3 March 2022

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

2022

From the Principal

It has been a busy couple of weeks, with a very settled start to the term for everyone. A big thanks go to the community for your ongoing support and care during a challenging time for the school.

As you are no doubt aware, we have been managing Covid cases as they have occurred, following Public Health advice. As a reminder:

• All visitors to the school are required to wear masks both inside and outside.
• Please ensure that you physically distance at all times.
• Make sure you follow good hygiene practices, including the use of hand sanitiser.
• If you feel unwell, stay at home and get tested.

Specific instructions regarding testing requirements have been sent home to all families. Please let us know if you require any further RATs. Current testing requires all staff and students to be tested on Tuesday and Friday of this week, with further advice to be provided. If you have any questions at all regarding Covid-19, please contact the office.

A reminder that the School Association Committee meeting will be happening tonight at 7.00 pm in the GP Hall. Strict Covid measures will be utilised to ensure that the risks are minimised. The focus topic for the Committee will be Hillcrest Supports for Term 1. Please contact the office if you have any further queries.

AFL Clinic

Players from the AFL and representatives from AFL Tasmania will be conducting a clinic here at school on Friday, 4 March. If you do not want your child to participate, please tell your child’s teacher. Children will need to bring a pair of sports shoes.

Due to Covid restrictions we are unable to invite parents or other community members to attend.

Public Holiday Monday

Just a reminder that Monday, 14 March is the Eight Hours Day public holiday so enjoy the long weekend!

Jerome Pape - Principal

Learning from Home

For families having to isolate at home and would like to access learning at home, the Department of Education have set up a Virtual Learning Centre. Please read the attached letter on how to access this. Also, if your child would like to use Mathletics or Reading Eggs from home and they do not have their log in details, please contact their classroom teacher via Seesaw.

COVID-19 Information

Dear Families, please read the following for important updated COVID information

Close contact changes

Public Health has provided additional clarity on changes to quarantine requirements for close contacts of people with COVID-19. From 26 February close contacts are only required to quarantine for a single 7-day period – the 7 days will NOT be extended if subsequent people in the household test positive (as long as they are symptom free and return the required negative test result).

This advice applies to all COVID-19 cases i.e. anyone currently in quarantine and anyone who needs to quarantine from this point onwards. If a person is already part way through their quarantine period, then they will complete their 7 days from the time of the first positive diagnosis of COVID-19 in their household.

New changes to hay fever advice

Public Health has reviewed their advice about hay fever in the current COVID-19 environment.

Hay fever symptoms are similar to COVID-19 symptoms, so it’s important families know what they need to do if their child experiences hay fever symptoms.

If your child has hay fever symptoms, please keep them at home and test for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test (RAT).

If your child tests negative on a RAT and symptoms continue, Public Health advises that you must do a second RAT 24 hours later or seek a PCR test.

If the second RAT or PCR remains negative, this is sufficient evidence for your child to return to school if they feel well.

If symptoms change or increase in severity, please see your treating medical practitioner for review.

Please know that Public Health advice can change at short notice, and we appreciate your patience as we respond to these changes as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office. For more information, please visit the Tasmanian Government Coronavirus website or contact the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline  on 1800 671 738, or Department of Education COVID Support Hotline at COVID19support@education.tas.gov.au or on 1800 816

Attendance

Parents are reminded that all student absence must be reported to the school office and NOT via SeeSaw.

School Association 2022

Our first School Association Meeting will be held on Thursday, 3 March at 7pm in the GP Hall and everyone is welcome to attend.

The School Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday, 7 April at 7pm in the GP Hall where we will be electing our new School Association Committee. Everyone is welcome to attend.

P-1 Lawes

In P-1 Lawes we have been learning about:

'Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down' choices in the classroom.

What sounds letters can make. This is a part of our 'Letters and Sounds' program. This week Preps are learning sounds for s, a, t, p and the grade 1s are revising sounds including j, v, w, x.

We have also been:

Doing some painting.

Talking about our 'tee-riffic' Summers. Then we did a drawing about something we did during the Summer on a tee-shirt.

Doing the 'Draw, Talk, Write & Share' routine. This is a drawing of a pirate's treasure map. Can you spot the 'x' marks the spot?

Hilly Kids Are Friendly Kids

Our current Hilly Kids focus topic is Respecting the Environment. Our next focus topic will be Respecting People.

Respecting the Environment

We are very lucky to live in such a wonderful suburb and in fact a wonderful country. There are so many great natural features just a short walk from our school – the beach, the parks and gardens, the wonderful old trees and birdlife … so many other unique and special places around us. We need to look after all these places and show them the respect they deserve, not just for their own sake, but also because they are so important to so many people and will be for years to come. Remember to always treat our environment with respect. This can be done in many ways – never leave rubbish around, be sensitive to the natural environment and animals - remember, it is their home we are visiting. Try not to destroy or break plants or the many features of a natural environment. Stay away from areas that can be easily disturbed and, where possible, ride, run and walk on paths. Respecting and caring for our environment will mean it will be there for everyone to appreciate and enjoy for many years.

Launch into Learning

Hello Launching into Learning friends!

My name is Jane Lewis and this year I will be teaching Kindergarten and Launching into Learning at Hillcrest Primary school. I am super excited to meet some new faces and offer some fun and exciting programs and activities for you and your little ones.

This year Launching into Learning sessions will be running on a Friday and Monday; however, due to Department of Education guidelines, the start of Launching into Learning has been delayed this year.

From Thursday 17 February, families will have access to Online LiL Sessions each week through the Great Start website. These sessions will include songs, stories and fun activities to do at home.

Please go to the website below, and enter the password LIL22 to watch the on-line LIL sessions.

We hope to see familiar and new faces back when we are able to start face-to-face sessions again. In the meantime, keep finding moments in the day to talk, read and play with your child. I will also post weekly updates and suggest activities and rhymes that you can do at home during this time.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and fun!

Miss Jane Lewis
Kindergarten and Launch into Learning Teacher

Library Opening Hours

In Term 1 Library opening times for families to change home readers etc. are between 8.45–8.55am and 2.45–3.00pm.

Soccer

Soccer for 2022 is on its way! This season DJSI is registering any player who turns 5 in the school year. As team nominations need to be in to DJSI by Wednesday, 16 March, it is important that we start to arrange our teams as soon as possible. Please leave your child’s name, class and date of birth at the school office before Wednesday, 9 March if they would like to play.

If any parents can assist with coaching and have a current Working with Vulnerable People card, please leave your details at the school office.

The first game for the 2022 season is on Saturday, 2nd of April and the last game is on Saturday 27th August.

For children who qualify for TICKET TO PLAY, please see below and complete your application as soon as possible. Remember to note your Ticket to Play number and provide it along with your concession card to the school office.

Ticket to Play

Ticket to Play is a Tasmanian Government initiative designed to reduce the cost of participating in club sporting activities for Tasmanian children. The key objective of Ticket to Play is to increase the number of young Tasmanians playing sport and supporting the Tasmanian Government’s objective of Tasmania being the healthiest population by 2025.

Who is eligible for a voucher?

Applicants must be:

• living in Tasmania;
• aged between 5 and 18 years old at the time of application; and
• be listed on a valid Centrelink Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card (either their own or their parent’s, guardian’s, or carer’s) or be in Out of Home Care.

What can I use a voucher for?

The voucher can be used at approved activity providers who meet certain eligibility criteria, such as soccer, basketball and netball clubs.

The voucher is available for use toward the cost of membership fees. Other items such as uniforms, equipment, footwear etc. are not eligible.

If you feel you might be eligible for a voucher to help with the cost of sporting club registrations for children aged 5-17, please go to the link below:

Ticket to Play voucher applications will close on Monday 30 May 2022 at 5 pm. Vouchers must be presented to an Approved Activity Provider by Monday 6 June 2022.

Contact us

If you need help with the Ticket to Play application, contact us on 1800 252 476 or at tickettoplay@communities.tas.gov.au or contact the school office and we will arrange for a staff member to help you.

Parent Help, Coaching, etc.

Please remember if you want to help in classes, help with class excursions or be a coach of a sporting team, you will need to have a Registration for Working with Vulnerable People card. Adults who do not have this card will be unable to participate in class help.

You will need to apply online at the link below and then go to Service Tasmania to have your photo taken. If you need help applying for this card, please contact the school. You will be able to come to the library and use our facilities, with support from Mrs Mulcaster or Miss Duff.

2022 Term 1 Canteen Menu

Hillcrest Tuckerbox

If we want our children to enjoy school and perform well, we should ensure that they have plenty of fuel for physical and mental activity. Any teacher will tell you that a hungry child cannot concentrate!

A healthy lunch and snacks are important. A healthy lunch box is one that provides a variety of foods from different food groups. The food groups are: bread & cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat & meat alternatives (eg eggs, baked beans, lentils) and dairy. It has been shown that eating patterns established by the age of 11 or 12 are likely to persist through to the late teens or longer.

• Don’t insist on varying sandwich fillings if your child wants the same one every day...it isn’t the end of the world! Add variety with other lunch food.
• Don’t include sandwich fillings or other foods which your child has never tried before. Such “surprises” are seldom popular. Introduce new foods after school, at home, instead.
• Pack small amounts of food in an appropriate number of separate containers so they look inviting. Too much of each or (surprisingly) too many options can be daunting to a small child.

Lyn Aherne – Canteen

Move Well Eat Well

Water is the best drink for children, especially in hot summer weather or if children are very active. Make sure your child has their own drink bottle so they can stay hydrated while at school.

Tap into Water Every Day:

• It’s cheap and easy to get
• Not drinking enough fluids causes dehydration with symptoms such as headaches and irritability
• Our bodies are made up of 50-60% water and we need to replace the water we lose every day from breathing, sweating, etc

Tips for encouraging your child to drink water:

• Get your child their own individual water bottle for school
• In warm weather, freeze your child’s water bottle to send to school
• Show your child that you enjoy drinking water, too
• At mealtimes serve everyone at the table with a glass of water
• At home, always keep a jug or bottle of cold water in the fridge and serve with ice
• Always take a water bottle with you when you go out

MWEW Committee

News from the School Health Nurse

Welcome to our School Health Nurse for 2022, Bianca Snow. She will be onsite every Tuesday and is contactable via the school office 6424 5211 or email bianca.snow@education.tas.gov.au.

Reminder: Kindergarten families – if you would like your child to have a Kindergarten Health Check please complete the forms and return them to the school office.