24 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

Thank you to our support staff! (back row) Stephanie Bishop, Drew Mickan, Meagan Menzel, Carolyn Tolley, Keven Dooley, Madonna Dolphin, Jack Mickan, Kaye Clancy, Steve O’Donnell & Sarah Johnson (front row) Kerry Brown, Deb Hook, Stacey Rosenzweig, Tracy Wilson, Sue Coppin & Ann Richardson. Absent: Mark Jakeway, Alex Kitchen, Tab Mackenzie, Leanne Laubsch, Narelle Franklin, Felyka Leske & Peter Murphy.

From Our Principal

The ‘glue’ that holds the school together…our Support Staff

Across Australia last week, schools recognised the contribution of support staff who work in a variety of ways with our staff, students and parents.

Support Staff undertake a diversity of roles including:

• Grounds maintenance and development
• Resource Centre support
• Co-ordination of special events such as Presentation Evening
• Mentoring of students
• Classroom support for students with special learning needs
• IT Network maintenance and development
• Day-to-day management of a $6m budget
• Co-ordination of building management
• Administrative support for our Flexible Learning Options (FLO) and VET programmes
• Managing the ‘front office’ – phones, absences, mail, re-directing emails, receipt of monies, first aid, uniform sales, making appointments, etc.
• Preparing publications including the newsletter
• Preparation of Science experiments
• Canteen Management
• Pastoral support

At Kapunda High School we have a very dedicated, highly skilled and professional team. On behalf of the whole school community, I thank them for the work they do and the efforts they make every day for our school and students.

Malicious Hoax update

Late in term 1, I wrote to all families advising that we were working with SA Police following several malicious hoaxes related to the safety of members of the school community.

I am now able to advise that SA Police investigations were successful with a person subsequently admitting responsibility.

This has since been dealt with through the judicial system.

I thank you for your support with this matter. Whilst we have been assured by SA Police that there was no ‘real’ threat, we appreciate the significant impact these events had on the well-being of all members of the school community.

Stage 2 Food and Hospitality – Rotary Club Dinner

It was a pleasure to attend the Rotary Club of Kapunda dinner earlier this week – catered by the SACE Stage 2 Food and Hospitality class.

This tradition goes back over 20 years and it was great to see this year’s class once more rise to the challenge of presenting a quality meal – making use of fresh, local produce.

The local Rotary Club of Kapunda is a good friend to Kapunda High School, supporting us with a range of programs and also through their sponsorship of awards and individual students.

Clarifying suspension and exclusion

One of the least pleasant parts of being a senior leader or year level manager is contacting parents to advise them of the school’s decision to suspend or exclude their child from school. In an ideal world, all students would work within the school’s behaviour code all of the time.

However, there are times when suspension or exclusion are appropriate responses. Our department policy identifies these as when the principal believes on reasonable grounds that:

• The student has threatened or perpetrated violence
• The student has acted in a manner which threatens the good order of the school by persistently refusing to follow the school’s behaviour code
• The student has acted in a manner which threatens the safety or wellbeing of a student, member of staff or other person through sexual or racist harassment, verbal abuse, bullying or other means
• The student has acted illegally
• The student is interfering with the rights of other students to learn and of teachers to teach.

Students may also be suspended when the principal believes on reasonable grounds that:

• The student shows persistent and wilful inattention or indifference to school work.

Suspension is from one to five days and involves a `re-entry’ meeting with the student, parent/caregivers and school representatives. A plan is collaboratively developed at that meeting and identifies goals, expectations and supports for the student going forward.

A number of factors are considered before determining the length of time of the suspension, including:

• The nature and severity of the incident
• Events leading up to the incident
• The student’s history – was this a ‘one off’ or has there been a pattern of similar behaviour?
• The age of the student

Exclusion is for a longer period of time (depending on the age of the student) and involves a pre-exclusion conference with key parties - often including our local Behaviour Coach from the Gawler Regional Office. Alternative learning programmes are explored and the duration of the exclusion is discussed.

Advance notice: School Closure

Our Governing Council has approved a school closure on Monday, September 3 due to the Royal Adelaide Show.

Parents in Education Week

Parents in Education week is a joint initiative between the government, independent and Catholic preschool and school sectors. Parents in Education week promotes and highlights the importance of parents being engaged in their child’s learning and education from birth through to the end of school. The theme of the week for this year is Behaviours for learning and wellbeing: skills for life. Expert speakers will provide information and practical advice for parents to support their child’s learning and wellbeing while also being relevant to staff.

As a school we were successful in gaining a small grant to enable us to host sessions at school where recorded sessions of the presentations will be on offer.

The following sessions will be available for parents to attend at Kapunda School.

Wednesday, 29 August at 7:00pm – Living positively in a digital world: How to balance screen time with children’s learning and development. Presenters – Linda Cranley, University of Notre Dame and Genevieve Johnson, La Trobe University.

Wednesday, 5 September at 7:00pm – Behaviours for learning and wellbeing: How to set your child up for success. Presenter Dr Justin Coulson, leading parenting expert.

To register interest please email leeanne.cummins452@schools.sa.edu.au to book a place. Please indicate which sessions you would like to attend.

If you are interested in attending the live sessions they are running from 28th to 30th August at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Program details and registration can be found at the link below:

If you have any further questions please feel free to email me or contact me at school on 8566 2203.

Lee-Anne Cummins
Wellbeing Leader

TAFE SA Information Session – Fitness

Students, parents and caregivers are welcome to attend an Information Session about Certificate III in Fitness, on Monday, 27 August, at 6:00pm in Kidman Room, Eringa, if considering undertaking a Cert III in Fitness as part of SACE completion.

A TAFE Trainer will discuss what the course entails, how much training is required, how much the course costs, what theoretical and practical components will be undertaken, what pathways the course can lead to, as well as further study options.

I will show you how many SACE credits can be achieved and how a completed Cert III can contribute to achieving an ATAR.

We look forward to seeing you on the evening. Please register your intent to attend by sending me a DayMap message or email.

Penny Chancellor
Flexible Pathways Coordinator
Email: penny.chancellor315@schools.sa.edu.au

Open Girls and Boys Basketball

On Friday, 10 August, the Open Girls and Boys Basketball Teams played in the first round of the Knockout competition. Rain held off for the day, but the players battled icy-cold wind and slippery courts.

The girls played the strong Balaklava side first, who have now progressed to finals. The girls quickly found their playing style and adjusted to the conditions.

The girls came out firing in the second game against Horizon. Strong defensive play from first time basketballer, Shania Chenoweth, forced several turn overs, which were supported by quick transitions by Amy Wilsdon and Chloe Dabrowski. Zali Brook found her place in the key, resulting in several quick scores to cement the win 25-9.

The third and fourth games against Eudunda and Burra proved challenging, as the girls struggled with facing much taller, more experienced girls. A three pointer from another first time basketball, Chloe Rowe, not quite enough to secure the win.

Overall, the girls played well as a new team and enjoyed the experience.

Thank you to Year 10 student, Maisen McInerney and pre-service teacher, Jessica Read for umpiring for the day.

The boys team opened with a game against the traditionally strong and competitive squad from Balaklava.

Our opposition started strongly and adjusted to the cold and slippery conditions better than we did. They were able to penetrate the key-way in offence and consistently finished off easy shots under the basket to establish a small lead of 6- 10 points, which they maintained for most of the game. However, they found themselves in foul trouble and their best player fouled out late in the game. Still down by 6 points with only a couple of minutes to go, the Kapunda boys extended their defensive pressure and were able to create important turn overs which led to scoring opportunities. With the clock winding down, the boys were able to tie the game up before hitting the lead with only seconds remaining in the game. Kapunda escaped with a well-earned 2 point win and a good start to the day.

The team went on to play against teams from Eudunda, Horizon and Burra. As the day progressed the team grew in confidence and started to find its rhythm. They worked the ball around the key to find openings close to the basket and the taller players started to dominate on the boards to maintain possession. Our defense remained strong restricting opposing teams to low percentage shots. In the end the team enjoyed comfortable wins in their final games to finish the day undefeated and qualifying them to play in the Pool C Finals in Adelaide.

Lara McCarthy and Ben Dibb
Coaches

Umpires, Maisen & Jessica

Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 students undertook work experience last week, exploring a huge range of career pathways between them.

Some of the placements were in:

Year 10s – you represented yourself and Kapunda High School exceptionally well, and we proudly listened to the feedback we received from employers about our amazing students!

We hope you enjoyed your learning experience placement, that the learning was valuable and that this placement was able to give you just a taste of what the world of work can offer. Make sure you complete your Work Experience Journals to submit for your PLP task and listen to the experiences others’ had to further develop your knowledge about the world of work, and difference workplace experiences.

Some student comments:

I enjoyed my work placement, because it involved very hands-on physical work and my supervisor was pleasant to be around. Charlie McConville

It was great to get out and try something hands-on and to learn new things. Luke Barnes

I liked how I was able to be in a school, but observing with a teacher’s perspective and I liked helping and interacting with the children. Chelsea Ruediger

I enjoyed learning about both PE and classroom teaching - seeing how different it is to what I actually thought when they were teaching me. More effort goes into being a teacher than we actually realize. Liam Hoerisch

I liked how comfortable and easy going the work place was. I liked how I got my makeup done by the students studying there. Kim Schwarz

Penny Chancellor
Flexible Pathways Coordinator

Final Notice

It’s terrific to see that so many families have either paid their Materials and Services Charges or set up a payment plan with the school. Unfortunately, a significant number have neither contributed to their outstanding charge nor made contact with the school to discuss the matter. This is concerning as final notices are about to be forwarded to these families.

Communication is the key – we want to hear from you

KHS understands that sometimes families have difficulties meeting their financial obligations. Please contact Administration/Finance Officer, Sue Coppin as a matter of urgency and she will assist you in setting up a manageable payment plan to avoid referral to the Debt Recovery Unit as required by DECD process.

Not my priority!

Power bills, council rates, car rego… school fees! Get in touch with us – we can help take some of the pressure off by assisting you to set up a manageable payment plan for the Materials and Services Charges. Sue Coppin may be contacted via email: sue.coppin405@schools.sa.edu.au or by phoning the school.

School Card Assistance

Declined! Have you been waiting for School Card acceptance and now you've found out that you're not eligible?

Time to make contact with our Administration/Finance Officer, Sue Coppin. KHS would certainly prefer to have an achievable payment plan in place for the family involved than refer to the Debt Recovery Unit. Have you considered scheduling payments using online banking to meet this financial obligation? Some families have found that being able to set the amount and regularity suits their needs well.

It’s the school’s responsibility to apply for School Card Assistance for our family, isn’t it?

Sometimes people have an understanding that the school is responsible for applying for School Card Assistance on their behalf – this is not the case. However Sue Coppin, our Administration/Finance Officer, is happy to offer support to families in completing the application

Haven't yet applied for School Card this year - you've been eligible in the past, but have you checked the criteria - have your circumstances changed? Are you sure you are still eligible?

Visit the following website for information about eligibility and to apply online or obtain a hard copy application form. Alternatively, the school can provide a hard copy.

We get it every year – doesn’t that just happen? Surely we don’t need to keep applying each year?

School Card Assistance must be applied for each year. Circumstances change and so may your eligibility.

Options for payments

Payment may be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard or by Direct Bank Deposit (see details below) Students are to make payments prior to the start of the school day (8:50am) to avoid carrying around large sums of money through the day. Parents/caregivers may make payments anytime from 8:30am to 3:30pm.

Uniform Sale

Don’t get left in the cold!

Attention: Year 12 students

Kapunda High students can benefit from Country Education Foundation grants in 2019

The 2019 funding round of scholarships and awards is now open.

Kapunda High School Centenary Foundation, now in its 12th year, advises students of Kapunda High School that they are now able to apply for financial assistance with their post-school education and training.

As a result of the extreme generosity of many donors, the Foundation is in a position to make over $25,000 available to a range of students who are embarking upon, or continuing with, a vocational pathway or a course of university study in 2019. In the past, assistance has ranged from $500 to $2000 per grant.’

Current year 12 students are eligible to apply for funding consideration for 2019 and are invited to collect a brochure and information sheet from the school front office. Students will be required to submit at least two written references supporting their application.

At least one reference should be from the school indicating a student’s ability in the areas in which they wish to pursue their future studies.

A second reference may be from outside of school and could cover such things as membership of sporting teams, employment experience, special interests or mention of community involvement or volunteering. This reference can also relate to the future area of study/vocational training that an applicant may wish to pursue.

Students are asked to allow sufficient time for a referee to do justice to a request. Last minute efforts do not always produce the best result.

Once the references are obtained, along with school reports from years 11 and 12, students may start the process of application by going online to the Country Education Foundation’s website at the link below, click on APPLY FOR A GRANT and follow the prompts. Applications close online at 10 pm on Sunday, 30 September 2018.

Flinders University Open Day

On Friday, 10 August, Kapunda High School students in years 10, 11 and 12 visited the Flinders University Open Day.

There were information sessions, interactive activities and all faculties had a display where students could talk to people about course selection.

As usual, our students were very well behaved and throughout the day, made the most of the opportunity to find out career information.

Year 12 students are currently in the process of applying via SATAC for tertiary courses. The early closing date for University entrance is 28 September. The application fee is $40, payable by 3 December. After this date the application fee will increase to $175. This fee is also payable before 3 December. Any applicants that have not paid by 3 December will not be sent a course offer. Early offer round for first preference offers for selected courses will be on 20 December.

TAFESA applications are open. Early offer round for some courses in November for first preferences only. Those needing to take a CSPA test must have done so by 27 November to be considered for the first round.

Please contact me at school should families need any help with applying.

There was a YouTube link in the last edition to step families through the process.

Tracy Warner
Assistant Principal senior School

STEM Ambassadors

We have two STEM Ambassadors at Kapunda High School this year: Mitchell Trotta and Jed Carpenter. During the last school holidays, they attended a five day live-in STEM camp at Mylor, where they did a range of STEM Quests and visited Universities and other places. One of the students, Mitchell said, ‘the STEM Camp was an exciting, action-packed week filled with entertaining activities and creative thinking. I was able to meet new people who shared the same interests as me and make new friends. My favourite part of the camp was travelling to the Adelaide Desalination Plant and learning how salt is filtered out from salt water using a process known as 'reverse osmosis'. The plant can produce up to half of Adelaide's needs and is always running and generating clean water. The camp left me exhausted, but eager to continue searching for a future STEM career.’

Mitchell Trotta with Jed Carpenter to his left

They have also recently visited Wasleys Primary School for their Science Expo to introduce STEM and Science to the students. Students made ‘Elephant’s Toothpaste’ and our students showed the primary school students how to do water filtering, using just sand, gravel and cotton wool. They also showed the students our drone and gave some flying demonstrations. Along with Mitchell were Noah Seward, and Quinn Railton-Hall (Jed was absent).

The primary school students really enjoyed the hands on experience with chemistry and trying different ways to use the sand, gravel and cotton wool to filter water.

Home Group Basketball

Last term, all home groups competed in a round-robin basketball competition. All teams participated successfully. It was great to see the skills of all students develop and a friendly sense of competition, not only between home groups, but year levels, staff and students.

Congratulations to the following home group winners:

Also special congratulations to:

• The Year 8 team, who beat the Year 9s in the first cross year level game.
• Students who, for the first time in a very long time, dominated the staff, despite the staff having ten players on the court at one point of the game!

This competition could not run without the support from student and staff umpires and scorers. Thank you all for your dedication across the term - much appreciated!

Lara McCarthy
Home Group Basketball Coordinator
Ed: Thanks to Lara for her efforts, too!

Year 9 Camp

Friday Activities

Year 8 student, Nick Incoll smashed the Knock ‘em Down game - being the only student to be able to knock all blocks down during the recess time activity.

The Smarties Game was the recess time activity for Week 4. Ten Smarties were placed on a plate. While one of the students had their eyes closed, Drew pointed to one of the ten smarties. The student could then pick up the Smarties one at a time and eat them. If they picked up the chosen smartie, everyone called stop and that became the last Smartie for that student. Several students got all ten Smarties.

At lunch time, Darts was the activity. Students had to hit the inner or outer bullseye or hit a number of their choice to win a prize. Mr Hoerisch showed his skill by hitting his chosen number (no. 11) with each of his three darts.

Community Notices

Volleyball Registrations

International Service Opportunities for High School Students this summer

Projects Abroad are a global volunteer organisation who provide opportunities for high school students to take part in service work in developing countries across Africa, Asia and South America among others. Thousands of students join their projects each year, helping with initiatives aimed at assisting childhood education, community renovation, conservation work or even community healthcare, all in third world countries such as Cambodia, Nepal and Fiji.

Students in years 10 and 11 can join with friends or as individuals on their 2-week High School Projects, where they will meet and work with students from across Australia and the world, all supervised by Projects Abroad’s team of full time local staff in each destination, who offer constant support and guidance for volunteers.

Students in year 12 might consider an alternative to traditional schoolies festivities with a meaningful project to Samoa, Thailand or Sri Lanka on a 2-week Alternate Schoolies Projects, or perhaps a more tailored project in their summer break geared towards university studies prior to beginning in March, such as a teaching project for the budding teacher or a medicine project for the budding doctor.

Interested students can visit the website at the link below or email info@projects-abroad.com.au for more information.