46 East Terrace, Kingston SE SA 5275 T (08) 8767 2677 F (08) 8767 2247 E dl.0737.info@schools.sa.edu.au www.kingstoncs.sa.edu.au

Kingston Community SchoolH o n e s t y . P e r s o n a l B e s t . R e s p e c t . F r i e n d l i n e s s . R e s p o n s i b i l i t yPrincipal: Ms Lucretia Tocaciu Newsletter 6: 7 June 2019

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Caregiver

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks.

In the past four weeks we have had an external school review, as well as the partnership we are in also had a external review. The official opening of our STEM spaces occurred in Week 4 and ancestral remains were returned to the Gall Park site after 58 years in the South Australian Museum. NAPLAN online took place earlier this term and school life has continued around all of this.

Our students have been exceptionally busy working on improvement of their numeracy, reading and writing. These are the focus of our Site Improvement Plan and as you know we have very specific targets we want to meet. The teachers have designed actions and strategies to ensure we are successful. We have noted indicators of success along the way and these criteria will indicate growth and development of your children. If what we have planned is not successful then we need to amend our actions and strategies to align with the needs of our students. Students will be further challenged in their numeracy, reading and writing work across all curriculum areas and often when challenged, students can become negative about themselves, their teachers and their work and go into a discount mode. Enabling students to rise to challenges takes time to develop and we need your support to change student mindset about knowledge and to accept challenge and feedback. Three of our Year 10 students challenged themselves by entering the ANZAC spirit competition in the past few weeks. They worked on this project through their last lot of holidays and were finalising work in the last few weeks. All of these students chose to do this as an extra curricula activity and should be congratulated. The three submissions from Isabella Drabsch, India Little and Will Wiseman have now been added to the Australian Virtual War Memorial.

Last Friday, India Little and Will Wiseman were interviewed by the ANZAC spirit panel as part of the next stage of

the competition process. Both of these students were successful in winning a place on the ANZAC spirit trip to Vietnam in September. This is wonderful and well deserved for their work. Will Wiseman entered the competition last year and when I read his application this year I could see the improvement in his writing, the increased sources he had analysed and the different media he had accessed to find his information, this demonstrated how he had used feedback to move forward. It is only through practice and trial and error that students will get better. Their HASS teacher Maddison Lawrie also applied to be an accompanying teacher on this trip and her application and interview were successful. Congratulations to all students who entered and to Maddison for their dedication to this worthy competition. I really enjoyed reading all of their submissions.

I remind you that we have a pupil free day on Tuesday to continue our Numeracy Site Improvement work with Dr Margarita Breed. Dr Margarita Breed has worked with the South Australian Department for Education over a period of years and has delivered the Big Ideas in Number to school leaders and presented to teachers in focussed school based workshops. Margarita has on-going experience in classrooms and working directly with teachers to assist them to understand the sequential concepts that students require to develop into confident learners in number. Margarita was a member of the project team that developed Scaffolding Numeracy in the Middle Years. The project investigated the efficacy of a new assessment-guided approach to improving student numeracy outcomes in Years 4 to 8. In particular, it was aimed at identifying and refining a learning and assessment framework for the development of multiplicative thinking at this level using rich assessment tasks.

I hope our students have a good four day break and come refreshed for the last month of term.

Lucretia Tocaciu

CHILD STUDIESThe Year 11/12 Child Studies class recently completed a practical assessment with the Year 1 class. The senior students had to individually create a practical activity that the Year 1 class could do with them. The activity needed to be engaging and something the students could do instead of watching a screen. The senior students were also encouraged to try and 're-purpose' some type of technology. For instance, one student used non-inflated balloons for a craft activity rather than blowing them. It was a great activity where the Year 11/12 students got used to working with young children, giving them instructions and taking their safety into consideration. The Year 1 class also thoroughly enjoyed the activities!

NATURE CULTURE GARDEN

The development and work on a special garden, adjacent to the sand pits, commenced in Term 3 last year. Kathy Bell and Nathan Barr with many students, classes, teachers and community have been supporting and establishing the garden into a place for learning. It is both an outdoor classroom and a place for play and for all to get together to connect to nature and culture. Nathan has said, “This garden has helped me to feel I belong at the school, it makes me feel much better about school. “This garden looks good and we love it.”

It has been a wonderful project and would not have been possible without the enormous effort of so many students, classes and teachers. The fantastic contribution from our community has been amazing and we would like to thank – Graham Usher, Chris Jolly, James Whitcher, Colin Dicker and Chris Clarke for their combined efforts on the earth works. We thank Fiona and David Rasheed and Clarke Brothers for many of the large rocks in the garden. We also thank the Kingston District Council for their support and bark mulch. The project was partially funded by the Walker Family Trust. Contributions and support from the Nature Play Committee especially Stacey Daniel in initiating the project, the Aboriginal Reference Group and grounds staff at KCS have been very much appreciated.

We will continue to engage in the beautification, colour and nature of this garden bringing it to life with our school community.

Kathy Bell and Nathan Barr

OPENING OF STEM FACILITIESOur new STEM facilities were officially opened by Member for MacKillop, Mr Nick McBride MP. Tours were conducted of the new spaces and visitors were able to see students engaging in STEM activities in these indoor and outdoor areas. Thank you to all students, staff and community members who attended our ceremony.

YEAR 10/11 AGRICULTURE

The Year 10/11 Agriculture students participated in crutching the school’s

ewes.

One of our ex-student’s, Allayne Webster, has published a new book, The Centre of My Everything. Allayne is the author of several books for teens, including the CBCA Notable book, Paper Planes and has been the recipient of three SA Arts Grants. She has kindly donated some of her books to the library. Please call in and have a look at what we have.

AUTHOR ALLAYNE WEBSTER

NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK

The tree of truth is what happens when the seeds of empathy, solidarity and love are sown. This is a representation of the community that we can grow into if we are able to acknowledge our history, learn from it and move forward together.

Please take the time to look at our display in the front office.

YEAR 10 CAREERS CONFERENCE

On Friday, Week 5, the Year 10’s went to Mount Gambier to attend a Careers Conference. During this time they had the opportunity to discuss future pathways with business owners. The stall holders and event co-ordinator praised our students for their polite manner and excellent questioning. There were also many competitions run on the day that our students entered. Coopa Trinne and Jack Harding each wrote a brilliant 100 words that saw them win fantastic

LIONS YOUTH OF THE YEAR

Graham Hutchings and Yvonne Emery presented participation certificates to our students who competed in the Lions Youth Of The Year.

Belle Sneath won the Kingston section of the competition and went on to compete at Kalangadoo in the district final.

SAPSASA ATHLETICS

MOTHER’S DAY MORNING TEA

Sapsasa Athletics at Santos Stadium was a very successful day for KCS students who were representing Upper South East.

Congratulations to our medalists:

Sharni Webber - Silver Medal Shot Put and Silver Medal Discus

Luke Watson - Silver Medal Discus and Gold Medal Shot Put

Jed Bawden - Silver Medal Shot Put

Well done everyone!

KCS Parents and Friends Group held a Mother’s Day Morning Tea on Friday 10th May with lots of KCS Mums, Grandmas, Nannas, Aunties and loved ones coming along to celebrate Mother’s Day with our students. Our wonderful Reception and Year One classes performed a song about the diversity of Mums and the KCS Festival Choir performed 2 songs that were enjoyed by all. Thanks to our wonderful students, Mrs Ogilvie and Ms Pointon for your performances and to our KCS loved ones for coming along to such a lovely morning.

Our Year 12 Chemistry students have been busy working on their summative practical assignments. They were determining the acid content in vinegar.

YEAR 12 CHEMISTRY

RECEPTION’S MASTERCLASS

Our Year 7 students joined with our Reception class for a Master Chef bread/butter making cooking experience. Each group were given a Little Red Hen recipe to follow and had to problem solve without teacher input. Students developed team and problem solving skills and gained authentic experiences in the areas of science, math and literacy.

They were also given a sheet of cellophane, freeze tape, staples and scissors and their mission was to design a chef’s hat that would fit receptions!

ANZAC SPIRIT PRIZEKingston Community School is incredibly proud of three Year 10 students, India Little, Isabella Drabsch and William Wiseman who entered submissions into the 2019 Premiers Anzac Day Spirit Prize. All three students’ work will be added to the Australian Virtual War Memorial.

Students conducted primary source research into local war veterans to examine and empathise with the remarkable sacrifices of South Australian service men and women during the 20th Century. After completing two written pieces, India and Will were then selected to be interviewed by a judging panel in Adelaide and have been selected to participate in a fully funded study tour to Vietnam during the October school holidays. The judges were particularly impressed by the students’ knowledge, but also their interview confidence and excellent manners!

Huge congratulations to Year 10 students, William and India, who have both been awarded the 2019 Premier’s Anzac Day Spirit Prize!

Congratulations also to our HASS teacher, Miss Maddison Lawrie, who has been selected as the teacher to accompany the study group to Vietnam.

Well Done!

OPEN BOYS KNOCK OUT FOOTBALL

Our Open Boys Football team played their second round match on Wednesday 5th June, after defeating Grant High School and Millicent High school in round 1. We hosted a strong Naracoorte High School side who proved too strong on the day, therefore eliminating us from the competition. By hosting the game, we were able to get a large number of students come down and watch the boys play and cheer them on.

Year 8, 9 & 10 students were involved in a practical presentation on “Immerse Yourself in Oculus VR’ run by Flinders Universtiy. Students were grouped together and explored virtual reality through Oculus Go headsets. They learnt about the history of VR and where we’re at now, the principles of designing for a VR environment, and the exciting things we can do with this technology. Through this session students developed an understanding of innovation and how to generate ideas.

VR REALITY WORKSHOPS

The Year 11 and 12 had an informative session that gave our students tips on how to get the most out of Year 12, life at Flinders, course information, adjustment factors (bonus points), how to apply through SATAC, important dates and pathways. Students had an opportunity to speak and ask questions regarding their intended pathway.

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY SESSION

CAREER CORNERVINTAGE CELLER HAND - PREPARATION COURSE

Are considering vintage cellar hand work during school holidays or gap year?

This course will include theory and practical skills along with winery site tours over 2 days.

This course is accredited and upon successful completion students will receive a Statement of Attainment for the nationally recognised accredited unit of competency, Identify key operations in wine production (FDFWIN1001A 20 nominal hours).

Requirements:

• Minimum age is 16• Personal travel to local wineries will be required• Enclosed footwear must be worn

Training dates are Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th July 2019, 9.00am – 3.30pm at Coonawarra.

Please click on the flyer for more information and registration details:

https://www.tafesa.edu.au/xml/course/sc/sc_T117959761.aspx

PANEL BEATER APPRENTICESHIP

We are seeking expressions of interest from enthusiastic, motivated and career minded people to apply for the above apprenticeship located in Mount Gambier.

Personal Requirements• Good attention to detail• Able to follow procedures• Physically Fit for Manual Work

Duties May Include• Removing rough spots on vehicle panels• Sand surfaces using hand and power tools• Remove and replace panels• Minor mechanical duties• Removing and filling of dents

Applicants are required to demonstrate a strong interest in this area and the successful applicant will receive full training in a variety of areas in accordance to the Apprenticeship.

Please send your Cover letter and Resume:

Brad Wilson-SmithGroup Training EmploymentPO Box 1748Mount Gambier SA 5290Phone: 87212345

Email: applications@gte.org.au

Applications Close: 14th June, 2019

UPDATING SCHOOL DETAILS

Could you please contact the school if you have recently moved house or changed your telephone no. These details are important if we need to contact you in an emergency.

ONLINE EXAMSYear 12 Modern History students will sit an online examination for the first time in 2019. Families can familiarise themselves with the format by following this link:https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/electronic-examination-familiarisation-activity

Canteen Volunteer RosterStarting time 10:15 am

Thank you for your support in the canteen. All volunteers are supplied with lunch as a thank you. Starting time is 10.15 am. If you are unable to work on your rostered day please try to arrange a swap. In case of an emergency or to fill a volunteer needed vacancy please contact Louise or Kylie at the canteen on 8767 2171 or Louise AH on 8767 2610.

Term 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 710-14June

QUEEN’SBIRTHDAY

PUPILFREEDAY

SuzanneDrabsch

04257 676 020

Week 817-21June

KirstyStarling

0418 772 006

Robyn Vanstone

0487 161 225

KylieWood

0429 419 102

Week 924-28June

TrishYeo

0417 819 596

RenaeBawden

0419 180 626

Week 101-5July

Theresa Mules

0428 855 889

Tanya Watts

0427 672 005

2019 CROSSING ROSTERNew teams take over on Tuesday morning each week, including new terms.

Term 2

WEEK

7 11/6/19 Skye Erica Lara8 18/6/19 Haley Caitlyn Mia9 25/6/19 Zac Cooper Riley

10 2/7/19 Mandy Angel Milly

DIARY DATESTerm 2June6-7 Knock Out Football10 Queen’s Birthday Holiday12 Yr 5 Lion’s Mad Minute Reception Excursion17-20 Sapsasa Football/Netball21 Science Challenge Mt GambierJuly1-5 Yr 10 Work Experience5 Last day of Term -early dismissal 2.15pmTerm 3July 22 Pupil Free Day

Don’t forget to like our FACEBOOK page to stay connected and to receive regular updates and reminders of school events and activities.You can find our page at www.facebook.com/kingstoncommunityschool/.

LOST PROPERTYHas your child lost their hat or jumper? Please check out the lost property area as there is quite a collection happening!

1 | Written Reports for Primary and Secondary Students – parent information

Written Reports for Primary and Secondary Students

Background

As a parent/carer/guardian you will receive two written reports each year. These reports will help you understand how your child is progressing and how schools support your child’s development.

Teachers plan, teach, assess and report students’ learning using the Australian Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum sets high standards for what all young Australians should be taught and what they should know and be able to do as they progress through school.

Each learning area has achievement standards. These standards describe in plain language what students should typically know, understand and be able to do, by the end of each year level.

You are encouraged to read through the standards for each subject area and year level, and when students are expected to achieve them, on the Australian Curriculum website: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au. The website also includes helpful examples of student work at different levels of achievement.

What are the requirements for student reports?

Written reports are just one way that schools communicate with you about how your child is progressing at school.

All schools in South Australia provide parents and carers with two written reports each year that: • report on all subjects studied by their child • are based on a five-point achievement scale • use plain language • identify areas of strength and areas that need more development.

Years 1-10 student reports are based on an A-E achievement scale, supported by a description of what this means in relation to their progress against the achievement standard.

Reports for Reception students use descriptive wording about students’ progress over the year referenced to the Reception level achievement standard.

How do teachers allocate grades?

Teachers use a range of different assessment strategies and tools to gather evidence of student achievement with reference to the achievement standards in the Australian Curriculum. Based on the evidence, teachers make an on-balance judgement to decide which grade best matches the standard the student has achieved. Teachers are not expected to allocate a set number of each grade within their class.

What other forms of reporting do schools provide?

Schools communicate with you about your child’s learning in a variety of ways including parent-teacher interviews. You can request interviews at other times by contacting the school to make a mutually convenient time to meet with your child's teacher.

2 | Written Reports for Primary and Secondary Students – parent information

What do A-E grades mean?

A–E grades or word equivalents are used by teachers to report students’ achievement against the Australian Curriculum achievement standards. The grades describe a range of achievement from minimal to excellent.

The following table describes each grade in words.

In relation to the achievement standard, your child …

A is demonstrating excellent achievement of what is expected at this year level.

B is demonstrating good achievement of what is expected at this year level.

C is demonstrating satisfactory achievement of what is expected at this year level.

D is demonstrating partial achievement of what is expected at this year level.

E is demonstrating minimal achievement of what is expected at this year level.

• An ‘A’ grade indicates that the student has shown a thorough knowledge and understanding of a topic and can apply that information in unfamiliar situations.

• Typically a ‘C’ grade means a student is achieving what is expected of them at that point in their learning. This is a considerable achievement because of the high expectations built in to the achievement standards.

• An ‘E’ grade means the student is just beginning to work towards the achievement standard.

A-E grades and the accompanying comments are one aspect of reporting to parents/carers/guardians. The report can also provide information about:

• a student’s strengths and areas for development

• information about their social development

• strategies to assist their progress • involvement in school programs and activities

• attitude and commitment to learning • attendance

Decisions about the format and content of school based reports are made by schools in consultation with their community.

Do all student reports have to include A-E grades?

The progress and achievement of some students will be reported against an achievement standard that best matches their current level of achievement. This may occur in some or all learning areas. Alternatively their achievement may be reported against the goals of their individual learning plan. Schools are expected to negotiate both the student’s learning program and appropriate reporting arrangements for some students with parents/carers/guardians as well as the student if appropriate, and other relevant professionals.

This may occur for some students with disability and eligible newly arrived students in mainstream schools. Students who have left the Intensive English Language Program /New Arrivals Program (IELP/NAP) may not be given A-E grades for up to six terms after they leave the program. Students in the IELP/NAP receive a report describing their achievements rather than A-E grades.