14 August 2024

From the Principal

Welcome to Term 3!

We’re all about Swimming and Water Safety at the moment – while our grade 3, 4 and 5 students undergo the second of our two week program. We know that these students get hungry and tired during the fortnight of Swimming and Water Safety, so please encourage them to schedule in some recovery time.

Cambridge Capabilities – Icon Competition Winners

At the end of last term, we ran a competition for our students to be able to help design the individual icons for each of the Cambridge Capabilities. Students and staff then voted on class “winners”.  Much of the voting was really close. My daughter and I laid out the voting sheets in our hallway in the holidays and tallied up all the votes. In doing so she let me know that a lot of people had put a lot of effort in and did there need to be only one “winner”? As much of our learning for our Cambridge Capabilities has been around effort and learning, I realised she had a point. As such, we sent the top three winners off to the designers for inspiration. The top three people (in no particular order) for each capability we had were:

A HUGE congratulations to all the students listed above and to everyone for participating! We are currently drawing and planning the last batch (10 more) icons. They should be completed by the start of next term at the lastest. Our school “competition” will be held over the next few weeks.

The winners will work with me on the drafts of the drawings as they come in (over the next few weeks) to give their feedback to the designers before we firm up the icon and share with the whole community.

As the icons are being completed, we are working through a process this term to fix up any incongruencies we have with the definitions and wording we have found through living and working with our Cambridge Capabilities. Once this is completed, we will start producing a variety of school and home resources to help support our EAGLES framework and each of the Cambridge Capabilities.

Having said this, soon we should have some new posters and visuals start to land around the school to best communicate our learning.

We are near the end of 3 years of work to co-construct our EAGLES framework. Next step is to continue to deeply live it and celebrate the learning and growth everyday.

Redevelopment Update

The new Kindergarten classroom is finished! This represents the completion of stage 1 of 3 stages. We are awaiting a fire permit and occupancy permit. We will be moving in over the next week. This will mean that both Kinders will have their own room (although they must be congratulated on sharing a space so well) and we are moving 3-4B (Mrs Birchall’s class) to the new room, in Kinder, for the next little while (we’ve told the students, and they are excited). We are moving 3-4B to allow the builders to start exploratory works on the outside and inside of the current 3-4B room. Getting into this area will allow the builders to know in better detail the challenges of the final stage of works with the main building.

Over the next month, you will see VOS move through the school and create a fenced “road” that will lead to the canteen area. We will have limited access to the external area around the canteen and the doors near this area. We will provide specific information about this as it happens. Consider this just a heads-up. This is the start of the third and final stage of this part of the redevelopment. This part is the most complex, involving the canteen, the staffroom and all 6 current rooms in the main block. This work, when started, is due for completion in late April 2025. The full work will not really get underway until the new building on Cambridge Road is completed, as we need to move the current classes out. 

The new two-storey building on Cambridge Road is really taking shape with the roof trusses going in, electrical fit-out on the lower level and external brickwork finished for the lower level. Expect to see a roof on in the next little while and then it will be busy from then on.  Currently, this building stage is on track for completion in early November.

School Visual Communication

Over the last few meetings (and progressing from over the past few years of discussion) the School Association has approved of the school to explore, with some designers, how the school is communicated more broadly in terms of our visuals, signage and even logo. This work has not been reactionary to any one event but was probably brought to the forefront by the students when we were working on the EAGLES framework and visual communications for this. Our students were excited at and by the prospect of what they are connected to being what the school displays and shares.

At the time (end of 2022 and early 2023), their energy and enthusiasm caught me off guard (in a good way), so I asked them to pause their energy and I’d come back to it. We have discussed the matter with the School Association, and they have been thoroughly behind the idea, which has been led by our students, to examine:

• What is important to our school?
• How do we communicate what is important to others?

For you (parents and students), what this might mean is a gradual change in school logo, improved signage, changes to websites and communications, changes in uniform (with school logos) and other things. What it won’t mean is a dramatic and expensive change. We will communicate to and with you about the changes as they take place. We will also allow you the chance to have your say about changes.

Our school has many unique offerings that we have developed over many years. Some over a really long time, most, over the past 10 years. With the change in the school buildings and infrastructure, there is an opportunity to also modify the way we communicate the changes in what we are and value as a school more thoroughly. Our school is 160 years old this year, and we have thoroughly changed over that time.

Personally, “re-branding” projects often seem pointless to me and frustrate me, however, when driven by our students' energy and enthusiasm, it means that there may be a need to better communicate who we are and what we want to be to the wider community. While also paying homage to what is important to us in our setting and fantastic school. It is also important that as a school, we honour the commitment to engage with our students about how our school is presented. At this stage, I will work with the Student Rep Council (starting today) to gain their voice in what they value, and we will continue to work with the School Association to seek their guidance. Once we have some options and ideas, we will put it out for parent voice and comment. We will be able to move quickly through feedback options with the students and School Association to see where things might land. We will then communicate through this Newsletter any changes. Considering our current school logo maybe an intellectual property dispute between us and Aeroplane Jelly, it certainly is worth exploring.

See you soon – Courtney.

Carpark Disruption Term 3 Week 5 – Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 August 2024

On Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 August our carpark area where the buses pull in will be out of action due to the builders needing this space to bring in a large crane. Buses will drop students off at alternative areas, supported by staff. Parents/carers are asked to please be extra vigilant and patient at drop off and pick up times.

Fathers’ Day Stall – Wednesday 28 August

Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate Fathers’ Day with us on 28 August. We look forward to seeing you at the stall and helping you find the perfect way to say “thank you” to the remarkable men in your lives.

For more information, please visit our school fb page 

We’re seeking enthusiastic new volunteers to join our team this year, as we’re a bit short on help. If you’re interested in lending a hand, please get in touch with us via our fb page or leave your details at the school office. 

Let’s make this Fathers’ Day unforgettable!

The Fundraising Team

Cambridge Soccer Club Presentation Day

Saturday, 24^th August 2024
Cambridge Oval
BBQ from 1.00pm
Under 5s, 6s & 7s Presentations from 1.30pm
Under 8s, 9s, 10s, 11s & 12s Presentations from 2.30pm
Followed by traditional Parents v u12 game

The Cambridge Soccer Club end of season BBQ and Presentation Day is a relaxed, family-friendly afternoon where all our teams come together to celebrate our soccer season and have fun!  We look forward to seeing you there!

Each player receives FREE drink & ice cream
BBQ, Beer, Wine & Soft Drinks available for purchase
Bring a picnic rug/chair
Please return playing tops for $10 refund
Cash and Card both accepted

2024 Tasmanian Schools Triathlon Challenge

The 2024 Tasmanian Schools Triathlon Challenge for students in Grades 3-6 will be held on Friday 29 November at Bellerive Beach. Entry forms are available from the Office. Completed forms should be returned to the Office with payment before the end of this term.  Cash payments only. Please do not return forms without payment. Parents/carers are responsible for transporting students to and from the event.

Assemblies in Term 3

Assemblies are held in the MPR and start at 1.40pm. All are welcome to attend. This term’s remaining Assemblies will be on:

Friday 16 August
Friday 13 September

Let’s Celebrate!

2024 Term dates

Term 1:  Thursday 8 February to Friday 12 April (Easter Break Fri 29 March -Tue 2 April)
Term 2:  Monday 29 April to Friday 5 July (Student Free Day Friday 7 June)
Term 3:  Monday 22 July to Friday 27 September
Term 4:  Monday 14 October to Thursday 19 December (Student Free Day Friday 25 October)

Remaining Student Free Days 2024

Friday 25 October 2024, Term 4 week 2. (Thursday 24 October – Hobart Show Day Public Holiday)

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