Welcome to our new look newsletter!  The format is easy to read and use on both computers and phones, however, we can still print one and send home a hard copy if you prefer.  Just let the front office staff know if you would like to receive a paper version each edition.  The new online format allows us to include many more images than we have been able to share in the past and we can also include a number of documents such as consent forms and letters to parents.

In preparation for this week’s newsletter, I looked over my diary for the last few weeks to see what we’ve done as a school thus far besides the rigorous academic program that has been underway.  The list is long and varied and includes the Student Council Camp, Year 8 Camp, Elevate Study Skills sessions, the Student Council and House Captains Induction Ceremony, Swimming Carnival, Interschool Swimming Carnival and the Year 8 Meet and Greet night.  You will find reports about many of these things further in this newsletter and I encourage you to read them and see for yourself all of the exciting opportunities students at BHS have access to.

High Expectations

Our school values are a code of conduct decided on, and agreed to, by the school community and they provide a set of standards for us all to measure our behaviour.  Over the past couple of weeks I have had a number of occasions where I have revisited what they are, what they mean and the actions through which we can demonstrate them.  One of our school values is Respect, which is a way of treating or thinking about something or someone, which manifests itself in our actions.  In an effort to increase respect, pride in our school and allow us to focus on our core business of learning, students are expected to respect the following behaviour requirements:

Hats and hoods - all hats and hoods are to be off inside

Food - no food in classrooms during lesson times

Language - inappropriate language will not be tolerated in classrooms or the yard

Mobile phones – our current policy (which is attached) states that mobile phones are to be out of sight during classes unless students have explicit permission from the class teacher.  Year 11 and 12 students can listen to music or conduct research during a study lesson, however they are not to use their phone for any other purpose.  If students have their phone out, the following consequences will apply:

1st offence - phone confiscated and students can collect it from the front office at the end of the day.  Parents will be informed via text message.

2nd offence – same as 1st offence, with the text message warning parents that they will need to collect the phone from office next time

3rd and subsequent offences – same as 2^nd offence and behaviour management processes will be implemented, which can include internal suspension.

Students who refuse to comply with the above expectations will be issued a behaviour referral (pink slip) as the situation then ceases to be about the phone but becomes a case of students refusing to follow a reasonable instruction.

We are currently reviewing the attached electronic devices policy and invite your feedback by emailing the school on DL.0769.info@schools.sa.edu.au

Student Led Conferences

Student Led Conferences will be held next Tuesday 26^th and Wednesday 27^th February at the school.  They provide an opportunity to drive student engagement and ownership of their learning as they set themselves achievable learning goals and review these frequently throughout the year in partnership with their teachers and parents/caregivers.  The format has changed slightly from last year as conferences will now be with both Homegroup and subject teachers in Term 1 and Term 3. Bookings for Student Led Conferences are now open and can be accessed through our website’s home page to the Parent Teacher Online website.  Instructions for logging on have been sent home, however, if you have any questions about the process or are having issues booking conference times, please contact the front office on 8862 0600.

Governing Council AGM

The Governing Council is an important component of the school’s decision-making and consultative processes and provides an opportunity for parents to be more strongly involved in school operations and to gain a deeper understanding of how the school functions.  Our Governing Council’s AGM will take place on Wednesday 6^th March at 7.00 pm in the Community Library.  I would like to thank Mandy Tiller, Sheralyn Bond, Katrina Gameau, Stuart Roberts and Trish Langdon whose tenures have finished.  This means that there are five vacancies on the Governing Council and I ask you to consider nominating, or renominating, for Council, which will provide you the opportunity to have a greater say in your child’s education and gain a deep understanding of education at BHS.  There is a nomination slip for Governing Council in this newsletter or you can collect one from the front office at school.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet your children in classes and in the yard and to meet a number of parents at school events.  As always, I encourage parents to contact me at the school with any issues or concerns or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning.  I can be contacted at the school via Daymap, email Sonia.Pringle235@schools.sa.edu.au or phone
8862 0600 where you can speak to me directly or make a time to come and see me.

Sonia Pringle

Principal

The 2019 Wellbeing team consists of Lucy Thiel, Ash Parsons and Neil Richards who are all located near the BHS quadrangle. Students can contact us via Daymap or simply come in and see us. Caregivers can contact us via Daymap or phone and we will be happy to arrange fact-to-face meetings upon request.

The Enhanced Learning Hub

Enhanced Learning Hub (ELH) programs have kicked off. Students have nominated or have been nominated for classes and they have since been put on their timetables. Notes have been sent home to gain caregiver consent for continual involvement in the ELH. It is possible for student to join mid-term so if you have any concerns or requests please let the school know. All changes after the original letter will be done with verbal consent. The programs we are offering through the ELH for this semester are as follows: 

• Literacy Intervention – Mr La Grutta/Mrs Thiel
  
• Literacy Extension – Mr La Grutta/ Mrs Thiel
• Numeracy Intervention – Miss Schubert
• Numeracy Extension – Miss Schubert
• Boys’ Club/Fit Club – Mr Parsons
• STEM – Miss Buick
• Specialist Music – Mrs Evans
• Community Learning Hub (CLH) - Mr Parsons
• Kitchen Food Club (KFC)– Mr Friedrichs
• Mentoring – Neil/Mrs Von-Zieden
• HOOPS 4 Life –Mrs Thiel/Coach Tony/Coach Tom

ELH classes are arranged from a combination of the following:

• Staff look at a range of data including PAT-M and NAPLAN.
• During transition the students filled out 'Wish lists'.
• As the term/year goes on, class teachers can refer their students. 
• A bulletin notice was on Daymap to students about letting me know what they are interested in.
• At the end of the day none of these are guarantees due to class clashes/class dynamics/class sizes.

For more information ring Lucy Thiel.

HOOPS 4 Life

The ELH is happy to be offering HOOPS 4 Life in 2019. Hoops is a skills development basketball program for girls and boys. Since 2005 more than two thousand young people have taken part in the program. Hundreds of those students have gone on to play district basketball, while others have travelled to the USA to pursue their dreams. The program is linked to the Duke of Edinburgh and can help students be awarded with SACE credits.

Hoops is much more than a basketball program as it focuses on the behaviour, resilience and working towards pathways.

For more information visit  https://hoops4life.com.au/

Doctors on Campus

We also have a Doctors on Campus program (DOCs) running. This is organised by parent or student request, and/or Wellbeing Team referral. We are lucky to have a mental health nurse and a doctor working alternate fortnights for one day each. This is a confidential, bulk billed service that takes place at school during school hours. Consent from parents will be obtained before the first appointment.

Stymie

Balaklava High School has an ongoing mission to improve the health and wellbeing of students and in a tech savvy, complex world we are need to be proactive in tackling bullying related issues. After a successful first year with the program, we are very excited to be jumping on board with Stymie for another year.

Stymie focusses on being proactive and empowering our community. The initiative understands that community “collective supportive action can make schools safer places”. Our students have a way to report bullying with absolute confidentiality. We believe this will empower bystanders and enable students who are bullied to feel supported. The Stymie message is pretty simple “Bullying. Harm. Stymie that.”

Students can make a report at www.stymie.com.au Want to find out more? Visit https://about.stymie.com.au/

Wellbeing Presentations

On the 5^th March our Year 10 and 11 students will be involved in presentations about keeping ourselves and school a safer place. The female students will gather in the Performing Arts building to engage with Caitlyn Davies' program Empowering Women. Caitlyn is a proud young Aboriginal woman who has accomplished a lot in her life so far and has a fantastic message of self-love to empower our students with. After speaking at our Reconciliation Event last year, the feedback from our Year 12s was too positive not to invite her back.

On the same day the male students will be working with Port Power to participate in the Power to End Violence Against Women program which has been developed to raise awareness around the issue of violence against women and promote respectful relationships to young men across schools in South Australia. The program is delivered by staff and players from the Port Adelaide Football Club and provides the information and skills necessary for young men to make informed choices to prevent violent behaviours in society. In consultation with the Department for Education, the program complements the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum that is delivered in primary and secondary schools.

Lucy Thiel

Health & Wellbeing Coordinator

As part of their topic on Sheep and Wool, the Year 10 Ag class experienced the busy work environment of the "Nyowee" shearing shed. The Michael family have been wonderful supporters of our Ag program for many years and it was great to see three generations working together with three ex-students shed-handing expertly. The students learned about shearing shed operation and wool clip preparation and it was a real privilege to see the professional manner in which the Michael family approach their shearing program.

The Year 11 Ag class have been focusing on Work Health and Safety as part of their passport in to Senior Agriculture. To support this they have been completing the industry on-line Ag in Compliance WHS modules developed by local farmer Paul Daniel and we visited his farm at Bowmans last week. Paul and son Mitchell showed us the practical ways they are improving safety on their property and led the students through a risk assessment of their air seeder and tractor. It was a great way to reinforce the important principles of WHS and why it is such a crucial part of any business. I hope that this next generation of farmers and agri-business people will really strengthen this aspect of our local farms and workplaces and keep every one safe at work. I would encourage all our local farmers to check out the Ag In Compliance website as it is very user friendly, is great value for money and has a very practical focus.

Sue Pratt

Agriculture teacher

Balaklava High School Swimming Carnival

On a cold and windy Tuesday afternoon, Balaklava High School’s enthusiastic swimmers and volunteers descended on the Balaklava Pool for the 2019 edition of the Balaklava High School swimming carnival. It was a fun and festive atmosphere with students, staff, parents and community members getting involved in the spirit of the day.

Well done to all swimmers who showed great skill and courage to nominate for specific events whilst achieving points for their House. It was also great to see so many students undertake various volunteer roles and, like the parents who assisted, the swimming carnival would not have gone ahead without such help. The Health and Physical Education faculty are hugely grateful for this.

Furthermore, well done to all House captains who seem to have the increasingly difficult role of filling events and encouraging participation – all Houses participated and supported their peers in a positive and colourful way.

Overall Results: Keith 303, Ross 291, Walter 252, James 217

Age Group Winners

Girls 

• U14 Sasha Branson
• U15 Charlotte Davey
• U16 Abbie McArdle
• Open Chloe Lamond

Boys

• U14 Seth Pascoe
• U15 Bailey Arthur
• U16 Lachlan Hendry
• Open Ethan Brownlie

Plains Producer Handicap - Jack May

Records

• Kaylee Redpath U14/15 Girls Butterfly
• Bailey Arthur U14/15 Boys Butterfly
• Ethan Brownlie U16/Open Boys Butterfly
• Cody Redpath U16 Boys Freestyle

Interschool Swimming 

On Monday 18^th February, the cream of Balaklava’s swimming crop travelled to Burra to compete in the Interschool Swimming Carnival. We competed against Horizon, Kapunda, Burra/Eudunda, Clare and Riverton.

Here is how Balaklava High School fared in the following categories:

Boys Shield – 2^nd (Clare 1^st)

Girls Shield – 4^th (Clare 1^st)

Improvement Shield – 5^th (Clare 1^st)

Handicap Shield – 3^rd place (Riverton 1^st)

Overall Champion – 3^rd (Clare 1^st)

Special mentions to Cody Redpath (U16) and Bailey Arthur (U15) who finished runner up in their age group category and to Mr Friedrichs, Mr Parsons, Ms Schahinger and Neil Richards who attended and worked behind the scenes to get the team up and running and transported students to Burra. Well done also to Cody Redpath and Luke Hart who qualified and competed in the prestigious Plains Producer Handicap event, coming second and third respectively. This event was introduced to the program by our school last year and is now a regular feature at Interschool carnivals. Luke was the inaugural winner last year.

All students represented the school with pride and were first class in their attitude and demeanour. Again, well done to the parents who assisted with time keeping on the night, your efforts demonstrate the wonderful school community we are so lucky to have.

Our focus now turns to Athletics Day which is Friday March 8^th. Stay tuned for more details about our Athletics Day program.

Michael Brooks

PE Coordinator

The Schoolies Unearthed program is a dry, positive schoolies alternative for those students looking to do something different to mark the end of their high school career. Students travel to unique destinations, such as Borneo, Vietnam, Vanuatu and Nepal, focusing on rewarding travel and volunteer projects in amazing remote destinations. 

Georgia Burden and Katie van Dijk supported a developing community by participating in a service project and living like a local in Borneo for 10 days under the supervision of an adult leader. It's been a real pleasure watching them grow through this experience, and you should be proud of the achievements of your recent graduates. All trips are 10-12 days in length, fully supervised by an adult leader and risk assessed by the expert team at Antipodeans.

All Year 10, 11 and 12 students recently participated in study skill sessions run by the Elevate Education team. Elevate have surveyed the most successful students in Australia and analysed the tactics they used to achieve their goals. Strategies for time management, taking notes, memorising facts, establishing a positive mind-set and setting goals were covered and follow up sessions are booked for June. All staff also attended a session after school and have since been busy encouraging students to practise the skills presented. Thank you to the parents who attended the Parent session and provided some great feedback about strategies to support their students.

The Elevate website https://au.elevateeducation.com is a great resource and the student portal can be accessed for free using the access code "rondo".

Sue Pratt

SACE and Year 12 Coordinator

After a long hiatus the ever popular Homegroup Cup competition has returned to Balaklava High School for 2019! This year’s competition sees 8PG1 (Team Weet-Bix), 8PG2 (“le meilleur”) and 8MH1 (Turtle squad) facing off in fierce competition to prove who truly is the #1 Year 8 Homegroup at BHS. Points will be regularly calculated through a series of Pastoral Care events to crown our winning Homegroup. The competition will run in two parts resulting in winners being determined at the conclusion of Semester 1 and 2. At this point, Team Weet-bix have taken a sizzling early lead, they dominated a role playing activity and team building challenge scoring 2 points to lead the series 2-0-0. Next up will see our Homegroups compete in a rap battle of the ages and another undetermined event. With 8PG1 off to a flyer, can the other Homegroups stay within reach?

Mr Parsons

*No Bias was present when writing this article