Term 4, Week 7

It was wonderful this week to welcome back David Boon to Grammar to be inducted as Alumnus of the Year. Named after eminent Australian composer and Old Launcestonian Peter Sculthorpe, the award was created in 2015 by fellow alumni, Ross Youngman and John Ferrall, to honour a member of the Launceston Grammar community who has made a significant achievement within their chosen field of endeavour. As a School, we are grateful to Mr Ross Youngman and Mr John Ferrall who initiated this wonderful award.

David spoke to our students about his time at the School and the things he took from Launceston Grammar that helped him on his life’s journey. He shared some wonderful messages about the importance of being brave and taking chances. He spoke of the importance of integrity, hard work and education. He wanted our students to see the list of alumni that have been awarded and that this award is inspiring.

The Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award inductees cross fields of politics, sport, medicine and medical research, journalism, and the arts. It was also wonderful to welcome back some of his classmates from 1978 to celebrate with David.  

As we approach the end of Term, could I draw your attention to our upcoming Junior Campus  Graduation and Presentation Evening on Thursday 8 December at our Senior Campus Hall.  Also, our Senior Graduation and Presentation Evening at the Silverdome is on Wednesday 14 December.  

God’s Blessings. 

Nicholas Foster

Acting Headmaster

Dear Parents and Carers, 

The students have continued to impress with their capacity to see a need and take action to improve our environment or circumstance. Our children have a special interest in supporting animals; the recent Crazy Hair Day and Art Competition to raise money for Wings Wildlife, organised and run by Grade 4, is an example of learner agency in action. All participants enjoyed the activities and the children raised nearly $300 – Well done Grade 4! 

Our creative students enjoy Crazy Hair Day 

Carol Service at St John’s Church 

The Grammar Carol Service at St John’s Church on Wednesday evening was a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and reflect on what a special time of year it is. The music was a credit to all involved; the vocalists, musicians and presenters excelled. Bishop Richard Condie reminded us to be grateful for all the good things that happen, especially at Christmas, and to appreciate what we have. All staff and students who worked so hard to bring together such heart-warming event are to be thanked and congratulated. It was a privileged to be part of such a lovely community evening. 

The end of the year is upon us! Plans for the end of year events, and transition activities to prepare the children for next year, are well underway. Please ensure that you note the following dates and times for the final days, as relevant to your family.  

Wednesday 7 December 

1.30pm Kinder Concert – Junior Campus, Faulkner Hall 

Please come along to the Kinder Concert and support Anglicare at the same time. Families are generously donating food and gifts which will be distributed to those in need. Each Junior Campus classroom has a box for donations, which will be placed under the Christmas Tree next Wednesday. Thanks to all for thinking of others.  

We are looking forward to what the Kinder children have in store for us at their concert! 

Thursday 8 December  

5.45 – 7.00pm Grade 3-6 Presentation and Graduation Evening – Senior Campus, Memorial Hall 

We hope to see members of the community at this end of year event for our Grade 3-6 students. Younger siblings are most welcome to attend and sit with their parents. Musicians and Choirs will perform, awards will be presented, and the Grade 6 students will graduate. Parents of students who are to receive an award have advised by class teachers.  Reserved seating has been allocated to Grade 6 parents and carers. 

Programme: 

5.45pm Student and guest arrival  

6.00pm Presentation and Graduation Evening commences 

7.00pm Presentation and Graduation Evening concludes 

Friday 8 December 

10.00am – Junior Campus Carols Service, Faulkner Halls 

Please join us for our Christmas service, which will be led by Senior Campus Chaplain, Reverend Matthew Pickering. As for the Kinder Concert, students and families are encouraged to bring donations for Anglicare.   

Transition Events 

Those in Early Learning and Prep have already enjoyed their 2023 transition experiences in Week 6 and 7.  

It is always a pleasure to welcome new children and families to the Junior Campus. I do hope that current families will reach out and make everyone welcome.   

Monday 12 December  

9.15 – 11.00am Orientation Morning  

Children in Prep – Grade 5 will have some time in their 2023 setting on Orientation Morning. They will meet staff and experience what learning in their new grade level will be like. We hope that this will be a positive experience for all. We look forward to welcoming new children and their families for the morning. Arrival and departure for new families will be via the Resource Centre. If any parents or carers are interested in assisting with the welcome, and spend time with new parents while the children are in the classrooms, your support would be appreciated.  

Please contact our Receptionist, Kristin Koehne, via email jnrschoolreception@lcgs.tas.edu.au to register your interest.  

Class Lists 

The placement of children into class groups requires careful thought and consideration. Staff reflect very carefully on each child’s abilities, social-emotional maturity and behavioural needs, relationships and gender. Thanks to parents who have shared insights for 2023. The information has been noted and will be taken into consideration. Please note that requests may be conflicting, so no promises can be made.  Students have been invited to complete a sociogram so that their preferences are also considered.  I hope that you will trust our staff to make the right decision for your child. Staffing for 2023 is nearly finalised – parents will be advised when confirmed. As we are still enrolling students for 2023, final class lists will be emailed to parents in the last week of January 2023.  

Tuesday 13 December – Class Picnic Day.   

Please refer to information from Grade Teachers about the arrangements for the day. 

Wednesday 14 December  

12.30pm End of Year Dismissal  

Please note that the children are to be dismissed at 12.30pm on the last day of Term 4, Wednesday 14 December. There will be no Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) on this day. 

Vacation Care  

Information regarding Vacation Care has been sent to parents and carers.  

I hope to see you at the end of year events. There is much to look forward to between now and the end of the year! 

Yours sincerely, 

Sheona Carter

Term Dates 2023 

Public Holidays 2023  

Junior Campus Teacher, Timothy Brown was officially accredited as one of the first seven teachers in Tasmania to achieve certification as a HALT Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher with the Australian Institute for Teaching & School Leadership (AITSL). He has achieved the highest level of being acknowledged as a Lead Teacher.

The ceremony took place in Hobart with Education Minister Jaensch presenting the awards. The Head of Junior Campus, Sheona Carter was also in attendance. Ann Moxham, Registrar of the Teachers Registration Board said: “The Board and its office congratulate these certified HALTs, the HALT assessors and all involved in making the Pilot a success. As the body that registers teachers in Tasmania, has the mandate to promote the teaching profession and develop and improve teaching standards, we are delighted to have had a role in pioneering this initiative in Tasmania and ensuring that teachers in Tasmania are recognised on par with the best teachers anywhere in Australia.”

Around 14 months ago Tim started a journey to create 3 portfolios which included addressing the seven AITSL standards (37 standard descriptors) at Lead Level. He was assessed multiple times, being observed in his role as a teacher and leader, working with his colleagues by initiating and leading many projects to improve teacher efficacy and student outcomes.

During this time, he also completed a Graduate Certificate of Education in Leadership with the University of Tasmania.

This semester in DANCE Grade 8 Dance students have looked at the concept of Human Vs Machine. Our Dance captain, Mia Ainslie had this to say about the process, “I have had the privilege of being Dance captain this year. When producing work, we need to consider many different elements such as direction, change in tempo and moments of stillness to create contrast.” 

As a class, we brainstormed what is a machine and why we use machines. We discussed mass production; the use of conveyor belts as well as everyday machines, like coffee machines, blenders, air conditioners and others. We experimented in duets to make a hybrid machine and experimented with how sounds can influence our piece. The students also discussed how a machine differs then to the HUMAN experience. Humans have thoughts and feelings, they experience love, sadness, isolation and other emotions. We thought about how machines and humans can have benefits & flaws but perhaps when they work together, we can be much stronger overall. Human Vs Machine was performed at the Earl Arts Centre.  

Earlier in the year, the dance students had the privilege of participating in a contemporary workshop with Stompin’s director, Caitlin Comerford. The workshop set the stage for preparations for the Launceston Competitions. Here, the students faired very well; gaining first and third places as well as being highly commended for their small group works referencing the “wheel of emotions”. They performed at the Princess Theatre.  

Grade 7 Movement has been a very successful year. In the first semester, students entered large class works into the Launceston Competitions based on the topic of “War (7D) and “The Natural Landscape” (7A). I was very proud of the way the students showed dedication and discipline which was recognised when they were awarded first place (7D) and 2nd place (7A) out of 12 school entries. Many of the students had never been on stage before, they reflected that working as an ensemble and performing at the Princess Theatre was an exciting opportunity.    

This semester 7C and 7B have been looking at the concept of mythical creatures. We discussed how we might make a firebird; a character from Russian folklore that symbolized rebirth, beauty, and magic. Both classes performed to the same piece of music by the Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky creating whole class works. It was fantastic to see the different firebirds that emerged. 

Thank you to my wonderful students for an inspiring year in Dance & Movement. 

Ms Ingrid Reynolds  

The Drama and Dance Department staff, students and alumni have long enjoyed relationships with local theatre companies and youth drama groups. This was wonderfully evident in Encore Theatre Company’s recent staging of The Jersey Boys, featuring alumni Conall Cassidy in a lead role as Nick Massi, Matt Howard, Will Robertson and Cody Sparkes. Current staff members, Will Robertson and Tasmanian Theatre Awards nominee and award winner, Joel King also trod the boards. Congratulations to our thespians!

Current Grade 10 student, Grace Fieldwick recently returned from five days of work experience with Bell Shakespeare Company at their headquarters, The Wharf in Sydney. Over 100 applications were submitted nationwide with Grace being one of 12 selected. An action-packed schedule including panel discussions with marketing, fundraising, casting and tech teams afforded her a valuable insight into the industry. Congratulations to Grace.

On Wednesday 15th November, Grade 8 Drama and Dance students showcased an evening of monologues and original dance work, Human versus Machine. Congratulations to Ms Reynolds and to the dancers on this precise and emotive piece. Drama students are also to be commended for the high standard of their performance skills and for the excellent manner in which they seamlessly transitioned from the classroom to the venue.

The following evening, Grade 9 and 10 Drama students performed extracts from George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man, a challenging undertaking for this age level. The mature performance skills and degree of understanding demonstrated by these students were well received by all members of the audience.

Students recently completed their ‘Ritual’ unit exploring World Dance. The HAKA, African Gumboot Dance, Indonesian Dance, Aboriginal Dance and Hawaiian Dance (Hula). The students presented their findings through a theory and a practical component. Acknowledging momentary adoption of a dance in a way that is sensitive and discussing cultural appropriation was an important element to the success of this unit.

Louise Peters

Head of Drama

Much contributes to a year of learning. Now that our TCE students have completed their end-of-year external examinations, it is an important time to reflect. Many of you would know that reflection is a critical component of teaching practice. It allows us, in part, to consider a year of learning and look to the year ahead for continuous improvement. It allows us to review our curriculum choices, pedagogical approaches and assessment practices. It allows us to collaborate with our colleagues to discuss what excellent teaching looks like and to document this in our programs.

As I’ve written about previously, the external TCE assessments are just one, albeit important, opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of their subjects. However, they are important learning and reflective opportunities for teaching staff as well.

At Launceston Grammar School we have a wealth of experience and expertise in our staff. Many of our staff across a range of faculties mark the external examinations for TASC. This counts as one of the best professional learning opportunities of the year for teachers. It provides crucial information as to the nature of the end-of-year examinations. It informs the scope and sequence of courses for subsequent years. It provides valuable opportunities to share the learnings with other teaching staff and, importantly, it supports reflective practice. This year, as in previous years, we have had many staff marking external folios, bodies of work, performances and the end-of-year written examinations. This speaks not only to the professionalism of our staff – the willingness to take on a significant workload at a busy time of year to support better teaching and learning opportunities for our students – but also to the values of a lifelong learner: values we wish to inculcate in our students.

I wanted to take the time to thank those staff who were successful in applying for external assessment examining with TASC and who continue to contribute to excellent teaching and learning at Launceston Grammar:

Mark Cox – Chemistry 4

Clare Farrell – Art Theory and Criticism 3

Jordan Green – Physics 4

Tori Haeusler – Biology 3

Louise Peters – Drama 3 and Theatre Production 3

Melissa Rogers – Student-Directed Inquiry 3 and Music 3

Terry Sheehan – Mathematics Specialised 4

Paul Snell – Art Production 3

Susan Stokes – English 3 and English Writing 3

Simon Shaw – Sociology 3

Mark Webster – Media Production 3

Congratulations to all our TCE students who completed a mammoth learning year at Launceston Grammar School and thank you to all our teaching staff who continue to prioritise excellent teaching and learning opportunities for our students. Best wishes for the Christmas and holiday period and I look forward to continuing to support our students and staff in 2023.

Natalie Stewart

Director of Teaching and Learning 10-12

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AFTER THE RELEASE OF TCE RESULTS

The arrival of TCE results in December can cause some students to re-evaluate their future plans. The Careers Centre will be open from 8.30 am – 4.00 pm on Thursday 15 December (the day after the release of TCE results) to assist students and parents who want to discuss options and/or make changes to tertiary study applications.

Please feel free to email careers@lcgs.tas.edu.au, phone (03) 6336 6058 or pop into the Careers Centre on this date.

Download – Know your options 

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

We look forward to seeing you at this special event on Wednesday 14 December from 6pm at the Silverdome. There will be opportunity to donate to the 2022 Anglicare Christmas Appeal which is themed around giving hope. Look for the display in the Silverdome foyer at the event. Or alternatively here is the link to donate if you would like to: https://www.anglicare-tas.org.au/donate/

Mr Ariel Halperin has led the chess team through a very successful 2022 and he has shared the news of their performance at the Australian National competition. The team entered two divisions (Middle Years and Open). Our Middle Years team brought home a fantastic result of 4th in the entire country, with Luwanna Beeton, Grade 8, awarded as the top female player in the Middle Years section, and Monty Brown, Grade 9, placing 12th in the country. Our Open team had a rocky start on the first day but pulled in at 17th place overall.

With the end of chess this year we have to say goodbye to one of our players William Coulson. The chess team would like to wish him good luck with his future endeavours, wherever they may be. The spirit of friendship and support has been great in our team this year, which has seen a boom in the club’s popularity and competition success.

Grade 7 student Paige Duncan-Rainbird was flown to Melbourne recently for the 2022 Young Australian Writers Awards. The awards are organised by OzKids in Print, a project run by The Children’s Charity Network, to instil a love of writing and the arts in Australian children. Paige was awarded the Geoff & Helen Bandbury Achievement Award for her poem “Don’t Speak Like a Bogan”. You can read the full poem here.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Launceston Grammar Christmas Carols at St John’s on Wednesday. If you could not attend, please enjoy the video from the evening.

Reverend Matthew Pickering said, “Our Carols Service last night was simply brilliant in so many ways – the level of participation and enthusiasm, presentation and performance was very high.”

Reserve your spot now.

Launceston Grammar fitting letter 2023

The final day of Term 4 is Wednesday 14 December. Please note school will finish on this day at 12.30 pm. For parents who are unable to collect their children, there will be a Metro Bus provided at 12.35 pm departing from the Senior Campus to the destination of St John Street in the City and, if required, the Metro Bus will return for a second trip.

All other Country Buses will operate as normal. If you are unsure of these arrangements, please check with your bus provider.