Eastern Fleurieu R-12 Newsletter Week 3 Term 4 2023

R-12

Principal’s Report

As we all reflect on World Teacher’s Day last Friday, 27^th October let us never forget the impact, teachers have on the children they have taught. Every one of us can remember the teacher who had the most impact on us and that will be the same for every student we have taught.

Last holiday I was in Renmark walking through the new Shopping Centre, and I heard this voice, ‘Hey Mr Kent’. I looked up and it was one of our ex-students working as a butcher in a boutique Butcher Shop. He was a student on Kangaroo Island when I was there and was here at EFS when I started. He left here 5 years ago. We had a great chat about how he had been given the opportunity to be an apprentice butcher and how successful and happy his life has been since he left school. He thanked me for his education and support while at school. I bought some great meat and more than I needed but, how do you think I felt when I left that shop?

Teaching is a tough job, but it is one where you can make the most impact in another person’s life (hence the paragraph above) and the work teachers do with our young people, from Reception to Year 12, is truly outstanding. I want to acknowledge some of the qualities that set EFS teachers apart from staff I have worked with in the past.

• unwavering compassion, fostering a nurturing, safe and enjoyable learning environment.
• genuine understanding of each student's unique needs and having unconditional positive regard.
• role as mentors inspires and motivates our students to do their best in the engaging lessons provided.
• acceptance of diverse backgrounds and cultures in providing inclusive teaching and learning programs.

As educators, teachers have the privilege and power to change lives for the better, providing support, stability, and inspiration. Their influence on our students' opinions, ideas, and personal goals is immeasurable and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

However, teachers cannot do this alone and extensive research shows that parents who collaborate and work in partnership with the school positively impact their children's success at school and beyond. We appreciate the 97% of parents who do this.

Unfortunately, we have a very small minority of parents who do not support teachers and resort to abuse, threats, intimidation, and other behaviours that are unacceptable in schools, in fact anywhere in our society. Warning letters and banning notices are used when required. I would prefer we didn’t have to go down this path, please follow our Code of Conduct when communicating with our school staff.

The Department for Education and Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School expect all parents and visitors to the school to follow our EFS Code of Conduct and the appropriate Grievance Procedures. See links.

Our school maintains high expectations and adheres to department guidelines to create a safe, enjoyable learning environment for all students, and we need you to work with us, not against us. There is a critical shortage of teachers across Australia and your support is what we need now more than anything else to help address this problem.

Let’s embrace the awesome opportunities provided for students at this school. The rest of this Newsletter is absolute testimony to that.

Regards,

Ian Kent
Principal
Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School 

Term Dates 2023

Eastern Fleurieu School R-12 Important dates

Room 14 Mobile Muster at Monarto- Local Action, Global Impact!

At the end of last term, we enjoyed a great day at Monarto Safari Park packed with fun and valuable learning opportunities. Students have been learning about the environmental challenges and issues caused by mobile phones and the importance of recycling. They have shown a genuine interest in sustainability and researching the impacts of mining on natural habitats.

Each mobile phone that is donated to Monarto Safari Park raises crucial funding for the zoo and helps support the chimpanzee sanctuary in Sierra Leone, Africa. Thank you to all families who generously donated their unused mobile devices to help support the Mobile Phone Muster! Please continue to bring in unused or broken mobile phones or tablets to Room 14, as we will continue to support this very important project where over 95% of the materials are recovered! 

Please enjoy reading some recount excerpts: 

We went to the Monarto Safari Park to see lots of animal species. Firstly, we helped to clean up the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby enclosure by picking up their poo! After cleaning the enclosure, Mikayla and I had the fullest bucket so we did a victory dance! - Chase.

We had a chat with John, the zoo keeper, and he talked about jobs that zoo keepers do. I knew a good job- make sure all the animals at the zoo are healthy and clean, by picking up their poop! We saw the Chimps, they are my favourite animal in the zoo! - Emily.

After our Zoo Crew lesson, we headed down to the Chimpanzee enclosure to drop off the donated mobile phones and tablets. The mobile phones are taken apart, and recycled, and the money goes towards the chimps. We received a certificate of thanks from zoo keeper, Lucy. We learnt that the alpha male had recently died and a new born chimp called Happy was welcomed to the park- Chloe R.

The Monarto Safari Park was very proud of us for donating the phones that we had collected! The tour on the bus was fun and exciting because we saw tons of animals, including lions, cheetahs, hyenas and giraffes. John taught us a cool chant to celebrate our work in the Rock Wallaby enclosure! - Izabella.

We went to see the chimps and we gave our old mobile phones to the keeper. I love seeing the chimpanzees because they are cute and there is a baby called Happy. - Chloe F.

There is a 9-month-old chimpanzee called Happy. He is so cute! The oldest one there is called Boyd. He is 45 years old. When the zoo keeper (Lucy) fed them carrots they started to argue over them! One of them took sixteen carrots, he was very greedy! - Tyler.

We became zoo keepers, when we finished we did this chant; we slapped out thighs, clapped our hands, clicked our fingers and said ‘oh yeah!’ – Lewis.

I learnt that chimps can live to about 50 years of age! – Jack.

My favourite thing was seeing the Painted Dogs and being with my friends. I learnt about some of the important things that zoo keepers do- Willow.

After we did the zoo keeper challenge, we did the zoo crew cheer! When the chimp keeper gave them some carrots they went crazy! - Maddelyn.

The best part of the day was seeing the chimps, because they’re so funny. The most interesting thing I learnt was that the Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies have Nikes built in! – Katara.

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BYOD – Bring Your Own Device to 7-12 Campus

At the 7-12 Campus all students are required to have their own BYOD laptop.

Purchase your laptop here

We have a strong focus on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacies that will enable students to be successful global citizens in the 21st century. EFS have implemented the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) system to meet the increasing demand of ICT in the classroom as we believe that it is a sustainable way to allow students to have one-to-one access to technology.

We recommend you purchase your device through our online portal – for new or students or those needing to upgrade..

Would you like to host an international student?

Information:  

Apply here:  

School Calendar

Please be sure to check the School Calendar for dates of events. The calendar is available through our SZapp, Website and Newsletter and is colour coded for you to select which campus is relevant to you.

Website

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

Your provider of OSHC is YMCA SA.

YMCA South Australia OSHC provides a Before and After School Care along with Vacation Care for school aged children 5-12 years on a casual and permanent basis.

OSHC provides a safe, fun and stimulating place for children to engage in structured, unstructured and educational activities that are specifically tailored to the child’s interests and needs. Our friendly and experienced staff work hard to ensure your children are cared for in a welcoming, supportive and stimulating environment. We value the uniqueness and diversity of every child, and seek to support and empower them to reach their full potential. Our programs are structured in accordance with the National Quality Framework and are led by our highly trained educators.

At YMCA SA we consider the safety and wellbeing of children and other vulnerable people to be our highest priority.

To register your child in our OSHC or Vacation Care programs, view program information or catch up with the latest news visit:

R-12 School Uniform

EFS School Uniform Shop
WE HAVE MOVED

9a Callington Road, Strathalbyn SA 5255

Term Time Open Hours

Tuesdays 8:30 – 10:45am
Thursdays 3:45 – 5:45pm

For uniform enquiries outside of our open hours, contact Ms Julie Martin.  

Bubbells Embroidery 

Phone: 0417 771 944           Email:bubbells@adam.com.au

If our open hours don’t suit you, we can take email and phone orders and we can arrange remote purchases for your convenience. 

Community News

ASHBOURNE CAMPUS

14 Ashbourne Road, Ashbourne SA 5157 Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Welcome back, I am sure you are feeling similar to how I am feeling, disbelief that it is the final term of the school year and in 9 short weeks your child will have completed another year of school. This term is jammed packed with excursions including Cubby Building, Public Speaking Competition and the Milang Milk Bottle Regatta. We will welcome our families for our second Bush School family day in Week 6, after the success of our family day in Term 3. And we will finish the year with our Talent Show, Year 6 Graduation and a whole school sleepover, and Friday fun day.

It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Mathilda Longbottom who begins her maternity leave in Week 3. Mathilda and her husband Alex will welcome their second child in December. Mathilda will be missed by all, she is caring, compassionate and brings joy and passion to her classroom teaching and interactions with all the students. We wish her and Alex all the best for the arrival of their second child.

Zara our wonderful SSO had decided to continue her travelling adventures around Europe and will not return to Ashbourne next year. She will also be missed by all students and staff.

Regards,
Rebekah Fahey
Head of Campus

New Reception Students

The students and staff welcomed our two new 2024 receptions in Friday 20^th October. Sophia and Lucas had a wonderful first transition visit in the Hakea class with Ms Lee and her students. They spent the morning participating in their first Welcome Circle, story time and then a fun art activity, drawing and paint their own unique fish. It was lovely to welcome them both, all our students made them feel a part of the campus and we are looking forward to Sophia and Lucas being at Ashbourne.

Bush School

The students enjoyed their first Bush Day of Term 4, our new theme is Rainforests. The students shared their prior knowledge sorting out pictures of rainforests over the world, identifying features, animals and using a world atlas to locate them. Mathilda shared general facts with the students on tropical and temperate rainforest, the students were engaged and enthusiastic to all the new learning. They will be using a personal passport to tour the rainforest of the world over the next 9 weeks.

Our creation project this term will be focussed on researching, designing and creating rafts for the milk bottle regatta. This week the students looked at all the different types of boats used in the Amazon and Daintree. They then took on a STEM challenge of working in pairs or small group to make their own boat that could float. The students asked to give up some of their lunch time to keep making their boats before testing them. They all floated which was exciting.

Nature Play, Natural Elements

On Wednesday, 27^th September the 3 Hakea class participated in an incursion run by Nature Play SA. The children used natural materials to build their backyards and then worked together to build a township. The conversations between the students was interesting to listen to, sharing their ideas on what their backyard and town would need. The town had a river for a shared water supply, vegetable gardens, a bee farm, homes and tree houses plus many more things.

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Assembly

Acacia class ran our final Term 3 assembly on the last day of term. The students shared their bush school Antarctic creations, art work and stories. It was wonderful to have several parents join the assembly. The awards for Character and Collaboration went to Jett, Grace, Mariska Brody, Jed and Jebediah.

Pawz-a-while

We have started our second Term of Pawz-a-while with 5 new students taking part in the Social skills and Wellbeing program. This program will help our students connect to each other, continue to build their social skills and helping their personal wellbeing. Each week for 1 hour they will work with Anne from Pawz-a-while and their Labrador Retriever.  In the first session the students got to know their dog and were teaching their dog to sit, catch and shake hands. They students walked their dogs and demonstrated their character skills on being calm and gentle with their dogs.

Dates to Remember

LANGHORNE CREEK CAMPUS

Bridge Road, Langhorne Creek SA 5255    Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Welcome back to term 4. Last term ended with excitement our Activity Day, ending with ice creams organised by our Student Representative Council. Great day and well done to our students.

Please remember staff are on duty for arrival of bus student 8:10am, please ensure your children are arriving at school from this time. Please speak to staff as needed.

Building Refurbishment update Stage 2, building modules were delivered on Tuesday, 24^th October and we look forward to the next modules arriving in the coming week. The following process will be to ensure classrooms are ready for occupation in the coming 2024 school year. We are very grateful for this much needed refurbishment.

Looking forward to our final term in 2023.

Regards,
Les Cameron
Head of Campus

Popeye and Botanic Gardens Excursion

We went on the bus to Adelaide and we got on the Popeye at the River Torrens. We had a really good tour and learnt a lot of history. We got off at the zoo stop and walked to the Botanic Garden and met Linley who took us on a walk around the Botanic Gardens. It was very interesting and lots of fun. It linked with our deep learning work we have been doing about bees and the environment. - Lachlan

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Popeye and Botanic Gardens Excursion

Koalas Bush School Day

Miss Anna’s Koalas visited Ashbourne to take part in their Bush School Program in Week 10 last term.

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Koalas at Bush School

Quokkas HUB Morning Tea

Whilst the Koalas were off at Bush School, the Quokkas visited the ‘oldies’ at the HUB. This is a fantastic community tradition that the students at Langhorne Creek have been involved in for quite a few years.

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HUB morning tea with the ‘oldies’

Ice Cream Day

Langhorne Creek students celebrated all the amazing growth they made in Term 3 with lawn games and an ice cream sundae bar on the last day of school. We each got an ice cream and could choose out of a range of delicious toppings. Lots of happy faces and "best day evers" all around. 

Last Day of Term Treat

Mozzie Creek

Students at Langhorne Creek have been busy learning about bees, our environment and how we can make a positive change to our community. As a whole school we decided to make improvements to our Mozzie Creek land. We looked at what made a great outdoor learning area and started to create designs of what to include. On Thursday, 19^th October we took an excursion out there to get started on some projects and continue to plan out our ideas. We learnt about weaving with Ms Cameron. Ms Hopkins took us on a history and nature trail, which we are planning to improve with QR code signs. We started building a bee hotel with Miss Anna and Jane, which we will finish in Week 3. We are going to call it the ‘Air Bee n Bee’ and include a honeymoon suite at the top!

We will continue to work on our project this year as well as next year.

I think we should put in benches and nice sitting areas. – Lincoln

I think we should build more bee hotels. – Esther

We should make some bird baths for all the birds there. – Indie

I think we should have a nice big area for us to do nature crafts, like weaving. – Ada

Recount 1

Last Thursday, 19^th October we went to a place in Langhorne Creek called Mozzie Creek. We have been planning to do some work there. As part of our study we have been learning about the importance of bees for us to survive. We decided to make a bee hotel down at Mozzie Creek. We haven’t quite finished it yet but we are going back next week to finish and we are making a sign for it saying ‘Air Bee and Bee’. We also had a thought of making a honey moon suite. Get it!!!?

Anyway the other activities we did was bracelet weaving using raffia and we had a history talk with Mrs Hopkins by the old tennis court.

It was very hot so we had to cut our trip a little short. We are looking forward to going back again next week. - Charlotte

Recount 2

Last Thursday our school went to Mozzie Creek to set up a bee hotel. Ms Cameron drove the bus, we had to make two trips. Jane brought along her car with all the supplies. My class was the first to arrive so we started the bee hotel, little did we know it didn’t take us too long so we finished before the little kids arrived. We put down a pallet then stacked it with logs, then repeated it 3 more time.

Finally, the little kids came, then we could begin our groups. It was very hot that day so we didn’t stay for long.

My first group was with Mrs Hopkins. We talked about the history for Mozzie Creek. It was very interesting.

My second group was with Ms Cameron, we wove bracelets out of string. It was tricky at first but then I got the hang of it.

My last group was with Miss Anna and Jane, adding twigs, bark and leaves to the bee hotel. That group was shorter because everyone was getting hot and tired.

So, we packed up all of our supplies into Jane’s trailer. Ms Cameron drove the little kids back first. My class were exhausted, so we sat down and chatted until the bus came back. The drive only took 5 minutes or so.  We stayed for about an hour, but we had a good time. - Emma

Mozzie Creek Visit

Parliament House and Central Market

On Thursday, 26^th October we went to Parliament House. We were met by Adrian Pederick who is our local member and his personal assistant called Greg. They had a quick chat to us and then we went through security. We first went to Old Parliament House and learnt some of the history. The rooms were so big. We then went to one of the rooms were all of the politicians meet. It was all green and we got to sit in the chairs and Mr Pederick talked to us about the role of the speaker. We had our photos taken in the speaker’s chair. After that we went to the Red Room and learnt about how things worked in there.

It was very interesting and a fun learning experience.

World Teachers Day

On Friday, 27^th October, Langhorne Creek Campus thanked our wonderful teaching staff for their dedication and commitment to the students and school community. A morning tea was provided for the teachers by our fantastic local Church group and the teachers were presented with certificates, cards and a small gift.

Playgroup

Last tern the children created a collage titled "Between the Vines," which was entered in the Strathalbyn Show. We were very excited to gain third prize in the 5 and under collage section. 

This term we will be retelling favourite fairy tales and stories. The children have enjoyed using our new puppets to retell The Gingerbread Man and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  Threading has been popular with the children. We are enjoying using the area adjacent to the administration building for our playful learning experiences. 

LC Playgroup

Regards,
Libby Thornton
Playgroup Co-ordinator

Dates to Remember

MILANG CAMPUS

Cnr Cox and Rivers Street, Milang SA 5256     Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Welcome back to Milang for our final term for 2023. We finished off last term with our amazing Spring Concert and Art exhibition. Our students worked so hard to remember all their parts in the plays, songs and dances so it was wonderful to see all our families attend. Thank you for supporting them, it really does make their night when they see a familiar face in the audience. Our final big whole school event for the year is our Milk Bottle Regatta Thursday, 7^th December students will be making boats from milk bottles at school this term and then racing them down at Lake Alexandrina! All students R-6 are involved so we need all your clean milk bottles now! We may also need some families to support with cooking the BBQ, clean up and cheering the students on so pop it on your calendar!

This term we have welcomed Amanda to our school, working mainly in the Upper Primary to support students in their learning. We also had four new Kindy students visit on Friday with Mrs Rollins, getting ready for next year. They will have 3 more visits this term and are really excited to be here.

Regards,
Susannah Cook
Head of Campus

Playgroup

Last term the children created a collage of the Milang foreshore which was entered into the Strathalbyn Show. We were very excited to win first prize in the 5 years and under collage section.

This term at Playgroup we are retelling a range of fairy tales and favourite stories. The children have enjoyed using our new puppets to retell The Gingerbread Man and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. 

Break Time with Bonnie

Did you know that October, 27th was World Teacher's Day? Last week we celebrated our dedicated and caring teachers with a lovely morning tea. All staff enjoyed some delicious treats generously provided by members of the Strathalbyn Lutheran Church. The work of a teacher is both dynamic and invaluable - many of us can probably think back and remember our teachers and the impact that they had on us, yet we often miss the opportunity to let them know. World Teacher's Day is an opportunity to let teachers know that they are valuable and important - perhaps you might like to let one of your child's teachers know what you appreciate about them this week too!

Regards,
Bonnie Edgecomb
Pastoral Care Worker

Spring Concert and Art Exhibition

Our amazing concert and Art Exhibition was held last term.  Enjoy the photos.

Please let me know if you would like to buy your child’s cards.

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Buddy class

During the last week of Term 3 we buddied up across campus and created artistic stakes for our vegie garden. Students collaborated brilliantly.

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Junior Primary learning

Last term the Junior Primary enjoyed setting up a shop in their class as part of their learning with Mrs M.  They enjoyed collecting things to get it ready and then on the day they loved going shopping and also having a turn as the shop assistant.  We even sold fresh veggies and flowers from our garden.

The Junior Primary class were investigating sinking and floating before making their own tin foil boats. The challenge was to hold 10 woolly mammoths at once! 

Getting ready for the Milk Bottle Regatta students have been testing how many milk bottles it would take to hold them. 

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In Week 2 the Junior Primary had some Year 10 students from the 7-12 Campus come to talk to them about the RSPCA and shared a power point with them. They then worked with them on some activities and craft for their pets.  The students really enjoyed the lesson.

Upper Primary Learning

Welcome back to the final term of the year in the Upper Primary. Recently we have been finishing our exploration of Force and Movement within the science units of learning and the students had a lot of fun creating catapults and seeing the distance travelled of the item depending on the amount of force and pressure transferred into it.

At the end of last term our math exploration looked at informal measurement units and how estimating can help us find totals that we require. We are also working on learning the many strategies we can use to complete quick recall of mathematical tasks such as multiplication and division. The more strategies we have in our memory banks the easier it will be to recall multiplication facts and figures.

In English we are continuing to explore the patterns in spelling and specifically how to change a root word with an appropriate prefix, or suffix.

Ice creams

Seth will be selling mini ice cream tubs for $2 at recess and lunch, until sold out, raising money for a charity.  Seth came up with this idea as part of his Year 6 citizenship.

Coffee Morning

We will be running 2 more coffee mornings this term, stay tuned for dates to follow.

Assembly

Well done to Harley for winning the VIP Award for Term 3 for showing great Citizenship in class and around the school. Harley is an enthusiastic learner and always greets everyone politely. He has shown great Character starting at a new school by participating in all the learning activities asked of him. He is willing to help out when asked and works Collaboratively with others in the class and will confidently share his ideas while being able to listen to others. He was a keen participant in the class play, always willing to practice his lines. Harley has become a valued member of our school community.

Well done Harley.

Well done also to our class award winners, Sierra and Aaliyah from the Upper Primary and Latisha and Molly from the Junior Primary.

Reminders from Donna

Public Speaking

Please return your consent forms and meal deal to Donna by 2^nd November.

Regatta

Save the date, we would love for you to join us down at the lake Thursday, 7^th December.

Consent forms and meal deal notes will be coming home shortly.

Hats 

Hats are required now at all play times and PE lessons as is our sun safe policy.  Donna has some new hats available for $10.

Attendance 

Please always contact the school if your child is late, call or come in and sign a yellow slip.  Also if your child is away or someone else is picking them up.  If we don’t hear from you your child’s absence is marked as unexplained.  A message from another student is not enough, we need to hear from a parent. If you are picking your child up early please come into the office and complete a green slip. 

Please continue to follow the guidelines for keeping us all safe.  If you need to come on site, please ensure you are sanitising when entering any buildings. Keep your visits brief and social distance at all times. 

Note Folders 

The oldest child in each family is responsible for handing in their note folder each day to Donna and taking it home each night with any new notes.  Can you please make sure you are checking these each day and sending back any notes or consents that need to be brought back.  Also any book club money and order forms need to be returned in the folder. 

Dates to Remember

STRATHALBYN R-6 CAMPUS

34 East Terrace, Strathalbyn SA 5255     Ph: 8536 2455

Heads of Campus Report

World Teachers Day

It was wonderful to take a moment to recognise and celebrate our teaching staff on Friday, 28^th October.  We can all reflect to our own educational journey and recall a teacher who made a profound impact on our lives.   It could have been a teacher who instilled a love of learning, helped us overcome a personal struggle, or simply believed in our potential. The positive influence of a teacher often extends far beyond the classroom, shaping the choices and values of students.   Making a difference is why many of us went into teaching as profession and I am very honoured to work with such a dedicated team.

New Reception Transition and Student Enrolments for 2024

Our 76 new receptions for 2024 have happily started their visits to our campus.  Their final visit will be Step Up day on Friday, 8^th December.

We will have some staff changes next year, with Paul Steele and Chris Pelle retiring and Meg Russo, fulfilling her lifelong dream of supporting the Visual Arts program.  We are currently in the process of advertising an Upper Primary position.

The end of 2023 is fast approaching, and we have now begun planning for 2024. Each year, a small number of families relocate to other parts of the state or interstate for family or work reasons and we have new families starting at our school after settling in the Strathalbyn area. The number of students in each year determines our staffing allocation and class structure for the next year. It is therefore essential that if your child is not returning to Eastern Fleurieu School in 2024, that you notify the school in writing or by email as soon as possible.

Year 6 Graduation

On Wednesday, 13^th December we will join all our Year 6 students for their graduation evening.  Can all families ensure they have completed RSVP link sent home through SeeSaw to support our management of numbers.

Regards,
Jo Garwood, Sophie Frost and Mel Pitt
Heads of Campus

Room 4’s High School Transitions

Room 4's students have been preparing to transition to the High School for 2024. On Wednesday, 27^th September Week 10, we (and the other Year 6s) made our way across to the 7-12 campus for a Taster Day. We got to experience classes over there, including Agriculture, Cooking, Art, Orientation, PE and STEM. Our whole class had a ball. We definitely started with some big nerves, but most students finished the day a lot more comfortable. Special thanks to the 7-12 staff and leaders for supporting our students!

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Regards,
Kym Diepgrond

Cricket Blast

Cool Chemistry in Room 7

During Term 3, our class of Room 7 did science experiments with Vikki, our teacher. We did many experiments including the lava lamps, elephant toothpaste, the flaming teabag and even more. It was fun to learn about the different states of matter using fun experiments to make it even better. We learnt how the states of matter can change, going from solid to liquid for example, or liquid to gas. It was really enjoyable and in my opinion was the most fun way to learn about chemistry. - Sienna

During Term 3 Room 7 learnt about chemical and physical reactions and the 3 states of matter also known as solid, gas and liquid. We tested all our chemical and physical reactions and we got to rate them 1 through 10. The coke and mentos scored 10! - Miah

Room 7 has had a lot of fun in Term 3! We learnt what about four of the five states of matter. Liquid, solid, gas and non-newtonian fluids.  Non-newtonian fluid is a liquid that when pressure is applied to it acts like a solid. On the last day of term we made non newtonian fluids, Oobleck and slime. We were allowed to take them home in a little container. Room 7 hopes that you were one of the classes that experienced the experiments with us! - Ellie

We got to share the chemistry we had learnt during Term 3 with the little kids. The coke and mentos was first experiment and it went about 20cm high! The elephant toothpaste was a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction is a reaction that you can't change something back to the original state. The flaming tea bag was also a chemical reaction because you can't change it back to its original state. We got to eat a mentos, which was the best part of the day! - Nathan

Last term we did chemistry, and in chemistry we made baking soda volcano and I ended up getting very wet. We also had a fizzy drink volcano and it also got me very wet! It also got in my mouth, YUK! On the last day of term we made Oobleck.  Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid. A non-newtonian fluid is a substance that when force is applied it is solid but when no force is applied it is a liquid. One of the coolest thing we did was make a lava lamp. The lava lamp was so cool because we got to drop a berocca tablet into a jar of oil and water. It was very cool! But the coolest thing was the elephant toothpaste! The elephant toothpaste was really warm and it had absorbed all of the energy from the peroxide.  - Logan

Regards,
Lyndall Codlin and Vikki McInnes

PE Update – Sports Day

Sports Day 2023 went ahead without any delays (far cry from last year’s weather!). We enjoyed a fantastic day of sunshine and our community came out to support. It’s always terrific to see parents, families and some of our local sporting clubs come out to join in the day. Huge thanks to the Strathalbyn Cricket and Softball Clubs for running a station and showing that community connection.

Steve our groundsman as always created an outstanding environment for our students to perform in. The oval was like green carpet and the tracks were marked perfectly.

Our Sports Day committee of Sophie Frost, Donna Prusa and Zara Lewis worked so hard to help make sure the day ran perfectly. All the class teachers and SSO staff encouraged and guided their students so well throughout the day.  We certainly couldn’t do any of this without them.

The students came ready to compete in outstanding team outfits. So much colour and creativity. They also brought their team spirit, collaboration and sportsmanship as the “Spirit Cup” was back again this year.

After a long day of competition in their class groups and teams the final results were:

1^stDavidson 2379
2^ndRankine 2327
3^rdDawson 2235
4^thMcLean 1980
The Spirit Cup was won by McLean.

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Regards,
Jonathon Koutsikas

Term 4 Indo Update

The Year 5 and Year 6 students combined their knowledge of the greetings, holiday language and activities to collaboratively interact with peers during conversational speaking tasks. Students read the Indonesian texts and translated them to English with each other.

Students have also become culturally aware of Indonesian etiquette and compared them to Australian manners. As the similarities and differences were discussed, students were able to appreciate that their experiences influence their view of the world and to recognise and respect the differences of other people’s culture.

The Year 3 and Year 4 students studied holiday language phrases and sport vocabulary, which was applied to speaking and written tasks. The computer programme “Languages Online” also assisted students to become familiar with grammar concepts and increase vocabulary knowledge about school items.

After investigating “What is a folktale”, the Junior Primary students focussed on the Indonesian folk tale, Buaya dan Kancil. They made a 3D model, and learnt the language for the story, which they presented as a play.

Regards,
Kaye Grund

Dates to Remember

STRATHALBYN 7-12 CAMPUS

11 Callington Road, Strathalbyn SA 5255    Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Last week we celebrated World Teachers’ Day which coincided with the last official day of attendance for our Class of 2023; this provided a poignant opportunity to reflect on the powerful work of teachers and its influence on the lives of young people.  As our Year 12 students depart, it is abundantly evident that the relationships they have formed with their teachers are ones they value and feel grateful for. I am very proud of both EFS teachers and our departing students. I wish the Class of 2023 the best of luck with exams and final assessment submission and look forward to seeing them at graduation later in the term.

STAFFING UPDATE

We were very fortunate to appoint Melanie Van de Veerdonk to a Maths /Science teaching position at the start of the term. Melanie starts her teaching career with us having previously been on placement in a similar role. Aaron Gilligan has kindly offered to teach Multimedia this term behind Polly Macauley to provide continuity for these classes. Aaron is a highly respected member of our temporary relief team and we are very grateful for his contribution.

We have a number of pre-service teachers undertaking practical experience at various times during Term 4. The 7-12 Campus have hosted a number of pre-service teachers at various stages of their training during the year; it is a valuable experience for both mentor and mentee and the feedback about our school culture has been very positive overall.

We have more movement in the leadership team as Merryn Gomez is taking some leave from Week 4. Ely Haylock has been appointed to the Assistant Principal Inclusion and Wellbeing in an acting capacity in Merryn’s absence. We have every confidence that Ely will provide much needed continuity in this space as an experienced leader of wellbeing and inclusion. A further process is underway to appoint a Wellbeing Leader behind Ely.

We also welcome new members to our SSO team. Sarah Hutchinson, Kate Harper and Travis Hill joined us recently and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from various fields. Pastoral Care Worker, Silvia Ricci, was also appointed in Term 4. Silvia will join the wellbeing team and be providing additional support for students.

TRANSITION AND CLASS PLACEMENT

Our transition program continues and class placement planning for 2024 is underway. The class placement request forms deadline has now passed, and leaders are working on finalising groups.

Our 2024 Year 7 students felt extremely positive about their experiences on their taster day and embraced all the learning activities offered with energy and enthusiasm. We are looking forward to welcoming them next year and wish them well for their final term of primary school.

STUDENT FREE DAY

There is a big agenda for the upcoming Student Free Day in Week 5 when we will join our R-6 colleagues for cross-campus collaboration. Transition work will continue as the student free day provides a rare opportunity for teachers in Year 6 and 7 to get together to share information and plan for students’ success. We will also be engaging in a range of workshops focused on literacy, wellbeing and inclusive education.

READY TO LEARN

To support us in improving your child’s readiness for learning, we ask that you check in with your child to ensure they have necessary equipment in their schoolbags, and give daily reminders about the need to charge their devices at the end of the school day. As always, wearing school uniform is an expectation that we appreciate your support with.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The Uniform Shop is located at 9A Callington Road, Strathalbyn. Julie’s contact numbers are 8536 2648 or 0417 771 944 or you can email her at bubbells@adam.com.au.

Keep your details up to date

Please contact the school if any of your personal details change. This helps us to keep you up to date and informed with school news. Thank you.

If you have any issues you would like to raise, or would like to share constructive feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the 7-12 Campus on (08) 8536 2455.

Regards
Vanessa Coker
Director of Secondary Education

Important Dates to Remember

Stage 1 Child Studies Excursion to Treasure Boxes

Monday of Week 10 of Term 3, The Stage 1 Child Studies class visited Treasure Boxes in Edwardstown. Treasure Boxes in a non-for-profit organisation that provides families in need with the essentials of life including bedding, clothes, toys and regular meals. Students partook in an array of tasks to support the volunteers, including packing orders, sorting clothing, toys and books.

The students enjoyed themselves and gained an understanding of the importance of helping those in need and their local community. They gained an insight into the influences and issues related to the health and well-being of a child’s environment, including homelessness, poverty, and domestic violence. The students felt they had a positive impact on their wider community and gained a sense of purpose. Additionally, this group of students were able to build a sense of connection with each other during this time.

Some of their thoughts on their experience are noted below:

It made me feel happy and grateful to know that I was helping someone. I felt very compassionate. - Leah

My role included picking out orders for families. Orders included clothing, bedding, baby equipment, breast feeling equipment, adult toiletries, and toys. It made me feel grateful for the things and opportunities my parents provide for me. - Maddie

It was a rewarding experience to know that we were helping people that were less fortunate than us. -  Mel

We enjoyed learning about how women can use those places to provide support in circumstances that are unfortunate. The quality of the items we were sorting showed the community’s support of this organisation. We are surprised with how many volunteers helped from the goodness of their hearts. – Bridget and Jorja

Regards,
Madeline Gale

Year 7/8 Zone Volleyball

On Friday, 22^nd of September, we took 6 Year 7/8 teams to Reynella East College to participate in the School Sport SA Day Carnival. This was the most teams we have taken for Volleyball in a long time and was great to see so many students enjoying the day and representing the school well.

The Year 7/8 Boys' teams played well throughout the day with some good wins and very close games. We had one team finish 3^rd in pool B and the other team finish 5^th in pool A. Both teams played in the finals crossing over with the two pools. One of our boys' teams played against Reynella East College which was a great game with our boys winning and finishing 5^th overall in the boys' competition. The other boys' team played against Goolwa Secondary College having a tight tussle with the score going back and forth but Goolwa were too strong in the end with our boys finishing 10^th overall.

The Year 7/8 Girls teams had a big competition with 17 teams nominated and four different pools for the day. We had two girls’ teams that were a little bit more experienced and two girls' teams that were quite new to Volleyball, but all worked really well together and improved so much throughout the day. We nearly had one of the girls' teams win the whole competition for the girls but lost in a very tight game against Investigator College. The overall placings for all four of our girls' teams were 2^nd, 5^th, 10^th and 13^th.

Regards,
Kristen Rothwell
Health and Physical Education Teacher

Year 7 Digital Technology Class

Ms Turner's three Year 7 Digital Technology classes 7A, 7B and 7C have been putting their robotics skills to the test as part of a new unit called "Mission to Mars". As part of this unit, students must complete 5 missions using their EV3 Lego Mindstorm Robots to save a stranded Mars Rover that has been left on Mars. Each mission students have the opportunity to win one of three mission awards and one of three character awards. The students pictured are from 7A and 7B who have both won Kindness Character Awards for helping fellow students, and have won Gold Mission Awards for completing the highest challenge version of Mission 1. Their awards can be seen on their team posters. 

Later this term on Friday Week 6, all student teams from 7A, 7B and 7C will be presenting their projects as part of a Year 7 Robotics Showcase. This will be their opportunity to share their robot engineering skills, solutions, and research that they have completed across the course of the Mission to Mars unit. 

Regards,
Madeline Turner
Mathematics and Digital Technologies Teacher

RIVER RUN 2023

Wednesday, 25^th of October was an unseasonably cold afternoon for our whole school 2023 River Run along the picturesque Angus River. This ensured the big group were very keen to get running to get warm and resulted in a lot more students finishing the 3k run a lot quicker than if was a typical warm Spring Day.

Congratulations to Ryan, from Flinders, who went one better than last year being the first one home by quite a distance. He also beat last year’s record time by less than a second, running 12 minutes 27.84 seconds. Sam, from Stirling, was second across the line with his fellow Stirling runner Charlie a step behind.

For the third year in a row the first girl over the line, with a big gap to second, was Alyssa from Flinders. She bettered her last years’ time finishing in 15 minutes 22.09 seconds Kayla, from Sturt, was the second girl to finish and Sienna from Angus completed the podium in third position.

After all the scores for the top 100 boys and girls were tallied up it was Stirling who came out on top after what has been a quite few years since their last House victory.

YEAR LEVEL MEDAL WINNERS

RIVER RUN HOUSE POINTS

1^st STIRLING 2780        2^nd STURT 2665           3^rd FLINDERS 2464      4^th ANGUS 2129

Regards,
Jerry Blair
Sports Coordinator and HPE Teacher

The Rite Journey Camp

During Week 10 of Term 3, our Year 9 students travelled to Monarto to complete their Solo Camp as part of The Rite Journey program. Students competed in a survivor games tournament on arrival, before heading out to begin their Solo experience. Students demonstrated excellent resilience to overcome the variety of challenges that they faced while solo camping. Students then moved to the Murraylands Aquatic Centre for the next two days where they participated in several aquatic activities on the Murray River. It was clear that all students had a positive and enjoyable experience, and they should be very proud of their efforts. 

Regards,
Curtis Perrey
The Rite Journey Coordinator
Health & Physical Education and English Teacher

The King and Amy O’Malley Trust Awards Scholarship

A warm congratulations to Taylor, who has been selected to receive a King and Amy O’Malley Trust scholarship in 2024, pending an offer letter for her intended program of university study. The King and Amy O'Malley Trust awards scholarships to individuals pursuing a career in Home Economics or related areas. Taylor found the process of applying for the King and Amy O'Malley Trust scholarship to be challenging but deeply rewarding.

Taylor ensured she met all the necessary criteria, focusing on her academic achievements and genuine passion for Home Economics. She diligently filled out the application, detailing her experiences and articulating her aspirations to teach in the field of Home Economics. Taylor reached out to mentors and teachers who vouched for her dedication and potential in letters of recommendation. After submitting her application, an anxious waiting period ensued. To her surprise, she was invited for an interview, further deepening her engagement with the selection process and developing her professional intrapersonal skills. We wish you all the best on this exciting journey, Taylor!

Regards
Holly Stevens
Senior Leader, Middle Years

Music Showcase

Our second Music Showcase for 2023 is coming up on 16^th November, starting at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Centre. Bring your basket supper, settle in and enjoy a variety of performances from our Year 9, 10 and 11 Music classes, Concert Band, Vocal Ensemble, and others! No booking required – cash at the door.

Regards,
Shayne Tarling
Music Teacher / Instrumental Music Coordinator

Library News

Jigsaws

The donated jigsaws continue to be very popular.

Overdues

Most books have a two-week loan. If students need more time, they can bring the book back in to get the due date extended. If your child has an overdue you will get an email reminding you of this, which comes out once a week.

Regards,
Adrienne Carter