Principal: Phil Fitzsimons 8532 1788 – Chairperson Governing Council: Sue Horsnell 0413 866 666

Murray Bridge High School

It is through working together, with respect, that we can reach excellence

Excellence, Respect and Working Together

Term 3, Week 2 -23 July 2012

CALENDAR

Term 3

Week 2 Tue, 24 Jul Drama Moderation – 7pm Sun, 29 Jul Pedal Prix – Victoria Park

Week 3 Tue, 31 Jul Finance Committee – 5.30pm

Wed, 1 Aug Yr 11 Road Awareness Program Fri, 3 Aug Japanese Exchange students farewell

Week 4 Tue, 7 Aug Governing Council – 7pm

Thu, 9 Aug PISA Assessment

Week 6 Tue, 21 Aug Yr 10/11 Course Counselling Parent Info Evening – 7pm

Wed, 22 Aug Yr 10 student Subject Selection Info Thu, 23 Aug Yr 11 student Subject Selection Info

Week 7 Mon-Thu, 27-30 Aug Yr 10-12 Subject Counselling

Wed, 29 Aug Yr 8/9 Subject Counselling

Week 8 Tue, 4 Sep Finance Committee – 5.30pm Wed, 5 Sep Music Showcase – 6pm

Fri, 7 Sep SCHOOL CLOSURE – SHOW DAY

Week 9 Tue, 11 Sep Governing Council – 7pm

Week 10 Tue, 18 Sep Dance Moderation – 7pm Wed, 19 Sep Youth Opportunities Graduation

Fri, 21 Sep Last day of Term 3 – 2pm dismissal

From the Principal Phil Fitzsimons

Welcome back to term 3. I trust all students and their families had a pleasant

holiday break.

Staffing in Term 3 We welcome Steven Lindsay (Maths) and Janet Davis (SOSE & Work

Education) as new teachers to Murray Bridge High School.

Funabashi High School Last Thursday morning I met 11 students from Funabashi High School and their

teacher at the Adelaide Airport after their flight from Japan. This is the 14 th visit

to Murray Bridge High School for Funabashi High and over the next 2 weeks

the students will work with Helen Peake improving their English and learning

more about our culture. More information about their visit will appear in the

next newsletter.

IBMYP Governing Council has endorsed the decision for Murray Bridge High School to

cease delivering the Middle Years Programme as of 2013. The decision was

unanimous and was also supported by each of the IBMYP Cluster Primary

Schools and their Governing Councils. As I wrote previously in an earlier

newsletter, the decision to come out of the IBMYP has not been an easy one

given the benefits the IB has given the school over the last 8 years, particularly in

the work that has been undertaken between the Primary Schools and the High

School. I can assure parents that this work will continue under the Australian

Curriculum as all principals agree this working relationship between the schools

has enabled a smoother transition for students.

Not all subjects will be in the position to deliver under the banner of the

Australian Curriculum in 2013. Schools across the country will be in the same

position as Murray Bridge High School as they wait for curriculum documents to

be published by ACARA (the national body overseeing the introduction of the

Australian Curriculum). At this stage only English, Maths, Science and History

will be delivered, the remaining learning areas will work under the banner of the

South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).

This framework is what non-IB schools currently work with.

Later this year more information on the Australian Curriculum and the structure

for 2013 will be presented to parents to minimize the confusion as the school

makes the transition into a new teaching and learning framework.

Cont…. Page 2

Murray Bridge High School Newsletter 23 July 2012

2

We welcome two new Exchange

students and an International student

Antonia Cox, Year 11 on exchange from Germany

Saskia Moritz, Year 10 on exchange from Germany

Kaylyn Berg, International student from America

From the Principal Cont….

Uniform Survey Late last week parents, staff and students received an email

from me inviting them to participate in a very brief online survey

to determine the final design for the rugby top and school

dress. This survey will remain open until Thursday of this week.

The survey results will then be published in the next newsletter.

If you haven’t already done so, please participate in this survey

as it will only take no more than 1 minute to complete and your

input will be greatly appreciated.

Please click on the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6NG985W

Student Attendance I would like to congratulate the following 34 students, who had

a 100% perfect attendance at school in term 2:

Year 8 Year 9

Charyse Allen Khye Amber

Jade Collins Joshua Binney

Lachy Ditkun William Blight

Kiahn Nayda Chloe Hutchesson

Samantha Reed Tayla Jenner

Dean Rossiter Mitchell Lienert

Karley Smith Chelsie Sacco

Sapphire Waterman Peter Sacco

Madeline Williams Tahlia Smith

Emma Sutton

Year 10 Year 11

Oliver Asel Elizabeth Mafara

Cadeau Bichengu Jack Hameister

Yanlin Chen Grantley Byrne

Jake Green-Elphick Nicholas Rollins

Nikita Hein

Tahlia Hills

Qixun Huang

Steven Kelei

Hannah Smith

Brooke Taylor

Jennifer Whitehead

Attendance Rate Term 2 2012

Year Level % Attendance Rate

Year 8 85.20%

Year 9 82.29%

Year 10 81.32%

Year 11 85.36%

Year 12 83.28%

Murray Bridge High School Newsletter 23 July 2012

3

Auf Wiedersehen und viel Gluck Julia

Gieremek By Laurice Braithwaite

The 10A Pastoral Care class farewelled Julia Gieremek on

the last Friday of term 2 with a morning tea. Julia is

returning to Germany after being with us for the

Semester. We will miss her quiet ways and contribution

to the class.

Adolescent Scoliosis – Spinal Curvature

The National Self Detection Program –

NSDP

Scoliosis (a sideways curvature of the spine) is not an

uncommon condition and 2.5% of adolescent girls are

at risk of developing a significant curvature.

The aims of the NSDP are to increase public

awareness of the condition, and to encourage girls

aged 11-13 years to self assess for the condition and

to have the family Doctor assume care of minor

curvature problems.

Information can be found on the NSDP website –

www.scoliosis-australia.org

All Year 9 girls will receive a brochure outlining the self detection program to assist families to self assess for

the condition.

For extra information and more brochures contact Liz

Hodge at the school.

Julia Gieremek (front left) celebrates her farewell with her

Pastoral Care class

LIMITS AND BOUNDRIES TO TEACH

APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

Children like limits and boundaries. They provide them with a

structure and teach them how they should behave. In fact,

many studies indicate that families who have very clearly stated

rules or standards are less likely to have children who

misbehave.

Children also like to push parental boundaries so parents need

to resist pressure that children can exert upon them. This is a

normal but irritating expression of a child’s push for

independence and autonomy.

Effective limits and boundaries:

Are given using clear, direct, concrete, specific terms – “Be

home by six o’clock” rather than “Don’t be late.”

Explain reasons if appropriate.

Involves choices when appropriate.

One of the simplest ways to improve a child’s behaviour is to

be more consistent.

Children love their parents to be consistent as they are able to

predict how they will act. A consistent approach to discipline

helps put children in control of their behaviour.

Consistency means as parents we follow-through and do as we

say. Consistency means not giving children second and third

chances. It means not allowing children to get away with

misbehaviour two or three times then coming down hard the

fourth time they misbehave.

Consistency also means that both parents in a dual parent

family get their act together and respond in similar ways when

children are less than perfect. Sole parents need to be

consistent with how they react when children misbehave.

Difficult children like consistency. Consistency is a challenge as it

is tempting to let children’s misbehaviour go when they break a

rule or exceed a limit. We become tired and sometimes we

doubt our own judgement. It is easy to think, “Maybe I am

being a bit tough…”

Consistency prevents misbehaviour from escalating. We help

children develop self-discipline, which is our aim, when we are

consistent and do as we say we will – every time.

Parents who have difficulty setting some limits and boundaries

with children generally have great difficulty raising their

adolescents. Those parents who have never insisted that

children go to bed at a reasonable time and never resisted a

young child’s efforts to extend bedtime generally have a hard

time insisting that teenagers be home from a party at a

reasonable time rather than come home as they please on weekends.

Murray Bridge High School Newsletter 23 July 2012

4

SACE INFORMATION EVENING

On Tuesday, 21 August an information evening will be held for all parents of students who will be starting

or continuing their studies at SACE Stage 1 or 2 in 2013.

It will begin at 7.00pm and be held in the Drama Workshop.

The session is designed so that common questions parents and caregivers may have, can be answered.

These include:

What is the SACE?

How does the SACE work?

What are the requirements to complete the SACE?

What are SACE Stage 1 and 2?

What other subjects/community activities can count towards the SACE?

What is an ATAR?

How can my son or daughter apply for University or TAFE?

We would like to invite all parents of SACE students to come along to this information session, learn

about the SACE, and meet the Learning Area Coordinators and many of the teachers of SACE subjects.

Your son or daughter will soon be making subject choices for 2013 through the counselling process

occurring at Murray Bridge High School this term and this information session is an opportunity for you to help them with the important decisions they will be making. There will be opportunity after the formal

part of the evening to discuss any further areas/concerns with these staff members.

A copy of the SACE Board’s magazine for students and families – Achieve – has been provided to all Year

11 students.

This edition focuses on the choices of subjects and study options that each Year 11 student will soon be

making, with information for families about what to expect as students approach Year 12.

This edition also covers:

Study tips and tools

Assessment in Stage 2 of the SACE

The SACE Research Project

Year 12 results

University and TAFE study.

We would encourage you to ask your son or daughter for a copy of Achieve – it can help to spark useful conversations about their progress in the SACE and their options for the future.

Achieve is also available to download via the SACE website at: www.sace.sa.edu.au/news/achieve

Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 21 August at the SACE Information session

Barb Quast, Senior Leader/Senior School

Murray Bridge High School Newsletter 23 July 2012

5

You are invited to be part of our

“Centenary Project”

Murray Bridge High School invites you, your child or your family, to become a

permanent part of our school's history. If you decide to take advantage of our offer your

paver will become a part of our “Centenary Project”, which will provide an enduring link

between the past, present and future that includes the essential partnerships that make our

school what it is - students, parents, school and community.

OPTION 1

Single Paver

COST: $30 -

OPTION 2

Double paver set

COST: $60 -

Offer Closes 31st August 2012

To be located at the entrance of the school

You are invited to

participate in this

unique opportunity

to have your name

as a permanent part

of our school.

For as little as $30.00

your name will be

engraved into a paver

which will then be laid

permanently in our

"Centenary Project”.

To order your paver please contact Bryce Gillett at the school on 8532 1788.

Murray Bridge High School