Toilet Facilities

It is disappointing to report the boy’s toilets continue to be mistreated. We have tried various different options to improve the behaviour of the boys in there, and unfortunately, it continues to be a problem with the effects of use at the end of the day being more than what the cleaners are expected to clean. As a result, we have introduced an extra yard duty for all teaching staff, with students required to ask the specific yard duty teacher to unlock the toilets so that students can access them one at a time. During lessons, students will need to ask their teacher for a bathroom pass and sign in at the front office to get the key. It seems unreasonable that these are the steps we have needed to take to ensure the toilets are usable for all students.

Royal Adelaide Show Results

Our show teams have been very busy for the last two weeks. This year, we had exhibits in the led steers, wethers, wool, led goats, and chickens. It has been a big effort by Fletcher Wren, Michael Bennet, Sarah Philp, Mat Cadzow, and Deb Davis with excellent parent support, particularly Nigel Clogg.

The results are detailed later in the newsletter and all those involved should be very proud.

Mates on a Mission Visit

We were thrilled to welcome Ben and Mike from “Mates on a Mission” to our school last week. Their visit included interactive workshops and motivational talks aimed at promoting mental health awareness and resilience among our students. Asia Brand has written an amazing article detailing their visit. Every person I have spoken to who attended one of their sessions was impressed and connected with their messages.

Staffing Updates

We have some exciting staffing news to share:

• Stephen Bosch has accepted a new role as Coordinator of House Community Leader 7-11 at Peterborough High School starting in 2025. Stephen’s dedication and leadership has been invaluable to our school, and while we will miss him dearly, we wish him all the best in his new position. There will be further opportunities to farewell Stephen towards the end of the year.
• Michael Bennet has accepted the role of Digital Media teacher, starting in 2025. Unfortunately for us, Scott Watson will be returning to Adelaide, hence the need for a new teacher in this area.
• Brianna Pullan has accepted our HPE/Outdoor Ed ongoing teacher position starting in 2025. 
• Both Sarah Philp and Alexandra Lloyd-Smith have also been converted to permanent at GHS from 2025.

Looking Ahead

• Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews: September 24th. This is a wonderful chance to discuss your child’s progress and any areas for support.

Congratulations to the following students for their Term 2 awards.

Overall Academic Achievement GPA

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 7

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 8

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 9

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 10

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 11

Outstanding Academic Awards - Subjects Year 12

Perfect Attendance 

Melody Brock	Emma Hombsch
Jack Brock	Dustin Hollitt
Destiny Catford	Leani French-Sherlock
Keira Willsmore	Teagan Hollitt
Hudson Seidel	Ryan Mills
Cooper Seidel

SACE & SATAC INFORMATION NIGHT AND SUBJECT COUNSELLING

In Week 2 of Term 3, a SACE and SATAC information night was conducted. The purpose of this night was to provide information to students and their families about how SACE works, advice on successfully navigating SACE and answer any questions that students and parents or caregivers have. It was amazing to see so many Year 10s and their parents attend the session, along with a good number of Year 12s wanting to find out more information about applying for University. This night dovetailed nicely with the subject counselling that occurred in Week 3. It was clear during subject counselling that students had poured over the list of subjects and options provided to them and had talked with their parents/caregivers and were ready to make well-considered choices for SACE in 2025.  

TAFE SA 

In Week 4 of Term 3, Kym Cox, the Manager of Education Partnerships for TAFE SA was invited to the school to chat with the students about VET options at TAFE. Many Year 10 students attended the session to hear about how it works for students to study at TAFE and the future pathways that are opened up for them when they undertake VET. Students who have expressed an interest in VET pathways are in the process of completing their VETRO (VET Readiness Orientation) application in the form of a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates that they are genuinely interested in the pathway they have chosen.

PORT AUGUSTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE 

The technical college is currently being constructed in Port Augusta next to the high school as part of the State Prosperity Project. The enormous investment the government is making to provide this facility for regional students represents an exciting opportunity for Gladstone High School students. Robin O'Dea the Lead for Port Augusta Technical College was invited to talk to a room full of Year 9 and 10 students in Week 6. More information will be provided to families in the coming weeks, but here are the broad strokes: 

Starting mid-way through 2025,  students can pursue one of four different pathways: Civil, Resources and Infrastructure, Health & Social Support. These courses are designed to work hand-in-glove with schools to allow students to achieve SACE credits through course completion and be ready for work in high-demand local industries. Course work is completed in week blocks over four terms at the Port Augusta location. A return bus from Port Pirie will run every day, or students can elect to stay on site for the week in student accommodation. Places are limited and students will need to apply by preparing a portfolio of evidence demonstrating their engagement with and genuine interest in their chosen pathway.  

Current Year 9s

Students who are interested in pursuing this opportunity will take part in two one-week 'Industry Camps' in Semester 2 of 2025 which will enable them to decide on the best pathway and will track them directly into the program in 2026.

As we approach the end of another busy term, we would like to share a number of activities that have been part of curriculum and learning throughout the term.

HASS

So far this term there has been lots of interactive and meaningful learning across the HASS curriculum. Mr Hussell and Mrs Cameron’s Year 7s have been learning about Ancient Greece and are about to move onto a unit on Ancient China. Students in Year 7 have been developing their inquiry skills and have focused on more targeted research. Mr Hussell and Mr Mayman’s Year 8 HASS have been working on a Landforms and Landscapes unit of work and will be moving on soon to Changing Nations, where they will look at urbanisation and liveability. Ms Travers and Mr Watson’s Year 9 HASS are looking forward to an excursion to the Bluff and Beetaloo Valley next week. Students have been doing some mapping and preparing for fieldwork for the excursion (some samples of mud maps in the photos). Their next unit of work will be learning about Biomes and Food Security. Year 10 History with Ms Travers and Mr Hussell have just finished learning about Environmental Movements and will go on to learn about Rights and Freedoms.

Kate Cameron

Poetry in Action is a Sydney based drama group that travels out to regional and remote locations. We invited them to visit us here at Gladstone High School.

Students were treated to a high-energy, contemporary presentation all about Poetry.  The actors took us back in time to a powerful memory that brought tears to our eyes. They made us remember our first day at school, the funeral of a loved one, the fight that happened at a wedding, and a disastrous present given and received on Valentine's Day.

Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 were engaged in the presentation and laughed and cried along with the story. 

Poetry in Action also told us about a competition where students can write a poem and if the team choose it as the winning poem, the student can win $500. We already have several student entries so fingers crossed that one of our students will win $500. We will keep you posted.

Veronica Travers

Year 7 students have worked through another trimester of electives and the Home Economics class celebrated their last lesson with a successful cooking practical. Staff were lucky enough to be given a chance to taste test some of the yummy treats produced by Mrs Pech’s Year 7 Home Ec class.

Over the last couple of weeks students have completed Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT) for Mathematics and Reading. We are proud of the way students have conducted themselves and tried their best during the testing.

In Week 10 parents and students are invited and encouraged to book interviews with class teachers to discuss student achievement and set goals for Term 4. If you are unable to make interviews on the set night, please contact teachers and arrange a suitable time for an interview. Phone interviews are also an option if that works better for you.

To round off Term 3, we are looking forward to the annual Gladstone High Fun Run on the last day of the term. Students will travel to Wirrabara Forest for a nature walk and BBQ to celebrate the successes of the term.

The Gladstone High School Agriculture Show season kicked off at the 2024 Crystal Brook Show in August. Hailey Hodgson and Nicki Zanker represented the school in the Led Steer Competition with two of our steers, Uno and Usher. After a rocky start with some very grumpy steers, Nicki came away from the competition with 2nd place in the handler competition, and Hailey won the reserve champion handler and the best-presented steer at the show.  

Following on from the Crystal Brook Show, the Year 11 and 12 Cattle Team represented the school at The Royal Adelaide Show Led Steer Competition. This competition saw us take five steers donated by local farmers, and seven students. The whole team's contributions were fantastic, they all supported each other and helped out other schools along the way. We brought home some ribbons for the 3rd and 6th best steer carcass for their weight class, and a celebrated TFI award. This award was for our South Devon steer that was chosen to be part of the best of three South Devons at the show to represent the entire class overall.  

Later on the next week, the Year 10s competed in the School Wether Competition at the Royal Adelaide Show, where they were able to demonstrate their handling and presentation skills to the judges. A total of 6 Merino wethers were taken to the show as two pens of three. Out of the various competitions the teams entered, the hard work and dedication to the care and selection of the wethers resulted in the team receiving 4th place in the Pen of Three competition out of 55 pens. Students demonstrated responsibility and teamwork to ensure everyone on the team was able to enjoy the show while looking after the sheep. 

The Year 9 students did an excellent job in the led wether goat competition at the Royal Adelaide Show for 2024. Teagan Hollitt and her goat Euphoria placed 5th for its weight class. Leani French-Sherlock and her goat Uday placed 3rd for its weight class.  Our proudest achievement was getting 1st place at the Grand Parade which really showed our team commitment and the effort made by all staff and students during the show this year.  Our goats have shown consistent results over the past two years , and this comes with many thanks to Jim and Maggie Dunbar, who kindly donated them to us and our agriculture program. This year, our goats were a bit heavier overall, which pushed us into more competitive weight classes, but we still matched our best ribbons from last year.

Many thanks to our staff who supported the students including Deb Davis, Matt Cadzow, Fletcher Wren and Sarah Philp. Students made lasting memories over the three days and we are all proud to be a part of the show this year representing Gladstone High School. Also, thanks to Nigel Clogg for transporting the Wethers and Goats to Adelaide and Heath Tiller for transporting cattle.  

The Gladstone High School Agriculture teachers would like to extend an exceptionally large thank you to the farming community that helps support our program. We have many local farmers who have provided animals, supported animal programs, assisted in transporting animals, and supported student learning. Without them, our programs and show representation would not be able to happen. 

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Sam Inglis donating a Short Horn Steer

Don Hucks donating a Murrary Grey Steer

David Lease donating a South Devon Steer

Vaughn Johnson donating a Speckle Park Steer

Broughton Park / Mumfords donating a Black Angus

Jim & Maggie Dunbar donating 8 Boer Goats

Ben Crawford donated 4 Merino Wethers

Andrew Zanker donated 4 Merino Wethers

Kim & Jason Zohs donated 4 Merino Wethers

Nigel Clogg donating 4 Merino Wethers

Geoff Davidson donating 4 Merino Wethers.

RAGE Program 

The RAGE program stands for Renegotiating Angry and Guilty Emotions. RAGE is a strengths-based solution-focused program that is hands-on, practical, and fun.

This term Ali Gulin, supported by Kate Cameron, ran a RAGE group for an awesome group of boys. It is a six-session program that helps students identify and respond to the emotions of others and themselves. It is a really worthwhile program, and we always have a lot of fun and develop new skills and strategies.

On Tuesday, 3rd September, we hosted a breakfast with our group and their invited adults to celebrate the end of the program for this great group!

"The food was tasty, and it has helped me control the things I say to others" - Huddy, Year 9.

Seasons for Growth Program

Ali and Kate attended a training course to learn how to be "companions" and deliver the 8-week course to our students. We have attached two clips and a PDF Fact Sheet that helps describe and explain the different types of change that our children face daily and how we help guide them through these changes. If you have any questions about the program or think you would like your child to be included, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Bing Videos

Four Seasons for Growth (youtube.com)

MNSEC GIRLS AFL

The MNSEC 7/8/9 girls' footy team stormed through the first round, dominating their opponents with an impressive display of skill and teamwork. Despite their strong start, the girls were unfortunately knocked out in the second round.

STATEWIDE NETBALL CHAMPIONS

On Wednesday, 28th of August, the Year 9/10 Netball Team went to Adelaide following our win in Round 1, held in Port Pirie, to represent Gladstone High in the SA School Sports Statewide Netball Finals held at Priceline Stadium. We played three games, competing against River Mallee & Districts, Wirreanda, and Clare High School. We won all three games, taking us to the Grand Final game against River Mallee & Districts. It was a tough game to play, but we fought through and came home with a 9-goal win.

The last time GHS won a Statewide Netball Championship was in 1989.

Thank you to Mrs Gaunt and all the parents for getting us there and making the day possible.

Billi Nicolson

Fast-5-Netball

Fast Five netball was a fun and exciting day, where all the Year 9 and 10 students had the chance to showcase the netball skills that we learned during PE, against other schools. Students were put into mixed teams to compete in a round-robin carnival against other MNSEC schools. While my team may not have placed in the top three, we all tried our best and had lots of fun. We had an amazing time playing together and supported one another as a team; the experience was not just about competing but also about sportsmanship and teamwork, which made it more enjoyable. It was also great to be able to utilise our fantastic community facility with the stadium courts and the new outdoor courts.

A huge thank you goes to all the teachers who worked extremely hard to organise the event and ensure that everything ran smoothly. Another thank you goes out to the other schools that came and participated, making the day a friendly and competitive space for everyone. Lastly, a large thanks to all the students who took the role of umpiring, as without you, the day would not have been able to go ahead.

Eloise Cowin

YEAR 7/8 5-A-SIDE SOCCER CARNIVAL

On Thursday 8th August, we came to school and went straight on the bus and headed to Booleroo Centre District School. We got into our teams, and then Mrs Bowman made a speech and wished all the schools good luck and to have a good day. We then went off to start playing our first match of the day. It went really well and everyone was enjoying the time out of lessons and we all had pretty good teams. There was a break for everyone to refuel our bodies with energy and we were all hyped up and ready to get back out there to do our best in our next games. Everyone was really amazing and good sports. Some people got a bit hurt, but they were still resilient and did their best. We all had lunch and some people went to the canteen and got toasties, lollies, cupcakes fizzy drinks and water/juice boxes. There was also a BBQ, which was really good at the end of the day. We watched the boy's last match, and then Mrs Bowman and Mrs Pech gave the ending speech. We then got on the bus and headed back and we all really enjoyed it and wished we could do it again.

Fay Rennie and Olivia Cricchiola

It has been another productive term in the GHS Art Studio. Our Year 7 students have completed their unit on Pop Art and have demonstrated their adaptability with new mediums as they transition into working with clay. They have been learning the fundamentals of clay preparation, joining pieces, and the essential steps of drying, firing, and glazing to create functional pottery.

Year 9 students have shown their critical and creative thinking skills by designing new olive oil labels for the school. Depending on their design choices, they utilised a range of physical and digital mediums. They are now embarking on a unit focused on art curation, where they will explore design choices, environmental considerations for galleries, and how to arrange artworks to convey a theme and message in their own miniature art gallery with curated artworks.

Our Year 10 students have been engaged in designing a GHS magazine cover. They have followed the creative arts process, including research, experimentation, and refinement, to develop a portfolio that documents their inspiration, artistic process, and reflections on their work. Their final designs represent their personal interpretations of what the school means to them.

Year 11 and 12 students have been making great progress on their SACE assignments. Once again, we are seeing a remarkable diversity of mediums, sources of inspiration, and artworks as they delve into their exploration and understanding.

At the Term 3 Academic Awards Assembly, Jaelah Ryan, Jamie Neal, Tanika Simic, and Henry Prest were honoured for receiving commendations in the Barbara Kleinig Junior Art Award. Our students' work will also be on display in the Gladstone Town Hall for the Gladstone Annual Art Exhibition from the 14^th of September to the 10^th of October.

Year 11 Food and Hospitality and Community Studies students have been busy this term! We had an amazing opportunity to put our skills into practice, catering for the official lunch at the Crystal Brook Show. Community Studies students developed a menu that considered food allergies, variety and vegetarian options. They created the official menu to be displayed at the event. Both Food/Hospitality and Community Studies students were involved in preparing the food. This included Chicken/Corn soup, Broccoli soup, sausage rolls, pinwheels, quiches and fresh sandwiches. For dessert, we made red velvet cupcakes, lemon slice, orange friands and choc/coconut balls. 

After this, the Year 11 Food students have focused on contemporary cafe trends. Several students participated in an English excursion to review a local cafe last term and have used this experience to help them reflect on what they look for in a cafe dish. Students then created their own "signature cafe-style dish."  

• Antwan - Lemon Cheesecake
• Jonah - Chili Labneh Eggs
• Latrell - Kung Pao Chicken
• Sam - Cofee Cake
• Danyl - Choc Mint Iced Coffee 

We are looking forward to a couple more catering opportunities in Term 4 for students to demonstrate their skills!

Life often throws challenges our way and many of us believe that we must face these challenges with a "brave face," suppressing our emotions to avoid burdening others. This belief is deeply entrenched in our society, yet it is one that desperately needs to change. Ben and Mike from Mates on a Mission are the epitome of this change and are challenging the stigma around mental health. 

Ben lost his sight overnight at the age of 16, and Mike, while on a football trip at 18, woke up months later in a hospital bed to discover both his legs had been amputated. Hearing their stories and their unique perspectives on life profoundly impacted many students and teachers at GHS. They demonstrated that while life presents us with challenges, how we choose to respond to them is the only aspect within our control. 

Through numerous interactive activities, they taught us valuable lessons about life and the power of our choices. One particularly memorable activity was the "sentence game," where a group of students had to form a coherent sentence. The activity illustrated how the words we choose, much like the choices we make in life can significantly impact the outcome and affect others. For instance, adding unexpected words like "Harley" and “Reid” into the middle of a sentence could change its meaning entirely. Similarly, in life our choices have the power to shape not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us.

Ben and Mike emphasised that while it is easy to dwell on the negatives and the emotions they bring, it is crucial to accept these feelings and decide how we want to move forward. Ignoring or suppressing negative emotions can lead to them bottling up until they overflow, which is why it is essential not to neglect them. Instead, we should share our feelings with others and lean on our support systems. We should never feel afraid or embarrassed to reach out for help.

Ultimately, the profound wisdom we gained from Ben and Mike is that the only true control we have in life is over ourselves and our responses to our life challenges. Recognising that vulnerability is not a weakness but a vital step toward healing and growth is crucial. By adopting this perspective, we can navigate life’s challenges with resilience, strengthened by the support of those we trust. Real toughness isn’t about putting up a tough front, it’s about having the courage to speak up. 

Asia Brand

UMPIRING MILESTONE

Digger Glenn 700 Games

Thank you for your long-term commitment to the Northern Areas Football Association.

 MATERIALS and SERVICES CHARGES 2025

You are invited to attend the Gladstone High School Governing Council meeting on Tuesday, 5th November 2024, at 7.00 pm to discuss the proposed Materials and Services Charges for 2025 of $400.00.

The School Card for 2025 is $396.00.

Any objections to the proposed charge can be addressed in writing to “The Governing Council Chairperson” and forwarded to Gladstone High School by Friday, 1st November 2024.

The Governing Council meets twice each term with a talented team of people who are focussed on making the school a more positive place for our children and the staff who work with them. 

Each meeting we hear reports from the Principal, Tyler Hogan, staff, students and representatives from various sub-committees of Council, including Agriculture, Grounds, Canteen, Finance and Fundraising. Finance reports are expertly prepared by Sue Foulis which makes monitoring the finances of the school a very easy but necessary part of the meeting. 

Highlights of our meetings include hearing how the student leaders have been focussed on engaging their fellow students in projects and sporting activities to keep them busy at lunchtimes. We have been thrilled to hear that the Poultry Club is very well attended by students and now has more members than the Minecraft Club! 

There are many ways that staff are working with the students in interesting but important work to make learning less of a chore and more of an engaging experience. The staff are committed to helping students learn through experiences and practical projects far more than in the past.  Thank you to the staff for their hard work, it is not easy to develop such excellent curriculum. 

One issue that constantly arises for the Council is the Canteen.  This is a valuable service that our school operates, and we help with providing food to students at other schools.  However, the finances of the canteen are very tight.  We are all feeling the pressures of the current economic situation with the cost of foods and drinks constantly increasing.  Wages and equipment are also factors that we need to cover through the sales in the Canteen.  We understand that people are needing to work longer hours and there is less money to go around.  However, our Canteen needs support.  If you can volunteer, even on one day a term, it will help to reduce waiting times for the students, some of whom are waiting for extended periods of time to get served.  Donations of goods to be sold would also be appreciated.  Perhaps contacting the Canteen staff to ask if there are any ingredients you might be able to donate.  If we all contribute a little, it will have a significant impact on the Canteen. 

We are fortunate enough to have a great school, with excellent staff and facilities (even if the buildings are aging a bit!).  It is a pleasure to be a part of School Council and I would encourage people to consider being a part of the team.  Although the Council does not have input into staffing, curriculum or the day to day running of the school, we are always looking for positive suggestions on how we can improve the school and its facilities, how we can raise money for projects and ideas for school improvement.  Feel free to contact me or one of the other Council members through the school. 

Andrew Hughes - Governing Council Chairperson.