9 May 2017

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome back everyone!

I hope all our families were lucky enough to enjoy some family time and take a break from the busy school schedule. We certainly had some lovely autumn weather. It was wonderful to see all our students return to school so enthusiastically and ready to learn. This week it has been business as usual around the school as our students have settled back into learning routines. We begin this term with NAPLAN testing for students in Years 3 and 5. This term also features cross country and the Swimming and Water Safety Program. Please note that the State Athletics Carnival has been postponed until Term 3 or 4 due to the upgrade of the St Leonards track.

I would like to warmly welcome Atlan and Nico Devin and their family to Exeter Primary School and hope they enjoy being part of our community.

Congratulations to Corey Chesshire, who has just been appointed permanently, to the position of facility attendant – groundsperson, here at Exeter Primary School. Corey has been doing a fabulous job keeping our grounds in great order and has been busy preparing our garden ready for classes to begin working in again.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of Mr Thomas Clark, who has recently assumed the role of AST STEAM Education. Mr Clark has been instrumental in getting the STEAM program into classrooms and building the skills of teachers and students. This week sees the launch of our After School STEAM Challenge Program. This program runs after school on Mondays. We are hoping to open this program up for our younger students later in the year.

Moderation Day

The last day of Term 1 was Moderation Day and the teachers of Exeter and Beaconsfield Primary schools came together to moderate in the learning area of Mathematics. Both schools have been working on problem solving and spent time sharing work samples and building consistency around the assessment of student work. Teachers also moderated writing samples with a particular focus on spelling and phonics. At Exeter we have developed a whole school approach to the explicit teaching of phonics, spelling and vocabulary and have been implementing this program this year with pleasing success. We look forward to working with Beaconsfield staff again soon.

ANZAC Assembly

Thank you to all our families who attended ANZAC services at either Exeter or Beaconsfield. Our school was well represented at all events. Our Choir was fabulous and supported the Exeter service beautifully. Well done to Natasha Barnes, Holly Carr, Isabella Swain, Niall Swain and Claire Beams who all displayed reverence and responsibility in laying the wreaths at the Exeter and Beaconsfield Cenotaphs. I was very impressed with the level of respect shown by our Exeter Primary School students.

Early Childhood website

Recently the Department launched the new Early Years website for families. The Website is called It’s a Great Start and provides easy access to important information about the range of early years programs that are offered by the Department of Education. The website uses engaging videos, fact sheets and other links to explain what is on offer. Please take the time to visit the website and see for yourself.

Mother’s Day

This Friday is our annual Parent and Friends Mother’s Day Stall. This is always a great event with affordable high quality gifts for children to purchase. Classes will be timetabled to visit the stall so if you wish your child to purchase something please provide them with a small amount of money.

Warm clothing

As we move closer to winter, and our mornings become colder I would like to remind parents to ensure that children come to school in adequately warm clothing. It is very important for children to get outside and play at recess and lunch time and for this they need to be wearing appropriate clothing for the weather. A raincoat packed in their school bags is a great idea too as on drizzly days children can still get outside and play. Our uniform shop is open every Tuesday morning from 8.30 and Thursday afternoons from 2.30 and has a range of affordable winter uniform items for sale, including good second hand items. If you are having difficulty in providing your child with the school uniform please contact the office and ask for assistance.

Kind regards

Lift

Steve Biddulph Community Evening

We are pleased to advise tickets are now available for Steve Biddulph’s last parenting evening at Exeter Primary for the year. As Steve is winding down for his retirement this may be your last opportunity to hear him speak in person. The topic of this talk will be The Secret of Happy Children. It will be held in our Performing Arts Centre on Thursday June 8 at 7-30 pm. Tickets are $20-00 each (or $10-00 for our Exeter Primary School & Exeter Child Care families which are subsidised by our LIFT Program). Please contact our school office or follow the link below to purchase your tickets.

Steve Biddulph supporting our families

Copies of Steve Biddulph’s books are for sale through our school office. These include the titles Raising Girls, Raising Boys and Steve’s latest book 10 Things Girls Need Most. Copies are $20-00 each.

Launching into Learning

We have been very involved at Launching into Learning so far this term. With Autumn in the air, we have had many engaging experiences with leaves, branches, conkers, acorns and pine cones at B4 School Playgroup. It’s amazing what can fall from trees at this time of the year and how you can use such things! If you are available, feel free to pop along to a LiL session as all babies, toddlers and pre-school children are welcome.

This week will mark the start of our PCYC Fun sessions. These sessions will give parents and carers some easy, achievable and structured gross motor skills to be practised at home.

These sessions will assist with building children’s self-confidence and helping them to be comfortable with movement. Movement sessions are designed to develop children socially, cognitively, emotionally, and physically in a safe and structured environment with a qualified PCYC instructor. These sessions will run every Wednesday in our school Gym for the next 6 weeks from 10am – 11am and, we look forward to seeing you there.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to you:

Our Learning Community
STEAM

STEAM at Exeter Primary School
Part 1 – What is STEAM?

STEAM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning which integrates the study of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics into a cohesive learning model. Some schools, both in Australia and around the world often speak about STEM as they do not integrate art into their program. At Exeter Primary School, we feel, as other experts in this field do, that art naturally lends itself to an integrated STEAM program. Rather than teaching the five disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEAM offers an integrated approach where students are challenged to draw connections between their learning and the real-world. STEAM focuses on these areas together not only because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for student success, but because these fields are deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively. The underlying purpose of STEAM education is therefore to provide students with opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and the communication skills, necessary for future success in a wide range of occupations. At Exeter Primary School we are committed to fostering 21st Century Learners and these skills are critical elements of this commitment.

On a global scale, efforts to encourage students to take up STEAM subjects have been on the rise in recent years. However, Australian enrolments in almost every STEAM subject area have continued to fall over the last decade. Strong performance in STEAM is critical to future economic growth, encouraging curiosity and reflection in the students of today and will ensure we come closer to closing the STEAM skills gap in Australia.

Learning Support

At Exeter Primary School we understand the development of our student’s Social and Emotional learning is as important as the development of their academic learning. We cater for students in a variety of ways and support students’ needs through a range of programs. In Term 2 we are running several programs to support students’ social and emotional wellbeing.

The first of these programs is Inside Out for Kids, this program aims to assist children through the grief process when confronted with a painful loss or transition in their lives, such as the death of someone or a family separation. When something significant happens in a family, everyone is affected, including the children. Because of their young age and short life experiences, children often find it difficult to verbalise their feelings. This program is specifically designed for primary and high school students and is a peer support, harm-prevention program, offering a safe place to understand and share their feelings. Small groups of students meet with a trained adult facilitator once a week for 45 minutes during school hours and participate in activities including stories, talking, sharing, and craft.

We are also being running Little Bird, Flutter and Arrow this term. The purpose of these programs is to build self-esteem and resilience in students. Participants are guided to develop their own way of thinking and aspire to discover, develop and like their unique personalities. The programs are interactive, appealing, nurturing and fun, as they guide students to develop their personal strengths, a sense of belonging, discover their potential and accept who they are.

We thank Kate Oliver (Inside Out for Kids) and Michelle Dingemanse and Kylea Alfred (Little Bird) for their ongoing support of our students and school. Should you think your child would benefit from this support in the future please contact Helen Peart through the school office.

Exeter’s Got Talent

Winners and Runners Up

Congratulations Princess, Rosemary, Isaac and Jakob

Sport

Exeter Cross Country Information
Thursday 18th May

K-2 Cross Country:

All races start and finish in the paddock incorporating a modified course in the paddock.

3-6 Cross Country:

• A change to lunch times is required to fit afternoon session
• Rain day is Friday 19/5
• TPSSA Carnival at Beaconsfield Tuesday 6th June
• Top 6 Grades 3-6 Qualify

State Athletic Carnival

Unfortunately we have been informed that the St Leonards Athletics Centre will not be ready in time and there is currently no set date that it can be used.

During our conversations at the time of booking we were assured that the track would be ready, even with delays. At the PSST meeting it was determined that in the case the track wasn't ready we would hold the carnival later in the year.

The new track is down, however rain has caused some delays with line-marking. This may be completed very soon, however there are a number of additional steps that the Centre needs to take from a legal point of view that will prevent use for the time-being. The track needs to be signed off as certified before it can be used. There is nothing that they can do to speed up the process. They have been very supportive and have tried their best to make it happen. Unfortunately construction doesn't always go to plan.

As such we will need to hold the State Athletics Carnival in Term 3 or Term 4. This date will be determined at the next PSST Meeting on Thursday 22nd June.

There is no course of action that will enable us to run the carnival in the next few weeks at this or an alternative venue. We realise that this delay will be frustrating for many Associations and families, and that finding a new date that suits all will be challenging.

Thank you
Adam Eastley PSST President

5/6 Winter Sport

Mouthguards: Are compulsory for football and hockey. These can be purchased from the school office or chemist for approximately $9.00

Parents

Book Club

The third issue of book club for 2017 has been sent home. If you would like to place an order, please put your child's and teacher’s name on the front of an envelope, place the order sheet and money inside the envelope and bring to the school office by:

Friday May 12th

What’s Happening in Our Classrooms?

"Art work based on the style of Andy Warhol, using pop art and onomatopoeia to create a fabulous piece"

UTAS Students

Exeter Primary enjoys a strong relationship with the University of Tasmania and provides Pre-service teachers with the opportunity to increase their familiarity with the school context and to further develop their understanding of teaching practice in relation to the Australian Standards. Pre-service teachers are able to observe and build their understanding and knowledge of student learning with the support of an experienced colleague teacher to guide and support them.

This year we will be supporting students in their second and third year practicums which start on Monday May 29 for a total of 4-6 weeks.

Brixhibition

Congratulations to Niall Swain who came second in the schools section of the Brixhibition Launceston competition, with his model of Penny Royal World.

School Association

Mother's Day Stall

P&F Fundraiser

We are excited to be holding our annual Mother's Day Stall on Friday 12th May. This is an amazing stall of handmade crafts and gifts (chocolates, candles, lavender bags, soaps and much more) made by some of our own very talented mums and grandmas!

If you would like to send some money to school with your child they will get the opportunity to buy their mum, nanna or carer a gift. Each class will visit the store. Gifts vary in value from 50c to $10 and all proceeds are spent on our school!

If you saw the stall or received a gift last year you will know how amazing the quality and choice of these personal hand made gifts are, thanks to some of our crafty mums.

Can you help? We are seeking:

• Any donations of items or vouchers that can be sold as gifts (new or unopened shampoos, trinkets, candles etc)
• Donations of any crafty home made items that you or a family member have made that we can sell
• Anybody who can help on the stall for an hour or two on the day

Please contact the school office or email exeterprimaryparents.friends@gmail.com to get involved!

Many thanks to Donna Barker who has put hours of work into making this fundraiser possible!

Exeter Primary School is raising funds. Here's how you can help...

The NEW 2017 | 2018 Entertainment Memberships are available now, just in time for Mother's Day! Help our school by buying the new Membership from us for your Mum, other family members, or even spoil yourself this Mother's Day. You'll receive hundreds of valuable offers for everything you love to do, and help our fundraising at the same time!

Look out for Entertainment Books !

This week Entertainment books are being sent home to parents. If you do not wish to keep this book please return it back to school in its envelope as soon as possible. Take the time and browse through the book look at the savings you can receive by using a voucher at the relevant venue. Great idea for Mother's Day or birthdays.

If you would like to keep the book please pay online or send the money to the school office by the 19th May. For every book sold the Parents and Friends receive $13.00 towards their fundraising for the upgrading of our Grade 1/2 Playground.

Mark your calendar!

Parents and Friends meeting will be held on May 11 at 7.30pm in the staffroom.

Agenda

• Mothers Day Stall
• Ladies Night Out

Everyone one is welcome to attend.

School Association AGM will be held on Thursday June 8th at 6.30 in the staffroom

Agenda

• Election of Officers
• Nomination to be sent to Sheryl Turner by the 6th June Sheryl.turner@education.tas.gov.au

Everyone is welcome to attend.