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Friday Notice 29 November 2019

What's happening:

December:
3 Tuesday: Student Forum
4 Wednesday: Committee Meeting @ 6 pm
4 Wednesday: 1/2 Environment Day
4 Wednesday: Prep Environment Day
5 Thursday: Kinder Bike Day
6 Friday: Schools Triathlon Gr 3-6
9 Monday: 3/4 Environment Day
9 Monday: Garden Market @ 3pm
10 Tuesday: Leavers Day
11 Wednesday: 1/2 Bike Day
12 Thursday: Whole School BBQ with Biggies led games
13 Friday: Gathering 11-12 noon (all welcome)
13 Friday: Last Day Term 4 (finish at 12 noon)

 

February 2020:
3 Monday: Staff only at school 
4 Tuesday: First day Term 1 for Kinder-Grade 6 students
10 Monday: Royal Hobart Regatta
15 Saturday: First Working Bee (compulsory)
17 Monday: First day Term 1 for Pre-Kinder
END OF TERM
GATHERING
ALL WELCOME

 
Start time is 11am
where we will farewell
Grade 6 students and
leaving families.

School finishes for the year at 12 noon.

From Julie

In the last few weeks every class in the school, from the Littlies to the Biggies, have been camping  - and what fun they have had. Even the Kinders went to visit the Littlies and Grade 1 students camping at Orana last week. I had the pleasure of visiting Mayfield camp yesterday and joined the walk to Christmas Island to look for cowrie shells. What an opportunity camps provide for children to develop as discussed in the Friday News last week. We all learn from camps and if your child has come home without changing their underwear for the last week then you might like to speak with them about hygiene and learning to be more independent in their self-management.  Staff on camps do a wonderful job of completing risk assessments prior to the camp and then organising everything: checking and preparing the bus, driving the bus, checking the site on arrival, going through basic safety requirements particular to that site, planning activities, preparing and cooking food, taking the water tank, the toilet, rubbish bins, first aid kits, food, games, tents and nearly everything else that the children enjoy or need. And, as we know, some children take to being away from their parents more easily than others, so vital emotional support is provided by staff to help those struggling to learn about managing without mum or dad for a little bit longer. This can sometimes be needed late into the night. And then there is the delicate matter of getting the Camp Awards just right. It is huge. Staff are the last to sleep and the first up in the mornings and they take on huge responsibilities all day. The challenges are enormous and the enjoyment is sometimes overwhelming and what makes it all possible is the staff commitment, skill and experience, team work, support from families and the wonderful children who attend Cottage School. The parents who make stuff for camp and come to help unload or clean the bus after camp all contribute in important ways to making camp possible. All the ‘thank you’ comments to staff as they return children to you as they get off the bus are so appreciated by staff members. Camps are so important to Cottage School and I would just like to say a very public thank you to all staff involved in making these experiences happen so wonderfully for our students.
 




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News from Littlies

At the beginning of the school year Orana Camp is spoken of amongst the children in tones of reverence and wide-eyed wonder. Usually it is with astonishment that being a Littlie means your first camp is on the years to-do list. With this realisation comes a plethora of emotions and questions. Over the school terms, questions about camp flow in and out of general discussions. Older children are sought out for opinions and tips, photos of past camps are passed around accompanied by tales of antics past. Every year familiar worries, what if's and nervous excitement subside to be replaced with eager anticipation. It isn’t until the first day of camp has finally arrived and we are all sitting under the trees, a tub of baked biscuits and slices passed around, that you realise the depth of maturity and strong relationships that have been formed to bring the children to such a corner stone in their school career.
 
Whether children at Orana stay overnight or not, is not the focus of their first camp. Rather it is that they are open to being in a new environment, setting up their belongings, packing for the days’ adventure, making new friends with older grade one buddies, preparing meals and generally helping each other out. Quite often children who are hesitant at school show a more robust and independent attitude at camp. Perhaps this is where the environment really is the third teacher. Experiencing the children in a camp environment is a special opportunity as a teacher. Some favourite moments from Orana this year include; two friends sharing a book in a sliver of very early morning light whilst the rest of their room slept, a group of prep boys playing cards by headtorch, supporting one another to count the tallies, winning and losing with grace. For the children, having their bikes at camp and with a massive space to set out trails and play elaborate games gives them an added freedom that isn’t possible in our school grounds. With the beach at our doorstep the children have very active days and the sound of the ocean at night is intimately linked to camp memories. Michelle







OUR LOCATION

4 - 10 Queen Street
Bellerive, TAS  7018

CONTACT

The school can be reached during business hours at:

Ph: 03 6244 3556

admin@cottageschool.tas.edu.au


www.cottageschool.tas.edu.au

W
E ARE HERE

Copyright © 2016 The Cottage School Inc. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 379, Rosny Park TAS  7018






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Cottage School · 4-10 Queen Street · Bellerive, Tas 7018 · Australia

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