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- From the Principal - Term 2 Week 9
- Our Themes
- Improving Learning Culture
- From the Grade 7/8 Coordinator
- HHS Literacy Inquiry Cycle for Reading Development
- Every School Day Matters
- Gifted Online Term 2 Round-up
- From the Grade 9/10 Coordinator
- Year 11/12 Aquaculture Excursion
- Our Vision - Together We Learn
- What's Happening in VET Hospitality?
- Road Safety Message for Students
- School Association Meeting
- Our Values
- Navigating Global Issues with Children
- Download the Schoolzine App (Szapp)
- Mental Health Services and Support
- 2024 School Calendar
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the entire community for their unwavering support of our staff and students throughout the past term. As we approach the Term 2 holidays, both students and staff look forward to a well-deserved break.
Celebrating Educational Excellence and Community Spirit
We are thrilled to announce significant advancements in our Teaching and Learning practices, reflecting our ongoing commitment to enhancing student readiness and success. Recent classroom walkthroughs have revealed remarkable progress, with 18 out of 20 measures showing significant improvement. For a detailed overview, please refer to the section by Assistant Principal Mr Newton, inside this newsletter.
Grade 10/11/12 Mid-Winter Ball
The Mid-Winter Ball for grades 10, 11 and 12 was a tremendous success! It was heartwarming to see our community come together to celebrate our wonderful students, who looked stunning in their formal attire. A special thank you to the staff who organized and attended this event, especially Miss Sophie Rainbird, the Grade 9/10 Coordinator, for her exceptional effort and dedication.
Moderation Day Success
Moderation Day was a resounding success, bringing together staff from across the Huon Cluster at Huonville Primary and High School campuses. The day provided an excellent opportunity for collaboration, sharing of ideas, and fostering connections, all while enjoying morning tea and lunch at our state-of-the-art Trade Training Centre. This event truly embodied our core themes of Kindness, Collaboration, and High Expectations.
Reports and Conferences
Reports, including Evidences of Learning (EoL), have been distributed this week. If you have not received your child's report, please contact the main office. Additionally, we are hosting Three-Way Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences in Week 10 on Tuesday, 2nd July, and Thursday, 4th July, from 3:15pm to 5:00pm. We encourage you to book a time to meet with teachers to support your child's learning. We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you once again for your continuous support and involvement in our school community. We wish everyone a restful and enjoyable Term 2 holiday!
Kindly,
Janelle Reeves
Principal
Great wins in improving teaching and learning practices at Huonville High
Over terms 1-2 our teaching teams have been focussing on improving ready to learn practices across the high school. The work has been done to improve learning culture across the school with one of our school improvement priorities that sets the goal to improve ready to learn data from term 1 into term 4.
The data displayed is assessed across a standard questionnaire that is completed by a senior staff member who conducts walkthroughs of classrooms across the school, as well as through interview of 2-3 students per class to seek their improvement feedback.
It is pleasing to announce that the school has improved in 18/20 measurements.
The school is well-primed for future work in improving student learning outcomes in both reading and cognitive engagement as the year progresses.
Paul Newton
Yr 9-10 Assistant Principal
Hello Parents and Carers,
I am looking forward to meeting you at the parent/teacher interviews being held on Tuesday, July 2nd, & Thursday, July 4th. You can sign up for these online:
- 2nd July bookings: https://huonvillehs.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/11
- 4th July bookings: https://huonvillehs.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/12
This is a great opportunity to not only get to know your child’s teachers, but also discuss how your child is going and how they can ‘bump up’ their work to the next level.
What’s happening in Grade 7 and Grade 8:
As we near the end of the Term 2, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful things going on in our classrooms. I have spent time chatting to our students and would like to share with you what they had to say:
‘I am enjoying the big space and meeting all the teachers and working with different teachers every day. The lockers are great because I don’t have to carry my stuff and it is safe.’ Allison
‘I like bike collective and food studies. I enjoy learning how to cook and eating the food. Last week we made cake that was tasty. It is great to learn new skills in woodwork and use all the new tools.’ Jack
‘I love moving around to new classrooms through the day. I like working with different teachers. I have enjoyed history because the teacher has made it fun. I love PE because there is the gym and sometimes we go to the PCYC.’ Lucas
‘I have enjoyed being able to choose some of my subjects in grade 8. This year I chose Kitchen garden. I am interested in farming and would love to have my own sheep, pigs and veggies one day. Cooking is my favourite subject’ Riley
‘I like all the fun activities that we do in digital technologies, food tech, woodwork and music. You get to do more stuff than when we were in grade 7.’ Craig
‘I love my teacher because she likes to have a proper conversation. I made more friends than I thought I would’. Merin and Lily
Wishing you all a wonderful and relaxing break. Looking forward to seeing everyone back for another exciting and busy Term 3.
Jason Lunden
Grade 7-8 Coordinator
Great gains in our first Literacy Inquiry cycle!
87% of students who did the pretest, experienced the teaching sequence, and completed the post-test made gains in understanding.
At Huonville High School we have a school-wide priority focussing on improving student reading outcomes. We use Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) to monitor and assess student reading development and grade-based inquiry cycles to track student progress. Inquiry cycles are a process where teachers identify areas for improvement, develop and implement a plan, collect, and analyse data, then adjust our practices based on the findings. This ongoing cycle promotes continuous improvement and enhances both teaching and student learning.
All students have recently participated in their first inquiry cycle. Students engaged in reading lessons focussed on improving their comprehension skills. Pre and post tests showed 84 students made considerable gains in demonstrating their understanding of specific reading skills and improved by one or more levels. This was a wonderful schoolwide achievement, and we are thrilled to see such incredible gains in our student learning.
As the year progresses, your child will continue to have opportunities to improve their reading skills.
To further support your child from home you may wish to:
- Discuss the reading lessons with your young person and ask them to define the reading skill they have been learning (summarising or inferring).
- Read a short book or news article with your young person and ask them to point out the key words. Discuss what these words mean?
- Ask your young person about the characters or setting of their class novel. How do they feel about the character or setting of their novel? What makes them think this?
Please contact Christie Gumley or your child’s Grade Coordinator if you would like further information.
Christie Gumley
Yr 7-8 Assistant Principal
Let’s make every day count! By showing up to school every day, your child will have the best opportunity at a bright future. It gives them every chance to be around friends, learn new things, and find interests.
If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.
Good attendance habits can sometimes be hard to stick, but creating a solid routine can set your child up for success for the year ahead.
⭐ Make every school day count
⭐ Get your child excited for school
⭐ Talk to your child about school
⭐ Celebrate the milestones
⭐ Talk to your child’s teacher or grade coordinator
⭐ Know when to seek help.
Please always talk to us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We’re here to help.
This year, we are proud to have 22 Huonville High School students from grades 7-10 actively participating in and benefiting from our Gifted Online courses. These courses, offered to all schools, provide a unique opportunity for students who need to extend or accelerate in one or more areas of the Australian Curriculum.
Most of our students are engaging in the course for 1 lesson each week, either in-class or out of class, with the support of Ebony Taylor (Teacher Assistant) and their class teachers. A small number of students have been given "observer access" to their courses, which allows them to access the content, while not being able to submit work until it's been approved – students can ask their teacher to look at any work they’ve completed for feedback. Some students have been accessing the Learning Hub space during Home Room lessons, where they can, either independently or with like-minded peers, continue work on their courses.
If your child is enrolled in any Gifted Online course, they will have received a letter to take home and inform you of their approved enrolment.
Courses available to students are:
- Big History (Grades 7-10)
- Creative Writing (Grades 7-10)
- STEM: Earth and Space (Grades 7-10)
- My Maths (Grades 7-8)
- Pathway to Mathematics Methods (Grades 9-10)
- Philosophy: Theories of Thought (Grades 7-10)
- Tech Time (Grades 7-10)
Some students have been able to participate in incursions through their courses, such as the Big History and Creative Writing courses:
- On the first Tuesday of Term 2, Big History students were given the opportunity to listen to the Space & Astronomy team members who work on the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope. During this incursion, students learned about the telescopes and how they worked, identifying pulsars on graphs, and the ASKAP radio telescopes—which are 36 telescopes that are 12 metres wide!
- On May 29th, Creative Writing students participated in a virtual visit with Lian Tanner, an award-winning Tasmanian author of ‘The Keepers Trilogy’ books. The teachers asked students to bring along a story idea and they engaged in workshop activities, including story planning and quick writing.
Ebony Taylor
Teacher's Assistant
We are profoundly grateful for your incredible support at welcoming the Year 10/11/12 students arriving in their cars to the High School on Thursday, 20th June, before they left for the Winter Ball. Your presence made the evening truly special, celebrating the achievements and memories of our students. The warmth, camaraderie, and encouragement you brought were invaluable, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for everyone involved. Thank you for being part of this milestone and for continually supporting our school community.
To view and order the beautiful photos by Harriet Paul Photography from the evening, go to Huonville High School Winter Ball.2024 Photos (shootproof.com)
Although the Senior Winter Ball is over, Year 10/11/12 students still have the opportunity to shape the remainder of their year and what they achieve.
As the year progresses, it is inspiring to witness our students' continuous growth and development. Each day, they embrace new challenges, expand their knowledge, and refine their skills. Their dedication and perseverance are evident in their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal milestones. Remember, growth is a journey, not a destination. Continue to encourage your child to push their boundaries, stay curious, and support one another.
Staff vs Students Games are taking place in Week 9 and 10. This gives opportunity for high levels of competition among Year 9 and 10 students as they face the staff in a variety of games. The Staff vs Students Games have become a highlight of our school year, embodying the spirit of friendly competition and community bonding. These events are more than just games; they are opportunities to showcase teamwork, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. Whether on the field or in the gym, seeing students and staff engage with such enthusiasm and good humour is truly inspiring.
Sophie Rainbird
Year 9/10 Coordinator
The HVTTC Aquaculture students embarked on a Seafood Industry excursion to sample the many aspects of a marine-based career in Tasmania. We had an early start, leaving school at 7:15am, before starting our tour at the Tassal feed centre in Hobart. The students got to see the feed system in action which allows the centre to feed all of the Tassal fish in Strahan, Dover, Nubeena and beyond.
At Cambridge we visited Skretting’s feed manufacturing plant to see how our (and all salmon growers) feed is made, followed by Salco’s southern rock lobster holding and export facility, where the students got to hold rock lobster, weighing from 1.5kg to 4kg. At Tasmanian Gourmet Seafoods we enjoyed a variety of seafood from around Australia for lunch and then visited Mures fishing and processing facility. Here we learnt about how Mures catches, cares for and prepares its seafood for sale to the public and other businesses.
We finished the day back at the Hobart waterfront for a talk with IMAS about their marine science branch, its undergraduate degree offerings and, more broadly, career opportunities within the marine industry, both in Tasmania and Australia at large.
James Melbourne-Thomas
Aquaculture Teacher
On the 21st May, 2024, VET students participated in the "Eating with Friends" event at the Huonville Hub, catering for 35 people.
Students involved were Isac, Lily, Karryne and Ella, who, under my guidance, made and served pumpkin soup with garlic bread, lasagna, and apple pie.
Belinda Stewart
VET teacher
You could hear a pin drop as the year 11 and 12s listened to the presentation by Lisa Jones on the impact of the car accident 17 years earlier.
On the 6th of June, students gathered at the trade centre with staff and Inspector Colin Riley to hear the compelling story of Lisa’s son, Aaron, the challenges he had faced as he navigated school, moving back and forth from the mainland and the completion of his apprenticeship, and his untimely death.
Lisa shared how we make different decisions every day that can have a long-lasting effect on our lives and those of others.
As our young people start obtaining their licenses and sharing rides with other inexperienced drivers, Lisa’s story was a timely reminder to consider the risks students are taking and to make better choices.
Ari Powell
Yr 11-12 AST
The next meeting of the School Association will be on Thursday, 12th September, 5.30-6.30pm in the staff room. All welcome! Enquiries: contact Chair troy.cook@intowork.com.au
Introducing your children to the news and talking with them about global issues can be a delicate task. Click the link below for some tips for parents on how to handle this with care.
SZapp is a direct communication channel to parents and carers; a mobile app that’s free to download. SZapp allows Huonville High School to send notifications to our parents and carers at any time, as well as being a platform where the school's important information is available anywhere, anytime, on mobile devices.
Features:
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Apple devices: Download and install SZapp.
Android devices: Download and install SZapp.
