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- From the Principal - Term 3 Week 10
- School Holiday Office Closure
- HHS School Association
- Chocolate Day
- Our Vision - Together We Learn
- School Levies
- From the Grade 7/8 Coordinator
- Speak Like a Pirate Day!
- Our Values
- What's happening in Hospitality
- From the Grade 9/10 Coordinator
- Our Themes
- Wear It Purple Day
- Every Minute, Every Day Counts!
- Outdoor Education News!
- Generations Connect Fun Day
- Mental Health Support
- 2024 School Calendar
- Download the Schoolzine App (Szapp)
After a wonderful Term 3, we wish you a happy and safe holiday with your young people and look forward to seeing all of our lovely students return on Monday, 14th October, for our final term of 2024!
Kindly,
Janelle Reeves
Principal
Term Break
The General Office will be closed from Thursday 3 October to Friday 11 October.
Hours for Monday 30 September to Wednesday 2 October will be 8.30-4.00pm.
The HHS School Association met on 12th September, 2024. We had many community members in attendance, including Life Member, Maureen Oates, to discuss planning for HHS 85th Anniversary celebrations to be held in late 2025.
If you or your friends/family have some great memorabilia from HHS that you would like to share (we can take copies/photos), including uniforms, photos, year books, trophies, etc., we would love to have a memorabilia cabinet on display.
We are also looking for anyone interested in being a part of the celebrations. Please get in touch with Association Chair, Troy Cook - troycook1971@icloud.com
The School Association recently approved the funding of new classroom novel sets to get all our students reading.
Our next meeting will be Week 3 of Term 4 - Thursday, 31st October, from 5:30-6:30pm in the staff room - all parents/carers and community members welcome. We are seeking a Secretary, so please come along to the meeting if you're interested!
On Monday 23rd September, and Tuesday 24th September, Mr Lunden and his Hospitality class hosted Chocolate Day, making a range of chocolatey treats for students and staff to purchase.
Chocolatey treats were enjoyed by all!
Thank you to the parents/guardians who have paid school levies already, and those who are paying via regular instalments. Levies support student learning by contributing towards the cost of essential items and services.
Unfortunately, we still have a number of unpaid levies and would appreciate payment at your earliest convenience. If you hold a current concession card you may be eligible for Student Assistance (STAS). Applications close at the end of August, visit www.decyp.tas.gov.au for information on how to apply.
Levies can be paid in a number of ways:
- at the school office by EFTPOS, cash or cheque;
- at Service Tasmania by EFTPOS, cash or cheque;
- via BPAY (use the biller code and reference on your invoice)
- via Centrepay, a service provided by Centrelink.
If you are experiencing difficulties and wish to discuss payment plans, please contact me on 6264 0800.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Suellen Hill
Business Manager
Dear Parents and Carers,
Due to bad weather late last term, we had to postpone the Athletics Carnival, but we're looking forward running it this Term on November 15th!
Another reminder about uniform: particularly focusing on navy blue and black pants. We have uniform available to borrow if needed. Our practice here is that if a student needs to borrow uniform, they leave their non-uniform item in SSC and then swap at the end of the day. If you need additional support here please let us know.
Below you will see some blurbs from the subject teachers explaining their units of work for Term 4, along with some questions that you can use to ask your children.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me, Jason Lunden, Grade Coordinator.
Subject statements and Questions:
Digital Technologies:
In Term 4 Grade 7 Digitech (Digital Technologies) will be building robots aiming to participate in a “sumo” tournament as well as building a wired remote control for their robot. Students will also be working through several light-hearted introductory activities for Excel, and continuing with previous learning opportunities from earlier in the year.
Grade 8 Digitech and STEM students will be working on Newton’s laws of motion, the BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenge, the GCG Esports challenge, coding with Microbits and also continuing with previous learning opportunities from earlier in the year.
English:
I am excited to share that in term 4, our Grade 7 and 8 students in English will be embarking on an engaging film study unit. This unit is designed to enhance their critical thinking, comprehension, and analytical skills through the exploration of film.
Throughout the term, students will:
- Analyse the themes, characters, and narratives of these films.
- Participate in discussions and activities that encourage them to express their thoughts and interpretations.
- Develop their understanding of film techniques and how they contribute to storytelling.
You could ask: "Which film you will be studying?"
Homeroom:
Each morning, our students engage in different activities to promote relationships between peers and establish a connection with their homeroom teacher. We have taken feedback from students around what they would like to see and have implemented the following:
- Monday: ‘Would you rather’ debates
- Tuesday: 5-minute Challenges
- Wednesday: ‘Where is it’ Photographs
- Thursday: Fitness Activities
- Friday: Recap & Chill
We feel that this has been a positive way to start the day with our students and are looking forward to getting their feedback to further improve it.
Grade 7/8 PSC Homeroom:
This term, students will further their understanding of our overarching concept in Grade 7 & 8 which is ‘Community’. Students will look at the idea of ‘Effort’, what it means to put it in and what the result is from doing so. To help facilitate the learning of this, students will opt into one of 3 projects which are:
- Picnic Bench Restorations (Construction)
- H-Block Hallway Spruce up (Art)
- Community Cooking (Hospitality)
Each of these options will require students to put in effort, time and care. As a result, they will see the result first hand as they will be directly responsible for helping to create a better space that they can learn and relax in.
HPE Grade 7:
In HPE, students are learning about managing conflict both internally and externally, allowing them to manage their own wellbeing and assist others in making theirs better. This is paired with the popular game of Soccer due to its adequate levels of challenge, need for teamwork & communication, and its overt examples of conflict (in a sporting context).
Questions to ask your child:
- What are the different types of conflict?
- What are some steps to help you resolve an internal conflict?
- How do I kick the soccer ball with proper technique?
Grade 8:
In HPE, students are undertaking a unit based around risk taking and harm minimisation. Risk taking is an extremely prevalent part of teenagers lives and important to educate not only the fears & consequences, but also the positives of taking healthy risks. Students learn how to assess and judge what risks are safe, and also how to manage themselves and others when they find themselves in risky situations in the future such as parties, licensed venues, etc.
Questions to ask your child:
- What is a healthy risk?
- How does risk-taking affect our development as teenagers?
- When does a risk become ‘too risky’?
Maths:
Year 7 Maths students will acquire and analyse data sets of discrete and continuous numerical variables, calculate, and interpret measures of central tendency, create various data displays such as stem-and-leaf plots, compare and describe the distribution of data, and conduct statistical investigations by analysing the shape, centre, spread, and outliers to report findings.
Questions to ask your child:
- What is the main difference between discrete and continuous data?
- When would a stem-and-leaf plot be used?
- Why do we consider outliers in datasets?
Year 8 maths students will investigate data collection techniques such as census, sampling, experiment, and observation, explain the practicalities and implications of these methods, and analyse and report on data distributions from primary and secondary sources using both random and non-random sampling techniques. Later in the term, students will recognise that events have a combined probability of one and will use this to calculate probabilities in applied contexts.
Questions you can ask your child:
- Why do we use different data collection techniques to collect data?
- How can data be collected non-randomly?
- How can two-way tables, tree diagrams, and Venn diagrams help in determining the probability of outcomes for two events?
Music:
The grade 7 and 8 students have progressed this term and I’ve found they can focus well when being supervised: they interact well and can play some basic chords and scales on their instruments. I’ve been impressed by some student’s skills advancing quickly playing some simple three chord songs such as Riptide by Vance Joy, Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan and some others. They also enjoy creating music in our music lab on computer by dragging and dropping music samples in a timeline.
Questions you can ask your child:
- What is the name of the clefs we study?
- Have you created any music on the computer?
- How would you describe the shape of a whole note?
Food Technology:
In Year 8 cooking class, students are learning how the properties of food affect preparation and presentation techniques. They are developing essential skills such as hygiene, safe movement in the kitchen and knife handling. Students are also learning to use kitchen-specific vocabulary to describe cooking equipment, processes, and food properties.
As students’ progress, they will be encouraged to explain how food properties impact taste and presentation and how to manage their time effectively. Students will have opportunities to modify recipes to meet specific needs like healthy options, gluten-free, or sustainable choices. This holistic approach helps students design healthier eating solutions while honing their culinary skills.
Questions you can ask your child:
- What have you learned about how the properties of different foods affect the way they need to be prepared or cooked?
- Can you explain how you're managing your time in the kitchen when working on a recipe, and how that helps with the final product?
- Have you tried adjusting a recipe to make it healthier or more suitable for specific dietary needs? How did it change the taste or presentation?
Science:
7 Science
In term 4, we will be investigating our biology unit, focussing on how we classify and group the Earth’s organisms. This will include interpreting and creating classification keys, as well as investigating the food chains and webs that exist in different environments.
Questions you can ask your child:
- What is the scientific name for humans?
- What is the definition of an apex predator? What are some examples?
- What is the difference between producers and consumers?
8 Science
In term 4, we will be studying earth and space, learning about the rock cycle and tectonic plates. We’ll be investigating the origins of the continents, how volcanoes and other formations are created, as well as the cycle and formation of the different types of rocks that are found on Earth.
Questions you can ask your child:
- Why is the Australian tectonic plate stable?
- What are the types of interactions that occur between tectonic plates and what geographical structures do they form?
- Explain the role of volcanoes and magma in the rock cycle.
Jason Lunden
Grade Coordinator
Congratulations to Aimee Cook who successfully solved the cryptic clues on the treasure hidden around the school. She managed to solve the location of the treasure by working out the solution of the following clues.
- Clue #1 - “I once was used for the alchemy of resemblance ”
- Clue #2 - “4 walls within 4 walls”
- Clue #3 - “There is an absence of light in this room”
Amy correctly worked out the treasure was stored in the school’s old dark room located in A01.
We had a great day with teachers and students dressing up and getting into the pirate spirit.
Paul Newton
Assistance Principal
In Hospitality classes students learned about Café Culture; students learned about Canadian nanaimo bars (slices for you Aussies), along with making their own coffee.
Jess and Owen are pictured above with their creations.
We made homemade focaccia and then designed an interesting, challenging filling for it. Some students made a roux (cheese sauce), others made teriyaki chicken. Students came up with lots of interesting ideas.
Jason Lunden
Hospitality Teacher
The introduction of House assemblies at our school, with our school houses Banksia, Hakea and Grevillea, has been a powerful way to enhance school culture, increase participation in the sports carnival, and foster a sense of healthy competition.
These assemblies have become a space where students collaborate to create House chants, songs, and vibrant posters, all in preparation for the upcoming athletics carnival in Term 4 . Through these creative activities, students are developing stronger connections with their peers and House identities, which has sparked greater excitement and involvement in school events. This collective spirit has also fuelled the drive for success, encouraging a competitive yet supportive atmosphere among the Houses.
Year 10 HPE students have been participating in an ‘Active in the Community’ unit which has involved them partaking in two fitness sessions with the local business Run Move Connect. This business includes classes such as Pilates, running, and strength sessions. These activities not only helped students enhance their physical fitness, but also demonstrated practical ways to stay active within the Huon Valley. The positive involvement in these sessions allowed students to engage with their community while learning valuable techniques to maintain an active lifestyle, building both their confidence and awareness of local fitness opportunities.
Year 10 students recently took part in Round Table Interviews as part of their "Personal and Social Capabilities" curriculum. This was a series of mock job interviews conducted by panels of professionals from local businesses, including Beacon Foundation, Duggans, Huon Valley Council, Maxima, Neville Smith Forest Products, R&R Smith, Sustainable Timbers Tasmania, and Tassal. This experience provided students with invaluable insights into real-world job interview processes, allowing them to practice and refine their communication and presentation skills. The success of the initiative was evident in the increased confidence students gained, as well as the constructive feedback they received from industry professionals, helping them prepare for future employment opportunities. We would like to thank all participating businesses for their time and support.
This term, Year 9 students have excelled in consistently adhering to the school's rules and upholding our core values of safety, growth, responsibility, and respect. They have demonstrated a strong commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment, looking out for each other and following safety guidelines. Through their focus on personal and academic growth, they’ve shown initiative in learning and improving themselves. Their sense of responsibility is clear in the way they approach their work and interactions, and their respect for peers, staff, and the school community has been exemplary. Year 9s dedication to these values has made a positive impact on the entire school and we are looking forward to their leadership next year as Grade 10s
Sophie Rainbird
Year 9/10- Coordinator
The highlight of the day for many was the pie-throwing at our brave teacher volunteers.
Thank you to all the students and staff who wore purple/colourful free dress, bought treats from the cake stall, guessed the lolly jar amount or threw a pie at a teacher. Also, a huge thanks to the local businesses who supported our fundraiser with donations: Summer Kitchen, DS Café, Salamanca Fresh and Woolworths.
Tristan McCafee
Support Teacher; Pride Group Advisor
tristan.mcafee@decyp.tas.gov.au
The first term of Outdoor Education in nearly eight years has finally been run and completed!
Students started the term by achieving their First Aid qualifications with Adam and Anne from St John’s. Not only will these skills look great on a resume, but they are also important skills to have whilst out and about on our excursions. We thank Adam and Anne for their time.
We were most unlucky to miss out on two bushwalks due to severe weather landing on the days of the planned excusions. However, students got to bushwalk down to Snug Falls where we put the 'Leave No Trace Principles', that we dived into in our theory lessons, into practice. Please ask your student how they did this and how it related to their Course.
Pictures above:Thomas using a Trangia, and Xavier, Braydan and Thomas at Snug Falls.
Students also got to complete some orienteering courses at the local sports and recreation ground, Dru Point and Margate, with Steve Cameron from Orienteering Tasmania showing us the ropes. Students had a great time and are looking forward to visiting Kingston Wetlands this week for some more orienteering fun!
James Belstead
Outdoor Education/HPE Teacher
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