Dear Families,

Our Grade 3 and 5 students recently participated in the NAPLAN testing and are to be congratulated on their efforts and persistence. All students tried their very best and it was wonderful to see them concentrating and applying themselves so well.

It gives me pleasure to announce that Herdsmans Cove has been chosen as one of 15 schools to participate in the School Lunch Project which will commence next week. The lunches will be prepared by our fabulous Mrs Riley on Wednesday and our fantastic canteen staff on Fridays.  Classes across the school will be provided with one hot lunch a week.  If your child is in Prep/1, 1/2 and 2/3 they will receive a hot lunch on Wednesday and if your child is in Kinder, 3/4, 4/5 and 5/6 they will receive a hot lunch on Friday. Please make sure that you have returned the permission form so that your child is able to participate in the program.

Yesterday, classes across the school participated in National Simultaneous Storytelling event. Each year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in schools, libraries and childcare centres around the country.  This year’s book was the “Family Tree” by Josh Pyke.  I had a wonderful time reading this book to our fabulous Kinder children. The idea behind the event is to promote the joy of reading, a love of books and to ignite our imaginations.  

It is also that time of the year when teachers are busy preparing for our Kinder to Grade 6, Parent Teacher Learning Conversations. These Learning Conversations will be held on Monday 27 June to Thursday 30 June.  Teachers are looking forward to sharing examples of student work, discussing their progress, and sharing the Department of Education’s new reporting format with parents. Please contact the office to book a time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Carolyn Brown, Principal

STEAM Time! Leaning Tower of Pasta

The challenge was set! Students in small groups embarked on the challenge of building a tower using only a limited supply of marshmallows and pasta in a set time limit. The team that built the tower that could hold the most weight was announced. The winners got to indulge in some cookies and a hot milo! A great time was had by all, especially by those that snuck away and ate some of the supplies (their marshmallows).

On a beautiful autumn day we drove down to Woodbridge to participate in learning activities to help us understand how marine creatures are adapted to their environment.

Here are some photos taken on the day and some comments made by our 5/6 students.

"My best part was learning about the sea urchin. I did not know that sea urchins had a lot of legs. It was amazing learning about sea creatures." Xavia.

"My favourite part was feeding the sharks and the fish. It was a fun time where we did lots of fun things like feeding the fish. We all fed the fish and we got some weird food to feed the fish.  Some fish were hungry and happy to be fed and we were happy to feed them."  Scarlett     

"My personal favourite part was when we got to feed the fish. My favourite fish to feed was the puffer fish my favourite part of the rotational part was the oculus headset." Marcus

"The coolest thing about the marine discovery centre was we got to pat the shark and look at the fish but my favourite thing about it would be feeding the sharks and fish it was so fun when the fish and sharks kept on splashing us." Maddie :)

"My favourite thing was  the touch room because we can pick up all of the sea creatures and I like to touch the skate and the sharks also the head set and all the activities." Jaylah

"My favourite was the shark. It was so cool! I loved the touching tank where there were lots of hermit crabs." Gracie-Kaye

"Yesterday we went on a trip to the Marine Discovery Centre. We had lots of fun patting the stingray." Allie.

"At the marine centre patting the skate was very fun because it was slimy on the side and it would always come to people plus it stayed very still like it was taught not to move when humans or even other creatures and feeding it was a joyful moment of how it eats. Even if I didn’t touch the shark as much as the skate I still enjoyed being their with my friends, it was really good experience for my learning. It was my favourite thing I have done for my school work." Zavier.

Here is some bio-luminiscent artwork by out Grade 5/6 students.  They look amazing.

We are excited that our school has been chosen as one of 15 Tasmanian schools to be a part of the 2022 School Lunch Project.  Mrs Riley and our canteen staff will cook and serve a free, delicious healthy lunch for Prep/1, 1/2 and 2/3 on Wednesdays and Kinder, 3/4, 4/5 and 5/6 on Fridays for the 2022 school year.

Lunches  that are popular with children will be served to class where students will enjoy a sit down meal together. The meals will be approved by the project dietitians.  A sample menu is provided below.

Children with food allergies will be given foods they can eat.  The lunches will start next week on Wednesday 1 June and Friday 3 June.

Before the lunches start the project team are interested in some parents and students completing a short survey, including questions to find out what students normally eat for lunch.  In term 3, the team will ask parents and students what they think about the lunches.  Parents can click on the link below to complete the survey:

Parent/caregiver survey: https://redcap.utas.edu.au/surveys/?s=JKJCJX7CAN

If you would prefer, hard copies of the survey are available from the school office.

Some students have already completed an anonymous paper survey asking, who usually makes their lunch, how much of their lunch do they eat and what they think about having lunch made and served at school.

The lunches are free and participation is voluntary; permission notices have gone home this week.  If you do not want your child to have the lunches, they do not have to.  If you would like your child to have the free lunches, you will need to sign the form and return it to the office before Wednesday next week.

Sample Menu:

Chicken fried rice/tofu fried rice with fruit salad/or piece of fruit

Vegetable curry with Rice with fruit salad/or piece of fruit

Savoury slice with mexican corn and bean salad

Pasta Bolognese with cheese and green salad

Lasagne/lentil lasagne with green salad

Cottage pie/lentil cottage pie with green salad

There will be a different menu each day.

We are looking forward to starting the lunch project next week.

Due to unforeseen circumstances we changed our school photo day to Friday 24 June.

Orders will need to be placed by 4.30 p.m. on the night before school photo day -  Thursday 23 June.

Kindergarten, family and separated family photos can all be ordered following the process below:

Starting next week our school Canteen will operate as normal on Thursdays only.  The canteen price list will remain unchanged for this term.

Our Canteen staff are excited to be preparing lunches on a Friday for the School Lunch Project.