PRINCIPAL'S NEWS
We were very excited to welcome Year 6 and Year 7 students to BHS for their first taste of transition last week. We held two separate days for each of the groups where students had the opportunity to try life as a high school student, make some new friends and meet their homegroup teachers. Whilst it was an historic day to have the Year 6s join us for the very first time, we are also extremely aware that it was the first time this group of Year 7s also joined us in preparation for Year 8. Next year, we will work to make sure all Year 7s and 8s feel that they are noticed and special and that the focus isn’t solely on the Year 7s.
Presentation Night
Last Wednesday evening we gathered as a large group in the school gym for our annual Presentation Night and what an extraordinary celebration it was. Traditionally we hold this night in the Town Hall but we changed to our gym as it allowed us to have a larger number of people present. That said, we are considering keeping the event in the gym as it proved to be an excellent location. If you have any feedback on Presentation Night itself or on the proposed change of venue, please contact me at the school as we’d love your opinion. During the evening, our guest speaker was old scholar Rebecca Sullivan who entertained the audience with memories of her time at BHS and what she has done since leaving us. Her speech was interactive with the audience and had some strong messages not only for the Class of 2021, but had messages that resonated with all of us. Please see further in this newsletter for a full list of award winners.
Year 12 Results
Year 12 results are due to be released this coming Monday 13th December from 8.30am. Students can access their results through Students Online and I encourage them to go on to the SACE Board website now and check their login details are correct before the rush on Monday morning. Students will also receive an official certificate (if eligible) and Record of Achievement in the post. A large number of our students have already started employment, are continuing with apprenticeships or have gained early entry into University and we are proud of them all.
Reflection of Learning
Year 8 and 9 students are currently working on their Reflection of Learning presentations ready to deliver them this week. As the name suggests, these presentations allow students an opportunity to reflect on their learning across the year and to share these achievements with others. We wish them well with their preparations and panel members look forward to hearing about successes and challenges they’ve encountered this year.
Staffing for 2022
Our staffing for 2022 is quite settled but, with the arrival of the Year 7s next year, we do have some new appointments joining us. As mentioned earlier in the year, Miss Ashleigh Leonello and Mrs Laura Hadley will join us as experienced Year 7 teachers to help lead this work and we are also very pleased to welcome back Miss Eva D’Alboy to teach French for the year. These teachers were able to join us for transition days last week so they have begun to make connections with their future homegroup members already. Mr James Mussared and Mr Josh Jenner will return to BHS in a full time capacity next year after reducing their time this year for study and a job in Central Office of the Department for Education respectively. We have a strong teaching team with dedicated leaders to continue to move our school forward in 2022 and beyond.
As you will read in the farewell section below, our Business Manager is taking leave in Term 1 next year before most likely heading into retirement. We are pleased to announce that Peta Solomon has won this position and will join us next year. Peta is currently at Challa Gardens Primary School where she has held the Business Manager position for the past 4 years.
Farewells
At this time of the year we traditionally have a number people to farewell, as we do this year, however this time, the number is very small. Chelsea McCormack has been with us for the past 4 years, during which time they have been very flexible with their teaching load having English, Geography, Art, work in our Special Options class, the list goes on. Chelsea has won a permanent teaching role at the new Riverbanks College B-12 and we know that they will appreciate the much shorter commute each day. Grant Hay has been our Pastoral Care Worker this year and has supported a number of students during this time and we wish him well in a new role in Port Augusta.
We also farewell our Business Manager, Ruth Stevens, after more than 15 years of service. Time and again, Ruth has gone above and beyond what is expected to ensure our budgets are balanced, our school facilities look amazing and a million other things. The knowledge of the school she takes with her will be a huge loss and will be difficult to replace. To all staff members leaving we thank you for your time here and wish you well for whatever the future holds.
Bushfire Procedure
BHS is considered a low/medium bushfire risk site, therefore, on days deemed catastrophic, the school will remain open as closures based on the predicted forecast do not apply to us. However, our bus runs are located in both the Mid North and Yorke Peninsula Fire Ban Districts, which means if a Catastrophic Day is declared in either district, all buses that travel through these areas will be cancelled. We will inform parents of this information as soon as practicable after it is declared on the CFS website at 4pm the day before. We will do this via a text message to parents/carers, Daymap and Facebook whilst Balaklava Primary School will inform bus families via SkoolBag (please download the app if you haven’t already done so). As we may need to contact you urgently, it is vital that we have your most current details on our system. Please keep us informed immediately if any of your contact details change throughout the year.
Please click on the brochure link for further information. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/bushfire-and-your-childs-school-or-preschool-brochure.pdf Parents can also call a parent hotline number (1800 000 279) to gain further advice when a catastrophic bushfire day is forecast.
I thank the broader school community for their support again this year and I very much look forward to continuing these positive relationships next year. We have made considerable changes at BHS over the past three years and there is much to be proud of. I wish you all an enjoyable, relaxing and safe break with your families and friends and I look forward to seeing many of you back at school on Monday 31st January 2022 ready for another year of learning.
Sonia Pringle
Principal
