10 September 2021

Newsletter Articles

A Word from the Principal…

Windeward Bound

Congratulations to Jade, Shriah and Johari who completed a 10-day voyage on the Windeward Bound. Leaving from Hobart they learnt the skills to sail a square-rigged tall ship. They had to keep watch and take the helm, help in the galley, learn to navigate using the ship’s charts and climb the 24-metre mast to set and furl the sails. They also learnt how to work in a team and how teamwork and communication can overcome obstacles. They discovered that many of the lessons taught in the school curriculum have practical applications in the day-to-day life of a tall ship, providing them with a sense of positive reasoning as to why their studies are important. During the sail they were encouraged to pursue personal and team goals and challenges. By the end of the voyage, they achieved something they never thought possible, and will take the skills and confidence they gained to pursue their goals into the future.

The students who have completed voyages on the Windeward Bound talk about developing their resilience, dedication, practical thinking and creativity. They reflect on being more adaptable while dealing with changing situations and using new skills to meet these challenges. Lastly, they recognise their growth as a person and how they have become more independent, responsible, and confident. Big shout out to Max, Dudley and BigHart for their support!

Year 6 Transition

The Year 6 Transition program has nearly finished with one group to go. Our staff and peer support leaders provide opportunities for the students to get a taster of what is like to be at high school. Students have been participating in teambuilding activities and classes in the Digital Technologies, Maths and English. It’s been great to meet the students and get to know them. We look forward to seeing them again on the final transition day in term 4. Parents/carers of potential year 7 enrolments are encouraged to contact Mel Watts, Year 7 Leader and Transition Coordinator should you have any questions. The school number is 64529222.

Student Wellbeing Survey and Parent Survey

All Year 7 -12 students have now undertaken the 2021 Student Wellbeing Survey. The Student Wellbeing Survey is part of the Department of Education’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy. This survey helps us to gauge how well our learners are going in terms of feeling safe, supported, and able to flourish and engage in their learning. Thanks to all the students who have completed the survey so far. The results will be available by the end of this term and we will provide more information about what the survey tells us in the coming weeks.

The Parent survey is now open, so you still have time to complete it. The survey is important as it allows us to identify things we are doing well and areas for improvement. We encourage you to complete the survey. Your feedback is very important to help us inform our school planning and decision-making. You can complete the online survey at any time until Friday 17 September 2021. All responses are anonymous and confidential with the survey carried out on a secure website. Feedback is only accessible to the school principal and teachers and relevant Department of Education staff, in online summary report formats with no individuals or families identifiable. Please click on the link below to complete to survey:

Year 7 Information for 2022, 9/10 Electives and Year 11/12 Information for 2022 Evening

We thank all parents and students who attended the evening a few weeks ago. We were very pleased with the numbers at each of the information sessions and we encourage you to keep in touch with us, should you have further questions or need more information. Thanks to Andrea Wilson who coordinated the evening and to staff and students for their work and organisation with displays and tours of the school, including the TTC and Year 11/12 learning area.

PAT Testing

Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) measures what students in Year 7-10 know, understand and are capable of across different domains within Maths, Reading and Writing. They also enable us to monitor student progress over time. Our Year 10 students will start their PAT testing this week. Year 7, 8 and 9 will complete their testing in term 4. It is important that students give their best while completing the testing as it this will allow us to accurately measure their growth from the start of the year till now.

Maths Relay

Congratulations to the Maths Relay teams in Year 9/10 and Year 7/8 who came second (out of 12 schools) and third (out of 10 schools) at the recent competition in Burnie last week. They performed exceptionally well and should be extremely proud of their efforts. Thanks Mr Pennicott and Emily for supporting the teams on the day. (check out our FB page for more information)

Girls Gala Footy Day

Two teams completed in the junior and senior competitions at the Gala day. For many girls, it was their first-time playing football. The junior team made it into the finals coming third, while the senior team improved each match, improving their teamwork and skills. Well done to all involved! Thanks Mr Bones for organising the teams.

Kind Regards,
Nikki Clark
Principal

VET Hospitality Trip to Launceston

On Wednesday 18th August and Thursday 19th August, the Vet Hospitality crew of Ky, Chloe, Bailee, Lachlan and Tara, accompanied by Kim Muller and Sharalyn Walters, travelled to Launceston to participate in a Hospitality Showcase facilitated by the Tasmanian Hospitality Association. During this activity the students moved through several stations where they participated in hands on activities involving making French omelettes, preparing espresso coffee, waiting on tables and making mocktails. This experience helped them gain a greater understanding of the different facets of the Hospitality industry.

The group also visited TasTAFE Drysdale campus where they were taken on a tour of the facilities. The students were amazed at the types of equipment and the world class facilities available to Hospitality and Tourism students in Tasmania.

We stayed the night a Launceston backpackers and had planned for the students to cook breakfast but because of an issue with the gas stove, our back up plan was to go to McDonalds. From here we travelled to The House of Anvers where we watched Snowdrops being made, learnt about the history of chocolate making and enjoyed the delights of the chocolate shop.

Our next stop was Ashgrove where the students learnt about cheese making and found out some interesting facts about cows and cheese (What do cows use when they text? E-MOO-jis). After our tour of Ashgrove, we travelled to Hellyer Road Distillery where the students were taken on a Whisky Walk and a behind the scenes tour of the distillery, to see how they make single malt whiskies. The students also questioned our tour guide about her job to learn more about opportunities within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry.

We returned to school with a group of tired students who thoroughly enjoyed their trip.

CHArts Festival

Congratulations to all Smithton High School students who submitted entries in the recent CHArts Festival. This is a fantastic event for students to showcase their talents!

Well done to Paris, Shayla and Cody on their CHArts Festival awards success!

YOUTH ART (Grade 7-12) Award - WINNER - Paris -“Zendaya”
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY Award - WINNER -Shayla - “Who Nose There!”
Highly Commended - Cody - "Adorable Calves"

JUSTICE TALKS

Recently a group of 15 Year 10 students participated in a forum titled ‘Talk Justice’ convened by the University of Tasmania and hosted by Marist Regional College.

Students heard thought-provoking presentations by Dr Ruth Nagy, Lecturer in Criminology; Dr Matt Killingsworth, Head of Politics and International Relations and Senior Lecturer in International Relations; and Dr Merete Schmidt, Lecturer in Sociology on topics including socio-economic, criminal, and indigenous justice; equity in education particularly for schools and students in regional areas; and international law in relation to war and the humanitarian response.

After each presentation, Smithton High students engaged in interactive activities with students from St Brendan-Shaw College, Ulverstone High School and Marist Regional College where they were asked to respond to questions arising from the presentation topics.

One workshop asked students to discuss the likelihood of success of restorative justice programs in response to issues such as school bullying, youth at risk, Indigenous family violence, and sexual offences.

In another, students worked collaboratively to allocate a school budget taking into consideration staffing, infrastructure, resources, events, and marketing. One ‘independent’ school had a budget of $10m plus a $50,000 donation from a school family whereas another ‘public’ school had a budget of $3.5m and an unexpected expense of a leak in the school gym which cost $150,000 to fix.

In the final workshop students considered the Geneva Conventions and their Protocols in a possible offensive strike on a town in a warzone discussing the protection of civilians, security of medical and educational facilities, and access to humanitarian aid.

Students were then able to engage with the Lecturers in regard to how they started their own careers, the distinction between Sociology and Psychology, and career paths into university and what degree choices are available to pursue interest in these areas.

Our students were outstanding in their representation of Smithton High School. They fully committed to being involved, providing well-considered comments, and asking relevant questions. These students have a really keen sense of social justice and it was enlightening to see them contribute to how we can individually and collectively respond to injustice and disadvantage at a local, national and international level.

Students Charli and Telina provided this insight –

“We thought that attending the event held at Marist Regional College by the University of Tasmania was a great opportunity for students from our school to socialise with students from other schools that also attended the talk about different topics such as the myths of the justice system, budgeting in schools and the rules of war. Our favourite talk was by Dr Vicki Nagy about Criminology. We learnt about the myths in the justice system and were given a sheet about different things within the justice system that are happening in other states in Australia. At the end of the talks we had time for questions, and we learnt about what life would be like attending the University of Tasmania, different subjects to study, talking about degrees and diplomas and just general questions we had. We both agreed that the talk was very informative and gave a great opportunity for students to consider going on into year 11, 12 and further on in college.”

REAL-LIFE ENGINEERING

The Circular Head Trade Training Centre provides the opportunity for students to undertake the Certificate II in Engineering Pathways with TasTAFE. This term, students have been working on a heavy-duty shelving unit for the workshop. The finished product is ready to put into position and will be used to house materials for future projects.

Real-life projects such as this enable students to demonstrate a range of practical skills as well as practice valuable work attributes such as team-work and communication.

Nice job!

CONGRATULATIONS

We would like to acknowledge Sophie (Yr12) and Jett (Yr11) who have been selected as Finalists in the 2021 Tasmanian School-based Apprentice of the Year award.

Sophie is undertaking the Certificate III in Individual Support whilst working at Emmerton Park. Next year she has plans to work as an Au Pair in New Zealand and then return home to commence Nursing studies with UTAS.

Jett is undertaking the Certificate II in Construction, employed by the Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship Scheme and working with Armstrong Building. Whilst undecided about continuing in the construction industry, Jett has gained knowledge, skills, and practical experience which will be valuable in a range of work areas.

Congratulations Sophie and Jett on being named as Finalists and we wish you all the best for the Awards announcement at the Tasmanian Training Awards dinner on Friday evening.

If you are interested in employing a student as a School-based Apprentice or Trainee please contact Sharalyn at the Circular Head Trade Training Centre.

VET FAST-TRACK with TasTAFE in 2022

If you’re currently in Year 12 and thinking about next year, the VET Fast-track program with TasTAFE may be just the thing.

If you have already studied a Certificate II or III qualification this year and would like to continue studying, you may consider the following options.

• BSB30115 - Certificate III in Business (will be upgraded to new qualification in 2022)
• CHC32015 - Certificate III in Community Services
• CUA30715 - Certificate III in Design Fundamentals (will be upgraded to new qualification in 2022)
• AHC30716 Certificate III in Horticulture
• SIT30616 - Certificate III in Hospitality
• ICT30118 - Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology (will be upgraded to new qualification in 2022)
• SHB30416 - Certificate III in Hairdressing
• SIT30116 - Certificate III in Tourism

You can complete this online form to express your interest

or speak to Sharalyn in the CH Trade Training Centre if you’d like further information.

Community News

Dates to Remember…

Term Dates & Student Free Days for 2021

Terms

Student Free Days

Year 7-10

Tuesday 2nd February
Thursday 1sth April
Monday 19th July
Friday 29th October

Year 11/12

TBA

Office Hours

8.30am – 3.30pm daily
School Starts: 8.50am
School Finishes: 3.00pm

School Office Ph: 6452 9222
Trade Training Centre Ph: 6452 9288

SMS: 0418 220 201
Email: smithton.high@education.tas.gov.au
Web: http://education.tas.edu.au/smithtonhigh/Pages/Home.aspx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smithton-High-School/219062138251149