School newsletter - Term 2 -Newsletter 2
Principal's Report
Dear families,
It has been a busy and productive four weeks since the last newsletter. Following our highly successful Cross Country/ Fun Run, some of our primary students represented Bothwell at the SPSSA Cross Country event. Our senior students have participated in a number of excursions, including to The Lea in Kingston as part of a team building day, the Bridgewater Bridge development site and the Campbell Town Show. Excursions have been planned for our younger students to visit Richmond before the end of the term.
All of our students are now participating in reading groups with a focus on using particular reading skills and strategies in the context of viewing and reading particular texts. Our high school students have focused on non-fiction texts. Our younger students have focused on making predications and our upper primary students have been looking at questioning strategies.
Our teaching staff participated in a professional learning day on Friday 7th June. The focus of the day was to share teaching practices through looking closely at student work samples, unit and task plans and assessment tools. Teachers also participated in the moderation of student work samples. This is to ensure that there is consistency in the teaching, learning and assessments occurring at Bothwell and other Tasmanian Schools.
Bothwell is connected to two larger networks of schools. Our Primary team are working closely with the Midlands Cluster of Schools this year, which includes Bagdad and Kempton Primary Schools and Oatlands District High School. Our Secondary team are working in partnership with other Derwent Collective Schools.
Our staff are currently looking at student evidence to inform mid-year reporting. Our students from Year 1 and above will receive ratings against the Australian Curriculum subjects for this report. Students in prep will receive work habits ratings. During the final week of term, parents will have the opportunity to book a Discussion of Learning appointment with their child’s teacher. A communication will be sent home to all families regarding this process very soon.
As the weather is getting colder, we are reminding students to wear their full school uniform. A wide variety of warm uniform items are available from the main office, including a new order that has come in of the woollen fleece jumpers. Polar fleece tops for younger students, soft shell jackets for senior students and puffer jackets with Bothwell school branding are all available for purchase. Our uniform policy is up for review this year and we will be seeking feedback from students and families around uniform items. A reminder that hoodies are not a part of the school uniform, and we are seeking the support from our families (of our senior students in particular) for hoodies not to be worn.
With our school photo day coming up on Monday 1st July, it would be wonderful to see as many students as possible wearing the Merino Woollen jumper for a group photo. Families may of course also choose for other items to be worn for the individual school and family photos.
Finally, we look forward to seeing our high school students and their families at our Years 11&12 Student and Family Information Session on Tuesday June 25th from 5pm to 6pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about the different pathways and opportunities available for our students post Year 10 study.
Kind Regards,
Erika Boas
Principal
Our Reading Focus:
During term 2, my reading group have completed a unit of work focused on the reading strategy of questioning.
Students completed learning activities investigating THIN and THICK questions, how to write these and how to expand THIN into THICK questions.
In our activities we have developed our thinking through posing questions ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ reading a text. Through our lessons we have read fictional storybooks, comprehension texts and unpacked detailed photos and active scenes. There have been a lot of ideas and thinking throughout.
During our assessment activities we have practised responding to questions posed about a text, as well as writing and responding to our own questions about a text. Finally, we have developed our understanding for explaining our thinking using clues and evidence from a text.
Along the way we’ve enjoyed sharing our ideas, challenged our thinking and enjoyed a range of new and exciting stories.
Leigh Nichols
Our Wellbeing Focus:
As part of a team building and student wellbeing focus, the year 7/8 students (with some 9s and 10s who didn’t attend the SPSSA Cross Country event) had the opportunity to excursion to The Lea Scout Facilities in Kingston for a day of Team Building. The students were involved in a number of team building challenges including navigating various ropes courses and challenges, lateral thinking puzzles, bowling and frisbee golf. The students had a wonderful time and the instructor commented on how well the students worked to support each other to solve problems and get across the line. At the end of the day the students asked if they could return again later in the year to do the more challenging activities later.
Thank you to Mrs Doyle for organising and to the Central Highlands Council for sponsoring this activity as part of a community reach grant.
Learning Showcase:
K/P:
In Kinder/ Prep the students have been working on a unit around being healthy and safe. Nurse Hilary has been visiting the class to run some lessons. In this lesson, Hilary supported the students to explore a range of different foods that provide energy, nourish bodies and help young people to grow. The students explored a range of grains/ carbs, vegetables, fruits and dairy products.
Just a quick note to Kinder/Prep parents.
Important Notice: Food Allergies.
When you are packing your child's lunch box, can you please try not to pack foods that contain peanuts, cashews, mustard and coconut.
We have some students with high Allergic reactions to these foods.
1/2:
Our class has taken advantage of Beyond Blue’s initiative with Australia Post to stay connected with each other. We have each written a postcard to someone else in the class and learned how to write an address. Last Friday, we walked to the Post Office and mailed our postcards. We also said hello to the friendly Sally and Chris who run the Bothwell post office. We were all excited to receive our postcards in the mail this week!
3/4:
Our class have been taking part in a number of learning activities around using Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN), including learning how to sign our names correctly and how to sing a song called “I am Australian.” We also recently received a visit from our school health nurse Hilary who explained the importance of dental hygiene.
Class 5/6
Science
The 5/6 students recently made stick deodorants as a part of their science work. They are studying physical and chemical changes as a part of this work. The students were able to identify that the deodorants were a chemical reaction as they were unable to reverse the reaction. They enjoyed the process. One student said, “I am going to keep this in my pocket so I can apply it as I need”, referring to the deodorant.
Mrs J Wise
Hass 7/8 - 9/10
As part of HASS, this term students are participating in the National History Challenge. This year's theme is Crisis and Response. Our students are working on a diverse Range of projects including:
- Tasmanian Devils and Facial Tumour Disease
- 9/11 and terrorism
- Bushfires
- World War 1 and Simpson & his donkey
- Nurse’s uniforms and their changes over the last 200 years
- Bothwell Golf Course
- Recreation of Apsley Village
- Archery
- Colonisation of the Pacific Ocean
- Black Death
If you have any information about any of these topics, or know someone who does, please contact Mrs Doyle as we would love to welcome you into our classes to talk to our students. Also, if you have any artifacts that you are willing to loan or donate, we promise we will take good care of them. At the moment, we are looking for Apsley memorabilia, barbie dolls (multiple numbers), army figurines, fake grass, unused and spare plasticine and or air clay and miniature golf accessories.
We would like to thank Mr Sam Page for his assistance with the students' building models. We look forward to sharing our students progress on these exciting projects over the next few newsletters.
Jai & Brodie explaining their History Challenge project.
7/8 & 9/10 English:
All year groups are currently learning to write persuasive texts. The 9/10’s are working on writing a persuasive hypothetical letter to the editor of The Mercury, to convince his readers that something needs to change. The students are choosing an area that is important to them.
The 7/8’s are writing a letter to Ms Boas to persuade her to let them have the last day of term as a holiday. These letters will be shared over Seesaw in the coming week or so.
All students wrote postcards last week to someone they care about. Their chosen recipients should be starting to receive them this week. I wonder how many students will get a postcard or letter in return? This is an initiative of Australia Post and Beyond Blue. If you wish to encourage your child to write another postcard, they can be collected free of charge from any post office and postage is free throughout Australia. I know my grandchildren in NSW are loving receiving their own mail in their letter boxes.
Mrs Doyle
Class 9/10
The 9/10’s as a part of their STEM studies recently visited the Bridgewater bridge building site courtesy of McConnell Dowell the contractors. They had the opportunity to learn about the various stages of building the bridge and the sizes of the components. The students were taken around the different work sites and the processes were thoroughly explained to them. The students happily asked questions, practically when they discovered that they were given a hat for asking them. Some fun facts that they discovered were:
- The Bridge will have cars going over it approx. Anzac Day 2025.
Mrs J Wise
Specialised subject showcase
Ag Studies:
The Primary school have been practicing their noticing and observing skills! As we have done a lot of work answering the question “What lives on our farm?”, quite often I am stopped to look at things that students have noticed from spider webs with dew, or a fungus growing through the grass. It is amazing to see students transferring knowledge that they are learning in Ag into the playground!
The primary students have now started to explore eggs, at different levels for different ages. We have been learning all about different types of eggs that we can find on a farm. With a focus on what animals are farmed for eggs, or hatch from an egg and the reasons why they are farmed. We have also been cracking open some eggs to discover what is inside! Next time you are cooking with eggs, I wonder if the students can share some interesting facts about an egg with you!
The 9/10’s have been very committed with feeding the Merinos every day, and we have even started to successfully halter them!
Miss Burrill
Campbell Town Show Wool Handing Competition:
The 9/10’s had the opportunity to go to the Campbell Town Show, the students could participate in the Wool Handling competition. Ashley, Robert and Dannielle showed a lot of courage and gave the competition a go – WELL DONE! After the competition the students browsed the site for some delicious lunch options before heading back to school.
Art
In 5/6 and 7/8 Art classes this term the students have been creating still life drawings. In this activity they assembled different pieces of fruit and then created their own plate designs to accompany the fruit still life. They focused on tone, texture and capturing shadows and light for a 3-Dimensional effect.
MDT
Our students have had the opportunity to work with Mr Page (final year pre-service teachers) in the MDT space.
The Year 5/6 students are constructing personalised key racks as they have moved from design to construction phase.
Our 7/8 students will be making cheese boards, and our 9/10 students are constructing a beach chair.
Library Activities
Library fun activities with the 1/2 class and the 3/4 class after they read the books: The Bowerbird Blues, The Beehive Story and The book, Dog in, Cat Out.
The Premier's Reading Challenge for this year goes from Kinder students to grade 10’s. Return forms to the library or the school office.
Your challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is a personal challenge – not a competition.
The Premier's Reading Challenge commences: 17th June until the 23rd of August 2024.
How many books will you read in 10 weeks?
Set your personal reading goal for the Challenge and see how you go!
It doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you are reading. You are free to choose books you want to read for the Challenge.
You can read books in a variety of formats including print, digital, audiobooks and graphic novels. For younger children, a book that is read to them counts toward their total.
Larger chapter books can be counted as more than one book – please talk to your teacher or parent about how many chapters or pages can be counted as “one book”.
Completing the Challenge is something to be proud of!
My Ed
Australian Share Market Game 7 –10's
Learning about the ASX and shares is of vital importance to everyone. Anyone who is employed has a share portfolio, as part of their superannuation fund. Some people will invest in shares outside of their superannuation fund. Therefore, it is a vital skill for all our students to learn.
The ASX Share Market, game allowed students to put into practice what they are learning by participating in the Share Market Game. Students receive a virtual $50,000 which they can invest over a 10-week period, in over 300 companies listed on the ASX. The prices students buy and sell at are the same prices as they would get in the live market so this is as close to real life share trading as you can get. The Game now also provides your students with exposure to 55 Exchanged Traded Funds or ETFs and 5 Life Income Funds or LICs to diversify their portfolio.
By participating in the Game students:
- Develop their knowledge of the share Market,
- learn how to research companies,
- discover the importance of wise investment decisions,
- gain a greater knowledge of economic and world events, and
- begin to learn more about investing which is beneficial for their future.
The ASX game is run twice a year.
In the first round BDHS had 22 students actively trading. BDHS came 15th overall.
BDHS First Place Isabella E with a Profit of $1865.20 and 48th in Tasmania.
BDHS Second Place Ashley B with a Profit of $615
BDHS Third Place George E B with a Profit of $252.30
BDHS Fourth Place Sophie B with a Profit of $194.24
BDHS Fifth Place Kaitlyn H with a Profit of $39.42
BDHS Sixth Place Robert P with a Profit of $22.88
Congratulations to all our students and particularly those who made a profit.
The second round for 2024 will commence in August.
Celebrating student success:
Celebrating past student success
Chloe C and Bailey M
Chloe has been selected to be part of the 2024-2025 Cricket Tasmania Development Program and the Under 19 extended squad. Bailey has been selected for the Emerging Tigers Program for 2024-2025.
These programs are designed and structured to support athletes who have the proven skills, attributes, and potential to become a state contracted player. Congratulations, Chloe and Bailey.
Celebrating our Preset student success.
Koa E
Congratulations to Koa, who was one of five representatives to from the Junior Hawks U10's team invited up to UTAS stadium to take part in the on-field pre-game entertainment playing a game of Giant Volleyball against the South-East Giants!!
A message from the soon to be Brighton High School
Hello neighbours! – from Brighton High School
Thank you for such a warm welcome into the Southern Midlands, Brighton, Derwent networks, communities and partnerships of which our new school is now a member!
We are a school built for the young people of Brighton Primary School, Bagdad Primary School and Kempton Primary School, and for those families that reside within these in-take areas.
In response to our most common queries:
- Which Grades? We are waiting on a decision form the Minister about which year groups will start in 2025 – we are hoping for an announcement soon!
- Can I enrol? We are not taking any out-of-area enrolments as we ensure capacity for the fast-growing community of our in-take area.
We look forward to strong and exciting partnerships with our neighbouring school communities into the future.
Leading Image
Our School Photos are booked to be taken on Monday 1st July, 2024.
Please use the booking Access Key below to book your students and family Photos.
To order your school photos:
Kindergarten Enrolments
Year 11 &12 Information Night