1 February 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome back to those students and families returning to Gladstone High for another year and an especially warm welcome to those who are attending our school for the first time. As many of you are aware, our former Principal Kathleen Hoare left GHS at the end of last year and I would like to thank her for the significant educational contributions she made to our school during her tenure and I wish her well for her new role as State Manager of Flexible Learning Options in Adelaide. It is with great pleasure that I have taken on the role of Principal for Term 1 and I look forward to working with Daniel Seidel as Deputy Principal to provide stability and leadership for the school community.

I would like to welcome the following new staff members: Alison Johnson (English/HASS), Tamisha Roberts (Home Ec. and PLP), Deidra Klemm (Front Office) and Molly O’Dea (Farm Manager). I’m also pleased to welcome back Kate Cameron (English/HASS/Counsellor) and Helen Gaunt (Maths/PE) from leave and look forward to all of the skills and knowledge these staff members bring to the school.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017 and the success they achieved when results were released in December and again in January for those who applied for university. Our Dux was Taryn Kelly who achieved an ATAR of 86.95 and has been accepted into her first preference of Occupational Therapy at university. 96.3% of our 29 Year 12 students achieved their SACE, 4 students achieved ATARs in the 80s and 92% of our students who applied for university were successful in gaining an offer with the majority of these students achieving their first preference. A number of our graduates have also accepted apprenticeships and employment and we anticipate hearing success stories from them all as they continue with the next step of their lives.

I have many beliefs about education and one of the most fundamental is my belief in the importance of the relationship between teacher, parents and children for student success. As a parent I know that no one loves our children like we do so it is vital we are active participants in our children’s education. Communication is one of the key pillars of success in schooling and to open the lines of communication between teachers and families, I have included a list of staff emails below and I encourage parents to contact teachers directly if they have a question, need clarification or have a concern. You can also contact a teacher at the school on 8662 2171 and leave a message for them to call you back. The first point of call should be the subject teacher or home group teacher for broader concerns or a member of the leadership team for more significant issues. Another great form of communication is through social media and I invite all students and their families to like us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with school events and information.

Term 1 is often an extremely busy term and this one is no exception. More information will be sent home about the following events but the dates can go in the diary now:

Year 8 Parent Information Evening 6-7.30 pm, Tuesday 6th February – This is an opportunity for Year 8 families to meet teachers, tour classrooms and ask any questions that have arisen in the first few days of school.

Twilight Swimming Carnival 3.30 – 7.15pm, Wednesday 14th February – Lessons are suspended for the day as students are expected to attend the Carnival during the evening. We encourage all students and their families to attend the event even if students are not competing as supporting their House is invaluable for team morale.

Governing Council AGM 7 pm, Monday 19th February – All parents are encouraged to join the school’s Governing Council, which provides the opportunity to make decisions on a variety of school matters, to understand policies supporting the smooth running of the school and to make a difference in your child’s education. If you are at all interested in this important committee, I encourage you to contact Kathryn Hansen, Chairperson (0438 363 123) or Brooke Hodgson, Secretary (0409 096 997) to find out what it’s all about!

I look forward to meeting new students and their families at many of these events and, as always, I encourage parents to contact me at the school if you have any issues or concerns or would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning.

Sonia Pringle
Principal

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER INFORMATION UPDATE

As a reminder to all families of Gladstone High School we would like to remind you that we produce an eNewsletter format with Schoolzine. The move to this new format has enabled us to communicate with the school community across multiple channels. It will promote and enhance our engagement with parents, students and the wider community.

We believe you’ll find the eNewsletter highly engaging, as it will provide us with a more efficient and effective means of connecting with you. The new format will allow the inclusion of video, photo galleries, online bookings, mobile app, feedback forms, calendars and so much more.

Our enewsletters are produced on a fortnightly basis and just for this first week we have sent a paper copy home with all year level students so you can subscribe to future newsletters. You can download the free SZapp to receive our newsletters on your device.

You can also follow us on Facebook @ gladstonehs and follow the link for our page to our newsletter.

Limited copies will be printed and are available at the Front Office of the school or at local shopping outlets in surrounding towns.

We know how important it is to be able to quickly contact parents during emergency situations. With this in mind in conjunction with Schoolzine, GHS now provides SMS capabilities for all parents. We now have another method of quick communication for parents to use. Using our Gladstone HS – 0427708443 contact number to text message which then converts to email for our Admin team to follow up.

Our new free Schoolzine App has just been released so that we are able to quickly communicate with parents across multiple channels. We have included instructions on how to install this app on apple and android devices. Once installed you will receive notifications on the release of the newsletter which you can view and any other notifications sent to specific groups. You will be also able to use the contact form to submit communication to us and view our digital calendar on this app at any time on your mobile.

Did you know that we offer online forms?

We have school forms available on the enewsletter that you can view and print to ensure they reach you and make it back to school once they are complete.

Online eforms are a great way of ensuring that all parents receive school forms, either via our enewsletter or a newsflash via the app.

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY

Our whole school photo day is Thursday 8th February 2018. Individual student order packs have been sent home and must be returned to the photographer on the day with payment. Students not requiring any photos must still bring in their envelope for scanning. If you require family photos for siblings only, the order pack can be collected from the Front Office of the school.

MATERIALS AND SERVICES CHARGE 2018

We look forward to your early payment of the Materials and Service Charges. All payments must be made by end of Term 1- 13/01/18.

If you wish to pay by instalments or Direct Debit please do not hesitate to contact Sue who will assist with your inquiry.

The eligibility for School Card assistance of combined family gross income has a significant increase for 2018. The 2016-2017 financial year income limits are as below;

If you think you are now eligible all application forms are available from Front Office. Contact the school on 86622171 or you can apply online at the link below:

Sue Foulis - Finance Officer

GLADSTONE HIGH SCHOOL BYOD (Bring your own device) PORTAL ONLINE

Gladstone High School is committed to aiding students and staff in creating a 21st Century learning environment. To facilitate this we have engaged the services of ASI Solutions in supplying, delivering and promoting the bringing of a computing device to school by all students in Year 10 - 12. To support us in delivering this initiative we have developed a BYOD policy with standards and guidelines to:

• Facilitate and promote the bringing of a computing device to school by all students from Year 10-12 for use in their education
• Provide a safe user environment for students
• Ensure a minimum standard of device compatibility
• Enable students use technology to further their learning

This provides a basis on which Gladstone High School teaching staff can continue to tailor lesson delivery so that students can use their devices in class toward specific learning outcomes.

To purchase a computer for your child to use at school and at home, please access the ASI Solutions online portal.

Portal address: gladstonehs.asi.com.au
Registration Key code: gladstoneHS

This portal is exclusive to Gladstone High School. Please click on REGISTER where you will be prompted to enter your email address, activation code and a password of your choice.

Once registered you will be able to view the options of devices that we recommend as a minimum requirement and can be supported by our ICT staff. These options include MAC Book Air 13.3, MAC Book Pro 13.3, Microsoft Surface Pro and Laptop and HP Elite X360 or HP ProBook 430.

We have included some frequently asked questions on the return side of this letter for your information.

ASI Solutions officer payment options, insurance and purchasing support. If you would like to know more, please contact the school on 86 622171 or ASI Solutions on 1300 638 010.

GOVERNING COUNCIL AGM

Gladstone High School
Annual General Meeting
Monday 19th February 2018
Time: 7.00pm
Resource Centre - All Welcome

KATE CAMERON – STAFF PROFILE

I am very excited to be back at Gladstone High School this year. I will be teaching some English and History classes as well as taking on my new role as School Counsellor. I would like to encourage students and parents to make contact with me if there are any issues to be discussed.

Here is the link for the brochure to be attached to the newsletter

TAMISHA ROBERTS – STAFF PROFILE

I’m Miss Tamisha Roberts and I will be the Home Economics/ Food and Hospitality teacher at Gladstone High School for 2018.

Teaching is an absolute passion of mine and I am excited to meet everyone and see what the year has in store for us.

It is my mission to install a love for learning in my students and have fun. I attempt to teach with a passion for my subject so that my students develop and desire to become lifelong learners. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year. It is so important to keep communication between us and my door is always open. If you see me don’t be afraid to introduce yourself or just say hi. I look forward to a great year together.

LIVE. LOVE. BAKE.

SHAE MORRISON – STAFF PROFILE

My name is Shae Morrison and I work here at Gladstone High School 3 days a week and Port Broughton Area School 2 days a week. I live in Port Broughton with my partner and 3 children. I have been teaching for 14 years and look forward to the challenges of being full time this year after several years of part time work. I am excited about working with the creative and friendly students here at Gladstone High School.

CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Welcome back to the 2018 school year.

Our school canteen relies on the support of volunteers to ensure we can deliver the highest quality food possible, every school day for students. If you have one or more days per term to spare, we would love to see you. Volunteering in the canteen is from 10.30am until 1.30pm.

For further information and requirements please contact the school on 86622171

Thanks,

Lyn Russell
Canteen Manager

COMMUNITY NEWS

2018 FEMALE FOOTBALL CRYSTAL BROOK

2018 FEMALE DOUBLES TOURNAMENT

SOUTHERN FLINDERS NETBALL CLUB

We are seeking Coaches for 2018 season.

If you are keen to coach a grade or keen to help out please contact Bern on 0439864330 or on our Southern Flinders Netball Club Facebook page for a copy of the Application forms.

Please Consider.

SHEARING SCHOOL APIRL