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Welcome
We have had a settled, if slightly unusual, start to the school year. Staff have been busy preparing for a COVID safe return to school. Additional outdoor learning spaces have and continue to be developed. Ventilation has been improved across the school, with windows being repaired and air purifiers running in classrooms.
As with many schools around Tasmania, we have a small number of people who are either close contacts or have tested positive to Covid.
We continue to be vigilant with all staff and students (Year 7 and above) wearing masks and everyone maintaining strong hygiene practices at school. Parents/guardians are able to meet with staff at school but have to wear masks indoors and in the school grounds. Your assistance with this is greatly appreciated. It is critical that families let the school know if their child/ren are either close contacts or have tested positive for Covid. More information about this is included in this newsletter.
New Staff
In 2022 we welcome Kristy Pearson and Will Short to our teaching team. Kristy is one of the Year 9 Homegroup teachers and is also teaching Year 8 and 9 STEM, Year 9 Wellbeing and Literacy.
Will Short is one of the Year 9 Homegroup teachers and is also teaching our Years 7-10 MDT subjects at the Mill.
Athletics Carnival
We are currently examining the latest advice from the Department of Education (DoE) about sports carnivals. We will be holding our Athletics Carnival (Yr 3-12) on Thursday 3rd of March at the Campania Town Oval. We will look to minimise the mixing of primary and secondary students on the day by providing separate seating areas for our primary and secondary students. Based on current advice we are requesting no spectators as we must minimise the amount of contact between students, staff and the wider community. It is important that we have no parents or community members on the town oval or at the toilets/changerooms by the town oval.
Camps
We have needed to postpone our Year 7 camp to Maria Island and our Year 8 camp to Fortescue Bay. We are looking to hold camps for these year groups later in 2022 but will await further guidance from the DoE about when we are able to schedule them. We will communicate with our Year 10 families in the next fortnight about the camp scheduled for the 31st March & 1st of April.
Your go-to guide to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATS)
How to access more RATs
All students now have two RATs as part of their COVID-19 care pack. As you use your supply of RATs, parents and carers must ask for more RATs at the school office. Each student has access to two RATs per week if requested.
It’s important to note that if you have run out of school issued RATs, and your child has symptoms, please don’t attend school to collect a RAT. Instead, we encourage you to reach out to the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to obtain a RAT. Thank you for your cooperation on this.
How to use a RAT
Your child only needs to use a RAT if they have COVID-19 symptoms . If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, they must stay at home and use a RAT.
Please refer to Public Health’s easy-to-follow instructions on how to use a RAT . In the information pamphlet contained in your rapid antigen test, under section 6.0 there is an instruction stating ‘you must take a laboratory PCR test immediately’ if your RAT tests positive. Public Health assures us that school staff and students do not need to do a PCR test if their RAT tests positive.
What to do with your test result
If a negative result is returned, and your child is feeling well, they can attend school.
If your child tests COVID-19 positive, you must immediately let us know, and complete the Public Health form . You must follow Public Health advice . During your child’s isolation period, if they feel well, they can access learning via the Virtual Learning Centre.
If someone in your household tests COVID-19 positive, you must immediately let us know that your child is a close contact and follow Public Health instructions . Your child can access learning Virtual Learning Centre during this time, or the school may be able to supply paper-based resources.
If you have any questions, please contact the school office. For more information, please visit the Tasmanian Government Coronavirus website or contact the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738, or Department of Education COVID Support Hotline at COVID19support@education.tas.gov.au or on 1800 816 057.
Term 1 - Whole School Planning
Secondary Term 1 Overview (Core Subjects)
This year we aim to collate a summary of our whole school planning to share via our school newsletters. We hope that informing families, learners, and community members about our curriculum will encourage more conversations about learning.
If you have questions about your child’s learning, please contact their subject teacher, Home Room teacher, or either of our Quality Teaching Coaches – Melitta Smith (Primary) or Kym Johnson (Secondary).
Information from primary teachers will be provided in an upcoming newsletter.
Year 7 |
Term 1 |
English |
Narrative Writing Exploring the ingredients of different genres Text structure of narratives Reading, discussing and understanding the features of the short text: The Monkey’s Paw How to use correct punctuation when writing dialogue Planning, drafting and writing narratives (alternative ending to Monkey’s Paw) |
Mathematics |
Negative Integers (Addition & Subtraction) Measurement: Perimeter and area Place value Operations: Addition, subtraction and multiplication strategies Fractions and decimals |
Science |
Biology Classification & Ecosystems |
HASS |
What is History? Introduction to: Chronology Primary and Secondary Sources How Historians and archaeologists investigate history Mungo Man case study |
Health and Physical Education |
Athletics Thunder Hockey |
Year 8 |
Term 1 |
English |
Novel Study: PEEL Response What do ‘good’ readers do to unpack a fictional text. Predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarizing. How do we select evidence from the text to justify a POV? What is the purpose and audience of a fictional text? How do we write effective TEEL/PEEL paragraphs, drawing on evidence from the text to explain POV? What are the strategies for independently editing our own work? |
Mathematics |
Negative numbers (in all operations) Decimals |
Science |
Geology Rock cycle |
HASS |
Medieval Europe vs. Modern Pandemic Chronology Comparison: change and continuity - responses to pandemics + causes and effects Interpreting and analysing sources Locating useful information and referencing |
Health and Physical Education |
Athletics Thunder Hockey |
Year 9 |
Term 1 |
English |
Gothic Horror Short Story Writing 7 Steps of Writing Success Imagery, suspense, symbolism Characteristics of ‘Gothic Horror’ as a theme |
Mathematics |
Number Measurement Area, Perimeter and Volume |
Science |
Geology Dynamic Earth (Plate tectonics) |
HASS |
Biomes (Geography) |
Health and Physical Education |
Athletics |
Year 10 |
Term 1 |
English |
Multimodal Text Types – Documentary Reviews Emotive language Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Justifying responses based on evidence Sustainability |
Mathematics |
Financial Maths (Number) Algebra |
Science |
Carbon and Climate Change The Earth in Space |
HASS |
WW2 Rights and Freedoms |
Health and Physical Education |
Athletics |