Dear Families, 

As the term concludes, I have been reflecting on the wonderful achievements of our staff and students.  It has been noticeable the number of students who approach opportunities with a growth mindset and strive to participate or complete tasks to the best of their ability. The quality of our term 3 exhibitions has been most impressive with the improvement very much noticeable. To have our families onsite and participating in this key part of our learning design is always a highlight of our school calendar.

We are very lucky at Launceston Big Picture, with our staff frequently going above and beyond to provide our students with opportunities but what is equally as pleasing is the level of enthusiasm and gratitude displayed by participants. Seeing students genuinely appreciative of the opportunities they are presented with is a strong part of the culture within our school community. I was so impressed to see the recent sportsmanship and success of our netball and basketball teams who recently participated in Northern High School competitions. To win the netball and girls basketball were outstanding achievements and all involved should feel very proud.

It is also extremely pleasing to see our young people prepared to step up and lead activities within our school community. Griffen Burgess-Green is a perfect example of this - planning, organising, and leading a recent excursion where our grade 9 students visited Hagley Primary School Farm.

Technology Group

Recently we have been able to welcome Dan Smith back to our school. Dan has been leading technology workshops for interested students, exploring drones, virtual reality, 3D printing, amongst other things.

Café Red

Our School Café continues to go from strength to strength, becoming more and more popular every week. I enjoy seeing the authentic learning opportunities lead by Rob, Adrian Stabb and their team of young people in the kitchen. To see students using the Eftpos machine, setting up tables and demonstrating excellent customer service skills is a highlight of every Friday.

RUOK Day

Our very talented senior students from Scott’s advisory class, recently coordinated and lead activities that were designed to create awareness around some of the issues associated with mental health. Our students and staff had loads of fun participating in various activities and games.

It must be noted that the key messages of this day were to:

• ask R U OK?
• listen to others
• encourage people to commit to something
• and the importance of checking in on your friends.

End of Year Events

We have also finalised our key end of year events. Please see details below:

 Presentation Awards Evening:  Wednesday December 20^th, 5:30 - 6:30pm

This year our celebration event is being held at the Tramsheds Function Centre - right next door to our school! We are excited with this change and hope that all of our school community are able to attend. Individual students will be recognised with special and prestigious awards, and we will also farewell and congratulate our year 12 graduates.

We will be sending invitations to families in November. Those attending will need to RSVP to their invitation.

Celebration Dinner: Wednesday December 20^th, 6:30 - 8:30pm

Our Celebration dinner will commence at 6:30pm at the Tramsheds Function Centre. Invited grade 9-12 students will receive their invitations in November. Students will need to be collected from the front of the Tramsheds at 8:30pm. 

Adrian Dean
Principal

New Enrolments For 2024

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from students who would like to join our school in 2024. The Big Picture Learning Design requires students to actively engage in planning and participating in their own academically rigorous and personalised learning program. Some of the key criteria are:

1. Students with strong attendance and work ethic, but may not perform at their best in exam situations.
2. Students who are self-motivated and can work in a highly personalised way
3. Students who have the confidence to participate in a Learning Through Internship (up to 30 days per year or 180 hours)

We will be hosting an Information Evening on Wednesday 8^th November for interested families. This will be at our school, 4 Invermay Rd, Inveresk, commencing at 5:00pm. Families wishing to attend should RSVP by contacting our school office on 63351500 or by emailing Marianne Olsen - marianne.olsen@decyp.tas.gov.au.

Following expressions of interest, students will be invited to participate in a transition program designed to give a deeper understanding of the Big Picture Design including Advisory, Learning Goals, Learning through Interest and Exhibitions.

We also have limited places in Grades 10 and 11 for 2024; interested students should RSVP to attend the Family Information Evening.

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please contact Marianne Olsen at school.

Our Newsletter

Thank you to those people who have signed up to receive an electronic copy of our newsletter! I certainly hope that you enjoy reading it! If you haven’t subscribed please use the link below to do so:

If are involved in a community organisation and would like to advertise in our newsletter, please contact our office. Where possible, we will be happy to assist.

We want your help for our Learning Through Internship Program!

Launceston Big Picture School appreciate the support of the following businesses, who have offered a Learning Through Internship placement.

If you are a local business and have opportunities for students to engage in your industry, please contact Mel at melanie.van.asperen@decyp.tas.gov.au

Mel Van Asperen
LTI Co-ordinator

Mel Van Asperen
LTI Co-ordinator

Armon's Personal Project

Recently, Armon had the privilege of connecting with Joe Wickert, Communications and Resources expert at the Sydney Office of Big Picture Education Australia.

Travelling to Marrickville, NSW, Armon found himself immersed in a world of unparalleled learning experiences, as he engaged with various projects under Joe's skillful guidance.

Among the many enriching experiences, one particular highlight was the revitalisation of Life Education's bCyberwise app. They worked to migrate the app to a new, modern, and dynamic codebase.

Additionally, Armon was fortunate to explore details of his current Personal Project alongside the exceptional team. He has recently been working with artificial intelligence, where his ambition is to gather data to train a chatbot. This endeavor has the potential to create an on-demand resource, offering invaluable insights to fellow students and newcomers to the enlightening Big Picture philosophy.

Joe's mentorship and guidance has proven an invaluable asset. While hands-on learning wasn't always within reach, Joe's unwavering support and expertise served as a testament to the profound influence of mentorship and the Learning Through Interest element of our learning design.

Our school would like to thank Joe Wickert and the entire team at Big Picture Education Australia. Their consistent support and exceptional mentorship always assists with propelling our young people forward on their learning journeys.

Teacher Assistant and Support Staff Appreciation Week

We are very fortunate to have an amazing team of Teacher Assistants and Support Staff who continually go above and beyond for our young people. In Week 6  we held a morning tea to say “thank you”.

Mayor's Visit

10C and LBPS were privileged to have Mayor Matthew Garwood join us for Town Hall.

It was great to have Matthew listen to, and ask questions about our Learning Design, Learning Through Interest opportunities and how students engage in authentic projects linked to their passions here at Big Picture.

RUOK? Day

Thursday 14^th September was RUOK?DAY! Students and staff participating in mindfulness activities for RUOK? Day.

RUOK? is a national mental health initiative. At Big Picture everyone took time out to consider their individual mental health and to support others. 

The whole school took part in some fun and mindful activities with a friendly low key vibe!

Thank you to 11A Advisory for organising the activities.

Hagley Farm Excursion

On Wednesday the 13^th of September the Year 9 students went to Hagley Farm School and Agricultural Learning Centre. I organised the excursion as part of my project and we learnt lots through participating in the following activities: feeding lambs and calves, sustainable farming practices, animal handling and a tractor ride. We also had the opportunity to enjoy the countryside and feed the goats from the garden. It was a fantastic day out and all the students who attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Griffen Burgess-Green
Advisory 9B

10C Advisory Exhibitions!

It has been an awesome and exciting Week 9 filled with Exhibitions!  

From Escapism Through Media, What Are Diseases? Women’s Fashion, Liveable Cities, Forensics and Criminology, Creating Your Own Video Game, Poisons, Island State Drifting and lots more . . . it has been fantastic to listen to students’ in-depth learning about topics they are interested in and the new learning that has occurred.

Tom Clark
10C Advisor

We Are More: a workshop to explore

Learning Creates co-ordinated a gathering of over 160 stakeholders from the education sector from all over the country to work together to come up with a statement to inform decision making about how young people can be better recognised as they leave school to embark on their future pathways.  

From the Learning Creates website:  

“Our mission is to catalyse equitable transformation in education so that it better meets the 21C needs and values of our young people, communities and nation” 

Our school was invited to attend the gathering in Adelaide and we were represented by our Principal Adrian, Grade 12 Advisor Jen, Grade 12 student Grace and past student Harry. Something we realised is that we are so lucky at Launceston Big Picture School because we have a Learning Design and a credential at the end of Grade 12 that many other stakeholders are dreaming of; our way of representing students at the end of their schooling is with a portfolio that truly captures who they are and what they know and can do.  

Grace reflected upon her experience at the We Are More gathering. 

“We Are More” – Reflection by Grace Radbone 

Social Reasoning: Adelaide workshop response, ‘we are more’, using ATAR as assessment. 

What are possible causes? Why? 

When education system focuses on single assessments such as an ATAR score as a students final academic work, it singles out one specific moment of their academic careers whether it be their best or not, and it often results in the lack of acknowledgment of a student’s capability and strengths within their academics, as well as creating one singular pathway to success for millions of students who all learn in different manners.  

What social systems are connected to this issue? How are they related and interconnected? 

There are clear socially implied issues within this topic such as an unfair evaluation system, and single targeted success audiences, but as well as these issues, it also leads to a lower success rate amongst students which can then be dissected and linked with learning difficulties, certain disorders that affect ability to learn, and even common scenarios that would cause distraction that put all students at disadvantages when not creating a broad system to include and adapt for all types of learners.  

What values do you associate with this issue?   

I believe it is morally correct to allow people, no matter who, the opportunity of education. When it comes to creating a system that works for all types of students, it should involve inclusivity, diversity, authenticity, and reliability within its system to truly be applicable to all types of learners and persons.  

How do you view this issue ethically? What is right/wrong/concerning/hopeful/just/unjust… 

I think that specifically focusing on the assessments resulting in an ATAR score, it is concerning that the window to future education, employment, and worth, is so narrow for students when everything depends on a singular score. Having the ability of a future that you can lead is so unique and diverse for each person and it looks different every time, so creating one strict method of allowing students to reach these potentials creates an extremely restrictive possibility of success.  

Whose perspectives do we need to consider? What cultures are involved in this issue?  

In order to create an ethically and morally correct system, all types of individuals need to be recognised. Whether an individual has learning difficulties, mental disorders, physical disorders, health issues, different cultures/ethnicities, etc, should all be things we can consider and support. When creating one pathway to success after high school, it singles out one specific type of person who is able to achieve this unrealistic expectation of achieving a successful ATAR score. There needs to be diverse methods that can be adapted to each individual in order to create an equally viable pathway to success for all.  

How does your perspective compare with others?  

My point of view on this issue is common amongst young people who are involved with these systems of assessment, and when communicating my thoughts and opinions on this issue in the ‘we are more’ workshop, the same thoughts were agreed upon amongst the groups of young people, all believing that whether it is unfair or not for certain groups of people, the education system is not correctly executing the final assessments in Australia.  

What did you do to demonstrate cultural sensitivity? How were you culturally competent? What biases did you challenge and how? 

When being involved in such a diverse community that attended the ‘we are more’ workshop, I was able to listen and learn from those with different cultural backgrounds who have different experiences than I in regard to education in Australia. It was interesting to challenge my experiences within education in comparison to theirs and raise awareness on issues that don’t necessarily affect me but have and will affect larger groups of people within my community and location.  

What social frameworks help understand this issue? Who has power in this situation and why? What’s wrong with viewing this issue in this way? Is there a better way to frame this issue? What would happen if there was equality/equity? What is needed to achieve this? Whose responsibility, is it?  

After understanding these issues within our education and becoming a part of a community who wanted to make a difference and solve these issues, it was clear to see the power difference between the gathering of peoples. Although the workshop was focused on hearing students struggles and challenges, as well as valuing their opinions, we all noted a large amount of opinion and thought was being sourced from elderly age groups, and those of whom had been out of school for many years.  

How have you responded to/been involved in this issue? 

I attended the ‘we are more’ workshop in Adelaide, and although there were issues within this workshop regarding no variety in sharing perspectives, it was still beneficial to be able to communicate and listen and share our challenges and achievements with those in a similar situation, as well as recognise that people do care about these issues and are becoming aware of the inconsistencies within the education system.  

How can this issue be more broadly supported? How have you done something to help this? 

The ‘we are more’ workshop was a beneficial and effective experience and hopefully will amount to change within the current issue, and with continuation and further support, it will be able to lead real change. To create that support, these issues need to be brought up within schools around Australia, to also recognise their students as not just a student body but individuals, and to create an environment where students, staff, etc, are able to express their thoughts on the ATAR system and collaborate.  

Sport & Recreation

The sporting achievements continue for our school! Congratulations to our girls - RecLink 3 v 3 basketball champions in the Northern High School tournament.

Well done to our boys team who finished in 3rd place.

Cooking - Chef Rhys Hannan

Our students with an interest in hospitality were very lucky in Week 6 to be joined in the kitchen by Chef Rhys Hannan, formally of Small-Fry, Hobart.

The 20+ year veteran of the Tasmanian hospitality scene and current manager of Harvest Market spent time helping students prepare lamb ragu fettucine with fennel, chilli and gremolata, and hazelnut sponge cake with raspberry chantilly and caramel drizzle.

Delicious and more exciting was that it was on our Cafe menu on Friday!

Aspiration, Courage, Respect, Growth

We are always looking for ways of rewarding positive behaviour at our school.

Students and staff are encouraged to nominate those people who have shown Aspiration, Courage, Respect or Growth.

Winners receive a voucher to dine at Cafe Red and our winners this term so far are:

• Ashlee Donald: Courage  - sending an email for an LTI
• Ashlee Donald: Courage and Growth - for your Just Cats LTI care & commitment
• Abbey-Lee Waugh-Lucas: Growth - for dedication to your LTI
• Summer Burke-Aronsten: Aspiration and Courage - continuing to be positive about getting an LTI

FACEBOOK POSTS 

As always, please remember that when engaging with any Department of Education page, to do so in a respectful manner, in line with our Terms of Use which can be found in the ‘about’ section of our page.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Please ensure your student keeps their school polo top in their bag or keeps it safe in their Advisory room at all times.

It is compulsory for students to wear their school uniform when attending school excursions, interviews, LTIs or if they are representing the school at events. 

Uniforms can be purchased from the school office and are sold at cost price:

• Polo Shirts with school logo = $30 
• School Hoody with school logo = $65

Any pre-worn uniform donations would be very much appreciated and are used in our emergency uniform/clothing pool.

PARKING  

It is highly recommended that parents and visitors to the school DO NOT PARK along the nature strip in front of the school, along the footpath or on the grass area beside UTas Stadium.

The Launceston City Council have recently approached the school and have informed staff that this area is being patrolled and $86.00 infringements are being issued.

Parents and visitors are advised to use the paid parking facilities at the Inveresk Car Park (next to Blue Cafe).

COMMUNICATION & USEFUL LINKS

I would like to remind families of some useful links and apps that you may use to assist with receiving communication from our school.

• SMS Only - 0427 016 460 to report student absences, please send a text to our short message service
• Schoolzine App & Newsletter - Our newsletter is published at the end of every month through Schoolzine. Schoolzine is an app that allows you to communicate with the school, receive notices and newsletters

2023 Student Leaders 

2023 Support Staff 

Our Newsletter

Thank you to those people who have signed up to receive an electronic copy of our newsletter! I certainly hope that you enjoy reading it!

If you haven’t subscribed please use the link below to do so:

If are involved in a community organisation and would like to advertise in our newsletter, please contact our office. Where possible, we will be happy to assist.

Thank You

Just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all the LBPS students who have contributed to this months newsletter, we really do enjoy reading your articles and stories of your personal progress.

If students have stories they would like to share, then please email your news items to me jennifer.kendall@decyp.tas.gov.au

Jennifer Kendall
School Business Manager