We have had a fantastic start to Term 2 with our students focused on their learning and settled in their class and the playground. We are currently conducting our NAPLAN testing and all participating students have shown great determination and commitment to the process thus far.

In exciting news, I can now reveal that a group of students from our school were successful in winning a competition run for all schools in the greater Launceston area last year. The competition was based around using technology to solve a problem. Under the guidance of Mr Timms, our group of students, Aiden M, Isabella R, Delilah A, Mason J  and Oliver C, also known collectively as Club Penguin, designed a sensor device that was able to track and count penguin use of nesting boxes that are being installed at Low Head. Our successful group submitted a video presentation of their invention and were able to defeat many other great entries from both public and private schools.  A further explanation of the project will be included in this edition of the newsletter.

We are also very grateful to the Lions Club of George Town who have generously donated $1,200 to our Esk Band program. As I’ve detailed before, the Esk Band program is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience and learn a concert band instrument (brass, woodwind and percussion) with experienced tutors. This donation allows us to support more students to have an experience and develop a range of skills and passion for music that they otherwise may not have been able to.

We continue to build a wide and stimulating array of curriculum opportunities for our students. Our Arts program (Esk Band, Specialist Visual Arts lessons, Music) and our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) experiences and teaching are evidence of the amazing opportunities that are available at our school. We are always striving to live our School Vision of empowering our students to participate and succeed as creative, ethical and purposeful members of our community and society.

Jon Madin is a folk musician, inventor and music teacher from Victoria.  He travels nationally and internationally sharing his infectious enthusiasm for making music, and making instruments out of everyday items. 

On Friday, Jon brought many of his instruments to school and held workshops with students in grades 1 to 6.  These instruments included “Ding Boxes”, which made sounds when we jumped on them, Musical Bicycles, Echo Cellos and huge Marimbas, all which he made himself.  Jon teaches music using the Orff method: Students learn by listening, imitating and playing musical games.  His instruments and approach helped students to achieve quick success in their music-making, and it was great to see students fully engaged, playing with confidence and singing on the way back to class!  Jon has kindly donated some of his publications to us and we will have lots of fun following-on from Jon’s workshop in our music classes. 

Last year, students from Miss Greene’s class partnered with Port Dalrymple school to build penguin boxes for the Low Head area as part of a university program to re-establish ‘Little Penguins’, more commonly known as Fairy Penguins, to the area. As part of this successful program, students in 5/6 Timms class were challenged to incorporate a method to record the usage of the boxes to determine how often they were being visited.

The school had been provided with Bitlink Internet of Things (IoT) kits as part of a project funded through the Launceston City Deal, which is a partnership between the Australian Federal Government, the Tasmanian State Government and the Launceston City Council. This project also included funding to run an IoT Ideas Competition for schools asking student teams to prepare a short video outlining their idea for an IoT innovation that could improve lives in a way that aligns with the four competition themes: smart homes, smart farms, smart cities, and smart schools.

Using one of the supplied BBC micro:bit mini computers, former students Delilah A, Mason J, Aiden M and Isabella R, and current student Oliver C designed, coded and assembled a digital counter that could be easily retro-fitted to the penguin boxes. Using a 3D printed enclosure housing the micro:bit computer, batteries and a motion sensor, the students successfully incorporated science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and design into their solution.

The students also submitted their finished product into the IoT competition in the ‘Smart Cities’ category which involved preparing a video presentation and a written report detailing their planning, designing and coding journey. The five students spent many hours of both class and their own time in preparing a polished presentation which was awarded first place in the greater Launceston area, outperforming teams from both public and private schools. This success carried with it an award of $1200 for our school, and $400 to be split equally among the five students.

Here are our latest 'Reach for the Stars' recipients. These students have demonstrated our school values over several years. Congratulations on this very special award!

https://youtu.be/N2Bbl5-pLFs

Here is the link to this fortnight's Merit Certificate announcement by Mr Hay.

https://youtu.be/6fm0-y0ck4g

Last week 3/4 Garwood explored the meaning behind ANZAC Day and its significance in Australian history and our lives today. They made beautiful stones to place in their gardens at home, watched a documentary about the ANZACs, and enjoyed Anzac biscuits.

Thank you to our students and their families who participated in the mid-morning ANZAC Day service on April 25th. Special mention to Leilani, Paige, Alyssa and Andie for filling very important roles this morning. We are proud of you all.

With the 1500m race being run at the end of last term, the South George Town Primary School Athletics carnival is now complete. This year’s carnival was a very successful one with participation and enthusiasm high. The carnival once again could not have been such a positive one without the assistance of the staff, the parents and other community members and the Port Dalrymple Sports Leaders. These people guide our students through events, explain rules, measure, time, rake, assist myself to marshal, start the races, record and I could go on. Carnivals cannot be run without an energetic team of helpers and our school was very lucky to have so many people volunteer their time, so I thank all those involved. I also must thank Craig and Julie for marking out the grounds for us to use. It is a difficult and time-consuming job and the oval looked excellent.

Some highlights were the music being played as the events were being undertaken and the lunch time dancing lead by the Port Sport Leaders. There were some competitive and close races that were great to watch, and the tug-o-war events were popular also.

The day started off with the Prep to Grade 2 students rotating around their events and as usual they were all very excited to be out on the track. These year groups did some 100m running events, some obstacle courses, threw a vortex and turbo javelin and did egg and spoon and sack races. 

Some students who were very successful in their grades across all the various events were:

Grade 6

Grade 5

Grade 4

Grade 3

Banksia house were victorious with 1580 points to Wattle with 1255 points.

Jill Fish – PE teacher