Celebrating…Harmony Week (18 to 24 March) & Harmony Day (21 March)… Everyone Belongs!

Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.​

On Thursday 21 March, students and staff are encouraged to wear something orange (out-of-uniform only & not a fundraiser) to show our support.

What is Harmony Week?

• Australia is one of the world's most successful multicultural countries and our cultural diversity is at the heart of who we are. 
• Over half of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas. 
• That's why it's so important that we celebrate our country's diversity through Harmony Week. 
• Harmony Week is also about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, from the Traditional Owners of the land to our most recent arrivals. 
• And celebrating that no matter where you come from, we're united by the Australian values of freedom, respect, fairness, democracy and equal opportunity. 
  

Classes have commenced the first part of this term focusing on our new Connection value and this has been a great foundation, especially for Harmony Week, to extend our greater awareness of everyday belonging at school and being inclusive of all in our community.

Courage ‘accepting challenges and embracing opportunities’ is our new Value in the spotlight

Acting with courage means:

• accepting challenges and embracing opportunities
• thinking creatively and being brave
• being prepared to stand up for what’s important
• not giving up
• having difficult conversations (including when people’s behaviour does not align with our values)
• being innovative and taking calculated risks in some situations

Courage is not necessarily loud but is sometimes quiet and thoughtful.

Over each term, Values - Student Group Meetings occur fortnightly for Prep to 2/3 and weekly for classes 4 to 6. At each meeting, class teachers present a ‘Values award’ to a student recognised for being a positive role model to others for ‘living the focus Value’ in their daily school life.

Announcing our 2024 Grade 6 Student Leadership – Student Leader Agency & Voice

We have 4 ‘all year’ elected Leadership opportunities for Grade 6 students: Student, Library, Sports and Garden Leader positions.

Ask what the qualities of a student leader are, and you will hear answers such as:

• Trustworthy, responsible, respectful, and resilient
• Great listener and communicator
• Capable of finding solutions that work for everyone
• Able to get along and work well with others
• Has purpose, vision, and sets goals

And most importantly at TCPS, student leaders all actively model our key Values of…

Our Student Leaders’ main responsibilities include:

• To Lead the Student Council
• To represent Table Cape Primary School at special assemblies, school and community events (e.g. ANZAC day)
• To assist school staff in carrying out a range of school related tasks
• To prepare running sheet and lead school Assemblies
• To be a positive role model for all students

Our Library Leaders’ main responsibilities include:

• Providing special help with borrowing/returns
• Assisting with daily lunch library tasks/duties as timetabled
• Maintaining a section of the school collection
• Assisting with lunch time and other organised activities in the library
• Book Week activities; Assist with Premier’s Reading Challenge
• To be a positive role model for all students

Our Sports Leaders’ main responsibilities include:

• Leading/assisting classes Prep to Grade 5 for Daily PE Programs
• Assist with lunch time and other organised sport/recreation activities
• Leading/assisting with ‘House’ events (e.g. Athletics carnival, sports events)
• Assisting with care of sports equipment and sports store
• To be a positive role model for all students

Our Garden Leaders’ main responsibilities include:

• Assisting with developing an Eco-friendly/green ‘School Garden’ environment
• Develop Garden Skills and educating/ mentoring others
• Providing special help with class and students accessing our School Garden
• Develop, establish and manage a ‘Produce to School Community’ Entrepreneurial Project and associated communications
• To be a positive role model for all students

In preparing for leadership nominations and the recently completed election process, all grade 6 children have participated in a range of sessions from the ‘Young Leaders Program’ to develop their personal leadership capacity throughout this term.

Our sessions, focused on developing each child’s key mindsets and attitudes about key leadership characteristics – Responsibility, Public speaking, Confidence, Organisation and Team Skills. It was a very rewarding experience to run these sessions with all of our grade 6s and see a noticeable increase in self-confidence and personal growth for so many in such a short period of time.

Following the initial training for all Grade 6 students, individuals then chose to nominate for one of the 4 leadership positions. Nominees prepared a speech that was given to our Grades 4 to 6 student audience and accompanying staff. A copy of each speech was displayed for all staff to read prior to their voting. Students have been elected by the combined voting results of Grades 4 to 6 students and all school staff.

Congratulations to our newly elected Grade 6 Leadership groups:

Student Leaders: Lucy B, Scarlett B, Sage D, Jak J             

Garden Leaders: Zade G, Bella L, Miah R, William W 

Library Leaders: Chelsea H, Paityn S-D, Jack Y-G, Malakai W 

Sports Leaders: Macgyver B, Georgia C, Shanai H, Matilda L, Matthew O’C, Jyrha B-K, Seamus F, Emmie H, Braith L, Aylah M, Kemp S, Nyla W

We are all really looking forward to the great support and service they will start to provide our school in their new roles!

Other responsible Grade 6 opportunities also include ‘Monitor’ roles for Grow, Gather, Give distribution, Sandpits and Playground Safe Buddies and these will be allocated shortly. Student Council elections which provides more opportunity for shared and developing ‘Student Voice/Agency’   3 to 6 Student Council class/buddy representatives will now be elected.

NWPSSA Athletics Results and Twilight Qualifiers

A huge congratulations to everyone who participated in both NWPSSA 3-4 and 5-6 competition days last week! Feedback from our accompany staff, Mr van der Ploeg, Mrs Liefhebber and Mrs Lee, along with family comments have all been really positive about the ‘quality sporting representation’ of all our students… “representing the school with pride and each child striving to achieve a ‘Personal Best’.”  Well done to all involved with both of our Primary teams and to Kemp S who competed in the Field Event final, achieving 2^nd place for his grade in Shot.

A special congratulations to our athletes who have qualified as 2024 Twilight Finalists, competing this afternoon against the best of our North West Region of schools. What a terrific achievement to make regional finals! Best wishes to:

75m – Buddy S, Halle M; 100m – Jett D, Blake D; 200m – Jack L, Macy C, Tarik M; 400m – Tarik M & 1500m - Esther E, Tarik M and Aylah M

Staff Farewell & Thank You

We have been fortunate to have had the expertise and enthusiasm of Emma Green leading our Admin team as our School Business Manager to start our 2024 school year; however, today it’s time to say a huge ‘thank you and goodbye’. 

Emma temporarily filled a vacancy for some days at the end of last year and was able to be released from her current SBM position at another NW school to be appointed to cover our SBM, Andrea Miller’s period of leave.

Emma’s approachable manner and high leadership skill level have quickly endeared her to become a positive and respected member of staff. She has certainly maintained the high standard established for this important position for our school.  We sincerely thank Emma and wish her ongoing success as she resumes her SBM position at East Ulverstone Primary.

FEBRUARY 2024: Reading in Tasmanian Government Schools

Learning to read sets you up for life

Reading is foundational to everything we do – learning, working, functioning in society.

Every young Tasmanian should have the reading skills they need when they leave our schools.

This year all Tasmanian Government schools are taking steps to introduce a new way of teaching reading. This follows the latest national and international research about how our brains learn to read.

What does the research say?

Children aren’t born with natural skills in reading, like they are for walking and talking. They must develop new pathways in their brain to master this skill. It is a complex process.

Current research shows that reading can be broken down into a series of skills. This starts with phonics –the relationship between letters and sounds. In upper primary, secondary and college, the focus shifts to reading comprehension.

At every stage it’s important that students master all the individual skills before moving on. This is the best way to set them up for success.

Our teachers are boosting their skills

From 2024 all our teachers will be undergoing training in how to teach reading based on the latest evidence.

Importantly, all staff from Kindergarten to Year 12 will be doing the same training. This means that by 2026, no matter where your child goes to school, they will be taught to become confident readers in the same way.

You might see changes at your school

All schools are at different stages with putting these changes in place. You and your child might notice these changes already happening at your school. Other schools will be working towards change by 2026.

Read more about Tasmania’s new approach to reading on the DECYP website  

(Department for Education, Children and Young People)