26 August 2021

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

August

September

From the Principal

Swimming 2021

As we come to end of another swimming program, I would sincerely like to thank our families who have organised swimming gear each day for ten days of the program. I know how much work goes into ensuring that bathers and towels are dry and ready for the next day. Thank you! A big thankyou also goes to all staff who have supported the swimming program – we couldn’t have done it without you.

Book Week

It has been a busy week with Book Week activities, including Book Week Parade, School Socials and our annual Book Week Art activity. It has been great to see students happily participating and the positive comments from them have made it all worthwhile. Thanks to everyone who has helped. Well done to our Student Council, who helped organise the socials. It has been a wonderful success!

Parent Satisfaction Surveys

A reminder that the 2021 Parent Satisfaction Surveys are now open for respondents to complete from 23 August to 17 September 2021. Please find details below. We look forward to your participation!

Communication to Parents - Satisfaction Survey 2021

Each year the Department of Education conducts School Satisfaction Surveys in Tasmanian Government schools, to gain feedback on what you think our schools do well and where you think we may improve. We encourage you to complete the survey about Hillcrest Primary School. Your feedback is very important to help us inform our school planning and decision-making.

You can complete the online survey from 23 August until Friday 17 September 2021.

Survey link:

All responses are anonymous and confidential with the survey carried out on a secure website.

Feedback is only accessible to the school principal and teachers and relevant Department of Education staff, in online summary report formats with no individuals or families identifiable.

For any assistance, please contact Education Performance and Review by emailing: schoolsurveys@education.tas.gov.au.

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this survey.

Jerome Pape - Principal

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our current Hilly Kids focus topic is Good Winners Good Losers. Our next focus topic for term 3 will be Negotiating.

Negotiating

If you want someone to do something for you or to give you permission to do something, the best way to get what you want is to negotiate. Negotiation involves trying to get what you want by first working out what the other person wants and trying to give it to them. This way is called a “win-win” way of negotiation because both people get something they want. It is different from a “win-lose” approach where someone gets what they want, and the other person doesn’t get anything.

Negotiating needs to be planned and each side must complete their side of the bargain. For example: you may want a ride to footy training so you negotiate with mum to give you a ride and in return you will put the rubbish out. If you do not keep your part of the bargain, you won’t be trusted the next time and the relationship suffers.

Remember: You are more likely to get what you want and keep friends if the other person gets something too

Do:

• Decide what you want
• Think about what the other person might want in return (eg they might want to be sure that something they lend you will be looked after)
• Pick a good time to ask
• Use a friendly voice
• If you can’t work out what they want in return, ask them directly
• If the other person won’t agree with what you want, accept that. You won’t always get what you want.
• Keep your side of the bargain.

Don’t:

• Don’t ask at an inconvenient time (eg when the other person is busy or talking to someone else)
• Don’t use a grizzly, whingeing voice
• Don’t threaten, sulk, insult or get angry if you don’t get what you want.

Our Hilly Kid for the ‘Use Your Voice’ topic was Henry from P-1L. Congratulations, Henry!

Well done to our other class representatives:

From the Quality Teaching Coach

Reciprocal Reading

Reciprocal reading is a structured method of guided reading where children are gradually taught to take on group roles to explore and find meaning in texts. Reciprocal reading emphasises teamwork and supports independent comprehension skills. The children work together, play their different roles, and in the end they gain a more thorough understanding of the reading text, while also gaining valuable teamwork skills.

Mrs Peace has been trialling this approach with her grade 4/5 class.

Celebrate our 40th Anniversary

Congratulations to Ariarnah in 2 Shephard for winning the first challenge.

Our next fortnightly challenge is to write a poem about HILLCREST. The type of poem is up to you e.g. it could be a limerick, haiku, ballad, acrostic. The most creative poem will be chosen as the winner.

Place your entry in the box outside the ALS by Friday, 3rd September. Make sure your name and class are included. The winner will be announced in the following newsletter and on Facebook. Family members are encouraged to work together.

Thanks to Miss Miller for coming up with this challenge.

Naomi Archer – AST

SWES – Students in Grades 4-6

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

Student Wellbeing and Engagement 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 Year 4 - 6 at Hillcrest Primary will be taking part in a wellbeing survey.

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

The details for the survey are:

When: Thursday 9 September 2021

Who: students in grade 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 in person or by phone on 6424 5211.

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

Student Council Update

Book Week Social

Thank you to all of our families and students for your wonderful dress-up efforts for our Book Week Social. It was so much fun grooving with you all and you looked brilliant!

Crazy Hair Day

Our next fundraiser for Term 3 is going to be a CRAZY HAIR DAY! Funds raised from this event will go towards our collection for Relay for Life. We can’t wait to see your crazy inventions!

School Fair

Plans for the School Fair are well underway! We have some great things planned for the event on Saturday, October 16th!

We still need donations for our craft stall so get busy and finish those UFOs (UnFinished Objects) and, if you find yourself tidying closets in your spring-cleaning frenzy, we can use kids’ puzzles, books and games in good condition, thanks.

If you have a green thumb, we hope you have been potting up some plants for our plant stall. All donations of established plants will be greatly appreciated!

Fundraising Committee

5-6 Kelly

Olympic Country Study

As part of HASS this term, Grade 5 students have chosen a country from Europe to investigate, and Grade 6 students are investigating a country from Asia. The first part of this work was to create a PowerPoint presentation on their chosen country and their representation in this year’s Olympics.

Here are just a few examples of the work that they produced:

Gaye Kelly – Class Teacher

Hands on Learning

Project Possum Houses

In Hands on Learning have been working on a new project for Possums. We are making Possum Houses with help from Amanda, Dominic and Karli from Bunnings and our own Mr Woods. We are going to hang them on some trees around the school grounds ready for the possums to move in.

By Xavier and Michael

Fathers’ Day Stall

Don’t forget! The Father’s Day stall will be held on Wednesday, September 1st 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 30th. 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

Eisteddfod News

After a Covid enforced break from performing, once again the Devonport Eisteddfod is on, and Hillcrest Primary is represented!!! We are a bit…. Ok – A LOT…. excited!!

Due to restrictions, we have only been able to enter 2 choirs this year, and they will be performing next week. Choir 1 (consisting of students from 4/5 P, 5/6 K and 5/6 F) are performing on Thursday morning and Choir 2 (consisting of students from 3/4 B and 3/4 HB) are performing on Friday afternoon.

One of the other changes is the venue. This year we will be at the Lifeway Centre on William Street.

Spectators are most welcome; however, tickets need to be booked online prior to the event. They are available online at the link below:

To reserve your seat click on the ‘Search’ button and put in Devonport Eisteddfod. Then select ‘Music’ and then choose the relevant date and time, select the required number of tickets and then complete your purchase. The cost is $10 per adult, $4 for children over 5 and free for children under 5.

Our next Whole School Assembly is next Wednesday, September 1st, and both the choirs will be performing their songs. If you can’t make it on the day of the Eisteddfod performances, then you are most welcome to attend the assembly.

If your child is performing, and you haven’t finalised your uniform yet, then please do so ASAP.

Mrs Kelly

Netball News!

Congratulations to our grade 5/6 team! The girls played every game except those that were rained out this season. They ended up on top of the ladder in Division A in the Valley Road Devonport Terry White Chemmart Primary Winter Roster – 15 games played and 15 games won! What an achievement!

The Grand Final was on Saturday, August 14th and we won in a very close game – 19 to18 – against Devonport Christian School.

Milana, Chloe, Mataya, Torrah and Alexis also attend the new UDS – Umpire Development Squad, run by Devon Netball – in their own time to enhance their skills and to build their confidence to become umpires for netball.

Torrah, Mataya, Chloe, Jehanne and Alexis also attend the DDS – Devon Development Squad. They train on Monday evenings and have the opportunity to represent Devon at carnivals all over Tasmania. The next carnival is on September 19th at Spreyton and selections for this are currently underway.

NWPSSA

Mataya, Millie and Chloe all tried out on the 18th of August to take part in the Devon vs Darwin game day and they were all selected. Great effort, girls!

The girls have worked really hard and train even harder to be the best player they can. They train for school netball on a Thursday evening and have the spring roster to look forward to this year. Well done to the team on all your efforts and achievements so far!

Megan Butler – Coach

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 – Canteen Supervisor

Move Well Eat Well

Screen Time

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

Junction Arts Festival for Families

Junction is an intimate celebration of Tasmanian community and creativity, inspiring audiences through exciting and diverse performances of art, music and dance; a festival in which contemporary art and music break out of theatres and galleries into the streets, public spaces and extraordinary buildings that make Launceston so unique. Junction runs from the 1-5 SEPTEMBER and our Festival Hub is in the beautiful Prince's Square.

Art is for everyone - especially children! Junction's 2021 program features some fantastic projects for kids and families to get involved in, with lots of free events in addition to ticketed ones.

Please see the attached poster. To find out more... Head to the link below: