17 June 2021

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

June

July

From the Principal

School Association

The School Association Committee met last Thursday at the school. We welcomed our new staff members (Kimberley Parker and Janmaree Peace) and appreciate Kimberley taking on the Secretary role. The committee ratified our updated SunSmart Policy. Please ask at the office if you would like a copy. The committee also discussed new playground ideas, the upcoming fair and fundraising opportunities, as well as some other school related items. As always, please feel free to come along to our meetings – the next meeting is scheduled for 29th July at 7.00 pm.

Reports

Student reports (P-6) will be sent home on Friday, 28th June. Please spend the time to go through the report with your child. If you have any questions regarding your child’s report, feel free to discuss with your child’s teacher.

3-Way Conferences

Don’t forget that three-way conferences will be happening in week 11. It is not too late to contact the office and book a time to see your child’s teacher/s. As previously advised, these meetings are a great opportunity for students, families and teachers to meet to discuss progress, as well as plan for future learning.

Please make sure that you check in with your child’s teacher (for contact tracing purposes) when you arrive. On Wednesday, 30th June, there will also be an Art Exhibition in the hall and free soup for families. We look forward to catching up!

Jerome Pape - Principal

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our current Hilly Kids focus topic is Collaboration. Our last focus topic for term 2 will be Resilience.

Resilience

What is resilience?

Resilience is the ability to cope with changes and challenges and to bounce back during difficult times. It is about:

• Dealing with hard times and still holding your head up
• Giving things a go and trying your best
• Being strong on the inside
• Being able to cope with what life throws at you
• Standing up for yourself

Why is resilience important?

Resilience is important because we cannot control everything that happens to us in life, therefore we need to teach our children skills to become resilient to bounce back from the challenges and hard times that will happen. The more resilient our children are, the easier it will be for them to get back on track.

How can we help our children learn to be more resilient?

• By listening and talking with our children when they have challenges
• By helping them put things into perspective
• By helping them break the challenges down into manageable parts
• By helping them set realistic goals to get back on track
• By supporting them in positive ways

Our Hilly Kid for the ‘Teamwork’ topic was Scarlett from 4-5P and our Aussie of the Month for May was Mackenzie from 2-4HB. Congratulations, Scarlett and Mackenzie!

Well done to our other class representatives:

5¢ Coin Challenge

Have you been collecting your 5¢ coins? Only two more weeks to go until our 5¢ coin challenge is over, so keep bringing your coins in, piling them up and we’ll see which class can collect the most! Let’s set a new record this year!

Fundraising Committee

Sunrise Bakery Pie Drive

Thank you to everyone who made the effort to get orders for the Pie Drive. The delivery date for our pie orders is Wednesday, June 23rd after 11am. If you are available to help pack orders first thing that morning, please leave your name at the school office.

Orders can be collected after 11am and before 4pm on that day. Please ensure that you collect your orders by 4pm that day as we do not have the capacity to refrigerate any orders left overnight.

Lyn Aherne – Fundraising

Launching into Learning

Strengthening fine motor skills has been the big focus this term in Launching into Learning. From birth to eight years, children continually acquire, refine and consolidate their fine motor functions and skills and integrate them across domains.

Experiences such as picking up and manipulating objects of different size and shape, drawing, cutting, painting and sensory play have important implications for children’s engagement in emergent writing experiences.

Jess Bellchambers – LIL Coordinator

5-6 Fenn

Writing Rationale

The class were asked to write a story when given this picture. After that we discussed these questions about the same image and then attempted writing only the introduction of a new story called “The Watchers” based on this picture. Here are some of our attempts. Some student wrote 2 pieces:

Lucas - The spirits were observing over me from the sky, counting on me to keep the egg safe. The crows were ready to attack. They were determined. My thick, bushy, curly orange hair swayed in the wind. My emerald green eyes flickered. I need to keep this egg from destruction. I need to bring the light back to this dark, malevolent world, to help everyone effected by the meddlesome crows. The watchers are over the top of me, all their hope and trust in a determined little girl.

The crows were determined to kill. They were ready. Eyes locked on the egg. I looked at the crows, not a teaspoon of fear in my emerald, green eyes. The crows take a long look at me and swoop.

Addison - Piper was running and running with the egg and the crows were trying to protect the egg. The girl was also trying to protect the cold egg, that she found accidentally, but she did not know that the egg was a special egg. It was the rarest egg in the animal kingdom. It was an egg that will turn into a King Crow when it hatches.

Mia - My life was on the line. I was losing more and more of my breath, as I ran faster away from the menacing murder of crows behind me. I don’t know why they wanted the egg so badly, but I wouldn’t have taken it if it was a crow egg… but it wasn’t. It was WAY too big to be a crow egg.

My brunette hair was blowing in the wind and my hands were shaking in fear. I saw an escape; my vision blurring…

Veronica - There I was. Standing in front of the biggest doors you’ve ever seen. They were black and sturdy. The patterning was breathtaking but the most interesting part was the huge crow in the centre of it all. I opened the doors and instantly they came straight for me…

Miranda - I stumbled and then collapsed to the cold, dark earth. It felt like it crushed me, mutilated me. It felt like a giant stone that sat on my lap. It weighed me down. I held onto the egg for dear life. Being tackled once was enough. It felt like I was playing rugby with a million crows, while being swooped three times a minute.

“That’s it!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I managed to scare most of them away. I got up and ran for dear life, playing chase with a murder of crows

Kai - As I run with the pulsing green egg, I hear my parents call to me.

“Come! Hurry!”.

I tried to sprint as fast as I possibly could. The dark, menacing crows, with their black eyes piercing right through me, were getting nearer.

I look back and see a large pointed rock and trip and fall into a large pool of water. The crows swarm my unconscious body as the egg sinks into the bottomless pool…

I finally reached the top of Mt Peekay. I thought of what my friends told me before I left.

“The master crow lies in a field surrounded by a pentagon of trees. The egg is underneath him. But if you remove the egg incorrectly the watchers will peruse you and kill you.”

Chloe - With a thousand crow eyes locked on the egg, Sophia began to worry. She took some deep breaths and continued to run away from the main flock of violent crows. At this point poor Sophia had scratches all over her smooth, tanned olive skin.

Alexis - She never thought she’d get away from them. She was running as fast as she could. She was running out of breath. She started to slow down; she couldn’t see them. They were gone!!!

It all started on a warm, dark summer night. Ivy and her friend Gemma went for a walk in a dark, cold forest behind Gemma’s house. They bought along some food to eat while they played a game. After A few minutes they saw something, it was bright. It was surrounded by mist, so they ran over to it and.

Catherine - Ok! So I’m making my way through Russia, Moscow. Damn, this egg is heavy! My little legs can’t run too far. These stupid crows won’t stop following me, why do they even need the egg?

My hair is blowing in my face, but unlike any normal human being, I can’t just put the egg down and brush it away.

Anyway, it’s currently 5:36AM. I was meant to get and egg for breakfast, but my father was knocked out by the egg. I accidentally tripped, the egg flew out of my hands and bonked my dad on the head so now he’s unconscious…

Declean - “Run little girl. Keep that egg safe!”. I looked into the crows red gleaming eyes with terror. This extraordinary fight was close. The one-eyed deadly crow went to attack but I weaved out of the way and I slayed the dangerous crow with my razor-sharp dagger in its heart.

I yelled out to the little girl and she came running to me. She showed me what was in the egg. It was a breathtaking lime green orb gleaming in my emerald eyes.

“This is cool!” the girl said.

I said, “Yeah, it’s very special to me because my mum that died gave it to me. I really need this so I’m keeping it in my bag ok.”

“Ok!” the girl said.

Millie - It was a mysterious, daunting night. Sarita was watching the crows with her sapphire-blue eyes, running for her life. She was wondering when the horrendous nightmare would be over. The crows were hurtling towards the mysterious egg she held tightly in her hands. She was scared and wanted to stop but forced herself to keep going so she could keep this secretive, unknown egg safe.

Then all of a sudden, she tripped; the egg left her grasp and…

Jalailah - Ronnie woke up one morning and she went for a walk in the moist, foggy forest behind her house. Not long after she found a giant, white egg. She decided to take it home to save it.

Thomas - 2:50pm…Ah!! The crows were on my tail. I have tried to get it back. It was the enchanter’s egg. But the crows were blocking me from the egg…

Mataya - “Stephanie your home,” said Savannah.

“Yes! I’m home now. I’m going to my room. What are you doing now? asked my little sister.

“I’m writing in my journal. Now please leave me alone!” Friday June 11: I’m home in the woods and I found the missing egg. Now I need to take it back. They found me. I need to get inside before they see me. I texted my sister to get a bag ready with food and water and clothes. I’m hiding behind a big rock. We need to run. They found me.

Chace - It was a cold gloomy night. My steel blue eyes squinted to see in the dark. The big black crows hunting me for the eggs I couldn’t give up. I needed to escape these deadly crows. My brown hair blew in front of my eyes. I couldn’t see but I had to keep running. I couldn’t stop now because…

Bianca - As soon as I took the egg from the cave the skies turned black. A storm came. I tried to run but the crows were out there.

How about I tell you the story from the beginning. I asked my dad if I could climb the mountain and he said yes. I went there and climbed to the middle and into the cave and took an egg.

I went for a walk and found an egg. My dad likes this type of stuff I thought. I took the egg which was a massive mistake. Giant, black crows came swooping down. I screamed as one scratched me. What is in this huge egg and why is it so important I thought? I was determined to find out. I ran as fast as I could. Mystraight, brown hair swaying in the wind. I tripped. The egg…

Jye - The fierce crows were gathering around this weird looking egg. I told my family to be quiet, but then my baby sister rushed with a weird looking face. She got the cursed egg, BUT THEN!… the crows had the most dreadful nasty look…….

Will - It was 5:00 in the morning and Myha was camping out deep in the forest. It was dreary. I set out for a morning stroll when I came across a huge egg 🥚 I picked it. Then he crows came an attacked me. My brown hair on end. My blue crystal-clear eyes looking so big. The crows close in, then out of nowhere a huge ripped man stepped out and….

Holly - This all started at school. it was a new school, new class, new everything. nothing was bad, no bad kids, no bad teachers. Nothing bad happened in the school until the big crows arrived.

PE News

Term 2 HPE Program

It has been a busy term in the PE Department. We started off the term with Cross Country lessons and try outs for the team that represented our school in the NW Cross Country carnival in week 7 of term 2. Congratulations again to those who represented our school.

From there we have had a game-centred approach to our PE lessons, with our focus being on invasions games. Our invasion games approach has meant that I have been able to pick three sports that have a similar structure and tactical understanding through the focus of securing possession of the ball and denying the opposition the ball. The sports have included learning about basketball, netball and AFL football.

We have been very lucky to have two special guests involved in some our lessons of this unit. Mitch and Paul who play for the NW Thunder basketball team have joined us and we have really enjoyed them being with us to share some of their knowledge and basketball skills. Thanks again to the NW Thunder for allowing us the opportunity to have them here.

Students will look forward some more special guests from AFL Tasmania in our last week of term (week 11) who, once again, will share with us their knowledge of the game of AFL football.

Thanks again for your support.

Rebecca Melhuish – HPE Teacher

Netball News

Several our netball girls have been selected from try-outs to represent Devon Netball playing in the NTNA carnival in Launceston on June 27th. These girls have also won all 9 of their games so far this season! Congratulations to Torrah, Mataya, Chloe, Millie, Alexis and Jehanne! We are so proud of you all!

Megan Butler – Coach

News from the School Nurse

Breathe better in cold weather

Winter is almost upon us and we know this can be a difficult time for children with respiratory conditions. To be prepared for the winter season and help avoid preventable flare-ups, here are some tips from Asthma Australia:

• Download the Breathe better in cold weather - Asthma Australia guide
• Have an  Asthma Review   with your doctor and,
• Update your child’s written  Asthma Action Plan.  

You can also access the latest information here:

including an excellent new video on how cold weather impacts asthma.

Feel free to contact me at the school if you need any help.

Leah Furley, School Nurse

ASD Family Support Group

Please note that our Family Support Group is also open to families waiting on a diagnosis for their child.

Tuckerbox Tips

Add breads and cereals to your child’s lunch. Try the following ideas:

• Rice, pasta or noodle salads
• Pita pockets or mountain bread wraps
• Rice crackers, corn thins or wholemeal crispbreads
• Use different types of bread – wholemeal, wholegrain, rye, bagels, Turkish bread or English muffins

Lyn Aherne – Canteen Supervisor

Move Well Eat Well

Making better takeaway choices

Takeaway food can cost a lot and is often high in fat and salt and low in fibre and vitamins. Having takeaway food sometimes is ok but try to buy healthier choices.

• Pizza - have more vegetable toppings , eg pineapple, capsicum, mushroom & tomato
• Sandwiches - choose salad sandwiches & rolls with ham, roast beef, chicken, egg or cheese. Try different types of bread, eg mountain bread, grain, wholemeal, bagels, etc.
• Chicken - choose bbq chicken, remove the skin and have it with bread & salad instead of chips
• Fish - have grilled fish with rice, bread & salad rather than chips
• Italian - choose tomato-based dishes. Try ones with different ingredients & a variety of vegetables
• Hot potatoes - try vegetable toppings such as beans & salads. Limit sour cream, cheese, butter & bacon.

MWEW Team