2 November 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Many things have happened in the first three weeks of this term: our Year 12’s have finished their formal lessons, we’ve had seminars for students from the CFS on preparation for the upcoming fire season and SAPOL on road safety, Sign for Your Sausage Day, Canteen Bandanna Day and the list goes on. These are just some of the many activities that make up school life and provide opportunities for our students to learning about others. On each of these occasions our students conduct themselves as polite, respectful and attentive people, which is often commented on by visitors to the school and this is something we should all be proud of as a school community.

Last Friday was World Teachers’ Day, where we celebrate the efforts of our teachers and acknowledge the difference they make in the lives of others. Students wrote gratitude letters to a teacher of their choice who has positively impacted them in some way. I was privileged enough to read many of these notes and was touched by the thoughtfulness of the students’ words. It also made me think about the impact teachers have on students that they may not always be aware of. Our words and actions can affect students, both positively and negatively, in a multitude of ways and this is a huge responsibility. It made me think of the attributes of a ‘good’ teacher and question what is important.

Think about teachers you have had in the past; what is it you remember about them? Their content knowledge? Organisation? Years of experience? Care for their students? For me, the answer is simple: it all comes down to relationships. Forming positive relationships with students (and their families), knowing them as individuals, having their best interests at heart and showing compassion makes for a successful learner relationship that will make students feel valued and, ultimately, help set them up for success. What an amazing job to have. I would encourage you as parents, students or community members to join in by contacting teachers here at school to add to the gratitude messages if they have positively impacted on your child’s life.

As I just indicated above, one of my favourite parts of my job is talking to students and their parents. One of the topics that comes up on multiple occasions is how busy and complex our lives are and we discuss strategies to manage this. It is important for all of us to take the time to look after ourselves and to make time for some relaxation in life. This can take many forms such as:

• Focusing on your breathing
• Colouring in – you are never too old
• Yoga
• Listening to music
• Reading
• Exercising
• Meditating
• Walking the dog
• Swimming/fishing/walking along the beach
• Spending time with family and friends

The list is endless and it is important to find what works for you (exercise would stress me out far more than it would relax me!) and then make time to enjoy it and be totally focused and present in the moment. I challenge everyone to spend at least 30 minutes this week doing something they love to do.

Please contact me at school at any time if you have any concerns or ideas you would like to discuss about your child and their learning.

Sonia Pringle
Acting Principal

NEW ATTENDANCE STRATEGY TO HELP SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS EXCEL

A new attendance strategy has been developed to ensure the state’s 168,000 public school students achieve the best possible education.

To support the strategy, an additional 11 attendance and engagement social workers will be available to help schools work with students and their families, with this 50% increase bringing the total of workers to 33.

The attendance strategy will guide the efforts of preschools and schools to engage children and young people to stay at school.

The initiative is part of the state government’s new Public Education Action Plan: Your Child, Their School, Our Future.

YOUR CHILD, THEIR SCHOOL, OUR FUTURE

On Sunday the Minister for Education unveiled our new Public Education Action Plan:

Your Child, Their School, Our Future. We will focus on 5 key areas

Susan Close
Minister for Education and Child Development

MEtoWE VOLUNTEER AND LEADERSHIP YOUTH COMMUNITY TRIP

During the first week of the holidays, 8 students in Years 10, 11 and 12 had the opportunity to go on a life changing experience to Rajasthan, India. This was a volunteer trip to help the children who lived in the community of Antri. While in India, we immersed ourselves in the culture by trying different foods and learning their language. We helped the children at the community’s local school by starting to build their lavatories. This will be such a huge impact on them forever as they did not previously have lavatories and now that we started the construction the children will now want to go and receive education. We had many days where we experienced their culture and what it would be like to live there permanently and what they do in their daily lives. Having an opportunity like this will impact all of us forever; we all now have a changed outlook on life by taking less for granted and appreciating more that we receive. Thank you for all the support you gave us before commencing on this trip.

Tahlia Chapman, Brooke Cousins, Lucy Duffield, Lachie Hansen, Rachael Hodgson, Alice Jackson, Taylor Robson and Noah Zwar.

PIG EDUCATION DAY ROSEWORTHY CAMPUS UNI SA

On Friday 20th October, the Year 11 Ag students were invited to attend an educational day at Roseworthy. Three students took up this opportunity, including Jemma Leighton, Sarah McLean and Tarsh Wakefield. We headed to Roseworthy in the school ute for a 10am start.

In the first session we went to the piggery and saw the weaner, farrowing and artificial insemination sheds. There were several hundred weaner piglets that were all very inquisitive, biting and chewing our blue overalls and plastic boots. Here we learnt about pig nutrition. From here we saw a sow being inseminated in the next shed and then onto the farrowing shed where we saw 16 piglets that had been born that morning.

After a lunch break we moved to the science laboratories to undertake another 3 tasks. This included a look at feedstuffs that can be used to feed pigs, an examination of the ovaries, uterine horns and cervix of a pig and an investigation into the antibodies provided by the colostrum of sow and how this impacts the chances of survival of the piglets.

We finished with a forum looking at various peoples roles within the pig industry.

The day was organised and supported by PorkSA the peak pork body representing the pig industry. Our three instructors for the day included Graeme Pope, Tony Edwards and Dr. Kate Plush. Thank you to all involved in organising and presenting the day. It was very informative and also gave students an opportunity to see this campus of the Uni.

Dean Humphries, Ag teacher

On Friday the 20th of October, Sarah, Tarsh and I spent the day at Roseworthy campus of Uni SA, attending the pig education day. While we were there we had the opportunity to experience the Roseworthy piggery, learning about the weaners, Artificial Insemination (AI)/natural mating, and also the farrowing when the piglets are first born). After heading back to the Uni campus for lunch, we then had insight into the nutrition and feeding, reproductive tract of a gilt and a sow, and also testing to see the intake of the colostrum in the piglets, in order to see which are most likely to survive.

Jemma Leighton.

On the 20th October Mr Humphries, Jemma, Tarsh and I travelled to the Roseworthy College to attend the Pig Education Day. We completed 6 different activities, three in the science labs and 3 outside with the pigs. My favourite activity was learning about farrowing and being lucky enough to hold a day old piglet.

Sarah McLean

On the 20th October Mr Humphries, Jemma, Sarah and I travelled to Roseworthy College to attend a Pig Education Day. We did 6 activities, 3 before lunch and 3 more after lunch. The activities before lunch were done in the piggery. They were practical information session in the weening shed, farrowing shed and how artificial insemination is performed with pigs. My favourite activities were in the pig sheds.

Latarsha Wakefield

RESOURCE CENTRE READS

Coping with the dilemmas of boyfriends, college applications, her parents' squabbling, and realizing that her deranged persona may no longer apply.

Adolescents – Fiction Self-perception – Fiction Mid Secondary

1946. Europe is in ruins. Millions of people dream of finding happiness somewhere else. Fourteen year old Felix is one of them. When he's offered a journey to Australia, he seizes the opportunity. So does someone very dear to him, even though she wasn't actually invited. They have high hopes for Australia, and their dramatic arrival there makes them want to stay. But before Felix and Anya can embrace the love and friendship of their new land, they must confront the murderous urge for revenge still alive in the old. Felix knows he hasn't faced anything like this before He may not survive, but he's hoping he will. Maybe.

Lower to Mid Secondary

When a brilliant high-school student is invited to join an international secret society, she leaves everything behind in pursuit of the high-stakes rewards it offers. When Miri discovers her boyfriend is also in the society, they must pretend they don't know each other, as the students are pitted against each other to push the boundaries of medicine using illegal self-experimentation. Miri's experiment involves a new combination of specially-timed drugs that could mean never needing to sleep again. As her experiment progresses, and she spends more and more hours awake, she finds that all is not as it seems. When the group realises that there is a secret fifth student experimenting alongside them, the stakes are raised dramatically. When it becomes clearer to Miri that the secrets in this society are deeper and more dangerous than she bargained for, she starts to question the true purpose of the secret society, and who lies behind it.

Mid secondary

How far would you go to become someone else? Imogen is an heiress, a runaway, and a cheat. Jule is a fighter, a chameleon, and a liar. Imogen is done pretending to be perfect, and Jule refuses to go back to the person she once was. Somewhere between the mansions of Martha's Vineyard and the shores of Cabo San Lucas, their intense friendship takes a dark turn.

Upper Secondary

Ever since Esther Solars grandfather was cursed by Death, everyone in her family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime. The Solars are consumed by their fears and, according to the legend of the curse, destined to die from them. Esther doesn't know what her great fear is yet (nor does she want to), a feat achieved by avoiding pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces and crowds are all off-limits. So are haircuts, spiders, dolls, mirrors and three dozen other phobias she keeps a record of in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares. Then Esther is pickpocketed by Jonah Smallwood, an old elementary school classmate. Along with her phone, money and a fruit roll-up 'been saving, Jonah also steals her list of fears. Despite the theft, Esther and Jonah become friends, and he sets a challenge for them: in an effort to break the curse that has crippled her family, they will meet every Sunday of senior year to work their way through the list, facing one terrifying fear at a time. Mid to Upper secondary

YEAR 12 LAST DAY BREAKFAST

The Year 12 class of 2017 enjoying breakfast and games on Friday 27th October.

REGIONAL SKILLS TRAINING

AHC30116 Certificate 3 in Agriculture
AHC32816 Certificate 3 in Rural Operations
PART-TIME SCHOOL-BASED TRAINEESHIPS
FULL TIME or PART TIME POST SCHOOL TRAINEESHIPS
or TRAINING GUARANTEE FOR SACE STUDENTS with WORK PLACEMENT

For more information contact:

Trudy Docking – Program Manager
M: 0439 887 999P: 08 8835 1362
E: trudyd@regionalskillstraining.com