28 September 2022

Newsletter Articles

Assistant Principals

Paul Stevenson
Andrea Saville

Grade Leaders

Grade 7: Elle Fox
Grade 8: Lenny Towns
Grade 9: Allison Stone
Grade 10: AST: Sharon Parish

Support Services

School Psychologist: Caitlyn Osborne: Wednesday (fortnightly), Thursday and every second Friday
Social Worker: Isabel Casey: Tuesday, Thursday and every second Friday
School Chaplain: Bec Cameron: Wednesday & Friday
School Health Nurse: Dave Mackay: Monday

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

As always, I believe it is tremendously important to continually remind our school, community about all the positive things that happen here at Exeter High School. I also appreciate hearing about past students’ successes from both parents and other community members who also value our celebration of everything positive here at our school. We were proudly represented at the Northern Schools’ Maths Relay on the weekend by several Year7/8 students. Princezz, Samantha, Harry and Cruiz performed exceptionally well, placing second out of all schools present. Thank you to Mr Cooper for supporting the students over the weekend.

I would also like to congratulate Avery T who has been selected in the final 25 players to participate in the AFL World Team Program 2022. This program is an elite national development pathway program designed to give participants an opportunity to enhance their football skills, leadership skills and cultural identity. What an amazing achievement to be selected for this program and we wish Avery all the best.

Our Year 10 students attended a road safety session on Tuesday at Symmons Plains, conducted by RYDA, where they learnt many aspects of obtaining their driver’s licence and the various responsibilities of owning their first car. As always, their behaviour and attitude towards each session were exemplary.

Next term will be a busy one as is always the case in schools during Term 4. We have our athletics carnival, College enrolments, Option subject placements for 2023 and of course, transition visits from our feeder primary schools. As always, if you have any questions about anything of concern in relation to your child’s education, please contact the school to discuss these.

I would like to wish all families a great holiday break and look forward to seeing everyone back here for Term 4 in two weeks’ time.

Benjamin Frerk
Principal

TERM 3 MY EDUCATION DAY

My Education at Exeter High School supports students in making important life choices around planning for their future. It helps them to identify their personal interests, values, strengths, opportunities, and aspirations, and teaches them how to use this knowledge to make decisions about their future learning, work, and life opportunities. It has been shown that students who consider their interests and opportunities early on have a clearer picture about who they are and what they might like to do. Research has shown that students who are actively engaged in shaping their own life and career have:

• Improved relationships
• Higher aspirations
• An increase in confidence and self esteem
• Healthier lifestyle habits
• A more positive outlook on life.

A variety of activities were undertaken in each of the grades as part of the EHS My Education Day on Wednesday 21st September.

Year 7

The Term 3 Year 7 focus for My Education Day was around self-awareness and starting to think about the transition into Year 8. In lesson 1 students completed activities reflecting on and recognising their pre-conditions for growth and learning. In lesson 2 students explored option classes available to them in Year 8 and to finish off the day, we viewed the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Students were able to link the concepts studied in English this term; making connections between the lessons we can take from Harry’s first year in the wizarding world, to students first year here at Exeter High School. The Year 7’s engaged well with the content and activities making it a worthwhile experience for all.

Year 8

The Term 3 Year 8 focus for My Education Day was around exploring career information and part-time work. In lesson 1, students learned which industry areas are growing and which are diminishing, and reasons for these trends. They navigated their way through the My Futures website to determine what qualifications were required for different career pathways. In lesson 2, students explored how to access part-time work and the importance of employability skills and making yourself stand out from the crowd in a resume or interview. In lesson 3 students recognised the different strengths of class members and showed perseverance to complete a series of challenges. The Year 8’s engaged well with the content and activities and were very encouraging of each other.

Year 9

Year 9 students started their three-year plan. Researching a potential career and qualifications required for further education, including ATAR’s and TAFE Tasmania requirements.

Lesson 2 all students opted into a mindfulness physical activity, equipping students with knowledge around activities that are beneficial to their general health and wellbeing and mind set.

The final lesson was devoted to the wellbeing survey as well as working through the options booklet for 2023. This was an important part of the day linking to the further education information students had also received.

Year 10

Sarah Boylen from RACT, presented ‘Ready for the Road’ which was an interactive education session. It outlined the processes students need to undertake in getting their licence and changes that have been introduced to the graduated licensing program. It sparked discussions with students about safe driving tips, vehicle safety and other factors to consider when owning a vehicle, such as insurance. This will be a fantastic segway into next week’s RYDA sessions.

Many activities were undertaken focussing on Career pathways, student interests, skills, top options, pros and cons while exploring the My Futures and Careerify websites.

Students focussed on Year 11 and 12 requirements to attain their TCE points, ATAR scores and the process involved in VET expression of interest applications. They used the TCE Course Planner to begin plotting their Year 11 and 12 pathways.

Caitlin Rawlings from the Tasmanian Police Force presented a session on recruiting and working in the Police Force as well as getting through the application process. 14 of our students asked for the Police application forms.

Students had one on one discussions with representatives from Launceston and Newstead Colleges about subjects on offer and questions they might have in relation to these.

The day was finished with students filling in their Transition Plans, ready for College enrolment days in week 2 and 3 of Term 4.

MATHS RELAY SUCCESS

On Sunday 25 September, Exeter High School students Princess, Samantha, Harry and Cruiz travelled to Scotch Oakburn College Middle School to compete in the annual Mathematical Association of Tasmania “Maths Relay” – Year 7/8 division.

Having given up a couple of lunch times to practice, the team were mildly confident of doing well. They had to complete 20 ‘problem solving’ maths questions of increasing complexity over 45 minutes.

After a shaky start, the team gathered momentum throughout the event, managing to solve a number of really challenging problems in good time. All team members made valuable contributions and together they scored an impressive 135 points. Only 10 points separated the top three teams, with a team from Riverside High School finishing in first place on 140 points followed by Exeter High School in second and then St. Patricks College in third.

A fantastic achievement for these students. Congratulations go to them and a big thank you to their parents/carers for the support provided.

Robert Cooper, Teacher

EXCELLENCE AT EXETER

These certificates are awarded to two students in each grade in recognition of their efforts in upholding the school values and helping to make our school an excellent learning environment.

Congratulations to this fortnight’s students:

 

Nate from 7A: Nate is a polite and friendly student who consistently upholds our school values. He has a positive attitude towards his schooling and behaves in a respectful manner, making him an excellent role model for his peers.

 

Alexander from 7D: Alexander is a polite and respectful student who consistently upholds our school values. He has impressed his teachers with his positive attitude towards his learning and the way he conducts himself at High School.

 

Ireland from 8D: Ireland is a polite, respectful, and engaged learner who consistently uses her class time productively. She willingly co-operates with others to achieve successful outcomes and she is a highly regarded and valued member of 8D. Ireland is to be commended for her seamless transition to Exeter High School.

 

Diamond from 8D: Diamond is a respectful and polite student who has made excellent progress this year. He can be relied upon to complete tasks independently without direct supervision and he is equally valuable in group activities. Diamond is encouraged to seek any extra-curricular opportunities to ensure that he meets his full potential

 

Melissa from 9B: Melissa applies herself to all core subjects and completes all tasks to the best of her ability. She is willing to assist her peers, when possible, her maturity towards learning and respectful behaviour are very much appreciated.

 

Jazmin from 9C: Jazmin has demonstrated a great work ethic, particularly in English and Hass, approaching all tasks with enthusiasm and resilience. Jazmin has been open to recommendations and suggestions, and a steady improvement in the standard of her completed tasks has been noticed.

 

Adrian from 10A: Adrian is a quiet achiever who consistently displays excellent work ethics and behaviour in accordance with the school values of Respect, Learning, Maturity and Acceptance. He is an independent learner who works well with others, as well as making sure he completes work in due time. Adrian is punctual and prepared for all lessons and wears the school uniform with pride.

 

Brady from 10C: In recent weeks, Brady has demonstrated a increasingly positive approach to his learning by engaging in class exercises and revising carefully for the exams. Brady has also shown maturity by checking his work with greater care and asking thoughtful questions when needed. Brady’s efforts have shown that he takes his future pathway to employment very seriously.

YEAR 10 EXAM RECAP

On Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th of September, Exeter High Schools year ten students spent their days completing end of year examinations. These examinations were performed to prepare the students for future exams that they may sit as part of their future education or career. Students have been preparing for their exams all year, covering all the topics presented in the tests.

Students were tested on their 4 core subjects: Mathematics, Science, English and HASS.

Both the English and Science exams were on Tuesday. The English exam began at 9:30am and included two parts: Part A consisted of two options for students to choose. They could complete a report on the film Slumdog Millionaire, as it was covered earlier in the year, for camera angles, or complete a persuasive text on ‘Students starting school an hour later’ showing their persuasive writing abilities.

Part B had two choices: complete a piece of writing on a chosen topic around the Shakespeare play Macbeth as it was looked at all of term 3 by all classes or students could use their imagination and write a creative piece based on one of three pictures or a quote.

The Science exam began shortly after the students’ hour break. This exam covered Genetics, Inheritance and Chemistry as well as some report responses. Students were asked to complete all questions provided given their prior knowledge from earlier in the year.

Wednesday began with the Mathematics exam which commenced at 9:30am. Students had to complete three parts to this exam: Financial Maths, Algebra and Linear Equations. Students were supplied with a formula sheet and calculator to make sure their full potential could be reached to achieve the results they were aiming for.

The History exam began after a break and entailed five separate parts. These parts were separated into different aspects: World War 2, the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression, image analysis and Hitler and his life. Each topic required a long answer to be fully able to cover the topic.

“The exams were an eye-opening opportunity to efficiently practice the rules of sitting an exam. They were a good way to complete our understanding of the topics covered earlier in the year,” said Danielle B.

By Macy V

Peace Rally

On Tuesday 27th September, more than 150 students from Launceston’s high schools and colleges gathered in Royal Park to participate in a rally for peace and to raise awareness for human rights. Samantha A from Year 8 was invited to be a guest speaker due to her involvement with School Strike 4 Climate Launceston. Sam delivered an outstanding speech about climate change, and she spoke with clarity, passion, and conviction. Although she was the youngest speaker, her speech captivated the audience, and she was widely congratulated. It was pleasing to see an Exeter High School student so convincingly express her views on social justice and the environment in a public forum.

Calendar – 2022

September

Oct

November

December

COMMUNITY CORNER

UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WEST TAMAR

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

2023 YOUTH MAYOR APPLICATIONS – NOW OPEN

Students in years 6-8 may want to consider applying for the 2023 West Tamar Youth Mayor position.

This 12-month term is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in local government, represent young people in the West Tamar, and receive fantastic media/public speaking training.

The online application process can be found at the below link. (Applications must also be supported with a video of the applicant sharing how you can make a difference in the West Tamar.)

For further information, contact Youth Development Officer Andrew Beeston at andrew.beeston@wtc.tas.gov.au

THE IRENE PHELPS YOUTH ART COMPETITION, EXPLORING GRAVITY, AND EXHIBITION

Reminder that this competition is open to all Exeter High School students and there is an Open category for 16–25-year-olds. If you have a flare for Art, and interested in winning a cash prize then please check out the details from the link below.

LIBRARIES TASMANIA CAN HELP YOU! LOOK WHAT THEY HAVE ON OFFER

LEADERSHIP, INSPIRE GROW - CAMP CLAYTON - JANUARY 16-18, 2023 – APPLY NOW !!