Mowbray Heights Primary School eNewsletter

On Monday night we shared a very special evening with our Year 6 Leavers. We had a meal together, shared some memories and danced the night away. Our Leavers were beautifully behaved and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Congratulations to our Year 6 students, every one of them a credit to themselves, their family and their school.

Sharon

On Saturday night our choir and The Buzz performed at A Launceston Christmas in St John's Church. They shared the night with performances by the City of Launceston RSL Band and Vox Harmony City of Launceston Choir. Our students were absolutely amazing!

The choir led by Mrs Partridge sang Shika Nijia Nyotoa (Follow the Star) by M Donnelly and Music G strid, A Bell Carol by L Spevacek and Rockin' Christmas from the ABC Sing Book, 2008.

The Buzz #1 led by Mr Partridge played Jingle Bells, Santa on the Dance Floor, and Swinging Old St Nick. Buzz #2 played Ready to Launch (into Christmas), The Lone Reindeer, Carol of the Bells, and Jingle Bells.

The Buzz groups have been practising every Thursday after school and the improvement in their ability has been astronomical. They are so well supported by Mr Partridge and other musicians who generously volunteer their time. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment and loyalty to our school.

Thank you to Mrs Partridge for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students to shine. Thank you so much to the families for your support, I know that you were so proud of your children. I think we stole the show!

Sharon

Thur 12 Dec	Last day for Breakfast Club
Mon 16 Dec	Year 3-4 Picnic at Heritage Forest
Mon 16 Dec	Early Childhood Celebration Assembly 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Tues 17 Dec	End of Year Primary Assembly 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Wed 18 Dec	Prep - Year 2 Picnic at Heritage Forest
Wed 18 Dec	Kinder Splash Day
Thur 19 Dec	Year 5-6 Excursion to Riverbend Park
Thur 19 Dec	Last day of school for Students

	After a period of long service leave, Mrs Susan Tolputt has retired. Mrs Tolputt started at MHPS in 1980 as a Kindergarten Teacher Assistant when our Kindergarten was at Haig Street. Mrs Tolputt has also supported students with disability for many years. Her past 19 years have been spent in the Library as our Library Technician. We sincerely thank Mrs Tolputt for her work ethic, high order organisational skills and dedication to her roles. We also thank her for the positive relationships that she has developed with so many students and her unwavering support for her colleagues. Best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement.
	Mr Stephen Smyth will be retiring after taking long service leave in Terms 1 and 2. Mr Smyth has been at MHPS for 35 years! He has taught Health and Physical Education and ICT classes over those years, and has been a dedicated member of the Leadership Team. We thank him for his organisational, communication and relational skills. We thank him for his instructional leadership. We thank him for his sincere encouragement of students to be the best they can be and to always commit to our school values. We thank him for his loyalty to MHPS and wish him all the best for a happy and healthy retirement.
	Mrs Adele Styles will be retiring after taking long service leave in Term 1. Mrs Styles has worked at MHPS for 15 years, in a Teacher Assistant role supporting students with disability and more recently in the Admin Team. We thank her for her loyalty and dedication to our school community. We thank her for her kindness, attention to detail, and calm nature. We thank her for the way she generously supports students, staff and families with all administrative needs. Best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement Mrs Styles.
	Ms Amy Spradbury is transferring to the soon to be opened Legana Primary School. At MHPS, she has taught Launching into Learning groups, Prep, and Year 1/2 classes. Ms Spradbury is a dedicated teacher who is deeply committed to the students in her care. All students are known, safe, well and learning in her presence. Ms Spradbury is thanked for the genuine partnerships she has with families, which are built on mutual respect and trust. Best wishes for the future!
	Miss Laurel Atkins has won an Advanced Skills Teacher position at Brooks High School! At MHPS, Miss Atkins has taught Health and Physical Education, EAL and 5/6 classes. Miss Atkins is an exceptional teacher and a passionate advocate for public education. Her enthusiasm and positivity have had an amazing impact on our students and staff. Miss Atkins believes in every student's ability and supports them to live our values of connection, respect, responsibility, growth and courage. We wish her all the best in her leadership role!
	Mrs Ellen Anderson (nee Parsons) has been on maternity leave and has accepted a transfer to Glen Dhu Primary School. Mrs Anderson is an outstanding Health and Physical Education Teacher. We thank her for her amazing work ethic, exceptional organisation and communication skills, and sharing her passion for health and wellbeing. We also thank Mrs Anderson for the genuine connections she has established with students and staff throughout her six years at Mowbray Heights. Best wishes for your new appointment!

Miss Hayley Neville	Miss Neville has taught part-time at MHPS this year as a 1-2 Teacher. We thank her for her commitment to improving student learning outcomes and the encouraging way she teaches. Her quietly spoken and caring demeanour ensures students and their families feel confident in her presence. We also thank Miss Neville for her flexibility and openness to partnering with colleagues for the benefit of students. Best wishes for the future Miss Neville.
Mrs Glenda Tarnawsky	Mrs Tarnawsky has taught part-time at MHPS this year. We sincerely thank Mrs Tarnawsky for supporting and encouraging our Prep EAL students in their listening, speaking, reading and writing. We also thank her for her commitment to ensuring our EAL students and their families experience a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Mrs Alison Alessio	Mrs Alessio has taught part-time at MHPS this year as a 5-6 Teacher. We thank her for her commitment to developing positive relationships with students and for establishing a classroom culture where all students are known and respected. We also thank Mrs Alessio for her loyalty, flexibility, and commitment to teamwork for the benefit of students. Best wishes for the future Mrs Alessio.
Mrs Katie Trinh	Mrs Trinh has taught part-time at MHPS this term as a 1-2 Teacher. We thank her for quickly establishing rapport with students and partnerships with families. We also thank her for ensuring consistency with established routines and expectations for learning for the students in her care. Best wishes for the future Mrs Trinh.
Miss Asha Pohan	Miss Pohan has worked as a Teacher Assistant on contract at MHPS this year. We thank her for demonstrating patience and kindness when supporting our students with disability. Miss Pohan is heading interstate to University and we wish her all the best for the future.

Congratulations to the following students who received awards at our last assembly.

	Merit Certificate	Values Certificate	Values Champion
Prep Fletcher	Darci	Lachlan	Darci
Prep Freeman	Reuben	Oliver	Silas
Prep Lockhart	Kris	Rakshya	Kris
1-2 Dingemanse	Fred	Saidatu	Keziah
1-2 Neville Trinh	Oswald	Seth	Iwahang
1-2 Ross	Natalia	Willow	Elinaz
1-2 Spradbury	Rhinguet Thang	John	Rhinguet Thang
1-2 Wood Killalea	Michelle	Amber	Mercy

Orienteering @ Punchbowl Reserve

Tennis @ Tennis World MHPS v Summerdale Primary School

Girls Football @ Prospect Park (Harley Parade) MHPS v Norwood Primary School

Speedball MHPS v Summerdale Primary School

Basketball MHPS v Riverside Primary School

On Monday 16 December students from 3-4 Uffelmann, 3-4 Boon-Smith, 3-4 Marshall, 3-4 Sheedy and 3-4 Rafferty will be walking to Heritage Forest for a picnic to celebrate the end of the school year. We will leave school at 11:30 am and return by 2:45 pm. Students will need to wear full school uniform and bring a packed recess, a big drink (preferably two drinks!), lunch, a hat and sunscreen if they are unable to use school sunscreen. There will be sausages provided courtesy of our P&C.

Year 3-4 Teachers

The Early Childhood Celebration Assembly will be held on Monday 16 December from 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm in the Performing Arts Centre. Each class will sing a song, there will be whole group songs and the students receiving Principal Awards will be recognised. Families are most welcome to attend.

The End of Year Primary Assembly will be held on Tuesday 17 December from 9:00 am - 10:30 am in the Performing Arts Centre. This assembly is a very important occasion, particularly for our Year 6 students and their families. This is where we celebrate their achievements and recognise the end of their primary school education. Families of Year 6 students are most welcome to attend this Assembly. There is also an invitation extended to the families of Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 students who will be receiving a Principal's Award at this assembly.

Class Teachers will make contact with parents of students who are receiving awards.

On Wednesday 18 December, Prep to Year 2 children will be celebrating the end of a successful year. We will be leaving school at 9:30 am and walking in class groups to Heritage Forest. Children will need to wear school uniform and shoes suitable for physical activity. They will need morning tea, some lunch and plenty to drink. They will wear their school hat and sunscreen will be available. We will be participating in fun activities, and a sausage sizzle will be provided by the P&C at 12:00 pm. We will return to school at approximately 1:00 pm to enjoy icy poles, also provided by our wonderful P&C.

Early Childhood Team

On Wednesday 18 December, the Kindergarten classes will be celebrating a great year of learning with a Splash Day at school. The children will participate in a range of water based activities and sensory play which will be fun and messy! For this reason, we ask that the children bring along a towel and wear some play clothes to school. Please pack their school clothing to change into, as they are likely to get wet. A sausage in bread and an icy-pole will be provided for lunch, but you will still need to pack fruit, snacks and a drink of water.

Please ask us if you have any questions.

Bec, Natasha and Dannii

On Wednesday 18 December students from Years 3-6 will be watching the movie, Shrek. The story is about a mean lord who exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre. This ogre must then go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back. But the princess has a huge secret that could change everything.

On Thursday 19 December the 5-6 classes will be visiting Riverbend Park. We will be departing MHPS at 10:30 am and returning to school by bus in the afternoon. Students will need to wear school uniform, including school sun hat, sensible shoes and apply sunscreen. Students need to bring recess, lunch and plenty to drink.

Year 5-6 Teachers

On Thursday 19 December, Year 1-2 classes will be watching the movie Back to the Outback (Rated G).

Tired of being locked in a reptile house where humans gawk at them like they’re monsters, a group of Australia’s deadliest creatures plot a daring escape from the zoo to the outback.

Our Home Reading and Library borrowing has finished for the year. Please return any books that belong to our school as soon as you can. In the coming weeks we will be doing a stocktake on our collections, repairing damaged books and making sure our books are sorted and ready for use next year.

Many thanks to families who support our reading programs - your children are definitely benefiting from your guidance and encouragement.

Parents and carers are asked to come and collect any medication belonging to your child before the end of the school year. This also includes epipens and asthma puffers, as use by dates need to be checked.

Term Dates

Term 1	Thursday 6 February to Friday 11 April
Term 2	Monday 28 April to Friday 4 July
Term 3	Monday 21 July to Friday 26 September
Term 4	Monday 13 October to Thursday 18 December

Professional Learning Days

Term 2	Friday 6 June
Term 4	Friday 31 October

Wicked is now in Cinemas, but Launceston Musical Society are showing you where it all began this Christmas at the Princess Theatre.

Frank Baum’s classic novel comes to life in The Wizard of Oz. This faithful adaptation by the Royal Shakespeare Company features all the most beloved songs and moments from the 1939 classic film, brought to life onstage.

Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in the Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers.

To make it home safely, Dorothy must learn an important lesson: there really is no place like home. Tickets can be purchased via www.theatrenorth.com.au with a family ticket price bundle included.