Term 2 is nearing completion and what a term it has been. I would like to thank all our community for the support and collaboration that has occurred to help our students develop and grow. I would particularly like to extend my thanks to the teachers who have provided rich learning experiences for our students. It has been wonderful to reflect on the term and know that the students have been provided with learning opportunities that have challenged them, supported them and helped them reach their personal goals.

The school has felt calm with students making more positive choices in the playground and classroom. We have had a focus on the way in which we talk with each other, using kind words and actions. This has been reflected in our interactions with each other and I would like to acknowledge the students who are using language that demonstrates respect and thoughtfulness.

Parent/teachers have been a wonderful way in which learning has been communicated. The collaboration between home and school is such an important aspect of school. It has helped us develop a shared understanding of our students which is vital in knowing the whole student. This afternoon, the written report was sent home. Please check school bags for your child’s report. This reflects where they are in their learning and the effort that they put into Maths, English and Science. It is another aspect of our “Communicating Learning Progress with Families” that creates conversation about learning and what is happening in the classroom.

Next week I will be introducing a “Principal Morning Tea”. Each class will send a representative to have morning tea together and discuss issues around the school that affect them. This is an opportunity for me to hear their thoughts on a range of topics and to foster the knowledge that they have an extremely important role in our school. Giving students the opportunity to share their views allows a sense of ownership and involvement in the school community. It provides a chance for them to feel valued and respected in a way that is different to classroom opportunities. I am looking forward to hearing their thoughts.

Although we still have one more week until school holidays begin, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and restful break.

SPEED LIMIT

Speed limits throughout the school are restricted to 10km. Please note that regardless of what time of day, if the gates are open there is someone here! Everyone's safety is important. A reminder also that the car park is one-way - please enter only from Cammeray Road into the school grounds. 

KISS & DROP

A friendly reminder that the school Kiss & Drop zone is not for car parking - please do not leave your vehicle unattended in this zone.

Mid-Year school reports were sent home with students this afternoon. Please check school bags for your child’s report. A secondary report to parents who do not reside with their child will be sent home via post. 

This report reflects what students are learning and the effort that they put into Maths, English and Science. It is another aspect of our “Communicating Learning Progress with Families” that creates conversation about learning and what is happening in the classroom. 

For our excursion this term in Kindergarten we visited Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG). It was the first visit for many children and we found many amazing things to look at and think about. Our highlights included patting a taxidermied penguin, going down the slide in mapiya lumi and the discovery cart in the foyer.

In 1/2 Howell we have been learning how to write engaging narratives. Throughout the term we have learnt how to structure our narratives and to make them descriptive and engaging to capture the reader's attention. We carefully planned our orientation (beginning), problem (middle) and resolution (ending) throughout this term.

Once we wrote our narratives, we then made them come alive in Minecraft Education using the AFPS writing world made by the fantastic Mr Stewart. Students had three panels to make their pictures and type up their stories to showcase their work. 

We hope you enjoy a little snippet of our work from Term 2.

Grade 3/4 Sackley have been busily learning about the Ocean and its connection to the waterways. This term we went to the Marine Discovery Centre and explored the range of creatures in our local ocean. We were really excited to touch sea cucumbers and hermit crabs. We even got to look at them with UV light. It was really interesting to see which creatures would light up under the UV light. We got to review footage from the water around the Marine Discovery Centre and saw octopus, seals, shrimp and skates all coming for a feed. The octupus’ tentacles were creepy in the way that they moved in the water.

We have also had visitors in our school to talk to us, this included Angela from Landcare who came in to investigate what invertebrates we have in our local rivulet. She collected water samples from different spots and we searched for insects that would tell us how healthy our rivulet is. We found lots of creatures from the poor water quality section but we were really excited to find some from the fair water quality section. We are going to go back to the rivulet in Spring to see if there are more and if there are ways we can improve the health of our rivulet.

This term has been very busy in 5/6C. Firstly, we welcomed Mr Coppleman to the class to teach every Friday, which has been a smooth and positive transition.

Students have been focusing on Narrative writing in English. We have been trying to add more detail and description to our written work. We have been using literary devices like similes and metaphors, writing descriptive settings and characters, as well as a ‘sizzling start’ and ‘tightening tension’ to keep readers engaged. Our Reading inquiry around making connections and questioning has also been a major focus, helping us advance in these very important comprehension strategies.

Throughout Term 2, the Mathematical concepts covered have included decimals, fractions, angles and time. Students are working hard to understand and improve in these areas. We are also working weekly with 5/6 West to develop our skills in partitioning maths problems.

Our Inquiry unit has been a focus on the Stolen Generations and the impact this had on our First Nations Peoples and the inequalities Indigenous Australians have faced. We have also reflected on the Sorry Day speech made by Prime Minister Rudd in 2008. We also enjoyed a rather cold but informative excursion to Taroona Beach earlier this month as part of Aboriginal Connection to Country.