27 August 2020

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

September

October

From the Principal

The last couple of weeks has seen our school find our groove with our important work of learning! We kicked off week 5 with a virtual visit from the Ned Show where the key messages sparked lots of productive conversation around doing your best and persisting when faced with a challenge… the power of yet. We discussed learning as our brain’s food and how learning new skills can be tough! I am enjoying the buzz of learning as I walk through the school and am always excited to hear about new skills, knowledge and learnings. The below snapshot captures a grade six student’s learning from the NED show.

Graphic by Londe

Everyday Counts:

Department of Education – Student Absence from School – Prep to Year 10 A Guide for Parents

School Attendance is compulsory for all students in Tasmania from the age of five and it is the responsibility of both schools and parents/carers to ensure that students enrolled in schools attend regularly. As a parent/carer of a school aged child you are legally required to ensure your child participates in a formal education program. Parents/carers are also legally required to notify the school if their child is unable to attend school. Schools also have a legal responsibility to maintain an accurate record of all student attendance. If your child begins missing time from school which is not adequately explained, then formal actions and correspondence will be made directly with parents/carers. The days of unexplained/unauthorised absences do not necessarily have to be consecutive.

A phone call to our School Office on the day of absence will greatly assist in keeping your child’s attendance records accurate and up to date. If we have not heard from you then our School Office staff will be making contact about your child’s reason for being away from school. Notes to teachers or to the office at your earliest convenience will similarly assist us in maintaining your child’s absence information.

For more information please visit the Department’s website or click on the links below:

2020 School Satisfaction Surveys

Annual School Satisfaction Surveys for parents and staff are being conducted during August 2020 across Tasmanian government schools. The surveys provide an opportunity for parents and staff to give important feedback on what the school does well and where we can improve. Questions cover a range of topics about our school.

All responses are secure and anonymous. A letter will be sent home on Thursday, August 27th. Each letter will have instructions on how to complete the survey online with your unique access code. If you do not have access to a computer or would prefer a paper copy, please come and collect one from our office. It would be fantastic if you could take the time to complete the survey, as we appreciate your voice and take your feedback seriously. It is also a great way to let us know what we are doing well so we can continue doing that.  In the end, we all want our school to be the best place it can and for our students to flourish.

2020 External School Review

Towards the end of Term 3 (September 16th and 17th) our school will be participating in an External Review. More information about this process is included below. The review process will provide us with quality and independent feedback to support our continuous improvement process. Parents are welcome to provide feedback as part of the review process. This usually takes the form of interested parents meeting as a group with the external review panel to join in a structured discussion around guiding questions. If you would like to get involved and be part of the discussion, please let me know: susan.barnard@education.tas.gov.au

External School Reviews – information for parents and the community

The Department of Education regularly reviews all Tasmanian Government Schools. The reviews are an important part of how the department supports each school.

The reviews are about providing schools with quality and independent feedback to help them continue to improve the learning outcomes for students and achieve the department’s commitment to inspire and support all learners to succeed as connected, resilient, creative and curious thinkers. Reviews are not used to compare schools or to rate the performance of school staff. They are about supporting schools in a differentiated way, with reviews tailored to each school’s context and need.

Each school is reviewed approximately every four years, providing valuable opportunities for self-reflection and improvement. The reviews are conducted by the External Review Team that sits within Education, Performance and Review.

The review process:

Reviews are undertaken by experienced educators. Each review panel consists of two to four reviewers; however, the number of reviewers and the length of the review depends on a range of factors, including the size and context of the school.

The panel looks closely at each school’s performance data and will speak with staff, students, parents and the community to get an accurate picture of the school. Reviews are structured around a small number of lines of inquiry which have been agreed upon by the review chair, the principal and relevant Learning Services and School Improvement Team staff. The panel will provide the school with a report summarising their findings and recommended improvement strategies to maximise student outcomes. Principals are encouraged to share this information with staff and the community to guide the school’s future improvement focus.

Staff participation in school reviews:

Feedback from parents and the community is an important part of school reviews, and parents and community members are encouraged to participate in the review.

More information:

Parents and community members interested in further information relating to school reviews are encouraged to contact their principal.

Designated Accessible (Disabled) Car Parking & Staff Car Park Reminder

A reminder to all our families that our designated in-school grounds car parking spaces are for staff and disabled use only. Parents and carers are asked to comply with this rule and park outside on Lawrence Drive when dropping off or picking up students during the school day.

At times, some families have been significantly inconvenienced as they require access to our disabled parking spaces, and these have not been available due to ‘non-disabled’ persons parking in these spaces. It’s important that we ensure safe and equitable access for all members of our school community and workplace.

Susan Barnard – Principal

Wellbeing Survey

Attention: Parents and Carers of students in Year 4 -6

Student Wellbeing Survey

The wellbeing of our students is important to us. To get an understanding of how students across Tasmania feel about their own wellbeing, students in Years 4 -6 at Hillcrest Primary will be taking part in a wellbeing survey.

The Student Wellbeing Survey is part of the Department of Education’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy.

The details for the survey are:

When: Tuesday 1 September

Who: Students in Year 4 -6

What do I need to do: You and your child don’t need to do anything. The survey will be done in class time and will not require your child to prepare in any way.

A letter with more information has been sent home with all Year 4 -6 students, including Frequently Asked Questions and a form to sign and return to the school, if you do not want your child to participate in the survey.

If you would like further information, please contact Ann-Maree Mulcaster, by phone 6424 5211 or email ann-maree.mulcaster@education.tas.gov.au

Thank you for supporting us to ensure that all our learners are safe, feel supported and are able to flourish, so they can engage in learning.

Ann-Maree Mulcaster - AST

Grade 6 Transition Days

It is that time of the year when our senior students are starting their transition to high school. Last Thursday, Reece High School Prefects (former Hillcrest Primary students), Fletcher, Adele and Imogen visited our grade 6 students for a meet and greet. This Friday our Grade 6 girls who will be attending Reece High School in 2021 will attend a transition day organised by Reece High School and on Monday the Grade 6 boys will attend their day at Reece. We wish them all a very enjoyable day.

Ann-Maree Mulcaster

Hilly Kids are Friendly Kids

Our current fortnightly Hilly Kids focus topic is “Doing Your Best”. Our topic for weeks 7 & 8 will be “Teamwork”.

Teamwork

Teamwork is very important at our school and used in many ways. Many of our students practice their teamwork skills through organised sport or by being a member of the school choirs or by being a part of a group in the classroom. Sport is a great way to develop a child’s understanding about the importance of working and playing together as a member of a team. Whether you win, draw or lose, the important part of being in a team is doing your best for the other players and coaches while trying to achieve team goals. It is a great feeling to know you’ve done your best in whatever you do!

Teamwork is all about working with others to produce a team result. It is about using your talents and interests with others to achieve something together, so, encourage others in your group to do their best and to put the team interests ahead of their own interests. Recognise everyone’s contribution to the team and congratulate them. Don’t criticise team members, even when things go wrong.

Our Hilly Kid for the ‘Fixing Things Up’ topic from weeks 3 & 4 was Baxter from 1-2N. Congratulations, Baxter!

Well done to our other class representatives:

STAS Eligibility Changes

The Tasmanian Government has announced the expansion of the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS), which waives the cost of Tasmanian Government levies for eligible students, for the 2021 school year onwards.

The eligibility for STAS will move to using the Health Care Card or equivalent as the assessment mechanism, replacing previous income thresholds that applied.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions has been developed to assist with any questions you may have.

Further questions about STAS or Levies and Charges in general can be sent to the Department of Education’s Financial Services Unit at stas@education.tas.gov.au or by calling 1800 827 055.

Talk and Read Bags Launch

Fathers’ Day Stall

fathers day.jpg (float left) Don’t forget! The Father’s Day stall will be held on Wednesday, September 2nd for all classes K-6. Families are asked to buy or make a small gift to the value of $3 and send it to school by Monday, August 31st. Please do not wrap gifts. Every child who donates to the stall will go into the draw to win a gift.

On the day of the stall please send your child to school with $3 to purchase a Father’s Day gift. If you do not want your child to participate, please tell him/her beforehand. Donations of second-hand wrapping paper are also needed. Offers of assistance to help run the stall on the day from 9-10:30am would be most welcome. Please leave your name at the school office.

Lyn Aherne – Fundraising Coordinator

Ride to School

Prep – 1 Fraser News

Entertainment Book

Enjoy more of things you love to do with your family and save.

Dear Parent,

Have you experienced an Entertainment Membership?

For a limited time, our school community is invited to trial the Entertainment Membership for 6 weeks! Entertainment Memberships are packed with thousands of incredible savings across local dining, activities, travel and shopping experiences. You can enjoy more of what you love for the best value. Start your trial and start saving today. No payment details required. It’s easy to register, simply go to:

Download the Entertainment App from the App Store or Google Play and start using. The 6 week trial is only available between 24th August – 13th September 2020.

After you have discovered the value of an Entertainment Membership, you can support our school by purchasing a Membership to receive 12 months of incredible savings. To support us visit the site above.

Already love the Entertainment Membership?

Purchase your Membership today and support us to reach our fundraising goal for 2020. Simply order online through our school's order page:

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school on 6424 5211. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Kind regards, Hillcrest Primary School

Tuckerbox Tips

Dairy products all start from milk, which is a major source of calcium for growing children. For young children the need for calcium is especially high as skeletal tissue is constantly growing as they develop.

Try these ideas to add dairy foods for strong bones to your child’s lunch:

• Wholemeal or multigrain crackers with cheese and vegemite
• Low fat yoghurt
• Low fat custard with fruit
• Instant puddings made with milk
• Creamed rice
• Cheese cubes and vegetable sticks

Lyn Aherne - Coordinator

Move Well Eat Well

Kids get a lot of grief for spending too much time in front of the TV or computer, but we adults aren’t much better! Make a family agreement to:

• Limit screen time for everyone
• Turn the TV off after the program has finished
• Resolve to watch one less TV program a week
• Play music or stories on a CD instead
• Make mealtime your family time and turn off the TV!

MWEW Team

Villony Virus Children’s Book

Devonport Library Young Writers

Girl Guides