Newsletter No.6, Friday 5 August 2022

Message from the Principals

Welcome to Term 3 and our new Campus Principal for New Town, Mrs Holly Stewart.  We have some exciting work happening this term in preparation for our full co-educational model in 2023 that I would like to share with you.

This term will see the launch of a student led creation of an anti-bullying, anti-racism and anti-homophobia strategy for Hobart City High School (HCHS).  This is to ensure that we have a culture that embraces full inclusivity and builds on our school priorities of ensuring our students feel loved and safe and experience a strong sense of belonging to our HCHS community.  We are truly excited about creating an authentic avenue for student voice and student agency in our new school and we look forward to sharing their work with you as it progresses.

Also this term, we will have an information session for parents and students on August 30 (more information below) to outline course options for students in Years 8 and 9.  Curriculum Leaders will be available to have discussions with you and school tours will be available.

Transition Activities

During Term 3 we are looking forward to hosting Year 6s from our primary schools to give them a bit of a taste of what high school is like.  Students from New Town, Lenah Valley, Moonah, Lansdowne Crescent, Bowen Road, Campbell Street, Goulburn Street, and Mount Stuart Primary will be attending on Friday 19 August to meet each other, see the sites of Hobart City High School and participate in some art, STEM, digital techonology and physical health.  This is one of the first events with students onsite, with more to come later in Term 3 and into term 4 to welcome and prepare all of the new members of our community.

We will also have our current students getting ready for their transitions into the next year level, with our Year 8s heading across from our Ogilvie Campus to New Town Campus for a few transition sessions. Our Year 10s will be at Elizabeth College on Monday 22 August for a taster day experience.

Deb Day - Lead Principal

Holly Stewart - Principal, New Town Campus

Andrew Hughes - Principal, Ogilvie Campus

From your School Association

Meeting Our Partner Primary School Associations

On 28 June we held a successful ‘meet-and-greet’ event with our partner primary school associations as part of our plan to build our school community. Around 30 people came along including representatives from Bowen Road, Campbell Street, Goulburn Street, Lansdowne Crescent, Lenah Valley and Mt Stuart Primary Schools.  It was a great opportunity for them to ask questions of our three principals, and we also asked them how we can better engage with local families.  Some of the things we talked about were school culture, uniform, site works, the middle school model and bus transport.  Suggestions for our school included holding open days and tours, forums where families can ask questions and having more information in Primary School newsletters.

Our Next meeting

You are welcome to come along to our next meeting on Tuesday 9 August at the Ogilvie Campus. It’s a longer meeting than usual as we are constructing our School Association strategic plan (5.30pm – 8.30pm) - please RSVP by Friday 5 August to hchs.association@education.tas.gov.au.

Other meeting dates for 2022 are: 13 September, 8 November and 13 December (5.30pm – 7.00pm). It you have questions or suggestions please email us at hchs.association@education.tas.gov.au.

Melinda Maddock
Chair - School Association

Course Information Evening 2022

*For students in Years 8, 9 and 10 in 2023

We will be holding two information sessions on Tuesday 30 August for students and their families.

For students who will be in Year 8 in 2023, the information session will be held on the Ogilvie Campus. The event will begin in The Ogilvie Hall at 5.00pm with a presentation (approx 30 minutes), before families will be invited to the campus library to speak with Curriculum Leaders. Light Refreshments will be provided.  Families will have the opportunity to opt into a short tour of the campus.  With this session concluding at 6.00pm.

For students who will be in Years 9 or 10 in 2023, the information session will be held on the New Town campus in The Hall beginning at 6.30pm.  Families will then be invited to speak with Curriculum Leaders with the option to take part in a tour of the campus.  Light refreshments will also be provided.  This session to conclude at 7.30pm.

Please click the ‘Book Now’ link to indicate your intention to attend the event.

We understand that some families would like to attend both campus events and we have aimed to factor in cross-campus travel time.

We look forward to engaging with our families on Tuesday 30 August and to sharing more information about our 2023 course offerings.

During the week of our family course information sessions, our students will also be presented with course information in their student assemblies.

Erika Boas and Sarah Geale
Assistant Principals - Teaching and Learning

What Matters? Competition Success

Congratulations to An (Year 8) and Freya (Year 9) for their success in the 2022 ‘What Matters? Competition’.

An achieved a Highly Commended Award in the Year 7/8 category and Freya was the Winner of the Year 9/10 category.  The students attended the Tasmanian Awards Ceremony at the C3 Convention Centre on Friday 29 July with their parents and teacher Ms Boas where extracts of their writing was shared with the audience.

With 300 stories being judged this year in the competition, the students achieved great success. 

An and Freya are pictured with John Juriansz, the Director of the Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University. 

It was also wonderful to also see former student Emma (now Year 12 at Hobart College) receive a Highly Commended award in the 11/12 category.

Congratulations to all Hobart City High Schools students who entered the What Matters? Competition this year.  We hope to see you enter again in 2023!

Erika Boas
Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning - Ogilvie Campus

‘Discussions of Learning’ Parent/Carer Feedback Survey

Hobart City High School will be providing another opportunity this term for parents/carers to communicate with teachers about student learning.  To help us to plan for this term we are seeking feedback around our Term 2 ‘Discussion of Learning’ process. We ask that families please complete this short survey: https://forms.office.com/r/Zq1HefQyF0

Sarah Geale and Erika Boas
Assistant Principals - Teaching and Learning

Arts News

Grade 7 & 8 Vocal Group 

Towards the end of Term 2 students from the Grade 7 & 8 Vocal Group participated in the Young Tasmania Sings Event on July 5 at the Federation Concert Hall, which was part of the Festival of Voices for 2022. This was a wonderful opportunity for the students to perform with local choirs in a non-competitive environment, to sing with our very own Tasmanian Youth Orchestra and work under guest choral conductor Kate Albury.  

Some of the students also participated in the Festival of Voices Big Sing Bonfire Event which was for the opening night of the festival. The students sang their hearts out whilst walking out to the main stage with light sabers and flags and with students from local schools and the Young Adelaide Voices. It was a delight to see the students involved! 

Congratulations to all the students that participated and for all your dedication to rehearsals in the lead up. A big thanks to Mr Simon Reade for all your accompanying work for the group also. Here’s till next year!  

Grade 9 & 10 Vocal Group 

In the last week of Term 2 our Year 9 & 10 Vocal Group and vocalists from Elizabeth College and The Friends School were treated to a workshop with Mark O’Leary OAM, the founder and director Young Voices of Melbourne, one of the finest choral programs in Australia for young singers. The students engaged in the workshop with students from Mark’s choir which included fun warm up activities and performing a song together in four-part harmony.  They also had the great fortune of hearing the Young Voices of Melbourne sing concert repertoire which was very inspiring! 

Janelle Stowe
Music Teacher/Vocal Ensemble Director

Music

All music students have their own Hobart City High School instrument.  It is important to maintain a homework practice routine.  This means students are required to transport their instrument from school and practise their instrument at least two times a week.  This will ensure continued improvement with developing their instrument performance skills.  Students have specialised instrument tuition in performance practice techniques.

Year 7 music students are continuing to learn their instrument. They are learning note names, pitch, how instruments sound and duration of note lengths.  They are using new knowledge to improve their instrument playing skills individually and in ensembles.  Students are practicing the 5 note scale and Power Rock.  Year 8 music students learning how to compose music for their instrument and how to play jazz ensemble music.  Year 9 and 10 students are performing in small ensembles and  as a soloist.  They are studying music theory, composition and musicianship and they perform at school and community events.  There are several additional ensembles we encourage motivated music students to be a part of, including the Senior Concert Band.

Andrew Sweeney 
AST - ARTS

Introduction to Ceramics

Take a look at some great items made by our 9/10 Introduction to Ceramics class.

Sarah Hawson 
Visual Arts Teacher - Ogilvie Campus

Visual Arts News

Congratulations to Rosie Year 9 for being short-listed in the 2022 Zart Art competition, with her oil on canvas painting "Pussy Cat".

Linda Breaden 
Visual Arts Teacher - Ogilvie Campus

Maths and Science News

Australian Mathematics Competition

Well done to the 42 students who took part in the Australian Maths Competition on Wednesday  3 August.   It is great to see our students taking on these challenges!

The Big Science Compeition

Congratulations to the Hobart City High School students that challenged themselves by entering the Big Science Competition.

The Big Science Competition is a multiple choice competition testing science knowledge, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.  Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts and are linked to the Australian Curriculum.

A special congratulations to Stanley and Naren who received distinctions and Kashyap who received a credit.

Jo Berriman
AST - Maths and Science - New Town Campus

Celebrating Year 8 Foods

Congratulations to Semester one's Year 8 Foods class for a great result with their bee cupcake making.

Linda Breaden
Foods Teacher - Ogilvie Campus

COVID -19 Update

Welcome back to school for the start of Term 3! 

The health and safety of students and staff has, and always will be, our top priority.  Our Term 3 approach to manage COVID-19 is outlined in our COVID-safe schools operational plan.  The Plan builds on everything we’ve learnt since the start of the pandemic.

The Department of Education (DoE) has worked closely with Public Health to ensure schools continue to be safe places for learners.  Many COVID-safe measures that you are familiar with continue to be in place to limit the impact of COVID-19 in our schools. 

With increased COVID-19 cases in our community leading into Term 3, our staff and visitors are strongly recommended to wear face masks when indoors, or if they are unable to physically distance. Wearing a face mask is not a requirement for students, however it is strongly recommended by Public Health indoors as well as when they cannot physically distance.  Students will be supported to wear masks by their school when they choose to.

Face masks and rapid antigen tests continue to be readily available for students and staff at all Tasmanian Government schools.

It is common to see increased illness at this time of year, so it remains important that we all continue to practise our COVID safe behaviours, stay at home if unwell and get tested.

As always, when your child is well, the best place for them to be is at school learning with their friends and teachers. 

We will need to continue to be flexible as some elements of our plan may change during the Term. We will continually monitor the situation, make changes as necessary and keep school communities informed.

Andrew Hughes
Principal - Ogilvie Campus

Every School Day Counts

Getting kids to school isn’t always easy.  But being at school is the best place for our kids.

If your child is unwell, they need to stay home.  But if your child is well enough to attend school, they should be at school.  Every day, Monday to Friday.

Reality of missing school

Data shows us that regular school attendance is one of the best things a child can do to set them up for success.  But if they don’t attend, things get harder for them.

Let’s do the maths:

• If your child misses even just one day a fortnight, that adds up to 20 days of the school year. That’s the same as missing four whole weeks of school!
• If they miss one day a week, that doubles to eight weeks of school they’ll never get back.
• Over the course of their childhood, that equals two and a half years of vital education they’ll never receive…

We mean it, every school day counts.  It all adds up.

Bright futures begin at school

The data also tells us something else: the better a child’s attendance rate, the better off they’ll be. Their future will be filled with more opportunities.

School is where they learn and grow alongside their friends, and where they benefit the most. Going to school not only promotes academic success, but also helps build important social skills, relationships and confidence.

Helping your child regularly attend school will set them up with good habits for life.

It’s ok if you need help

If you or your child is struggling to get to school, help is available.  Please talk to us at school about your situation.  We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

Upcoming Events

8 August - Futsal Excursion - NTC

10 August - Tassie Hawks AFL Qualifier @ Cadbury's Oval (Claremont)

11 August - Soccer Excursion - NTC

11 August - Big Picture UTAS Visit (Sandy Bay Campus)

12 August - Fearless Festival (Wrest Point Casino) - OC

15 August - RYDA Excursion (Glenorchy Showgrounds) - OC

15 August - Futsal Excursion - Year 10 NTC students

15 August - Science Week - Elizabeth College - NTC

16 August - RYDA Excursion (Glenorchy Showgrounds) - Year 10 NTC students

17 August - New Town Primary Sports Roster 1-2.30pm @ OC

18 August - Soccer Excursion - NTC

19 August - Science Week - Elizabeth College - OC

19 August - Year 6 Taster Day @OC

22 August - Futsal Excursion - NTC

25-26 August - Elizabeth College Enrolments - OC

25 August - Soccer Excursion - NTC

26 August - Wear It Purple Day

26 August - Newsletter Published