12 April 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Comment

It’s hard to believe we are almost at the end of Term 1 already. We have had a term filled with learning opportunities both in the classroom and on excursions as well as through camps, sporting activities and guest speakers at school. As we head into holidays, it’s a good opportunity to remember to take time to look after our teenagers. These years are a time of intense physical, emotional, mental and intellectual growth. It’s also a time when your child develops habits that can last a lifetime. You can help your teenager reach optimal growth and development by instilling lifestyle habits that support a healthy and happy body. LiveStrong.com offer the following as healthy living tips for teenagers:

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies. It is recommended that teens get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Most teens fall short of this goal though. Fruits and vegetables provide important vitamins and minerals a teenage body needs to grow and function properly. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables also helps keep you full without providing excess calories that can lead to weight gain.

Get Your Moving. Exercise does more than burn calories. Engaging in physical activity helps keep the heart and lungs strong and produces endorphins - chemicals that improve mood. A well-balanced exercise routine includes aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility training, such as yoga or Pilates. Teens should engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.

Watch What You Drink. Your body is almost two-thirds water, so staying hydrated is important. Teenagers should aim to drink six to eight glasses of water per day and this amount increases for teens who engage in sports or who are especially active. Other good sources of fluid include 100 percent fruit juice and low-fat milk. Sugary and caffeinated drinks should be limited or eliminated completely as they provide excess sugar and empty calories.

If You Don't Snooze, You Lose. Teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep each night to function at their best during the day. It sounds easy enough, but with early school start times, late afternoon practices and hours of homework, getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Set a regular bedtime time that allows for nine hours of sleep before your teen has to get up for school. Your teen should also engage in at least an hour of “quiet time” prior to bedtime. The goal is for all electronics to be turned off for the night so the brain and body can relax.

The upcoming holiday provides the opportunity for teenagers to spend time with their families, catch up on some rest and relaxation as well as a chance for the senior students to balance some study with these periods of rest. Have a good break and I’ll see you back at school on the first day of Term 2 ready to go!

Sonia Pringle
Principal

MNSEC Athletics Newsletter Article

MNSEC Athletics Day was once again held at Jamestown Community School. There were multiple highlights of the day with a Gladstone High School student’s breaking records.

Jake Clements is to be congratulated on breaking the Open Boys High Jump record, with a measurement of 1.90m. This record was previously held by K. Prestwood of Booleroo (1.86m).

The placings for Champion Athlete are as follows:

Male Champion Athlete

Female Champion Athlete

Overall results from the day are as follows:

Year 6/7 Trophy

Handicap Shield

Overall Shield

Pennants

Congratulations to students who have been selected to compete in the MNSEC Athletics team at SSSSA Athletics. This event will be held at Santos Stadium in Adelaide on Thursday 12th April. Students who will be representing Gladstone High School include: Samuel Shepherdson, Andrew Horace, Clay Hadley, Charlie Heinrich, Ben Treasure, Casey Cleggett, Finn Cunningham, Tahlia Chapman, Jake Clements, Nathan Hooper, Hugh Rackham, Chelsea Hombsch and Charlotte Durrant.

MATERIALS AND SERVICES CHARGE 2018

2018 fess still outstanding are now overdue. Prompt payment would be very much appreciated.

If you need assistance with payment please do not hesitate to contact the Finance Officer

Sue Foulis.

Thank you to those families who have paid your fees.

2018 NAPLAN Tests

The time is once again approaching for our Year 9 students to undertake the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. This year the tests will be held at school on Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th May (Week 3 of Term 2). Students absent on any one of the three testing days will have a catch up day on Friday 18th May where they will need to sit any tests they have missed. Students will once again be assessed using common national tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.

As per usual, and especially during weeks 1 and 2 of Term 2 all curriculum areas are working on the explicit literacy demands of their learning areas. Through English classes, students have been given explicit instruction on the format of both narrative and persuasive writing and the language features to use to achieve their best. All Mathematics classes have also had support to help prepare students for the Numeracy section of the NAPLAN tests and assist their general learning. Students have been exposed to practice tests in classes as well as instruction on test literacies of completing all sections, eliminating answers, problem solving and other necessary skills. Teachers in all subject areas have continued to support students with their learning, which will also assist them in the tests.

Students may be withdrawn from these tests by their parent or caregiver if they have an objection to their participation. If you would like to withdraw your child from the NAPLAN testing process, please contact me at the school and I will send home the required form for completion. All parents are encouraged to contact me at the school on 8662 2171 if you have any questions about the 2018 NAPLAN tests.

Stephen Bosch
NAPLAN COORDINATOR

Learning Hub

We would like to remind students that the Learning Hub is operating Monday to Friday at lunch times. Students are encouraged to visit whenever they feel they don’t quite understand a concept or they have work to do. Don’t just wait until there is assignment due as there is often quite a crowd and you don’t just have to see your teacher; another teacher may be able to give you a different perspective. The timetable is below.

2018 Aquatics Camp

The Stage 1 and 2 Aquatics Camp was held in Port Augusta from Tuesday to Thursday of week 10. The Stage 1 students participated in kayaking, while the Stage 2 students participated in sailing. Reports from students of both groups are detailed below:

Stage 2

At the Port Augusta PE camp, the Year 12’s learnt how to sail. Firstly, we learnt how to rig the boat, which meant putting up the sails and plugging all the holes within the boat. Once the boat was ready we learnt the points of sail such as beam reach, broad reach, close haul, square run and head to wind and lastly sail trim which entails how far out the sails need to be. On the final day we learnt the important skill of how to rescue a person fallen over board and how to raise the boat from capsizing. Nikala and Alice’s boat went turtle, this is when the boat turns a full 180 degrees and is facing straight down underwater. The camp was a great experience for all of us and ultimately adds into our combined practical grade of 50%.

Alice Jackson, Nathan Hooper, Noah Zwar, Tom Harslett and Nikala Schmidt

Stage 1

While on camp we learnt many skills when kayaking. Some of these skills included the emergency stop, forwards and backwards paddling, the capsize and the draw stroke. Emergency stopping required us to use an aggressive stroke to stop suddenly. When travelling forwards we used four quick sharp backwards strokes to come to a complete stop. We used the same technique when travelling backwards, however, four upright vertical strokes are required instead. When stopping we learnt to complete an even number of strokes (4, 6) to ensure the kayak does not go off path.

We learnt that forwards and backwards sweep strokes are the most common strokes used to turn the kayak. These are completed with an extended leading arm which is followed by the trailing arm at shoulder height. This is a fluent stroke rather than an aggressive stroke.

Forward and backwards strokes are the main strokes used when kayaking; these are the strokes that allow you to move in a forwards and backwards motion. Along with all other kayaking strokes, forward and backwards strokes require an upright posture, braced feet against the foot pedals and knees in the knee brace. You must also have your right hand knuckles aligned with the back of the paddle. Overall aquatics camp was a great experience learning all the different strokes and techniques used while kayaking.

Tahlia Chapman, Hannah Watson and Aynsley Samuel

Some of the key skills that we learnt when kayaking included the capsize and eskimo save. When capsizing we learnt that after rolling upside down you need to feel around the cockpit and reach the spray deck rip cord. After doing this we then pulled the rip cord back across the cockpit until the spray deck was completely off the kayak. We then had to push down on the side of the cock pit and pull our legs towards the back of the boat and somersault forwards and surface by the front of the kayak. To complete the eskimo save we learnt that once capsized you need to tap three times on the hull of the boat to alert others that you are upside down, you then need to continue to run your hands along the side of the boat and wait for a rescuer to reach your kayak. The rescuer then places the front of their kayak in line with your hands/cockpit so you are able to grab the front of their kayak and pull yourself up enough that they can hip flick their kayak back to the surface of the water. The main thing we learnt during the three days was to make your strokes look ‘pretty’ and fluent not rushed and choppy. So ensure you focus on having the correct technique for every stroke and having a good posture all the time.

Adam Jackson, Thomas Marheine, Joel Ambjerg-Pedersen and Jayden Pratt

Laura Folk Fair

What a fantastic Laura Folk Fair weekend! We had great weather, a colourful selection of biscuits as well as brilliant workers! We sold 275 trays of biscuits, including gluten free trays of biscuits by 12.15pm on the Sunday.

It all began Friday afternoon with a wonderful turn out of volunteers to pack biscuits, which took us 3 hours. To all the cooks, thank you for the colourful biscuits and we received positive feedback on the taste of them too!

A special thank you to Merrilyn Smith for her guidance in her final Laura Folk Fair as a parent at Gladstone High School.

Thanks again to everyone for their support and we can’t wait to do it again in support of our children’s school on the first weekend of April 2019.

Jodie Zwar and Kylie Sawley

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