We come to the end of another school term and look forward to our holidays after a week 10 filled with NAIDOC events and culminating in a Whole School Closure for NAIDOC next Friday. The newsletter is filled with information on teaching and learning programs this term, enjoy the read.

I can’t start this article without congratulating Archie and Jimmy Morgan on their success with Cross Country Running at SAPSASA and Secondary levels this term, competing in the Cross Country State Championship at Oakbank on Thursday June 8^th. Both boys trained hard for the day, runnning around Hawker, testing and timing themselves. Archie qualified through the district qualifying event in Port Augusta. The pair ran and splashed their way around the hilly 3km course at Oakbank against the best in the state, runners who had qualified through other regions. Archie completed the course in 14.13.29, coming in 137^th out of 172 runners, while Jimmy ran in 14.53.90 finishing 124^th out of 148 runners. The race was fast and willing with this number of runners, Jimmy taking a slide around the last corner in the wet conditions!   

The School camp at Mannum was a busy and exciting experience for our students and staff. After some issues with the bus on the way down on Monday we arrived late, and proceeded to Mount Barker for our Laser Tag session, arcade games and dinner. The students had a ball, enjoying the maze in the Laser Tag arena, and engaging in a wide variety of games on different game consoles, traditional arcade games and hands on games such as air hockey. This was followed up with a good day at Monarto, where the students were divided into two groups for the bus tour and educational activities with the staff at the zoo. The tour of the Safari Park was especially interesting for the students. Monarto Safari Park is the largest open-range safari experience outside of Africa and is home to more than 50 species of exotic and native animals. We learnt about the challenges facing many different species and the role of the Safari Park in trying to support efforts to preserve these species. We drove past Giraffes, Lions, Zebras, African Painted Dogs, Black…..and White Rhinos, Blackbucks, Cheetahs, Antelope, Przewalski’s Horse, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Spotted Hyenas and also got the chance to see the Chimpanzee enclosure while on a walk.

On the Pupil free day on Tuesday June 13^th staff underwent the conclusion to their training in LEAP LEVELS, which outlines a very explicit approach to teaching and assessing writing. The day was directed at our Writing Goal, which is part of our School Improvement Plan. Staff have conducted Cold Writes once a term and have been developing knowledge and skills through the training which can be applied to teaching and learning of writing by students.

On Thursday June 22^nd, the day after students returned from camp, the school had a visit from Senior Students and Teachers from the Australian Science and Mathematics School who were visiting our region, having been to Burra earlier in the week. The day has been in the planning this year, as a pilot to future visits from the school and has been set up to inspire students with an understanding of the opportunities for learning that can come out of Science and Mathematics. Due to the weather on the day after the camp the duration of the visit was limited to two lessons, before the students visited Wilpena Pound. In lessons three and four our students who were at school on the day had a chance to be part of an interactive expo of activities and the various booths that students had set up. There were some fantastic hands on activities that our students participated in including:

• The science of making slime
• STEM design challenges
• DNA separation and modelling
• Digital electronics activities
• Activities investigating Aerodynamics and Physics

At the end the audience had a great demonstration of “Elephant Toothpaste” which had to be seen to be believed. The double session finished with a group photo, and thankyous from staff and students of both schools.

NAIDOC week is on in the last week of term. We have planned the following activities:

• On Tuesday a visit to Arkaroo Rock, with a cultural and environmental focus on the importance of the location to the Adnamatna people.
• On Wednesday morning individual class sessions at the firepit area, the cooking of Adnamatna food over the pit and on a barbecue.
• Friday is our Whole School Closure Day for NAIDOC celebrations in Port Augusta.

On Wednesday the Adelaide Youth Orchestra will be visiting Hawker, the visit set up with assistance from our Instrumental Music teacher, Kate Mawson, who is also the tour director with the orchestra. The orchestra will arrive at 1.15pm and conduct a half hour workshop with our instrumental music students, followed by a performance at 2pm.

Enjoy the newsletter and the holidays. I look forward to seeing all our students back for the start of term three.

Art (Foundation - Year 8)

In Art, the year 6-8 students have been exploring Pop Art and applying the techniques to their own icons they like, using prints and adding their artist expression to personalize the work. Year 3-6 students have been doing Drama, improvising from known story books to act out a quick play. They then have been introduced to behind the scenes occupations, such as script writing, set design and directing. Junior Primary have been doing some drama activities, drawing and painting techniques, sculpting and landscapes.

Junior Primary

Junior Primary have been doing measurement this term following the terms of mass, capacity, length and time. In HASS, we have been exploring Australia and its states and capital cities. Physical Education has been a range of football and soccer ball skills. We have also done some fast pace walking around the oval, managing to stay walking until the last 20 metres where the students could not contain themselves any longer. For Adnamatna with Karmy, we have been on several walks around the Walking Trail next to the school to find bush tucker. Students collected wattle seeds and brought them back to school to arduously sort the shells from the seeds. Next was the grinding into flour and with all our efforts we ended up with about 2 tablespoons of flour for our wattle seed damper.

As Term 2 winds up I find myself reflecting on some of my favourite things from throughout the term.  Obviously the camp at Mannum has been a highlight…too short for some and maybe for some, plenty long enough.  A visit to Monarto Zoo is always a great experience but this visit we were lucky enough to see many babies that have recently been born.  We also experienced the chimpanzee house at an interesting transitional time.  As the alpha male chimp had recently passed away there was some turmoil within the group.  It was interesting listening to our guide who was able to explain why certain unusual things were happening and on display from different sections of the shrewdness. 

We also enjoyed time at the games arcade in Mt Barker where I was able to win a hard fought battle of foosball against a mighty opponent.

Another highlight for me is the terrific progress the hardworking students in my class have made in RWInc. In my RED group I have introduced a personal whiteboard for each student with magnetic sounds on it that each individual has mastered.  This enables me to do tailored spelling, and only ask students to build words that they have the ability to successfully spell.

Land yacht designing was our major technology task this term.  So much learning has taken place with much problems solving to make wheels, axles and sails work.  We set up a fan that we used as a wind source and tested each yacht to see how far it could travel along the art room table unassisted.  I am pleased to reveal all land yachts that underwent testing were successful with most reaching the entire length of the of the table!

 

Enjoy your holidays and I look forward to teaching your child in term 3

During term 2, the 3-6 class has kept quite busy.

In English, we have been working on punctuation, sentence structure and persuasive writing and how it is used in advertising. 

In maths, the class looked at measurement in length, mass, capacity and area and volume. We have also been working on multiplication and division skills. 

Science this term looked at Chemistry with the children learning about properties of matter, states of matter and how matter changes from one state to another. 

In HASS the year three crew looked at celebrations and commemorations in Australia and around the world. The year 4 bunch looked at early explorers and the year 5 and 6's looked at early colonies of Australia. 

In Health, the students have been looking at healthy lifestyles such as sun safety, personal hygiene, the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating habits.

Welcome to the end of another term, we’ve been busy in the secondary classes with some great learning taking place.

7/8 English

The junior secondary students have completed a unit of work on the novel Wonder. We completed quotes, comprehension questions, song and movie analysis and all just really enjoyed the story. During the second half of the term we have been focusing on different types of writing, so far, we have covered informational writing and informal writing. With each text type we have looked at the grammar that is unique to it, and practiced spelling and vocabulary along the way.

9/10 English

Our Year 9 and 10 students have spent some time researching learning about author/actor/poet/activist Maya Angelou. We’ve learned about her life and looked at some of her work and the messages behind it. Currently students are looking closely at how to write a good essay, in readiness for SACE next year.

9/10 Personal Learning Plan

This term sees our students completing their Personal Learning Plan course, with great results. They have completed work experience that all found extremely valuable, and attended a Career Expo in Adelaide where they were able to talk to prospective employers and experience some of the trades. All students are now logged into the Department for Education’s new website initiative, My Career Portal. This Portal allows them to complete modules of work each year until they leave school, readying them for work or further study. We are all learning our way around the site at present but so far it looks fantastic.

SACE English

Our Stage 1 students have completed their course, with good results, which is great to see. Stage 2 has one semester to complete, which involves an external assessment task worth 30% of their grade. This task will be a language study and is quite in depth and involved. We are in the planning stages currently.

7-10 HASS

This term has been all about geography. We have looked at geographical skills including analysing data, mapping, graphing, geographical diagrams and inquiry questions. We have just begun some work on Civics and Citizenship where we are looking at laws and citizenship, including the rule of law, how laws are made and why we need them. We are also looking at situations which may be morally right but legally wrong, and vice versa, and this has brought about some lively discussion.

7-10 PE

The second half of term two has been focused on netball and sports day practice (at students request). So far we have honed our sprinting and starting skills, throwing skills and jumping. We will continue this into Term 3 until sports day. Our other lesson is all about netball at the moment where we head over to the Community Centre courts and enjoy playing against each other, with Annabelle taking on most of the organization and umpiring.

Science

In Science, our students delved into the fascinating world of chemical reactions. They expanded their knowledge by conducting experiments. One experiment involved investigating the concentration of solutions using Skittles, observing how colors diffuse in different liquids. Additionally, students explored the concept of crystallization and created beautiful crystals using borax. Furthermore, they had a hands-on experience with slime-making, experimenting with different temperatures to observe the effects. These engaging activities enhanced their understanding of scientific concepts and nurtured their curiosity.

Mathematics

The students in Mathematics continued their exploration of measurement, discovering its practical applications in real life. They learned to calculate floor plans and realized the usefulness of measurement in various contexts. Progressing from 2D shapes to 3D shapes, students acquired the skills to calculate the area and volume of different geometric figures. This hands-on approach to mathematics fostered critical thinking and problem-solving abilities among our students.

Chinese

In Chinese language classes, our students had an enriching learning experience. Our F-2 students immersed themselves in learning Chinese vocabulary and even created their own Chinese names using playdough. They also had the opportunity to explore Chinese Calligraphy, further connecting with Chinese culture. For our 3-6 students, the focus was on expanding their Chinese vocabulary and improving pronunciation. Traditional board games like Reversi added a fun element to their learning, making it an engaging experience for all.  Additionally, our Year 7-8 students had a delightful culinary experience as they learned how to hand-make dumplings. They participated in the process of making and cooking the dumplings. This hands-on activity provided them with a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and traditions.

Research Project

Our Year 11 students made remarkable strides in their research projects. One student conducted an investigation on incorporating indigenous ingredients into a traditional Australian dish. Through cooking Kangaroo Pies using both fresh and store-bought kangaroo meat, he explored the rich cultural heritage of our nation. The dish was shared and enjoyed by all staff members. Another student's research involved self-programming three video games and embedding pop music into them. His objective was to examine the impact of music and games on primary school students' emotional well-being. Collaborating with the primary Digital Technology class, this experiment was met with enthusiasm by the younger students who thoroughly enjoyed playing the games and listening to the captivating music.

Children's University

This Term, the Children's University organised Photography and Comics sessions for our students. These lunchtime activities count the hours towards their passport. The students who collect 30 hours of extracurricular activities can attend a graduation ceremony. They can write down the activities and their time spent on their passport. Please be aware that the cut-off date is in September.

Design and Technology

Learners in Years 3 and 4 have been developing skills in measuring and marking materials required for project construction. As a group we are developing skills in using the correct tool name and are learning how it can be used to cut or shape the timber materials for our current and future projects. Learners have been developing skills in using equipment safely. They are currently developing skills in using the jigsaw to cut timber to size and how to finish projects by sanding sharp edges and rounding corners before varnishing. Our projects have focused on small storage boxes and three-dimensional animal sculptures before developing our current project, a small toy that rolls along the ground on wheels.

 

Learners in Years 5 and 6 have continued to develop skills in using hand tools and equipment to shape materials for project construction. As a group, we have used the design process - investigate, design, make and appraise to help us develop a doorstop, designing 3D animal shapes as part of the idea. In Term 2, students were interested in how the older students worked with metal and welding materials. As a learning focus and introduction to fusion welding, learners developed metal sculptures of animals and people welding materials together and presenting them on a timber base.

 

Learners in Years 7 to 12 have continued to develop skills in identifying a problem to solve practically, investigating possible solutions and designing ideas and developing their own solution to the problem by drawing ideas on a CAD program and attempting to build and test their idea. Students have focused on developing skills in the metalworking area, learning skills in gas welding using the fusion and braze welding methods and in using the MIG and Stick welding equipment. Learners have continued developing skills in planning and problem-solving, organising materials and project components, shaping materials, and using hand and power tools safely to make timber joints for their individual project idea ranging from small storage boxes, tables, cabinets, chairs and tool boxes.