7 August 2019

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Reflecting on my first two weeks here at Exeter Primary I am impressed at the level of engagement throughout the school. As each day has passed I am becoming familiar with the operations of the school. Like all schools, Exeter Primary School is certainly a busy environment, with lots of extra - curricula activities for students to be involved with beyond English and Numeracy. Providing a balance of learning experiences for students assists them build an understanding of the opportunities beyond the school gate and the world around them.

In the next week families will be provided with an opportunity to give feedback to the school through the 2019 Schools Satisfaction Survey. The survey enables the school to gain feedback about what we do well and to plan for areas where we can improve. All survey responses remain anonymous, and are provided to the school principal. In the past few years the number of returned surveys has been low, this doesn’t provide us with enough evidence to gain a full understanding of areas we need to improve in. I strongly encourage all families to take the time to complete the survey. The 2019 School Satisfaction Survey can be completed either online or in paper format. More information will be provided to the school community when the survey is released.

Celebration Assembly

A reminder we will be holding our annual Celebration Assembly on Thursday, 8 August at 10:25am in the Performing Arts Centre. This Assembly recognises and celebrates the achievements of those students who have made outstanding progress in their learning by demonstrating a Growth Mindset or receiving an A in their Mid-Year Report. We will also acknowledge students who endeavour to be at school on time every day ready for learning. Students will be recognised with a Letter of Commendation and parents of those students will have received an invitation to the assembly. Looking forward to you joining us for this celebration of learning.

Enrolment 2020

Classroom

Planet Ark Planting Day

Friday 26 June was Plant Ark’s Plant a Tree Day. As part of this important event and to support the greening of our planet we planted approximately 100 native trees, shrubs and grasses around our school. Students from Kinder to Grade 6 assisted Corey in the garden digging holes and planting our donated and selected shrubs. Thanks to Planet Ark for supporting our school by donating 60 native trees which will attract native birds and provide beautiful foliage for our gardens. The students worked in teams, with our older students working as peer leaders teaching the younger children how to dig the holes, remove the plant from the pot, prepare the roots and position the plant. Now we can enjoy watching them grow.

Grade 1/2 Gee-Emms

Art has been a big focus in our classroom this year. We linked our artwork to our writing and did some fantastic descriptions of ourselves and created a self-portrait in soft pastels. The results were amazing and we really thought hard about what made us stand out as individuals. To prepare for the Art Gallery we have also completed a number of artworks using a number of techniques. This week we created a landscape in plasticine, which was really different to everything else we have done. It really challenged us to use our fine motor skills to flatten and place the colours carefully. It was hard to spread the plasticine evenly, but we were very pleased with the textures that were created in the end.

Learning in Kinder Freeman

We have enjoyed working with natural materials both in the garden and in the classroom.

Constucting, working coppoeratively and showing pride in our work.

Role play – cooperating, sharing, negotiating, problem solving.

Operation Christmas Child

On Tuesday, Josie Ford from Samaritan’s Purse presented the school with a certificate of appreciation for the amazing work that families did creating gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child last year.

This year, 5/6 Petrohilos are co-ordinating the collection of donations from across the school to continue our tradition of generous donations. Operation Christmas Child collects shoebox gifts for children around the world who suffer from poverty, displacement and the effects of war. The boxes bring joy to children and their struggling families and allow organisations to support entire communities with education and resources. Last year, our boxes were delivered to children in Cambodia.

We are excited to have the opportunity to make a difference to those living in third world countries and suffering the effects of poverty. Grade 5/6 students have been learning about different forms of poverty and how important it is for us to work towards making the world a better place for everyone.

We hope that you will help us in our endeavours to make this year another successful year for Exeter Primary School’s participation in the project. Please see the lists of items required and items which cannot be sent. Stay tuned for continuing updates on donation items.

Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day is this Friday 9 Aug. Children can wear red and bring along a gold coin donation.

There will also be cupcakes for sale.

Items for sale at the office are Bracelets $3, Red Noses $3 Pens $5 or a variety of toys for $6 each.

For Kindergarten children, cupcakes and wearing red will be on Thursday.

Library

Starring in the Library - They have done it again! Andy and Terry have added another 13 Storeys.

Student Wellbeing

Rumble Quest

Attention: Parents and Carers of students in Years 1–3
Child and Student Wellbeing Survey

The wellbeing of our students is important to us.

To get an understanding of how students across Tasmania feel about their own wellbeing, students in Years 1–3 at Exeter Primary School will be taking part in a wellbeing survey.

This is a trial of the Early Years wellbeing survey, Rumble’s Quest, which is being trialled across 28 schools, as part of the Department of Education’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy.

The details for the survey in our school are:

A letter with more information has been sent home with all students in Years 1–3, including Frequently Asked Questions, and a form to sign and return to the school if you do not want your child to participate in the survey.

If you would like further information, please contact Helen Peart, Assistant Principal.

Thank you for supporting us to ensure that all our learners are safe, feel supported and are able to flourish, so they can engage in learning.

Sport

Country Gold Trials Report

Congratulations to all the students who gained nomination to attend the Country Gold Trials.

Selected Representatives:

The Carnival is held at Launceston venues on the 19/20 September against 5 other Northern Regional Associations.

Peter Habel

School Association

Father's Day Stall

It's only 5 weeks to our Father's Day Stall, which will be held on Friday 30 August.

Each child will have the opportunity to purchase a gift for their dad, grandpa or carer. Lots of the gifts are handmade with prices ranging from 50c to $10.

To help make the stall a success we require as much help from the school community as possible. We will require donations of items to be sold, for example; tools, fishing, camping or car items. We need volunteers to help out for a couple of hours at the upcoming Working Bee on the 16 August and at the stall on the 30 August.

Father’s Day Working Bee

We will be holding a working bee to help assemble some craft items for the Father's Day Stall. We will be holding it on Friday 16 August between 9am and 2.30pm in the parent room.

We would love to see lots of new and familiar faces come along, even for an hour, and have some fun while helping our children and school.

Please contact Yvette with any queries at yvette.paul144@gmail.com

Dates to Remember

Community News