoolzine App and the school Facebook page to share information with families including regular updates from the Department of Education, learning from home information as well as school updates. You can access further information on the Department of Education’s website.
I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of the staff and thank all of our wonderful staff and amazing students for the flexibility they have demonstrated around everything related to COVID-19 and what we have to do in our environment.
We are very mindful of the anxiety and worry that this pandemic can trigger in and have avenues for students and staff to access support. Our support staff team are available to assist as are all staff so please let us know if you think your child needs more support.
Communication
A reminder to all families to ensure they have access to both our Schoolzine App and Facebook page as these are key the ensuring good communication between our school and our families. If you need some help connecting with either of these please give us a call on 63723900.
To our staff, students and broader St Marys District School community, Please take care and I hope you are able to spend some time over this coming weekend relaxing
Best wishes,
Carolyn Watson
School Status update from the Premier
The Premier of Tasmania has announced today – Friday 27th March that “Where Possible, from Monday, parents should keep their children home from school”.
School Calendar
PERSUASIVE WRITING GRADE 5-6B
Prior to the proposed date for the Melbourne Grand Prix, Grade 5-6B discussed the pros and cons of this event proceeding. The resulting pieces of work were very interesting. Here are some examples.
In my opinion I think the Grand Prix should not go on because it will be a ticking time bomb for corona virus.
Thousands of people are suffering or already died.
It would just be too dangerous for kids or old people.
Wally
The Australian Grand Prix should be cancelled. Firstly the corona virus is dangerous and the drivers could get it and die and then there will not be car racing and that will mean no entertainment for people that like car racing.
Tyler
F1 Grand Prix Melbourne, should it go on.
The F1 Grand Prix is a very special event and lots of people would be upset, frustrated and mad if it didn’t go on.
Surely it should go on because Covid 19 kills people that means everyone there could catch it and when they die there will less people in the world. So it would be harder to spread. Therefore, way less sickness in the world.
I am sure that if there are less people in the world that means less sickness, less population, more food, more land and more animals. So if they die there will be more freedom and money because when you die you’ll have to leave your money to someone, don’t you.
Now for my final reason. The smart people who know the F1 Grand Prix is going on will go into lockdown but before they do they will stock up on food, not toilet paper. When the virus dies out we can reunite and have nothing to worry about and live in harmony.
That’s why I believe F1 Grand Prix should go on.
Gipsy-Rose
In my opinion the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne should not go on. Firstly, what if coronavirus evolves to be really deadly it already kills one in a hundred.
Secondly no-one wants to die unless they’re old and got nothing to live for. Even then you don’t want to die from a virus. We should make like brutal on plague.
Bro
F1 Grand Prix – Melbourne. Should it go on?
I very strongly believe that the Grand Prix should be postponed until Covid 19 is contained. If this race goes ahead then imagine what the consequences could be! This virus has a lot of potential to do damage. We should not let it run free at this race.
Firstly, remember all the drivers and crews are going to be from all over the world, so this means there are going to be teams like Ferrari from Italy which is in lockdown from the virus. So unless you want to go into lockdown I believe we should postpone the race.
Secondly, for some people Covid 19 is no more than a mere flu. So some people without even knowing it might pass this virus on. Also, remember this race is going to be in a contained area full of people. Once this virus is out into the population it will become unstoppable and lots of people are likely to get Covid 19.
Lastly, since Australia is an island nation, we have a great opportunity to block the virus. The politicians should be putting a travel ban on for all the countries that are experiencing the virus. This race is a breeding ground for the Covid 19. It could affect drivers, pit crews, spectators and viewers.
So, overall I think this race should not go forth. It is not a very good idea at all. This race should be stopped because people’s safety is at stake. This Covid 19 has potential to kill many.
Alex
In my opinion I think that F1 Grand Prix should not be able to go Australia for car racing.
I strongly believe that F1 Australian Grand Prix should not be able to travel from where they are because most drivers are in a highly contagious area of Coronavirus and may have the Covid19 and can spread the virus. Example if they actually have Covid 19 a fan might go to the driver and ask for a signature and it he or she has Covid19 they could sneeze really badly and the fan could get Covid 19.
Malika
GRADE 7 ART LESSONS
The students in Grade 7 have been learning about colour and how to mix, blend and create a tonal effect. They have learnt how to create a sunset with their colours using acrylic paint and have created a silhouette in black of their own design.
Sienna
Polly
Lenny
ART EXCURSION TO THE GLOVER AND Q.V.M.A.G.
The High School and Year 11/12/13 Art students were invited to attend an Art Excursion where they viewed the ‘Glover Art Exhibition’ in Evandale, had a picnic at Royal Park, where they viewed all the graffiti in the skate park area and then onto the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery where they viewed original John Glover paintings, saw Art Rage, which is an exhibition of the best student art work in Grade 11 and 12 from around the states private and public schools, they also saw an exhibition called Art Start where six of our St Marys students have their work exhibited. There was also an amazing room full of Josh Foley’s art work which was interactive and the students were allowed to touch the exhibits and paintings and play on the piano’, which several talented students did. Josh was a previous Glover winner with one of his amazing paintings.
The excursion was funded by a Young Arts program sponsorship grant, donated by the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society in Launceston. They kindly paid for the bus that enabled us to afford this amazing excursion.
When we arrived at Evandale, Megan Dick, the curator of the Glover Exhibition greeted us and spoke with Mrs Lewis about the exhibition and why she had curated it in the way she did. Then we were introduced to members of the A.D.F.A.S who had made the effort to be at the exhibition at the same time as the students and spoke to us in small groups. They were very keen to meet and greet us and we were beginning to feel very special with all the attention.
Then it was off to Launceston and a trip to the Royal Park before going to the Q.V.M.A.G. The Grade 7 students whose work was in Art Rage were shy but I hope pleased with seeing their work on display and showing the older students what they had produced. Ashley Bird, the curator of Art Rage, greeted us at the museum and spoke to the students about Josh Foleys exhibition that was full of appropriated work from other artists and from around the gallery. This is exactly what the students had been learning in their art lessons and was a perfect example of how to appropriate in art. Ashley then took us upstairs to Art Rage and explained why he chose the work due to its visual appeal more than having the highest grades in the various schools. It was very special that he also made an effort to be at the museum so that he could talk to our students.
Thank you to everyone that helped to make this excursion happen. Thank you so much, A.D.F.A.S. Launceston for the sponsorship grant. Thank you to Ms Yodgee for joining us on the trip and helping with paper work. A big thank you to the students who came on the excursion and made it so successful. Jill Lewis, Art Teacher.





GRADE PREP-1
“Sharing is caring” they say and that is what Prep/1 students were actively demonstrating today during our Health lesson. Our focus was about being fair, honest, caring and thoughtful towards our classmates. Each student received the same amount of Easter eggs. They had a choice to give an egg or take an egg and justify their choice by explaining why they were choosing to do so. We discussed how we felt when we shared an egg and when we lost an egg.
A little act of kindness goes a long way, especially in times when people need it the most. We hope our students can deliver the message and encourage everyone around them to share and care.





GRADE PREP-1 – ROOM ON A BROOM
Prep/1 students explored the picture book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson with Mrs Hibberd.
Students engaged in a range of tasks to develop and extend their understandings in English and Mathematics. Students enjoyed developing their fine motor skills and creativity by making their own shape pictures of a witch.





GRADE 4-5 SCIENCE
In Science, we are learning about living and non-living things. We thought about this in Art when we looked at the work of the surrealist painter, Rene Magritte and created art using our own combinations of living and non-living things.





GRADE 5-6A Burbury/Kelly
Eggs in a cup:
We have been exploring the ancient method of tempera egg painting that was an art form prior to the invention of oil paints. To help celebrate the upcoming Easter period we have designed patterned egg cups and then used cleaned egg shells to create the egg for the cup. These mixed medium artworks include water colour, black markers and collage.





Colour Wheel Eyes:
We have been looking at primary and secondary colours. We experimented with colour mixing to make these colour wheel eyes.





KINDERGARTEN
The Kindergarten children have been extremely busy settling into school life, learning through play and inquiry.





SWIM SQUAD
Our Swim Squad began training for the 2020 Inter-High last year in Term 4, with high expectations of achieving greatness in the pool. Our new recruits in Grade 7 quickly took to our training schedule and showed they were eager to take on some of our long standing records.
The link provided shows Sienna Patmore preparing to tackle the existing Butterfly Records!
Unfortunately our Carnival was cancelled, as was the Inter-High. A planned timing session last Friday unfortunately also had to be called off due to closure of all state school pools, bad timing for our swimmers who had continued to train even after the Carnivals were cancelled, fantastic dedication!
I wish to thank all of the Squad swimmers and their families for their enthusiasm and support during this time.
We look forward to hopefully offering some competitive swimming later in the year.
Nic Wardlaw
SHORT COURSES
Round 1 of Short Courses held on Friday afternoons saw a group of Year 7-10 students heading to the St Marys Sports Centre to experience Lawn Bowls. Thanks to Glen McDonald and a couple of volunteers, we were shown how it is played and were able to develop and refine our skills over the six weeks.
A fantastic way to end the week!



PRIMARY NEWS
Congratulations to the following students who were recently elected as their class representatives of the Student Leader Board:
Grade 3/4 |
Charlize Speers |
Grade 4/5 |
Ava Hilton |
Grade 5-6A |
Ava Howorka |
Grade 5/6B |
Alexandra Syka |
#SMDS@Home
As our entire learning community moves to a different way of participating in education, we would love to see what you are doing at home. Please share with us via email (st.marys.district.school@education.tas.gov.au), or on facebook, photos of what your new learning environment looks like, work you are doing, craft or educational activities you have found, your furry, feathered, finned or scaly classmates.
Please visit the Education Department’s at home learning site at:
https://www.education.tas.gov.au/learning-at-home/
There is an entire team of DoE staff working on sourcing information and resources for this site. Please revisit regularly to view updates.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service’s Education Program Newsletter for Primary Schools has plenty of ready to go, web based curriculum for students working from home.
The Office of the E-safety Commissioner has a lot of information about online safety, for parents, children and scams that have arisen out of the COVID-19 crisis. Please visit their site for resources and information, and take care around potential scams relating to cures, or fee for service educational programs.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/
The ABC will continue providing free curriculum-linked programs and resources for primary and secondary students and teachers, to support them during this unprecedented time. Check out the ABC Education TV website for our full broadcast schedule and further information about all our programs. And sign up to the ABC Education weekly newsletter for more engaging online resources, competitions, news and events to help teachers and parents.
https://www.abc.net.au/tveducation/
Need Data?
Telstra are currently offering additional free data in light of Covid-19.*
https://www.telstra.com.au/covid19/supporting-you-during-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR2s9XIFkjqCuo_LwTKkWnt7oj1NyBbLM4jnO25lIjz3TgiU7ELw0BMDFE0
*terms and conditions apply.
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.
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
WHOLE SCHOOL
Off-Line Learning Packs
School Levy Relief for 2020
Visitors to the school
Letter from Minister and Secretary for Education and Training
https://www.schoolzineplus.com/installing-szapp
Notice from Commonwealth Bank - School Banking
The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people is our first priority. Due to the rapidly developing situation with coronavirus, School Banking has been temporarily paused from 20 March 2020 until the start of Term 2. Please don’t bring your deposit book with your weekly banking into school and we will notify you when banking will recommence.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTICEBOARD
Table Tennis - Community Group - St Marys School Gym
Read More