Our school term is coming to an end in a weeks time with still a busy finish ahead. A lot has also been happening in the last few weeks providing some real highlights for our students and interactions with students from other schools and our community. Unfortunately I have been away a bit in the last few weeks, frustrating in that events where we engage with other schools and our community are always a highlight for me personally. There has been a lot going on this term, with our Open Day, Pupil Free Day on September 8th, our Wellbeing Day on September 4th and Whole School lunch the day before. More recently we have had our SRC Car Wash and Parent Student Teacher Conferences this week. In light of this though I do want to express my thanks to staff, students and parents for your efforts to support our Wellbeing Day, Whole School Lunch and our Sports Day. I heard that in response to our request for volunteers we had quite a few adults out on Sports Day to lend a hand.

Sports Day

On the Sports Day I sent out a News Flash over the weekend concerning the Sports Day result. An issue was identified with the recording system related to the calculation of final scores. The data collected during the day’s events was recorded accurately, but there was a flaw in the spreadsheet system used in processing the scores entered that affected the final scoreline. In the end the results of our Sports Day are now:

Heysen – 12.7895

Arkaba – 10.35

With the scoreline between Leigh Creek and Hawker being:

Leigh Creek 12.3348

Hawker 11.5385

It is important to be transparent in addressing this to ensure the results reflect the efforts of all participants fairly. Sports Days are a great opportunity for our students to get together and compete and enjoy a level of competition and engagement with other students, with students from other schools as well. This years Sports Day was a wonderful event, and the enthusiasm, teamwork, and contributions from our students, staff, parents, and volunteers made it truly memorable. It is important to remember this and the individual contributions and achievements of our students on the day.

Presentation Assembly

We are excited to announce that this term’s Presentation Assembly will be held on Thursday of Week 10, rather than on the last day of the term.

Our school assemblies are a special highlight for students, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their learning and achievements to their peers, families, and the broader school community.

To maximise participation, we have brought the assembly forward to the Thursday of Week 10. We understand that in Week 10, many families often travel for scheduled appointments, particularly due to our geographical isolation. By moving the date, we

aim to ensure that as many students and families as possible are able to be part of this significant event.

We look forward to sharing this memorable occasion with you and celebrating the remarkable achievements of our students.

Open Day

Our Open Day was held last Thursday August 28th and we had a turnout which mainly focused on parents of students in the F2 and 36 classes. As with other times this has been held it can be a lottery as to the turnout we get. The sausages from the Barbecue went down well, and Sharon Lam’s student practicals in the Science lab were a lot of fun for the students that had a go here! We also got some parents onto the Frog Portal, which gave us the chance to identify any issues as to how it displays information.

I hope everyone enjoys the opportunity to have a look at the articles in the Newsletter. I will be away form school for the last part of this week on personal business but will be at school for the start of next week.

Daren O'Neill

Principal

Term 3 has been extremely busy for our F-2 class.  As we enter week 8 we have already completed Book Week, Science Week, Pet Day, Wellbeing Day and Sports Day…we have also been busy with our usual studies. 

Science Week:  During Science Week we worked on something pertaining to science each day to celebrate the magnificent world of science.  We made sun prints, worked on changing materials with heat and cold, and in other ways too.  We did experiments demonstrating inertia and adhesion and finished off with a gorgeous Pet Day and parade.  The students are all lovers of science so it is easy to say they all enjoyed Science Week very much.

Book Week:  2025 was our best Book Week to date!  Thank you to the huge contributions from parents in helping create costumes for the parade, the children are very lucky to have you to help them celebrate books and reading.

Wellbeing Day was another fun filled afternoon…I think it wore us all out.

Sports Day:  What a day!  Even though we all endured some time delays and lots of windy weather, we managed to stay positive and vibrant throughout the day.  John and I are super proud of our little F-2 cohort, they brought their energy and sportsmanship.  Total congratulations to Liam Gill and Fleur Solly for taking out the Junior Champion awards on the day, super heroes the both of them!

Take care of yourselves and your family during the upcoming holidays.  I hope you get some quality time together and make some terrific memories.

Career Education – Whole School Lunch

In Week 7, the secondary class along with Annie prepared a whole school lunch for students and staff. The menu included sausage rolls, pizza and chocolate brownies. While I was unfortunately away on the day due to illness, the feedback from all involved was excellent with students and staff being extremely happy with the food and customer service. An added bonus, was that students had a positive experience too, enjoying the opportunity to engage in hands-on work and transferable job skills. Well done to the class on a great outcome and a massive thank you to Annie Polkinghorne for sharing her incredible knowledge and skill in the kitchen, which helped make the lunch a major success!

SRC Report

The main Term 3 activity hosted by the SRC was the Car Wash held in Week 8. SRC members as well as the secondary students, worked together co-operatively and tirelessly to make this fundraiser a major success. Congratulations to all student participants, for your excellent behavior and great team work. Also, a big thank you to everyone who supported the day and got their cars washed. And last but not least, a huge thank you to community member Ronald Daniels (Mopsy), who volunteered his time to help us raise $495.00 for the SRC. Please note that the SRC is planning to hold a fun event in Week 10. This will be officially decided at our next meeting and parents will subsequently be notified. Thank you.

Annette Hill

Secondary/SRC Teacher

What’s new in the art room. 

The F-2 Class has had a great time in the art room this term and it has been wonderful to welcome Izzy, Ben, Isla and Keira into our class.   

This term we have undertaken three main projects.  To begin with we have been learning about media, we learned that a medium is any material used to create a work of art, and that the word media refers to more than one medium. Mixed media art is a type of art created by combining different types of media together to make one artwork. We have studied artists that used mixed media to create artworks before diving in and having a go ourselves.  We created wonderous jellyfish artworks using a mixture of collage, paint, pastels and sculptural techniques.  You can find these works on display in the art room for your viewing pleasure. 

Secondly we have been learning about Impressionism, an artistic movement that began in France in the late 1800’s. We learned that Impressionism actually got its name from an insult! Critics said this art was unfinished, a mere impression of the subject, and that it wasn’t real art. We studied Impressionist artists that created these works focusing on Monet.  We used Monet’s Waterlilies as our inspiration, mixing colours on the paper instead of on a pallet to embrace our brush strokes, making each one purposeful.   

To finish the term off the class has looked at the science behind art, making our own art materials.  We are in the process of making our own coloured chalk, using eggshells as the calcium carbonate component, flour and water as the glue and both food colouring and natural dyes such as turmeric and cinnamon to compare product quality.  Washing and separating the egg shells from the membrane lining inside the shell was a task that taught us patience and persistence and focused on our fine motor skills but it was worth it when we were able to crush the shells into powder using a pestle and mortar.  

The 3-6 class and the 7-8 class have both been working on Gel plate printing.  Both classes began their journey by experimenting with the use of stencils to create prints and ghost prints.  These prints are then redone with multiple layers to create wonderous patterns.  Students also experimented printing onto different surfaces including tissue paper, cartridge and copy paper and brown textured paper, each have pros and cons that are dependent on the overall outcome.   Gel plate printing works differently to most printing techniques as it is a backwards process.  The first layer of paint to go on the plate is the last layer to come off onto the paper,  this took a little getting used to for some students but once understood the results were beautiful.   

Next came using the gel plate to do image transfers and backward painting.  The 7-8 students used photoshop to learn how to adjust and manipulate their images making them compatible for an image transfer onto the plate.  After much trial and error with different adjustments and different printers the students were able to successfully transfer images onto the gel plates.  Using these image transfers (5-6 students used pre transferred images) the students began their backward painting learning journey.  Using their understanding that the first layer on is the last layer off, students began layering their paint to create their works.   

To finish off their printmaking unit, The 5-6 students will be using the prints they created to make one final art work.  The 7-8 students will be creating a lino print using carving tools and making comparisons between the two printmaking techniques and outcomes.   

The 3-4 art class Made their move from stencil printing as stated earlier, to creating their own stencils using playdoh as a soft surface to imprint found objects.  This process proved a challenge as it required soft hands and an even amount of pressure so as not to crush the stencil but as they say, good things come to those that persist.  The second half of the term we moved into creating layered prints.  We began by using straws to manipulate the paint on our boards by blowing it around.  Second layer we mixed water, paint and detergent together to blow bubbles onto our board, this is a more subtle layer as the pigment is watered down and as the bubble sits on the board the pigment gathers only where the bubble touches the paper.  Control is important in this step and it’s a learning moment that sometimes we need to know when to stop, when enough is enough and walk away.  If we get carried away and put too many bubbles on and don’t patiently let them pop on their own before adding another light layer to slowly pop, the layer will become one solid blur.  We have two more layers to add over the next two weeks and you will be able to view these works at the end of term assembly.   

Emily Fels

Art Teacher

Secondary Mathematics and Science

This term, algebra has been the main topic of our mathematics class. Secondary students have been investigating the practical applications of algebra, ranging from substitution to linear and exponential functions. For instance, students used algebra to analyse the results and make predictions by dropping a tennis ball from various heights and measuring how high it bounces. Students also put their forensic science knowledge to use by predicting a suspect's features based on measurements like height and foot length using linear models.

Learning how to effectively gather, analyse, and present data has been the focus of scientific enquiry in science classes. Students have conducted practical experiments, documenting their results in tables and graphs and modelling the relationships between variables with digital tools. From predicting motion patterns to analysing biological data, they have begun to see how the algebraic models used in mathematics also support real-world scientific contexts.

At our Open Day, the Science Lab showcased ten different experiments to the school community. It was wonderful to see the joy and excitement on the faces of both students and parents as they explored science together.

The chance to think like actual scientists—creating experiments, putting theories to the test, and confidently and clearly presenting their results—students are developing critical abilities in resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving that will enhance their education long after they leave the classroom.

Wellbeing

This term, I started teaching Years 3–6 in a weekly wellbeing lesson this term. Through a variety of team-building exercises, the goal is to allow students in becoming more acquainted with one another. Students are gaining creativity, resilience, teamwork, respect, and determination by collaborating with diverse classmates in their class. These traits are a reflection of our school's values as well as our PBL expectations.

This term’s Wellbeing Day was a true highlight. Students took part in more than ten activities, including crocheting, cartoon drawing, water rockets, face painting, and photography. We were fortunate to welcome George Aldridge, Pika Wiya, and the Children’s University last Thursday, each travelling a long way to support our school.

We are especially grateful to Polly Smart for organising the much-loved nature bingo game, which many students have continued to enjoy at home, and to Emily Fels and Amanda Hilder for leading a rock-painting workshop. Our thanks also go to Robyn McInnis and Amy Morgan for dedicating their time to our weekly crochet club, and to Kaila Mason for guiding students through a creative Father’s Day activity. Importantly, the Secondary Career Education class and our Parents & Friends group helped create a welcoming atmosphere by providing food for students, staff, and guests.

What stood out most, beyond the excitement, was how enthusiastically students embraced every opportunity. From the laughter at the face-painting station to the focus and concentration shown in crochet, each activity encouraged creativity, teamwork, and confidence. Many students later shared that they wanted to keep exploring activities like nature bingo on their own.

The day also highlighted the strength of our community partnerships. By working alongside staff, the Children’s University, Pika Wiya, and local artists created a rich program that blended enjoyment with meaningful learning. Thanks to the generosity of Parents & Friends and the Secondary Career Education group, everyone felt valued and supported.

Above all, Wellbeing Day was a wonderful reflection of our school values: respect, cooperation, determination, resilience and inclusion.

Children’s University

Richard from the Children’s University offered a range of activities on the Wellbeing Day, including a photography workshop. Students were especially excited to experiment with a professional camera and explore how to capture moments from different perspectives and angles. With Richard’s patient guidance, they built confidence in trying something new and discovered creative ways to express themselves.

Another highlight was the family portrait, which not only provided parents and children with a special keepsake but also strengthened our sense of community.

Workshops like these reflect the spirit of the Children’s University — encouraging students to explore, create, and extend their learning beyond the classroom. We look forward to more opportunities like this and to celebrating our students’ achievements at the upcoming Children’s University graduation.

Please remember to submit your hours by Friday, the end of Week 10. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sharon Lam

Wellbeing/Mathematics/Science/Children's University

Lisa O'Neill

IMS and SSO