25 September 2024

From the Principal

Last week was busy – with both a Swimming Carnival and a Dance Event; a big thank you to our specialist teachers!

Mr Thomas ran another excellent Swimming Carnival with fantastic support of all our students by all of our families and students. Our Swimming Carnival regularly affords us the opportunity to see the best in our community and the generous support that we all have for each other. Empathising, Helping, Courage were all on display. A very large and heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers. We really appreciate your support on the day and could not run the event without you. There was a large contingent of Gr 6 parents helping out in their last carnival – thank you to those who have supported us for so many years.

Mrs Sari ran a whole school dance event for our Prep to Gr 5s on Friday afternoon (while the oldest students were at Winter Sports). School dance events are always much remembered and savoured by our students, and we know that it takes a good bit of effort to co-ordinate, teach and then celebrate the event. Thank you to Sally and Ryan for putting it all together. 

External School Review

This time last Newsletter we were in the middle of our 4-yearly Annual School Review. We had three Reviewers on site: Two from up North and one a principal of a Hobart-based school.

The reviewers were in nearly every classroom, spoke to nearly every teacher, spoke to around 80 students (in groups, out of classrooms), spoke to our Admin team and two groups of TAs, and finally our School Association and five parent groups.

The process went for three days of interviews and then a day of report writing. On the Thursday, the Panel shared their findings. We will have to wait until Term 4 for the public report to come for us to share. For now, they have shared with our school Leadership Team an exhaustive report (27 pages). Our staff (from the panel) and School Association (from me) have also received reports and presentations.

In general, the panel was effusive in their praise of the hard work and excellent outcomes of our school. They were consistent to praise and outline much of the great work and learning that is going on here. They noted so much that we do well, and it was a really validating process for our staff and students to know that other educational leaders are really adamant that what we are doing is on the right track to ongoing successful student outcomes.

The draft recommendations were for us to continue two large bodies of work and learning that we are already progressing. One on embedding pedagogical practices and consistency across our school and another on differentiation – particularly for our middle and higher achieving students (noting that in general, we do a well above average job of supporting those students who are struggling).

I’d really like to take the time to publicly thank our staff for the hard work that they have all put in over the past ten years. Over the past three reviews, we have significantly improved our outcomes and this really is something to be proud of.

EAGLES – Cambridge Capabilities – Icon Winners Round 2

The top three winners of our second and final round of icon designs for our individual Cambridge Capabilities are (in no particular order) below:

These students should be really proud of their achievements – we are! Their drawings have been sent off to our designers be made into draft iconography. We will share the initial work with the winners for their feedback during the first week of next term.

The first round of feedback is with the designers. Our teaching team is currently refining some of the definitions after three years of initial development. When we have both the final icons and the improved definitions, we will be able to start creating other resources for both school and home to share and work with our EAGLES Framework.

Staffing – Farewell Mr Mac!

In sad news for us, and yet congratulations to him, Mr Mac has been successful in applying for and winning a Teacher role at the Southern Re-Engagement Program – Tier 4. Adam will work with students who have (for a variety of reasons) left school and they and their families are trying to re-engage on a path back to a local school. Adam’s leaving continues a strong run of staff applying for and winning jobs from the strong foundation that our school provides. We are very proud of him, and yet selfishly sad to see him go.

We have had the pleasure of Adam being here for nearly nine years and he will leave a very big gap in our daily joy. Adam is kind, caring, witty and joyful. His presence will be missed for a long time. Our students love him and there will be some strong sad emotions as we all say goodbye .

 However, more than missing him, we should all be really grateful for the chance to have Adam on staff for so long. Adam has been such a giver of his time and energy, and we are very grateful. It is with much gratitude that we appreciate your contributions, Adam, and in doing so, wish you all the best for the next role in your career. We look forward to hearing about your future successes. AND if by chance you change your mind about the new role… we’ll have a job here waiting for your return – always!

Redevelopment Update

The new building has a roof and downstairs is locked up. The internal fit out for both levels is now able to progress irrespective of weather. This building is expected to be with us sometime in December. VOS are working hard to get the building back to us sooner. We will keep you informed as we find out.

The road through to Kinder has now been extended and there is demolition works ongoing outside the main block and canteen. The goal is to progress the outside works in this area over Term 4, so that when we finish the new building, we can move out and almost immediately we can work on the classrooms inside

School Visual Communication

Building on from many previous Newsletters, we are continuing to refine an exploration of what is important to our school and how we want to communicate that to the people around us. We have worked with the School Association, our Student Representative Council, some student groups and our staff to compile a list of features and benefits of our school to start to get some information on what matters to them. Last week we shared the information we have so far and asked for feedback.

Over the past few weeks, we shared concepts with around 110 students, our School Association and our staff to:

1. Source an understanding of a desire to change or not?
2. Test possible concepts
3. Guage specific device feedback

Over this process, we have found:

• Over 95% of respondents wish to change our school logo
• There is strong feedback about our logo needing to match important parts of our new identity
  • Links to the bush
  • Links to the greenery around us – a desire for a natural environment
  • Links to the flora – the trees, the setting
  • Links to our EAGLES framework and the Wedgetails above us
• There was a consistency through feedback for us to illustrate that we are a Primary School and to have warmth in our logo

From this, we tested a variety of concept styles, initially 9, then 5, then 3. Each time we iterated a bit of feedback to improve the few remaining. Across all of the groups and people we consulted with, the consistent positive feedback (with less negative as well) resulted in the below concept.

This logo depicts a bird wing, also shaped as a gumleaf, with a green hill on top and a creek moving through. On one hand it is incredibly simple and yet it is also complex and deep. Much like our wonderful school. The additional colours are in place and recognition of the brightness (yellow) and warmth (red) of school and its community, while also retaining the two blues so prominent about the school. Our designers have consistently noted the warmth and energy “feel” (as did the school review panel). For the digital version, the brush stroke, soft feel is preferred. Where we work this onto uniforms or other small print options, we can/will use a slightly different file that best embroiders onto fabric.

The School Association, at their last meeting, resolved to send this concept back to the designers for work on:

• the font and letter styles that will go with it (see some ideas below, nothing firmed up)
• and to firm up the colours and options ideas.

Just like last week, we are keen to get your feedback: What do you think of the logo? What do you think of the different fonts? We’ll keep it easy, please just click on this email: cambridge.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au and make your subject line FEEDBACK. We would really like your input – positive, critical or in between. 

Updating our school visual communications, as we update and refresh the school (the new colour palette in the new building matches) is a timely opportunity. We look forward to your feedback.

See you soon – Courtney.

Levies

Levy payments are now overdue. If you haven’t already done so, please pay promptly. Contact the office if you wish to discuss payment options.

Help Us Shape the Future: Seeking Fundraising Coordinator and Volunteers!

As we approach a new chapter for our school, we find ourselves in need of fresh energy and new perspectives. Many of our dedicated fundraising team members are transitioning out as their children finish primary school, leaving us with an exciting opportunity for new parents to step in and take the reins.

Fundraising Coordinator Needed! We are on the lookout for a passionate and organized Fundraising Coordinator to lead our efforts. This role involves overseeing event logistics, managing communications, and ensuring that our initiatives run smoothly. Your leadership will be crucial in continuing our tradition of successful fundraising and making a positive impact on our school community.

Volunteer Opportunities Available: If you’re interested in contributing but aren’t ready to take on a coordinator role, we still need you! We are seeking volunteers for various tasks such as event setup, promotion, and day-of support. Your involvement, big or small, will be greatly appreciated and will help ensure the success of our events.

Why Join Us?

• Make a Difference: Your efforts will directly benefit our students and support their educational experiences.
• Connect with the Community: Meet and work with fellow parents, teachers, and community members.
• Enjoy the Experience: Be part of a team dedicated to creating memorable and impactful events.

How to Get Involved: If you’re interested in becoming the new Fundraising Coordinator or would like to volunteer, please reach out to us via our Facebook page @cambridgefungroup or contact the school office.

We’re excited to welcome new faces and ideas as we continue to build and support our vibrant school community. Thank you for considering joining us in this important role!

The Fundraising Team

Cambridge Primary Swimming Carnival 2024

On Thursday in week 9 we held our Swimming Carnival at Hobart Aquatic Centre.  The students participated admirably and their behaviour in and around the pool was excellent.  The support shown by the Cambridge Primary parents and community members was fantastic.  There were many amazing performances by the grade 3 to 6 students and I’m really looking forward to seeing how our students go in the upcoming Interschool Swimming Carnival in Term 4.

A massive thank you needs to go to all the staff who supported the students in participating on the day, especially Mr Macdonald who did an amazing job marshalling the students.  Finally, a huge thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time on the day to help with a range of jobs.  Your help was essential to the success of the event.

Ryan Thomas, HPE teacher

Combined Primary Schools Annual Concert

Tickets for the Combined Primary Schools Annual Concert, to be held at MyState Bank Arena on Friday 22November 2024, are now on sale.

The concert performance will start at 7.00pm sharp, and students are requested to be at the venue by 6.30pm. Student performers do not require a ticket.

Please note, due to copyright and privacy, recording and photography are not permitted during the performance.

Kinder and Prep Create Banner for Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

The Kinder and Prep classes have been hard at work creating a banner for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, which will be proudly displayed at the front of the gallery for the Festival for Children and Young People in October. The theme of the banner, To the Max, focused on extremes and our students chose to highlight penguins, animals that thrive in one of the world’s most extreme environments.

The Kinder and Prep students illustrated and painted penguins, reflecting their understanding of these resilient creatures and the harsh, icy habitats they call home. The Kinder students titled their banner The Penguin Waddle and shared the following artist statement:

"Penguins live in the Antarctic and on icebergs. They are important because if the ice melts, they will have to move to another iceberg. It is melting because the sun is way too hot. When the ice melts it turns into water and that’s where the fish live. Penguins eat fish. When the ice melts, there is more water and that means that more islands disappear quicker underwater."

This collaborative project gave the students an opportunity to explore themes of climate change and environmental responsibility through art, creating a meaningful and beautiful contribution to the festival.

Clare Houston, Kindergarten teacher

Speech and Language Pathologist

Hello staff, parents and students. My name is Elise Ling and I am the new Speech and Language Pathologist working at Cambridge Primary School on a Friday.

My role is to complete assessment and provide support to students with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. If you have any concerns with your child’s speech, language or literacy skills, please discuss with your child’s class teacher and they will be able to help you to make a referral as necessary.

Footy Colours Day – Friday 27 September

Friday 27 September (the last day of term) will be Footy Colours Day! Come to school wearing your best team attire. No donation required.

Lost Property

Please encourage your child/children to check the Lost Property if they have lost clothes, lunch boxes, drink bottles etc. Any un-named items will be disposed of during the holidays.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Blair A, James K-S and Will M who have all been selected to play in the state soccer team in the Premier’s Invitational Tournament which is running this week on the Gold Coast.

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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