Launceston Church Grammar School logo Launceston Church Grammar School logo Launceston Church Grammar School logo Launceston Church Grammar School logo Launceston Church Grammar School logo
  • Enrol
  • Contact
  • About
    • Back to all
    • About
    • Overview
    • Our Stories
    • Campuses
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Employment
    • Child Safety
    • Feedback
    • Policies
  • Our Difference
    • Back to all
    • Our Difference
    • Overview
    • Programmes
    • Performing and Creative Arts
    • Sports
    • Alumni Stories
  • Learning
    • Back to all
    • Learning
    • Overview
    • Academic Results
    • Early Learning Centre
    • IB Primary Years
    • Senior Years
    • Pastoral Care
    • Learning Enrichment
    • Service Learning
    • Learning Technologies
    • Careers
  • Boarding
    • Back to all
    • Boarding
    • Overview
    • The Boarding Family
    • Boarding FAQs
    • Day in the Life
    • Facilities
  • Enrol
    • Back to all
    • Enrol
    • Overview
    • Book a Tour
    • Apply
    • Fees
    • International Students
    • Scholarships
    • Enrolment FAQs
    • Transport
    • Uniform
    • Boarding
  • Community
    • Back to all
    • Community
    • Overview
    • 175th Anniversary
    • SchoolTV
    • Back to School
    • Parent Grade Representative
    • Alumni
    • Giving
    • DV Gunn Archives
  • News and Events
    • Back to all
    • News and Events
    • Overview
    • Newsletters
    • News
    • School Calendar
    • Publications
Menu Close
  • Search
  • Login
  • Contact
  • Book a Tour

Boarding Term 2, June

Scroll
  • Home
  • Newsletters
  • Boarding Term 2, June

Newsletter Archive

10

Calendar

June

Boarding Term 2, June

Contents

Head of Boarding Message
Ash Keatch - Head of Boarding
Boarding Staff Bios
Ella Marshall
Boarding House Procedures
REACH Boarding Communication System Salto Cards
Recreational Activities
Activities in Term 2 Beta Park Launceston Grade 12 Visit Scotch Oakburn Boarding Grammar on the Road
Girls and Boys Boarding Houses
Around the Houses Grade 12 and Their Second Half Run to the Finish Line
Food and Nutrition
Catering
Boarding House Term Dates
Boarding House Dates For Next Term
Launceston Grammar Boarding Staff
Staff Contacts Long Weekend
Head of Boarding Message

Ash Keatch - Head of Boarding

Dear Boarding FamiliesThere is much excitement in the air as we inch a step closer to being able to go home and have family time again for a couple ...

Dear Boarding Families

There is much excitement in the air as we inch a step closer to being able to go home and have family time again for a couple of weeks. As I get around and talk to staff and students the one theme which is clear is ‘wow’ this is a long term. I feel like a traditional boarder myself having left my family and after 11 weeks I get to reunite again with them. I am looking forward to catching up with my beautiful wife, Lisa and just hanging out with her again.

During the last few weeks the cold snap has set in and I am feeling a sense of what winter looks like in Tasmania. The air is crisp, as winter sets in, my Western Australian bones are telling me it’s pretty darn cold, but I keep hearing it from one of our iconic locals, AKA Nick Foster that there is something incredibly magical about the cooler months in Tassie. Whilst the mainland gets chilly with rainy grey days, once winter settles in, Tasmania becomes a glittering wonderland that looks like it’s straight out of a fairy-tale. Plus, they tell me a dusting of snow makes the state very special. I guess when you look at it like that, there is no reason to hibernate this break.

Ash Keatch
Head of Boarding

Read More Read Less
Boarding Staff Bios

Ella Marshall

Q. Where did you go to school? I went to St Brendan-Shaw College in Devonport and then St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart for Grade 12. Q. ...

Q. Where did you go to school?

I went to St Brendan-Shaw College in Devonport and then St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart for Grade 12.

Q. Were you a boarder?

Yes I was a boarder in Grade 12.

Q. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Devonport.

Q. What sports did you play at school?

Rowing, cycling, and running.

Q. Your favourite sporting team?

I don’t really have one.

Q. How long have you worked at Launceston Grammar in boarding?

I started this term, so I am 8 weeks in and I am loving the role. The girls are great and the staff have made me feel comfortable and welcomed.

Q. If you are studying, what are you studying and where?

I am studying a Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education at University of Tasmania, Newnham Campus.

Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I would like to be a teacher and a rowing coach.

Q. Do you have any hobbies?

Rowing, reading and LOTE languages Japanese and French.

Q. Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

Venice because of its culture, food and language. The architecture encapsulates its rich history.

Read More Read Less
Boarding House Procedures

REACH Boarding Communication System

As we continue to improve our systems in boarding around Duty of Care, I am happy to announce that we are installing two new stands featuring the ...

As we continue to improve our systems in boarding around Duty of Care, I am happy to announce that we are installing two new stands featuring the REACH system. This allows students to autonomously sign in and out of the houses removing the need for a staff member to sit at a desk and sign students in. We would still like  students to let staff know their movements, so we are putting them next to the entrance of both the girls house and the dining hall for not only ease of access but also to check students in and out.

Weekend Overnight Leave/ Holiday Period Leave

Please continue to use the weekend leave for the long weekend and the holiday period leave when you put your child’s leave for term 2 break. Also use this leave to submit all the transport and time out and in details. This is important for us so we can work out movements of each student moving into the term 2 break.

 

Read More Read Less

Salto Cards

The School has been using Salto Cards for a period of time now and this has been a great security tool for our boarding students as it gives them ...

The School has been using Salto Cards for a period of time now and this has been a great security tool for our boarding students as it gives them access to doors and areas around the School after hours. The biggest one is our back gate after hours when boarders are returning from weekend leave or leave in general after hours.

To date we have been replacing lost or misplaced cards for students however we can’t continue to do this as they are $20 each to replace and some students have lost several.

Moving forward if your child requires another card we will be charging your account $20 to replace. Please note this will not apply to wear and tear or card failure as we will cover this cost.

Read More Read Less
Recreational Activities

Activities in Term 2

One of our highlights this term was for some of our few boarders that stay in over the weekend to be treated to something very unique to Tassie. ...

One of our highlights this term was for some of our few boarders that stay in over the weekend to be treated to something very unique to Tassie. Andrew Aldridge and his wife Jenny invited us to their farm in Branxholm just out of Scottsdale. Little did we know, this place was about to light up for the evening.

The students were treated to David (Grade 5 boarder) and his Dad creating a fire pit on steroids, with a huge bonfire on one of his 700 acres of cow paddocks. The fire was something else. After eating some fresh steaks and sausages on the homemade fire plate, Andrew and I went up to the top paddock and started what felt like flashbacks from my demolition days in the Army as we lit up the night for ½ hour of family-filled entertainment with firecrackers. It was a wonderful evening and a heartfelt thanks to the Aldridge family for their awesome hospitality.

 

Read More Read Less

Beta Park Launceston

Another great activity was bouldering at Beta Park Launceston. This place is amazing and if you are in town, I highly recommend it for the family. ...

Another great activity was bouldering at Beta Park Launceston. This place is amazing and if you are in town, I highly recommend it for the family. The students had a ball climbing and falling around the gym onto big mats.

Read More Read Less

Grade 12 Visit Scotch Oakburn Boarding

This week our Grade 12 Leadership group was invited to Scotch Oakburn boarding. This is something Bo Power (Head of Boarding) and I have been ...

This week our Grade 12 Leadership group was invited to Scotch Oakburn boarding. This is something Bo Power (Head of Boarding) and I have been planning since the end of last term. We are both keen to develop a relationship where our students are able to engage across a range of areas which include leadership, culture, recreational activities and personal learning. Our schools already do this during the day with our Academic programme and two students from this meeting already share a class at Launceston Grammar together.

The students talked about a combined Boarders Ball for next term and based on our current numbers this would have been a challenge for our Grade 11 and 12 now however we can run this function next term and ensure our students socialise and enjoy what is a ‘rite of passage’ for our seniors.

Our staff at the end of last term had a function at their lane way after the students had gone home for the break and found it to be a great way to network and unpack some of the myths around town about the two schools. We walked away pleasantly surprised as a staff member made the comment that our staff were heaps better and we had some way better systems in place for our boarders. Having said that I also picked up on some areas we can flip over and improve to continually support our current boarders from what I saw.

Bo and I have come away with a deeper appreciation of how we can leverage our geographical location and value add to your child’s boarding experience by combining the odd recreation activity in the term, so our students (who already know each other) can use boarding to value add to their time here during the term.

Read More Read Less

Grammar on the Road

The Campbell Town Show started off slow then gathered momentum. It was good to catch some families out there and even better to see an award ribbon ...

The Campbell Town Show started off slow then gathered momentum. It was good to catch some families out there and even better to see an award ribbon winning rider in Lucinda Dowling at the show.

I plan to continue getting out next term taking a different staff member with me each time who is connected to your child in some way to the spots I haven’t reached. If you have a date or place you think I should be at, please email me as I am very keen to be there.

 

Read More Read Less
Girls and Boys Boarding Houses

Around the Houses

Last weekend a group of students (3) and a teacher come to Launceston Grammar for a debating tournament arriving late Friday and leaving Saturday ...

Last weekend a group of students (3) and a teacher come to Launceston Grammar for a debating tournament arriving late Friday and leaving Saturday afternoon. We were able to accommodate them in the girls house which allowed them to rest up and refresh before heading home.

This week we welcomed Grade 10 student Layla Andersen in the girls house. She has chosen to use boarding as a place to stay for the week so she can focus on the School’s resources like the Learning Hub, structure and support from her peers and staff in boarding before tackling her exams next week. It is great to see her blend in and also see the girls making her feel very welcome.

Read More Read Less

Grade 12 and Their Second Half Run to the Finish Line

Whilst it may seem very pastoral to advocate a no-work policy during term breaks, in reality we need a more balanced approach. In the words of one ...

Whilst it may seem very pastoral to advocate a no-work policy during term breaks, in reality we need a more balanced approach. In the words of one LAL, “While it is appreciated that the students may be tired, having zero expectations on work requirements during term breaks will fail to support students in their very important years of study. Students need to understand and appreciate a concerted approach is necessary to support academic success”.

The reality also is that in many professions (such as ours) out of hours and holiday work is sometimes necessary to keep the wheels of life turning. The upside for our Grade 12s in particular, is that they are headed towards one of the longest holiday breaks ever – that between TCE and university work.

Tips and tricks to boost your Grade 12 score over the break

Study smarter not harder, with tips for students and parents from an educational view.

We think that one sure way to boost your final year school scores is to study harder: losing the next couple weeks of your life to textbooks and note-cards, but a better way to boost your scores is to study smarter.

As Grade 12 school students across Australia start to gear up for exams later in the year, here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most bang for your study buck.

Tips to Students

Stop reviewing – start recalling

Many people believe if they repeatedly expose themselves to a piece of information, it will eventually sear itself into memory. This is why most study sessions are filled with re-reading text books, re-watching lectures, and re-copying notes.

Here’s the problem: repeatedly reviewing content does not lead to better memory. If you want to build deep memories, you must focus on recalling information. The more you access a memory, the stronger it will become. This means focus less on cramming info into your brain and more on pulling information out of your brain. For example:

  • Use flashcards that require you to recall facts.
  • Use practice quizzes to force you to call-up information.
  • Summarise complex ideas into single sentences and share/ discuss these with others.

Mimic the exam environment

Space it out

“Cramming: it feels so right. What better way to learn material than to spend six straight hours reviewing and recalling it.”

Unfortunately, this age old sentiment may do more harm than good.

Sleep, sleep, sleep

It might feel like wasted time, but sleep is the only way to ensure new memories are permanently stored within your brain.

If you do not sleep, you will not remember: simple as that.

Tips for Parents

Involve yourself, but not too much

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/how-neuroscience-beats-powerpoint-coma

Sometimes, parents think it best to leave their children alone during final year exams study period. Why add to their stress levels?

Unfortunately, this well-meaning sentiment may do more harm than good.

When parents are completely absent from the study process, children may feel overwhelmed, isolated, and ultimately unable to effectively learn material. The answer, however, is not to over-involve yourself. When parents control study and solve problems for their children, learning also suffers. The key is to:

  • Focus on helping your children stay motivated and positive during studying.
  • Be your child’s sounding board, let them summarise ideas for you, and help them recall material by quizzing them.

Done in a loving and supportive manner, this will help create a calm and safe environment that can diminish study stress and boost exam performance.

Help construct a schedule 

Help your child develop a study schedule that is easy to adhere to and effective. A common schedule involves, each night, studying one subject for 20 minutes, taking a 5 to10 minute break, then studying a different subject for 20 minutes. By helping your child develop and stick to a clear routine (without nagging) you will not only improve their self-efficacy and sense of agency, but also their learning.

Embrace error

Errors, blunders, stuff-ups … this is how we learn. Each mistake serves as a clear signpost to guide us down the learning paths we most need to travel. As you help your child study, embrace each error they make. The more mistakes they make now (and the less judged they feel) the fewer mistakes they will make come exam time.

 

 

 

Read More Read Less
Food and Nutrition

Catering

I had some feedback from a parent during the week in terms of the decline in food over the year in particular this term from our catering provider ...

I had some feedback from a parent during the week in terms of the decline in food over the year in particular this term from our catering provider Chartwells. I know photos have been taken and some discussions have been had at home. As we continually look to improve our boarding space, as a community it is ‘healthy’ (pardon the pun) to understand what we have in place around our food service. As those parents in the hospitality and food industry can appreciate, we need to be on top of it.

Our current system if students /staff aren’t happy with a particular meal is we need to get instant feedback. This can be in the form of:

  • The comments book in the dining hall.
  • Talking to catering staff in the kitchen for that shift.
  • Boarding staff on hand each day and at each meal.
  • The duty report which gets entered each night from the staff on duty in each house.

We need to break down the comments from, the food is gross or disgusting by working out what part didn’t go well with students that night/ day and then we can find out what chef was on and as a boarding community have the conversation with a catering provider to fix the issue.

I am a big believer that it is not the system that is at fault, because they work, but more the individuals who are generally at fault in any issue we face in boarding.

Scott has been ill for over a week recently and he has two new staff he is training up, so I am keen to work with our Leadership group of students and Chartwells to get their product back to where we all liked it earlier in the year. Having said that, we have listened to the students and changed our winter serving place back to the dining hall where students have enjoyed getting out of the weather and mingling around the fireplace before heading back out into the campus for recess and lunch. We have also put couches around the fireplace to give a warm and inviting atmosphere for our students to stay and chat after meals. This has been a successful use of space.

Here is the link to the Menu

Reminder to all parents if you are in town around our meal times, you are more than welcome to drop in and share a meal with your child and the rest of the boarders. Also if you need accommodation while you are in town we have one unit in Poinmena available for a 1 to 2 night stay. Please let me know so I can book this for you.

Read More Read Less
Boarding House Term Dates

Boarding House Dates For Next Term

Friday 11 June– Boarding House Closes – 5.00 pm (Queens Birthday Long Weekend) Monday 14 June– Boarding House Re-Opens – 4.00 pm (Queens Birthday ...

Friday 11 June – Boarding House Closes – 5.00 pm (Queens Birthday Long Weekend)

Monday 14 June – Boarding House Re-Opens – 4.00 pm (Queens Birthday Public Holiday)

Friday 2nd July –  Boarding House Closes – 5.00 pm (End of Term 2)

Friday 2nd July – Tuesday 20 July – Term 2 Break

Read More Read Less
Launceston Grammar Boarding Staff

Staff Contacts

If you have any specific concerns regarding your child, please get in contact with either TJ or Zoe depending on which house they are in to discuss ...

If you have any specific concerns regarding your child, please get in contact with either TJ or Zoe depending on which house they are in to discuss your concern. They will have the best day to day knowledge of your child and are more than happy to work alongside you. Separately I am also happy to discuss any boarding points that you think I should be aware of.

Head of Boarding
Ash Keatch
M 0403 799321
akeatch@lcgs.tas.edu.au

Senior Boarding House Assistant (Boys House)
Theunis Pieters
tpieters@lcgs.tas.edu.au

Senior Boarding House Assistant (Girls House)
Zoe Vandervelde
zvandervelde@lcgs.tas.edu.au

Read More Read Less

Long Weekend

As we head into the long weekend and our students fly and drive back to their respective homes, spare a thought for our three international students ...

As we head into the long weekend and our students fly and drive back to their respective homes, spare a thought for our three international students (Jerry, James and Julia) who will be staying over the long weekend. We will close the boys house and use the girls house for accommodation. We have staff on duty to support these students and will take them out each day to do something different.

Have a safe, refreshing and well deserved long weekend.

Ash Keatch
Head of Boarding

Read More Read Less
Launceston Church Grammar School logo International Baccalaureate Logo Safeguard Children Logo

Stay up to date

Subscription

We respectfully acknowledge, with deep respect, the Palawa/Pakana people as the traditional owners of the land, sea, and waterways of Lutruwita (Tasmania) on which we work, rest and play. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their continued care for land, waterways, and community. We also acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Quicklinks
  • Contact
  • Feedback
  • School Calendar
  • Back to School
  • Enrol
  • 175th Anniversary
  • Scholarships
  • Giving
  • Employment
  • Handbooks
Portals
  • Parent Lounge
  • Go247
Visit Us
  • Senior Campus
  • 36 Button St, Mowbray TAS 7248
  • (03) 6336 6000
  • Junior Campus
  • 10 Lyttleton Street, East Launceston, TAS 7250
  • (03) 6336 5900
Contact
Launceston Church Grammar School logo International Baccalaureate Logo Safeguard Children Logo
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Website Design by IGNITE
© 2023 Launceston Church Grammar School Privacy Policy
Website Design by IGNITE