The Launceston Preparatory School Newsletter, 6th November

From the Principal - What an exciting time to be at The LPS!

Recently, walking through our school grounds, I was struck with a profound sense of pride, inspiration, and even a bit of awe. Observing the commitment of our teachers and teacher assistants, and their ability to harness the natural curiosity and goodness of our students left me truly impressed. They go beyond the traditional, nurturing our students' growth by creating moments that pull them gently out of their comfort zones, building resilience, curiosity, and joy through enriching experiences that feel almost dreamlike in how perfectly they embody the magic of learning. It was truly a defining memorable moment.

The Group 2-3 students dove into differentiated dodgeball strategies with Mr. Payne, each tactic sharpening their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Kinder students had a memorable visit from a special guest, filling their day with wonder. Philosophy discussions unpacked the intriguing idea of being on a reality TV show, sparking laughter and insight. Mr. Barnes led a daring group of mountain bike adventurers, leaping over jumps and embracing the thrill of outdoor challenge. Some seniors explored complex house music beats with intricate bass drops, while the P-1 students were deep into their scientific investigation of the Princess and the Pea, stacking layers upon layers to solve the age-old mystery of sensitivity! Even our teachers, during their own planning time, paused to bring visions of the upcoming Production set design to life, answering each student question with excitement.

This collective dedication, and the joy it creates echo across our school, leaving an unmistakable imprint of a school alive with learning, care, and inspiration. A deep thoughtfulness in action.

We are delighted to share that enrolments for 2025 are filling up quickly, and we couldn't be more excited! It is especially exciting that our Group 6, the leaders of our school, is at capacity. We have some exciting plans for our Leavers and our senior year at The LPS has never been more vibrant and full of promise. Our Early Learning, Kinder, Prep, Group 2, and Group 3 classes are also now full, with only waitlist spots available for 2025. We continue to see strong demand across all age groups, a true reflection of our school’s wonderful sense of community and the nurturing strength of our dedicated teachers and teacher assistants. Their unwavering commitment to every student ensures that our learning environment not only prepares children for high school but, more importantly, life.

Limited places are still available in Group 1, while we are open for enrolments in Groups 4 and 5. Our approach to education fosters independence, resilience, and curiosity, setting our students up with skills that last a lifetime.

Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful ways to share the benefits of The LPS experience. We encourage you to spread the word about the incredible learning environment we offer and the limited enrolment vacancies that exist. We would not like to see any families considering enrolment at our school miss the opportunity! Please remind people in your networks that tours are free and always a wonderful way to showcase our beautiful school in action.  

One of the key points that sets The LPS apart is that we are the only school in Launceston to offer a collective leadership learning program from Group 4 to Group 6. This unique approach to leadership development strengthens our students’ educational journey, helping them grow into confident, capable, and responsible leaders.

We wish to thank all parents and carers for the ever-present and thoughtful support of our school, its values and our educational programs.

On behalf of the entire staff at The Launceston Preparatory School, I thank each of you for the ongoing trust in our daily endeavours, placing your children in our hands. We privilege each opportunity to find enrichment, growth and joy with our students.

In Truth and Happiness,

Timothy Bristow,
Principal

Remembrance Day Service

All parents and friends of The Launceston Preparatory School are warmly invited to join our Service of Remembrance on Monday, 11th November. This meaningful service, led by our Group 1 students, will begin promptly at 10:55 am.

Please be seated on the lunch steps by 10:50 am, as we honor this significant occasion together. The service will conclude by 11:15 am. We hope you can be with us for this special moment of reflection. 

Miss England and Mrs Cook

Staff 'In the Spotlight'

A wonderful member of The LPS team, Seema Sadhabiriss shines when working with our students in whole or small groups and offers our staff wonderful sense of fun, perspective and support. We are lucky to have such a kind soul thriving in our community.

Enjoy our latest installment.

Card Sharks

In DEEP this term, I am teaching children all about cards. I have grown up playing cards since I was very young. My grandparents taught me lots of games, as did my parents when we went to Hawley each year for holidays. I then taught my friends and later, my children. Over the years, card games and card tricks have become a lovely way to spend time either alone or with friends. 

I hope to share this love of cards with the children I teach. We have made our own card-playing hats to help us feel like we are part of a special group. We also like to have snacks while we play!

We have learned different ways to shuffle, along with card-playing etiquette. So far, we have learned Donkey, Cheat, and Rat-a-tat-tat. Some are old favorites, and some are brand new. It’s also interesting to discover different versions of the same game.

We are having a lot of fun. Hopefully, we’ll have time to invite our parents and grandparents to join us later in the term.

Ms Melissa Freeland

Drawing from Direct Observation

At the start of every term, senior students practice drawing from direct observation, focusing on shape, proportions, and negative space. It takes dedication to truly ‘see’ and draw what is actually there! This week, Alice shared her beautiful blue wren painting with us (birds were the subject of observational drawing in Term 2), which she created at home. Congratulations, Alice – what a lovely artwork! 

This version maintains the message while enhancing readability.

Ms Jane Dean

Art Teacher Groups 3-6

Philosophy

School Production

Transition Tuesdays

Mr. Barnes' and Miss Andrews' home groups have welcomed Mrs. Freeland's and Mrs. Thyne's Group 3 children on Tuesday mornings. This opportunity has allowed the Group 3s to explore their new classrooms, meet their teachers, and connect—or reconnect—with the Group 4/5s in preparation for next year. It’s been wonderful to see the Group 3s share their interests, like making paper planes and drawing, while the older students have answered questions and highlighted some of the positive aspects of being a Senior. We look forward to more time together in the coming weeks!" 

Miss Mel Andrews

Houses & Homes from around the World

In HASS the Prep/Ones have been continuing their work on Houses and Homes from around the world. Last week we started learning about Igloos. This is some of what we covered:

• What do we already know about Igloos?
• What does Inuit mean?
• Who built Igloos? Why and how?
• Why did the Inuit live in Igloos?

Our challenge was then to use a template of a dome to cut and fold to make the main shape of the igloo. This proved fiddly but the students managed to make a 3D shape and attach it to their paper. Our next lesson will be about drawing and labelling the features of these amazing structures and then comparing them to another type of house we have investigated this term.

Miss Nicole England

Please note that any notices we include in this newsletter for providers of activities that occur outside of the school, are provided only for the interest of families and do not carry any endorsement by the school.