30 June 2016

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

LEARNING TO FAIL

There is so much current literature regarding the importance of young people and their wellbeing specifically about developing a growth mindset, resilience and grit (the ability to stick at something). As an educator and a parent, I agree that these are characteristics I want young people to have.

The question then becomes how we do as educators and parents support this?

A common thread can be found in current literature about the importance of failure to learning, not just learning for an educational setting but learning for life. Are we raising and educating a generation of children who are protected from failure? Do we encourage and nurture the learning from mistakes or do we pro-actively engineer the outcome to limit the mistakes and failure? Do we worry too much about how our children and students will feel when they fail, instead of focussing on what they may learn and do better next time?

The top ten employability skills are Communication, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Initiative and Enterprise, Planning and Organisation, Self-management, Learning and Technology. All of these skills would perhaps benefit from a small dose of failure; but all will certainly improve from lessons learnt in a mistake making process if we support a reflection and critical review of the learning or lack thereof.

Here are some simple tips we can do as parents and educators to improve the learning from failing;

1. Resist 'fixing' it – whether 'it' is a project for school, homework, baking a cake or fixing a flat tyre – let them discover what works and what does not.
2. Don't stress about the outcome of a test – this builds anxiety around failing, instead focus on positive preparation and organisation.
3. Focus on the process not the product – "In autonomy-supportive teaching, work that students plan and orchestrate themselves will look like — well, like a kid did it. That means no more science projects worthy of their own Nobel Prize." (Jessica Lahey, The Gift of Failure)
4. Is an A grade the 'Holy Grail' – when we teach our students to always aim higher are we instead teaching them that their worth is attached to their intellect and that we value that above all else? Should we instead focus on the joy of learning; bringing back the excitement of discovery?
5. Model good preparation but don't pack the school bag! – let them decide what they need for school that day, how much food, sports gear, homework assignment, Biology book??? It's their day and students need to develop their own organisation skills.

Sometimes the hardest thing about raising children is the letting go!

Kathleen Hoare

SERVICE RECOGNITION

The Department of Education sent 10, 20 and 30 year Service Recognition Certificates last week to all staff who had reached or exceeded one of these milestone years during 2016. Fourteen of our staff received a certificate, while two others had been invited to the Adelaide ceremony recognising 40 years of service. With 16 staff being recognised as having significant service I estimate that we have more than 300 years of accumulated expertise in education at GHS!

Congratulations to all and thanks for continuing your commitment and passion for learning.

THINK U KNOW - TOPIC 4

What Can Go Wrong?

Unfortunately, nothing you do online or on your mobile phone is ever 100% safe. Sometimes things can go wrong so it's important to understand the steps you can take to prevent them from happening and what to do if things do go wrong.

• Things that could go wrong include:
• Posting stuff you wish you hadn't
• Seeing things you wish you didn't
• Talking to people you don't know
• Feeling pressured to do things
• Hacking and viruses
• Mobile issues

Possibly one of the most dangerous issues is with talking to people you don't know. One of the greatest risks of this is 'Online grooming'.

Online grooming is when an adult makes online or phone contact with someone under the age of 16 with the intention of establishing a sexual relationship. This is a criminal offence and occurs in the communication, so you never have to meet this person face to face for them to be investigated and charged.

The people who 'groom' young people, we use the term online sex offenders, may pretend to be someone your age, but often are upfront with the fact that they are an adult and quite older than you. They can manipulate you and make you feel as though your relationship with them is special.

The first thing to realise about this kind of relationship is that it is wrong.

Adults who pressure young people into doing anything that they don't feel comfortable with should be reported to the police and blocked. They can be very clever and make you feel as though you have to do something because you owe them, or because otherwise they will get you in trouble.

This is wrong and you should report them.

You won't get into trouble for reporting someone like this, no matter what you've done.

So what can you do about it?

1. If you think you are being groomed, report it to the Australian Federal Police at http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/site/online-child-sexual-exploitation or https://forms.afp.gov.au/online_forms/ocset_form
2. Only accept friend requests from people you know and trust.
3. If you're speaking to people you don't know, avoid using your real name or sharing any personal information such as your age, contact details, names of friends, sporting clubs or even the school you go to.
4. Never use a webcam with someone you don't know.

THREE WAY CONFERENCE

Year 8 & 9 students will be involved in Three-Way-Conferences on Tuesday 5th July (1.30pm – 6.30pm) and Wednesday 6th July (3.30pm – 6.30pm). This is an excellent opportunity for the students to showcase work they have completed in Semester one. Students present a number of tasks to their parents highlighting their learning. Parents / Caregivers are strongly encouraged to make bookings to participate in an important part of their child's learning. Please make appointments by clicking the link below, or by accessing:

Stephen Bosch and Sonia Pringle

CANTEEN

I would like to thank Merrilyn Smith, Sonya Wilsdon, Lyn Russell, Catherine Klingner, Tracy Smith and Sue Foulis for helping to cater for the AUSLAN Forum on Tuesday 28th June. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all canteen volunteers; your help is always appreciated.

Janet Ewens

NEW YEAR 11 STUDENT LEADER

Congratulations to Scott Combe on being elected to the Student Leaders for the remainder of this year. We take the opportunity to say thank you to Thomas Taylor for his contribution to Student Leadership in the school, and wish him all the best in his Apprenticeship.

Kerrilyn Elmer and the Student Leaders

ROAD AWARENESS PROGRAM

MFS take powerful RAP message to Year 11's

Fire-fighters from the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) will be taking a powerful road safety message to Year 11 students on Tuesday August 2nd 2016 at 1:00pm – Jamestown Community School.

The fire-fighters will be delivering the MFS Road Awareness Program (RAP).

For more information go to

MNSEC PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE CONCERT

On Thursday 4th August, students from Booleroo Centre District, Gladstone High, Jamestown Community, Orroroo Area, Peterborough High and Quorn Area Schools will be performing at the Peterborough Town Hall for their annual MNSEC Performing Arts Showcase Concert. They have been practising for months and are all primed up ready to impress!

This concert showcases some of the best up-and-coming young talent in the region and contains a huge variety of acts. Choirs, bands, ensembles, pianists, singers, guitarists, drummers and soloists will all grace the stage.

In the hall there will be displays of artistic work by art and technical studies students. The displays will be bigger and better than last year and guests are encouraged to browse and enjoy them during interval.

Gladstone High School will be sending a wind ensemble involving the bagpipes. They will be performed by Rachael Hodgson, Georgia Wegner, Sharni Windsor, Ayzia Arnold, Mikayla Fountain and Chelsea Chapman-McInerney.

The MNSEC Showcase Performing Arts Concert starts at 7.00pm and entry is by $5 donation. Everyone is welcome to come along and support our students and staff. We'd be delighted to see you there.

Mr Bosch

Georgia, Ayzia, Chelsea, Mikayla, Rachael and Sharni

MUMFORD'S CATTLE FEEDLOT EXCURSION

MUMFORD'S CATTLE FEEDLOT

As part of the Certificate I in Agrifoods the Year 10 Agriculture students recently visited a cattle feedlot. Students were able to gain an appreciation of the complexity of managing cattle in this manner, compared to having cattle in a paddock. Thank you to Ben and Bronwyn Mumford for allowing us to visit and the time they spent explaining the management practices required, feeding requirements and how the cattle are sold.

Thank you to Don Smallacombe for driving us there and also Ben Treasure, Jake Clements and Nathan Hooper for allowing us to publish their written response to the visit.

Dean Humphries Ag teacher

MUMFORD'S CATTLE FEEDLOT EXCURSION

On the 15th of June 2016 the Year 10 Ag class from Gladstone High School went on an excursion to the Mumford's (Ben and Bronwyn) intensive cattle feedlot. We were at the Mumford's feedlot for an hour and a half and learnt lots of new and interesting facts about intensive cattle and livestock management.

Ben and Bronwyn Mumford are not stud breeders of cattle, this is because if they were to become a stud breeder then they need to breed only that type of animal and not cross breed with any other type of cattle. Not being a stud breeder also lets them change the breeds that they keep in their Feedlot. This can change depending on which breed is selling for the best weight per kilogram, either on the hook or live. They have a few different types of animals in their feedlot depending on the type of animal's purpose. At the moment they have Herefords, Angus and a cross breed cattle that they have brought over from their property in Kangaroo Island. Their feedlot consists of 4 large pens that all have feeders with the ration that they are being fed and self-filling water troughs. They need to have large pens in their feedlot to hold the 600-700 cattle at a time. They breed a lot of their cattle themselves but in order to breed animals they need a bull to mate with a cow. When they breed their own cattle and they have a male calf they have their testicles removed to make them steers. They can't breed and also when they go to the butcher the meat isn't tough and has a strong smell. Buying in their bulls gives them the option of cross breeding with different varieties to getting the best quality offspring possible.

The entry weight that the cattle have to be when they go into the feedlot is 300kg. When they are first born or when they are bought in at "little stuffs" (small cattle) they are fattened up on grass as a cheaper and more economical option. Fattening them up on grass is a lot cheaper and is also a lot easier than having them in a feedlot from when they are born. The ration that they feed their animals consists of Barley (75%), Hay (10%) and Lupins (12%). For the animals nutrients they add in a bag of Limestone, bag of Acid Buff and a bag of minerals. They grow all of the ration themselves to be cost efficient and also by growing the ration themselves they know exactly what is in the ration. "If you want the best you give the animal the best" said Ben. When the animal first comes into the feedlot it is put on a starter ration and as it gains weight and gets bigger the animal is then moved onto the growing and finishing ration. The current price for the ration is $240 per tonne ($2.40 per kilogram). While the cattle are in the feedlot they should put on 2 kilograms of live weight per day. Cattle feed to weight ratio is 5 kilograms of food adds 1 kilogram of body mass, so for the cattle to be able to put on the required weight they need to eat 10 kilograms of the ration each day. The ration cost is $24 per animal per day. The water for the cattle is pumped out of the Broughton River into tanks that are kept near the feedlot. From the tanks the water is then gravity fed into troughs in each of the pens. Cattle require 50 litres of water per day and if the animal is lactating it needs 70 litres.

The cattle are kept in the feedlot up until they are up to the requirements that the buyer wants. The company that the Mumford's sell to need their animals to be less than 600 kilograms live weight or a 300 kilogram carcase on the hook. The ideal weight for the animals to be is 480 kilograms live weight. The Mumford's have an ongoing contract with supermarket giant Woolworths, supplying them beef cattle, with some of their animals being worth up to $1500. They sell all of their animals on the hook unless it is a bull that they can't send to the abattoirs.

The standard maintenance requirements that the Mumford's have to do is repair broken or damaged fences and gates, cleaning out the faeces that the cattle have left behind and making sure that all of the equipment is up to date and will not cause and harm to the cattle. The feedlot has changed quite a bit over time with the fences being improved because the cattle were destroying the fences and making the pens useless. When the feedlot gets muddy they don't lay any straw down because it is too difficult to work with straw after they have walked all over it and compacted it into the faeces and mud. The Mumford's don't feedlot sheep because they focus on cattle and their feedlot is set up perfectly for them. The money is also with cattle at the moment so there is no need to feedlot sheep. Once the young have reached 300 kilogram, they are put in the pens and kept in the feedlot up until they go to market.

The Mumford's transport all of their cattle themselves. Depending on how many cattle they are taking determines on the size of the truck they use. On one semi-trailer they can fit 56 steers/cows or if they have to take a lot they will use a B double to transport all of the animals. Woolworths main abattoirs is at Murray Bridge which is quite convenient for Bronwyn and Ben because it is the closest bulk/large scale abattoir to Broughton Park (where the Mumford's live). When they vaccinate their cattle with a drench on their coat/hide they also give them an internal drench that is injected with a needle. Ben and Bronwyn have a very simple way of dealing with sick cattle. If Ben can't fix them they have to fix themselves or they get put down. A vet usually isn't called due to the cost involved.

Nathan Hooper

MUMFORD'S CATTLE FEEDLOT EXCURSION

On the 15th of June the Year 10 Ag class went on an excursion to Ben and Bronwyn Mumford's feedlot to help us complete our Certificate One in Agriculture. While we were there Ben gave us a rundown of how the feedlot works and what is required to run a successful cattle feedlot (no sheep). All the following information is about the Mumford's feedlot so other feedlots may be different.

The Mumford's are not registered stud breeders so their cattle aren't worth as much as a stud animal. The Mumford's are contracted to Woolworths so I imagine many different families have eaten their cattle before. Woolworths use the abattoirs at Murray Bridge which is where their cattle are sent. They run many different breeds of cattle through their feedlot so they can supply Woolworths with many types of meat depending on what Woolworths is asking for. The breeds that they have include Red Angus, Black Angus, Hereford, Charolais, and cross breeds.

The Mumford's feedlot included four pens which we were able to get up close to, inspect the layout and design of the feedlot. There was also two pens of Herefords close by, which were in transit to another farm. Each pen was thirty metres by thirty metres which was a big enough space to fit up to 100 cattle. They buy some cattle for their farm and also breed them, having roughly the same amount of bred and bought cattle.

The entry weight for the Mumford's feedlot is set at 300kg and the target weight to send them to market is 400 to 600kg. They give the cattle about 10kg of rations each day, and from that they aim to put on 2kg of weight (5 to 1 ratio). Once the cattle are ready to send of they will receive about $3 per kilogram live weight. The Mumford's grow most of their own rations that they give their cattle which also saves them money. The ration price for them is about $240 per ton. The ration includes 75% barley, 12%lupins, 10% hay, and there is also limestone, acid buff and pre-mixed minerals in the ration. The ration that they give to their cattle doesn't change while they are in the feedlot, but may change each year. The cattle are not allowed out of the feedlot once they go in. Of course cattle also need water. The Mumford's did buy all their water from the mains, but now they save money by pumping water up from a nearby river to give to the cattle, now water is getting more expensive. The main reason for this is because cattle need about 50L of water a day and about 70L if a cow is lactating or for a cow with a calf.

They send their cattle of to market based on different weights. Most of the time it is the weight that determines when they are ready but sometimes it is time. For example Wagyu cattle that are grown for fatty beef have to be sent to the feedlot for approximately eight months. Also the age can make a difference because cows are allowed to have lost up to four baby teeth before they are sent to the abattoirs, if they have lost more teeth than that, Woolworths simply will not accept it. The Mumford's always send off their cattle on the hook, never the hoof. The Mumford's transport their own cattle in road trains to the abattoirs; they will also use a carrier if they are sending them to Naracoorte.

The cattle also undergo various vaccinations (e.g. B12) and drenches which help keep the cattle from getting sick. If cattle do become sick they will help the cattle for 5 to 10 days and if the cattle aren't showing any signs of getting better they will most likely cull them.

Cattle are a fences worst night mare, they rub them, run into them, jump on them and just totally destroy fences if they are not strong enough or built correctly. That has been the main issue for maintenance in Mumford's feedlot, but they have purchased some second hand road barrier rails that they have installed and the cattle really struggle to get through them. Also the latches on the gates have been changed due to cattle bumping the latch off and opening the gate so that will not happen again. The design of the feedlot has not changed since they built it back in the 80's. The design of one section in the feedlot is four boxes side-by-side on a slope. The slope is very important because otherwise puddles would form in the pens. There isn't anything wrong with the feedlot except it might be better having it further away from their house because it smells. The other thing is the manure, which needs to be managed so each year they need to get into the pen and scoop all the manure into a pile. If they didn't do this the cattle would be walking around in waist deep manure.

It was a great excursion to their farm. I learnt a lot about how a feedlot runs and thanks to Ben and Bronwyn for having us.

Ben Treasure

MUMFORD'S CATTLE FEEDLOT EXCURSION

Broughton Park is a farm in between Merriton and Redhill which is owned by Ben and Bronwyn Mumford. On the property a commercial cattle feedlot is operated, having at times up to 700 cattle there. There are several types of cattle there and they buy some of their cattle in but the majority come from their own property on Kangaroo Island where they breed cattle for the feedlot.

The cattle are usually fattened up on green grass pasture first before being put in the feedlot. When they enter the feedlot they are usually weigh around 300kg. All the food in the feedlot is a ration mixed in a feed mixer and fed out in feeders. This ration changes throughout the time the cattle are in the feedlot. They begin on a starter ration which is not as strong then they move onto the main ration which consists of 75% barley, 10% hay, 12% lupins and some added minerals. Everything in this ration is grown on the farm apart from the minerals and the cost of this ration is around $240 per tonne. With this the cattle can convert 10kg of food into 2kg of meat each day as an average; some do better and some do worse. The cattle in the feed lot also need 50 litres of water a day or if a cow is lactating, 70 litres a day. At Broughton Park the water is pumped out of the nearby Broughton River by solar pumps back to the feedlot where it is stored in large tanks. The water is then gravity fed out into large troughs for the cattle.

The main buyer for these cattle is Woolworths, and the price paid is usually around $3kg live weight. The cattle are sold over the hook. They are usually sold when the live weight reaches between 400kg and 600kg, whatever the buyer demands. The abattoirs that Woolworth's use are at Murray Bridge abattoirs because the meat is packaged in containers instead of boxes. The cattle are transported by truck to the abattoirs, which sometimes is Mumford's or if it's a long trip to Naracoorte they will get a carrier in with a double deck B-double to transport them.

Feedlots require a lot of maintenance, especially with cattle. An example of this was when Ben had to change a way a gate was chained up because of an accident. The cattle managed to unhook the chain and escape on the highway and he lost 7 cattle in the incident and a car was written off and a truck was damaged when they hit the escapees. After this incident he changed the way the gate was latched up so the cattle couldn't get near it again and escape. He also had an incident when there was a storm and the cattle managed to charge down the fence between two of the pens so he had to get in there with the post knocker and hit some new posts in a little deeper and repair the fence with the road side railing that is used. Another ongoing maintenance job in the feed lot is managing the faeces. When it gets too thick it is pushed into large piles in the yards, making sure to leave an inch or so it doesn't disturb the soil. Then the faeces is moved out into one big pile elsewhere on the farm and spread over the crops as fertiliser.

The cattle are immunised a few times while they are in the feedlot, but the main one is when they first enter the feed lot. On entry they get a 7 in 1 treatment, B12 injection and also a drench. If cattle do get sick, a vet is usually not called because the value of the animal is not enough to cover the price of getting a vet so if it's bad enough the animal will be culled and disposed of.

Although Mumford's aren't happy with the location of the feedlot near their house, the design is very functional being right next to yards and a loading ramp. The feedlot is on a slope so the water can run off and not be an issue of sitting in the middle of the feedlot.

I learnt a lot through our visit and would like to thank Ben and Bronwyn for welcoming us and sharing this information with us.

Jake Clements

Mumford's cattle feedlot excursion

YEAR 8 APPILA SPRINGS EXCURSION

On Wednesday the 15th of June both Year 8 classes travelled to Appila Springs via bus. We went to investigate the local rock formations as a part of our science curriculum. We were required to fill in a booklet by sourcing facts from the nearby tourist information boards. We walked around, climbed up rocks and discovered many types of rock formations. As a result of this excursion, we have a better understanding of how rocks are created and eroded and also how these rock formations contribute to the Appila Springs ecosystem. We would like thank Mr Martin for accompanying us and the efforts of Miss Thamm and Miss Murrie for organising this experience.

Mr Richardson's Home Group

When we went to Appila Springs we were given the opportunity to explore the place and then we had to complete a booklet using the information stands.

Will & Dylan

DENTAL ASSISTANT TRAINEESHIPS

SA Dental Service is offering more than 20 Dental Assisting Traineeship positions at Clinics across the state.

The 12 month Traineeship contract includes on the job training and attendance at TAFE where you will gain a Certificate 3 in Dental Assisting while earning $20,710 – $31,978 a year.

If you are 17 to 24 years of age (or up to 30 years if Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) have finished year 11.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SA COMMUNITY FOODIES

Information Session Invite
Are you passionate about food and connecting with the community?
Do you want to gain knowledge in nutrition and develop new skills?
Come along to our information session to find out how you can be a Foodie
DATE, TIME & LOCATION
Wednesday 6th July 1:30pm to 2:30pm at Port Pirie Community Centre
(28 Symonds Street, Risdon Park 5540)

LAURA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM - AUS CONDON MEMORIAL GOLF DAY

Tuesday 19th July 2016 at Laura Golf Club, 10.00am start Ambrose Competition
Entries to Val Thomson by 7th July 2016 8663 2472