15 February 2019

Newsletter Articles

Assistant Principals

Paul Stevenson
Andrea Saville

Grade Leaders

Grade 7: Kendal King
Grade 8: Naomi Cartledge
Grade 9: Skye Champion
Grade 10: Allison Macpherson

Support Services

School Psychologist: Annie Fitzgerald: Wed & Thursday
Social Worker: Esther Fleming: Tues and Wed
School Chaplain: Paul Burton: Mon/Wed/Friday
School Health Nurse: David Mackay: Wednesday

Principal’s Report

I would like to welcome back all of our students, staff and families and look forward to another successful year at Exeter High School. I would also like to extend a special welcome to our new staff, Mrs Jill Wivell and Mr Lenny Towns who are both based in the Grade 8 team, as well as Mr Chris Jackson who is the school’s Business Manager for term 1. Mrs Karley Blackberry has also returned and is based in the Grade 9 team.

Students are looking amazing in their school uniform and the school’s expectation is that students wear full school uniform every day. The uniform shop is open every Thursday should students require any new items.

Attendance every day at school is crucial in enabling students to have the best chance of success, both academically and socially. In the event of your child being away, can I please ask that parents contact the school office so that we can record any absences accurately.

Open lines of communication between home and schools are essential. In the event of you having a question or concern, please contact the relevant teacher as your first port of call. The preferred method of contact is by email as teachers often cannot take phone calls due to their teaching commitments. Each teacher’s email address is their full name, followed by @education.tas.gov.au for example – benjamin.frerk@education.tas.gov.au

Academically, students at Exeter High are performing strongly against measured national and state benchmarks in literacy and numeracy. Over the past 3 years we have had a major focus on building the capacity of all staff to provide our students with rich and rigorous learning experiences. I am very proud to share with the community some data that shows how well the students at Exeter are performing.

This data indicates how strongly our students are performing in reading and writing where their mean score in NAPLAN testing is above the mean score when comparing us to similar schools. The graph on the end clearly indicates how well our students are progressing academically from years 7-9 with gains above the state value. Our grade nine students have performed excellent in writing with a mean score significantly higher than the Tasmanian score.

This data again indicates how strongly the students at Exeter are performing in Numeracy when compared to similar schools and Tasmania as a whole.

Grade 7 Immunisation Forms

Grade 7 students received their immunisation forms last week. It would be appreciated if these are returned to school by Wednesday, 20th February. Spare forms can be obtained from the school office if required.

YEAR 10 HPE – LAWN BOWLS EXCURSIONS

The Year 10 HPE classes will have the opportunity to participate in lawn bowls during their scheduled HPE lessons in weeks 4 and 5 this term. These sessions will take place at the Exeter Bowls Club and are a great way to strengthen school and community partnerships. Students are required to wear appropriate school or sports uniform items that will allow for full participation (girls are recommended to wear blue sports shorts and polo top, spray jacket or rugby top rather than a summer dress).

Students will walk to the venue via the Exeter Primary School oval under staff supervision and will have approximately an hour long session of lawn bowls each week.

Due to fitting in with Exeter Bowls Club fixtures, 10B will be required to swap their Health and PE lessons for this two week period.

From the Nurses Desk

Hi all and welcome to the 2019 school year. I’m David your School health nurse for Exeter High. I work as part of a State-wide School health nurse program across Tasmanian Government schools. The program aims to support schools to create a physical and social environment that promotes health and wellbeing, and assists to improve health and education outcomes for children and young people in Tasmania. In secondary schools the focus is to promote good health and wellbeing, and to work with students, teachers and the school community on issues that may include body image, physical activity and nutrition, mental health, addictions and risk behaviours, sexual health and relationships, positive parenting for teenagers with babies, and promotion of good health and wellbeing.

I offer one to one assistance, working with health promotion activities, and being involved with health education were requested. My background in nursing has been quite varied but as well as acute nursing in the LGH, some years in occupational health, I have worked in Youth Health for 18 years, based at The Corner Youth Health centre, more recently known as headspace. In addition, I have served as a member of the RAANC as a Nursing officer (reservist) for many years. I really enjoying working with young people. Last year I worked with students around relationships, cyber safety, nutrition, sleep, puberty and hygiene. I am also able to offer smoking cessation, resilience and life skills programmes, body image and self-esteem as well as programmes including Drumbeat and Safe Landings.

I am currently working in partnership with 4 high schools, and will be at Exeter High every Wednesday. Students can attend appointments with me at the school, I am located in room 208 with the School Chaplin. Teachers and support staff can refer students who can also self-refer, the office staff are also aware of my availability. I’m happy to work with parents where requested, and can be contacted via the school office if you would like to make an appointment. Just as a reminder, first aid needs still go through the school’s usual process as I am not in the school every day.

If you would like more information on School Nurses please head to the following website:-

Cheers Dave

Important Dates 2019

Term Dates

Student Free Days

Calendar Dates Term 1, 2019

February

March

April

* Calendar will be updated on a fortnightly basis.

COMMUNITY CORNER