Year 12 students Sam and Caitlin greeting new year 7 students Jax and Greta

Welcome to 2024 at Kapunda High School.

A warm welcome back to all students and families returning and also a special welcome to all new students and families joining the Kapunda High School Community this year.

Firstly congratulations to our graduates of 2023 on their achievements. Another successful year for Kapunda High School with 100% SACE completion and exceeding a number of our annual achievement growth targets. Well done to all students and staff involved.

2024 Focus

Over 2024 we are continuing to grow our initiatives to lift student engagement, belonging and achievement. We are doing this through quality learning programs across every classroom, as well as additional curriculum enrichment programs outlined below.

Wellbeing for Learning and Engagement initiatives include:

• Berry Street Education Model – to promote healthy skills and an environment conducive to learning.
• SMART training – to sharpen conditions for learning.
• UPLIFT, Healthy Minds and Youth Opportunities across targeted year levels to grow individual perseverance and resilience.
• Ongoing proactive and responsive Wellbeing support, including a School Mental Health Clinician.

Our School House System provides recognition and reward for all students who model and promote our school values on a daily basis – a recent initiative building on our House System, which stretches back over a century!

We were fortunate to be awarded a school grant of over $50,000 to run the Berry Street Education Model, thanks to Assistant Principal: Positive School Culture / Wellbeing Mr Sam Milne and the Wellbeing team.

We are also growing our focus this year on Learner Agency, which is increasing individual student voice, choice and Entrepreneurial thinking in their learning. Initiatives include:

• Kappy Brew Café – our Student Enterprise café.
• School Agricultural programs and ventures.
• Passion Projects for Middle-School students in Semester 2.
• William Lakes Lifestyle Development exclusive school partnership.
• VET programs for Construction and Heritage Trades – a unique program in Australian schools.
• Alternative Learning Program.

David Marino

Principal

School Photo Day Tuesday, 6th February (Week 2)

School Photo Catch Up Monday, 12th February (Week 3)

Sports Day Thursday, 7th March (Week 6)

Pupil Free Day Friday, 8th March (Week 6)

Adelaide Cup Day Public Holiday Monday, 11th March (Week 7)

Good Friday Public Holiday Friday, 29th March (Week 9)

Easter Monday Public Holiday Monday, 1st April (Week 10)

Last Day of Term 1 Friday 12th April (Week 11)

This year, the Kapunda High School Community is welcoming many new staff members. 

Whole School Photo Day will be held Tuesday, week 2 (6/2/24), with a catch up day for individual photos the following Monday.

Envelopes for ordering have been distributed by home group teachers, so please have your student follow up with them if they haven't received one. There are also  spares available at Student Services.

Ordering can be done online or with cash on the day. Please do not return envelopes with cash to the school, they need to go directly to the photographer on photo day.

If you wish for your students to have a sibling photo, please have them collect an envelope from Student Services or order online.

If using the Envelope and cash to order your sibling photo, please notify me prior to photo day, so that I can ensure your students don’t miss their sibling photo.

Students will need to be dressed in full, correct uniform.

Tab MacKenzie

School Photo Coordinator

tab.mackenzie108@schools.sa.edu.au

Health and Immunisation Management Services, in conjunction with the Light Regional Council, will again be conducting the School Immunisation Program this year.

All Year 7 students will be offered:

1 dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil^®9

1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix^®

All Year 10 students will be offered:

 2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero® at 2 separate visits.

1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix® 

Please see below the Immunisation Schedule for 2024.

Forms have been sent home with year 7 and 10 students. Please ensure these forms are filled out, signed and returned by Friday, 16th February, regardless if your student will/will not be receiving the immunisations.

All parents / legal guardians are to complete, sign and return the Consent Cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. Students aged 16 years and above can complete the consent for themselves.

If you do not receive an Immunisation Consent pack from your child please enquire at the school. 

If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Health and Immunisation Management Service to arrange for your child to receive the free vaccines. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine and may charge a consultation fee.

Preparation

Often, students feel anxious about having the immunisation and it is important to discuss this event with your child to help alleviate unnecessary fear. It has been noted that some adults refer to the immunisation as ‘getting stabbed‛ or ‘getting your needles‛ - this leads to unimaginable horror to some children and is quite unhelpful. Some may remain ‘wobbly’ at the prospect or may have had an adverse effect, previously. Parents may therefore, wish to support their child by attending an early session from 8:55am - 9:10am on the day. Please contact me at the school if you would like to do so. Anxious students can also attend this early session on their own to avoid waiting with their class groups. Students are encouraged to have the immunisation when their parents have given consent; however, they are never forced. If a student is unwilling, parents will be contacted later by the program nurse.

Influenza Vaccinations

Information about Influenza vaccinations for students will be given in future newsletters.

Tab Mackenzie

Immunisation Coordinator

On days of forecast catastrophic fire danger rating for the Mid-North district:

Kapunda High School will remain open.

All school bus routes travelling to Kapunda High School will be cancelled.

Parents/caregivers of students who travel on school buses will be contacted via an SMS message to their mobile phone or a direct call to their landline (where a mobile has not been given to the school).  This will generally occur the night before.

Kapunda High School will additionally ‘broadcast’ using Facebook and the website www.kapundahs.sa.edu.au to remind families of bushfire procedures.

If a bushfire is reported in the area during the day:

Affected bus runs will not leave the school until the roads are declared safe by emergency services authorities.

Parents/caregivers will be notified and students will be supervised at school until buses can run, or until parents/caregivers are able to collect their children.

If during a bus run, the bus driver sights a bushfire and there is concern that it may affect the routes ahead, then the bus driver:

Has the authority to abandon the bus run and return to school, or

If safer to do so, drive to one of the pre-planned emergency areas (or CFS safer places) and activate the emergency bus procedure.

To support student safety, parents/caregivers are requested to:

Ensure that Kapunda High School is informed of any changes to phone numbers.

Follow weather announcements through the media.

Ensure that they do not put themselves at risk when coming to collect students from school.

Providing Information & Gaining Consent

Students driving or riding vehicles to and from school must complete an Information/Consent Form, available from the school Reception office. If circumstances change, the school must be notified.

Students must not transport other students as passengers without the knowledge of the Principal and a written consent from the parents of both the driver and prospective passengers.  Students bringing their vehicles to school must have a note from their parents notifying the school of this arrangement.  A permit is then issued.

Parking Areas

Students have access to public street parking on Hawke Street (at rear of school) and on High Street (opposite entrance of the school). Parking along West Terrace, directly in front of the fence line of the school, is by local council permit only and therefore not available to students. The opposite side of the road is an area for ‘drop off’ and ‘pick up’ during school hours only.

It is expected that students obey the road rules with regard to parking near neighbouring residents’ driveways and also show consideration to areas where their refuse collection takes place.

Parking on school grounds is generally not permitted.

Disability parking is available just inside the main entrance and to the left.

Caution

The beginning and end of the school day is a busy time, particularly on West Terrace and drivers are urged to drive with caution at the limited speed of 25 km/hr in the school zone. 

Any accidents must be reported to the police and also the Principal. The Bus Coordinator is on hand in the bus parking area at the beginning and end of the school day and support can be sought, if required.

Incidents of vandalism may be reported to the police, and the Principal should be alerted to the situation.