23 September 2021

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

September

October

From the Principal

No Hat No Play

As a SunSmart school, students are required to wear hats when the UV rating is 3 or above. From the start of September, students have been asked to wear their hats outside between the hours of 10.00 – 2.00 pm. We will need to continue this for all of Term 4. Please remember to bring your hats back for Term 4 or you can purchase a new one from the school office for $7.

Don’t forget to also send your child with sunscreen so they can apply it before going out to play. Remember – no hat, no play.

Congratulations!

A huge congratulations go to our students who played in the basketball tournament on the weekend. Well done to all those involved!

School Fair

Plans are well underway for our biennial School Fair which is to be held on Saturday 16th October. The committee have been working hard to ensure there will be lots to see and do. As this is a public event, normal Public Health rules apply. We will have a Covid Safe Plan in place, which includes controlling the number of patrons, using the Check-in App and implementing Covid safe hygiene and distancing controls. If you or your child are unwell on the day, please do not attend.

Let’s Talk

After consulting with families and students, educators and leaders, the Department has developed resources and advertising that profiles the importance of talking and being able to express ideas, build vocabulary to describe and explain, organise our thinking and words for others to understand. These talking and listening skills support learning and develop a confidence and ability to participate in learning, life and work.

We aren’t joking when we say talking is a superpower. Being able to communicate is an essential skill in every part of our lives. You can help your child by talking with them every day. Whether you have a baby or a teenager, small chats can make a big difference. So…..let’s talk!

Visit the Let’s Talk website for resources, information and ideas:

Enjoy the Break!

As we move into the Term 3 holiday, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy break. I hope everyone gets a chance to spend some time with families and enjoy the weather as it warms up (a bit!). Be safe!

Jerome Pape - Principal

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our current Hilly Kids focus topic is Problem Solving. Our first focus topic for term 4 will be Doing Your Best.

Doing Your Best

It is important to do your best in everything that you do! It involves developing personal qualities of ‘never giving up’, ‘having another go’ and ‘being persistent’ if you don't achieve it the first time.

By always doing your best you can feel proud, knowing that there was nothing more that you could have done to achieve your goal. It doesn't matter whether you come first or last; it’s more important to know that you did your very best in whatever you are doing!

Our Hilly Kid for the ‘Negotiating’ topic was Alexis from 5-6F. Congratulations, Alexis!

Well done to our other class representatives:

Student Council Updates……

Term 3

The Student Council members would like to say a BIG wow to our students and families for their Crazy Hair Day creations. What a fun way to raise money for our school resources! We are excited to purchase some new Flags for our school with the money raised. Check out some of the impressive creations.

Footy Colours Day TOMORROW!

Don’t forget to wear your footy colours tomorrow!

Jaime-Lea Duff – Student Council Co-ordinator

Basketball Tournament

A big congratulations to those students who participated in the Devonport Basketball Tournament last weekend! It was fabulous to see so many Hillcrest students involved, some even coming away with first place medals! We would like to say a big thank you to Spreyton Primary School and St Pats Primary School for having our students join their teams. We were proud to hear our students showed our school values of Courage, Aspiration, Growth and Respect on the court and had such a wonderful time.

We would also like to say a BIG thank you to ALL the volunteers who supported our children to participate, especially the wonderful coaches!

School Fair

GP Hall

Plans for our School Fair are well underway. We will have some great things happening in the GP Hall. You can get your face painted, your hair braided, and a glitter tattoo applied. You can browse the craft, show bags and lucky jars stalls. There will be two lucky jars with extra special prizes to be won. Will you be the one to pick the special prize? The cake stall will be laden with treats, baked goodies, lamingtons, lollies and a chocolate fountain for dipping marshmallows.

Hilly Hampers

This year we have an even bigger and better range of hampers to choose from. There are hampers filled with great products, something to suit everybody, at amazing prices. Maybe this will be a chance to get some early Christmas shopping done or a great opportunity to pick up a treat to spoil somebody special.

Sideshow Alley

Sideshow Alley is back bigger than ever this year. We’ve got your favourite fun activities: Sponge Throwing (who will be volunteering to be pelted with wet sponges?), Splat the Rat, Toilet Paper Toss and Pick Your Nose for a lucky dip. And add in the Target Challenge and Pluck a Duck to test your skills.

On the Oval

There will be lots to do on the Oval: Jumping Castle, Zorb Balls and Swing Cars. The Petting Zoo will get you close to critters in the city! And you can check out the Fire Brigade display.

Plant Stall

Lots of plants, plants, plants and succulents, too! Some are pretty in pots and some are ready for your garden. There will also be amazing crafts created by our Hands on Learning crew.

Entertainment in the Yurt

We have entertainment planned throughout the day with performances by amazing talent on the stage in the yurt supplied by the Don River Yurt Co.

And Wait, There’s More…

The Rave Cave is back again, too, for the younger ones to dance up a storm to a fun playlist. And, for the more adventurous, the Haunted Trail will be next door, where creepy, hair-raising, blood-curdling, ghoulish things happen, causing goosebumps and shivers…. Do you dare???

Lucky Draw Boards

We will have two Lucky Draw Boards at the Fair. Each board has 100 numbers to buy for $5 or $10 each and there are six prizes available to win. So, get in quick for the best chances to win great prizes. Keep an eye on our Facebook page to find out when you can purchase your numbers early.

Stay for Lunch

Come for the BBQ hamburgers and sausages, hot spuds, nachos, pies and sausage rolls. And, of course, our famous Hilly Café Coffee Cart serving amazing cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate and tea. Yummy treats? Yes! Hilly Rock ice cream, donuts and fruit salad.

Hope we see you at the Fair!!

Fundraising Committee

Kitchen Garden Project

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Project

We have teamed up with Helen Stonehouse (Kinder Mum/ Employee at Coles) to apply for a grant offered through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Foundation. The Foundation is teaming up with Coles to support schools to participate in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, which is designed to guide schools through their own unique kitchen garden journey. We have been successful in getting the grant… YAY!

Helen arranged for Coles to set up some fundraisers towards the grant that was offered to the school. How awesome and proactive! On Saturday 18th September, Coles staff set up a BBQ out the front of Coles. Coles donated all the products and we had some of our wonderful Student Leaders, supported by Mrs Archer and Miss Duff to cook and serve the BBQ. Despite the miserable weather, it was a great success! The Student Leaders showed so much initiative, confidence, and leadership qualities - we were so proud! Thanks to the families who allowed them to attend! We are looking forward to more partnerships with Coles Devonport in the near future.

Early Years News

What’s been happening in our Early Years?

We have big focus on developing our oral language skills in the Early Years this term. We have been excited about our families eagerly using our Story Sacks. In Kinder Miller they have been using rich texts through the Oracy Program to develop the students’ confidence in talking and connecting with books. In our LiL program Mrs Bellchambers has been working with families to understand where their children’s oral language skills are at. We even had parents completing pre-assessment activities in the LiL session – what a team!

Don’t forget – 2022 Kindergarten enrolment is now open! Pre-Kinder sessions are held on Wednesday afternoons 1:30pm-2:30pm.

Jaime-Lea Duff – Early Years Coordinator

Competition for 2022 Grade 7s

Win a Full School Uniform

We are running a competition for parents from each of our feeder primary schools. To be eligible to win a school uniform, parents need to hand in their child’s enrolment form by Friday 24th September 2021. This can be handed in to either their primary school office or the Reece High School office. If you need a copy of the enrolment form, please see your primary school or feel free to collect one from Reece High.

Chaplain’s Chat

This term has been so very busy, so a huge congratulations to all our wonderful teachers and parents who have organised their children and managed to keep up with activities from swimming to Book Week, to photo day, to Eisteddfods and more. Well done, everyone, for managing to keep on top of everything!

With so many significant events happening in our world we all continue to live in this covid new normal world with very few restrictions to our movements here in Tasmania. Of course, many of us have family and friends living in more restricted areas on the mainland. Whilst we are so fortunate here, we know that our world is so very changeable and unpredictable. I have been thinking of my grandparents who were born in the early 1900’s and lived through 2 World Wars, the Spanish flu, a depression, man walking on the moon, the Vietnam war, so many social changes, changes in technology, advances in everyday appliances as well as huge changes to the accessibility of modern motor transport and air travel. My grandparents lived through significant turmoil and change without the benefit of access to instant news accounts from media all around the world. I found it great encouragement that my grandparents lived and survived through so much uncertainty. With that in mind can I encourage you to see that our beautiful HPS children are the hope for our future and help us all to look forward to moving through this difficult season.

This term I have continued to visit classrooms and to be involved in many activities throughout the school. At lunchtimes I have held activities in my Chaplain’s room. The students have been working on some weaving and presently we are making some spring crafts. Every fortnight the Hilly Kids rewards winners come and spend some time doing fun activities with me as a reward for upholding the Hilly Kid values and making our school a fabulous place to be.

Next term will continue to be a busy one. We have many great activities happening, including the school fair. I look forward to seeing everyone after the holidays.

Don’t forget, if you ever need to chat or want any information about either Devonport Chaplaincy or Loaves and Fishes support, please leave a message for me with the office or your child’s teacher.

Enjoy your holidays, stay safe and have a blessed and refreshing break

Alison Hillier – School Chaplain

Bandanna Day – October 29

Bandanna Day is the biggest fundraising and awareness campaign for Canteen. We are selling bandannas at the school office from now until we are sold out. Bandannas are $5 and there is a variety of patterns available. There is also an option to pay with card via a QR code.

Tuckerbox Tips

Lunchboxes for Less

Packing a healthy lunchbox for school doesn’t need to be expensive. Try these tips:

• Buy fruit and vegetables in season for the best value for money
• Buy in bulk – tinned fruit, dried fruit, yoghurt and crackers are cheaper if you buy them in bulk, rather than single serve portions. Simply put the amount your child will eat into re-useable plastic containers
• Keep ‘occasional’ foods, such as muesli bars, biscuits, chips and chocolate to a minimum. These foods are expensive. For example: apples in season cost about $4 per kilo whereas fruit straps cost about $35 per kilo!

Lyn Aherne – Canteen Supervisor

Move Well Eat Well

Nature Play

So much to explore! Take up the “Spring Challenge” with your family during the school holidays!

• Plant herbs or vegetables
• Pick a bunch of flowers
• Build a cubby or fort
• Ride your bike in a bush area
• Go on a bug hunt
• Create a fairy or mini-creatures garden
• Identify at least 3 birds outdoors

MWEW Team

Slipstream Circus in the Holidays

School Holiday Sports

Please find below the Devonport Touch Association, Inc’s information sheet on joining the Touch Football roster. Registrations close today, September 24th. If your child would like to play, please leave their name at the office ASAP.

Sister City Art Exchange

Do you have a keen photographer in your family? They might be interested in participating in “Through Each Other’s Eyes”, a photo exchange with Devonport’s sister city of Minamata. More information attached below.