Showcasing Secondary Art created as part of Visual Conversations, Symbols and Artist in resident Mr Finn creating with a pyro pen

Artists include April, Claire, Aurian, Jack, Joe, Kobe, Brooke, Willow and Keira.

As a school we endeavour to provide the best possible supports and programs for learning. We try to identify and remove barriers for students that prevent learning and ensure that the learning is accessible for all. As part of our Berry Street educational teaching we are endeavouring to provide students with skills and strategies that enable them to focus on their learning and to be their best. Students who are engaged and invested in improving and learning something new each day will build skills for life. A positive attitude and growth mindset goes a long way to establishing successful habits. Valuing education is another key component to a successful partnership and ensuring that the messaging from home is consistent with school is also important and valued.

Our start of the year has been positive and we trust this continues throughout the term. Where possible we are trying to involve our community in as many school based activities as possible. However to ensure equity we have had to put a ticketing processes in place for schoolwide events such as assemblies and our upcoming swimming carnivals. Whilst we know this is slightly different we would strongly encourage you to work with us while we find the right balance under the current requirements for COVID-19.

We are really pleased to be able to introduce new staff for 2021. Alexia Thomson has joined our teaching team on one of our grade 1-2 classes. Alexia has broad professional experience having taught in Thailand, London and most recently spent 7 years in Melbourne. She had the personal experience of being in Thailand during the 2005 Boxing Day Tsunami. She lives with my husband and thier red heeler, Paddy. She loves Thai food, gardening, art and bike riding. 

Chloe Brown is AST for grade 3 to 6 as well as teaching 3-4B on Fridays. Chloe comes to us from Winnaleah District High School where she wore numerous hats including roles as the Literacy Coach (0.5), for their school network and their school and was also Assistant Principal (0.5).  Chloe has experience across systems and across age groups including Year 11-12. 

Kelly Howell has taken over our drama space working with all primary classes and option lines for our senior students. Kelly has been a Theatre educator and performer for over 20 years, teaching mostly in the north of Tasmania as well as Beijing, China in 2012-2013 at an international school. In Australia she has presented numerous times at Drama Tas conferences, has been on the board of Drama Tas and Drama Aus as well as presenting in Melbourne for Drama Australia.  Kelly is a passionate Arts advocate who loves every aspect of performance from script writing to directing to performing and has a special love for Physical Theatre and Dance.

Mr Tony Deans is teaching our TASC subjects for our internal grade 11 and 12 students. Tony has vast experience as an educational leader in Queensland over 15 plus years and his knowledge and understanding of learning, particularly for senior students will be an asset for our program.  We are really pleased with the increase of enrolments in our extension school space and this has included not only shared enrolments with colleges but also full-time enrolments for both VET and TCE learning priorities.

Just some friendly reminders to ensure ease of operations. Can you please ensure you:

• park in the carpark and walk with your child to class if you are going into morning lesson/s
• use the spaces near the main entrance for morning drop off. Don’t park or leave your car.
• stick to the speed restrictions through the car park
• sign in at the office if you are spending >15 minutes in classrooms
• return any forms that haven’t been returned
• drop students to school after 8:30am
• continue to keep students in school uniform to be part of our school 'team'.

A reminder that regular and sustained attendance is critical to learning for all students. Please ensure that we see students everyday except if they are unwell.  Remember to keep students home if they are unwell, have a cough or flu like symptoms.  We would appreciate the courtesy of letting the office know as soon as practical if your child is away for planned or unplanned absences.

Colin Pearson – Principal

Students in 3-4 Mini Modules have been learning all about Fire Safety in the Kitchen. Students learn how quickly fires can spread and what they can do to minimise the risk and what to do in an emergency.

2021 School Photo Day is on Thursday, 18th March, the second last week of Term 1. Students envelopes have been distributed to students via their classroom teachers on Thursday 18th of February.

School Banking

Just a reminder that School Banking day is Thursday. Please complete the deposit slip and ensure you have included the date and correct money. Office staff are not authorised to amend deposit slips. Bank books not completed will be returned to the student without being processed.

Messages for Students

If a message is required to be passed on to a student during the school day, please contact the Office as early as possible. We cannot guarantee that messages received in the last hour of the day will reach your child before buses depart.

After school activity messages are not considered an urgent matter and arrangements should be made with your child prior to attending school on the day. It is extremely disruptive to students learning when Office staff phone a classroom to advise of change of pick up/bus arrangements. It would be appreciated if these types of messages could be sent in writing to your child’s classroom teacher.

Schoolzine

In case you were not aware, the left hand panel of the newsletter has a section called “Forms and Documents”. Here you will find the most up to date version of the Canteen Price List for Term 1, the 2021 Uniform Price List, as well as contact details for our School Bus Contractors.

Qkr – Canteen Lunch Orders

Parents are able to pay for canteen lunch orders using the Qkr App. The Qkr! app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store for iPhones (iPads to download iPhone version) or from Google Play for Android phones and tablets.  The Qkr! ‘How-to’ Guide shows you how to download the app, register yourself and your children.  If you are unsure of your children’s year group, please contact the office.

Qkr! (pronounced ‘quicker’) by MasterCard application is a secure and easy way to make school payments at your convenience.  We encourage all parents to use Qkr! as it reduces the need to send cash to school or attend in person, and receipts are automatically generated that can be easily retrieved on the app or sent to your email.  Apart from making life easier for families, it also significantly streamlines operations with the school canteen.

Supporting parents of children with disabilities

My time is a national program of facilitated groups, that enables parents and carers to talk and catch up with each other, in a relaxed atmosphere. Please see the MyTime and Peer Support Calendar for sessions near you.

School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way to help teach your child the importance of saving. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking will earn an exciting reward everytime they reach 10 deposits.

The rewards available during 2021 are: 

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year. For more information about contribution payments, visit www.commbank.com.au/sbinfo .

Getting involved in School Banking is easy!

All you need to get involved in the School Banking program is a Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account. You can open an account for your child in one of two ways: 

1. Online

Visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking  and click on the link to open a Youthsaver account.

2. In branch

Visit a Commonwealth Bank branch with identification for yourself and your child, like a driver’s licence and birth certificate.

If your child has an existing Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account they can start banking straight away. They just need to bring their deposit in every week on School Banking day using their Dollarmites deposit wallet.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2021 School Banking program parent guide from the school office or visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

Hillwood Mini League

Training commenced for the Hillwood Mini League on Thursday, 18th February at the Hillwood Recreation Ground for the 2021 season.

We are looking for any interested football players between the ages of 8-11 to join us to play in the Tamar Valley Mini League.

Training will be from 5:00pm-6:00pm at the Hillwood Recreation Ground.

Under 12s games are played every Saturday morning at 9:00am or 11:15am at Beaconsfield Football Ground.

It is a great competition which is played on a full ground with AFL rules. It is a fantastic opportunity for the kids to develop their skills and love of football.

New and present players all welcome. Please contact Shane Crawford on 0438 624 626 or via the Hillwood Sharks Mini League facebook page for more information.

Northern Tasmania Junior Soccer Association

Junior Badminton

Friends of the Library Book Sale

Friends of the Library, Launceston’s Annual Library Book Sale will be held on Saturday 13 March 2021, 9.00am – 1.00pm at St Ailbe’s Hall, 46 Margaret Street, Launceston.

This is Launceston’s best book sale with a wide range of good quality donated secondhand books – crime, thrillers, science fiction, romance, children’s, cooking, health, travel, crafts, gardening, sports, war, DVDs, collectables and Tasmaniana – all at rock bottom prices.