4 March 2020

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

External School Review – Parent Discussions

As mentioned in our previous newsletter the school is part of the DoE External Review process for 2020. The External School Review approach seeks to evaluate the impact of the school’s practices on student achievement and progress, the effectiveness of the ways in which students are challenged and engaged in their learning and the extent to which the learning needs of all students are met successfully. Part of the process is to seek input from parents to gain an understanding in response to the following questions:

How effectively does the school develop partnerships with parents to improve student learning?

How effectively are teachers supporting students in their learning?

A Parent discussion session will be on Monday March 16, between 11.00am – 11.30am. If you are interested in participating in the discussion please register your interest by calling the office on 63 944 700 or reply via the school email address: exeter.primary@education.tas.gov.au

Welcome Back BBQ

It was wonderful to see some many families attend our Open Classrooms and Welcome Back BBQ. It is always a great way to start the school year to establish relationships or reconnect with old ones.

Almost all the research says that any kind of increased parent interest and support of students can help. But almost all the research also says that family engagement can produce even better results for students, for families, for schools, and for their communities. Ferlazzo (2011)

As a school we strongly welcome and encourage engagement and communication with parents. In the past few weeks class teachers have communicated preferred means of communication to best meet the needs of students under their care. Communication is vital to ensure the best learning outcomes for students are met.

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

During the course of the week I regularly receive updates from the Department Of Education or Department of Health in regard to the Novel Coronavirus. The information that I am receiving is that Tasmania is well prepared to manage infectious diseases and that the relevant Government departments are working with national health authorities to ensure consistent and well manage approaches. The message is to follow the simple steps of:

• Wash and dry your hands often and well.
• Sneeze into your elbow.
• Keep your distance when coughing and sneezing around others.

Further information and updates can be obtained from the following websites.

Tasmanian Department of Health's website:

Australian Government Department of Health website:

Dates to Remember

Assembly Awards

Growth Mindset Award

Recipients: Kallie

Class Awards

We congratulate the following students:

Parents

School Photo Day – 24 March

Leading Image will be at Exeter Primary School on the 24 March.

Your child has received a personalized photo envelope earlier this week. Credit Card orders are strictly online, if you wish to pay by cash please make sure the correct money is enclosed in the envelope.

Please do not place another child’s envelope inside their sibling’s envelope.

If a student loses their envelope, the opportunity to order online will be lost. They will need to collect a spare envelope and hand in on or before school photo day.

If you require a family photo please collect a family envelope from the school office and return to the school office.

STUDENT WELLBEING SURVEY

Attention: Parents and Carers of students in 4-6

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 4–6 at Exeter Primary School will be taking part in a wellbeing survey.

The Student Wellbeing Survey is part of the Department of Education’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy.

The details for the survey are:

A letter with more information has been sent home with all Year 4-6 students, 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.

Pre-Kindergarten

If your child was born in 2016 they are eligible to attend our Pre-Kindergarten program. Sessions are held on Friday mornings, from 9-05 a.m. until 10-30 a.m.

Or 1-30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Your child may attend one of these sessions on a weekly basis. Please contact the school office on 6394 4700, to book the session of your choice. Both sessions are held in the Kindergarten rooms and are facilitated by Mrs Shanley Freeman.

Participation in these sessions assists children become comfortable and confident with the school setting and helps them transition well into Kindergarten.

Fridays - 21.2, 28.2,6.3,13.3, 20.3,27.3, 3.4

No pre-kinder on 10.4 due to Good Friday

Legana Primary School

It’s time to Get Involved

It’s an exciting time for Legana!

The Tasmanian Government is committed to building a new $20 million primary school at Legana, providing state-of-the-art learning spaces for 350 students and has partnered with the West Tamar Council to include a sporting precinct around the new primary school to enhance school and community facilities. We are expecting that the school will be up and running by 2024.

The whole community is encouraged to participate in our Get Involved campaign. Submissions can be made by:

• filling out the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Leganaps
• coming along to the community workshop on 5 March 2020 at 6.30-8pm at the Windsor Community Precinct, 1 Windsor Drive, Riverside – registrations can be completed at www.education.tas.gov.au/leganaps
• emailing the Get Involved team at getinvolved@education.tas.gov.au
• writing to us at Get Involved, GPO Box 169, Hobart, 7001
• phoning us on 1800 816 057

Visit the link below for more information.

Feedback will be accepted until 27 March 2020.

Don’t miss your chance to Get Involved

Building Resilience in Kids – Maggie Dent

I recently heard a podcast on building children’s resilience by Maggie Dent, an Australian Parenting expert who I admire for her sensible and practical approach to parenting. By building resilience, we are talking about building children’s capacity to cope with life when it doesn’t turn out how they expected or wanted it to. Also being able to manage their own lives, even on a good day because resilience is more that being able to bounce back. As parents we need to support our children to:

Embrace failure by giving them opportunities to fail and to be around us when we fail so they learn it is not a sign of a lousy, weak or stupid person, but a person who has not achieved the success they were hoping for. Children need to know it feels uncomfortable not to be the winner/succeed and that is completely normal, then learn what they can do to help themselves feel better. Playing card and board games together is a good way to do this.

Develop self-efficacy or what children can do for themselves. Being able to develop the capacity to do things that are a bit hard by cheering them on. Children who can dress themselves from an early age, carry their bag into school or make a sandwich for their lunch on the weekend are building a strong sense of self-efficacy. We need to build life skills for our children, so they are not dependent on us when they are not with us or old enough to leave home.

Develop Grit and Persistence. Sometimes things don’t work the first time and you have to practice and work hard to be able to master that skill. Swinging the long monkey bar or climbing a tree are good examples. It is really important we don’t reward children for these achievements but cheer them on for achieving something they have persisted to attain so we are developing the capacity to keep trying rather than bailing out when something is a little hard.

Develop strong relationships as a way we can overcome big things in life, like losing someone we love. When we have a collective and caring network of family and friends around us we know we will be supported to get through the big challenges we face in life. Family can’t take the situation away but can be there to support.

You can listen to the full podcast (only 5 mins) through this link. Helen Peart, Assistant Principal

Reading Hub

We are open for business and all students are welcome to visit!! Mrs Smith and Mrs Danziger will be in the Reading Hub room Mondays to Thursdays before school. Students can come and enjoy the books available in the room or bring along their home reader or LLI book to read with an adult if they didn’t get a chance to do it at home the previous night.

Nights of Reading

Thumbs up to all the mums, dads, carers and families who have made a regular time to read with their child this year. Setting up routines can be a challenge. Try to make a regular time to read together, and if you are finding it tricky, aim for 3 nights per week. Student milestones will be celebrated this year with certificates for 50, 100, 150, 200 nights of reading by Mrs Smith and the Reading Ambassadors. 100 nights of reading earns a voucher for the canteen, with a nice surprise for 200 nights. Class teachers will also recognise smaller milestones. Keep a look out for the boxes in the hallway outside of the Office to post your log book when you reach 50 nights.

Grade 4, 5 & 6 Dare to Dream

Last week our Grade 4/5 and 5/6 classes had the opportunity to listen to 2 of Australia’s entrepreneurs as part of Project Gen Z. Lisa and Paris told their stories demonstrating to students that young people need to dream big, be determined, resilient and that anything is possible.

Our Grade 6 leadership team then participated in an ‘Apprentice Business Challenge’. Students had the opportunity to use skills needed for the future world of work: leadership, team work, problem solving skills, enterprise mindset and communication. Students had the chance to take the role of CEO, CFO, sales & marketing, film production and presenter. At the end of the day each team pitched their product, brand and TV commercial to the Project Gen Z judges. Congratulations to the Purple Team!

Arts

Exeter’s Got Talent

Sport

Athletics Information

Thursday 26 March K-2 Athletic Carnival,
9.20-11.00am

Events for 3-6 Athletic Carnival
on Friday 27 March

Novelties include House Tug-O-Wars and mixed relays such as Bridge Rock Tree, Sack Race, Egg & Spoon, Skipping, Rock and Baton Relay.

These events will be held on the infield of the oval gaining House Points but no ribbons.

These are approximate times only

TPSSA Athletics Carnival-Friday 3 April at St Leonards Athletic Centre

Ticket to Play- sports voucher program

Ticket to Play provides vouchers up to $100 in value towards club membership for children aged 5-17 years and listed on a Centrelink Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card or in Out of Home Care. The key objective of Ticket to Play is to increase the number of young

Tasmanians playing sport and supporting the Tasmanian Government’s objective of Tasmania having the healthiest population by 2025.

For information and to apply for a voucher go to the link below.

Exeter Show Results

Prep Simpson 2019 entered a marrow and a pumpkin in this year’s show. Congratulations Prep Simpson, receiving 1st place for the largest marrow and 2nd place for the largest pumpkin.

School Association

School Association Meeting

The next School Association Meeting will be on the 12 March in the EPS Staffroom at 7.30pm.

Reminder to get your nomination forms in by the 11 March.

Entertainment Book Fundraiser

^JB Hi-Fi eGift Cards will be sent by email within 30 days of purchase. $10 JB Hi-Fi eGift Cards issued when promo code GIFTME is applied at checkout. Limit one per order. Offer valid for Entertainment Digital Memberships purchased online between 12:00am Sunday 1st March and 11:59pm Tuesday 31st March 2020 AEST using promo code GIFTME. Offer excluded Entertainment Waitstaff and Corporate Partner offers. JB Hi-Fi eGift Cards do not expire. *JB Hi-Fi eGift Cards Terms of Use. Lost or stolen cards cannot be replaced.

Up to 3 months extra Membership applies to activated Single City and Multi City purchased between 1st March and 31st March 2020. From time of purchase, an Activation Code must be activated within two months. If activated within two months, the Membership will expire 15 months from the Activation Date. If not activated within two months, the Membership will expire 17 months from the Purchase Date.

Community News

Library Book Sale

Friends of the Library, Launceston’s Annual Library Book Fair will be held on Saturday 14 March 2020, 9.00am – 1.00pm at St Ailbe’s Hall, 46 Margaret Street, Launceston.

This is Launceston’s best book sale with a wide range of good quality donated second-hand books – crime, thrillers, science fiction, romance, children’s, cooking, health, travel, crafts, gardening, sports, war, DVDs, collectables and Tasmaniana – all at rock bottom prices.