7 December 2023
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From the Principal
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Dates to Remember
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Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids
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Hilly Kids Doing Great Things
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Coles Donation
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Christmas Raffle
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Walkathon
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Beach to Bush – Prep to Year 2
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Tell Someone
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Tuckerbox – Last Day December 15
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Brekky Club – Last Day – Dec 20
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Move Well Eat Well
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Nature Holiday Program
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Tennis Summer
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Devonport Football Club
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East Devonport Football Club
From the Principal
As the end of the year approaches, we begin to reflect on the year that has passed, recognising achievements, celebrating growth and success. With warmer weather and the feeling of Summer holidays in a few weeks’ time, there has been much excitement around our school as we get closer to end of year events, such as our School Concert, our End of Year Assemblies and School Picnic to name a few!
Our student leaders and Mrs Peace have recently held the annual ‘Hilly’s Got Talent’ competition, I would like to acknowledge all students who participated in this event, showing a huge amount of one of our school values, Courage. Congratulations to all competitors and a special mention to the finalists from each of the age groups – Evie and Zoey, Laylah, Faith and Stella and Atiaha.
Hilly’s Got Talent
Last week I was privileged to attend a 25 year awards ceremony for Department of Education and Children and Young People (DECYP) employees. Our very own Mrs Naomi Lawes was awarded with 25 years of service, a fantastic achievement Naomi, we are very fortunate to have an outstanding and experienced educator such as Naomi on our team. Congratulations from us all!
25 Year Awards
New Values are coming!
2024 will see our school and whole department adopt new values. Our values represent the foundation of our Department’s culture. They reflect what we stand for, guide our decision making and underpin all aspects of our work. It is everyone’s responsibility to live our values and bring them to life through our everyday actions. Our values give us a shared understanding of behavioural expectations and provide us with common language to overcome challenges and celebrate success.
Keep an eye out for more information about our new values.
Planning for 2024
Thank you to family members who have contacted me or another staff member in relation to your child/ren and planning for them in 2024. We are close to confirming our class placements. This year for the first time, we have used a computer program call Class Solver which designed specifically for class placements, our staff input data such as gender, friendship requests, levels of adjustment and requested separations and the Class Solver program usings a formula to allocate our classes. This has helped streamline placements and ensure we are meeting the needs of ALL students in our school.
To assist with our class placements we have now confirmed our staffing for 2024.
I would like to share with our school community that Mrs Gaye Kelly has been successful in securing the AST positions at T4 SPACE in Burnie for all of 2024. Whilst we are disappointed that Gaye won’t be returning to Hillcrest in 2024, we are excited for her as she undertakes this opportunity and know that she will be a great asset to the team at T4 given her skills in catering for diverse student needs and her ability to form positive relationship with students to support engagement.
I am pleased to announce that Mr Jackson Ansell has been transferred to our school by Learning Services as our 5/6 teacher for 2024. Jackson is joining us from Burnie Primary School where he has been in an acting leadership role and previously having taught at Spreyton Primary School.
Also joining our team is Ms Carla McKenzie. Carla will be shaping children’s learning in our Kinder team alongside Miss Lewis in our 2nd Kinder class for 2024. Carla is a highly experienced teacher from Devonport Primary School and we look forward to having her as part of our team.
We are very excited to welcome both Jackson and Carla and know they will both be great additions to our incredible school community.
Jackson Ansell & Carla McKenzie
2024 classes and teachers: | |
Kinder A | Kinder B |
Prep/1 A | Prep/1 B |
1/2 A | 1/2 B |
3/4A | 3/4B |
5/6A | 5/6B |
PE – Mr Davis Forward |
2024 class visits
Next Thursday 14 Dec, students will find out their new class placements, during the afternoon, students will have a short visit to their new class to meet their teacher and find out who their new classmates are for 2024. Students will bring home their class information in their reports for parents.
On Monday 18 Dec. (morning) students will have an additional longer visit with their new class and spend more time getting to know each other.
As we transition to new classes, we will be identifying some students (with additional needs such as ASD, anxiety etc.) who may require extra support to enable them to adjust to this change. This means that some parents will be notified earlier than the rest of the school to support transitions for their children.
End of Year Events
Whole School Assembly: Next Thursday morning, 14th December we will be hosting our final Whole School Assembly for 2024. In this assembly we will be reflecting on the 2023 school year and appreciating students who have been recognised for; Academic achievement, demonstration of school values, sporting achievement values and contribution to our school community.
As part of this assembly, we will be having a minute of silence, reflective of December 16, 2021. If you request that your child does not participate in this, please contact the school.
Due to restrictions with our seating capacity, this assembly is an invitation only event for the families of students receiving awards.
Year 6 Farewell Assembly: On Tuesday 19th December we will farewell our Year 6 students. We invite families of our Year 6’s to attend, they will be joined in the audience by siblings of our Year 6’s as well as our Year 3-5 classes.
We look forward to sharing these events with our school community and celebrating our highly successful school year!
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any other member of staff at school.
In partnership,
Georgia
Dates to Remember
December
Wednesday 6 | Whole School Celebration Concert – 11am-12:30pm Don Centre |
Friday 8 | Year 6 Orientation Day Reece High School |
Friday 8 | Raffle tickets all due back to school (even un-sold tickets) |
Monday 11 | Kinder information Evening – 7:00pm |
Tuesday 12 | Year 1-2 visiting Karingal Aged Care |
Wednesday 13 | Year 3-4 Excursion - Hive |
Thursday 14 | Whole School Celebration Assembly - 9:15am |
Thursday 14 | Reports Go Home |
Monday 18 | Year 6 Big Day out & Dinner |
Tuesday 19 | Year 6 Celebration Assembly – 13:15pm |
Thursday 21 | End of Year Picnic – Ulverstone Beach & Waterslide |
Thursday 21 | Last Day for Students |
Friday 22 | Last Day for Staff - - Students Do Not Attend – SCHOOL CLOSED |
Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids
Our current Hilly Kids focus topic is Reflection.
Our Hilly Kids value this fortnight is about Aspiration, particularly self-reflection.
Students have been taking the time this fortnight to self-reflect on themselves as a leaner and identify areas for improvement.
Our Hilly Kid for the ‘Including Others’ topic was Tamyin from 5-6P. Congratulations!
Well done to our other class representatives:
Wk 5/6 | Including Others |
P/1B | Bentley |
P-1L | Delta |
1-2Sh | Kaleida |
1-2Si | Archer |
3-4P | Ollie |
3-4W | Axel |
5-6K | Mackenzie |
5-6P | Tamyin– Hilly Kid |
Hilly Kids Doing Great Things
Both Patrick and Tahj play seniors cricket in the Mersey Valley Cricket Association (MVCA).
Patrick plays for Port Sorell and Tahj plays for Spreyton. Great job Patrick & Taj for participating in sports outside of your busy school days.
Coles Donation
If you visited Coles Supermarket in October, you may have noticed their staff held a huge campaign to raise money to support Hillcrest Primary School’s kitchen Garden Program and Hands on Learning.
Our Art Extension group painted a mural on the entrance windows during the launch of the campaign. The group’s efforts were appreciated by the Coles Management team, with a donation of a voucher at Bunnings.
Customers were encouraged to donate at the checkouts, buy raffle tickets and items at bake stalls. We wish to sincerely thank the Staff of the Devonport Coles Supermarket, for their dedication to raising money for Hillcrest Primary School and of course all their customers for donating, buying items from their stalls and raffle tickets.
We were so excited to receive a cheque for $11, 426.45. This amazing and generous amount will go towards upgrading our kitchen for the program! It was great to have representatives from Coles visit us, to present Mrs Perry with the giant cheque and voucher at our recent assembly!
THANK YOU
Coles Donation to Hillcrest
Christmas Raffle
Remember raffle books are due back on Friday December 8. The raffle will be drawn on Wednesday December 13th. Good luck everyone!
Good luck everyone!
Fundraising Committee
Walkathon
Over $1700.00 was raised by our Walkathon. What a great effort! All students who raised money and returned their sponsorship forms went into a draw to win a prize pack. The Early Childhood winner was Stella from KL and the Primary winner was Heath from 5/6 P. Well done everyone!
Fundraising Committee
Beach to Bush – Prep to Year 2
Surf Lifesaving Visit
On Wednesday 29th November, Ollie and Amelia from Surf-Lifesaving Tasmania came to our school to present the ‘Beach to Bush’ program to our P-2 classes. Here are some drawings and writing about some of the things that we learnt from the presentation.
Our work relating to this visit
Tell Someone
Tuckerbox – Last Day December 15
Friday December 15th will be the last canteen day for the year. To celebrate we will be selling Jolly Jelly and Very Merry Little Cakes for 70c each. These treats will be available at recess and after lunch. A big thankyou to everyone who volunteered their time to help in the canteen. A huge thankyou to Fiona Smith, Alice Marshall and Theresa Johns for their hard work throughout the year.
Lyn Aherne – Canteen Supervisor
Brekky Club – Last Day – Dec 20
Wednesday December 20 will be the last Brekky Club for the year. We will be having a special pancake breakfast. Come along and have a fun breakfast of pancakes, Milo or milk and fruit. There will be no toast offered and we will be starting at 8.15 am. Everyone is welcome.
We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time and donated food for the Brekky Club. A big thank you for the wonderful food donations from Loaves and Fishes via the Devonport Chaplaincy. A special thank you to Belinda Saunders, Mrs Willett and Mr Peace for helping out.
Lyn Aherne – Coordinator
Move Well Eat Well
Nature Play
So much fun in the sun! Take up the ‘summer challenge’ with your family during the summer break:
- Play in a creek
- Catch a crab
- Build a sandcastle city
- Play beach or backyard cricket using sticks as stumps
- Do yoga or martial arts poses barefoot on the grass
- Collect sticks to make a kite
- Press flowers or leaves
- Draw pictures or play noughts and crosses in the sand
MWEW Team