23 November 2017

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

Term Dates – 2018

From the Principal

The School Association Committee met last week and spent time looking at the new enrolment form, school levies and charges policy and ratified the attendance policy and process. Levies and charges have been set for 2018 as follows: Kinder - $150, Prep - $160, Gr 1 and 2 - $170, Gr 3-6 - $215. These are an annual all-inclusive levy that covers stationery, class activities, performances and excursions.

Thanks go to our School Association who have recently purchased new bike and scooter racks for our school. These are positioned behind the Administration building. Locked cables are provided for scooters, but students riding bikes will need to provide their own locking device. Please remember that we do not ride our bikes or scooters in school grounds – push them only!

A reminder that students in grades 1 and 2 will be participating in swimming next week, starting Monday, November 27th. A note has been sent home. Please contact the office if you require further information.

A reminder also, that our annual Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, December 8th. Families are most welcome to come along and cheer their team on. Shade will be provided for families, as this has been an issue in past years.

Jerome Pape - Principal

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our HKFK focus for this week has been Fixing Things Up. Our focus topics for the next two weeks will be Setting Goals and Rights.

Setting Goals

Setting goals means working out what you want to achieve before you start. If you do this well then you should have some idea of how you can achieve what you want. When setting your goals try to make them realistic – in other words, try to aim for something that you can achieve and most importantly, aim for something you really want to achieve. Don’t be concerned with the goals of others around you. Work out what you want and go for it.

Rights

We quite often hear the word Rights. So, what are they? People talk about the right to an education or the right to vote. Basically, it means that people are entitled to something and that those around them, or those in authority, should make sure they get what they are entitled to.

In our school children have a number of rights:

• The right to learn.
• The right to be safe.
• The right to be respected.

It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that these rights are respected. How can you do that?

• Make sure that you help those around you learn by being a good learner yourself. Concentrate on your work and spend your time productively in class.
• In the playground play safely and look after those around you. Be friendly and this will help others feel safe.
• Respect all the people in our school. Think about how you behave with them.
• Look after the rights of others and your rights will be looked after as well.

Our Hilly Kid of the Week for Having a Go was Callum from 5-6H and for Do Your Best was Ava from 1-2B and our Aussie of the Month for October was Imogen from 5-6H. Congratulations, Callum, Ava and Imogen!

Well done to our other class representatives:

Grade 1-2 Swimming Program

The Grade 1-2 Swimming Program, to be held at the Nixon St Primary School pool, starts this Monday, November 27th. Please make sure you have returned your aquatic consent and major excursion/medical forms to the office by Friday, or your child will be unable to attend. There is no cost to parents this year.

Please remember to send bathers, a dry towel, a swimming cap and a plastic bag to school with your child every day of the program. The swimming caps will be distributed to the children before their first session. Further information is available on the note that was sent home with students with the forms.

David Carter – PE Teacher

5/6 Cake Stall

Next Thursday, 30th November, the grade 5/6 classes will be holding a cake stall. This is to raise money to cover the cost of 1/3 of the grade 6 Celebration tops. All grade 5/6 students are required to make or bake something for the cake stall. Items need to be wrapped in Glad wrap or similar, with a list of the ingredients attached. (We will supply a sticker for the ingredients list.)

Please bring your items to school on Wednesday 29th or, preferably, on the morning of the cake stall. If there are any leftover funds, the money will be put forward to next year’s Celebration tops for the current grade 5 students.

For everyone else, we would love you to bring your money along and buy some yummy cakes, biscuits, slices and treats. Just come up to the 5/6 classes and follow the signs. We will start selling at 8.40 when the bell goes. The prices will range from $0.50 to $5. You will be able to purchase these cakes, biscuits and other things before school, at recess and at lunch and the next day if there are leftovers.

Chaz and Seche

Christmas Raffle

Remember to sell your raffle tickets and return the books with the money in a sealed envelope to the school office by Friday, December 8th. The raffle will be drawn on Thursday, December 14th. There are extra books available from the school office. Please return books before requesting new ones.

Lyn Aherne - Fundraising

2018 Calendar

Have you ordered your calendar(s) yet? All families were sent home an order form for a 2018 calendar featuring your child’s artwork. They would make great Christmas gifts for family members! To order, please fill out the form and return it to the school office ASAP.

Lyn Aherne - Fundraising

Hillcrest Athletics Carnival

Friday, December 8th will be our school’s Athletics Carnival, weather permitting. Students will need to pack an extra drink and wear appropriate clothes for running. All parents and community members are welcome to attend to view the day’s running and novelty events. A program is attached below or is available from the school office.

Remember to wear your TEAM colours! Blue Gum – blue; Banksia – red and Wattle – green.

David Carter – PE Teacher

School Banking

1-2 Bellchambers

Our Master Chef Kitchen

This term the 1-2B have had a Master Chef Kitchen set up in our room. We have needed to use skills such as knowledge of fractions, measurement, how to read and follow an instructional text and, of course, personal hygiene when handling food.

We also had opportunities to write our own instructional text when we invented our own recipes during master chef challenges.

3-4 Duff

What is your child talking about when they explain their ERP?

Education Research Projects: What is it?

It has been excellent to see the excitement and engagement of the children in 3/4 Duff during our ERPs this term. The students have continued to develop their skills and knowledge through a number of new elements within the Walker Learning Approach. They fine tune their investigative skills from their early years of learning by producing an Educational Research Project (ERP) based around a subject focus. This year’s focus is ‘how the environment supports living things’. Students are able to personalise their learning by demonstrating their understanding of the subject and learned skills through their interests. Check out some of our artefacts and work we have completed.

Christmas Tree Panel

Here is the panel we painted this year for the Community Christmas tree in the Rooke Street Mall. The panels will be presented to the Devonport community during the Devonport Christmas Parade on Friday, December 8th. Pop down and have a look at all the great panels from schools around the area and, at the same time, wave to our students on our Christmas Parade float!

Remembrance Day

Camp Quality Presentation

Move Well Eat Well

Gardening with Kids

Through gardening children learn responsibility, self-confidence, creativity, co-operation, reasoning and discovery! It’s also a great way to get outside and active with children. Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive and, in the long run, can save you money on your shopping bills, provide wonderful, healthy fresh produce and keep you, and the kids, fit and active.

• You can create your own biodegradable pots from newspaper or cardboard tubes. Plant them straight into the earth and the ‘container’ will compost into the ground
• Make little propagation houses from clear plastic punnets with lids or plant protectors from plastic milk containers
• Use unusual or quirky containers: tea pots, old boots, wheelbarrows, etc
• Re-use the sandpit box and convert it to a garden bed if your child has grown out of it
• Old baths, packing cases and tyres of all sizes can all be used to create easy access raised beds.

MWEW Team