15 February 2024

News from Miss Smith

Welcome to the 2024 School Year.  We are looking forward to working with families and the community to ensure that students at Yolla District School have an amazing year of learning.

By showing up to school every day, children will have the best opportunity at a bright future. It gives them every chance to be around friends, learn new things, and find interests.

Good attendance habits can sometimes be hard to stick. But creating a solid routine, from the start of Term 1, can set children up for success.

If you’re looking for tips on how to create better attendance habits, visit the Anything can happen website.

Learning News

We’ve made some changes to our timetables and rooms to assist students with learning in 2024.   Some of the changes you will see;

• Our K/P class has moved up into the Early Childhood learning block. K/P/1/2 students are now all learning in this space.
• Our Year 3/4 class have moved to H block. Students and staff are loving their new space. Nurse Angela and our Speech and Language support programs are also located in H block.   H block is the building off the middle quadrant.
• B block – Our classrooms near the administration area are now home to our Secondary student literacy intervention support, secondary Maths and Science and Year 5/6 class.
• A block – A block is home to our secondary home groups, secondary English, Maths and Life Skills classes. Our Kitchen and STEM (Digital Technology) rooms used by all students are also located in A block.
• Takone Hall will be used as a second indoor Daily PE space, Drama room and Primary Assembly venue.
• The gym remains our key venue for Physical Education, Outdoor Education, Fitness, Sport and Recreation lessons.
• Once you cross the road – you will be in our Year 11/12 learning space, Materials and Technologies and Hands on Learning Build spaces.
• The old Kinder classroom will be the learning space for our Food and Fibre, Agriculture and Child Studies classes.
• Our Library and Science block will be fully operational by the end of February. (Details later in the newsletter.)
• Attached to the newsletter today are the Secondary Timetable for all families. Students also have their personal timetable. If you’d like a copy of your Secondary child’s timetable, please contact the office.

Key Primary Timetable information

Notes: 

• P/1/2 Specialist Lessons – Class teachers have split the class into two groups for these lessons, your child will attend one of these.
• Class teachers are teaching the Food and Fibre (Agriculture) curriculum as part of their classroom programs. They will let you know if your child needs different clothes or footwear for a particular lesson.

Expectations and Values

Connection – building positive relationships and a sense of belonging.
Courage – accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.
Growth – aspiring to learn, and improving, even when it’s hard.
Respect – caring for ourselves, each other, and our environment.
Responsibility – stepping up and doing what’s right.

Over the past week – students and staff have been working together to establish agreed expectations for their learning spaces.  Staff shared the draft of their expectations at our team meeting this week.  Four key ideas were present across all our classes Kinder to Year 12.

• Respect
• Do your best / Try
• Be kind
• Be safe

Students and staff will re-visit their class expectations regularly – to ensure that we have a space that supports learning. 

Staff News

Mrs Holland accepted a leadership position at Romaine Park Primary School for 2024, early February.  She is excited to be working and learning in this space and we wish her every success.  Mrs Holland has been part of our school community for eleven years as a staff member and we know that she will be a great asset to Romaine Park Primary.

We have welcomed Mrs Brittany Tippett to our school leadership team.  Mrs Tippett is a local and has been working at West Ulverstone and Havenview Primary School over the last few years.  Mrs Tippett is teaching our Year 7-10 Life Skills and Work Studies classes.

Mrs Sarah Wyhoon and her family have joined the Yolla School Community from Northern Queensland.  Mrs Wyhoon has been working at a District School for the past decade and her knowledge and experience will be an asset to our school.  Mrs Wyhoon is our Year 5/6 teacher.

Miss Bronte Watson will be working in our Early Childhood classes on a Thursday as an Education Support Specialist.  Miss Watson also works at Cooee Primary School.  Miss Watson is in the second year of her teaching career.  

Year 7 and 9 English and HASS: At the time of printing the newsletter our English and HASS teacher has not been confirmed for 2024.  We are working with the learning service to find a teacher to fill this role.  

Support Teacher:  At this time our support teacher role has not been filled, it will be readvertised.  This vacancy was unexpected, in the interim please contact Miss Penelope Smith.

Miss Smith

Key Dates

Primary Student Assembly

Parents and Friends Meeting

CANTEEN

Our school canteen is currently not operating. We are hoping it will open soon. If you are able to volunteer, please let the school know on 6438 0222, or come along to our Parents and Friends meeting on Wednesday 21 February at 9:15am.

Breakfast and Lunch Program

Our breakfast and lunch programs will start on Wednesday 21 February.  The Year 3-4s are invited for Breakfast along with their families.  Our Year 5-6 and 7-8s will be provided with lunch next week.  Our facebook page and the above ‘Key Dates’ will keep you up to date with Breakfast and lunches.  Please see the photo for what may be on offer at lunch.

Safeguarding Training

Did you know that as a DECYP employee, volunteer, or external service provider for the department, you must complete Safeguarding Training?

The compulsory training is designed to help us better safeguard kids in Tasmania.

Every school day matters

Welcome back for another school year – we’re excited for what’s ahead! Start the year right by making every school day count.

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success:

Make sure your child goes to school, every day

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

Get them excited for school

If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that.

The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:

» spend time with their friends and teachers
» create new and fun experiences
» find their interests
» learn new things
» open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world).

Share these positives with your child.

Talk to your child about school

Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones

Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.

Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal

 If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can. Know when to seek help There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school.

For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website.

Year 7-10 Timetables

Year 1-2

The Year 1-2 class have had a very busy start to the year. We have been getting to know each other and doing a lot of fun learning activities with our teachers. One activity that we had to do was draw and paint a self-portrait and write our name to go with it.

We have also been learning about and practising how to keep our classroom a safe and happy learning environment. We talked about our expectations and learned that there are five values now. They are Connection, Respect, Growth, Courage, and Responsibility. We are looking forward to trying our best and learning lots of new things.

Year 7 Maths

Introducing those in our team who are happy to have their photo in the newsletter, our photos will improve over time. 

Over the past week we have tried to get an understanding of the maths that is in our every day environment. We’ve located a lot of shapes and numbers in our environment as a starting point. If you’d like to know more about our Year 7 Maths class please speak with Miss Smith. 

Year 8-10 Maths

Welcome back to 2024. Secondary students have started their first units for the year in mathematics and will be exploring the following concepts during the next two weeks. Students have access to Mathspace which they can use at home for revision and further consolidation of understanding. Mathspace is running a Parents and Carers webinars Thursday 15 February at 9pm for families if you would like to learn more about using Mathspace at home.

Year 8 Topic 1: Types of numbers and operations

• Solving problems involving the 4 operations with integers
• Identifying between Irrational numbers and terminating or recurring decimals.

Year 9 Topic 1: Surface area and volume

• Revising concepts on perimeter and shapes.
• Solving problems involving the surface area and volume of right prisms and cylinders.

Year 10 Topic 1: Surface area and volume

• Revising concepts about shapes and areas.
• Solving measurement problems involving surface area and volume of composite objects

Please feel free to reach out at any time during the year if you have a concern or query.

Mr Marks

Secondary Science

In Science, during Term 1, secondary students will be studying Chemistry units, with Years 7 & 8 exploring concepts on particle theory, Year 9 on atomic structure and Year 10 on how the structure and properties of atoms relate to the organisation of the elements in the periodic table.

Please feel free to reach out at any time during the year if you have a concern or query.

Mr Marks

2023 School Magazine Orders

If you wish to purchase the 2023 School Magazine, you may do so by filling in your details below and returning this form back to the office. The magazine costs $22.00 and will be ready for collection in 2024 or posted home.   

Community Notices

RHEE TAEKWON-DO – The Family Martial Art

Hockey

St Stephen’s Wynyard Anglican Church – Games Club

Wynyard Fitness Youth Development Program

Will be starting on Monday the 19th of Feb. Classes will be held from 4 - 4.45pm, at an upfront cost of $120.

This 8-week course takes participants through exercise and workout programming. Throughout the program we cover how to use gym equipment appropriately, learn warmup and cool down techniques, stretching and lifting practises, as well as explore nutrition and forming healthy habits.

To ensure sessions are targeted and individualised, we are accepting just 8 participants. You can message Wynyard Fitness or phone on 64423844 to book in and feel free to ask any questions.