Welcome back to term 2.  I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing break ready for what will be a very busy term, culminating in the mid-year reporting.

NAPLAN Testing

Over the next two weeks (commencing this Tuesday) all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN testing.  Testing occurs in the areas of reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. The aggregated,  year cohort and individual data obtained from this testing, along with other school based testing data is very important and assists to inform school and class planning for the following year in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

Mainland Trip

In the last week of  term one, I had the pleasure of attending our Years 8-10 tour of Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, which included an education tour of the national capital.  Here, students participated in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.   We are grateful the Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributed funding under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program. This rebate was paid directly to the school on completion of the trip and reduced the total trip cost for families by $150 per student. A report on the trip compiled by Taylah Watling and Asha Bryan is included in the newsletter.

Anzac Day

This year due to Anzac Day again falling within the holiday period the school did not hold an Anzac Assembly, we did however continue to support the significance of this day through our participation in RSL Sub Branch competitions and through participation within the community services.

On Anzac Day the following students represented each section of the school in laying wreaths at both the Sheffield and Railton community services. 

Railton Campus - Sapphire Hibble and Mahalia McCullagh

K-2 - Max Careless and Holley Sherriff

3-6 - Jaden Grabe and  Talasha Jago

7-12 - Amber Chatterton and Georgia-May Richardson Hume

This year’s winners of the Year 9 David Innes Memorial Anzac Essay Competition also played an important role in services, with Lillian Rockliff and Isabel Wells reading their essays at the Sheffield and Railton services respectively. Both students should be congratulated on the quality of their essays and the manner in which they delivered them on Anzac Day. The essays are included within this newsletter.

Congratulations to our Primary and Early Childhood Anzac Day competition winners:

Early childhood - Travis Braid and Alice Rutkin

Primary - Sianna Martin and Rose Rutkin

Railton campus - Emielia Baldock and Abbey Bryan

Thank you to all of these students and to staff and parents who supported our students’ participation in the community Anzac services.

On Thursday 4 April, 36 excited Year 8, 9 and 10 students and 4 teachers were farewelled by their families at the Spirit of Tasmania terminal before setting sail on a 7-day tour of the mainland encompassing Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Our first stop - the sights and bright lights of Melbourne!  After a bumpy night sailing, the wakeup call came, and we had finally arrived!  Our first day was packed with activities.  First stop was Southern Cross Station for breakfast followed by our visit to the Old Melbourne Gaol, where we were enthralled by the stories from our informative guide. We then walked to Melbourne Central where we did some shopping. This was where those who were game enough went rock-climbing. We then headed back to our accommodation for dinner, before taking multiple packed trams to the MCG. This was where we witnessed the Essendon Bombers take on the Melbourne Demons. With Essendon coming out victorious. What a day! We were exhausted.

On day two we headed off to the Queen Victoria Market.  It was here where the purchase of our very own koala (in the form of backpack) was made. This backpack was awarded to a new student each day, who had made the biggest, funniest blunder – as voted by the group.  The student had to wear the backpack wherever we went, and there would be serious consequences if it had been left behind. Next, we hopped on a tram and headed to Luna Park. This is where we spent hours riding the roller-coasters and eating popcorn. After this we did some bargain hunting at the South Wharf DFO. We then headed back to our accommodation where we had dinner.  Then it was time for a train ride to Tooronga station for our session at Bounce. After jumping around for an hour, we were all exhausted and headed back to our accommodation, where we packed our bags ready for our early start the following morning.

All too soon, it was time to leave Melbourne. In such a short time we sure got a great taste of the city life; and nearly got the hang of catching trams! Another early start saw us meeting our coach driver Peter, packing the coach and settling in for the road trip to our national capital, Canberra.  A rough 8 hours rest on the bus meant we arrived in good spirits. Our first day in Canberra consisted of us visiting Parliament House (where Senator Anne Urquhart took time out of her schedule to greet us personally), Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and later that evening, Zone Bowling. We were very grateful to have been able to visit such important Australian landmarks. Our second day in Canberra saw us visit the National Museum of Australia and Questacon – National Science and Technology Centre. After this we got back on the coach and headed to Sydney!

After pancakes for breakfast courtesy of the hostel chef with the mostest, Marta, we made our way to Taronga Zoo! Here we saw some incredible animals, and some from above as we took a ride through the treetops on the Skyrail. After this we jumped on a ferry and travelled to our next destination. This was where half of us explored the Sydney Aquarium and the other half ‘met’ some celebrities at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Some of our favourites were Steve Irwin and the Royal Family. Up next was an opportunity for free time/more shopping at the Pitt St Mall. We then returned back to our Hostel to have some dinner and pack for our flight home the next afternoon.

Our last day some of us rose early and went to the Seven News Studio to catch some air time on Sunrise, before reaching new heights at the top of the Sydney Tower Eye.  From here we headed to the airport where we said goodbye to our amazing coach driver, Peter. Thank you Peter, you were a legend!  After making our way through security, for many of us our first destination was Krispy Kremes where we bought loads of doughnuts for our loved ones back home. After only an hour delay, we set off on our journey home. When we arrived at Launceston, we grabbed our bags for the very last time, loaded the coach and headed back to school. Here we were greeted by our smiling families, this marked the end of our trip!

We think we speak on behalf of everyone who went on the trip that we all had an absolute ball, made the most of every second and are so very thankful to all the staff who attended the camp. It was a wonderful experience that has given us lots of memories that we can all share, as well as the friendships that were built over the journey.

By Taylah Watling and Asha Bryan

What is the meaning of ANZAC Day? by Lillian Rockliff

‘The second I stepped off that ship, the moment that the stillness reached me, I knew that things were not right. As I looked around at the faces of my fellow colleagues, I knew that the exact same thoughts were crossing their minds. I gazed back up at the troopship, almost wishing that it would take me away from this strange, barren place. A constant buzzing, rattling noise carried through the air. No, not rattling, but gunshots. The heavy artillery fire from the peninsula. It echoed through my every bone. This is war. This was before we even reached the site where the hospital was to be constructed. To be perfectly honest, things are just too awful for words. We found only a bare piece of ground with wounded men in pain, still in filthy bloodstained clothes, lying amongst stones and thistles. As we lacked tents, beds, or medicines, we could do little for most of our patients.’

These words are a snapshot of the life of an Australian Army Nurse, landing on the island of Lemnos. On this day, I would like to acknowledge the heroic sacrifices of all the men and women that served for our country. When I look back over the ANZAC history, I am particularly taken by the efforts of the Australian Army Nurses. These heroic nurses, and many others serving around the globe, were just as vital to the wars as the soldiers who bravely fought for our country. We thank the nurses and soldiers each and every day, especially on Anzac Day, for the opportunities they were able to preserve and produce for our nation. The experience of landing on Lemnos was based on that of Matron Grace Margaret Wilson, one of the 2,139 nurses who served with the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War One, primarily made up of women. Matron Wilson was part of the Number Three Australian General Hospital, established in 1915 on Lemnos, intended to treat the soldiers injured on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The women stationed there suffered terrible conditions, making it extremely difficult to perform their duties. Before they departed for the island, the nurses were informed that they would only be treating men with minor injuries, as those who were critically injured would be sent to hospitals with better resources. The information was false. These nurses ended up dealing with everything, from patients with twisted ankles to men who had limbs mutilated beyond recognition, who needed advanced medical treatment. However, the nurses were without crucial supplies. The supply ship did not arrive until three weeks after the nurses had landed. For three whole weeks these women were trying to keep men alive with virtually no resources. In some cases, there was nothing they could do. They even lacked basic needs such as fresh water. The island of Lemnos was not fit for a war hospital.

While the chaos of Lemnos was an atrocity in itself, nurses also endured tough and scary conditions in Antwerp, Belgium. Sister Claire Trestrail was one of the women stationed in the Auxiliary Hospital Unit. She wrote of her situation.                                              

‘No words can describe the awfulness of the wounds. Bullets are nothing. It is the shrapnel that tears through the flesh and cuts off limbs.’

On the 8^th of October 1914, under the cover of darkness, the hospital was attacked. Under heavy artillery fire, Claire Trestrail and her fellow nurses put their own lives at risk to move their 130 French and Belgian patients to safety. Standing here today, we can only imagine the noise, the destruction. It would be almost impossible to recreate that feeling, that overload of all senses. You cannot deny the bravery and solidarity shown by the nurses that night.

These women truly were heroes. What they did was amazing. They travelled away from their homes and their families, to foreign places to which they had never been, in a time when women were only expected to marry and raise a family. Women had barely obtained the right to vote, and not many states allowed women to stand for parliament. The female nurses represent a revolutionary moment in history, when the women of war were just as important as the men. Unfortunately, when the war ended, the societal hierarchy returned to how it had been before, and the nurses of World War One did not get the recognition they deserved. While statues were being built portraying British Generals as the heroes of the war, the female nurses were not even allowed to participate in the annual marches. I should think that times have changed since then, and we can recognise the heroism displayed by the army nurses.

So, I ask myself the question, what is the meaning of ANZAC Day? The truth is, there is no one answer to that question. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. This is one of the rights the ANZACs fought for us to have. To me, the meaning of ANZAC Day is to remember those who served in war for Australia, and also to acknowledge the bravery and honour shown by soldiers of other nations, both friend and foe. It is a day to remember the sacrifices made by the soldiers who fought, and the nurses, such as Grace Wilson and Claire Trestrail, who helped pioneer the fair society we so fortunately live in today, and who helped to instigate the strong morals on which we still act.

Anzac Day by Isabel Wells

Anzac Day is an important day for all Australians. On the 25^th of April Australia and New Zealand dedicated a day to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac day is commemorated by all Australians and gives us a chance to mourn and show respect to those who came before us and died in Gallipoli. As well as acknowledging the contributions and sufferings of all those who have served.

In 1914, Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, its government was thirsty to establish the desired reputation amongst the nations within the world. When Great Britain declared war in August 1914, Australia was unquestionably placed on the side of the commonwealth. During the year of 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers became a part of a dangerous quest, setting out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to allied troops. Ultimately, the objective was to capture the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

On the 25^th of April, the Australian and New Zealand forces landed, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish Defenders. At the end of 1915, all allied forces within that region were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. More than 8,000 Soldiers died in the campaign, therefore the 25^th of April soon became known as the day of remembrance, or Remembrance Day.

Many years ago, 8000 people died. As a nation we saw shock and tear stained faces as they realised we watched our family members sacrifice their lives for our country. My Nan’s great pop served in war. I remember the stories of which she had told me.

“The family was filled with joy, and happiness as they got to see their dad, their husband, son, pop, brother, alive and well, but good things don’t always last. The war drove him mad, I remember when he heard a loud noise, and he would sprint outside with a metal sauce pan covering his head, as he ran straight into the blackberry bushes”

He came home well and uninjured, but mentally scarred as many other soldiers did. Many people would not have the bravery to battle another country. Although, approximately, 400,000 Australians signed up to battle in WW1.

Out of those Australians 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner.

In mid-October, 1916. Private David Harford of the 57^th battalion described his trench as a dark mellowed hole in the earth. “I look around me at my damp rat hole. The sides and roof of which are lined with sand bags… the lower bags are green with mildew and the upper ones up near the sun and air are sprouting grass… one simply notes these things, fear of death having left one”

Our fellow Australians sacrificed their life for us, to give us freedom and safety. These Australians our own flesh and blood, died or got injured for us. For that we are grateful. These people lived in horrible conditions for months, they encountered death, and they saw people die in front of their own eyes. Imagine what would have happened, if not for WW1 wasn’t even a thing. Australia wouldn’t be the Australia we know today. These brave soldiers gave us freedom, safety and privileges.

We should cherish these Australians for all they have done for us, we should thank them, thank them for fighting for our country.

So, on the 25^th of April, we dedicate a day towards the ANZAC’s. Thanking them, showing them our gratitude.

ANZAC Day's a special day to us Australians because our own country continued to support their nation, by proving their bravery. These Australians, our heroes, should always be given the time to be noticed for the effort they put into creating our country, the country we now know today. Lest we forget.

Canteen Menu -Term 4

- Updated fortnighly

Canteen_Price_List_Term_4_to_6_Nov

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Cancelling / crediting  lunches

Please note that once your child’s lunch has left the canteen, due to health regulations it cannot be returned and we cannot issue a refund.

If your child goes home sick you are more than welcome to come to the canteen to collect your child’s lunch order.

QKR

If you need to cancel a lunch order in QKR – this needs to be done before 10.00 am on the day of delivery (you can cancel orders up to two weeks in advance), or you can contact the school office before 11.30 am.  

You will then receive a credit (monies cannot be refunded) in QKR, that you can apply to future purchases. 

Cancelling an order in the QKR APP

Railton Campus

The canteen menu is available for students and staff at Railton campus on Mondays Only.  Items that cannot be ordered from the menu as they are unable to be transported:

- Milo
- Hot Chocolate
- Slushies

Orders need to be received at the Railton school office before 10.00 am on Monday morning.

QKR Orders (Both Campuses)

To use the full menu you need to order before 10.00 am on the day of delivery.
Lunches can be ordered (and paid) for up two weeks in advance.

QKR Late Orders - Sheffield Campus only (10.00 am - 12.00 noon)

We now have a limited menu for orders received between the hours above.
Please use the "Late Orders and Payments" option only.

For orders after 12.00 noon please contact the school on 6491 8222.

QKR Set UP 

Instructions on installing and setting up the app on your smartphone/device are below.

If you use QKR you can order (and pay) in advance for multiple students, multiple orders, and on multiple days.

QKR Setup Information

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HEALTH NURSE

Just keep breathing!  Breathing Exercises for Early Childhood

In the Early Childhood area some of the Year 7 students have been helping teach the younger children some breathing techniques each week.  These techniques are meant to help your children calm down and relax when faced with stressful or overwhelming situations. There is a physical reason why deep breathing is so important.

To help understand why deep breathing and calming coping skills are so important, let’s have a quick lesson on your Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System controls the automatic systems in your body that you don’t think about - things like breathing, digestion and heart rate.

Flight, Fight or Freeze (Sympathetic Nervous System)

When you experience a stressful event your body automatically goes into what is known as “flight, fight or freeze” mode. Your heart rate increases, your stomach stops digestion and your breathing becomes more shallow.

Rest and Digest (Parasympathetic Nervous System)

When you are calm, your body is in what is known as “rest and digest” mode. Your breathing is normal, your muscles are relaxed and your heart rate is normal.

 The goal of calming exercises is to get yourself from “flight, fight or freeze” mode back to “rest and digest” mode. Deep breathing helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream, opening up your capillaries. It has a physical effect on your body to help you calm down and lower stress.

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring fun playful ways to work on deep breathing.

Media Smart

An online and confidential program for young people, designed to help both those with body image concerns and those showing signs of an eating disorder.

Media Smart

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LAUNCHING INTO LEARNING (LiL)

Monday 9.30am	Railton	Babies - Pre Kinder
Thursday 11am	Sheffield	Babies and Toddlers
Thursday 1pm	Sheffield	Pre-Kinder

1.  Please wash/sanitise hands on arrival

2.  Complete COVID-19 Visitor Screening Form

3.  Practice social distancing

Mrs van der Velde and Mrs Sullivan are excited to welcome back families for Term 4.

We have lots of fun things planned sometimes we are popping up off site.

Please keep an eye on our ‘Launching into Learning Sheffield School’ Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

For this issue of the newsletter we have attached a really handy Family First Aid sheet for you to print and keep and also a communication milestone document from Speech Pathology Australia,  to see how your little ones are tracking with their speech and language development.

Family_First_Aid

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Communication_milestones

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If you aren't connected with us yet, contact carly.sullivan@education.tas.gov.au or call 641 8222

LEARNING IN FAMILIES TOGETHER (LiFT)

What’s On?

Term 4 is a busy one but we promise to squeeze in at least one more family challenge. Maybe some maths? Maybe some lollies? Maybe both?

Whether we like it or not, maths is everywhere and is part of everyday life. It is necessary to have an understanding of maths concepts to help with most tasks we undertake as humans. Whether your child is 5 or 15, now is a great time to be talking about and practising maths whenever you can, to boost their maths competency.

Please reach out to your child’s teacher or liftsheffield@gmail.com if you would like help supporting your child in maths.

Seesaw Family App

Please ensure you have switched over to our Seesaw Family app. See or email your child’s teacher if you have misplaced your login code.

Anxiety in Children

2020 has been a difficult one for everyone. Although children are very resilient, we can see a change in them during and after a big event, such as a pandemic! Follow this link from GoZen for some really useful ways to help calm and work through your child’s anxious times.

https://gozen.com/72phrases/

Kinder- Prep Story Sacks

It has been great seeing Story Sacks rolled out for our Kinder/Prep students at Railton and Sheffield. Using these Story Sacks in your home benefits your child’s oral language considerably, fosters their love of books and reading; and in turn, improves their literacy outcomes throughout their schooling. Check out the link to get a sneak peek into Story Sacks…

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19vAzucgrQrwnVIuv_ysK7BY3ONzqE62by2zuN1Jdez0/edit?usp=sharing

Board Game Library   

Sheffield: Monday between 8:30-9am in the EC resource room.

Railton: See Kim in the office on a Tuesday to borrow your game.

 

Supporting Your Child’s Reading Journey

We have put together some information to help support your child with their reading. Watch to the end to claim your reading pack!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16j1Rfl6BhHuRLGBiqVXG70WxTTQFRHPNRh-xIZ7gZ_0/edit?usp=sharing 

Learning Support

Did you know we have learning packs made up for children to borrow to help consolidate skills they are working on in class?  

These skills may include: 
fine motor activities, letter formation, telling the time, times tables, handwriting, 12 piece puzzles, addition and subtraction, shoelace tying, scissor skills, number formation, identifying sounds when reading and problem solving with numbers. If you would like to borrow a take home pack to support your child’s learning, please get in touch and we will be happy to send some materials home with your child.

For further information, please contact Carly Sullivan 64918222 or email liftsheffield@gmail.com

“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents."

- Jane D. Hull

The 2019/20 Entertainment Book is now available, you can purchase either a book or a digital copy - you can use the same digital membership on a number of devices so you can share it.

The cost is still $65 with a portion being fundraiser monies for the school.

The attached flyer provides more information.

Check out this link:

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/how-to-5-steps-for-brain-building-serve-and-return/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=may_2019&fbclid=IwAR0GhpPwjqK7Y1MDvW4FbvAcm9JX9GGbn5PDx3gwIEK4qfeM8rZSG3hCiGE

Calling all private teachers of guitar, drums and piano in the Sheffield area.

If you would be interested in offering private/paired or group lessons at Sheffield School please call the office and leave your name and contact details.

Primary school aged children across Australia will make those important steps towards a healthier future by participating in National Walk Safely to School Day on Friday 17 May 2019.
 
National Walk Safely to School Day is a community initiative that aims to raise awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that regular walking (especially to and from school) can provide for the long term well-being of our children.  Apart from the physical benefits, regular walking also has a favourable impact on their cognitive and academic performance.
 
The annual event, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, encourages primary school aged children to build walking into their daily routine, by walking to and from school, not just on Friday 17 May, but every day.