2021 Term date changes:

Please be advised that there have been some changes to the Term 1 school holiday dates.

The end date for Term 1, 2021, has been brought forward to allow the school holiday period to commence immediately following Easter Tuesday.

This means that students will not have to return to school for three days between Easter break and Term 1 school holidays, which was previously the case.

The overarching reason behind this decision is to allow for greater learning continuity for students.

The new arrangements are as follows:

 With the school holidays falling directly after Easter, it will be an ideal time for your family to take advantage of the extended holiday period!

All Term dates for 2021 can be found on the Department of Education website at www.education.tas.gov.au/about-us/term-dates/term-dates-2021/

Studentworks Presentation:

I had the pleasure of attending the Studentworks award presentation last week and witnessed some of our very own students recieving some outstanding recognitions.

Can we please congratulate all that were involved. 

The Queechy School Association has wrapped up for another year! And what a year 2020 has been.  We have farewelled executive members and welcomed  new ones.  Thank you to  Jason, Ruth and Ari for the time and commitment you have given to the roles.  Stepping in to fill the roles are Sonia Peck as chair, Mandy Brown as vice chair, Kirsty Crawford as treasurer and Rachel Kerrison as secretary. We were very excited to welcome along 2 new faces to the last association meeting for the year.

Queechy School Association meetings provide parents with an opportunity to gain insight into what's happening in and around your child’s school. It's an excellent opportunity to network with other parents and contribute to some vital decisions about the future and direction of the school.

All parents are welcome to come to meetings and we would love to see many more new faces in 2021.  The meeting dates in Term 1, 2021 are February 17^th and March 24^th at 7pm.

Wishing everyone a safe and merry Christmas. Enjoy your break and we look forward to 2021.

We would like to reach out to any families who may have any Queechy High School uniform pieces that they are willing to donate to the school. Clothes must be Queechy High School uniform only and undamaged.
Any clothes donated will be given to students who are struggling financially or to any students that may come across any emergencies throughout the day.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Alicia
Hodge (Social Worker) for further information.

The Middle Years Literacy Project (MYLP) has been a three year Department of Education funded initiative which the Queechy Alliance (QA) started in 2018. Two weeks ago I attended the State wide celebration of Middle Years projects where 13 Associations were represented, sharing the successes and challenges of their projects. There has been some amazing work happening across the state focussing on reading, writing, student engagement, instructional models and student voice to name a few.

Below is a snapshot of our QA MYLP journey that was shared at the event:

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Construction and implementation of an Instructional Model
• Development of Support Materials for the Instructional Model – now electronic
• QA PL - Consistent, aligned key messages for all QA staff co-created by In-School Leaders
• Networking and collaborating across schools
• Teacher planning using instructional model
• Consistent communication and processes within meetings and professional learning
• Shared understanding regarding direction, content and an agreed common language
• Access to experts: Pamela Macklin - School Improvement Consultant, Vic Zbar, Anne Bayetto
• Inclusion of Launceston Big Picture School and Newstead College into the QA

DATA

Teacher responses to School Improvement survey:

1 = Not evident, 2 = Sometimes evident, 3 = Often evident and 4 = Always evident

Student responses to Instructional Model interview:

• "The Success Criteria and Learning Intentions have been displayed on a powerpoint or on the board before we start the lesson and we have posters around the classroom to guide us..."
• "We know what to do to succeed in learning..."
• "It makes me concentrate more; I get better feedback on how to improve my reading."
• "I like the feedback that I get and the learning intentions so I know how to improve."

SUSTAINABILITY (2021-2022)

• QA Principals' Agreements: Funding of a Coordinator to continue the work of the QA, organisational processes, creation of a Data Team
• Professional learning focus: Formative Assessment and Effective Feedback; High impact reading approaches
• Key roles and responsibilities: Board of Principals, In-School Leaders, Coordinator and Teachers
• Strategic Plan Goals:
• The Instructional Model is implemented effectively in all classrooms K-12
• Consistent, high quality teaching and learning of reading is implemented effectively in all classrooms K-12

The consistent leadership and clear direction of the QA has definitely contributed to the effective change of teaching practice, which supports our students to be more successful learners. Whilst the funding will cease at the end of 2020, the Board of Principals have agreed to contribute financially from their own school funds to employ a Coordinator for 2021. I am excited to announce that the Coordinator for 2021 is Abbi Dean. The work of the Queechy Alliance will continue to perform at a high level due to Abbi’s experience as In-School Leader for the duration of the 2018-2020 project and previously working in the Connect 6 Association. We wish Abbi all the best as she works with the Principals and leads the In-School Leaders in achieving the future goals of the QA.

If you have any questions or queries about the MYLP please contact your In-School Leader.

East Launceston – Jeanette Ryan

Norwood – Zoe Marshall

Punchbowl – Abbi Dean

Queechy –

Ann-Marie McKendrick                                                        

Ravenswood – Janne Vincent

St Leonards – Zara Oswin

Waverley – Michelle Dennis

Belinda Simpson

QA MYLP Coordinator

Arrivals begin at the Tailrace Centre from 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start. A reminder that no spectators are permitted to view arrivals due to Covid-19 restrictions at the venue. The dinner will conclude at 10:00pm and parents/guardians are asked to please wait in their vehicles for students to leave the venue. 

In year 7 science we have been making up for lost time by completing several practical investigations in the areas of physics and chemistry. Students from Mr Saunders’ 7G class are pictured below practicing chromatography with different colours.

Thanks to our Maths and Science AST Mr Sam Ayre and our wonderful lab technicians, Maryanne and Stewart Simpson for their ongoing support in 2020.

This term in English, the Grade Tens have completed a unit on John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and have had opportunities to further develop their essay writing skills and analysis of text. They are now studying William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the modern adaptation 10 Things I Hate About You, where they have developed an understanding of the language used in Elizabethan England, and the key elements of the two versions of the text. We wish our Grade 10 students all the best for their final weeks at Queechy and in coming years. 

Everyday English Language

"My darling fridge, how I long for you each minute of the day. How I so deeply wish to caress your sterling silver exterior, to feel the cool touch of the door that leads to the wonders inside. Twelve steps, each morning, and I take them for you. From my bedroom, to my hallway, to the kitchen, where I know you are always awaiting my presence. How I miss you at night, how I dream of you in my sleep. So much, I sometimes sneak from my bed, at ungodly hours, in seek of the precious goods you hold inside. And even when you cannot satisfy my needs, I will still take those twelve steps, over and over, back and forth, until you provide me with a delicious snack, that I most definitely don’t need. Oh, how generous you are. How you hold and protect my most favourite thing with such care. I cannot thank you enough, I cannot prove myself to you in the ways you do for me. How I don’t deserve you, my sweet angel fridge. Forever in my heart, ‘til death do us part, I love you."

Shakespeare Language:

"Mine ladybird fridge, how i long for thee each minute of the day. How i so deeply wish to caress thy sterling silver exterior, to feeleth the merit touch of the door yond leads to the wonders inside. Twelve steps, each morn, and i taketh those folk for thee. From mine bedroom, to mine hallway, to the kitchen, whither i knoweth ye art at each moment awaiting mine presence. How i miss thee at night, how i dream of thee in mine catch but a wink. So much, i oft sneak from mine catch but a wink cubiculo, at ungodly hours, in seek of the precious goods thee hold inside. And coequal at which hour thee cannot satisfy mine needeth, i wilt still taketh those twelve steps, ov'r and ov'r, back and forth, until thee provide me with a delicious snack, yond i most forsooth don’t needeth. Oh, how generous ye art. How thee hold and protect mine most minion thing with such care. I cannot thank thee enow, i cannot prove myself to thee in the ways thee doth for me. How i don’t deserve thee, mine sweet angel fridge. Still in mine heart, ‘til death doth us part, i love thee."

Modern English

To my amazing lover, the Boys,

"Saturdays are for you. Your company is enlightening. Our time together is the most great part of my life, when we are apart, I yearn for you. Our adventures in the bush, spending afternoons down by the river and our conversations at recess and lunch are exhilarating. I love playing sport and fun games with you, your company is the best. You never fail to make me smile, and you cheer me up with ease, I dislike when one of you defects to your ridiculous girlfriends, it saddens me, but it doesn’t sour my view of you, my amazing The Boys. Love is a journey, and I want to reach the destination with you. A famous man once said “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never quite know what you are going to get.” This is true most of the time, but with you I feel safe, I feel normal and I know what expect. You are the peanut butter to my jam, the yin to my yang, the wheels to my care. The Boys, I love you endlessly."

Your dearest M

Shakespearean English

"To mine most wondrous lover, the boys, Saturdays art for thee. Thy company is enlightening. Our time together is the most, most wondrous part of mine life, at which hour we art apart, i yearn for thee. Our adventures in the bush, spending afternoons down by the river and our conversations at recess and lunch art exhilarating. I love playing sport and excit'ment games with thee, thy company is the most wondrous. Thee nev'r fail to maketh me smileth, and thee cheer me up with ease, i dislike at which hour one of thee defects to thy ridiculous girlfriends, 't saddens me, but 't doesn’t sour mine view of thee, mine most wondrous the boys. Love is a journey, and i wanteth to reacheth the destination with thee. A famous sir once did doth sayeth “life is like a box of chocolates, thee nev'r quite anon what ye art going to receiveth.” this is true most of the time, but with thee i feeleth safe, i feeleth ingraft and i knoweth what expect. Ye art the pignut butter to mine jam, the yin to mine yang, the wheels to mine care. The boys, i love thee endlessly."

Thy dearest M

21 excited EAL students participated in 6 water safety/ swimming lessons at the Aquatic Centre. Many of these students had never swum before arriving in Australia. The students have come from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Eritrea and Vietnam. They were given very important life skills in water safety, water awareness and survival swimming; and ‘waterproofing’ them for the start of our upcoming summer. Big thanks to Ceri for upskilling our students who really enjoyed the learning; and to Emily for doing the attendance for the boys each day.  

On Monday 16th November, Grade 7 students Chloe, Ella, Gabbie and Lily Torney returned to their former primary school, St. Leonards, to participate in The Smith Family's 'mythbusting' program. The girls met with all the Grade 6's to answer questions about high school, in an effort to help students with their mental preparedness and transition to Queechy in 2021. The girls presented confidently and were very well received by their peers and former teachers. Well done girls, you are all outstanding ambassadors to Queechy High School!  

Launceston College end of year exhibition

Grade 9/10 Art students had the opportunity to attend Launceston College to view their end of year art exhibition.

Visiting exhibitions is an inspiring experience for our students, especially as they will be heading to college soon themselves.

On Tuesday the 1^st of December Queechy High School Qube students ran a ‘Q-Bee’ shop and café. The ‘Q-Bee’ shop was organised by the Qube students in order to develop their skills in relation to communication strategies, organisation and financial math.

The day itself was a huge success. Our main goal was to give students the opportunity to independently run the shop and produce sales to their fellow students. We were completely surprised and overwhelmed as students filled D Block shoulder to shoulder, some buying up to 10 items of clothing. Some were doing Christmas shopping, buying for siblings, while others just enjoyed the social side. Regardless of their purpose, every one of them had a giant smile on their face after having the opportunity to do something different at school.

As far as the learning opportunity for the Qube and Catering students, it was a phenomenal and authentic opportunity, they are very proud of their achievement and rightly so.

Our Queechy clientele appreciate and embrace opportunities like these. The popularity of the couch area with music and skating videos on the tv is a prime example of an easy lunch time activity that could be effortlessly facilitated as we look toward improving students experience in break times next year.

Lastly, a special thanks to all Qube staff that helped in the organisation and support for the students running the pop-up shop and café and to everyone who donated clothing. Everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Class Times

Who to Contact:

2021 Term Dates

2021 Student Free Days: