For all upcoming events please see the Penguin District School Calendar

As always, the week featured a variety of extra-curricular activities for students from K-12. Some examples included the Slipstream Circus Show ‘Tangent’ for multiple primary classes, a Maths Relay event in Burnie for a group of students in Years 8-10, Sports Colours Day today for all staff and students to show their support for kids with cancer, and the weeklong Canberra Trip for Year 6s who have enjoyed some glorious weather conditions in the nation’s capital. All of these activities and events require a high level of planning, preparation and supervision that sit outside a ‘normal’ teaching day but are fantastic opportunities for our students to show aspiration and create lifelong memories.

In recent weeks our school, and all government schools in Tasmania, have participated in the Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey for students in Years 4-12. This survey collects information about a students social and emotional wellbeing, relationships at school, physical health and wellbeing, and after school activities. We look forward to analysing this data in Term 4 to reflect and refine how effectively we are supporting student wellbeing & engagement and identifying areas of growth for the future.

If you are a regular reader of our school newsletter, you will have noticed that our focus value this Term has been Aspiration. Whilst the Aspiration message and language will not be lost, we soon move on to our Term 4 focus value, Respect. Students in our school have contributed to the below list of behaviours to demonstrate respect in our school and wider community.

During the school holidays, six of our Year 9/10 students have been invited to attend a luncheon for the YFCC Inspiring Youth Awards in Devonport. Hannah and Romi are nominated for the High Five Award (to celebrate achievement), Taylee and Heidi are nominated for the Great Mate Award (to celebrate the spirit of friendship), and Estelle and Gracelyn are nominated for Quiet Achiever Award (to celebrate reliability). Good luck to these students and we hope that some, or all, are lucky enough to take home a prize.

The end of the Term is a wonderful opportunity to talk to your child/children about their learning goals and future aspirations. The collective care and effort of our whole staff, teaching and non-teaching, is a real strength of the Penguin District School community we look forward to seeing our students again on October 16^th after a safe and happy holiday break.

Yours in partnership,

Jade Hughes

Acting Assistant Principal

On Tuesday, a group of Prep-Year 10 students embarked on a journey of inquiry, discovery and design along the Penguin foreshore.

Tasmanian artist Gary Cole, alongside the Urban Discovery Collective, are developing the Penguin Foreshore Playground Public Art installation. 

This Central Coast Council project includes school students in the development of the concept through on site exploratory and development sessions. During the sessions, students investigated the Penguin Coastal Environment and experimented with a range of art mediums and design tools. The concept for the interactive art piece/s will be developed following these sessions and will include student perspectives, ideas and values woven into the resulting installation.

Prep A enjoyed an end of term excursion to see 'Tangent' by Slipstream Circus and a visit to the park. 

We were so proud to see some of our very own friends from Prep perform on the big stage and after practicing circus skills in our classroom wonder if we could all join the circus too!

Prep B met the Dash-Bots this term. We were curious as to how these little guys work so we formed teams, put on our investigator hats and set to work on discovering what the Dash-Bots could do. The students worked out that they could move, make noise, change colour, go around in circles and so much more!

At a later stage, the students designed and made an obstacle course for the Dash-Bots to navigate. After testing their designs, some groups needed to make some improvements so that their Dash-Bots could successfully navigate the course.

We had fun exploring the capabilities of these digital systems. It was also a great opportunity for us to develop our ability to collaborate, persevere and problem-solve.

In 1/2A, our recent focus has been on exploring the fascinating world of animal habitats. We each had the opportunity to select their own animal to research. We then put our newfound knowledge to work by creating informative reports that featured intriguing facts about our chosen animals. To make our learning experience even more interesting, we embarked on a creative journey, crafting dioramas that displayed the ideal habitats for our animals. These dioramas served as a platform for us to explain how they meet the specific needs of our animals for survival. But the fun didn't stop there! We also got our hands dirty, sculpting and painting clay models of our chosen animals. This learning adventure has been both educational and exciting as we delved into the captivating world of our favourite animals and eagerly shared our discoveries with the entire class.

In 1-2 B we are passionate about our environment. A snapshot of some of our thinking about how we can take care of our outdoor spaces at school. 

“We care about our place because it is nice.” Otis 

“To take care of our place, we have to take care of plants like trees, grass and flowers.” Lacey 

“We need to respect nature. You don’t throw out rubbish. It is not respectful. You need to put it in the bin.” Quinn 

“We put rubbish in the bin because if animals eat rubbish they might choke or they might die. We need to think before we do [litter]. If we don’t, we will destroy nature.” Josh 

“We need to think before we do [litter], because we need to do the right thing.” Hudson 

“If there’s a wrapper on the floor, pick it up.” Thomas 

“Look before you touch [living things].” Ethan 

“Do not step on bugs” Ember 

“Do not rip bark off trees.” Flynn 

“Don’t pull down branches on the trees” Lawson 

“Take care of plants and animals. Don’t wreck [their] homes. Help our environment.” Sammie 

Year 1/2 C, D & E have been learning to apply their mathematical skills as they attempt to solve numeracy problems. They work collaboratively with a partner who has been chosen randomly by a computer programme. Students record their thinking on a vertical surface.  One person explains their thinking whilst the other listens, writes or draws that idea. The roles are then swapped. Not all the problems presented have been solved but is great to see different strategies being explored and developed.

In a whirlwind of scientific exploration, Classes 3-4D and 3-4E embarked on a thrilling journey into the realm of forces. With boundless curiosity, our young scientists delved into the mysteries of push and pull forces. Armed only with knowledge, creativity, popsicle sticks and rubber bands they designed and constructed catapults that launched projectiles to demonstrate the power of these forces.

But the excitement didn't stop there. In a mesmerizing demonstration, the class attempted to pull apart two intertwined books, showcasing their newfound knowledge of frictional forces.

Next up, gravity took centre stage as they conducted captivating experiments, unveiling its undeniable influence on our world. Did you know that in a vacuum a bowling ball and a feather will fall at the same speed and hit the ground at the same time!

Lastly, magnets unveiled their magic as students marvelled at their invisible, yet compelling forces in some exciting hands-on demonstrations. Class 3-4D and 3-4E's scientific odyssey left them not only wiser but also inspired to keep exploring the boundless wonders of the universe.

A few snapshots of our time spent in Canberra. 

Australian War Memorial

At the Last Post ceremony at the War Memorial. Students were able to sit along the side of the Pool of Reflection and Noah and Maddy were invited to lay a wreath on behalf of the school

Botanical Gardens, CSIRO, Zoo and a Scavenger Hunt at the Arboretum in the dark.

Just inside the door of Building 4 are two glass bowls that contain the pencil sharpenings collected from Mrs Paterson’s Year 1 and 2 students between mid 2019 – mid 2023.  

The sharpenings represent many hours of wondering, thinking, dreaming, problem solving, inquiry, creating, designing, planning, researching, and documentation. They are a celebration of collaborative learning. 

In 2019, the collection initially started growing as a provocation to get students thinking about how we use materials. It is now a piece of art that embodies the power of togetherness.   

I have loved working at Penguin District School over the years, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to the Penguin community for your support and friendship. 

Have courage, be kind, and remember to use your light to make the world a better place. 

Mrs Moira Paterson 

Penguin had 2 teams representing the school in the Maths Relay today at Burnie High. The question were hard but both teams showed their personal best. Well done to the grade 8 team who won the 7/8 division. 

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Sarah is also at the Penguin Rookery every Thursday between 10.00 am-12.30 pm

Hive’s latest School Holiday program is jam-packed with extra workshops, planetarium shows and Science Centre activities this October.

Find our favourite workshops along with quite a few brand-new workshops sure to to inspire and engage. With workshops from flying aerofoils to vivid colours we have it covered at Hive!

Please see our poster attached or go to Public Program at HIVE Events | Eventbrite

for full details and tickets.