15 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

Kidman Wins Athletics Day! House Captains, Chloe Dabrowski & Cameron Schmidt (centre) with Junior and Vice Captains, Maddison McMahon, Nicole Kruse (left), Andrew Prior & Kobe Brooks (right)

From Our Principal

Carpe Diem – Seize the Day

The last few weeks have been quite challenging for me, as I have had to contend with the sudden death of my much loved younger (and only) brother.

As someone who generally has very few days away from school for illness or family reasons, it has certainly been a different experience as I have travelled back and forth to the northern part of the state several times to support my parents with the co-ordination of my brother’s funeral.

Being part of Sports Day is usually sacrosanct for me, but on this occasion, it just wasn’t possible. I was pleased to hear, however, that the day went extremely well – thanks to Mark Leslie’s excellent co-ordination.

In the midst of this, I have been appointed as Acting Education Director for the Gawler Portfolio Schools for the remainder of the term – commencing on Monday, March 18.

Taking on a new challenge – albeit for a short period of time – is partly about me reflecting on my life and legacy. Life is truly fragile and we never know when things are going to change – for us and our family. Rather than always remaining in my comfort zone, when the offer came, I felt it was time to ‘seize the day’.

Working across schools and pre-schools within the three partnerships of Barossa, Greater Gawler and Goyder and Light will be a great learning experience for me and will provide opportunities for others back at our school for the last four weeks of term.

Deputy Principal, Mr Tim Jones, will be Acting Principal from Monday, March 18 until Friday, April 12. I will be back ‘on deck’ from the beginning of Term 2.

Communicating with Staff Out of School Hours

Once upon a time, if you wanted to communicate with a teacher, there was really only one way – you rang Reception during school hours and a message was taken for them to call you back.

However, times have changed and it is now possible for us all to communicate electronically through email or DayMap – at any time of the day.

Personally, I find it easiest to send a message to my child’s teachers late at night or early in the morning.

Having said all that, it is important to remember a few things:

• If the issue is urgent, it is still advisable that you ring Reception.
• Generally speaking, it cannot be expected that teachers will be accessing their emails or DayMap messages late at night or over the weekend. (they will most likely to get back to you over the next 24-48 hours).
• A number of our staff work part-time so may not check their messages on a day when they are not on site.
• Similarly, if a teacher is sick or taking another form of leave, it is unlikely that they will respond on that day.
• If you have not had a reply within a few days, please contact Reception and check that the message has been received.

Students are encouraged to also contact their teachers out of class time using DayMap – especially when they are having difficulty with the learning. This is a great way of alerting teachers where there is a problem. However, sending a draft at 10:00pm and then expecting that it has been read and responded to by 9:00 am the following morning is rather optimistic!

Tackling Bullying – Everyone’s Business

Today is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

In a survey of wellbeing and engagement undertaken by our Year 8 and 9 students in Term 4, it emerged that verbal victimisation (name calling, teasing and being humiliated) was the most common form of bullying experienced by our students.

This was closely followed by social victimisation such as being left out, people gossiping or spreading rumours.

The survey showed that students who rarely experienced bullying reported higher levels of happiness, satisfaction with life and lower levels of sadness and worries.

At Kapunda High School we have a clear policy which is available on our website. Furthermore, we have a bullying and harassment flow chart that outlines our response when issues are reported – see below. We follow this up with sessions in our extended home group programme.

But we cannot do it alone. As parents, we can also support our young people to make good choices about how they communicate with their peers. We can teach them about empathy for others and question their motives and actions, rather than assuming that someone else must have caused it.

And if they are on the receiving end? Rather than condoning retaliation or getting involved yourself, advise them to not respond, but to report it instead.

We are also encouraging students to report when they witness bullying – even if it doesn’t involve them.

Kristen Masters
Principal

Uniform Sale

FLU Vaccinations available

Students will have the opportunity to receive an influenza vaccination at KHS on Tuesday, 19 March (week 8) during recess and lunch times, in room 65 with Health and Immunisation Management Services (HAIMS).

Consent forms are available from the Reception office (parent consent required for students under 18 years of age) or click on the link below to download. Cost is $22 (including GST), which should be paid on the day to HAIMS.

Ann Richardson
KHS Immunisation Administration

TAFESA Open Night

On Monday, 18 March, the Barossa Tafe campus is hosting an Open Night. Taking your child(ren) along to Open Days like this can open their eyes to the pathways from school, through Tafe (or other private Registered Training Organisations), into industry or on to university. These local trainers are connected to employers and have current industry knowledge. They have a good sense of upcoming local opportunities and development.

Attending Open Days can inspire students to dream of future possibilities and open up conversations about potential employment options.

Barossa Tafe campus offer a great range of courses including Screen and Media, Information Technology, Automotive, Commercial Cookery, Early Childhood Education and Care, Individual Support Services, Metals Engineering, Agriculture, Winemaking, Hospitality (Front of House) and Horticulture to name a few! Trainers will be available to speak about course delivery and employment options, as well as allowing visitors to have a ‘hands on’ experience if they attend the Open Night.

I hope to see you there!

Penny Chancellor
Assistant Principal (VET, FLO, Careers)

Wellbeing and Engagement Collection

We are continuously striving to provide the best support and learning environment for our students. In that context we often seek feedback from them on a range of topics to track how things are going along with areas for improvement. Students at Kapunda High are being invited to take part in the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection being facilitated by the Department for Education. This will be run across years 8 to 12, for all of our students. Following the collection the school receives a detailed report of the results.

The survey asks students about their social and emotional wellbeing; school relationships and engagement and learning in school, as well as physical health and wellbeing, and after school activities. Responses are totally confidential and no individual student can be identified.

A letter outlining more information about the survey has been sent home with your child. If you have not received it, click to view the letter below. We will be conducting the survey later this term across weeks 8 to 10.

We see this as a valuable opportunity to gather information that will allow us continue to work on providing well rounded learning opportunities for your child and trust you will see the benefits of us being involved in this activity.

Lee-Anne Cummins
Well Being Leader

Learning Support Centre Pizza Night

On Wednesday, 27 February, our Learning Support Centre held their annual pizza night for new year 8 students and their families.

It was fantastic to see many families come along to discover the programs and support we have to offer at Kapunda High School. The evening began with Ms Elizabeth Gary-Smith welcoming everyone, followed by our professional SSO team giving an informative talk about each aspect of our Learning Support Centre including:

• mentoring
• MaqLit
• Quicksmart
• classroom support
• Learning Support Centre student support
• Student Hub
• break time activities
• resources available to students

Visitors were encouraged to a wander through the Learning Support Centre, enjoy some pizza and drinks, and take the opportunity to chat with our staff and other Kapunda High School families.

Athletics Day Results

Medal & Trophy Winners

AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS

HOUSE RESULTS

Elijah Smith is off to Canberra to contribute to political debate

From Tuesday 19 March to Thursday 21 March 2019, Elijah Smith from Kapunda High School will be among 120 Year 11 and 12 students from around Australia attending the 24th National Schools Constitutional Convention (NSCC), being held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra. The Convention is supported by all state and territory Ministers and funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.

The topic for the 2019 Convention is, ‘A new constitutional preamble for Australia?’ This topic will provide students with the opportunity to explore the present Constitution and if a preamble is required. A range of stimulus speakers will discuss the issues with students for them to debate with all delegates.

Outcomes from the Convention will be incorporated into a Communiqué that will be presented to the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Sue Lines, for tabling in Parliament and recorded in Hansard.

As a national delegate Elijah will be part of a group of 12 students travelling from South Australia.

I am excited to experience our nation’s capital. The ability to debate and interact with like-minded individuals is something I am really looking forward too.

I will also be able to meet a range of high ranking officials in their fields - hoping to gain more contacts for my future career pathways.

Elijah Smith

Other elements of the program will include a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Hon Tony Smith MP at Parliament House, and a dinner at the High Court of Australia.

Entertainment Books – Available NOW!

SunSmart

Hats – available now!

A variety of bucket and broad-brimmed hats are available from our Reception office. Plain navy bucket hats are available through Devon Clothing

Immunisation Session 1 – Year 8

The first immunisation session for Year 8 students will be on Tuesday, 19 March.

Students are encouraged to eat breakfast that morning.

Immunisation Schedule for 2019

Community Notices

Adelaide Careers & Employment Expo

May 10 - 9:00am – 3:00pm
May 11 – 10:00am – 4:00pm
Adelaide Showground
FREE event

The Interactive Skills Zones at the Careers Expo presented by Government of SA - Department for Industry & Skills

The Skills Zones will be filled with ‘hands on’ displays, allowing students to experience SA’s Future Apprenticeship and Training Opportunities.

There will be Eight Interactive Zones featuring careers in:

• Creative Industries & Digital
• Defence, It & Cyber Security
• Construction, Mining & Energy
• Health, Fitness, Community Services & Disability
• Food, Wine & Tourism
• Transport & Manufacturing
• Business, Education & Services
• Agribusiness

Applications for the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) are open!

There are so many fantastic benefits to studying a degree through ADFA, such as;

• learning management and leadership skills,
• earning a salary while studying for a degrees, and
• a guaranteed job on graduation.

What's life like at ADFA?

At ADFA your students will live in a lively and supportive team environment while completing a degree in arts, business, computing, engineering, science or technology. Their food and accommodation will be subsidised, they’ll enjoy a wide range of free sporting opportunities, and even their medical and dental will be paid for.

While they concentrate on their studies, a rewarding career as an Officer in the Navy, Army or Air Force will await them, with dozens of jobs to choose from. Then once they start work, the benefits keep growing - with travel, unique experiences, a fulfilling lifestyle and no help debt

Year 12 students wishing to apply for ADFA 2020 intake will need to attend the July officer selection board. The cut-off date to be booked to this board is June 6. Students should start their application now to ensure they meet the cut-off date. Find more information about the application process by clicking the link below or come long to our next ADFA information session.

ADFA Information Session
Monday MAR 25 at 6pm
L4 191 Pulteney St Adelaide