Morris
Assembly
Next week we will be holding a Morris Assembly in The Farrall Centre. The assembly will commence at 2.15pm on Monday afternoon. We welcome families to attend.
Supporting the Cancer Council - Friday 17 March
The Morris Council are busily organising a free dress day and sausage sizzle on Friday 17 March for Morris students to support the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life. Our school has a team called the ‘Friendlies’ and the money raised by the Morris students will be added to their efforts. Please contribute a gold coin if you would like to participate in these activities.
The Friends’ School Term 1 Vacation Care Bookings
A reminder that we are once again offering a Vacation Care program during the Term 1 holiday period for Kindergarten to Year 6 students. Please find our upcoming Vacation Care Program here running from Tuesday 10 April to Tuesday 25 April 2023.
Click here to complete your Term 1, 2023 vacation care bookings. If you have more than one child that you wish to book vacation care for, you will need to complete the form for each child. Note that bookings close at 6.00pm, Friday 24 March 2023. If you do not have a Storypark Manage account with us or have any queries, please contact our Admin team via feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au or call 6210 2276 for assistance.
Chamber Music Concert - The Farrall Centre - Tuesday 21March, 6 -7.00pm
Musicians from Years 7-12 will present an exceptional and eclectic program of solo and ensemble items. This is a concert not to be missed!
Year 3 Excursion to Mount Nelson Signal Station - Thursday 23 March
On Thursday 23 March, Year 3 students are visiting the Mount Nelson Signal Station as part of their inquiry into How we organise ourselves. Students have been exploring different types of communication including the Semaphore system. Built in 1811, the Mount Nelson Signal Station will give students a first hand experience of how communication was conducted in the early 19th century. They will conduct their own Semaphore communications, observe other types of communication and make connections with their understanding of different technologies used to communicate. We will leave school by bus at 12.30pm and return for the end of the school day. Students will need a hat, drink bottle, fruit snack, raincoat and any medication they normally have at school.
Year 5 Camp - Orford - Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 March
Year 5 Camp will take place next week from Wednesday 22 - Friday 24 March. Detailed information has been sent to families. Please ensure that you have responded to the permission form and updated student medical details in Operoo, including any dietary requirements.
National Ride to School Day - Friday 24 March
The National Ride to School Day is Friday 24 March. If students choose to ride to school they may wear sports uniform. It is a requirement that Prep - Year 6 students who are taking part, place their bike, skateboard or scooter on the Top Green in the designated zone. Kindergarten students will take theirs to Kindergarten. There will be organised activities for Prep - Year 6 students at first break at 11.00am run by the Morris Council, all students are required to wear helmets to participate. A light breakfast will be provided on arrival. This will be available up by the canteen in Clemes from 7.45am to 8.30am.
JSSATIS Swimming Carnival - Monday 27 March
The JSSATIS Swimming Carnival will be held on Monday 27 March at the Hobart Aquatic Centre. Parents of selected students from Year 3-6 have been advised by email. Students will leave school at 9.00am and return at 2.15pm and will be required to bring a packed lunch, light snacks and a drink. The canteen will not be available to students during the carnival. Any enquiries please contact Lisa Di Venuto on 6210 2228 or email: ldivenuto@friends.tas.edu.au.
Year 6 Excursion to Parliament House - Tuesday 28 March
Year 6 students are enthusiastically inquiring into Australia's parliamentary system in preparation for the Canberra Trip in May. On Tuesday 28 March, all Year 6 students will travel to Tasmania's Parliament House to observe parliament in action! Students are to wear their formal uniform and bring their hats, drink bottles and packed lunches (no lunch orders please). We have planned this excursion to coincide with a parliamentary sitting day to ensure an authentic experience.
Year 1 Excursion to Knocklofty Reserve - Wednesday 29 March
On Wednesday 29 March, Year 1 students will be embarking on a bush day to Knocklofty Reserve. Class teachers, learning assistants and Lauren Stranger, our Outdoor Education teacher, will accompany the students on the excursion. We will be departing school at 9.15am and returning at 1.30pm. The aim of the day is to explore the local bushlands while developing relationships with peers. Students are required to wear their Physical Education uniform and sturdy shoes to walk in. They are also to bring a backpack with morning tea and lunch, rain jacket, water bottle, a warm jumper, beanie, sun hat and any required personal medication.
Year 2 Excursion to Sullivans Cove - Wednesday 29 March
On Wednesday 29 March, Year 2 students will be visiting Sullivans Cove for a walking tour. The tour will start on Evans Street and end at Princes Park in Battery Point. This excursion is linked to our inquiry into Where we are in place and time. On the tour we are looking at a number of sites that have seen change over time and link this to the research in our unit about how historical changes are tracked through visual graphics and stories.
The students will be travelling to Sullivans Cover by bus. Students will need to be in school uniform and to pack a warm coat (weather dependent), a hat, their lunch and a drink for the day. Please note that there should be no lunch orders on this day.
We would love parents to meet us and be part of this experience. We will arrive halfway along Evans Street at approximately 9.15am. If you are interested in joining us for the excursion could you please email your classroom teacher. You will also need to fill in a volunteer form at this link if you haven’t already done so. If your family has someone who can talk about the changes to Sullivans Cove, or your family has a particular connection to this area, we would love to hear from you.
Kindergarten - Earthcare Days Term 1
We are pleased to announce that the Kindergarten children will be starting their Earthcare Days on Thursday 16 March (today), these will continue weekly until Thursday 30 March. Earthcare Days form part of our Sharing the planet unit of inquiry which supports the children’s current curiosity about marine animals and the impacts of plastic on these environments. To enhance the children’s discussions and learning, we request that children do not bring plastic wrap/packaging on food in their lunchboxes, especially on these days. (We encourage plastic-free lunches everyday where possible).
Our Earthcare Days are about building childrens’ independence. Parents do not attend Earthcare days and there will be other opportunities for you to attend Kinder experiences throughout the year. We are planning different locations for our first set of Earthcare trips for 2023. Please note that travel times vary for different locations, details are as follows:
- Week 8 - 23 March - The summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington - Gaining a birds’ eye view of nipaluna/Hobart to see how our waterways are connected, exploring how this relates to the interdependence of people, plants, animals and the land. We will be leaving school by bus by 11.40am and will return by 2.30pm.
- Week 9 - 30 March - Taroona Beach - Looking at pollution on the beach and seeing where the river meets the sea. For this visit, we will be leaving school by bus by 11.40am and will return by 2.30pm.
For each Earthcare Day please ensure that your child has appropriate clothing, gumboots and spare clothing packed. On Thursday 23 March, we will be visiting an alpine area and the temperature is often different to what is forecast for Hobart. We have wet weather jackets and overpants that the children can wear if necessary, depending on the weather forecast. We are looking forward to seeing the children’s independence, risk taking, organisation and thinking develop over time through our Earthcare trips. Please contact the Kindergarten teachers if you have any questions.
NAPLAN Assessment dates
Naplan Assessments will occur for Year 3 and Year 5 students between 15 and 21 March. There will be no interruptions to the classrooms specialists timetable, however we do ask that all children are present at school by 8.45am on these days to begin the assessments at 9.00am. The assessments are conducted in a predetermined order, and will follow the pattern of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy over the four days. There will be opportunities for students to complete catch up assessments if they happen to not be at school on the day throughout the assessment period. We are mindful that this can be a time of high anxiety for some students and we will endeavour to support all students in a gentle and calm manner during this time. Please contact Wendy Crow wcrow@friends.tas.edu.au, if you have any queries.
Stories with Friends Event - Storytellers Wanted
Our Stories with Friends event will be held on Thursday 30 March from 3.30pm - 6.00pm (see the Whole School section of What’s On for more information). Our community has a diverse range of cultures and histories, and we would love to include traditional tales and stories from a range of cultures in our event. We ask families to get in touch if they would be willing to read a traditional tale from a book that they have, or tell an oral tale. Please email Sharon Ryan at sryan@friends.tas.edu.au if you would like to participate in this way.
Second-hand Book Fair: More Books Needed
As part of the Stories with Friends event on Thursday 30 March, we are hosting a second-hand book fair to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Its success will depend on the number of good quality, undamaged, sellable books (fiction and up to date non-fiction) and magazines that are donated.
We would be grateful if you could check your cupboards and shelves for books and magazines you no longer want and that are suitable for young children, older children and adults. Donations can be left at the Morris Office, or the High School or Clemes Libraries.
Absentees
If your child will be absent from school for the day please advise the Morris Office (phone: 6210 2228, or email: morrisadmin@friends.tas.edu.au) and the classroom teacher before 9.00am. We appreciate your support in this process.
Important Dates
Term 1
Thursday 2 February - Thursday 6 April 2023
Wednesday 22 March – Friday 24 March – Year 5 Camp
Friday 7 April - Tuesday 11 April – Easter
Morris – Friends’ Primary Years Office
6210 2228 | morrisadmin@friends.tas.edu.au
8am – 4pm Monday – Friday