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This week our Year 9’s have been undertaking NAPLAN under the supervision of their normal subject teachers, following thorough planning and briefing by Kate Seidel. Whilst we do use NAPLAN results to help determine interventions and areas for development it is important to remember that NAPLAN is simply a measure of student’s achievement at this specific point in time in relation to numeracy and literacy.
Last Monday we were delighted to welcome prospective students and their families during our Open Day. Attendees were treated to hot chocolates and coffees during their tour and saw some students in action either during the morning or evening tour. Thank you very much to those students who came back in for the evening to provide some live demonstrations. We did have an amazing number of families come through, however, if you know of any families that missed out and would like a tour please ask them to contact the school and arrange for a personal tour.
More formal transition activities will occur during Term 3 for Year 6 and 7 students to visit the school and be involved in some scheduled lessons and practicals.
During the next week staff will be completing traffic lights which is a monitoring system for each student, reviewing their progress and ensuring parents are contacted where there are concerns. This is in addition to the normal end of term reports and parent teacher interviews. Already there have been a number of discussions between staff about homework being completed by students. As part of our policy it is expected that students will complete a certain amount of homework each night starting from about one hour in Year 8 and 9 to 2-3 hours per night in Year 12. Whilst this may not be the case every night it is certainly expected that students will receive some form of homework each night. Homework timetables are currently being developed and will be published on the parent portal of Sentral and also provided to every students.
The canteen is still looking for volunteers, if you are able to help out just once a term that would be fantastic. It only involves a few hours and really does help out Susie to provide a varied menu that students seem to be enjoying. Please contact the school if you are able to volunteer.
We have our next Governing Council meeting on Tuesday 18th May and still have 2 vacancies so if anyone would be keen to join please let us know.
Principal - Tyler Hogan
Ashley Hodgson entered SA Youth Week’s 2021 Art Competition to celebrate Youth Week 2021 which ran from Sunday the 2nd of May to Sunday the 9th of May this year. Ashley was lucky enough to be one of the 20 finalists selected to be included in the art show hosted at SayKitchen, Currie Street Adelaide. SAYW21 is a Department of Human Services initiative and this year’s theme was Our Voice – Our Future. Ashley submitted an artwork she felt communicated her voice and her future.
Ashley, her family and her BSSO attended the launch as a celebration of young people and their achievements on the 5th of May. Although Ashley did not win, Hon MP John Gardner, whom was in attendance to award the winners, purchased Ashley’s artwork for his office space. Ashley was very excited about getting the chance to meet Hon MP John Gardner and ecstatic that her work will be displayed in his office space.
This has been a fantastic experience for Ashley, and we are looking forward to more amazing achievements by this young artist in the future.
BSSO - Nicola Ettridge
The year 8 and 9 students loaded the buses on May 6th to travel to Jamestown Community School for the MNSEC 9-aside AFL competition. There was an eerie silence on the bus ride over as the students mentally prepared for the upcoming competition. We were fortunate enough to have some year 11 coaches who were able to harness the students' nervous energy.
The competition got off to a fast start, with some heroic scenes that are normally only seen while watching Port Power play. Full-body smothers, lunging tags, and some incredible Eddie Betts-like goals were among the highlights. It was nice to see the teams passing the ball around and making sure that everyone on their team got a chance to be involved.
Gladstone Boys Team 1 went unbeaten and won the coveted 8/9 MNSEC football certificate, while Gladstone Boys Team 2 came in fourth. The girls had a successful day as well, with Gladstone Girls Team 1 finishing equal second and the second girls' team finishing fourth.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank a few individuals for their contributions to the day's success. For driving the buses, thank you to Barry, Leon, and Ms Kerr. Mr. Norton for all of his hard work and planning that made the day possible. Mrs. Gaunt and Ms. Kerr for assisting with the athletes' supervision during the day.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to the year 11 boys who volunteered to umpire and coach during the day.
Will Crawford
Ben Flowers
Luke Hombsch
Finn Cunningham
Physical Education Teacher - Luke Bartlett
Early on the morning of Tuesday the 4th of May, 23 eager Year 10’s made the trip to Adelaide for the Careers Camp. The teachers that accompanied them were Miss Edge, Mr Palmer and Miss Roberts. The opportunities provided at the camp enabled students to access valuable information that will assist them in the coming weeks so that they can make more informed decisions about work experience, school studies and their future career pathways. Students were responsible for navigating their peers around the city to the different careers and thankfully, they did not get lost whilst on the trip.
The first day was a long one, which saw us visit Defence Force Recruiting and students were able to choose between a number of sessions in the afternoon. After we had settled into camp, we dined at Fasta Pasta for tea. Students then visited a number of workplaces and tertiary study institutions throughout the course of the week. The careers presentations provided students with information about day to day responsibilities and different career options within each industry, how to get into the field, what to study at school and in the future and much more. A few key points taken away from the presentations include:
- Just because you choose a career pathway now, this does not mean it is what you will do for the rest of your life
- There is a lot of value in finishing Year 12 as it will set you up well for the future
- If you are thinking of attending university, apply for scholarships
- Volunteer and get your name and face into the community or industry you are interested in
- Start thinking about your future career now and how you will get there
To complete the careers camp students had the opportunity to attend the Adelaide Careers and Employment Expo at the Royal Adelaide Show Grounds where they were able to talk with over 80 training organisations & employers, gain free career advice from Employment Options, learn how to write a winning resume at the free workshops, experience career seminars and enjoy the interactive displays. At 5:30pm on Friday the 7th of May, 23 very exhausted students and 3 teachers returned to Gladstone High School to conclude the camp.
This camp has definitely cemented in a few career pathways for a number of students and has opened up the possibilities for others, therefore all students really benefited from such a valuable opportunity. Thank you to the staff that made this possible and the Year 10’s are now well placed to make decisions around where they will undertake their work experience in Week 9 of this term.
We would like to thank the following organisations for hosting us while we were in Adelaide:
Defence Force Recruiting | Adelaide College of the Arts |
GHD Engineering | UniSA Health |
Tonsley TAFE | Fasta Pasta, Brighton |
University of Adelaide | Adelaide Zoo |
Academy of Interactive Entertainment | MTA |
Art Gallery of South Australia | Adelaide Oval |
Adelaide Central Markets | Flinders University |
SA Careers and Employment Expo | Warradale Urban Camp |
Student Quotes
“Going to the unis was really valuable so that I could gather lots of information, which will help me to make a decision as to which one will best support my career aspirations later on. I also found the Adelaide Oval tour really interesting.”
Jaxon Brand
“The camp really helped me to verify that I want to go university after school. We also enjoyed being set free at Marion Shopping Centre to go shopping and feel a lot more confident in using public transport.”
Connor Hoskin
“Going to the careers expo was really valuable and it was great to see such a variety of job opportunities available beyond the obvious TAFE or uni options.”
Luke Hansen
“Before going to camp, I had no clue as to what I want to do. However, now I have been able to identify a pathway of interest that I had never considered before.”
Matilda Heinrich
Senior School Coordinator - Jacqui Edge
Year 8 English - Mr Hussell & Mrs Cameron
Students have completed their poetry unit, where they analysed poetic techniques in a poem of their choice, and then wrote a poem using these techniques. They are moving on to short story narrative, learning about how to write a plot, describe scenes and create characters.
Year 9 English - Ms Johnson
We have just finished writing narratives and are about to start a novel called A Monster Calls.
Year 9 English - Miss Edge
Late last term, the students produced some excellent creative tasks for their Independent Reading Assignments, including some beautifully decorated cakes. We are now working on a unit on short stories and have spent the past few weeks preparing for NAPLAN tests this week. The students will soon analyse the literary devices used in a short story and produce one of their own.
Year 10 English - Miss Edge
We spent Term 1 reading the novel 'Destroying Avalon' and have been completing anti-bullying campaigns, which are due this week. Next will be a film study unit on 'The Blind Side', which the class is really looking forward to.
Year 12 Essential English - Miss Edge
Year 12 Essential English is really busy at the moment. The class is in the midst of analysing a film trailer of their choice and they will present their findings as a multimodal presentation. They spent much of Term 1 collecting resources for their external assessment task and will be busy writing a report on their findings in Term 2. The students are really embracing the opportunities for choice and all of the flexibilities in the assessments.
There are some very creative and high-quality products being constructed in the Design and Technology Workshop at the moment. This phone amplifier by Chloe Crawford is an excellent example of what can be achieved with a good work ethic and concentration. |
Year 11 and 12 Metal Fabrication students have created metal sculptures to learn about different methods of welding (Scorpion, Will Crawford, MTB Baiden Wilsdon). |
Year 11 and 12 Woodwork students have been completing their Minor Products with some developing their own jointing techniques (Card Boxes, Austin Soergal). |
10s have designed and constructed their own toolboxes with some very creative and complex designs. (Folding top and drawer Luke Hansen. Three drawers, Connor Cowin). |
Year 9 students have completed their phone amplifier projects. These channel the sound from the phone speaker to amplify the volume, some students have been very creative. (Side mounted amplifier, Tate Nettle) |
Year 8 students have each made a mini tool box to develop their basic measuring, marking, cutting, fixing and finishing skills, next they are working on their basic metal skills by making a wind chime of their own design. |
Design & Technology Teacher - Toby Cocks
We are aware that there are some issues with student access to the Sentral Student Portal. This has been logged with Sentral and is being investigated by the company. For this reason, teachers are utilising Microsoft Teams, GoogleDocs and paper copies/diaries to communicate assessment tasks and homework with students. Teachers have recently talked about using the Sentral Parent Portal to keep you informed during this time. Semester overviews should be visible so you can keep an eye on which topics your child is doing in each subject. Teachers will also be sharing homework overviews and assignment information through this format.
If you need any help to access the parent portal please contact the school.
Middle School Coordinator - Kate Seidel
NEW BOOKS IN THE RESOURCE CENTRE
A story about finding friendship when you're lonely - and hope when all you feel is fear. Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of his window as the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business. Until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour's toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing. Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of Teddy's disappearance - with the help of a brilliant cast of supporting characters. |
Vienna. 1936. Three young friends spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that events will soon mean that they are ripped apart from each other as their lives take very different directions... |
This compelling story of love lost and found will stay with you forever ...Falling in love was the easy part ...Chloe is weeks away from college when she embarks on a grand European adventure with her boyfriend and two best friends. Their destination is Barcelona, with its promise of romance and mystery, but first they must detour through the historic cities of Eastern Europe to settle an old family debt. As they traverse the unfamiliar landscape of the post-Communist world, Chloe meets a boy on a train who is going off to war. Johnny carries a guitar, an easy smile - and a lifetime of secrets. The trip becomes a treacherous journey into Europe's and Johnny's darkest past - a journey that threatens to shatter the bonds holding together four lifelong friends. |
This non fiction book provides a valuable introduction to good and bad bacteria, the diseases they can cause, the viruses that can infect us and the parasites that can feed on us. Includes 16 pages section on the Coronavirus Pandemic |
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer. |
Rae is ten years old, and she's tough. She's had to be- life with her mother has taught her the world is not her friend. Now suddenly her mum is gone and Rae is alone, except for her dog Splinter. |
An enthralling historical novel of immigration, courage and first love from an award-winning New Zealand author. |
The sequel to Claire Zorn's acclaimed debut The Sky So Heavy. A heart-stopping dystopian YA set in the Australian bush.
Instinct has kept us alive so far. It's like a compass and I tune in to the needle often- trust/don't trust, run/stay...I can't read the needle right now. The warmth of the room is clouding my judgment. |
A heartbreaking and often hilarious story about trying to grow up when everything is falling apart from one of Australia's leading comic talents. Lower to Upper Secondary. |
This is exactly where I belong. Asa's running from a troubled past. To a remote outback town, a disappointing father and a fresh start that's already souring. But then the notorious Dirt Circus League arrives. A troupe of outcast teens performing spectacular fight sequences and challenging any who dares to take part. Mid to Upper Secondary |
The AG department have a Border Leicester Ram missing, he has MHARRIS in his ear.
If you find the ram in question could you please contact the front office on 86622171 or Leon Hams after hours on 0488547249.
NOTICEBOARD