FROM THE PRINCIPAL No. 2 of Term 1 7th March 2019

Diary dates

Term 1

March

8th March Sports Day

11th March PUBLIC HOLIDAY

12th—13th March Year 11/12 Parent /

teacher conferences

14th March Bullying No Way Day!

19th March Year F—12 Assembly @

2:25pm

20th—21st March Think U Know

presentations

20th March Parent session on Think U

know program,

25th March Waste Carriers Talk

26th March USE Interschool Athletics

28th March NAPLAN practice test

28th March Phillip Gwynne Author Visit

29th March SRC Casual Day

April

1st—2nd April Year 8—10 Parent/

Teacher Conferences.

1st—3rd April Year F—7 Parent/Teacher

Conferences

4th April Year 8, 10 & 11 Vaccinations

5th April Whole School Photos

5th April SAPSASA Athletics Trails

8th April SSSSA Athletics

8th—10th April Year 9 Aquatics Camp

10th April F—7 Easter Lessons

12th April LAST DAY OF TERM—Early

Dismissal

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the annual leader’s day in Adelaide. An event attended by all principals & pre-school directors from across the state. We heard from the Minister for Education Mr John Gardner and Chief Executive Mr Rick Persse and a number of other quality education leaders. What was a clear and consistent message throughout the day is the efforts and tenacity in which our department is moving towards becoming a world class system. The 10 year goal (started in 2018) is ambitious and lots of work has

already been done towards achieving this. In 2018 all schools (ours included) developed clear site improvement plans with steps and evidenced based strategies to promote growth in our learner’s achievement. It was pleasing to hear that across the state, data is indicating positive progress already. We’ve 9 years to go to reach the goal and our commitment is towards growth for every child, in every class, in every school. It is exciting times to be part of such a journey and lead our teachers and staff in ensuring Keith Area School is a world class school. Stem Works Opening It was a pleasure to be able to officially open our STEM works program last Friday at our special assembly. Mr Nick McBride, member for Mackillop represented the Education Minister Mr John Gardner in officially opening the upgraded facilities. We thank the Government of South Australia for their support of the STEM works program and for our school. We have amazing facilities which will support teaching and learning programs well into the future.

Lions Youth of the Year

It was an absolute pleasure to attend this year’s Lions Youth of the Year presentations last week where Year 12 students Jess, Caitlin, Kheeli and Jasmine gave some brilliant speeches to a large audience. It takes real courage to have a go and face those public speaking fears. We were very proud of all the girls and the quality and maturity of the speeches presented. The judges had a tough time determining a winner. Congratulations to all of the girls but particularly to Jess Mewett who won the public speaking part of the evening and to Kheeli Harris who won overall (application, interview and speech). I want to thank the judges, Lions Club and Tanya Allen for the fantastic opportunity and support for our school and students.

Governing Council A big thanks to those who attended our recent Governing Council AGM. Our new members elected to Governing Council include Rohan Austin, Aaron Woods, Bruce Loller and Peta Kellock. These newly elected parent reps join Nikki Harris, Sherryn Bunnett and Haydn Lines as Governing Council members for 2019. A big thank you to our retiring members Brad Edson, Vinnie O’Loughlin and Matt Fiebig for their continued support for our school and young people. For 2019 our Chairperson is Aaron Woods, Deputy Chair is Hadyn Lines and Treasurer is Peta Kellock.

FEEDBACK

At Keith Area School we value the

input that we receive from parents

and community members. If you

would like to provide the school

with some feedback there are

many ways that you can get in

touch with us.

In person, speaking to a teacher,

leader or another staff member.

You can also provide us feedback

in writing via a letter or email to

keithas.admin@schools.sa.edu.au

KEITH AREA SCHOOL Tolmer Tce

Keith SA 5267 P: 08 8755 1177 F: 08 8755 1618

E: dl.0757.admin@schools.sa.edu.au

ACHIEVE - COURAGE - COOPERATE - RESPECT

From the Leadership Team

From the Deputy Principal - Mrs Alicia Keatley

Take Care,

Tobias O’Connor

Principal

FROM THE PRINCIPAL (cont)

Launching our BYOD portal To support families of secondary students our school has partnered with the Learning with Technologies group to make it easier for families to purchase a digital device which will be right for school. Families will have the option to select from a range of laptops which have been carefully chosen to meet the needs of secondary students. There are a range of options and price points to choose from and also the option to purchase outright or pay per month via a 36 month finance package. Most of the laptops come with a 3 year warranty and are competitively priced. Parents are encouraged to check out the BYOD portal at http://kas.orderportal.com.au. Students are welcome to bring in an existing laptop or one they may have purchased from any retailer. The choice is yours. Whilst not compulsory, we encourage all students in years 8-12 to BYOD.

Bus Students and Families Late last year I provided all families with a letter regarding buses, particularly behaviour on buses and expectations of students to sit in their designated seats, wear their seatbelts and allow the bus drivers to drive students home safely. It is disappointing that we have already had to speak to a number of students regarding behaviour on the buses. The expectations upon students are very clear:

Students need to sit in their assigned seats with their seat belts on, and remain seated until the bus is stationery at their designated stop.

Students need to behave on the buses, that means not disturbing students around them or the bus driver. This includes not yelling out or creating too much noise, as the driver needs to be able to concentrate.

Students are not to eat on the bus, however they can drink from their water bottles. Can parents please reinforce this information with their children, to support our bus drivers. Secondary Progress Checks Secondary progress checks are going home this week, students have been working with their teachers to set goals for their learning. Please discuss the goals they have set as part of these discussions. Teachers will monitor these goals with students throughout the rest of this term. Parent Student Teacher Conferences The first rounds of Parent Student Teacher Conferences are nearly upon us. The dates are as follows:

Week 7: Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th March - Year 11/12 conferences.

Week 10: Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd April – F-7 conferences.

Week 10: Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd April – 8-10 conferences. Letters have already gone home for the 11/12 conferences and parents are encouraged to book early so they can get the times they need. Letters for the F-10 conferences will go home in week 7. This is an important part of our reporting process, where feedback can be given to parents about their child's progress, and strategies to help them improve in different areas of their learning. I encourage all parents to book conferences with class teachers in primary and subject teachers for secondary students, to discuss your child's progress in their learning so far this year. I also encourage students to attend these conferences so that they hear first-hand, what their teacher is discussing with their parents.

From the Leadership Team

From the Primary Assistant Principal—Mrs Jen Culley

Water Safety Program Congratulations to our Foundation to Year 8 students who participated in the Water Safety Program last week. It was great seeing the progress students made with their safety awareness and water skills. Thank you very much to our amazing swimming instructors and volunteers for making the program such a success. The students thank you for the time you have given to them in developing their skills. Finally, thank you to the Tatiara District Council for their ongoing support with our Water Safety Program. We appreciate the help you have shown towards our school.

From the Business Manager—Mrs Gae Sandford

Finance Our SRC are continuing to raise funds for their ideas to improve the Tech Studies and Home Economics pergola. They have held a BBQ at the swimming carnival, and will hold another at our Sports Day this Friday. After all accounts have been paid, we will be able to share how much profit they have made. They will also assist with the catering for our upcoming Tatiara and Coorong Mallee Portfolio meeting. Our SRC are a very active group and are to be commended for the work they put into representing their student peers. Our current Governing Council Convenor for the Finance Committee is Mrs Peta Kellock. We currently meet twice per term, and we are very happy to welcome any new members. Facilities Now that our STEM works are completed, our facilities group will be talking about any other improvements that may still be required for these areas to be fully functional and allow our students to work in the best environment possible. To this end we have already installed new blinds in the senior secondary area – this being approved by our facilities committee last year. Our committee will also be taking a look at the front of our school, to think about what other improvements could be made to enhance this area. Our facilities committee are currently meeting once per term (although we do increase this depending on the works being carried out), and we would welcome new members. The current Governing Council Convenor is Mrs Sherryn Bunnett.

Students

Semester 1 Leaders Induction Assembly

Junior Primary SRC Isabel, Byron, Toby, Ruby, Scout and Nash

Primary SRC Back Row: Boston, Isabel, Bethany, Chelsea, Claire and Jay. Front Row: Josh, Kitty, Piper, Isaac, Des and Travis

Secondary SRC Back Row: Dayna, Connor (Treasurer), Jessica (Vice-President), Billie (Secretary) and Kaitlyn Front Row: Tahlia, Macy, Kheeli (President) , Layla and Peyton

Tolmer House Captains Back Row: Maverick, Rafferty, Jasmine and Caitlin Front Row: Bailey, Pheobe and Gracie

Maddison House Captains Back Row: Jazz, Archie, Joshua and Kheeli Front Row: Tyson, Emma, Darcie and Mitch

Stirling House Captains Back Row: Bailey, Aydon, Nikki and Bonnie Front Row: Harry, Jed, Kelcie and Della

Students

F—7 Assembly

Junior Primary Merit Award Winners Back Row: Mia, Norelle, Connor, Bill and Lily Front Row: Sharlah, Nevaeh, Drazick, Emma, Ollie and Paige

Primary Merit Award Winners Back Row: Bethany, Evie, William, Max, Isabel and Shantell Front Row: Ebony, Angel, Eddie, Briell, Jennifer and Hunter

Upper Primary Merit Award Winners Back Row: Claire, Jackson, Chloe and Tyson Front Row: Maddie, Jordis, Bradley and Travis

Congratulations to all our Merit Award Winners!

What a fantastic way to start the

year!

Canteen News—Sports day information!

Sports Day—Friday 8th March!

The canteen will be open ALL DAY! Sausage rolls, Pies, Hot dogs and Beef and Ham Salad Rolls will be available IN THE MORNING.

Drinks and Iced Coffee, Ice creams and Ice blocks and Chips will be available ALL DAY.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO lunch baskets, but if JUNIOR PRIMARY students require an order, they can bring it to the

Canteen in the morning and collect it at lunchtime. Please remember to order from the food listed above only.

Term 1 Calendar Please note this is subject to change

Swimming Carnival

The 2019 swimming carnival saw Stirling claim overall victory in a tight finish with Tolmer. The day ran extremely smoothly and it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves in the water. There were some very impressive performances, which saw some individuals being rewarded for their efforts on the day. We extend a massive congratulations to the individual winners and runners up for the day across all age groups. It was also great to see the immense support and team spirit from all team houses through cheering and helping each other out on the day. Thankyou to the students for their good behaviour and team spirit during the day, which contributed to an entertaining and successful carnival. Finally, a big thankyou to all staff, parents and volunteers for ensuring the day ran successfully and we look forward to doing it all again next year.

Canteen Price list—Effective 10th September 2018

USE Interschool Swimming Carnival

In week 4, the Interschool swimming carnival took place in Coonalpyn. Due to some re-structuring, the school zones have increased in size to include Mannum, Karoonda, Swan Reach, Lameroo, Tintinara, Coomandook, Meningie and Keith. With the extra schools, it created some great competition amongst the schools and saw some very competitive and entertaining events. Due to some great performances, Keith were awarded the overall winners for the day, taking home the winners shield again. Some considerable mentions for the day were Jed Smith, George Campbell, Taya Woodall and Macy Richman for taking out the trophies for their respective age groups. Congratulations to all of our swimmers for the effort and spirit they showed to represent our school, they should all be extremely proud of their efforts. It was a great day for all involved and we would like to again thank all parents, students and volunteers on the day for making it a successful event.

Year 8/9 Knockout Cricket

The Upper South East zone participated in a knockout cricket competition in week 4 in which we had 2 representatives from Keith, Lachlan Ruchs and Ethan Wood. The 8/9 boys hosted Bordertown at Tintinara oval and put on a very impressive performance. The USE batted first and posted a total of 201 for Bordertown to chase down. Lachlan Ruchs made 25 and Ethan Wood made 24, with both boys making valuable contributions to the total. The USE then managed to restrict Bordertown to just 56 runs in their innings, in what proved to be a very dominant performance by the USE boys. Both Lachlan and Ethan made valuable and economical contributions with the ball, with Lachlan taking 0-10 and Ethan taking 1-4. As a result of this performance, we have progressed through to the next round and will face Unity College at a time that is yet to be confirmed. Well done to the 8/9 Team and hopefully we can keep up the good form throughout the remainder of the competition.

Term 1 Calendar Please note this is subject to change

Lions Youth of the Year

Our school has a long and proud history with the Lions Youth of the Year competition. The local Keith branch are committed to maintaining this wonderful experience for our year 12 students, and this year four of our best and brightest took up the challenge. Kheeli Harris, Caitlin Sigston, Jessica Mewett and Jasmine Rayson represented Keith Area School with dignity, maturity and eloquence, impressing judges and audience members alike. The process for the competition begins with a detailed written application, followed by an interview and two impromptu speeches to the panel of three judges. In the evening, the participants present a polished five-minute prepared speech to a large audience. The rigour required by the students is high, but the results are well worth it. This year’s prepared speeches were poignant and thought provoking. Caitlin Sigston began the presentation with her exploration of teenage drug culture. Jessica Mewett then provided contrast with her fascinating and respectful dedication to the forgotten sacrifices of nurses in World War Two. The audience was then presented with a heartfelt plea for change as Jasmine Rayson told some confronting stories of child sex trafficking. Kheeli Harris concluded the speeches with an entertaining and insightful discussion about the power of positivity. Each young woman delivered her speech with a high degree of polish, and the audience enjoyed the diversity of the subject matter. The judges concluded that the winners were as follows: PUBLIC SPEAKING AWARD: Jessica Mewett OVERALL WINNER: Kheeli Harris Kheeli will now progress to the next phase of the competition in a few weeks. She will represent our school well and we wish her all the best. Mrs Tanya Allen

Parents

What’s been happening in Indonesian?

E-languages Sister School Partnership – Sekolah Kalijati As some may know already, the Education Department has set our school up with a partnering school in Indonesia called Kalijati SMA (a middle school in Subang). Subang is roughly two hours from a main city Bandung, which is actually Adelaide’s sister city. They are a farming community, where pineapples are a major produce. (mmm nanas!)

New Conference Cam = Skype Sessions! Some of the upper primary and the year 9 class have had a chance to Skype some of these students. Our current year 9 students received letters and wrote to students last year, however did not have an chance to skype; until now. A conference camera has been purchased in order to assist with ongoing communication between our schools – which is a fabulous addition for our school! This is to help further share understanding of our cultures, practise language and

make meaningful connections. A big bagus (well done) to students who were brave and introduced themselves and answer some questions about your hobbies etc. It was evident that both students from Keith and Kalijati enjoyed being able to communicate to each other. It will be interesting to learn more about these students and to share more about our lives in Keith.

Time Difference –

We are 3 and a half hours ahead (during

daylight savings)

A Christmas card sent from a Year 9 student.

The Junior Primary classes making some Indonesian style fans to keep cool in this heat!

Students

Immunisation information for Year 8, 10 and 11 parents

Volunteer News—Mrs Jess Smart

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at Keith Area School by Tatiara District Council – Bordertown Hospital. All Year 8 Students will be offered:

2 doses of human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil® at 2 separate visits. 1 dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough vaccine, Boostrix®

All Year 10 students will be offered: 2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexserol® at 2 separate visits.

1 dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, Nimenrix® Year 11 students will be offered:

2 doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexerol® at 2 separate visits. Immunisation consent packs will be sent home shortly with all Year 8,10 and 11 students. It is important that you read the information contained in the packs before you give consent for your child to be vaccinated at school. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Bordertown Hospital. All parents/legal guardians are required to complete, sign and return the Consent Cards, even if you do not consent for the student to be vaccinated at school. If you do not receive an Immunisation Consent pack from your child please ask at the school office. If you do not want your child to be vaccinated at school, please contact Bordertown Hospital to arrange for your child to receive the vaccines free. If you go to your local doctor for the vaccination, they will need to order the vaccine in and may charge a consultation fee. Remember to keep your child’s School Immunisation Program records in a safe place as they may be required for future employment or travel. If you have any queries or require further information on the immunisations please contact either;

SA Health – Immunisation Section: 1300 232 272 Bordertown Hospital: (08) 8752 9000

Are you interested in volunteering? Volunteers play a vital role in our school helping to create an environment that supports the education and wellbeing of our children and young people. A range of volunteering positions are always available for people willing to share their time and skills. From helping out in the reading room, sorting out lost property, labelling uniforms, school camps and excursions, Breakfast Club, Canteen, helping at the Royal Adelaide Show to listening to someone read or being involved in our Learning Assistance Program (LAP). Learning Assistance Program Our Learning Assistance Program (LAP) gives students the opportunity to extend or develop their skills, both academically and socially, with the support of a volunteer. This volunteer generously offers their time to work with a student one/two 50 minute sessions weekly and usually on a 1:1 basis. The program was run with great success in 2018 and we would like to continue with the LAP program in 2019. If you are interested in being involved or know of anyone that might be please contact me at school or see contact details below. New Volunteers Please note that all new volunteers will need to have their relevant DCSI screening, Responding to Abuse and Neglect training (RAN-EC) which can be done online as well as a site induction before they begin volunteering at the school. This is also required for school camps and excursions.

Parents

Volunteer News (Cont)

Training needs to be updated every three years. If you completed your RAN training in 2016 or earlier, you are due for a quick update. This can be done online either at home or we can assist you at school. At this stage we are offering training on a needs basis but we would appreciate your feedback about potentially running a Volunteer Induction evening as we have done in the past. If you are interested in coming to one of these please fill in the slip below and return to the front office. For more information or to make an appointment, please call (08) 8755 1177 or email jess.smart34@schools.sa.edu.au

PLEASE RETURN TO JESS AT THE FRONT OFFICE Parent/Caregiver name:____________________________Email______________________________ I am interested in attending a Volunteer Induction evening at the school Or I would like help to organise my DCSI screening and do the online RAN training course

Tuesday Lunch Club

This term Mrs Thompson and Mrs Clark have started a lunch time club in the library on Tuesday and Thursdays. It has been great to see students of all ages interacting with each other. It has been especially nice during the hot lunchtimes to have a nice cool space to work with friends. So far, the students have been involved in paper making, plaiting, Rummikub and Scrabble. Remember if you have any skills that you would like to demonstrate during a lunch club, Mrs Thompson or Mrs Clark would love to talk to you.

Students

Year 2 Science with Mrs O’Connor

Parents

Learning Support Programs

At Keith Area School we offer a variety of Intervention programmes to support students in both reading and Maths. We currently have 18 Primary and Secondary students receiving support in Maths, and 32 Primary students receiving support with reading. Most of our programmes are run by our trained SSO staff. Some learning support is also delivered by Primary teachers.

Quicksmart Maths Offered to year 4, 6 and secondary students.

Quicksmart is an intensive programme designed to improve students’ fluency and automaticity in basic number facts for all four maths operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Becoming faster and more confident in recalling basic mathematics facts (with understanding) can mean that students have more time, energy and attention available for tackling more challenging mathematical problems. Students attend 3x25 min lessons a week in pairs with an SSO who has been trained to run this programme. The programme runs for 30 weeks for primary students, while secondary students often only require 1 semester. Lessons are given in addition to the regular Maths instruction in the classroom.

MiniLit, MacqLit and Reading Tutor Offered to Foundation to year 7 students.

MacqLit and Reading Tutor can be used with Secondary students if required.

These 3 programmes are new to KAS in 2019. These programmes have been developed by MultiLit, a research-based initiative of Macquarie University and are recommended by the South Australian Department for Education. Research completed over the last five years has shown consistently that students (including students diagnosed with Dyslexia) make remarkable gains following MiniLit, MacqLit and reading Tutor instruction when backed up with 20 minutes of daily reading practice at home. We are hoping to see these results replicated with our students.

Students attend 4 or 5x50 minute lessons a week in a small group with an SSO who has been trained to run each programme. Most students will receive 1 semester of support.

MiniLit is designed for young children in Years 1 and 2 who are finding learning to read difficult. MacqLit is for children in Year 3 and above who are having difficulties with their reading. Reading Tutor is designed for students in year 2 to adults and is usually delivered on a one-to-one basis.

Karen O’Connor Reading and Intervention Coordinator

Parents/Caregivers

Flyers for upcoming events

Be You at Keith Area School

Keith Area School is proud to be taking part in the new National Campaign called Be You. Be You builds on the success and learnings from our previous KidsMatter initiative. The Be You program is designed to be delivered through early learning services, primary and secondary schools all across Australia. Be You promotes mental health and wellbeing, from the early years to 18, and offers future and current educators and learning communities evidence-based online professional learning, complemented by a range of tools and resources to turn learning into action. Be You empowers educators, helping them to develop valuable mental health skills and knowledge, while also providing an effective model for implementing a whole-learning community approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our staff are dedicated to studying the modules and working together to make our learning community even more positive,

inclusive and resilient – a place where every child, young person, educator and family can achieve their best possible mental

health.

Parents/Caregivers

How to be a good sports parent

Community

Community News