Term 3, Week 3

As I walked around the campus this week my eye was drawn to the blossom on one of the trees. It brought a smile to my face, the thought that spring is coming. The next day that smile was tempered by defrosting my car in the minus-degree temperatures before I could begin the journey to work.  Whilst I know warm weather is coming there are still a few hurdles before I need to worry about donning my shorts.  While I can see the light at the end of winter’s tunnel we are not quite there yet.  This is a lot like what we experience in all aspects of life. Sometimes it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel, at other times you can see the light but it seems far away, and yet at other times we experience the euphoria of reaching the tunnel’s end.

One of the things I have always valued so much about the Grammar community is that we are there to support each other at times when the tunnel’s end seems a journey too far to contemplate, but also to celebrate at the journey’s end. I really appreciated some feedback recently expressing thanks for the support staff have given children in our care. We all know that students make mistakes, as indeed do we all.  Learning occurs both with our failings, and also our successes.  At times students will make poor choices and that is okay. Working together we look at what has occurred, why it occurred and what we would do differently.  An important part of our pastoral care program is working with students when things go wrong in order to rebuild relationships moving forward. I sometimes visualise the role of parents and staff akin to the barriers around the old-fashioned dodgem cars at Country Fairs.  As a little boy, I would ride around in the cars and when you ran off the track you were met with a soft barrier that bounced you back on track. As always, I value working with our community when things might not be going as smoothly as they should. That’s what communities do, work together.

I would also like to congratulate Lucy Barbour who was inducted into our Dance and Drama Wall of Fame this week This award recognised one of our alumni who was a successful thespian at school and has gone on to use these talents in her professional career as a National Regional Affairs reporter with the ABC.  Finally, I would like to congratulate the Art Department and Art Captains on the amazing exhibition The Butterfly Effect. The title of our art exhibition is so apt for schools.  When alumni talk about their journeys through school I so often hear of a small act of kindness, a redirection,  or a kind word.  Each of these little things, over time, has helped shape the men and women they have grown into.  At the time these small moments may have seemed inconsequential but like the butterfly effect, the gentle sweeping of the wings ripples out to make an effect that is felt often many years later.

I hope you get to have a great weekend with your children and as always please reach out to any of us if we can help navigate times when we are in the tunnel and cannot see the end.

Warm regards

Nick Foster

New families to the Junior Campus

As mentioned in last week’s Junior Campus update, we are very pleased to welcome all the new families to our School. Additional students have commenced in Early Learning and some students are attending for more days each week. We are very pleased that our younger learners are enjoying their time at Grammar and that our Kinder children are well on the way to being ready for full-time attendance in Prep.

The children attending in Omagh now have full use of the building. Omagh has a lovely, homely feel and our staff enjoy making both upstairs and downstairs spaces welcome and inviting. There is lots more to explore! Omagh Teacher, Emily Malinowski, is responsible for the group Monday – Thursday, ably supported by co-educator, Georgina Hodgetts.

Georgina is to be congratulated for completing her Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and meeting the requirements for full registration with the Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania. As a result, Georgina is taking responsibility for the growing Omagh group on Fridays, ensuring continuity of programming and support.

New students also commenced in Grades 5 and 6. Thanks to our continuing students who have reached out to befriend the newest members of our community.

Last week, we welcomed many prospective parents and children to a Discover Grammar Tour at the Junior Campus. It was great to see new Grade 6 student, Kaleb, taking up hosting responsibilities with such enthusiasm! Our Junior Campus School Captains, Ben Watson and Elsie Miller, were also excellent ambassadors for our School, as were Heidi Johns and Hamish Walker.

The additional interest in coming to Grammar means that places for 2022 and 2023 are filling. If you know of anyone who is interested in joining our community, please encourage them to contact our Head of Enrolments, Malcolm Dolman via Phone: +61 3 6336 6052 or Email: mdolman@lcgs.tas.edu.au 

Junior Campus Captains – Presentation to the Launceston Grammar Board Wednesday 17 August

Our Grade 6 Captains have been collaborating to prepare a presentation about what is happening on the Junior School Campus to the Launceston Grammar Board. To begin, they used the Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI) thinking tool to reflect on what is happening on our campus. PMI is a brainstorming activity that encourages the participants in a discussion to look at ideas from more than one viewpoint. PMI was developed by Dr. Edward de Bono, a proponent of teaching critical thinking in schools.

Ideas were proposed, written on post-it notes, sorted and prioritised. Groups were formed and the students took responsibility for progressing the agreed goals.  Action plans were developed and at each meeting, the students reported on progress and identified next steps. The presentations are just about ready to share with their peers for feedback before the Junior Campus Captains present to the Board on Wednesday 17 August.

It has been a really great learning experience for us to organise our ideas and learn to express them. Caitlin G6

It has opened our ideas to trying new things and taking risks. Pluto G6

Primary Years Programme Exhibition (PYPX).

All Grade 6 students have been developing leadership skills. They are learning to initiate or help to organise group activities to address a common need and to set realistic goals when devising an action plan. Learning these social and self-management skills will stand them in good stead for the upcoming Primary Years Programme Exhibition (PYPX).

The PYPX exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP and sharing them with the whole school community. Students are required to engage in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. IB PYPX Guidelines

Staff Professional Learning

The Junior Campus staff regularly engage in professional learning to further their knowledge of our students and how they learn, curriculum content and effective teaching strategies.

This week, Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator, Claire Calvert, and Grade 6 teachers, Michelle Youl and Helen Wilson, shared information with the staff about the PYPX. This inquiry into ‘how we share the planet’ is a work in progress for all involved. The community will be updated as the inquiry unfolds. Invitations to attend the PYPX will be sent, so all can come and engage with our students and find out what they have learned and what action they take as a result.

Student Code of Conduct

Maintaining safe and supportive learning environments is also a priority for all our educators. This week we also looked at the Student Code of Conduct, modified for the Junior Campus students. Staff have suggested adjustments, to ensure that the document is appropriate to the younger Grammar students, and teachers are sharing the content with students to gain their perspectives.

The draft Junior Campus Student Code of Conduct document will be shared with parents next week, along with a Microsoft Forms Survey for comment and feedback.

Teachers have been reviewing our approach to Positive Behaviour Management and implementing proactive and preventative strategies to support the development of self-awareness, self-management and social awareness and social management skills, as outlined in the Australian Curriculum Personal and Social Learning continuum. Grade 3 and 4 Team Leader, Jude Coombe, also updated the staff about our experiences with investigating student well being check in surveys.

Skodel

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, we have decided to trial Skodel Check-In, beginning with students in Grades 3-6. Skodel Check-In offers us a simple and engaging way to check in with students on a regular basis. The application also enables students to focus on their own individual areas of wellbeing and create student-centred goals. By giving students an opportunity to share stories of gratitude, share their vulnerabilities or simply share a story with us we aim to achieve the following:

1. 1. Build Stronger Relationships: By driving more meaningful conversations at school, we hope to build stronger relationships with students and families, develop the PYP Learner Profile attributes and dispositions and build positive School culture.
2. Identify Students That Need Support: It can be hard for students going through a challenging time to speak out. Our aim is to give students a platform where they feel comfortable, so we can best support them.
3. Connect wellbeing with academic outcomes: There is a link between wellbeing and learning.  By engaging students with their wellbeing, and understanding this, better steps can be taken to improve outcomes over time.
4. Encourage Self-Expression: We want to give students a voice and encourage them to use it. This helps students discover themselves and gives us a chance to get to know them so we can better support them face challenges and share in moments of joy and achievement.

Students will commence to engage with the Skodel application this term; we will continue to check in and work with them through 2022.

Mental health and wellbeing need to be our highest priority in helping our young people create great futures. Skodel enables young people to discover the language of their feelings and provides assistance in planning to increase wellbeing, I am delighted to recommend this initiative to schools. Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist

Additional information can be found here: Skodel – Simple, evidence-based wellbeing for schools

If you have any questions, comments or concerns then please feel free to make contact

Junior Campus Boarders Celebrate Christmas in Winter.

The Grammar Boarders celebrated Christmas at a recent Boarding House dinner. We have 3 Junior Campus Boarders who live at the Senior Campus; they thoroughly enjoyed the anticipation and engagement in this special event. Students and staff dressed in festive attire and the Boarding House dining room was decorated beautifully to enhance the festive feel. Each Boarder had to find just the right Secret Santa gift, so the spirit of giving ensured an extra layer of fun for the evening. the

Above: Grace, Heidi and David anticipate Christmas Dinner Below: Chef, Mark, and Jude prepared a delicious feast

Junior Campus Valet Service and Parking – a reminder

When collecting children from Valet, please do not block those cars which have parked in designated parks. Some drivers are blocking the road, making it difficult for parked cars to exit. If you are in the Valet queue, do not prevent other cars from leaving.

Pick up is particularly congested between 3.00-3.15pm. You may need to drive around the block, to allow parked cars to exit, or alternatively, arrive a little later when traffic has diminished. Bifrons Court is a quieter alternative.

In the interest of community harmony, please do not obstruct other drivers.

To help with traffic flow, signs have been produced for displaying on your car visor at our Valet Service. If you can display the signs on the passenger side, we can see the family name. Rubber bands can be used to hold them in place. If you need additional signs, please do not hesitate to ask.

Your support, ensuring safe and smooth traffic flow around the Campus, is greatly appreciated by all.

Thanks to all drivers who obey the parking signs around the campus. This helps with traffic flow as well as community and neighbourly relations. When dropping off, and picking up your children, please observe the signs and do not park in the drive-through zone between 8.15-9.00 am and 2.45-3.30 pm.

Students who arrive and depart School during the day

Students who arrive and depart School during the day should do so via Reception, which is in the Resource Centre. Please ensure that you sign in/out so that our attendance records are accurate. Once again, your support is appreciated.

Student Absences

Thanks very much to all parents and carers of school-age children who write to advise the School when your child/ren may be out of school for an extended period.  This enables us to note the reason and dates for the absence, ensuring we are compliant. As schooling is compulsory in Tasmania, we do encourage holidays to be taken during the scheduled breaks.

Should your children be away during term time, please support their learning by engaging in everyday literacy and numeracy activities and keeping a diary to share on return.

Broadland House update

The structural work will soon be completed after which Design Intent (architectural services) will commence the interior and exterior renovation concepts and detailed design process. There will be several modifications to the interior layout, which are designed to improve facilities and the general use of each space. The teams at Faulkner Building, Design Intent and Rare Innovation are to be acknowledged for their amazing efforts in restoring this unique and historic building.

Steve Donaghy, Property Manager

We look forward to seeing members of the community at our upcoming events. Dates can be found below.

Sheona Carter

Head of Junior Campus

Our Grade 5 students organised a fundraiser this Wednesday 10 August for Rural Alive and Well (RAW). They were inspired by our current learning inquiry and discussed what they might do with Mrs Carter.

The students asked that people wear ‘farming clothes / or Australian-made products and bring in a gold coin. They organised games at recess and lunch and made their way around classrooms in the morning to collect any extra donations. Overall, the students raised $540 for a very important charity.

Rural Alive and Well “are driven towards building healthy and resilient local rural communities across Tasmania. Creating healthy and resilient rural communities doesn’t happen overnight, it starts at a foundational level. We have to sow, water and tend before we can reap a harvest.”

“Reading can take kids on incredible journeys of discovery, awakens their imagination, and builds their confidence. It is never too early or too late to help them find inspiration and motivation to pick up a book.

The MS Readathon has been inspiring kids to read more for 45 years, and this August, it will be more fun than ever before. Last year Aussie kids read 260,000 books, this August, we want more kids to read even more. Kids can read anything, including comics, magazines, novels, or read-along audiobooks. We don’t mind as long as they are reading.” – MS Readathon 

We visited the Junior Campus library to see Mrs Lee to let us know how the students are getting on! So far our online readers have raised over $700 with another few weeks still to go. The library is often a very busy place to be with readers of all ages popping in for a new book or returning something that they have enjoyed.

Good luck to everyone involved and thank you to our librarians for keeping a strong supply of books to engage those curious minds.

It is not unusual for me to be asked by parents or students why we still study the works of William Shakespeare in high school. Why bother when the language is inaccessible? How can 400-year-old texts still be relevant today? Why not study a contemporary text that speaks to students’ experiences?

I am a passionate bardolator. Despite teaching Macbeth more times than I can remember, I continue to find new meanings in the text. I am haunted by Shakespeareworms – Shakespeare quotes that play over and over in your brain – (today’s Shakespeareworm is courtesy of Julius Caesar: “Men at some time are masters of their fates;/The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,/But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”) I hold out hope, that like the UK, Shakespeare will one day be a compulsory author in the Australian National Curriculum.

Shakespeare is considered one of the world’s greatest wordsmiths and is recognised for creating over 1700 words that are still in use today. The language is challenging, but this is an important part of studying Shakespeare. Perseverance and struggle with the language allow students to build their vocabulary, stretching students with their oral and written communication.

Harold Bloom, the acclaimed American literary critic, credits Shakespeare with “the invention of the human”, that is, not only realistically portraying the human experience, but truthfully representing human nature; representations that are still profoundly relevant to modern audiences. Shakespeare’s characters expose the breadth of the human experience: whether it is the devious Iago planting poisonous seeds of mistrust in Othello’s mind, Constance’s grief over the loss of her son and husband, Macbeth’s rampant ambition to be King, Romeo’s impetuosity in love or the weight of Hamlet’s indecision over whether ‘to be’. In faithfully representing the human experience, we can come to better understand not only others but also ourselves.

Contemporary texts do offer a reflection of students’ own experiences, but young people are also inundated with contemporary texts on television, film and social media. And we need students to move beyond their own experiences to vicariously consider that of others’. The skill and craftsmanship of Shakespeare capture themes that transcend time and place and move students to explore universal tensions including power and authority, appearance and reality, guilt and conscience, fate and free will and good versus evil.

And so, it was for these reasons (and many more!) that this week, the Bell Shakespeare Company performed for our Grade 9 and 10 students significant scenes and speeches from Shakespeare’s plays. Always a delight, their performances entertained us, surprised us, moved us and challenged us beyond ourselves.

Natalie Stewart

Acting Head of English

Image: The players Ruby, Chrissy and Lawrence from the Bell Shakespeare Company.

Decision-making is a constant and often challenging experience for us as humans. Some estimates suggest we make 221 food-related choices alone each day (Lang, 2006)! Provide us with too many options, and we can become overwhelmed. This has been found in simple studies of children with their toys. Dauch et al (2018) studied children playing with either 4 or 16 toys and found that fewer toys led to more creative and longer incidents of play. Indeed, the paradox of choice is that too much diversity when making choices causes us stress. Contrastingly, provide us with too few choices, and we can become frustrated with a lack of autonomy. 

As we wrote in the last newsletter, subject selection season is upon us! Over the past two weeks, our Grade 7 – 11 students have had the opportunity to learn about the subjects open to them in 2023 and speak with teachers about these offerings. We will have our final opportunity for this on Tuesday 16 August with our Grade 9 and 10 (2023) Subject Selection Evening. There is a wide range of subjects available, so reflecting on these choices and how to make an informed decision is important. 

One important step in this process is reflecting on our choice point. This is the space we are in right before making a decision and it has been taken from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a mindful approach to making decisions in line with our goals and values. Whilst Acceptance and Commitment Therapy typically involves more steps, such as a values sort, reflecting on the choice point alone is still a valuable activity. Our Grade 7 – 11 students are all currently in a choice point with regards to their subjects. 

We encourage students to take time over this weekend to pause and reflect on: 

• What they value in life 
• What drives their passions 
• What they enjoy in life 
• Where their interests lie 
• Their possible future pathways and 

• The subject summaries in the student handbooks. 

We also encourage students to continue conversing with their tutors and teachers to gather as much material as possible to make an informed choice. 

Ultimately, we hope that our students choose their subjects with a thought about their values, their interests, their future, and their enjoyment. 

Sarah Shepherd and Natalie Stewart 

Co-Directors of Teaching and Learning 

Dauch, C., Imwalle, M., Ocasio, B., and Metz, A. (2018). The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play. Infant Behavior and Development. 50, 78-87. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005. 

Lang, S. (2006). ‘Mindless autopilot’ drives people to dramatically underestimate how many daily food decisions they make, Cornell study finds. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2006/12/mindless-autopilot-drives-people-underestimate-food-decisions. 

UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

Applications for most university courses, accommodation and scholarships opened in early August.  Grade 12 students attended compulsory information sessions about the application process in Week 2 and will attend a compulsory information session about accommodation and scholarship processes next week.

Application drop-in help sessions will be held in Room C3 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime from Monday 8 August – Friday 30 September.  Students and parents are also very welcome to make appointments at other times.

GENERATION 2022 SURVEY

Our Grade 10 students have been invited to participate in the first year of a new longitudinal study of young people in Australia.  In 2022, the GENERATION study will focus on the activities and aspirations of Grade 10 students – what they are doing now and what they think they would like to do in the future with study, training and employment.

Each student who completes the survey will receive an individual summary of their career interests, while the school will receive a summary report of the plans of Grade 10 students as a group.  No individual student will be identified in the school report. All data will be kept strictly confidential and no individual student or school will be identified in published data or reports.

Further information about the study will be provided to all Grade 10 families along with a consent form in late August.  If you have any questions about the survey, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

JANE FRANKLIN HALL SCHOLARSHIPS – OPEN NOW

Jane Franklin Hall (a residential college in Hobart) are offering two Jane Community Scholarships for 2023. Open to all Tasmanian students currently in Grade 12, these scholarships are valued at $27, 000, offering a reduction of $9, 000 per year of residency at Jane for up to three years. To apply, students are advised to visit the Jane Franklin Hall website at https://jane.edu.au/fees-scholarships/scholarships/ and complete this Jane Franklin Hall Application Form

Applications for these scholarships close at 9.00am on Tuesday 27 September.

Jane is also offering other scholarships – details are available at https://jane.edu.au/fees-scholarships/scholarships/.

Students requiring help, including proofreading their applications, are encouraged to contact me.

WEBINAR: Applying to the University of Melbourne

Join a webinar hosted by the University of Melbourne and the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) to find out all the information you’ll need to know regarding:

• Researching courses and understanding University of Melbourne entry requirements for TCE and IB students
• Applying for undergraduate courses and the role of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) for applications and offers
• Special Entry Access Schemes (SEAS), their benefits, and how to apply for the University’s own, Access Melbourne.

Date: 7 September

Time: 6:00-7:30pm

Register: Applying to UniMelb for Tas students

2023 Fairbrother Apprentice Intake information 2023 Apprentice Intake

Northern Midlands Council Further Education Bursary 2022 NMC 2022

AMAZING SCIENCE EXPERIENCES!

Working on Water Seafood Jobs

UTAS The Science Experience – ScienceExperience_Tasmania

Engineers Australia – Futures in Engineering

UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS – TERM 3

Monday 8 August –       university application drop-in sessions, every Monday, Wednesday & Friday, lunch, C3

Friday 30 September

Monday 15 August        TCE subject selection drop-in session, recess, Careers Centre

Wednesday 17 August   TCE subject selection drop-in session, recess, Careers Centre

Thursday 18 August      Grade 12 University Scholarships & Accommodation presentation, P3, Auditorium

Friday 19 August           TCE subject selection drop-in session, recess, Careers Centre

Tuesday 23 August       Marcus Oldham College presentation, recess, C4

Thursday 22 September Grade 10 GENERATION 2022 survey, P3, Auditorium

I welcome the opportunity to sit down with parents and students at any time throughout the year to discuss options; please contact me on phone: (03) 6336 6058 or email: careers@lcgs.tas.edu.au to arrange an appointment.

Fiona Symons

Careers Advisor

Last week eight Launceston Grammar students (from Grades 8 – 10) competed in the national, weeklong illuminate Enterprise Challenge. They were commissioned with the task of addressing a current issue and creating a B Corporation to try and alleviate it. This type of enterprise is one that is not only profitable but sustainable and ethical in its approach and operation.

Led by Jamari Lockhart and Zoe Hyland, the rest of the team, comprising: Isaac Bramich, Mathilda Wall, Olivia Goodacre, Jack Mcgee, Griffin Ball and James Gaunt, chose to tackle the burgeoning issue of homelessness in Northern Tasmania.

To do this, they explored and created a business model utilising new technology that creates the possibility of affordable 3D-Printed housing – their business was named Just Printed.

In addition to a range of “pressure test” challenges throughout the week, the team had to create and pitch a viable business plan to support their proposal.

In competition with more than twenty schools (including elite select entry schools like Melbourne High), the team won the Best Video Pitch and secured Third Place in the competition – an amazing achievement!!

We all learned a great deal from this experience and many of the students have expressed interest in competing again next year – maybe we can field more than one team in 2023!

Christopher Ellison

Coordinator of Enterprise Learning.

On Wednesday night the Drama and Dance department held their annual Wall of Fame night. This is an event where performing arts alumni are invited back to the school to share how their experiences in the arts have impacted their lives and careers. We have alumni represented who moved into a wide range of careers, some continuing on within the theatre and performance industries and some moving into very different fields.

This year’s inductee was Lucy Barbour (Class of 2003) who is a renowned reporter for ABC’s Landline and has had a wide-ranging and interesting career in journalism. The evening kicked off with a welcome provided by Nick Foster to the Drama students and parents who attended and then Lou Peters, who taught Lucy Drama in Grade 12, introduced her. Unfortunately Lucy could not be with us in person but she did record a video which was played on the night. This included fond recollections of her time at Grammar and the impact of the decision she made in swapping from Physical Science to Drama in Year 11. She then went on to detail how that led her into journalism and the importance of following your gut instinct with some of those important choices.

The students present were inspired by her words and the message that studying the performing arts can have a deep and lasting impact on whatever you might then choose to pursue in later life. The evening then moved into the Drama rooms where the audience was treated to two dance pieces, one by Grade 8 students and a solo piece by dance captain Mia Ainslie, both of which were very moving and engaging. Edie Burns then performed a monologue from ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ to showcase some of the work being done in the Drama department.

The evening was then rounded off with the Drama Captains Sarah Scott and Jade Freeman and Dance Captain Mia Ainslie officially unveiling Lucy Barbour’s picture and bio which will hang above the door to TR3 until next year’s Wall of Fame.

A lovely night was had by all in attendance and it was wonderful to see the great impact that the performing arts can continue to have even long past school. Many thanks to Lou Peters, Ingrid Reynolds and the Marketing Team for putting together this event and we invite you to come and view the Wall of Fame next time you drop by the Drama Department.

Marianna Lebiedzinska-Hedges

Acting Head of Drama and Dance

The Old Launcestonians’ Association invite the Grammar Community to a Spring Cocktail Party

Friday 9 September

6.30pm to 10pm

Launceston Grammar School Hall, Senior Campus, Button Street Mowbray

Drinks and Canapes $100 per person

RSVP by Thursday 1 September

Reserve your tickets here

Alumna Indira Naidoo is a news journalist and broadcaster, and more recently a best-selling author. Now you can see and hear Indira at a gala lunch in Launceston, where she will give a key address about her latest book, The Space Between the Stars. In this book, she writes about the tragic loss of her younger sister, the magical power of nature to heal, and shares her wonderful school-age memories of growing up in Tasmania.

Join Indira in collaboration with Festival partners Petrarch’s Bookshop at The Launceston Country Club, Tuesday 6 September 1200-1400.

The Tamar Valley Writers Festival is proud to present this event in recognition of Launceston having been designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy; in support of 24 Carrot Gardens; and in celebration of sustainable permaculture advocate Hannah Moloney coming aboard TVWF as our inaugural ambassador and writer-in-residence for 2022. It is anticipated Hannah will attend this event.

Tickets are available here.