Principal's Report 17/03/2022
Flag monitors
It is my great pleasure to be able to introduce our 2022 flag monitors. These three students have volunteered to undertake the important roll of raising our 3 flags each morning (except during wet weather) and are taking the etiquette and rules around correct flag handling very seriously.
Here are a few interesting Flag facts
- Did you know that the Australian Flag was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901.
- The Australian flag at Parliament House in Canberra is 12.8 metres long and 6.4 metres high, which is about the same size as the side of a double-decker bus. It weighs 22 kilograms.
- The Aboriginal flag was flown for the first time on 9 July 1971 but didn’t become an official Australian flag until 1995
- The Tasmanian flag depicts a red lion within a white circle but it appears nobody is 100% certain why this design was chosen and used.
Punctual Arrival at School
A reminder to families that our school day begins at 8:55am and we encourage students to be in their classrooms and ready to learn once the morning bell has gone. Arriving at school on time is important for lots of reasons. It helps students to begin their day in a calm and settled manner. Arriving a little earlier also allows students to share any news they may have with their teacher or with their friends; this is a powerful way for children to build connections with others. At the beginning of the school day teachers generally spend time explaining the plan for the day ahead, as well as doing attendance and checking in with students about how they are feeling. This empowers students by helping them feel more informed and in control of their day. When students consistently arrive late this can become quite disruptive to the running of a classroom and over time, can add up to a significant amount of learning time lost. We thank you for your support in assisting your child to arrive at school ready for the start of each school day. If you require any support or assistance with this, please contact your child’s teacher.
School Association Meeting
A reminder that our School Association AGM and first meeting for the year will be held on Wednesday 23 March at 7pm. Any parent is invited and most welcome to attend. The School Association is a great way to be a part of our school and to gain an insight into how the school is run, how priorities are set and so on.
Progress Reports
Class teachers of students in Years Prep-6 are currently in the process of putting together written reports on how your child has settled into the school year. These reports will coming home on Thursday 31 March 2022.
For Kindergarten families, Mrs Jungmann will have had a verbal conversation with you as to how your child has settled into their schooling at Glen Huon Primary School.
Please contact your child’s teacher to make an appointment if you have any questions or concerns about your child. This is of course encouraged at any point throughout the year.
Changes to reporting in 2022
This year, you will notice some changes to reporting in Tasmanian Government Schools.
Firstly, you won’t see A-E reporting any more for Prep to Year 10 students.
Most families in Tasmanian Government Schools have told us that A-E reporting isn’t meaningful enough for them. So, the Department is introducing a new 9-point visual scale.
Along with the visual scale a worded description will be included to help you understand how your child is going against the expected standard for their year level. The 9-point scale will show more specifically where your child is at with their learning.
The second main change you’ll see is that teachers will be communicating with you more regularly throughout the year, instead of providing written comments on reports.
This more regular communication might be through online communication, telephone calls, or face-to-face conversations.
By having more regular information about your child’s learning progress you’ll get a better understanding of how your child is going across the entire school year (not just twice a year).
What you should expect across the school year:
|
Term 1 |
Week 5-8 |
Communication focussing on application to learning Or conversation about learning plan goals with families and students |
|
Term 2 |
Week 6-9 |
Opportunity for a two or three-way conversation focussing on learning progress, application to learning and wellbeing and/or learning plan goals. |
|
Term 2 |
Week 10 |
Mid-year report of learning achievement |
|
Term 3 |
Weeks 6-9 |
Opportunity for a two or three-way conversation focussing on learning progress, application to learning and wellbeing and/or learning plan goals. |
|
Term 4 |
Week 9-10 |
End of year report of learning achievement |
Families will be supported to understand the new reporting requirements and the changes to mid and end of year report as they are implemented.
Watch the video introducing the changes: Changes to reporting in 2022
If you’d like to know more about why these changes are occurring, visit Review into Reporting to Families - The Department of Education Tasmania
Weekly Wondering - Helping develop curious, creative thinkers
This week I have been wondering about height. Sometimes it would be handy to just be that little bit taller so that we can reach the top shelf of a cupboard or a ball stuck in the gutter.
What would happen if we all kept growing taller?
If we kept growing taller, would we topple over after a while?
How would it effect our ability to do every-day things like tie our shoes and go for a walk outside if it is windy?
What are some things that you and your family wonder about our height?
