New Norfolk High is a respectful learning community with high expectations for all. Some of the ways in which we show that are through engaging students with community groups, bringing extra funding into the school to improve facilities and valuing student voice.

At our most recent assembly we had special guests from the internationally award-winning Terrapin Puppet Theatre, The Tasmanian Football Club and the president of the New Norfolk Football Club. As you will see elsewhere in this newsletter, they brought a special guest with them: Rum’un, the Tassie Devils mascot. As you may remember, a significant part of the work constructing Rum’un took part at our school with the support of our students. It was great to be able to bring the finished mascot back to our school & to hear from the representatives of the Devils and Terrapin about what values and high expectations have meant in their lives and career pathways.

The tender has now closed for the final part of the School Upgrade building upgrade building program. Combined with the State Government funding for the Safer Student bathrooms, almost $1 million in extra funding has been secured to upgrade facilities and improve the experience of students at our school. Through the Safer Student Bathroom Program, our Year 7 toilets have already been completely upgraded. Our Year 10 toilets have already been upgraded as part of the School Upgrade Program and, by the end of the year, the year 9 toilets will also have had their own complete upgrade.

In addition, the school has also been successful in obtaining a grant from Dymocks for $10,000 dollars of new books with which to refresh our library collection. We have been seeking input from students involved in our MacqLit reading intervention program and our Student Voice group around titles of types of books students would most like to see added to the library.

Student Voice is very important to our school. In addition to the Student Voice group, our Leadership Group and annual surveys, we also brought in members of the DECYP Student Engagement & Attendance Team last week to gather student voice about barriers and enablers for their attendance. Two of their Project Officers spent the day here interviewing student groups including all year levels from across the school. The Project Officers were very impressed with the level of engagement & thought that went into the answers of those involved. We will use the feedback we receive to help us improve ways in which we support our students.

Attendance in term 1 was the highest we have had since before COVID. It is vital we can continue to build on this success because, as we all know, when it comes to school ‘Every Minute Matters’ and supporting Connection is a key value of the New Norfolk Way.

Stuart Lord, Principal

• Newsletter 19^th June
• 11/12 Outdoor Education Ice Skating 20^th June
• Parent/Teacher 23^rd June
• Claremont College Taster Day 25^th June
• Assembly 26^th June
• Pyjama Day 27^th June
• Reclink grade 9/10 AFL 9s 27^th June
• Newsletter 3^rd July
• VIP Day 4^th July
• Last Day Term 4^th July
• Term 3 Begins 21^st July
• 11/12 RSA at Drysdale excursion 24^th July
• 11/12 Tasmanian Tourism Showcase excursion 25^th July
• Newsletter published 31^st July
• 9-12 Tailgate Expo 31^st July

Over the last two Terms we have warmly welcomed members of the local and wider community to our assemblies. We commemorated ANZAC Day, inviting community members Daniel and Jan Fleming, retired military service personnel, and John O’Carroll, bugle player to participate in our special assembly.

Trent Henderson, a New Norfolk local, shared an inspiring message of courage and persistence, running 110 marathons in 110 days to raise funds for Speak up Stay Chatty. Students from NNHS went down to the local esplanade to run with Trent as he completed his 110^th marathon.

Last week we had a special visitor to our assembly, Rum’un, the mascot of the Tasmania Devils Football Club. Last year many of our students were involved in the making of Rum’un’s costume with Terrapin Puppet Theatre Artist in Residence, Bryony. It was great to see the finished costume in action and hear from guest speakers Kath McCann from the Tasmanian Football Club and Sam Routledge from Terrapin Puppet Theatre.

What fantastic opportunities for community connection, engagement and building a positive school culture!

 The Grade 10s continue to show engagement with their classwork and leadership across the school.  The Grade 10 shirts and jumpers have arrived, with the jumpers a welcome addition as the weather has cooled.

Core subjects are progressing well, with students undertaking assessment tasks as the end of Term 2 approaches.  In English we are currently studying John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which tells the story of a young German boy’s experience living at Auschwitz as the son of an officer, and his friendship with Shmuel, a boy who lives inside the camp.  At the end of Term we are planning to watch the movie, which will let students see a different side to the story.  In History students started the Term with a short unit on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, before moving on to the US Civil Rights movement. It has been wonderful to see students engaging respectfully with this topic, before we move on to the Australian context in Term 3. 

In Maths, we have been developing our understanding of straight lines including how to use them and interpret them. Straight lines can clearly show trends and help us to understand profit and loss as well as a myriad of other applications. Students have been practising identifying the gradient as well as the y-intercept and are now applying this to simultaneous equations.

Chemical patterns and reactions are all around us. Earlier this term, grade 10 students learned about the patterns that the Periodic Table is based on, investigating the reactivity, atomic radius and electron configurations. Currently we are learning about the different types of chemical reactions, including synthesis, decomposition, single and double displacement reactions. Students are practising their skills at creating word equations, and balanced symbolic equations, watching these reactions happen in real time in the lab.

In Health we have just finished up a unit on Support Services and how to stay safe online and offline.  At the end of this unit students completed an assessment task, for some students this was a situational analysis and for others it was to create a support or community service for our local community or school community.  For the remainder of Term students will be looking at racism and inclusiveness, particularly in sport.  Part of this will be watching The Final Quarter and looking at racism and bias in Australian media.

A key part of Grade 10 is preparing for the future.  On 25 June students will attend Claremont College for a Taster Day, where they can visit different subjects and get a feel for what their college years might look like if they choose to attend there. Students will also begin working towards undertaking work experience later this year. If a Grade 10 student in your household has a particular place they would like to try for work experience, encourage them to speak to our Grade Coordinator to see if we can help make it happen.

In Tasmania, under the Education Act (2016), young people are required by law to remain in education and training until they meet a leaving requirement: 

• finish year 12
• turn 18 
• achieve a Certificate III(via an apprenticeship)
• has full time employment (35 hours per week) *

If your young person gains full time employment*, evidence will need to be provided (via a payslip or letter of employment) and you need to apply for an exemption by contacting the school.  

Year 10 students are currently in the process of completing their transition plans on Canvas with around 93% of students having a completed draft.  Transition plans include details of their interests in and outside of school, previous work experience, future plan (for career, job or trade), a first and second choice for Year 11/12 destination and courses they wish to complete. A destination may include a college, TasTAFE or an apprenticeship, or a combination of both.

These will be submitted in Term 4

It is vital that parents and carers are aware of and have input into their young person’s transition plan (attached). We would like to invite you to please look over the transition drafts included in their reports, speak to your young person about their intentions and arrange a meeting or phone call with their teacher to discuss. Please contact the school office at 03 6261 7800 to schedule a discussion.

Jessica Cep (11/12 AST)

TAILGATE Expo Excursion – Building and Construction Careers

On Wednesday 31 July, New Norfolk High School will be taking interested Year 9–12 students to the TAILGATE Expo—a hands-on event showcasing the building and construction industry. Students will have the opportunity to explore career pathways, speak directly with industry professionals, and learn more about apprenticeships.

If your young person is interested in attending, please encourage them to speak with their Grade Coordinator.

Jessica Cep
AST Years 11/12