Through the highest quality teaching and in a caring learning environment, students are inspired and supported to achieve their best so they can thrive in their life beyond school.

Hello, and thank you to all of the staff, students and families that have welcomed me into the position of Acting Principal at Balaklava High School, whilst Ms Sonia Pringle is on leave for the remaining weeks of Term 2. I have been the Middle School Assistant Principal at Balaklava High School for the past two and half years. My key area of focus as Middle School Assistant Principal has been to work with all stakeholders to develop our new Middle School structure and to facilitate our Year 7 transition program.

I am passionate about working with young adolescents to support them in their journey through education and beyond. Prior to working at Balaklava High School, I taught Local Global Perspectives and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) a hands-on, practical alternative qualification to VCE (Year 11 and 12) at Rochester Secondary College.

On a personal level, I live in Auburn with my husband and two children aged 8 and 13. We enjoy spending time with family and friends, fishing, visiting Coffin Bay and supporting our local football and netball club. I have certainly enjoyed the new learning opportunities and my time as acting Principal as it allows me to continue to work with such passionate, dedicated staff and learners.

There has been a lot happening since our last newsletter, as you will read and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of Term 2 has to bring.

Welcome Back - Mrs Thiel and Ms Spartley

It is fantastic to have Mrs Lucy Thiel return to our Balaklava High family as acting Middle School Assistant Principal, students and staff have been delighted to reconnect or meet with her for the first time. We all look forward to working with her throughout the year. We will also try and remain patient as we await the arrival of our wellbeing dog, Eddy to accompany Mrs Thiel to work.

I would also like to welcome back Ms Kym Spartley next week who will be working within the Welbeing Team and facilitating various Enhanced Learning Hub programs.

NAPLAN Incentive

Early in Term 2 our Year 7 and Year 9 students completed NAPLAN testing online. Overall, it was a success and it is always great to see our students trying their best. As a reward for their efforts, in Weeks 5 and 6 our NAPLAN participants were treated to hot chips at lunch and a movie for two lessons.

Student Tracking

Our student tracking is now available on Daymap. The tracking process is there to help families know how their child is progressing in each of their subjects. I would encourage you to talk to your student’s teacher if you have any questions relating to their learning. It is important to have consistent communication between the parent/caregiver and the school to allow for engaging learning experiences relevant to your child's needs and interests.

Bus Behaviour

It is vital that all students who travel on our school buses use this service respectfully. I would like to thank all the students who wear their seatbelts and display the school values whilst travelling on the bus to and from school. Did you know that it is against the law for passengers to be on a bus without wearing seatbelts? From time to time we receive phone calls and emails from our bus drivers about students that have not been behaving appropriately. I would like all our young people to be safe on the bus. Please read through this agreement with your child.

If you have any issues or concerns please come and speak to me directly. You are welcome to drop in and see me, call or email if you prefer on michelle.pudney209@schools.sa.edu.au

I hope you enjoy your weekend and the remaining weeks of the term, as I’m sure they will fly.

Michelle Pudney

Acting Principal

Each term we hold Middle School Assemblies, which provides the opportunity for each year level to meet as a group to celebrate their learning and achievements. Presented in the Performing Art Suite or the Gym, our students practice their public speaking as each homegroup takes a turn to run the assembly and the rest of the year level practice their audience skills. As part of these assemblies we recognise and celebrate students who continue to display our school values and award them through our school PRIDE point system. Congratulations to the students listed below who have received the following PRIDE Certificates in Term 2.

Mr Szular's Year 9s 

In Week 5, we were lucky enough to receive the scanning electron microscope for a week. In our first science lesson, we started collecting our samples and preparing them to put into the microscope. When we had our double lesson, we had a good look at our samples. The electron microscope uses a beam of electrons and their wave-like characteristics to magnify an object's image, unlike the optical microscopes we have used before, which use visible light to magnify objects. I have to say we were pretty lucky to be able to have the electron microscope for the week.

Miabella Koenig

Emily, Jasmin, Dylan, Macca, Tyson, Zak and I looked at wood, a spider, goat hair and pollen underneath the electron microscope. We think it's really cool how it works and lets us look at things and magnify them. Our favourite thing to look at was the wood because it looked the most interesting. 

Chloe Bull 

Looking through the electron microscope was fun. It was cool seeing different things up close. We looked at paddy melon seeds, flower petals, wheat and a tiny piece of mandarin peel. The coolest thing to look at was the mandarin peel because we could see all the little holes up close. The electron microscope can zoom up to 10,000 times. 

Harry Dall, Paul Toumaras, Tilly Woidt, Kasey Battle and Max Williams

The electron microscope was able to show our collected items from outside, which were an eggshell, a feather, and a flower, all with x180 magnification. When under magnification, we could see all the different things our eyes cannot. There wasn't much to see when we looked at the egg shell and feather, but when we examined the flower, we saw many different things. 

Tess, Maylea, Sophie, Jesse, Josh, Riley and Mikell

Mrs Manuel's Year 8s

Year 8 students have been showing their knowledge of cells by creating edible models. Classes have used our wonderful new Home Ec facility to make masterpieces of organelles, nuclei and membranes! Well done scientific chefs!

11/12 Girls Netball

The 11/12 Girls Netball team competed in the Lower North Zone Statewide Netball Competition on Thursday the 15^th of June at Kapunda. Playing against Clare High School, Kapunda High School, Riverton District High School and Burra Community School the team finished the day on 2 wins and 2 losses. Coach Miss Schahinger was super impressed with the teamwork, skills, sportsmanship and receptiveness of feedback the girls demonstrated on the day. Special thanks to Mrs Ruth Stevens for umpiring for us on the day.

11/12 Girls Netball Team: Abbey Bigg, Ellie Bell, Tylah Arthur, Olivia Allen, Ella Standley, Amber Day, Nicola Tiller, Sasha Branson, Casey Pratt, Kashaya Carpenter, Alice McArdle.

Army Band

On Monday, 6^th June the Year 7 and 8 students and members of the Special Interest Musical Program gathered in the Balaklava High School Performing Arts Theatre. They were treated to a special performance by the Australian Army Band’s contemporary group. The band were on their way back from a weekend regional tour. This was an amazing performance and experience for the students of Balaklava High School. The music played ranged from the 70s through to modern day popular music.

Year 7 Production

In Week 6, all our Year 7s students were in the Performing Arts Theatre for a full day rehearsal to prepare for the Year 7 Production, ‘Rockin’ Around the Clock’. Year 7 students had been working towards this in their Performing Arts lessons this term. On Friday of Week 6 they were able to perform it to a virtual audience just before lunch. They all performed wonderfully.

A very big thank you to all the senior students who supported this production; Leyla Jacobson, Ella Taylor, Alice McArdle, Clair Allen, Sarah Davies, Bligh Wilson and Althea Podiotan.

Suri Umapathysivam

This year the Aboriginal Education Team’s goal is to support students and teachers with the understanding of Aboriginal culture and perspectives. The Aboriginal Education Team has facilitated anti-racism presentations to Year 7 and 8 classes and are looking at doing one for Year 9s in the next couple of weeks. Reconciliation SA will be hosting a full-day racism workshop for Year 10 and 11 students and staff later this year. 

The Aboriginal Education Team supports Aboriginal students in their studies and gives them the opportunity to start exploring their culture. Aboriginal students meet once a week to find out and research the language group they are from. This is in the hope that they can eventually make contact with their language group and start learning more about their culture.

The staff at Balaklava High School have engaged with learning Aboriginal culture and perspectives. The Aboriginal Education Team continue to work hard on the Aboriginal Learners Achievement Record (ALAR), similar to the school’s Site Improvement Plan (SIP), supporting staff in implementing Aboriginal perspectives in their day-to-day teaching. Our team have organised an Aboriginal Culture Day to take place in Term 3.

Balaklava High School is developing our own Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), this will drive the school in further developing reconciliation at our site. At the moment we have seven staff members on the committee (Neil Richards, Sonia Pringle, Luke Clark, Hudson Noack, Lucy Thiel, Jamie Banwell and Josh Jenner). We are open to new members, especially parent/caregivers and community members. If you would like to be part of this group, which meets 2-3 times a term after school, please contact Josh Jenner.

The Aboriginal Education Team would also like to thank the school community for their support in creating a more culturally responsive environment where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff, students and community can work and learn together.

Marni Pudni! (Go Well!)

Josh Jenner

On Friday the 10^th of June the Year 12 Health and Wellbeing class hosted BHS’s second ever Big Freeze event to raise awareness about Motor Neuron Disease and raise money for Fight MND. The class, consisting of Jacob Battle, Charli Griffiths, Mackenzie Hill, Miranda McLean and Kayleigh Parker, were passionate about fundraising for the worthy cause after learning about the personal connections to MND of some of our staff, students and members of the wider school community. To raise money for Fight MND the class decided to select 7 students and 13 staff members to be dunked with the highest bidder getting to push the button to send the dunkee into the ice cold water. Students also hosted a blue themed casual clothes day and sold over 100 Freeze MND beanies which contributed to over $3,500 being donated to Fight MND. The Year 12 Health class would like to acknowledge and thank Mr AJ Wood for supplying the dunk tank to use for our fundraiser, Foodland Balaklava for their generous donation of 20 bags of ice and everyone who donated money whether it was buying a beanie, wearing casual clothes or participating in the auction, your generosity was much appreciated.

As you may have already heard, the Minister and Premier announced on 7^th June all eligible parents, caregivers and independent students who have paid their Material & Service Charges will be receiving $100 discount on their school fees for each 2022 and 2023 school years.

We have posted letters to all eligible families today, please expect to find this in your mail box in the coming days. The letter outlines your options for this rebate if you have already paid your fees in full.

Please contact either Peta or Elly if you have any questions regarding the rebate on 88620600 or email dl.0769.finance@schools.sa.edu.au

• Frozen Chickens - $7/kg (birds are around 2kg)
• Pork - $10/kg
• Eggs - $4 per carton
• Large round Bales of Hay $60 per bale
• We also have chicken feet, neck and livers as well as some apricot and almond jam (various prices)
• Dehydrated Lemons, Oranges and Grapefruit - $5 per bag

Orders can be made to Colleen Lowe on 0408 812 850 or Colleen.lowe667@schools.sa.edu.au pick up through the front office or school farm for livestock. Various produce available through the community library.

Look out for the resurrection of the school Farmer's Market, coming soon on Thursdays!