3 November 2016

Newsletter Articles

LAST DAY FOR OUR YEAR 12 STUDENTS

2016 Year 12 Class

Friday of Week 2 marked the last official day for our Year 12 students. As is the tradition at Gladstone High we celebrated this day with a staff student breakfast. Thursday of Week 2 was the last day of lessons for Stage 2 Subjects and Friday is put aside for our students to mark this milestone with celebrations and relaxing activities as a group before the final push to get assignments submitted for moderation and prepare for exams. The day turned out to be one with excellent spring weather and started at 7:00am when several staff and students arrived, bleary eyed, to set up the front lawn area with seating, BBQ, food and drinks. By 7.30am the remainder of the students arrived and staff began to trickle in. Jack and Megan did an excellent job of cooking a breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns all washed down with an assortment of juices and milk. Both the students and their teachers sat down for a hearty meal and sharing a range of stories of various exploits from the year. Once the food was no more the staff began to filter away as they prepared for their day while the Year 12 students remained on the front lawn to engage in a range of activities like volleyball, water slides and general harmless fun. As is the case each year (weather permitting) the event ended with the obligatory water fight leaving the majority of the students grabbing for their spare set of dry clothes and a brief rub down with an assortment of towels. The event lasted until the end of recess when all the students (having previously parked their cars on the school oval) did a 'victory lap' of the oval with horns blaring as they left the grounds to continue their celebrations elsewhere with a combined lunch and later a class party to mark the end of their final day at school.

I continue to be impressed with the respect our Year 12 students show their school at this event each year. At Gladstone High we do not suffer the unfortunate, negative and mindless vandalism that some sites have to endure each year at this time. We pride ourselves in the respect we show our students during the year and this is reciprocated at times like this when our students show their gratitude and respect for their school by engaging in some harmless frivolities without feeling the need to destroy school property or play practical jokes that do nothing other than upset the smooth running of the school day for everyone else. For this I thank them.

Over the next 3 weeks many of our students will return to school at different times to hand in moderation work and to sit exams which occur in Week 4 through to 5. After Week 5 we will not see many of them until Friday December 9th when we all gather with friends and family for the annual Year 12 Formal Parent Dinner, to formally acknowledge the Class of 2016 and those who have supported them throughout the year. The wider school community will get the opportunity to acknowledge these students at our Presentation Night held at the Gladstone Town Hall on Monday December 12th.

On behalf of the whole school community I wish all our Year 12's the best of luck for the next few weeks and especially, of course, for the rest of their lives and I congratulate them all for the fine young adults that they have become.

Peter Hughes
Senior School Coordinator

INTRODUCTION TO STAGE 2 WEEK

From November 21 - 24 (Week 6), the Stage 1 students who will progress to Stage 2 in 2017, will participate in 'Introduction to Stage 2 Week.' The purpose is to give students a chance to define what is required of them in each of their subjects and to get a head start toward what will be one of their most challenging years of schooling yet. We encourage students to embrace this week with the endpoint in mind. This being successful SACE completion and achievement of the highest possible score for each of their subjects at the end of Stage 2.

During Week 5, students will be given a timetable that will run for Week 6 only. For each of their 2017 subjects, they will complete two double lesson blocks. Teachers will introduce the subjects and start the courses. They will expect students to attend and approach these lessons as if they were Year 12s. Two of our Stage 2 teachers are involved in SACE moderation that week in Adelaide, so students in Art and English will receive their subject orientation sessions during Week 5 and will begin research and preparation for these subjects in the Week 6 sessions as directed.

Please feel free to contact the school for further information about this week.

Lisa Key Deputy Principal & Peter Hughes Senior School Coordinator

BANDANNA DAY

Recently the school demonstrated their support for the CanTeen Foundation through participation in the National Bandanna Day, held on Friday 28th of October. The challenge of cancer continues to affect 23,000 young people (63 a day) every year. This year is CanTeen's 31st anniversary as a charity that supports young people with cancer and the 21st anniversary of their biggest fundraiser, National Bandanna Day. Given the variety of colours displayed in the headwear and thus the backing received by the student cohort, the cause is still significant amongst youth. Bandannas represent a symbol of hope and empowerment for those affected by cancer, including family and friends. A total of 60 bandannas were sold raising $240 for the worthy Foundation, an excellent effort. For more information on the CanTeen Foundation visit the link down below

Emma Kerr SWAT Teacher

MATERIALS & SERVICES CHARGE 2017

Included in this week's newsletter is the Materials & Service Fees charge for 2017.

They will be presented at Governing Council meeting on 29TH November 2016 for approval.

Please contact Sue Foulis - Finance Officer with any queries.

HART GRAIN TRIAL 2016

On Tuesday 27th September the Year 10 Agriculture class travelled to the Hart Field Site near Brinkworth to undertake some investigations with our cropping trial.

This year we are investigating the impact of seeding density on an early, mid and late season variety of wheat. We are using Axe, Scepter and Trojan wheat varieties and the density of seeds planted include 60, 120 and 240 plants per square metre. (Normal for Hart is 180 plants)

Included are several responses from students about our activities. Later the grain will be harvested and the results forwarded to us. Students who study Agriculture in Year 11 will then analyse these results as part of an assignment for their Stage 1 Agriculture course.

Dean Humphries – Ag Teacher

HART GRAIN TRIAL 2016 –Student Report

On the 27th of September, the Year 10 Ag class, along with Don Smallacombe and Dean Humphries, went on a field trip to the Hart Field Day site, which is located just outside of Brinkworth. We left at the start of recess and returned at the end of lunch, eating our lunch and recess during the trip to and from the site.

At the site, we met with Rochelle, a research scientist who had just graduated from University and was managing our trial, who explained to us what to do and told us a bit about the site and our trial.

We inspected a series of cropping trials, involving wheat varieties called Trojan, Sceptre and Axe. Each variety was planted in nine different plots, with three plots planted at 60 plants/m2, three plots at 120 plants/m2 and three plots at 240 plants/m2. The purpose of the trial was to see how different seeding rates affected the growth of the plants. The crops were planted during April and had been assigned randomly to make sure that the trial was fair. A buffer row had also been planted to keep the end plots safe from wind damage.

In pairs we were assigned 3 plots. In each of our plots, using a 50 cm ruler and a knife, we had to count and then remove every wheat plant along two 50 cm sections of a row. We placed all our samples in separate paper bags that were clearly labelled to stop the samples from getting mixed up. While we were doing this Rochelle explained to us about how these three different varieties of wheat matured at different times and how this affects which varieties farmers choose to plant, as it affects the time the plants flower and the time they can be harvested.

Once everyone had finished collecting their samples we returned to the shed where we weighed all of our samples and calculated averages for each varieties at each seeding rate.

We found that the plots with the higher growth rates yielded the most individual plants, although the weights of the samples did not vary as much. The plants from the plots sown at 240 plants/m2 did not grow as big as those sown at 120 plants/m2, this was due to the plants sown at higher growth rates had more competition for water and nutrients.

When we were finished, Rochelle showed us some of the other trials that were taking place at the site. These trials included other wheat varieties such as durum and triticale, as well as varieties of oats, barley, peas, beans, chickpeas and vetch. These trials test a variety of things, such as seeding time, along with fertiliser, herbicide and insecticide use.

Rochelle also told us about their Open Day which had been held the week before and how farmers from all across the region come to the site for information about the different trails that are being conducted there.

Patrick Klingner – Year 10 Student

EARLY CHILDHOOD SITES

Invite you to a fun filled day with ALL the early childhood sites and services within the Upper Mid North Partnership (UMN).

Uninterrupted
Mindful
Nature play

Where? Bundaleer Forest
When? Friday 25th November (Term 4 Week6) 10am – 2pm
Who? All families and friends
What to bring? A picnic lunch, lots of water, a hat and sunscreen.

We are excited to announce that Simon Hutchinson, Director, Climbing Tree, will be joining us to engage our children and families in some loose parts and nature play activities. Activities include: cubby building, fairy houses, rope bridges and nature walks.

FREE SPIRIT OF ANZAC EXHIBITION

9 - 14 Nov. – Port Augusta Central Oval

The Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience travels to Port Augusta Central Oval Sporting & Community Hub, 9th -14th November. This free exhibition is a Government initiative commemorating the Anzac Centenary and has won awards for experiential design, innovation and technical achievement. Boasting the best in technological design and interactive environments, this experience immerses the viewer into a sensory journey.

It is a Free exhibition but visitors will need to register for tickets on the official website or by calling: 1300 462 313

PT PIRIE WEST SCHOOL DENTAL CLINIC

Dental care is FREE for all babies, children not yet at school and most other children under 18 at School Dental Service clinics.

Your local clinic is located at:

Port Pirie West Primary School
214 The Terrace
PORT PIRIE SA 5540
Phone 86321926