Welcome to our School Newsletter for Week 7, Term 3. 
 
Over Weeks 6 and 7, students have continued to excel in a range of areas and learning experiences: 

• Year 9 Canberra Camp 

• Half-day transition for incoming Year 7 students 

• KHS hosting the regional Country Cabinet, including Premier Peter Malinauskas MP and Education Minister Blair Boyer 

• KHS Royal Adelaide Ag Show Team 

• Subject Counselling 

• Whole School Assembly with House Points update 

School House Points 

A key focus area for our 2025 School Improvement Plan has been growing our positive school culture. At our recent Whole School Assembly, Mr McConnell shared an update on how each of the three School Houses are progressing with their points. These are earned through a wide range of measures, including attendance, achievement, and demonstrating school values. 
 
All three teams continue to progress well across the term and year – with Kidman currently in front by a small margin. Well done to all involved. 

As a result of our Positive School Culture strategies, we have seen growth in our whole school Wellbeing and Engagement Collection survey results, with an increase in the percentage of students reporting: 

• High engagement at school 

• High belonging at school 

• High connectedness at school 

Our ongoing commitment to the Berry Street Education Model aligns with our whole school approach to strive for a learning environment that is predictable and safe for all students. 

Subject Counselling 

Subject Counselling has been a major focus over the past few weeks, with continuing students considering and choosing subjects for the 2026 school year. 
 
I encourage families to read through our 2026 Curriculum Prospectus, which is a useful resource purposefully designed to support families in navigating discussions around career pathways, planning, and programs of study available at Kapunda HS. 
 
Well done to the Subject Counselling team for hosting a wide range of counselling appointments, and thank you to parents and caregivers for investing your time in these crucial discussions for your child/ren’s future. 

KHS Ag Show Team 

Congratulations to our Ag Show Team (lead by Karen Bromley), who have represented KHS proudly at the 2025 Royal Adelaide Show. The work undertaken by this team has been tremendous, with significant preparation in the lead-up to the show, including weekend work, early mornings, and late evenings. 
 
Some highlights already from the show include ribbons for both Dairy Heifers and fleece competitions. 

Staff Professional Learning 

On Tuesday, staff participated in Day 4 of the Berry Street Education Model training. 
 
The Berry Street Education Model is one of the key areas of teacher practice which informs our Whole School Wellbeing for Learning strategy. This crucial work is demonstrating strong impact on students’ engagement, belonging, and connectedness with school. 
 
Tuesday’s training centred around values, character strengths, and strategies for supporting students to be ready to learn. 

Bus Safety and Exiting the School 

At Kapunda High School, the safety of our students on school buses and when entering or leaving the school grounds is a top priority. Recently, SAPOL and Transport Services visited KHS to review safety on our bus runs. 
 
Following this, students have been reminded of their responsibilities as passengers, including wearing seat belts, showing respect for others, and ensuring their behaviour does not distract the driver. 
 
When students get off the bus in the morning, it is important they come straight into school grounds and cross roads safely. These small actions help keep everyone safe. 
 
At KHS, we are committed to working together with students and families to ensure that bus travel remains safe, respectful, and supportive for all. 

Congratulations David Marino 

On behalf of the entire Kapunda High School community, I wish to extend our congratulations to David Marino on his appointment as Principal at Nuriootpa High School. 
 
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge David's significant contributions to Kapunda High School, which have placed our school in a strong position moving forward. 
 
His efforts in enhancing the profile of our school, establishing consistency in expectations, and advancing VET and trade pathways—particularly the heritage trades program—have left a lasting impact. 
 
We wish you every success in your new role at Nuriootpa High School. We are confident that your leadership will strengthen connections and foster opportunities for collaboration between our schools in the future. 

Governing Council Meeting 

Our next Governing Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, 17th September. At this meeting we will be considering school business that typically occurs around this time of year, such as: 

• School Improvement progress
• Sun Protection Policy
• Materials & Services Charges for 2026 

As we approach the final weeks of Term 3, we keep our focus on students finishing the term well. Most classes have final assessments due, so I encourage students to make every effort and take every opportunity to grow their learning.

Tim Jones

Principal