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The last few weeks have been very busy with camps and excursions. Unfortunately there was an outdoor education bush-walking camp planned for this week which has been postponed to next week due to the extreme weather. The Ski Trip meeting occurred this week for all of the parents and students involved in Ski Trip. We are certainly hoping this will be able to go ahead. The absence of these opportunities for most of last year really does highlight all of the extra work and responsibilities our staff undertake for the students. Thank you.
With the much colder weather of late there have been some issues raised regarding the school uniform. The year 8 and 9 students particularly have been spoken to by the Middle School Coordinator about what the dress code is. Included in this newsletter is a copy of the dress code, ratified by the Governing Council in 2019. We certainly appreciate parent support in ensuring students are wearing the correct uniform.
Chewing gum is also an issue we are continuing to address with students. It is regularly an issue when chewing gum is left on the ground or under furniture and it is extremely difficult to clean. Students will continue to be reminded that chewing gum is not permitted in class.
A reminder Friday 11th June is a Student Free Day and Monday 14th June is a public holiday so please enjoy the extra-long weekend.
Principal - Tyler Hogan
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS - CURRICULM
As we come closer to the change of Semester, Year 8 and 9 students are finishing off a range of projects in their practical classes:
- In Year 8 Tech students are making wind chimes using a combination of wood and metal work
- In Year 9 Art students are experimenting with water colour and painting their own “Insta-worthy” pics
- In Year 9 Home Ec students have been cooking with fresh ingredients following a research task about how and where those ingredients come from
- In Year 8 Home Ec students are painting their own fabric to create lap top cases
For Year 8 students, they will swap between the Prac classes at beginning of Week 9 (Design and Technology, Digital Tech, Art and Home Ec). For Year 9s, these are electives which were chosen at the end of last year – some students will change and others have chosen the same electives for the full year.
Thinking Maths
Mrs Hogan, Mrs Seidel and Mr Bartlett have been attending Thinking Math’s training over the past two terms. This is an approach to strengthening student understanding of mathematics and numeracy through developing problem solving skills. Our other Math’s teachers have participated in this program over recent years and these approaches feature strongly in the Department for Education Units of Work for each year level. In Year 9 Maths, students have used information cards about popular movies to sort, organise and analyse data.
Middle School Coordinator - Kate Seidel
From Wednesday to Friday last week, Year 11 and 12 students studying Visual Art and/or Creative Art made the trek to Adelaide for their Art Camp. Students utilised the time to engage with a wide range of arts, as well as create their own work to contribute to their assignments and inspire them in their own creations.
A walk through the west end of Adelaide allowed students the opportunity to view street art, take photos, and videos. We visited MOD. (Museum of Design) and discussed the innovative ways gallery and museum exhibitions engage audiences. Students can then use these ideas in the way they present their own work. We spent time at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) and students recorded ideas about works that they found inspiring, connected to their own work, and that they will incorporate in folios. On Wednesday evening, students attended 'Grandmother's Songs', a performance by Vonda Last (singer) and the pocket string quartet, in celebration of reconciliation week. This provided students with the opportunity to consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and histories, as well as consider the way live art impacts an audience.
On Thursday, students visited Himeji Garden, a Japanese garden gifted to Adelaide by its sister city, Himeji. This provided time for videography, photography, and consideration of aesthetics in artworks (looking at textures and composition). Students then participated in a full day workshop at the Adelaide Central School of Art. They completed warm up drawing exercises, drew portraits and figures, illustrated still life objects, and ended the day with a 1.5 hour drawing of a portrait, using charcoal. Thursday evening was spend exploring light photography with help from Nicola E.
Friday morning featured a quick return to AGSA, to view the Ramsay Prize, a contemporary art exhibition, accompanied with guides who were able to explain the artist's ideas further.
The camp was a fantastic opportunity for students to reinforce learning, gain further inspiration, and help them to continue working through ideas for both visual and creative art subjects. Thank you to the accompanying staff, Stephen Bosch and Nicola Ettridge, for your support.
ART Teacher - Jackie McAllister
On the Wednesday the 26th of May, year 10 & 12 SAASTA students departed for the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup in Adelaide. They travelled with Judy Crosby, Josh Palmer, and the John Pirie Secondary School SAASTA cohort. Students were able to participate in a range of activities across the carnival, attending a careers expo, filming a road safety advertisement, practising a cultural dance, and competing against other SAASTA academies in the football competition before returning home on Friday. On Sunday the 30th of May, the students returned to Adelaide Oval to participate in the cultural dance before the commencement of the Port vs Fremantle match, and were then able to watch the game afterwards before returning home. Everyone involved did a fantastic job and conducted themselves well throughout the course of the week.
SAASTA Teacher - Josh Palmer
On Wednesday the 26th of May, girls from all year levels had the opportunity to participate in the School Sport SA Knockout Netball Carnival in Port Pirie. Gladstone High School entered 2 teams; a Year 8/9 team and one in the open division and we mostly competed against other MNSEC schools in a round robin competition. Unfortunately, the weather was unkind to us and it rained solidly on and off from start to finish, leaving everyone saturated and playing in cold, wet and slippery conditions. It certainly tested our resilience but once we moved past the discomfort of wet weather sport, the girls put up a good fight and made the most of the conditions. The 8/9 team was our most successful entry, finishing the day with 1 win and 1 loss. The open team fought hard and managed to achieve 1 win but was up against some very tough competition.
Despite the weather, it was great to see the girls embrace the opportunity and it was fantastic to see girls who do not play club netball giving the sport a go. We would like to thank Southern Flinders Netball Club who lent us their bibs and to all the players from the club who were willing to loan us their dresses. Also, a thank you to everyone who helped chase up uniforms and to Helen Gaunt for coming to help out with umpiring on her day off and for all of her advice and input in the organisation – we couldn’t have done it without her! Finally, thanks to Miss Edge, Miss Roberts and Miss Wright for umpiring and coaching on the day.
Senior School Coordinator - Jacqui Edge
The Student Leaders held a fundraiser on Thursday to raise funds for Thank a First Responder Day. The students wore casual clothes to school for a gold coin donation, in total they raised $118 which is being donated to our local SA Ambulance & CFS Stations.
NEW TEENAGE NOVELS IN RESOURCE CENTRE
Augustine, a brilliant, ageing scientist, is consumed by the stars. He has spent his entire life searching for the origins of time itself. He has now been left alone on a remote research base in the Arctic circle, all communication with the outside world broken down. But then he discovers a mysterious child, Iris, who must have hidden herself away when the last of his colleagues departed. Sully is a divorced mother. She is also an astronaut, currently aboard The Aether on a return flight from Jupiter. This is the culmination of her career, the very reason for all the sacrifices she has made - the daughter she left behind, the marriage she couldn't save. But then something goes wrong with the ship's communication system. Marooned in the vast silence of space and the achingly beautiful sweep of the Arctic, both Augustine and Sully must find a way to make peace with the choices they have made and find a path to redemption. |
School's out
Forget study, exams and mapping out the future.
Mid- Upper Secondary |
A clever, thrilling YA about two sisters searching for each other and for truth, against a backdrop of environmental disaster. Mid- Upper Secondary |
Ernest Shackleton's remarkable story is a terrifying adventure with the happiest of endings - another brilliant narrative non-fiction Antarctic adventure featuring an explorer who was a true polar hero.
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This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations.
Upper Secondary |
Are you worried about the safety and wellbeing of a child, young person or family? The Adults Supporting Kids (ASK) website can connect you to information, support services near you or someone to talk to. It is OK to ASK for help, so ASK early and ASK often. Your family is important and so are YOU. Visit www.adultssupportingkids.com.au
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