Hello to you all,

I have really enjoyed this week at Giant Steps Tasmania. I continue to attack the giant piles of paper on my desk and attempt to keep on top of emails! However this is of course not the source of my joy. This week we have been able to finalise some really exciting news. I will be revealing this news at the AGM on Monday 29th May at 7.00 pm, so I think it would be great to get some of you along to listen to me speak. It is going to be a very positive step for our school. I have also been really happy to see the continuing progress of one student in particular this week. I won’t embarrass them with a name but to see the work this young man has put into keeping his emotions and compulsions under control is wonder-ful. He is able to enjoy the company of his peers and participate in activities and it is great to see.

Gardening and cleaning seemed to be the mission of the week in Next Steps. The little shed has been cleared out and the plants out for sale on the stand have been prepared and re-stocked. I am pleased to see the clients getting involved and there are some really grand plans for the Next Steps garden coming up. We have some creative staff and clients and fun times are ahead.

In the school the students have been working hard on literacy. I was lucky enough to be in Red Room when they participated in ‘National Simultaneous Storytime’. This event is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association.

Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read sim-ultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year NSS takes place on Wednesday 24 May at 11am (AEST) and we would love it if you could join us by sharing ‘The Cow Tripped Over the Moon’ written by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood.

The children seemed to really enjoy the book and had a sense of pride to be involved with other schools and children all around the country.

On Tuesday I attended a leadership and learning conference in Hobart. This was an Apple Education event and it was a very useful and informative session. Presenters from Apple spoke about new software and hardware for use in a school setting and guest speakers gave examples of how this technology was being used in their own school environment. I came away with a really clear vison of how technology can and should be used at Giant Steps Tasmania into the future and the technology has really moved at a blis-tering pace in the last few years. The use of iPads and ‘apps’ in the classroom is of great importance to us, but we have come across some limitations and difficulties with certain issues such as security, relevance, shared use and resilience. These problems can for the most part be solved by recent developments and I am thrilled at the possibilities for our students. We will be looking at replacing some of our iPad fleet and building up our effective use of these devices in the classroom.

Have a great weekend!

Tim Chugg - Principal.

Keeping you up-to-date with what’s happening at Giant Steps Tasmania

Phone: 63 622 522 Email: fundraising@giantsteps.tas.edu.au

Giant Steps TASMANIA - Weekly News

Friday 26th May 2017

A message from the Principal

GIANT STEPS TASMANIA - WEEKLY NEWS - 26TH MAY 2017 Page 2

Special points of interest: Giant Steps Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Monday 29th May 7pm - To be

held at Giant Steps. Biggest Morning Tea - Tuesday 6th June 10-11am - at Giant Steps. Nationally Consistent Collection of Data - info attached.

2017 TERM DATES

Term 2 Begins Tuesday 2nd

May Term 2 Ends Friday 7th

July

Term 3 Begins Tuesday 25th

July Term 3 Ends Friday 29th September

Term 4 Begins Tuesday 17th October Term 4 Ends Thurs 21

st December

This months Aussie of the Month is:

Bronson Bosworth!!

For consistently improving ap-propriate play with his peers

Well done Bronson!!!

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

RESPONDING TO CONTAGIOUS

CONDITIONS: PARENTS/CARERS A student/adult client must never be sent to school if s/he has expe-rienced diarrhoea or vomiting before the start of school, even if a diagnosis of gastroenteritis (or similar) has not been given. The student may return to school 48 hours after the last

bout of diarrhoea or vomiting.

Please note that a fever is defined as a temperature of 37.8°C (100°F) or higher.

In May Green Room also celebrated

Elliot’s 7th Birthday with some

AMAZING cupcakes!!!

GIANT STEPS TASMANIA - WEEKLY NEWS - 26TH MAY 2017 Page 3

Dear Parent, Carers & Family Members,

A Biggest Morning Tea event is to be held at Giant Steps.

All are welcome & encouraged to join us!

The morning tea is to be held in the Staff Room

On Tuesday 6th June - from 10-11am.

There will be a Mini raffle on the day.

Gold Coin donation.

Hope to see you there!

The Biggest Morning Tea is coming to Giant Steps!

Next Steps Celebrated

Zack Woodhall’s 19th

Birthday!

GIANT STEPS TASMANIA - WEEKLY NEWS - 26TH MAY 2017 Page 4

Blue Room have been busy making

books about things that they like :)