As we launch into Spring, it is now time to  pause and reflect on a number of things we have to be proud of as a school.

Congratulations to students who participated in the Northern Netball Championships last week and in particular, our Year 9/10 Boys who were runners up in the Grand Final and have qualified to play in the State final in November! Many thanks to our coaches for their expertise and support: Mrs Butler, Mrs Howlett, Mrs Taylor and Miss Walker and Miss Stingel who assisted with umpiring games.  Our teachers were so proud of how well our students represented Scottsdale High School, the excellent sportsmanship that was demonstrated along with outstanding teamwork and camaraderie.

We are very proud of the Year 9/10 girls, Ada, Nadine, Bianca, Shakira, Shanique and Jessica who participated in 'The Girls in Power' career exposure event. These young people were excellent ambassadors for the school demonstrating curiosity and maturity as they explored career pathways.  This industry two day event helps to demystify careers in the power industry, develop confidence in skills and abilities, and inspire interest in STEM fields that have traditionally been for males.  Many thanks to Mrs McDougall for accompanying the girls and Miss Rainbow for organising the event. 

Our Breakfast Club is run by several of our wonderful TAs and Education Facility Assistants (EFAs).  They are providing a nutritious range of food for students of a morning which has been made possible by a grant we received from the Variety Club.  The adults running Breakfast Club have been so impressed by students’ impeccable manners and gratitude.  Our EFAs do so much to provide a clean, tidy and hygienic place for us to learn, and we encourage our students to remember to be respectful of school property and the environment by treating it with respect and putting litter in the bins provided.

It has been fabulous to see our students and staff celebrating Book Week last week and taking pride in their learning.  Home Groups  decorated their door for Book Week and on Friday 23rd  August many of our staff surprised our students by dressing as a character from a book.  An amazing Cat in a Hat cake was made by Adara H.

Book Week is a time for us, no matter what age we are, to celebrate the joy of reading and the power of stories to transport us to different worlds, ignite our imaginations, and inspire our minds.  We are a school that promotes a reading culture and a focus of our professional learning this year is on developing students’ comprehension skills through using a variety of strategies before, during and after reading.

Reading is more than just a pastime; it’s a gateway to knowledge, empathy, and creativity. It helps us understand different perspectives, enhances our vocabulary, and improves our cognitive skills. Most importantly, reading brings joy and relaxation, providing a much-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Well done to Year 9 students who entered essays into the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize for 2025, in particular Ella, MJ and Rhylan.  Rhylan has been shortlisted for the Prize and is through to the interview stage.  We wish him well with the next stage of this process. Thank you to Miss Rainbow for her continued work in ths space. 

Parent Teacher and Evidences of Learning

Thank you to parents/carers who attend the Parent Teacher Interviews this week.  If you were unable to attend, your child will bring home their Evidence of Learning to share with you on Friday 13th September. These will be for Science, HASS, HPE and Academy subjects.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

A key factor that significantly impacts student success: attendance. Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between regular school attendance and academic achievement, underscoring the importance of being present in the classroom.

Regular attendance is more than just a routine; it’s a foundation for academic success. Students who attend school consistently are more likely to achieve higher grades, develop better study habits, and engage more deeply in their learning experiences¹. Attendance fosters a sense of responsibility and commitment, which are crucial for lifelong learning.

Every school day matters

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success:

Make sure your child goes to school, every day

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow and connect with their mates and teachers.

This is where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

Get them excited for school

If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that.

The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:  spend time with their friends and teachers, create new and fun experiences, find their interests, learn new things, broaden their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world). Share these positives with your child.

Talk to your child about school Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they will know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.

Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or Grade Leadership Team If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

Know when to seek help There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you.

Explanations of absence, where known in advance, are always appreciated. A reminder that when your child is absent from school there are a variety of ways that you can communicate with us about that. These are:

• SZapp (Schoolzine)
• SMS or phone the office before 8:30am each morning on 6352 6333. 

Grand Final Season

We wish all students competing in the grand finals for football and hockey this weekend all the best and congratulate them on making the grand final!

Elizabeth Williams

Principal

The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize is an essay-based competition for Year 9 students that aims to promote and preserve the significance of World War One and the Anzac Spirit. This year, we extend our congratulations to Rhylan W (Year 9) who has been shortlisted to participate in an interview with a panel of esteemed individuals in Hobart, including a representative from the RSL in Tasmania, the Tasmanian History Teachers society, and members from the Department of Education, Children and Young People. If successful, Rhylan will embark on a ten-day study tour in April 2025 to significant wartime landmarks in Belgium and France, visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and attend educational meetings to further his knowledge of war history from November to April.

It’s all about the fleece this week. Students have been examining fleece qualities; measuring length, dust penetration, colour assessment and micron. The Tasmanian Merino Wether Challenge is just under a month away and students are getting excited.

Thank you to Evelyn Archer, wool classer and TasTafe teacher for her visit this week.

On Thursday 22^nd and Friday 23rd August six girls from Grade 9/10 attended the Hydro Tasmania Girls in Power event.

On Thursday we attended the Trevallyn Power Station and learnt about the theory behind hydro power generation, and also participated in a number of challenges involving Wind Turbine design and planning/costing for a new hydro power station in the Central Highlands.

On Friday the students had the opportunity to go underground at the Poatina Power Station and see how hydro power works firsthand. They also had the opportunity to speak to several women who work in a range of different careers in Hydro Tasmania.

Book Week was is in full swing at SHS last week 

We love seeing our classrooms celebrate texts and authors such as;

Dr Seuss with Cat in a Hat and We are Thing One and Thing Two,

John Marsden with Tomorrow When the War Began,

John Ronald Tolkien with Lord of the Rings,

Lewis Carroll with Alice in Wonderland,

Linley Dodd with Hairy Maclary and Friends,

Brian Lynch with Minons,

Aunty Patsy Cameron with Sea Country,

David McKee with Elmer,

Nina Taylor with Rainbow Princess

J.K.Rawlings with Harry Potter

Lucille Colandro with There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a fly

Roald Dahl with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Mem Fox with Possum Magic

Winning book week door displays for 2024 are:

Most outstanding - Cat in the Hat - 11/12 Team

Most creative - Hairy Maclary - Mrs Rooney - 10A

Most interactive - Minions - Mr Wootton and Mrs Tuffin - 8C

Best Effort - Alice in Wonderland- Miss Knott - 7A

Well done to all students and staff for making Book Week enjoyable and sharing the message that

Reading is Magic

Year 7 students have started their Physics unit learning about contact and non-contact forces and simple machines. They have just created a small electric motor using magnetic force and electric current shown below with Madden and Lacey.

Year 7 Food and Fibre students visited Elders, they learned about the increasing importance of technology in the Agriculture Industry.  Nathan Saunders from Elders talked about the use of drones, computer programs, scanning microchips, technology to design yards, driverless tractors and the use of ecollars to “fence” animals and collect data.  It was an extremely informative session which was part of our Tools focus for this term.  Student interest was high and behaviour exemplary.

Aaron McDougall from McDougall’s Fertiliser Services came to Stronach View, our school farm, and shared information about the trucks and GPS as valuable tools in the Agriculture Industry.   It linked in very well with what we learned through our Elders visit in terms of the role of technology.  Aaron has seen a lot of technological advancements in his career.  Students are studying tools this term and will now go away and research a tool that has sparked their interest. 

As a class, we have been learning about Deep-Time as part of our Australian history unit of work. We then created a mini artifact of a place or thing. Ms Knott supplied some resources, such as clay, rope, and other items, and we had to gather information. After a couple of days and lessons, we made our own classroom a museum for teachers and students to come and visit.

On August 9th 2024, some students made spears, Lottie made ashes out of dirt and sand, Taylor made a skeleton of Mungo man, Rubi made the skull of Narrabeen man, and Fraser made an Aboriginal hut out of sticks, bushes, and leaves. Kagen made the Kilwa coins, Quinn made finger flutings, and Chad made a petroglyph. Cooper and Xavier made boomerangs, and Madden made ochre using glitter and a bowl.

Written by Kora and photos taken by Nadine. 

On Friday 16^th August Hospitality Academy students worked with Peter from the Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA) learning the art of coffee making. The afternoon was very hands on with many cups of coffee and hot chocolate produced, student engagement was fabulous. Well done to all and thankyou to the THA for making this opportunity possible.

Laurel House – Consent, Sex, Respect and the Law

Over the past few weeks Laurel House has been holding educational sessions for our Year 9 students here at school. These sessions are aimed at keeping young people safe in relationships and supporting mental, physical and sexual wellbeing. The following topics were covered in depth:

• Respectful, healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships
• Online safety - Image-based and tech-based abuse and exploitation
• Impacts of pornography
• Consent, the law and how to have a consent conversation
• What is sexual assault? And where to go for help.
• Harmful sexualized behaviours

It was positive to see students embracing the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the many issues surrounding this topic through rich conversations with the numerous presenters including a practicing lawyer. Students particularly enjoyed the opportunity to engage in the many practical tasks aimed at supporting positive decision making and collaboration.

We would like to thank Laurel House for providing our students with this invaluable learning opportunity and feel confident that they came away with an increased awareness of issues, and a greater sense of empowerment, empathy and agency. Most importantly it is hoped that students developed the skills and resources to have safe and respectful relationships, including a greater capacity to respond to future situations regarding sexual consent and relationship boundaries.

Scottsdale High School will be holding a 2025 Subject Information Session on Thursday the 5^th September from 6pm in our Year 11 and 12 Centre. All parents and carers are welcome to attend to find out more information about the subjects that are offered in the Scottsdale High School/Winnaleah District High School Partnership next year.

We have attached our subject offerings for next year for your information. If you have further questions or are unable to make the session and would like more information, please contact Belinda Fletcher via belinda.fletcher@decyp.tas.gov.au or via the General Office on 6352 6333.

Attention: Parents and Carers of students in Year/s 7-12

Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey

The wellbeing of our students is important to us - we want to hear how students feel, and think, about different things going on in their lives.

Those in Year/s 7-12 at Scottsdale High School will be taking part in the Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey. The results from this survey will help us get a picture of the current wellbeing of our students, and what we can do to improve future wellbeing for learning. The more students who take part, the clearer our picture will be. 

The Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey is part of the Department’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy .

The details for the survey are:

When:                                          Week 8 Term 3 (9^th-13^th September)

Who:                                            Year/s 7-12

What do I need to do:             You and your child don’t need to do anything. The survey will be done in class time and will not require your child to prepare in any way. 

A letter with more information has been sent home with all Year 7-12 students, including Frequently Asked Questions and a form to sign and return to the school if you do not want your child to participate in the survey.   

If you would like further information, please contact Scottsdale High School office on 63526333.

Thank you for supporting us to ensure that all our learners are safe, feel supported and are able to flourish, so they can engage in learning.