6 July 2017

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

July

August

From the Principal

It is hard to believe we are at the end of another term! We have been very busy and many things have been achieved. It was great to see so many families attend 3 way conferences last week. These meetings are important for families, students and teachers to sit down and discuss progress and needs for the future. Thanks to everyone for a smooth and positive week.

As you may be aware, we offer a Personal Development program for students in grades 5 and 6. Tasmanian public schools are required to provide a Personal Development program, with students benefiting from starting the program early in primary school. It has been proposed that this program is offered from grade 3-6, in 2017 and beyond. The School Association Committee are interested to hear the views of our community. Please find below a link to a short electronic survey. If you could please take a moment to express your view, it would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Please take the time to fill out our Personal Development poll.

The first day of Term 3, July 24th, is a Professional Learning Day. Students do not attend on this day. Teachers will be working on My Education, Writers Workshop and problem solving in Mathematics. Students begin Term 3 on Tuesday 25th July.

It is always sad to say farewell to staff and the end of this term is no exception.

Annouka Barr has worked in our library for the last 3 years. Annouka has left Hillcrest to take on another role working for a local real estate business. I wish Annouka all the best for her new career and hope she finds it rewarding.

Ruth Marquis has decided to retire after many years of dedicated service to Hillcrest Primary School and the Department of Education. It has been a difficult decision for Ruth, as she will miss working with all the children in her care. I wish Ruth all the best for her retirement!

Finally, Steve Ellis has ‘hung up his boots’ after 16 years at Hillcrest and has decided to retire from the position of Education Facility Attendant. As you are no doubt aware, Steve took great pride in the school and the gardens. All the best Steve, I hope you have a great, well-earned retirement.

Jerome Pape - Principal

Reminder – First Day of Term 3

Please remember that the first day of Term 3 is a Professional Learning Day for teachers so students do not attend school. The first day for students will be Tuesday, July 25th.

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our HKFK focus for this week has been “Respecting Differences”. The focus topic for week one of Term 3 will be “Sharing” and the week after will be “Group Decision Making”.

Sharing

If you want people to share with you then you should share with them. It makes you feel good and makes them feel good, too. People like to play with others who share. It doubles the fun. Playing football by yourself is not as good as with others.

Things to share: your toys, your games, your football, your time, your love and your feelings.

Great ways to share a toy:

• Share with someone who will enjoy it
• Look after it
• Take turns with the toy
• If there’s a problem work it out together
• Give it back at the end of the game to the owner
• Have fun together

Life is lonely all by yourself so share it with someone!

Group Decision Making

There are all sorts of ways to make a decision in a group. There are many skills that help us make decisions in a group, such as negotiating and suggesting and persuading, but sometimes it is difficult to reach a consensus.

Some things we can try when we are having trouble making a final decision include:

• A majority vote
• A decision by a leader
• Take it in turns
• Go with the person who feels most strongly

You should avoid asking just one or two people. Instead, ask everyone. Don’t see it as losing if your idea is not accepted.

Our Hilly Kid of the Week for “Respecting the Environment” was Autumn McKenzie from 2-3P and for “Respecting Opinons” was Alexis Purton from 2-3P. Our Aussie of the Month for June was Dakoad-Rose Yaxley from P-1BE. Congratulations, Lillian, Zoe and Dakoda-Rose!

Well done to our other class representatives:

Shrek

All students and staff from P-6 had a wonderful time at the Devonport Entertainment Centre watching “Shrek The Musical Jr”. Ellie Girdler did a wonderful job as Baby Bear, as did Elliott Goodwin as Baby Shrek. The Don College production was a showcase of talent and enjoyed by everyone!

LIFT News

Next term the school library will be open every morning before school in Term 3, as well as Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. Children are encouraged to come along and change their home readers and read to our ‘Reading Ambassadors’.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge will continue in term 3. Families who would like to write a book review with their children, but do not have access to the internet, are welcome to do so in the library any Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoon.

We will have more “Story Corners” in Term 3, 3 – 4pm in the Library on Tuesday, 15 August and Friday, 15 September. All children, accompanied by an adult family member, are invited to listen to a story and participate in fun activities.

Remember, the Devonport LINC often have great activities for children and adults, so check out their Facebook page for what is happening over the holidays.

Families who do not have their Working with Vulnerable People registration: Please come to the library and use our facilities to do this and I will be there to support you. Remember, if you wish to attend class excursions with your children or do parent help in their class you are required to have a Working With Vulnerable People card.

Ann-Maree Mulcaster
LIFT Coordinator
ann-maree.mulcaster@education.tas.gov.au

Sunrise Bakery Pie Drive

Our pie drive was a great success again this year. Thank you to all who made the effort to get orders and contributed to this wonderful fundraising effort. A huge thank you to the bunch of volunteers – Nicole Clarey, Naomi Ralph, Tamika Yaxley, Mrs Hillier and Mrs Jones – who did an awesome job of packing the orders!

Lyn Aherne - Fundraising

P-1 Parker

In Prep/One Parker we have been busy little learners. We have been learning about descriptive writing and how to edit our own work for mistakes.

In Mathematics we have been learning how to add two numbers together and which objects can hold more or less.

5-6 Fenn: Recycling for the Council

Last Friday, Chaz’s mum came in to help Chaz, Jye, Lily and Tahlia create a recyclable and a non-recyclable board for the foyer building of the Devonport City Council. Kylie Lunson, from the Council, set them a challenge to gather a list of recyclable and non-recyclable materials and stick them on the boards with a hot glue gun.

First of all, we laid them out on the boards to make sure they all fit and we didn't run out of room. We waited a few minutes before we used the hot glue gun and then we realised we needed another glue gun. We got another one off Mr. Hortle as well as some power boards to make sure the hot glue guns reached the tables.

After recess we went into the quiet room and finished off our half-finished progress. We warmed the hot glue guns back up and started to glue the materials down on the board. Chaz and Jye glued on the recyclable materials and Lily and Tahlia glued on the non-recyclable materials.

This is our finished product.

Move Well Eat Well

Nature Play: so much to explore! Take up the ‘Winter Challenge” with your family during the school holidays:

• Make a bird feeder & put it in a tree
• Go on a picnic with a thermos of soup
• Visit the beach & collect shells
• Make leaf boats & float them in a creek or puddle
• Go rock collecting
• Sketch a tree without leaves
• Search for birds’ nests
• Go for a walk in the rain

MWEW Team

Tuckerbox Lunchbox Ideas

Entice young children to eat with playful lunchboxes, including fun, re-useable plastic containers and a selection of little bites. Think fruit cut into chunks, tiny yoghurts, small squares of muesli slice, tiny Anzac biscuits and squares of cheese. Remember, lunch doesn’t have to mean a sandwich. Most child-friendly meals can be served in an airtight container with a small spoon or fork. Savoury mince, sweetcorn fritters, meatballs, frittata, lasagne, veggie bakes and pasta will all provide a healthy lunchbox alternative to the traditional sandwich.

Lyn Aherne - Canteen Supervisor

Slipstream Circus Holiday Program