Community BBQ Meet and Greet

On Tuesday the 21^st of March we will be holding a BBQ at Reece High School from 5:15-6:15 where families can meet with their child’s teachers for an informal chat and to outline their learning program for 2023. There will be a separate letter coming home with further information about this opportunity. We encourage all families to come along and enjoy a free sausage and meet their child’s teachers.

Mobile Phone Policy
As you would be aware, all Tasmanian Public schools have implemented a mobile phone policy that supports the departments policy of “Off and Away, All Day”. In 2020 the Tasmanian Government announced that all schools in Tasmania will operate under this policy.  The policy states that students shouldn’t bring their phone to school. If they require their phone for after school, it should be handed into the front office at the beginning of each day. If students choose to keep their phone in their bag, staff take no responsibility if the phone goes missing or is damaged. If students are seen with their phone during the school day, the following consequences are put in place:

First offence – Phone collected from student and parent notified

Second offence – Phone collected from student and parent collects phone from school

Third offence – Phone collected from student and parent collects phone from school - Internal Suspension

Fourth offence - Phone collected from student and parent collects phone - External Suspension

HPE Team
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our HPE team for all their work in making sure our Beach Week and Surf Carnival were such a great success. They have put in so much time and effort into ensuring our students receive the best possible learning experiences. I would also like to thank the students for making the most of both events and putting in their “Best Effort”. If your child was absent for any of these days, can you please encourage them to have a growth mindset and make the most of every opportunity available to them.

Congratulations to those students who have been selected in the Interhigh Swimming Team. We know that there is a strong correlation between participation and wellbeing, so please encourage your child to always give their best and see opportunities as a way to learn, not a way to fail.

School Uniform
It is a privilege to walk around the school and see 100% of our students wearing their uniform with pride. I would like to thank parents for the effort they have made to make sure students are in full school uniform.  The school uniform builds a sense of connectedness among students and to the school.  When worn well, it enhances the way in which individuals and the school are viewed in the community.  Uniform also means that students can easily be identified as a member of RHS, increasing safety and supervision for all students.  I would like to highlight that black shoes (with black shoelaces) are the required item for footwear in our uniform policy. We thank parents and students for supporting us in making sure everyone is wearing their uniform. 

Staff Carpark
A number of families have started to use the staff carpark as a drop-off/pick up point. This is now causing safety concerns when people are leaving the carpark and staff are driving in. Can families please park out on the road during pick-up and drop-off. Between the hours of 9am and 2.30pm please feel free to use the bus turning circle as a parking space.

Grade 7 have hit the ground running in all our core subjects.

In English, we have been learning about persuasive writing techniques and how to write a P.E.E. paragraph. We have also been deciding whether we think paper or plastic is better.

In Maths we have been focusing on number, in particular factors, multiples, positive and negative numbers.  We have completed testing on our times tables and multiplicative thinking and have started working in groups in our intervention time based on our results in these assessments.

In Science we are completing a unit “Who Eats Who” that looks at the different biomes around our world and the ecosystems that exist within them.  We have created food webs and food chains and have started researching the way that humans negatively impact these environments.

HASS has seen us learning about primary and secondary sources, as well as what timelines are and how they work. While we continue focusing on the ancient world, we are about to discover what types of early humans there were, and how humans have developed over time.

Here are some photos of 7B and 7F acting as archaeologists by excavating chocolate chips from cookies and creating a whole class timeline.

Grade 8 Science

Our focus for this term in Grade 8 Science has been Biology. As part of this unit, students have planted a corn, sunflower, bean, snow pea or radish seed. Grade 8 students have been hard at work looking after their seeds and are being rewarded with beautiful greenery in our classrooms. The students have also been completing a plant journal where they record the plants height, how much water they give the plant as well as a photo of their plant, each day. We have also been looking at cellular structure of plants and animals so we can understand better how to look after our plants. Students also had their first experience with microscopes and were able to see a variety of microscopic slides. Next, we will be learning about the process of photosynthesis and will also go to the lab to see the process in action.

After a busy start to 2023 with Beach Day and the Surf Carnival, Year Nine students are now settling into learning routines. In English, students are learning how to influence, convince and persuade others towards a point of view through their “Power of Persuasion” unit. In Maths, students are focusing on a measurement unit, calculating the total surface area and volume of a range of 3D figures. In HASS, students are studying the history of the making of the modern world and are investigating significant events from 1750-1918 time period.  Students are currently exploring the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution and how it helped shape the modern world. In Science, students are working on a chemistry unit, looking at atoms and radioactivity.

As a Year 9 team, we are continuing our focus on attendance; regular school attendance will help your child gain the skills and knowledge needed for success both now and later in life.  We are tracking the percentage of Year Nine students who attend each day and have created a visual display in the our area.  We are hopeful that as we settle into the school year, we will see an upward trend in this collection of data.

Your child has received an introductory letter with the details of all the Year Nine teachers; please contact any of your child’s teachers by phone or email if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear esteemed members of our schooling community.

Wow! What an amazing start to the year. If you haven’t been keeping up to date with the happenings in Grade 10 so far, I highly recommend you have a read of the previous newsletter article, written by my extraordinary colleague, Richard Robinson.

But enough about the old and in with the new. And speaking of new, we have lots of new and exciting information to tell you about!

Week 5 saw our crew of educational explorers venture out into the world with the aim of becoming more resilient. On Tuesday classes A, B and F made their way to the big city of Burnie whilst C, D and E made the trip on Wednesday.

Whilst navigating the vast landscape of Burnie (formerly known as Emu Bay), the Grade 10 students had an opportunity to test their abilities on an obstacle course with the PCYC and explore the new, state of the art, UTAS campus.

Whilst the weather was disappointing, nothing could dampen the moods of our cohort after an exhilarating day of pushing ourselves to be more resilient! A special shoutout to Mr Connors’ class for destroying the obstacle and finding success. They were brilliant (I may be biased).

Next week, we will venture back to Burnie for another round of resilience training. We will be upping the ante, navigating the treacherous and harsh landscape of View Road Park, whilst carrying equipment as a team. Students will be required to work hard to overcome the challenge but will find victory if they remain positive and work together. Bring it on!

See you all in two weeks time with another update from Grade 10.

Senior Strength and Conditioning Term One – This term our senior Strength and Conditioning classes have adopted a regular routine in the weights area. Students have started a journaling process to assist with their assessment. This consists of watching an inspiring / motivational piece that aligns with a key focus area within the curriculum.  Students then outline their individual intentions for the lesson. At the end of each lesson these are reflected upon to see if their outcomes were achieved. Flexibility & Mobility is an element that has also been incorporated in all students’ warmups. Students have a set of exercises that are completed focusing on their timing and tempo with mini bands. Mini-bands are used to activate and train some of the smaller or neglected muscles that are still critically important for efficient movement and function. Our weights' programs have undergone some construction to educate students about the importance of eccentric, isometric, and concentric movements. This has been achieved through adding a specific timing and tempo structure for all exercises. A result of incorporating this has resulted in students focusing on their breathing and specific lifting techniques with greater emphasis on the muscles effectively working under tension for greater amounts of time. I am excited and passionate about this learning area and hope to inspire our students to develop lifelong skills in and out of the gym setting. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding this program at our school. kelly.russell@decyp.tas.gov.au.

We have had lots of smiling faces in the kitchen, it has been a buzz of activity. Our Grade 7s have gone straight into learning routines and procedures in the kitchen and developing their knife skills and basic cookery skills. Our Grade 10 Master Chefs have been creating some amazing dishes, including spring rolls, Moroccan lettuce cups and banana fritters. The thought behind their presentation skills was amazing and the effort they have put into exploring recipes has been impressive.

Our Grade 9 and 10 Hospitality classes have been busy; all students completed their safe food handling certificate and have been straight into working in our Canteen. Our Canteen opens Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays and is run by our Grade 9 and 10 hospitality students. The students prepare all food and then spend their lunch time working in the canteen. This helps them develop life skills that are useful in real job situations.

Students have been cooking a variety of foods in the kitchen from Thai Green Curry to mini cheesecakes and burritos. It has been pleasing to see students trying new foods and tastes. Our values of Best Effort and Responsibility have been present as students create some amazing dishes and take the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining a hygienic working environment.

This year we are drafting a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for Reece. We are seeking expressions of interest in joining our RAP Working Group (Families, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, Community Members and RHS Staff)

A RAP is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation. A school can develop a RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register and extend on existing initiatives or to begin a new journey.

Check out the link here: https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/

Establishing a diverse RAP Working Group will ensure the responsibility for developing, implementing, and maintaining the RAP does not sit with one person. A collaborative approach will ensure the RAP contains multiple perspectives and represents the diversity of your community.

The RAP Working Group must include:

• Members of the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community (this may happen once relationships have been developed with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community)
• Principal/Director (who will approve the RAP)
• Teachers and educators
• Parents/carers and wider community representative

 If you are at all interested, please contact the school office and ask to speak to Gill Brazendale on 6420 8100 by the 17^th of March

The School Association Committee AGM will be held on Wednesday 15 March at 5.30pm. We have vacancies for parents on this committee. If you would like to get involved, please collect a nomination form from the main office and submit it to the returning officer by Tuesday 14 March.