Hawker Area School eNewsletter

Welcome to the second term at Hawker Area School.

Assembly

It was a great end to term one with our end-of-term assembly showcasing many examples of student work after a great term one. In this newsletter I have included a selection of photos from the assembly for viewing.

COLA Update

After the planning and success of gaining the Schools Upgrade Grant through the Federal and State Governments the construction of our Covered Outdoor Learning Area commences on Monday May 12th. The COLA will be a great addition to the school, providing a facility for students in breaks and in lessons such as HPE and other learning activities. For a long time the school has needed a structure to provide protection for students from the effects of UV, high temperatures and wet weather, the COLA will provide this, with a solid shelter over the full hardcourt basketball and netball court at the school. The timeline for construction is as follows:

· Over May 12th to 16th:

Temporary Fencing goes up
Concrete cutting and removal in prep for footings
Stormwater Trenching
Tank and Stormwater prep
Delivery of materials in this week.

· May 19th to 23rd

Footings installation, concrete and hold down bolts first up
Concrete curing

· May 26th to June 12th

Installation of structure
Tank delivered and placed
Stormwater connected
Concrete reinstated around posts

Pupil Free Day

Monday was our Pupil Free Day with Cue Learning continuing their work with staff Literacy. The focus for the day was on writing. The impact of these days has been significant on teaching and learning practices at the school as evidenced by the sharing of some of the work at last terms assembly. Sharon and Phil from Cue Learning were also at school the following day working with teachers and students at the school.

EMS Community Portal and Frog

Invitations again went out to parents to activate their accounts on the Community Portal. So far 18 parents have taken up and activated their accounts with another 34 to get on board.

Once accessing the portal, parents will be able to report on absences, planned absences, update account information etc.
They will also be able to access the Frog Portal which is being developed at the moment. Parents can access the portal in particular by mobile phone, the community portal displays well on these.
Once bookmarked in a Google subscription the site is easily accessible on desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
A Frog Poral App is still being developed but once again the Frog Site can be bookmarked and works best in Google Chrome on mobile phones.

Reports this term will be written and go out to parents through the EMS so that parents can have ready access to them through the site. In response to some parent questions on this the reports can be printed also as pdf files.

Annual Report

The school’s Annual Report has been viewed and approved by Governing Council. From here it will be posted on our school website and also the My School website.

Dates coming up this term:

· May 12th – Pupil Free Day with staff working with Cue Learning.

· May 12th to June 12th – COLA construction.

· May 13th – Cue Learning at the school working with staff.

· May 16th – Walk to School Day. Watch this space please for further updates, May 16th is the official date by it may still be another more suitable date for staff and students.

· May 27th – ‘Do it for Dolly’ day, SRC fundraiser.

· May 28th – Secondary class Career Roadshow Excursion to Port Augusta.

· June 2nd – Whole School Closure Day on the Hawker Races weekend.

· June 9th – Monday public holiday and long weekend.

As always I can be contacted at the school through our Front Office on 86484003 or by my email at daren.oneill253@schools.sa.edu.au

Mr Daren O'Neill

Principal

Wellbeing

We are excited to share the achievements of two secondary school students in our school.

Paul Haywood has been selected as a South Australian SRC (Student Representative Council) representative. He is one of only 150 students chosen from 79 schools across the state. In March, Paul travelled to Adelaide to attend the SA SRC Summit, where he connected with fellow representatives and began discussions around state-wide student campaigns. He will continue to represent student voice at Hawker Area School while participating in regular online meetings with other state SRC members to support projects that matter to students across South Australia.

Jimmy Morgan has been selected as a UN Youth Ambassador, a prestigious opportunity that allows him to speak up for the rights and concerns of young people across Australia. As part of this national program, Jimmy will collaborate virtually with other young leaders and receive training in leadership, government advocacy, media and communications, and youth engagement. This role empowers him to raise awareness about issues that are important to children and young people.Their achievements are a reflection of their passion for creating a positive impact in their communities.

Mathematics

This term, our middle school students are diving into the world of numbers and trigonometry. Year 7 students have been learning about the characteristics of different types of numbers, including prime and composite numbers. This foundational knowledge supports their understanding of numerical patterns and problem-solving. Meanwhile, our Year 8 and 9 students have been applying their prior learning about measurement to explore trigonometric ratios. They are learning how trigonometry can be used to solve real-life problems, connecting classroom concepts with practical applications.

In the senior years, SACE Stage 1 and 2 students are continuing their journey in General Mathematics. Stage 1 students are currently focusing on trigonometry, and we are pleased to see Paul Haywood extending his learning by working with students from Coober Pedy on this topic. Our Stage 2 student is exploring financial mathematics, gaining essential skills in budgeting, financial planning, and interpreting data that will support her beyond school. It’s been a productive and engaging term in Mathematics so far.

Science

Our students have been actively engaged in hands-on learning experiences in Science. Last term, they designed and launched water rockets as part of their unit on force and motion. This exciting project allowed them to test their engineering and problem-solving skills, and they will continue refining their designs this term to improve the distance their rockets can travel.

Students also explored key concepts in Biological Sciences through an experiment investigating the effect of enzymes on proteins. They made jelly with and without pineapple to observe how enzymes like bromelain can break down protein structures. Using their observations, they recorded data and wrote scientific lab reports, deepening their understanding of experimental processes and biological interactions.

This term, the focus shifts to Physical Science. Students will investigate topics such as energy transformation, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and the behaviour of light through reflection and refraction. These topics will help students understand the role of energy in our daily lives and the science behind technologies we use every day. We look forward to another term filled with curiosity and discovery.

Sharon Lam

Wellbeing/Mathematics/Science Teacher

What can I say? I think it has been a great start to Term 2. We have hit the ground running in all subject areas and have really started to ramp up the assessments ready for reporting later in the term. I believe all students have been making really positive strides in a variety of learning areas. Most of all though, I have been really happy with the social-emotional development of students. My number one priority is to foster a welcoming, happy, safe, and enjoyable school environment whereby the learning will follow.

In literacy we have moved away from Narratives and into Information Texts: Newspapers. The assessment for this unit will be for students to create a newspaper report on a local event or person that have been interviewed!

In Maths we are really getting stuck into Multiplication and Division over the next unit, however, also assessing any gaps in essential curriculum elements and reteaching what needs to be!

In our Science lessons we are doing Space and currently exploring our Solar System with hands on modelling, report writing, and building our own spacecrafts next week.

Finally, consistent with school values and research I have continued to implement PBL -Positive Behaviour Learning in the classroom which focuses on positive reinforcement for student encouragement and growth. This includes plenty of class rewards: raffles,class dojo, warndu points, classroom jobs and various other privileges!

Lastly, I just wanted to sincerely thank you all for welcoming me into your town and community. I have settled in really well and have enjoyed every minute of teaching your children.

Looking forward to what the future holds.

Daniel Spick

3 -6 Teacher

Term Two is well and truly in full swing in the library. Students of all ages, including toddlers, have been returning and borrowing plenty of books, so lots of great reading is being done. There are also lots of regular readers from the wider community who regularly drop by. Leonie created a beautiful display to celebrate Mother’s Day and we hope the day was enjoyed and appreciated by all.

In addition to exploring information, books and authors, the library is also a place for learning and discussing all kinds of interesting things. Students have learned about the relationship between bogong moths and the pygmy possums of the Snowy Mountains, and the wonderful work of school students who helped to save them by a “lights-off” campaign and some delicious “bogong bickies”. Yura Muda lessons are sometimes held in the library too, and students have been learning about how stone tools were made, as well as how to make string and cord from grasses. Many students mastered the art with excellent results and lots of wrist-bands and cord for future projects were made.

Polly Smart

Teacher Librarian

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