Term 1, Week 3

Dale Bennett

Principal

The year has started smoothly at the Junior Campus. Staff began with professional learning opportunities, orientation for new students and then prepared to welcome all children and families back on Thursday 2 February.

Staff have prioritised social and emotional well-being and building relationships to support the new and returning children to settle into their new classes.  Assemblies and Chapels have commenced for the term; we are grateful that Rev Matthew Pickering is available to take the Junior Campus Chapel Services.

A highlight for the community was the Fun and Food Fest hosted by the Old Launcestonian Association (OLA) on Friday 10 February. A great night of friend-raising and fundraising. Sincere thanks to all members of the OLA, especially Fleur d’Antoine. Our Facilities team are to be thanked for their dedicated support too.

Leadership Assembly – 2.15 pm Monday 20 February

Grade 6 students continue with the focus on leadership of self and others, begun in Grade 5, in preparation for the election of Grade 6 House Captains and Leaders. The Leadership Assembly will provide an opportunity to acknowledge all our Grade 6 Leaders and to learn more about our new Principal, Dale Bennett. We look forward to welcoming members of the Junior Campus community, as well as the Senior Campus Captains, to the Leadership Assembly.

Camps

Two camps have already been held. Grade 6 students enjoyed their Camp at Cradle Mountain and Grade 5 learned about government while in Hobart.

Parent help on Campus

We always appreciate assistance from members of our community. Grade 4 welcomed Ashlee Goss, a member of the Police Force, who spoke about laws and the community. There is also a collaboration underway between Grade 4 children and Gulcan Kilinc to send donations to Turkey to help the victims of the earthquake. Great to see our students taking action to help.

If you think you could assist in some way, please let your child’s teacher know. We would be delighted to welcome you!

Sheona Carter

Head of Junior Campus

Do you like to travel blindly to a new destination with no instructions, feedback or direction and simply hope for the best? Or, would you rather know your goal and use streets and landmarks along the way to encourage you that you are on the right track?  

The purpose of assessment in schools has shifted over past years. Historically, the predominant purpose of assessment was viewed as assessment of learning. In brief, assessment of learning is when the results of a learning task are reviewed after the task has been completed and usually requires comparison, grades or scores. This view of assessment is still relevant and has a place, however scores and grades and written feedback are often too little too late for our learners.  

Recently our Junior Campus staff completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) professional learning course titled, Evidencing Learning. The focus of the course was on building assessment capable learners. Assessment capable learners understand what they are supposed to learn, monitor their own progress, set goals and reflect on their own learning in a way that is developmentally appropriate for them. Assessment capable teachers enable learners to understand the different assessment processes and their purpose, and they empower their learners to take ownership of their learning and progress. 

Figure One: The Four Dimensions of Assessment – the weighting of importance and value 

As an IB school offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), we aim to strengthen our capabilities to create opportunities for our students to frequently use assessment for and as learning. The majority of the assessment experiences our teachers design should enable both teachers and students to monitor misconceptions, progress and growth throughout the learning journey, rather than after the fact. We value quality feedback, provide information to feedforward and as a PYP school, we value the learning process more highly than the outcome.  

In week 4 on Tuesday the 21st and Thursday the 23rd of February we are hosting our Introductory Parent Teacher Interviews. Our staff will share many of their well-informed observations of student progress that they have gathered during the first three weeks of school. As always, our staff will be armed with data that measures learning, but more so, they will have examples of when your children have recognised their mistakes, improved their work, changed their mind, sought feedback or shared their understandings – the real evidence of learning and growth. We hope you enjoy the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and to share your hopes and any information that may assist to make 2023 a wonderful year of learning for your child.  

Record Books – Supporting Self-Management Skills 

This week all learners from Prep – Grade 6 were issued with a blue record book. In 2023 we aim to use the record books as more than a communication tool between home and school.  

Throughout the year we will increasingly use the record books to encourage the development of the self-management skills of our learners. As an IB PYP school, we plan for the development of skills called the ‘Approaches to Learning’.  

In this case, we want to help our learners to develop the organisational skills of managing tasks and time. With the understanding that learners develop their skill levels at different rates, our staff will model positive habits, encourage helpful routines and remind students to refer to their record book when they forget. 

We ask for the assistance of our parents and carers in encouraging our students to set up good organisational habits for themselves. We are hoping that between school and home, we can improve our learners’ sense of responsibility. We look forward to working together with you on these important life skills. 

IBO (2018). Learning and Teaching. International Baccalaureate Organization. 

Claire Calvert

Primary Years Programme Co-ordinator

Learning Enrichment

Learning Enrichment staff are spending time understanding student data, reviewing Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), getting to know students and families and meeting with teachers to share knowledge about individual students, classes and cohorts. We are very grateful to our Learning Enrichment teachers, Mrs Lisa Watson and Mrs Sarah Williams for their diligence. Learning Enrichment support and extension classes begin Monday 20 February.

NAPLAN – students in Grades 3 and 5 will sit the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). This year, the test window is moving to March. NAPLAN is made up of tests in the 4 areas (or ‘domains’) of reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

Launceston Grammar has been selected to participate in the National Assessment Program – Science Literacy (NAP-Science Literacy) 2023 Main Study. Our school is one of approximately 640 schools selected by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) through a random sampling process. Only 20 students from Year 6 (and/or Year 10) sit the main study test, which will be conducted in May.

Sheona Carter

Head of Junior Campus

Grade 4 had a member of the Tasmania Police and Parent Ashlee Goss work with Grade 4 in relation to our unit of inquiry

Transdisciplinary Theme ‘How We Organise Ourselves’. Our Central Idea is ‘Resources, Rules and Laws enable Communities to Function.’

The lines of inquiry are:

1. The connection between and importance of developing children’s right and responsibilities.

2. Resources are a global responsibility.

3. Rules and laws have affected the lives of people, past and present.

She shared about her role, laws, consequences for not following and how it helps a community function.

The Junior Campus Art programme is being reimagined by Art Teacher, Martine Cook. She has transformed the Art House into a magical wonderland and the children are enjoying being in the space.

Prep Bassano and Grade 1 Dray children have been responding to questions and collaborating to find answers…

Mrs Cook – What is an Acknowledgement of Country?

Thayu – I heard it in Kinder

Emmerson – We acknowledge Wilbur and Cleo.

Cleo – I know because they didn’t have paper. They used a special kind of rock to write on.

Max M – To thank the Palawa people.

Max E – The aboriginal people.

Isla – The Palawa people are nice.

Isla – This is the land, this is the sky; here are my friends and here am I. We thank the Palawa people for the land on which we learn and play.

Cleo – Hands up, hands down, we are on Palawa ground.

Cleo – We do it sometimes before Assembly.

Jamilla – We pray.

Rose – There’s a love heart at the end.

Our Prep artists visit the art House for the first time!

Our Grade 1 Dray says the Acknowledgement of Country every morning.

On Wednesday 22 February our students will participate in the annual House Swimming Carnival. This day is always memorable, and it is an opportunity for every student to represent their house with pride. 

Date: Wednesday 22 February 2023 (Launceston Cup Day)  

Time: 9.30 am – 2.45 pm 

Where: Riverside Pool 

What to wear: 

We encourage House coloured polo shirts for the day and the students may arrive at school in these. If your child does not own a polo shirt in their House colour, their striped polo shirt may also be worn.  

Buesnell-Rooney = Sky blue top  

Lyttleton-Hewton = Red top  

Maxey-Middleton = Gold top 

We ask that each child wears a new House swimming cap.  (These are available for purchase at Junior Campus Reception for $7.00 each).   

Lunch: 

All children must bring a packed lunch to school on Wednesday, as there will be no Lunch Orders for Years 3 – 6. Please ensure that your child has plenty of water to drink, as it is a long and often hot day. Children will not be permitted to access the kiosk. 

Sunscreen: 

Please ensure your child has their own sunscreen to apply throughout the day. 

Transport: 

At 9.00 am all students will be travelling by bus to the Riverside Pool with their teachers. All children are required to arrive at school prior to this time, please. Children may leave the venue at the end of the Carnival at approximately 2.45 pm with their parents if they wish.  

 To enable transport arrangements to be made, please return the following form to Junior Campus Reception by Friday 17 February. All students who normally travel to the Senior Campus will be transported back to the Junior Campus with their class teacher and then onto the Commuter Bus. Please note: buses are not likely to reach the Junior Campus until at least 3.05 pm.   

Officials: 

• All offers to assist at our House Carnival would be most welcome. Please also fill in the appropriate section if you are interested, no experience is needed. However, we ask that all officials have a current WWVP card.  

Correction!! the U16 Girls won at Lake Barrington

2023 Australian Idol contestant and Launceston Grammar alumnus, Kartik Kunasegaran will be performing at a special fundraising event for this year’s Walkathon charity from 1 pm on Tuesday 21 February for Senior Campus students.

Funds raised will go toward this year’s charity as selected by Grade 12, Sony Foundation Australia’s You Can Stay program for regional youth cancer patients who must travel to city hospitals for life-saving treatment, with accommodation at no cost.

With over 1,000 auditions for Channel 7 and 7plus’ Australian Idol, Kartik was placed in the top 32. When asked about his experience with Australian Idol, he says he is thankful for the opportunity to tell his story and audition in front of the judges.

The fundraising initiative includes the performance by Kartik and a BBQ lunch, Zooper Doopers and a free clothes day.

A kind reminder that the Staff and Student Leaders of Fraser and Savigny House and warmly invite you and your family to the upcoming commencement Chapel Services.

Fraser House Chapel Service will be held on Monday 20 February 2023, commencing at 5.30 pm. https://www.trybooking.com/CFVUJ

Savigny House Chapel Service will be held on Tuesday 21 February 2023, commencing at 5.30 pm. https://www.trybooking.com/CFVUM

The service will be held in the School Chapel. There will then be a BBQ following the service in the East Quad. A sausage in bread (and veggie burgers) and soft drinks will be available for a gold coin donation, and all funds raised will be going to the 2023 Walkathon Charity, You Can Stay.

We would be delighted to renew contacts with existing parents as well as meet our new parents. It is an expectation that all Fraser students in Grades 8 – 12 attend the Commencement Service and we warmly welcome any Grade 7 students and their families who would like to attend.

Please RSVP with the number of people attending from your family. Please indicate if you will require the vegetarian option.

Fraser House – https://www.trybooking.com/CFVUJ

Savigny House – https://www.trybooking.com/CFVUM

If you are unable to attend we would appreciate a reply indicating this. If you have any questions or to let us know if you can’t make it to Chapel, please get in touch with the Head of Fraser House Simon Shaw at sshaw@lcgs.tas.edu.au or the Head of Savigny House Susan Stokes at sstokes@lcgs.tas.edu.au.

Thank you to everyone who came to the Fun & Food Feast at the Junior Campus on Friday 10 January. The turnout was incredible and we were thrilled to see so many of you and your families.

Fleur d’Antoine (1993) and the Old Launcestonian’s Association worked so hard to create such a fun and friendly environment and worked closely with our fabulous Facilities staff.

We look forward to welcoming Lisa from The Resilience Co. and Kara from Nature. Be in it. to Launceston for the Ultimate Outdoor Classroom, 23-24 March 2023. We welcome other childhood educators in our community to join us for an amazing couple of days of professional development at the Hoo Hoo Hunt, Trevallyn Reserve. If you know anyone who would be interested in this professional development opportunity, please don’t hesitate to share the details with them.

Come and Try Badminton at Elphin Sports Centre