Last week we held our first Values Assembly, focussed on the school value of respect. As I have reported before, we made some significant gains in this area last year with suspensions down 25% year-over-year, including a reduction of more than 50% in behaviour detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of others and over 50% reduction in suspensions for disobedience. In addition, we also had a reduction in the average percentage of students being relocated each day. We will continue work this year, in line with our external school review recommendations, to strengthen consistent responses to appropriate and inappropriate student behaviour in order to realise our vision of New Norfolk High School as a respectful learning community with high expectations for ourselves, for others and for the way in which we learn together.

Due to strong enrolments over the holidays, we are starting with student numbers are up by more than 10% on previous projections. There has been some very positive feedback from Grade Teams about the way in which all our students have settled into the school year. In particular, outstanding participation in the School Swimming and House Activities Day by our Year 7 students, significant improvements in attitude and interactions with staff in Year 8, notably positive uniform in Year 9 and a significant turnaround in attendance for Year 10. Our Year 11 & 12 students have also made a very positive start to the year, and it has been particularly pleasing to see their attendance and the way in which they are engaging with our new VET offerings.

This is a short term, but packed full. The coming weeks see both the Athletics Carnival and NAPLAN (being held in Term 1 for the first time). Please also make a note in your calendar for our Meet & Greet, which will run from 3-5 pm on Monday the 20^th of March, an opportunity to meet teachers and discuss how students have started the year. We look forward to seeing you then.

Mr Stuart Lord

Principal

Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th March

• School Athletics Carnival

Monday 13th March

• 8 Hour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 14th March

• Newsletter issued

Wednesday 15th - Monday 27th March

• NAPLAN

Monday 20th March

• Meet and Greet event 3-5pm

Monday 20th - Friday 26th March

• Harmony Week

Monday 27th March

• Reclink AFL 9s
• Newsletter issued

Staff spent part of their first day working with staff from Glenora District School planning our common units and beginning our first inquiries of the year. Part of this was to understand our school’s data and getting to know our students. 

Some of the units and focus areas that we are starting with are listed below;

• Year 7 & 8 Maths – Number and multiplicative thinking
• Year 9 English – Persuasive writing and text types
• Year 7 Science – Biology and Life Sciences
• Year 10 English – Narrative genres
• Technologies – Understanding subject specific vocabulary

Numeracy activity

Using only $100 and $10 notes or $1 coins, can you make the total $374 using exactly 32 coins?

Can you find more than one way of doing it?

Please see Mr Shelton to with your solutions.

If you wish to receive feedback about your child and their learning then please contact the school.

Jason Shelton

AP Teaching and Learning

Grade 7 has begun this year with aplomb as our students have engaged in a variety of activities as they begin with new schedules, new friends, new teachers and new subjects. Students have had an action packed first couple of weeks with the Swimming Carnival and house day. Students made PomPoms with Ms. Thompson, explored the school Orienteering with Ms. Escobar and learned a new way to play dodgeball with Mr Gordon.

Grade 7 has been making the most of the new opportunities they have as high school students with introductions to Cooking and MDT allowing them to learn some cooking and metalworking in amongst the challenges of Maths, English, Science and HASS.

Students have focused on the school value of “Getting Sorted, Getting Settled and Getting Started” in the first 3 weeks of turn as they adapt to their new timetable and we look forward to them applying the same level of resilience and adaptability to this fortnight’s focus of “Choosing our words” as we work for a respectful school environment.

Mr Armstrong

On Wednesday 22nd February we held our first Values assembly of the year. The focus for the fortnight leading to this assembly was Respect: Get sorted, get started, get settled. Congratulations to Jenarlee Britain, Jordan White, Bizi Reay and Noah Strong from Grade 7; Payton Salter, Max Woolford and Angel Green from Grade 8, Max Doyle, Chloe Oates and Rhys Hetherington from Grade 9; and Thomas Bignall, Matilda Strong, Jazmyn Bomford and Azalea Bennett from Grade 10.

The next focus is Respect: Choose your words with the next Values assembly on Wednesday 22nd March.

Ms Murray

New Norfolk High School has recently been licensed to operate The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia as an Award Centre.

All our year 11 and 12 students will be given the opportunity to participate in this youth development program, empowering them to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion, and place in the world.

How is an Award Achieved?

To achieve an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical well-being, volunteer in their community, and experience a team adventure in a new environment. All students will be supported by a network of adult Award Leaders, Assessors, and Supervisors.

What impact does the Award have on a young person?

Through this challenging journey of self-discovery, students:

• Are equipped and empowered to achieve their personal best
• Learn to take responsibility for their goals and choices
• Become connected to and actively engaged within their immediate community
• Make a real difference to society through their positive contributions and involvement
• Learn to persevere and overcome barriers to success
• Learn important life skills
• Increase their career opportunities.

The Duke of Edinburgh International Award also attracts valuable Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) points.

More information will be provided to the year 11 and 12 students and carers in the coming weeks.

The students in Ms. Courtney’s 9/10 Life Choices Class have been exploring body image. This week we looked at how advertising helps to promote gender stereotypes and shape negative perceptions of ourselves. The students annotated a print advertisement, addressing questions such as ‘What is this product trying to sell?’, ‘What message does it send to young men/women?’ and  ‘How does this ad make you personally feel about yourself?’. The students worked very well individually to demonstrate their great critical thinking skills.

On Friday 17^th of February, Grades 7-10 participated in our first swimming and house day. It was a scorcher of day, perfect for swimming and grade based house activities. Grades 7 and 8 were the first to make their way to the pool ready for their swimming and novelty events. Swimming events included 50 metres freestyle, backstroke and breastroke and our inaugural inflatable unicorn novelty house relay. Students then had some free time to enjoy the cool water on summers day before heading back to school for their grade based house activities. It was then reversed and grades 9 and 10 joined HPE staff at the pool for the same events. Each grade planned and ran different house activities that varied from, spaghetti towers, dodge ball challenge and craft activities. Derwent took the trophy this year, followed by Russell and Faulkner. Well done to all participants. HPE staff are looking forward to using student and staff feedback to improve this day for 2024!

Swimming champions and runners up:

Mrs Lauren Floyd

Term 3

Tuesday 25th July - Friday 29th September

Term 4

Monday 16th October - Thursday 21st December