28 August 2020

Newsletter Articles

Assistant Principals

Paul Stevenson
Andrea Saville

Grade Leaders

Grade 7: Naomi Cartledge
Grade 8: Elle Fox
Grade 9: Skye Champion
Grade 10: Allison Stone

Support Services

School Psychologist: David McCormack: Wednesday & Friday
Social Worker: Lauren Brown: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday
School Chaplain: Paul Burton: Wednesday/Friday
School Health Nurse: Dave Mackay: Wednesday only

Principal’s Report

We are at the end of week 6 and I am so pleased to talk about how our school has truly returned to normal in relation to student learning. One change that has continued to be embedded in our classrooms is the use of CANVAS and Blended Learning where lessons are now taught using a combination of CANVAS, textbooks and teacher directed instructions. This has been an exciting outcome from the changes forced upon us from the pandemic but one that is having tremendous benefits to students. This also allows students to have access to their learning if they are absent from school for any reason.

2021 will see Exeter High School extend to provide Grade 11 learning opportunities for students which will be provided through our Rural Operations Food and Fibre Package. This will be a unique program that is a tailored combination of practical and academic courses for students who wish to further their studies or training in agricultural industries. This is an exciting opportunity and meaningful pathway into a variety of agricultural and complementary industries. We will be redeveloping a classroom on our campus specifically designed for our Grade 11 students in 2021 and as previously announced, commencing a $1 Million build on the farm site during 2021, ready for the students in 2022.

We are currently advertising for new members to join our School Association. The School Association is made up of parents, staff and community members, with several student representatives also having the opportunity of attending meetings. The Association is a vital way for parents and community members to have a voice in what happens at our school, to contribute ideas, offer a parent perspective and to share in decisions. If you are interested and able to attend a couple of meetings each term, I would strongly encourage you to complete the nomination form which is included in the newsletter, along with previously being posted on Facebook. This needs to be returned to the School Admin Office by Monday 7th of September.

Attendance procedures have also now returned to normal as directed by the Education Department, so teachers will be making phone calls home to follow up on absences. We will continue to send SMS alerts on a daily basis if a student is absent and Departmental letters will also be sent home after 5/10/15/and 20 days of unexplained absences. If these are explained for a reason such as illness, your child’s attendance records will be amended accordingly. Thank you for your ongoing support in notifying the office whenever your child is absent from school.

Benjamin Frerk
Principal

Important Dates 2020

Term Dates

Term 3, 2020

September

* Calendar is updated on a fortnightly basis.

Grade 10 Parent Night – Launceston College - Update

LAUNCESTON COLLEGE PARENT EVENING UPDATE (CHANGE)

Due to Covid restrictions this will now be a virtual event and can be viewed on the Launceston College Website under the ‘Current and Prospective Students’ tab or on our Facebook page from 5pm on September 3. Follow up tours and non-government student enrolments can be made by appointment through Student Administration (03) 63327777.

Grade 7 SRC - Dress it Down Day

The Grade 7 SRC will be running a Dress it Down Day on Friday 11th September. Dress it Down Day is a fundraising event where we will be asking Grade 7 students to bring one item of clothing they don't wear any more to school to donate to St Vincent's. No money required, only the donation of clothing. Students will be required to wear uniform as usual. This will be a fundraising event for Grade 7 only. Thanking you in advance for your contributions.

Grade 7 SRC

Grade 9 ASCENT Program

This term a group of Grade 9 girls have been taking part in the ASCENT (Achieve, Strength, Courage, Empowerment and Nurture Together) program. Each Tuesday we head to the PCYC and take part in a range of physical and wellbeing based activities. The aim of the program is to build identity, self-esteem and resilience in young people and offer support and education around mental health, social media, alcohol and drugs, mental health, sexuality and cyber safety.

Skye Champion

Forensics Science Classes

‘Smashing Pumpkins’ – not just a great band but a great method to demonstrate blood splattering from a medium impact! Miss Hall has been taking the forensics class through a study of how blood forms different patterns on different substrates. The patterns are diagnostic of the height of fall of the blood droplet, the angle of impact to the substrate and the type and amount of force of the impact. Students dressed up in protective clothing and used everyday items on blood-soaked pumpkins to recreate blood splatters which were clearly seen on the walls and floor. A lot of laughter was had as students worked out their aggression on a vegetable!

On the Farm

Last issue we reported the process of raising pigs on our school farm. Today we would like to share some photos of the students during the production process.

Grade 10 Golf Excursion (PE Lessons)

During the Golf/Archery unit in Grade 10 PE lessons, students in each class will walk to the Exeter Golf Club for some lessons to use the practice fairway and practice green to further their golf skills. The dates for these excursions will be:

Students are required to have a change of gear, however, must wear their school rugby top or spray jacket.

Senior Science and Engineering and Forensic Science Excursions

Science and Engineering Challenge 21st September – all day – 8.25am – 3pm

The Science and Engineering Challenge is an Australia-wide competition instigated by the University of Newcastle to encourage high school students to consider careers in fields of Science and Engineering. This year the Challenge will occur on Monday 21st September at the UTAS Newnham campus. A number of year 9 and 10 students with interests in the science and engineering fields of study have been invited to participate in the event. The Challenge consists of 6 half-day and 2 full-day activities that are designed to test the thinking, construction and teamwork skills of each student. There are always comments from students about each activity stating that “it is harder than it looks!” Although puzzling, sometimes frustrating, the Challenge is always fun. Please make sure if your child has been invited to participate that the required parental permission and media consent forms have been submitted.

Forensics Excursion 23rd September – 12.25 – 3.00pm

As part of the learning the Forensics’ students have done during terms 2 and 3, students are given the chance to experience what life is like in an operating police station and to talk with a real Forensics officer. On the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd September students will travel by bus to the Launceston Police Station. We will be escorted around the police station and, if privacy considerations allow, be given a talk explaining the operations that take place in each section of the station. This is followed by a talk by one of the Forensics Officers about techniques, chain of evidence and actual cases. As it is part of the Forensic curriculum all students from the Forensics class will be required to attend. If there is an issue regarding attendance of the excursion, please email Mr Finnigan greg.finnigan@education.tas.gov.au.

Sport Report

Wednesday 12th August was the first rostered game for the 2nds B Netball team due to a bye in Round 1. The girls experienced first-hand the strength of their opponents and were defeated by Riverside Gold rather convincingly. Round 3 saw a huge improvement in game play against Cressy and the B team nearly came away with a win.

The 1sts Netball team experienced another victory in Round 2 in a very one-sided match against Queechy. Round 3 was a reality check against the strength and depth of Kings Meadows.

The 2nds A Netball team were unfortunately overrun towards the end of their match against Deloraine in Round 2 and were unable to regroup due to a rostered bye in Round 3.

The Exeter Soccer Team were matched against Brooks A in Round 2 and came away with a win at the NTCA ground. Round 3 saw our team play against a very inexperienced Brooks B team who had a multitude of goals scored against them during a very one-sided match.

RESULTS ROUND 2: 12/8

RESULTS ROUND 3: 19/8

Mrs Robinson

School Association Parent Representative Nomination

From the Nurses Desk

Hi all, sometimes high school years can be challenging for parents and students. We often forget the great resources available from reachout.com, below is just one example. Click on the link at the end of the article for a great range of trusted resources and information.

Supportive parenting and teenagers

Despite wanting to be a supportive parent to your child, you may feel like you’ve just had the door closed in your face and you’ve got it all wrong. Your relationship will be changing and starting to become more equal as they grow up and you spend more time apart. This doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected and provide the support they need as they go through this process of becoming a whole new person, an adult.

This can help if you:

• want to understand why your child needs you to be supportive
• want to learn more about ways to support your child through their teenage years.

What is supportive parenting?

Being a supportive parent means having your child’s best interests at heart but also being present, involved and helpful. It includes:

• actively encouraging them to do their best with school, their hobbies and interests
• listening without judgment and seeking to understand their concerns and challenges
• acknowledging their achievements and supporting them through mistakes and challenges
• setting consistent expectations and consequences to help them to feel secure and able to predict outcomes
• treating them fairly and developing a trusting relationship.

Why is having a supportive parent so important for teenagers?

The influence that you have over your child is more dependent on a trusting relationship than it is on how much authority you dish out and how many lectures you give. It may feel like they’re trying to push you away, but they’re actually trying to push themselves away from you to choose a direction in life, and to shape an identity for themselves as a separate, independent person.

Love, support, trust and optimism from their family make them feel safe and secure, and are powerful weapons against peer pressure, life’s challenges and disappointments.

Tips and tricks for supportive parents

Your aim is to keep your child safe and to give them the foundations they need to do their best. At a minimum they need:

• to know they are loved for who they are, and that you are always there to support them
• an environment where basic needs such as a safe and healthy place to live, healthy food, and school supplies are made a priority
• protection and support to keep themselves safe from mental and physical abuse
• respect for their feelings and concerns
• acknowledgement of their milestones and achievements such as birthdays or first day at school
• respect for their friends, clothing, sports and music choices, and interests.

Some parents struggle to adjust to the demands that parenting their child through the teenage years brings. It’s a time that can put even the strongest and most loving relationships to the test. Your child needs you at this time just as much as they have always needed you, but in a different way.

They are looking to you for support through one of the biggest changes in their life, towards adulthood and independence. You’ve been through it so you know how confusing and difficult it can be. Don’t be afraid to share some of your own teenage experiences with your child. Tell them that you understand because it happened to you too. Talk to them about how you handled it (or didn’t handle it) and what you learnt from it. Realising that everyone goes through the same struggles can be very reassuring to your child, especially if it’s their parent that is telling their stories.

Your child is becoming an independent person. They need a firm foundation of values and expectations that can guide them now and carry them into adult life. Decide what’s important to your family and how you’ll share those expectations and values with your child. That way they’ll have the knowledge to help them navigate life on their own and make decisions that fit with what the family values.

There’s no doubt that the teenage years will probably cause you some worry and frustration. There may be times when you feel as if you don’t know your child or are disappointed by some of their choices. Try to be as loving and supportive as you can through all of their trials, no matter how small they are. If you can do this, they’re more likely to rely on you, share their struggles and come to you when they need help.

Be there for them in the way that you would have wanted your parent to be there for you when you were growing up.

Find out more and get some tips on how to be a supportive parent

Friendships are really important to teenagers for many reasons – from having a support network to feeling a sense of belonging and acceptance. As a parent, taking time to help your child build and nurture strong friendships will alleviate some of the difficulties faced during this period. Check out the link below to find out how you can help your teenager build positive friendships through this time.

Cheers Nurse Dave

Reporting Student Absences via SMS Messages

You can now respond to the SMS messages you receive in relation to your child’s absence from school.

Uniform Shop – Available everyday

You can now organise your child’s uniform requirements on a Monday to Friday basis between 8:30am and 3:45pm. Please call in at your convenience during these times.

Community Corner

West Tamar Youth Mayor Program

The West Tamar Youth Mayor Program is for a student from year 7-9 (years 6-8 apply now for the 2021 program) selected by YAC (Youth Advisory Council) to represent the West Tamar municipality. They will provide a focus and a channel for young people’s views to be heard by those in Council.

The Youth Mayor can be influential in promoting the West Tamar Youth Strategy as they support shaping a positive future for local young people.

If you are interested please contact Mrs Robinson for Year 8 students or online applications can be made via the link below.

WTC School Holiday Program

The West Tamar School Holiday Program is now available, and you can now register online!

Visit the link below if you would like to book online.

Activities include:

• Graffiti Art at Beacy
• Foot Golf
• Glengarry Bush Maze
• Tasmania Zoo (Free2Be Girls group only)
• Derby Mountain Bike Riding (ages 12+ experienced riders only)

Spaces are limited, so make sure you book in when you can! Transport and some activity costs are subsidised by the West Tamar Council.

Weathering Family Separation

Girl Guides Tasmania

Girl Guides Tasmania aims to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting, responsible community members. Women who become Leaders are supported through training and personal development. Many of our Leaders are active community members, through schools or other organisations, as they understand the importance of non-formal education spaces like Girl Guides.

West Tamar Council Australia Day Awards for 2021

Nominations are NOW OPEN for the West Tamar Councils Australia Day Awards for 2021!

Nominations are currently being accepted for the following categories:

• Citizen of the Year
• Young Citizen of the Year
• Young Sports Person of the Year
• Community Group and Or Community Event of the Year