from the principal · various skill building activities. thursday was year 8 sports day. students...

Term 1 | Week 3 | 14 February 2020

From the PrincipalSince my appointment to Blackwood High School in Term 2 2017, my focus has been on excellence in all that we do - especially student learning and achievement. This resonates well with the Blackwood High School vision of inspiring students to:• achieve • respect others • learn about the importance of community and

traditions • be responsible and active as local and global

citizens.

Although developed a number of years ago, the school vision still has currency and purpose as it informs our work so that students develop the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions to be successful young adults beyond their secondary schooling. Underpinning the vision are our core values of Care, Achieve and Respect, encapsulated in the motto “Inspiring Achievement and Respect”, which guide the behaviours of our school community.

Blackwood High School staff have high expectations and standards for teaching, learning and behaviour. Our focus on excellence is the achievement of personal best – in student learning and achievement. We want our students to be engaged, challenged, to question and inquire, to work collaboratively with others, to develop self-efficacy and be active participants in the learning process.

As staff, we understand the important role we play in educating students so they achieve their best, academically and in other endeavours. Hence the focus on excellence and standards applies to us too. We have a strong focus on curriculum development/renewal and work collaboratively in teams to share and learn from each other in order to continually improve our teaching practice for the betterment of student learning, engagement and achievement. Our Site Improvement Plan makes explicit our improvement goals for 2019 - 2021.

The updated 2020 version will be presented to Governing Council for endorsement at their first meeting this term.

Once the plan is endorsed, it will replace the 2019 version currently available on our website. Certainly it is an exciting time to be working at Blackwood High School!

2019 Year 12 SACE ResultsCongratulations to our 2019 Year 12 Graduates. Once again, results were outstanding with 100% SACE completion and an increase in the number of students achieving A and B grades. We especially congratulate the following students who received an ATAR greater than 90:Lily Conlon Harriet Cooling Leiane Doyle Ashlee Hills Joel Keen Lionel MendsLucas Milsom Noah Osmond Emma Potter Alina Tairli Kirralee West Olivia WheelerJenna Zeman

A special congratulations to Alina Tairli, Dux of Year 12, who achieved the highest ATAR amongst her cohort of 99, and to Lily Conlon and Ashlee Hills who both achieved Merits for Stage 2 Health which were presented to them at the SACE Merit Ceremony on Tuesday 4 February.

Inspiring Achievement and Respect2

Blackwood High School high achievers

Of the 136 students who achieved the SACE, 104 students received an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). The university courses chosen by the 2019 cohort include:• Nursing • Education• Science • Social Work• Medical Sciences • Computer Science/IT• Law • Psychology• Aviation - Pilot • Health Science• Journalism • Social Science• Engineering - Mechanical, Civil, Environmental, Chemical, Mining• Business and Marketing/Commerce

We wish our 2019 graduates the very best as they embark on new challenges beyond school.

Finally, I wish students the very best with their learning this year– aim high to achieve your personal best. I look forward to working in partnership with families so our students, your children, are successful.

Sharon Goldman, Principal

• Congratulations to Lachlan Rudd, in Year 10, who represented South Australia in the Under 16 Boys Nationals for Softball in Melbourne from 4 to 10 January 2020.

• Congratulations to Charlea-Rose Lemke, in Year 11, who will be representing Adelaide All Star Cheerleading, South Australia and Australia at the Cheerleading Worlds Championships held in Orlando, Florida USA in April 2020.

If you would like your child’s achievement to be placed in this section of the newsletter please email the school with details.

We say goodbye and good luck to a familiar face in the canteen. Annie Sunqvist has retired this year, after 12 years of service in the Blackwood High School Canteen, to start new adventures. We thank her for all the wonderful work she has done and wish her well.Louise Williamson, Canteen Manager

Canteen News

Governing Council AGMI would like to remind families of the Blackwood High School Governing Council Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday 3 March. The evening will begin with refreshments and nibbles at 6.30pm with the meeting starting at 7.00pm.

At the meeting, I will present the 2019 Annual Report. In addition, we will confirm the membership of the 2020 Governing Council based on nominations from parents/caregivers. Information regarding the AGM and the nomination process will be sent home by email in the coming weeks. If you would like further information, please contact the school.


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We ask that parents/caregivers do not enter the school ground to drop off/pick up their children. The school does not have formal drop off and pick up locations on site. The onsite car parks are only for staff use, apart from the first five parks along the busway which are dedicated visitor parks.

The road that traverses through the school from Seymour Street to Northcote Street is restricted to school buses between 8am and 4pm. Parents/caregivers should not be using this road during this time. Also, please do not drop off and pick up students in the Blackwood Community Recreation Centre car park as this car park is only for patrons of the gym.

Thank you to families for supporting us to maintain a safe school environment for all students.

Thank you to families for supporting the Blackwood High School Uniform Policy. Students have begun the year looking very smart in their uniform. However, there are a number of students choosing to wear the incorrect pants, shorts and shoes.

The student diary and school website clearly state the school uniform requirements. I ask that parents/caregivers speak to their children about the requirements to ensure students are dressed correctly for school.Students who continue to wear non-uniform attire will be followed up and parents/caregivers will be informed that their child is not adhering to the school uniform requirements. If this continues students will be provided with the correct uniform items to wear during the school day, including black shoes.

Parental support in ensuring all students meet the uniform requirements will enable a consistent and successful implementation of this policy.

If families have questions or concerns about the uniform requirements or require support, please contact the school.


Student Safety

Uniform

Homestay Families Wanted - March 2020Planning is already underway for the arrival of our first Japanese Study Tour group visiting Blackwood High School in 2020. The group of 15 students aged about 15 years, from Morioka Chuo High School will be with us from 8 – 18 March. This will be Morioka’s tenth visit to Blackwood and we are planning some special anniversary activities.

The visitors will have a full program of activities, including English lessons, cooking, netball, art, a trip to Victor Harbor and the city and an anniversary dinner.

If you are interested in hosting a Japanese student for this short visit or would like more information, please contact Karyn Jones via email [email protected] or call the school on 8278 0900. Host families will receive a homestay payment of $430 per student to defray expenses for the 10-night visit.There may also be the option to host two students from this group.

Karyn Jones, Leader, International Student Programs and LOTE


Middle School updateWe welcomed our Year 8 students to high school in a very busy fashion. Week 1 saw our camp cancelled due to the heat, but this meant all students were involved in our Year 8 Orientation Day. Students participated in outdoor Care Group bonding activities, heard about and signed up for events for Pool Day, and created Care Group banners to help support them at events.

Students participated in Year 8 Orientation Week during Week 2, which involved library orientation, safety in practical subjects, bibliography writing, using DayMap, using Education Perfect, and many other various skill building activities. Thursday was Year 8 Sports Day. Students spent the afternoon practising and understanding events for our Athletics Carnival, held in Week 5. 8B were the victors, winning both relays at the end of the day. We ended the week at the Unley Swimming Pool for Pool Day. It was a perfect way to end the week.

Renee Daish and Charlotte Twizell, Leaders, Middle School Learning Communities

Year 8 Sports Day 2020On Thursday 6 February, the annual Year 8 Sports Day was held. The event included a range of track and field events and was conducted as a “Standards” day with students receiving a point for participation and a score either of 1, 2, 3 or 4 based on their performance. The day was an opportunity for students to gain experience in events prior to the Whole School Athletics Carnival on Friday 28 March (Week 5). The contest was close throughout the day across all Care Groups due to high levels of enthusiasm and participation but in the end 8B, Ms Conley’s class, were the overall winners. Congratulations to all students for their enthusiastic participation on the day.

The results for the day were: 1st 8B 17.392nd 8H 16.403rd 8D 16.04 8G 16.045th 8C 14.896th 8A 14.807th 8F 14.288th 8E 13.77

Erin Mcintee, Leader, Health and Physical Education

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Year 9 Orientation Day The Year 9 Orientation Day for 2020 had the theme of Growth Mindset – How can we challenge ourself to achieve?

We were privileged to have returning old scholar, Abbey Holmes speak to us about her experiences as a trailblazing AFLW Footballer and member of the reality TV series, Australian Survivor. She talked with the students about her life decisions that set a course for her later success, buying her first house by 21 and then leaving Adelaide for Darwin to forge a career in real estate.

Her message was inspiring and was proof of the value of hard work and being open to opportunities to develop yourself to the best of your abilities.

The second half of the day was spent at Flinders University engaging in hands on learning tutorials with University staff. These ranged from building rollercoasters to medical science to looking at the science of flavour. These sessions provided our students with the ability to engage in new activities that promoted creativity, communication and team work.

We hope that this experience will provide a chance for each student to reflect on their own challenges, but also the things that shape them and make them unique.

Dan Smith, Year 9 Teacher


Senior School updateIt has been a great start for the ‘new look’ Senior School in 2020. For the first time we have welcomed our Year 10 students into the Senior School. We envisage that this will assist the Year 10 students’ transition into the rigours that come with studying SACE subjects. We also welcomed some new members to the Senior School Leadership Team. The team enlisted to support your children with their learning and development are as follows:Mr Ashley Robinson – Assistant Principal, Senior SchoolMs Kate Young – Leader, Year 10 - 12 and SACE CoordinationMr Matthew Loan – Leader, Year 10 - 12Mr Andrew Cavallaro – Leader, Student Pathways and Career DevelopmentMs Argie Buesnel – Student Wellbeing Leader

These staff will be working with all students across the three year levels so please feel free to contact any one of us and we would be happy to be of assistance.

Orientation DayOur Orientation Day was held on Friday 31 January. Although the steamy weather made some of the conditions a little uncomfortable, it was an enjoyable day that we hope will build a solid foundation for students as they go through the year.

The Year 10 students got their first opportunity to begin seriously thinking about their pathway beyond schooling. They took part in their first WHS requirement to be ready to undertake Work Experience. They then took part in a new initiative called Speed Careering. For this session we had 19 members from the community and from a wide range of industries come in and give small groups of students an outline of why they love their chosen career. They also talked about how they got into that career and some of the roles they undertake. The students had some time to ask questions of their presenter before they moved on to another group. The presenters career roles include SAPOL, Nurses, Surveyors, University Researchers, Plumbers, Builders, Rescue Workers, Lawyers, Writers, Tattooists, Pharmacy Workers and Bankers. The students engaged really well with the session and they used the final session of the day to explore some of the careers that they found most interesting through the Blackwood High School Careers page.

The Year 11 and 12 students spent the day at Flinders University to take part in a range of activities designed to build on good study habits as well as workshops, facilitated by the University Ambassadors, to give our students a taste of University life. Guest speakers spoke to the students about better time management, managing anxiety and dealing with some of the tricks our minds play on us. Again, the students engaged well with the day and demonstrated high level commitment towards their studies.

Class of 2019We had some outstanding results for our Year 12 cohort of 2019. All of the students that were eligible to complete SACE managed to do so successfully. We also had 13 students receive ATARs of 90 or above with our highest being 99.0. Two students received Merits and attended a reception at Government House last week. These are some amazing results and it is a credit to all of the hard work put in by the students and staff. We look forward to doing even better this year.

Ashley Robinson, Assistant Principal, Senior School

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World ChallengeAfter an agonising 18 month lead up, 22 November signified the wait was over for 15 students travelling to Cambodia and Vietnam for the 2019 World Challenge Expedition.

Our first stop was Siem Reap, home to the largest religious monument in the world, the stunning Angkor Wat. After taking part in a responsible tourism seminar and getting used to the new sights and smells, the team were quickly out on their acclimatisation trek in the Kulen mountain range. In high humidity and testing terrain it was a tough introduction but the welcoming local people and swimming in the river at the end of a long day were great rewards.

An early start allowed the team the opportunity to see the sun rise over the temple of Angkor. After watching in awe, we set off to tour the complex on mountain bikes. This was a unique way to see the crumbling, mystical ruins which included sites used in the Angelina Jolie film “Tomb Raider”.

Leaving Siem Reap behind, a nine hour bus trip east took us to the destination for our challenge phase – Banlung and the Ratanakiri Province.

For five days the team trekked through jungle and bamboo forest, sleeping in hammocks and cooking over an open fire. Walking with our packs laden with food and equipment, the going was slow but we were always rewarded with a waterfall or stream to cool off after a hot day trekking. Our last night was spent in a small community where we were able to talk through an interpreter to the owner of the property about Cambodian life and their turbulent past.

Our next stop was the capital, Phnom Penh. Our time here was action packed including visiting Free the Bears for a behind the scene look at their efforts to rescue captured sun and moon bears and attending an AFL clinic with the Cambodian women’s team. But most importantly, it was a time for reflection at the S21 prison and Killing Fields Museum where many of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge Campaign occurred. Although chilling, it was an important lesson for our team in understanding the resilience of the people to rebuild after such senseless violence.


Vietnam beckoned – great food, bustling city life; this was a whole new experience after the laid back vibe of Cambodia.

Basing ourselves south in the Mekong Delta, we spent a memorable five days contributing to a group project, building a house in a poor rural community. Working from 8 till 11:30 each morning, the group were involved in tasks such as moving materials, digging and lining a septic tank, bending wire for bricklaying, mixing cement and laying bricks. In the afternoons we would participate in community engagement activities such as learning how to plant rice, talking with the Red Cross about their projects in the area and making conical hats. Our final day was a sad occasion, leaving behind many of the local people that had worked side by side with us. Our fundraising money had been put to good effect as we had purchased a mattress, bedding and cooking goods from the local market, which were delivered on the final morning. This was accompanied with a 15 million Vietnamese Dong ($980AUD) donation to continue the housing project work in the area.

After a short break in the beachside resort town of Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh would be our last stop. The highlights of our time here were visiting the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels giving us an interesting insight into the Vietnam War and the AO show, a Cirque de Soleil style acrobatic show. Being the home of Vietnamese street food, we were treated to some amazing meals, adventuring off the tourist trail to find hidden restaurants full of locals.

The success of these expeditions comes down to the hard work of the students and parents /caregivers to save and prepare over a long period. We had significant community support this year, particularly from the Coromandel Rotary club who the teams worked with in the lead up, assisting with their garden sales. Thanks also goes to our Expedition leader, Rich for his continued support of our school over multiple expeditions, providing a safe environment for our young people to grow throughout the trip. Also, thank you to our hardworking staff, Steve and Renee who provided great support and guidance to all our students.

Dan Smith, World Challenge Coordinator

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A busy start to the year for our Special Interest Netball and Football program classes.

Our ten Special Interest classes of Netball and Boys and Girls Football are underway with a variety of curriculum activities. These include fitness testing, skill development, theory tasks and for some, starting a Strength and Conditioning program in the Blackwood Recreation Centre gym. This is an important part of the Netball Program girls training for the Waverley Netball Carnival in Term 2. The Boys and Girls Football program students will commence their umpiring course with SANFL Umpire development officer, Andrew Crosby next week.

Peta Maher, Nick Liddle and Janet Bradley, Specialist Program Managers

Specialist Program update


Arts updateWelcome to 2020, the Arts team look forward to an exciting year ahead with a wide variety of Arts opportunities for students at Blackwood High School to engage in. I have listed below what is on offer, and look forward to the continued growth of these programs and engagement by our students.

MusicThe Instrumental Program continues to grow under the leadership of Sarah Butler from Instrumental Music Services. Any student enrolled in Year 9, 10 Music and VET are eligible for a Instrumental Music lesson. Students can enrol in any of the following - vocal, guitar, percussion, strings (Violin, Viola and Cello), woodwind instruments as well as brass, trumpet, and saxophone.

Year 8 students are also eligible, as they will study a half term of Music. If your child is interested, they can pick up a letter and enrolment form from the Performing Arts office.To enhance these programs students will have the opportunity to be part of the following music ensembles:• Vocal Group led by Simela Petridis Thursday lunchtime• Stage Band, Year 8 Band with Michael Winter

DanceThe Dance Star Program will kick start with auditions in Week 4 of Term 1. This is an extra curricular program in which students can audition for a role in a team. We hope to enter teams in the following sections:• Year 8 and 9 Hip Hop • Senior Hip Hop • Jazz Team • Theatrical Team • Lyrical ContemporaryDetails for auditions will be published in the school’s notices.

Drama ClubAll interested students are invited to attend every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday lunchtimes in the Drama Space to be part of this dynamic interactive group. Ms Esvelt will support, however Senior Drama students run this group and we look forward to viewing their staged works. Year 8 students are very welcome to attend.

Visual ArtWater Colour Wednesday lunchtimes will continue this term in the Art Space with Ms Petridis, all students welcome.

2020 Performances and ShowcasesA busy performance calendar for 2020 in which we showcase the creative talents of all Performing Arts students and group performance assessment work.We encourage parents/caregivers to attend these performances.We look forward to presenting the following events and will publish dates in the next newsletter.• Dance Star showcase • 2020 Step Out Production• Cabaret Evening Music and Dance • Drama Production• Arts Festival • Peace Rules Showcase• Middle School Arts Showcase • VET Dance Performance Showcase

Katrina Constantopoulos, Leader, The Arts

Calendar DatesTerm 1Tuesday 18 FebruaryGoverning Council Meeting 7pm

Friday 28 FebruaryWhole School Athletics Carnival

Tuesday 3 MarchGoverning Council AGM 7pm

Friday 6 MarchSTUDENT FREE DAYYear 12 Formal

Monday 9 MarchADELAIDE CUP PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Monday 9 March to 13 MarchMorioka Chuo High School Study Tour

Thursday 12 MarchYear 8 Immunisations

Monday 16 MarchOpen Night 4:30pm - 7:30pm

Tuesday 24 MarchPrincipal’s Tour 9amGoverning Council Meeting 7pm

Tuesday 7 AprilPrincipal’s Tour 9am

Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 AprilParent/Student/Teacher Subject Conversations

Wednesday 8 AprilInterschool Athletics

Friday 10 AprilGOOD FRIDAY

Term 2Monday 27 AprilFirst day of Term 2

Tuesday 28 AprilPrincipal’s Tour 9am

Friday 1 MayWhole School Photos

Wednesday 6 MaySchool Photo Catch Up

Thursday 7 MayStep Out Production Matinee and Performance TBC

Tuesday 12 MayPrincipal’s Tour 9amYear 10 ImmunisationsGoverning Council Meeting 7pm

Tuesday 12 May to 22 MayNAPLAN Testing Window

Tuesday 26 MayPrincipal’s Tour 9am

School ContactsStudent Absences: [email protected] Wellbeing Centre: 8278 0900 or see website for staff email contacts

from the principal · various skill building activities. thursday was year 8 sports day. students...

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