Montrose Bay High School Newsletter - Term 4 Week 3
Principal's Report
Dear Families,
Welcome to our new newsletter format which will come out on the Friday of week three, six and nine every term.
It has been a great start to term four even with the minor hiccup of a covid lockdown and mask wearing in week two. Students have settled back into their learning programs as we continue to push a whole school focus on students not being out of class without a pass and mobile phones being off and away all day.
Johnno Stone has done a fantastic job of rescheduling our concert band NW Tassie trip after it was postponed due to Covid. The concert band are back touring in week five from the 8th to the 12th of November and well done to Mr Stone for managing to reschedule everything so quickly.
This week and next all our students will be completing their progress achievement tests (PAT) in both reading and maths. These tools allow us as teachers to evaluate where each individual student is up to in these crucial areas of literacy and numeracy and identifies what comes next for them in their learning. These tools also allow us as a school to identify common patterns in these areas across the school and highlight priorities in literacy and numeracy for us to focus upon in our 2022 school improvement plan.
Last week we farewelled the amazing Cath Apanath our assistant principal of grade 10 as she won the permanent assistant principal position at Hobart City High School – Ogilvie campus. Cath has huge amounts of leadership experience in managing change and in particular school amalgamations and will be a real asset to Hobart High with their 2022 amalgamation.
Frances Cole has joined our Montrose team as an assistant principal this year on the grade 10’s and in 2022 on the grade seven team. Frances has joined us from Cambridge Primary where she was an assistant principal there and prior to that was an advanced skills teacher at Windermere Primary.
Our priority as a whole school this term is to continue our focus on a calm and orderly learning environment as work together in creating a quality teaching and learning framework based on teachers working together through collaborative inquiry. This will continue to be our way of working as we move into 2022.
We have our grade six transition day coming up on December 1st where our future grade seven students will spend a day here at Montrose and experience four sessions in the day in their 2022 core class as well as three specialist subjects.
Communication with our families is a vital part of the partnership between a school and students’ family. If you have concerns or just want to reach out and touch base with your child’s grade team leaders, please call the school and you will be put through to them and likewise for contacting me.
Grade 7 Team Leaders: Jamie Kieliszek and Lisa Walsh
Grade 7 Assistant Principal: Ella Hansson
Grade 8 Team Leaders: Eli Luttmer and Emily Rushton
Grade 8 Assistant Principal: Sam Cure
Grade 9 Team Leaders: Luke Polanowski and Lucy Nolan
Grade 9 Assistant Principal: Jonathon Cook
Grade 10 Team Leaders: Amelia Clifford and Emma Stubbs
Grade 10 Assistant Principal: Frances Cole
Grade 11/12 Team Leader: Emily Rushton
Don’t forget you can also keep in touch and see what’s happening in and around the school via our Facebook feeds our school app product, newsletter and we are about to launch our new website before the end of this year.
Have a great weekend.
Duncan Groves
Principal
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Student Voice
Montrose Bay High is a place to learn, grow, work hard and be kind. This term we have welcomed some new faces and said goodbye to others. At Montrose, a way in which we see ourselves grow is by recognising and adapting to change.
Over the years at Montrose, we have had the opportunity to participate, put together and watch some house team based carnivals, one of which is our beloved swimming carinal day. On this day, people dress up in their team colours, bring team spirit, their best swimming capabilities and give it a red hot crack. This event is coming around the corner at a rapid pace once again. Taking place on November 3rd at Glenorchy Pool. We cant wait to see everyone there!
Maggie Read - Student Leadership Team
MBH - School Association
Hi everybody and welcome to the second edition of the newsletter, On behalf of the School Association and all school parents, I would like to welcome Duncan Groves to Montrose Bay High as the new Principal. Duncan will be a familiar face to some of us as he was a former Principal at Windermere Primary. We look forward to working with Duncan in his new role and wish him all the best. We know everyone will make him feel welcome. It was great to see some new faces at our last meeting, just a reminder that the meetings are held on the third Tuesday each month. The last meeting of the year in November will be a relaxed get together and meal held at the Riverfront Motel. We thank everyone for their efforts in 2021 and look forward to seeing old and new faces in 2022. Earle Patman - Chair, MBH School Association |
Grade 7
Year 7 students have made a fantastic start to Term 4 and working to be the best learners they can be. We have focussed on demonstrating the core value of Respect through our daily actions. This has looked like completing learning tasks to the best of our ability, taking care of our places and spaces, wearing the school uniform with pride, and being kind and considerate in our interactions with peers and staff alike. In core, students are using their inquiry skills to investigate why we are lucky to live in the modern world instead of Ancient Rome. They are sharpening their English skills focussing on language usage, spelling goals and using correct sentence structures. In Science, students are analysing states of matter, exploring physical separation techniques in mixtures and solutions in our science labs. Then using this information to calculate mean/median/mode and creating other forms of data representation. Our iLearn students have been working hard towards their understanding of Algebra, specifically focussing on substitution, where they have been creating their own expressions and equations for their peers to work out, and continuing their work on sustainability including a tour of local facilities. In HWB, students are exploring motivation and how to create SMART goals to be successful. Students have just started their next round of taster subjects, and are hopefully sharing with you the exciting projects and skills they are learning and refining. |
Grade 8
In Grade 8, we have had an eventful start to the term getting straight back into learning and navigating the challenges thrown at us by the new covid restrictions. In Mathematics, we have been studying one of the oldest strands, geometry. We have been learning how to calculate the area and perimeter of shapes and how to apply this to our futures and to jobs such as construction and gardening. In Science, we are learning all about biology. We get to use microscopes, models, and dissect different animals to understand the structure and functions of cells and systems in animals and plants. In History, we are learning all about Vikings. We are exploring the stereotypes that encompass their culture and debunking them by using primary and secondary evidence to substantiate our findings. We are also learning about the Norse Gods, like Odin who was known as quite the trickster and often came up with cunning plans. Last term, 8C and 8D participated in Visual Art with Micah. Their project was called ‘Colourful Pet Portraits’. For this project we started with a photograph of a family pet then completed an observation drawing. We finished by using abstracted colours to stylise our images, bringing vibrancy and life to the final artwork. Some of the work completed last term is shown in this newsletter and will be used as the artwork for some MBH postcards to be developed later in the year. This term, 8B and 8E will complete a similar project – we can’t wait to see what they come up with. |
Eli Luttmer - Gr 8 AST
Grade 9
9E have had a busy and productive start to Term 4! In Maths, we’ve been learning about probability and graphs. We have been introduced to many different graphs, their names and how to identify them. In Science, we have been learning about energy - we’ve learnt about what energy is, the 9 main types of energy, how sound energy travels, waves, and how heat is transferred. To fully understand how heat is transferred we did three mini practicals in the labs. In English, we have dived into the world of dystopias. We have begun analysing many dystopian books/films, including The Hunger Games and The Giver. In History, we have started the intense topic of WW1, looking into how the war started and the causes of WW1. In Health and Wellbeing, we have been learning about coping mechanisms and ways of applying them. We have also been introduced into our sport focus this term, tchoukball. In SEL we have been learning about gratitude and ways to display it towards others.
Gr 9 Students
Grade 10
For our Grade 10 students, this term will be their final term here at MBHS. This term will be about celebrating 4 years of growth and achievement. As decided by the Celebration Dinner Planning Committee and in conjunction with our school’s ClassDojo rewards system, all students will need to collect 30 Dojo points to receive their invitation. The students are working very hard now, in anticipation of the Celebration Dinner, with all students demonstrating our school’s core value Respect. With Term 4 being the final term for our Grade 10 students, there is much to be looking forward to over the next few weeks. Our students will be gearing up for their final swimming carnival, which is looking to be a day of fierce competition, along with the fun and enjoyment that comes with our sporting carnivals. In our core Mathematics and Science classes, students are diving into the world of statistics and developing their understanding of the use and relevance statistics plays in our contemporary world. Following the RYDA road safety education program all Grade 10 students attended in Term 3, students are now exploring the physics behind road safety, particularly looking at the concepts behind the motion of vehicles and objects. In our core English and History classes, students are delving into the mysterious realms of free verse poetry and experimenting with vocabulary and structure to form their own poems. Students are also exploring post World War II immigration in Australia, hoping to broaden their understandings of the cultural diversity in our country. In our core Health and Wellbeing classes, students have been participating in touch football and the theoretical components of understanding the key elements of stepping outside of their comfort zones. Part of this is developing the resilience and coping strategies to tackle fear, rejection and being different. Although we are celebrating growth and achievement this term, we are also focussing on preparing our students for life outside of school, whether that is at college, TAFE or some form of an apprenticeship/traineeship. We know that all our Grade 10 students are working very hard, and that they have much to look forward to this term. Dylan Archer - Year 10 Team |
Year 11 and 12
Students are currently completing their final assessments for Year 11, ensuring that they have submitted all assessment tasks and are on track to attain their Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE). In English Applied, students are working on their Negotiated Learning Unit and in Workplace Maths they are completing their unit on Finance. Students will receive their final reports in December via post directly from the Office of Tasmanian Assessment Standards and Certification (TASC).
Our enrolments for next year are growing and we are finalising what our Years 11 and 12 space will look like in 2022. Students intending to stay at MBH are finalising their Transition Plans and will be enrolling in subjects for next year soon. We are excited to be offering students throughout The Derwent Collective a VET course that has not been offered before, the Certificate II in Community Pharmacy, as well as adding more subjects to support TCE attainment. Some students are also choosing to enrol in subjects offered by Virtual Learning Tasmania for the first time in 2022.
Virtual Learning Tasmania (VLT) provides online learning opportunities for all Year 11 & 12 students in Tasmanian Government Schools and enables schools and colleges to meet students’ personalised learning needs. VLT enables students to enrol in courses not offered at their school or college. Virtual learning courses are taught with the teacher and student being online at the same time. This combines the benefits of traditional face-to-face delivery with the advantages of delivering in an online environment.
Emily Rushton - Yr 11/12 AST
2021 Celebration Dinner
We are excited to be making plans to celebrate our Grade 10's transitioning to College.
We plan to hold the Celebration Dinner on Tuesday, 14 December at Elwick Racecourse with arrivals at MBHS and a bus to the dinner.
Earning an invitation - Grade 10 students will need to earn 30 points to gain their invitation to the Dinner. Dojo points will reset at the beginning of Term 4.
A letter was sent home to parent/carers and as more information about the Celebration Week events comes to hand we will share it with you.
Celebration Committee
School Notices
All visitors to Montrose Bay High must sign in via our Visitor Signin Book at the front office. You must include your mobile number for COVID tracing requirements. You must also scn te QR code(available in the front foyer) to stay safe with the "Check in Tas" app.
Student Absence
If your student is absent from school for any reason please notify us as early as possible. You can do this via:
- phone - 6208 2666
- text message - 0418 137 500
If you need to collect your student early for any reason our student admin staff would appreciate if you send a note in the morning rather than just before you arrive.
A reminder that students must not use their phones during the school day. If a student needs to go home sick please remind them to go and see their Grade Leader or office.
Canteen Payments
If your child is ordering food from the canteen, the payment MUST be made via either cash or card, we are unable to accept payment using a phone.
House Writing Competition
The competition will run for all of week 6. The entry box and the entry forms will be available in the library from Friday of week 5 until 3 pm on Friday of week 6.
Prizes will be book vouchers. There will be one point for the houses per entry and extra points awarded for winning pieces.
If you have any questions please contact Alison, Marcel or Hazel.
Term 4, 2021 - Dates to Remember
| Monday, 11 October | First day of Term 4 |
| Thursday, 21 October | Hobart Show Day Public Holiday |
| Friday, 22 October | Student Free Day - Professional Learning for Staff |
| Wednesday, 3 November | Swimming Carnival |
| Monday 8- Wednesday 12 November | Concert Band NW Trip |
| Wednesday 1, December | Grade 6 Oritentation Day to MBH Grade 10 Orientation Day to CC, EC |
| Thursday, 9 December | Presentation Evening |
| Tuesday, 14 December | Grade 10 Celebration Dinner |
| Thursday, 16 December | Last day of Term 4 for students |
We will continue to add more dates throughout term 4.