27 Jun 2023

Principal’s Report

Hello Parents/Carers

With Term 2 just about completed; a term full of learning that has occurred in the classroom, outside of the classroom and within our community. It is really pleasing to reflect on the calm, organised and focused way that our teachers and students have worked collaboratively to learn and gain new knowledge.  With reports being shared on Wednesday 28th and parent-teacher interviews occurring next week, I just wanted to acknowledge and thank our whole team for the way that the school is functioning and working towards the common goal of “enriching lives through learning”, a more than apt motto of Taroona High School.

This term our teachers have really focused on our Universal Design for Learning (UDL) school improvement priority.  This has resulted in all of our teaching staff focusing on one of the 4 major teaching/support approaches:

1. Worked Exemplars – where students work with a teacher to develop a deep understanding of what high quality work looks like through the examination of a specific piece of work that is modelled on what they either will do, or have done previously.
2. Organisational Supports/Checklists – many teams now have posters, timelines or checklists in both physical or digital forms that are used to support students to be organised and ready for learning.
3. Formative Feedback – teachers ensuring that they are offering feedback throughout a task that supports students to improve their current work, to improve future work or to highlight areas that can be improved. This might be verbally, written or digitally shared.
4. Learning Scaffolds – teachers employing a range of strategy that reduces the cognitive load of a lesson to achievable and smaller sections. “Chunking” of information or lesson content into smaller, more focused aspects of learning to support all students. 

This work is new for all staff, although many of our staff already do all of these things in their normal work routines.  The explicit focus, learning and development of approaches that all of us use is the outcome that we are working towards for our school to improve and our students to have the best learning experience possible. 

This term we also continued our explicit focus on our THS values.  During Term 2 we have worked on consistency in understanding and application of:

1. Engagement in Learning – linking directly to the UDL approaches and how our classrooms engage, motivate and support our students to achieve their best.
2. Honesty and Integrity – this work is fundamental to our school culture and climate. In use every day and the cornerstone of trusting, respectful relationships that support our students and school community to engage about their experiences and expectations of THS.

Continuing this theme of building our school culture, our School Association have been working on developing an understanding of the School Improvement Plan and also the policies that support our school such as:

1. Anti-bullying and harassment
2. Visitor and volunteer code of conduct
3. Parent code of conduct – (new)

Lastly we have had a range of student-led activities this term, with the different Year SRCs planning a range of activities and opportunities for our students to come together and fund raise, have fun and support our community to learn, grow and develop empathy and compassion.  You will note in this newsletter an opportunity for any young person to get involved with the Your Engagement Place (YEP!).  Kaiki Massom, Co-President of our SRC is an active participant and Ambassador of the Commissioner for Children and Young People and has written a short piece to let everyone know the opportunities that exist, I encourage you to talk to your person about this if it interests them.

All the best

Charles White
Principal

Languages News

Education Perfect Languages World Championships 2023

This competition ran from Tuesday 7^th to Tuesday 14^th of March, with Taroona High School coming first in Tasmania and 65th in Australia for this competition. All students studying a language at Taroona High were eligible to compete. An outstanding effort was made by Richard P (10T) who achieved Elite status which is 10,000 points and over – his total points were 10,928 in Chinese and Japanese.

The following students received a voucher for their efforts:

Highest Point Scorer - Richard P (10T)
Runner up Top Scorer - Bridget N (9G) with 5,165 points
Year 7 Top Scorer - Owen W (7R) with 3,610 points

The overall winning class was Year 9/10 Senior French with 24,771 points – they won a class party.

7 Orange French was the top Year 7 class with 8,779 points – this class celebrated with French pastries.

Certificates will be given out to students who achieved 500 or more points in the competition, during Year Assemblies.

Alliance Française Competition 2023

This will be taking place on Friday 30^th of June at Hobart College. All French students from Year 7 through to Year 10 are busy memorising the poems for their year level.

The poems are:

Year 7 L’île des crocodiles (The Island of Crocodiles)
Year 8 Les enfants de demain (The Children of Tomorrow)
Year 9 Le brouillard (The Fog)
Year 10 Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit (The Sky is Above the Roof)

A small number of students from each year level will represent Taroona High at the competition on the day. Year 9 also have a Reading Comprehension and Year 10 have a Listening Comprehension and Conversation.

The Australia-China Digital BRIDGE Program

This year Taroona High has been one of 20 Australian high schools selected to participate in The Australia-China Digital BRIDGE Program. This is a collaborative, international, professional learning partnership program for educators across Australia and China.  The program is an initiative funded by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations and implemented by the Asia Education Foundation at Asialink, The University of Melbourne. 

Building Relationships through Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement (BRIDGE)

develops students to be global citizens who have:

• deeper intercultural understanding 
• real-life digital capability
• new knowledge of Asia and Australia
• strengthened language skill.

Teachers Hingor Chung and Martin Beattie have taken part in online workshops throughout term one and term two, to build their intercultural understanding and establish international collaboration with Chinese teachers and students on issues of shared global importance. Classes are working with Zhenhai Zhongxing Middle School 镇海中兴中学 (Ningbo/ near Shanghai) on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3 (SDG#3) Health and wellbeing. This is an informal partnership but promises to be a welcome addition to all classes involved in Asian Literacy.

Bamboo Athletics and Chinese Games

Chinese students in 7W recently learnt and played some fun, cultural Chinese games. They did a lion dance, bamboo athletics and a chopstick racing game. The games are explained below:

Bamboo Athletics

Student groups of 9 lined up in a three-by-three grid. Students in the first row ran together towards a line holding onto a bamboo pole, turned at the end and ran back to the rest of their team. Once back with their team, they swung the pole over the top of their team member’s head, as the team members ducked they shouted “Shàng, Shàng, Shàng!” The pole handlers then ran the pole under their team member’s feet, as they jumped the team members shouted “Xià, Xià, Xià! This was repeated until everyone in the team had a go at being the pole handlers. The aim of the bamboo athletics is to foster cooperation between teammates.

Lion Dance

The simulated lion dance was completed with a partner, walking to a drum beat in circles while twirling large colourful sheets of fabric. On the side lines, a small student group kept the beat by creating drumming noises (in the absence of a real drum) with rolled up posters. The lion dance is incredibly hard, with partners needing good communication skills so their partners know when to walk and twirl.

Chopstick Racing Game

The indoor chopstick racing was played to help improve the student’s chopstick skills and to learn the right etiquette. The class was divided into thirds, students were required to pass a piece of cut up pool noodle between their team members, with the aim to get it to the end of the line and back again as quickly as possible. Below are some Chinese words that students have learnt while playing these games:

Some feedback from some 7W students about the Chinese games:

Melody: I thought the lion Dance was fun, especially the twirling with the cloth.
Olive W: I think the bamboo athletics was quite fun. I think the lion dance is interesting and cultural.
Alice: I think that the bamboo athletics and lion dance was fun it was more active, and it was different from what we normally do.
Will: I preferred the chopstick race from the lion dance; it was easier, and I liked the three big groups versing each other.
Oscar A: I liked doing most of the Chinese activities and doing the drumming for the lion dance and keeping the beat was fun.

Dragon Training

On Wednesday 14^th of June, the students of year 7W engaged in a Chinese dragon dancing activity. The task demanded effective communication among peers and strong physical coordination. The class divided into groups, two of which controlling a dragon—one with nine individuals and the other with seven. Throughout the session, they learned various techniques to manipulate the dragon. These included mastering the control of a ball that guided the dragon's path, executing graceful swerves and spins with expressive flair, and synchronizing swinging motions from side to side. Additionally, the students delighted in practicing two impressive tricks. The first involved aligning themselves in a specific order and manoeuvring underneath the dragon, while the second entailed leaping over the dragon as it gracefully passed beneath itself. 

Cooking with 7A

Ahead of the Duanwujie Festival, Chinese students were taught to use chopsticks and Class 7A tried their hand at cooking stir fried noodles on a BBQ.

Home Economics News

Decorated Mud Cakes

Recently in Catering, we have been experimenting with different decorating techniques using chocolate. We decorated the chocolate ganache cakes with piping, chocolate roses, bark, marbling, and shapes that we created over the course of several lessons.

Piper, Year 10

Catering

The Year 9/10 Catering students were recently asked to cater for a conference at UTAS. On Monday morning students busily organised and cooked during Period 1 and Period 2. The catering students are to be congratulated, as there was no time to time to practice the recipes, as the callout for student help was only advertised that same morning. Some of the food required some intricate/tricky skills to prepare, all within a tight deadline. This was a great example of how our teachers are happy to help out others at short notice and are always looking for opportunities to give our students real life authentic learning experiences.

Health and Physical Education (HPE) News

Futsal School Titles

The Hobart School Futsal Titles were held by Futsal Tasmania on the Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18^th of May. Taroona High School had the most teams to ever represent a single school in the competition! Most of our teams made it into the semi-finals with multiple teams playing it out in the grand-final. What a fantastic opportunity it was to see our students shine.

Our year 7 boys took out the championship for the U13s competition.

Our year 9 boys were our champions on day two, with a remarkable score of 5-2.

A huge congratulations to all of our students who were involved, they all demonstrated fantastic talent, sportsmanship and teamwork.

Inter High Athletics Carnival

On Tuesday 4th of April, a group of 80 students represented Taroona High at the Domain Athletics Centre for the Inter High Athletics Carnival. The Taroona students put on a fantastic display across all events. Some of these fantastic displays included a range of group and individual efforts, highlights of these included:

Track

Year 7 boys, year 7 girls, year 8 boys and the year 10 boys all won their 4 x 100m Relay.
Abi, Anna, Atticus, Cristiano, Elsie, Hugo, Ian, JinWoo, Katelyn, Miles and Phoenix all won their 100m divisions.
Christiano and Georgia both placing first in their 200m division.
Rex managed to podium in the 100m, 200m and 400m divisions for year 9 boys.
Anna, Ava, Oli and Olive won their respective 400m divisions.
Lulu and Rosie won all the year 8 girls 400m and 800m divisions.
Wesley and Jimmy won all the year 7 boys 400m and 800m divisions.
Leila and Molly both placing first in their 800m divisions.
Annie and Phoebe winning both divisions in the year 9 girls 1500m.
Noah and Oli both winning in their divisions for 1500m.
Grace and Ava wining both divisions in the year 10 girls 1500m.

Field

Alexander winning the year 7 boys Shotput.
Finn and Claire took out their respective High Jump divisions.
Anna and Jimmy took out their respective Long Jump divisions.
Georgia winning both the year 9 girls High Jump and Triple Jump division.
Kaiki winning the year 10 boys Triple Jump.
Neve winning the year 10 girls Shotput.

Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed with Taroona winning both the male and combined divisions. Unfortunately, narrowly missing out on the female division by 13 points! Congratulations to all students who participated on the day, each result counted towards an exciting and rewarding day.

Cross Country Carnival

On Thursday 4th of May we had our 2023 Cross Country Carnival, and it’s safe to say the day was a huge success. The layout for the day is as follows; the year 7’s in period one, year 8’s in period 2, and year 9/10’s in period 3. One thing which was a constant throughout every grade was participation and house spirit. This was displayed in the support given by peers as they watched and participated, no matter the house, there were cheers of encouragement. Even when students weren’t currently participating in the cross country, they were working up a sweat in Just Dance in the gym, which allowed an opportunity for alternative movement.

An especially impressive moment of the day was when Will broke the year 9 boys record which was set in 2015 by Sam Field; the standing record had been 14:16 and Will’s new record is 13:23.

The other place holders of the day were:

The house points at the end of the day were 1^st Crayfish with 734 points, 2^nd Cartwright with 637 points, 3^rd Droughty with 602 points, and 4^th Gellibrand with 500 points. Regardless of the final tally all the houses and students showed incredible house spirit, and everyone should be extremely proud of the effort they put in.

Written by Grace E (10I)

Inter High Cross Country

On Tuesday 30th of May a group of Taroona High students travelled to Rosny Golf Course for the annual Inter High Cross Country.  Students were met with a brand-new course full of plenty of challenges. Despite a touch of cold weather, Taroona put on a brilliant performance across all year categories. The incredible efforts all around lead to Taroona taking out the female, male and combined divisions!

Some notable performances included:

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

 Year 10

Mountain Biking Championships

On Friday 5th ofMay, a team of mountain bikers went up to Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area, Launceston, to represent Taroona High School in the Tasmanian All School’s Mountain Biking Championships. Despite cold and rainy weather conditions and a muddy course, Taroona did very well, and most people had a great day. Taroona came away with some great podium results, particularly in the girls, with Annie, Amelia and Freya taking out 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th place in the U17 women’s cross-country event. Overall Taroona did very well, with a big thanks to the parents and teachers, Mr Snape and Miss Stagg, who gave up their day to help out and ensure that the participants had a good day. 

Written by Amelia L (9W)

Indoor Volleyball Tournament

On the 10th and 11th of May four Taroona High teams participated in a Volleyball Tournament at Kingborough Sports Centre run by Volleyball Tasmania.

Each day was in a round robin format, with all teams getting four matches against various schools.
This tournament was open to players of all abilities, with many of the Taroona students having never previously played volleyball. Students were able to learn the rules and skill components of volleyball on the go while having fun.

Congratulations to all the students who participated, a fantastic effort of involvement and enjoyment was displayed throughout the Tournament. Special mention to the Year 10 Girls Team who won their division with very minimal previous volleyball experience!

Year 7 Science Excursion to Hinsby Beach

We went on an excursion to Hinsby Beach where we got to have a closer look into the Taroona Ecosystem. Last term we were learning about food webs, so it was great to see our own one.

Nooria R (7R)

Titration Competition

The Year 10 titration competition was off to a fantastic start on Tuesday 13 June. This competition was run over three sessions for the week, with nine students involved each day during periods 1, 2, and 3.

This competition is an awesome extension opportunity and is preparing students with the skills they will need in Physical Sciences 3 and Chemistry 4 in years 11 and 12. Students experienced a long practical in Chemistry and experienced a steep learning curve with regards to cleanliness, accuracy, and specialised lab glassware.

I asked the students what they thought:

‘I had no idea it would be so hard physically, like I need to do some squats to get ready for this.’
‘Titration is a lot more fun than you think.’
‘I got my weekly squats in, and it should count towards the push-up challenge.’
‘A great experience that allows us to experience what it’s like in a lab.’
‘This is good practice for college and is actually fun.’
‘BEST TIME OF MY LIFE.’
‘Very enlightening and my arms hurt so much.’
‘This was a fun, good experience. Also, my arms hurt.’

Student Representative Council (SRC) News

Investiture Assembly

On Wednesday 24th May, this year’s student leadership group was announced in our annual Investiture Assembly in the school gym. We recognised the Year 10 Student Representative Council, House Captains and the Year 7, 8 and 9 SRC groups at this assembly. We thank the families who attended this assembly. In this edition of the school newsletter, the Year 10 SRC will be showcasing the various projects that they have already achieved and sharing some projects that they are currently working on.

The Year 10 Student Representative Council

Relay for Life

On Saturday 18th March, the Year 10 SRC and House Captains participated in the Cancer Council's Relay for Life, and it was such an amazing event!  The event was run at the Queens Domain Athletics Track to raise awareness and money for the Cancer Council and their fantastic efforts to provide support and treatment to those affected by cancer.

The team stayed from 1:00pm -10:00pm on the day. We had a roster that gave everyone half an hour walking with our baton, with multiple people on the track at any given time. While we were not walking, there was live music (performed by multiple different groups, including the Navy Band and the Army Band), and Bollywood dancing, as well as dancers and karaoke. There were food vans and areas for mini games of different sports.

At 8:00pm there was a candle lighting ceremony to honour those who have been affected by cancer. It was a very emotional time in the event and was a good thing to be a part of. As a school we raised over $2300, and we would like to thank everyone who donated and supported us.

By Ava M (10A)

Toastie Tuesday

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Eating a substantial meal in the morning switches our brain on, helping us to learn easier and make better choices. However, around Australia, surprising amounts of people often skip breakfast due to various reasons including not having time, not having readily available breakfast foods, or being too tired or busy to make their own. To combat this problem, past Taroona SRC groups have set up the Toastie Tuesday program.

Toastie Tuesday is a weekly breakfast program, where members of the Year 10 SRC make and distribute cheese toasties to students and staff as they arrive to school. The program is in place to provide everyone with an adequate breakfast option, and to ensure everyone starts the day right with a warm toastie and a smile.

By Amala C (10Y)

Free Dress Days

Term 1

This year we will be aiming to have a free dress day each term, primarily organised by the different year councils. To kick start the free dress days this year, the year 10 SRC organised the first one. On Tuesday the 4th of April the first free dress day of the year was held to raise money for 2 new student microwaves, our school’s toastie Tuesday breakfast program and Cancer Council’s Relay for Life. Having a common theme of ‘food related fundraising’ the students were encouraged to dress up in something relating to food. The fundraiser was remarkably successful raising a sustainable amount to help fund areas that we believe are important to our students’ wellbeing.

Term 2

A further free dress day was held on the 30^th of May to raise money and awareness for Huntington's Disease. Prior to the free dress day some of the SRC assisted in presenting a PowerPoint to the different Year assemblies sharing with them how the disease can affect people and the importance of supporting research in this area. On the day, students were encouraged to spread awareness by wearing blue or purple colours. The day was highly successful and contributed to spreading awareness for Huntington's disease.

By Felicity S (10S)

Inter-council Reps

Alongside the Year 10 SRC, Taroona High School has Year Councils from Year 7 to 9, and these councils work in the best interest of the whole school. With that in mind, we have introduced the role of ‘inter-council representatives’ this year. The 3 inter-Council representatives consists of Year 10 SRC students working with/mentoring the younger Year Councils throughout the year. They attend the meetings of the year 7, 8 and 9 councils and can assist the grade councils with organising events and fundraisers.

Microwaves and Canteen Volunteers

Earlier this year, the Year 10 Student Representative Council raised funds (via Term 1 free dress day) to purchase 2 new microwaves for our students to use whilst at school.  We would like to encourage our students to look after the microwaves so they can be used by students throughout the year. There are 16 students who currently help out in our school canteen at lunchtimes during the week. These students are gaining valuable experience in how the canteen operates and are providing lots of assistance in the canteen each day.

Sustainability Club

Sustainability is a big issue that is a major part of our future. The sustainability club has been working this year on brainstorming a few ways to improve our school, with the aim of making it more sustainable into the future. There are a few key areas we have identified, which are: education about sustainability and the environment, improving plants and wildlife around our school, and reducing the amount of waste produced by our school. We will be working throughout the year to implement these areas for improvement and look forward to working with various parts of the school to complete these aims. We also recently attended the Youth Climate Conference, where we came up with a plan to organise a week around sustainable fashion, including parades, upcycling old clothes, and a bunch of education, so you can look forward to more information surrounding that!

By Iola F (10J)

Taroona High Clubs

Taroona High has many lunch-time clubs on offer which allow students to pursue their interests outside of normal classes, meet new people, and engage with the school community. Part of my role as a year 10 SRC member is to help promote these clubs and encourage people come along. High School clubs are a terrific way for you to focus on something other than normal schoolwork and improve you communication and collaboration skills. Joining a club can also lead to new connections with people who share the same interests.

We have many clubs on offer to all year levels at Taroona High, and we strongly encourage you to try some.

By Liam L (10J)

Taroona High School Scholarship Program

The THS Scholarship Program was established in 2019 by Kate Poynter to assist Taroona High students in pursuing their talents and interests. Following on from last year’s success, the program will continue for its fifth year in 2023. Taroona High students are encouraged to pursue their passions and interests; in line with one of our school values, personal growth. The 2023 THS scholarship program will award scholarships up to $500 for successful student(s) in the following areas:

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Creative Writing
• Visual Arts and Media
• Dance and Drama
• Debating and Public Speaking
• Health and Physical Education
• Languages
• Music
• Material, Design and Technology (MDT)
• Food and Fibre

Students showing potential in these subject areas are encouraged to apply for the scholarship program. Their applications and overall performance at school will be considered by the panel selecting the recipients. The panel includes the head teacher of each subject area, Year Team Leaders, the Principal, and students in the Year 10 Student Representative Council. A student is eligible for a scholarship if they need monetary support to participate in a competition, purchase equipment, receive coaching or tutoring or anything else that will support them in their chosen area during the 2023 calendar year. Students that wish to apply for the scholarship can be found by using this link: 

We are pleased to advise that the application date has been extended to Wednesday 28 June 2023.

By Kaiki M (10T)

Anzac Day Services

Anzac Day is a very important part of our history as a nation and Anzac Day services recognise this. The SRC thought it was important to have people attend Anzac Services and show respect for the fallen and commemorate the mateship and sacrifice still shown by Australian and New Zealander Soldiers today. We had 2 members attend both the Taroona Dawn Service and the Kingston Beach Dawn Service, with a wreath being laid by the students in honour of the school at each. A prayer for the commonwealth was also read at the Taroona Service.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, if not a little chilly, and the morning was topped off with a stunning sunrise.

As someone who had never been to an Anzac Day Service before, I was amazed by how many people had woken up early to show their respect at the Taroona Service and represent true community spirit. It was truly incredible to see.

By Madeleine W (10A)

School Association Meetings

With a new school year and new students, the 2023 School Association has begun with its monthly meetings once again, with the aim to enhance the lives of everyone in the school community. As members of the SRC it has been our responsibility to elect one member of the council to consistently appear at meetings throughout the first half of the year and ensure that we have members attend to share their own plans for the year with the School Association. This has given us the opportunity to view a different kind of a “council” and how they run and organise their own meetings, which has been a great experience. Our biggest achievement through communication with the School Association has been the approval of a new school shorts designed for those students who would like to wear another style of school short.  This resulted from a school wide student survey which asked the students whether they wanted to buy another style of school shorts. These shorts should hopefully be available for purchase by students for the summer months and Term 4.

By Evie L (10I)

Quiz Night

The Quiz Night is coming up on Friday 1^st September (7pm-9pm, doors open 6.30pm) and the theme this year is: “Music Genres!”. You are invited to come along and dress up as an artist, band, or anything else to do with your favourite music genre. Bookings can be made via the Qkr! app.  Feel free to contact scott.maccrum@decyp.tas.gov.au for more information around this event.

By Daniel L (10B) and Lucy L (10W)

YEP!

Since 2019, I have been an ambassador for CCYP (Commissioner for Children and Young People). This is a program where an independent adult activist (Leanne McLean) takes on the ideas/voices of young people ranging from the ages of 10-17 years and uses this information to help ensure that Tasmania is a better place for all young people. Recently, CCYP has launched a program named YEP! (Your Engagement Place). This program is readily available for any young Tasmanians under the age of 18. Through the membership with YEP!, you have the opportunity to receive/share you views with the Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP). This could be through surveys, online chats, focus groups or other activities that could be suggested through young people. You do not have to be an ambassador for CCYP to be a member of YEP! and it is free to participate in this program. It is widely encouraged that every student at Taroona High School can give it a go, giving each student a chance to express their voices with individuality. If you want to know more information about YEP!, it can be found at:

By Kaiki M (10T)

Exploring The Ocean (ETO) News

ETO 1 – Designing and Driving a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV)

In late May, Ms. Frampton’s year 10 Exploring the oceans class went on an excursion to the Marine Discovery Centre. Students designed and tested their own ROVs, practicing teamwork and creativity. Each team built ROVs with motors and cameras, successfully completing tasks like capturing footage and adjusting the ROVs buoyancy. Students also had the opportunity to test drive expensive commercial ROVs. We all really enjoyed this excursion and successfully designed and made a working ROV, the time restriction and materials given made it difficult, though with our limited design we managed to capture some good quality footage. It was also great to learn about commercial ROVs, their importance and a big thanks to the staff of the Marine Discovery Centre for helping us out.

By Finn & Jacob (ETO 2)

ETO 1 & 2 –Baby Oysters

During the month of May, students would have been aware of construction happening off the shore of the school. This was part of an 18-month project run in partnership by NRM South and The Nature Conservancy to restore the native flat oyster to Tasmania. Taroona was one of two locations in the Derwent Estuary that these new reefs have been built, the other being Woodbridge. Australian native oysters are critically endangered, with only 10% of the native rock oyster and 1% of the native flat oyster remaining today. While there are plans to build 11 total reefs around Australia, two of them are in the Derwent Estuary and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. These sites in particular will restore two hectares of native flat oyster habitat. Restoring these reefs will have some great environmental benefits, such as improved water quality, increased fish productivity, and providing habitat for more species in the Derwent. More information can be found about this project (the Reef Builder Project) can be found at the link below:

Students from both ETO classes were excited to see what the new native shellfish reef project was. We snorkel close to the area that the new reef was constructed, so it will be interesting to see if many new species will come to the reef and the ones around school. Although we cannot snorkel on the new shellfish reef (it's too deep) it will still possibly have a major effect on areas surrounding the waters of the school. We will be monitoring the beaches and communities around the point to look for any changes. It was great to see how the reef was constructed and see the baby oysters growing on the shells.

Ava & Ruby (ETO 2)

Music News

Song Makers Workshop

On Thursday and Friday of the second week of term, myself and 15 other students participated in a song writing course which challenged us to write and record a song in two days. The course, called Song Makers, was led by professional songwriters and producers Taka Perry, Chelsea Warner and Kota Banks, who shared lots of practical information and advice around working in the music industry. As well as being knowledgeable, the mentors were friendly and approachable, and I felt comfortable asking questions or for help when we were stuck.

We were assigned to random groups, which was a daunting prospect as most of us didn't know each other and already had bands we had good chemistry with. In hindsight however, I think this was a clever decision, because learning to cooperate with people you didn't choose is a vital skill not only for the music industry but for almost any career.

We learned that the process of recording is very different to playing live. You have the opportunity to add as many layers and sounds to create the sound you want, which was exciting and eye-opening because of the detail involved. It was a brand-new way for us to create music.

By the end of the course, each group had composed and recorded a unique and high-quality song, with lots of help from the mentors’ music production expertise. We also learned about the process of collecting royalties, which is a way to earn money from people listening to your song online and had our names published as composers with APRA AMCOS, allowing us to begin collecting those royalties. We were all very proud of the final results and gained valuable skills such as how to overcome writer’s block, let go of perfectionism and co-operate with people you don't know. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity, and it will have a lasting impact no matter where I decide to take my musical skills.

By Ella B (10T), Jess H (10B), Josie W (10T) & Emily C (10T)

Band Workshop

So far this year, we have already had two highly successful and enjoyable band workshops: the Senior Concert Band Workshop (11th– 13th May) and the Junior Concert Band Workshop (25th – 27th May). Over three intensive days of learning, students significantly improved both their musical skills and performance as a cohort.

The first day consisted of a band rehearsal in which students improved their ability to play together by working on a repertoire of pieces. In this session, students were encouraged to listen to each other, synchronise dynamics and articulations, and work together to create emotion and effect through their playing. Knowing your place within the band and playing with musicality were emphasised as strong focuses.

To aid the students in meeting these goals, the second day provided the opportunity to learn from professional musicians from the community and the THS music team. It was extremely beneficial for the students to interact with professionals who had years of experience in playing and performing. By separating into instrument groups for specialist tutoring, students were able to learn exclusive techniques and address the specific challenges associated with their instruments. The personalised instruction allowed them to individually expand their skills and become more cohesive as a section.

On the third day, everyone came together to have full rehearsals with their newly acquired knowledge. As a testament to the success of the sectional sessions, marked improvement was shown in all of the pieces. This progress was showcased in an afternoon concert held for families at the conclusion of the workshop. It was a rewarding experience for both the students and their families, as they were able to witness the results of such hard work and dedication.

Next, the Junior Extension Band is set to have their workshop from 16th – 17th June while the Intermediate Concert Band will have theirs from June 29th – July 1st. Both are sure to be extremely valuable and fun experiences. 

Communication for Parents/Carers

Thank you for your support during Term 1 and Term 2, we would like to take this opportunity to advise you on how to keep in touch with us as the school year progresses.

Taroona High School has several ways for you to contact the school regarding your child’s needs. To keep up to date with what’s happening within the school community please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, you can find the links below.

Did you know that our school does not have a PA system meaning that there is not an end of recess and lunch bell, and the students still manage to arrive successfully to their lessons on time!

As we do not have a PA system, please ensure that your child is aware each morning of after school arrangements and ask them to check their mobile phones after school for any changes.

Staff are on site if your child needs assistance at the conclusion of the school day, please let your child know they can come to Student Services if help is needed.

If you need your child to receive an urgent message during the day, please contact the school office prior to Recess (11:20am) or prior to Lunch (12:50pm).  If your child has a message to collect their name will be displayed on the TV screens placed around the school for them to collect the message from Student Services. Unfortunately, staff are unable to run individual messages to students’ classes.

If your child is absent, arriving late or leaving early please let the office staff know as soon as possible.

• MGM Text Message 0418 190 013 (Text Only)
• Email: high@decyp.tas.gov.au
• SZapp: Taroona High School eNewsletter (education.tas.edu.au)
• THS Website: Taroona High School eNewsletter (education.tas.edu.au)

SZapp – Taroona High School App

The school app, SZapp, provides a convenient way to access the daily school bulletin and to advise us of your child’s absence, late arrival or early departure.

Qkr! App

Download the Qkr! App for purchasing canteen lunches (prior to 8:00am) and to make other additional payments such as sporting activities, events, competitions and Year 10 hoodies/end of year formal. 

Taroona High School Website

By visiting our website, you can access all Taroona High School information and subscribe to our newsletter, find instructions on how to download the app, and access the school calendar for all upcoming events. You can email teachers directly during term time, staff email addresses can be found under the contact us tab.

Facebook and Instagram

Go to the link below:

and Instagram search for taroonahigh_school “Like” us to keep updated.

Newsletter

You can subscribe to receive the Taroona High School’s Newsletter on our website, newsletters are issued twice in Term 1 and Term 4, and once in Term 2 and Term 3.

Validation Forms

Validation forms are posted to parents/carers each year for your completion. Returning this form ensures all contact details are current and student permissions are up to date; ensuring your child is able to attend minor excursions and have their photo taken among other things. The annual completion of these forms is a Department for Education, Children and Young People requirement.

Uniform

• Taroona High School (THS) NAVY jumper, fleece, puffer or softshell
• Long-sleeved tops worn under polo tops must be the same colour
• THS REDor WHITE polo top
• NAVY cotton drill trousers (not denim)/ trackpants, leggings, shorts or skirt
• Hoodies are not uniform (Except the year 10 Leaver’s Hoodies for year 10 students only)
• Hats are for outside only
• Health and Physical Education (HPE) tops are only to be worn during HPE Class (Can be worn in Home Group if they have HPE Period 1)

Your child’s Year Team Leader and Assistant Principal can support your child with uniform.

Why do we wear uniform?

An expectation of Taroona High School enrolments are that families have agreed for their child to wear school uniform, as this provides students with a sense of belonging and community. We know that when a student comes to school in uniform, they are in a mindset ready to learn.  At Taroona High School we understand that teenagers want to express their individuality, however, we need to uphold our standards for safety of all of our School Community.

School Calendar

Term Dates 2023

Term Dates 2024

Community News