11 April 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principals Report

Hello all, it has been a full on term for a lot of students and families and looking back we have had a lot on our program. Our teaching staff have attended a variety of workshops starting with the PD days at Roxby Downs, which have focused on Literacy, Numeracy and Assessment for Learning. In addition to this I attended the Leaders Day and Literacy Summit in late February, which were held in Adelaide and the Secondary Learning Design Assessment and Moderation days which were also attended by Lidia Szlezak and Mphilisi Manombe. The days have complimented our School Improvement Program especially addressing our goals for improvement in Literacy, Numeracy and Writing.

Staff over the term have put a lot of work into learning improvement for our students. Amanda Hilder has been collecting data on our students in the area of phonics, which has been used to analyse development of our students from Foundation to Year 5. As a result of this our Primary Staff have been working on ‘plugging the holes’ in literacy for all our students from Foundation to Year 5 in particular, and the data we have been gathering here following on from this has shown some good results. This has been the preparation for our Read Write Inc program, which starts next term and will involve five lessons a week of literacy focused activities aimed at driving student improvement in the area of literacy. In the secondary area Lidia Szlezak has implemented the Assessment for Learning approach, to get students to reflect on their learning goals, and get the continuous feedback that moves learners forward. The focus in the secondary area has been on regular feedback to move learners forward.

Sports Events

School events have focused on sports and culture. In February our students attended the Quorn Area School swimming carnival. All students competed well in their events, with students who were initially reserved at the start of the day rising to the occasion by days end. This was really pleasing for me to see, with our students demonstrating a really positive headset for participating in events which for some of our students were a little outside their comfort zones. Harry McAuley especially was a notable example of this as he increased his participation over the day, setting a great example, while Sierra Wiltshire also performed well enough in her own events to earn selection in the Quorn team for the MNSEC Swimming in Booleroo. Our students also competed in the MNSEC Athletics day in Jamestown, which was run after a delay of a week due to heat. Although our athletes strived well, no one made it to the next level, showing the standard of the competitors we were up against.

Theatre and the Arts

On the Arts and Culture side of things Hawker students have had some valuable experiences. On March 18 our students attended Leigh Creek to watch a performance of Animal Farm, put on SA Theatre productions. This was a one man performance. In the afternoon students participated in some workshops which focused on how to produce a theatre production. Students practiced the components of maintaining a level of energy throughout a theatre production which included not sitting down for a lengthy period of time, and walking around and talking for extended periods. The idea here was to empathise with the energy required as part of the commitment of an actor being on stage for a theatre production, especially this one with just the one performer. That night students watched the performance, a one man, two hour show, that surely expended a lot of energy! In the last week Hawker was the focus of a Choir assessment, where Leigh Creek and Hawker Area School had their choirs assessed in preparation for later performances in 2019. This was a pleasing experience for our students as our school came away with a ‘B’ grade, high praise in the world of choir assessments.

Operation Flinders

Over March 19th to 26th one of our Year 10 students, Kirsty Stuart and Deb Youle participated in our Operation Flinders program. This program involved our bushwalkers teaming up with Leigh Creek students and being stretched in all directions physically and mentally. It was an incredible experience as Deb Youle’s account shows below:

“We set off on an unknown adventure, full of excitement and anticipation. Kirsty and I met the Leigh Creek crew and we all got on a bus and were taken to Yankaninna Station where Op Flinders is held. We were dropped off at an insertion point where we met our team leaders and picked up our back packs that had everything in them that we would need for the next 8 days. It was quite warm and we had to walk a fair way to get to our first camp. Over the next 8 days we walked over very rough and rocky terrain, climbed big steep hills, erected our own ‘Hutchies’ to sleep under, cooked as a team, cleaned as a team and supported each other through tough and fun times. On our last full day, we climbed Mount Rose and although there were some team members who really struggled, we all made it to the top together.

The team celebrates the climbing of Mount Rose

We crossed 2 other teams along the way and learned a lot about ourselves, and how mentally and physically strong we can be, we also learned that working as a team can get us through anything. I was particularly proud of Kirsty, she approached the whole exercise with a great attitude and was eager and willing to be part of the team but to also do her best. At the end of the exercise, the team leaders gave out an award to Kirsty and she was the recipient of the team mascot bear. They are also putting in a recommendation for Kirsty to be offered the peer group mentor program that is run and paid for by Operation Flinders and is awarded to teens that show improvement and who they think will get the most benefit from it. As far as I know, Kirsty was the only teen to be offered this prestigious award out of our group.

All in all it was an amazing experience and I'm sure Kirsty would agree that it is highly recommended if you get the opportunity....”

Reports

Reports will go out at the end of the term. Secondary students will get a written report detailing progress in all subjects, evaluating their efforts and progress, and making suggestions for improvement where appropriate. On their reports will also be detailed a copy of the goals that each student drafted in Week 3 this term during our Goal Setting interviews. Primary students will also receive a brief progress report, giving parents a snap shot of how their child is progressing.

Crazy Hair Day

The last day of term is our Crazy Hair Day at Hawker, an SRC organised Fundraiser in support of the Leukaemia Foundation. Students will have coloured hairsprays and hair ties and will be creating some crazy hairstyles for students, teachers and community members for a donation. Everyone is invited to come along and participate. Hair colouring and styling will begin at 11:15am and end at 12:30pm. There will be a main event starting around 12pm in which people can donate to get their heads shaved! So far we have two volunteers, including the Principal.

If people would like to donate before the event you can do so by following the link below. If you miss out on donating on the day you can always go back to the link later to support the cause.

All our staff have included their own reports for this newsletter summarising our term. Please have a look to get a sense of the term just passed. Have a great holidays, l look forward to seeing everyone for the start of next term. If you have any questions concerning the school I can be contacted at daren.oneill253@schools.sa.edu.au.

Mr Daren O’Neill
Principal Hawker Area School

Foundation – Year 2

From the strange and mysterious land of the little people…

Happy end of term everyone. I hope you are all looking forward to the upcoming holidays as much as I am.

In the F-2 class this term we have been very busy working within our two themes of Boonaroo Bay and Under the Sea. It has been a lovely Segway going from the seashore of Booneroo Bay studying birds and their unique ways of feeding according to their beak adaptation, to following a few different animals under the ocean, through the 5 zones and into the Trench Zone. We have learnt that we have a continental shelf surrounding Australia and the continental slope runs through all of the zones to the ocean floor and the abyss zone. One very interesting part of our history study was learning about why, how and where did traditional Aboriginal people hunt water creatures for eating and other reasons. We learned about different kinds of traps to catch fish and eels. We learned about hand hunting for river turtles, scoop nets, stone reservoirs, particular spears, and how when people wanted to hunt big animals they went by boat out to the deeper water.

The classroom is very settled now and our three newbies are super involved and trying to call the shots. I have got to say, “Well done to all of my parents. You are working hard at getting your children to school every day. Our class attendance is super high. This makes it an amazing environment to teach in for many reasons, so thank you.”

Happy Easter and happy holiday everyone.
From the Land of the Little People

Mrs Amanda Hilder
Foundation – Year 2 Teacher

Year 3-5 class

English

In English this term we had a focus on persuasive texts. Students came up with some brilliant topics such as the country is better than the city, motorbikes are better than push bikes and all children should own a pet. We have started writing some super narratives and will continue them into term 2.

HASS

In HASS we began the term by looking at how Hawker has changed and stayed the same. We looked at buildings such as the general store, and the change in population over the years. We also had a look at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne and discussed the changes made to the building over the decades. The second half of the semester has been spent studying change in topics such as fashion trends, dance, cars and telephones. There were some very interesting outcomes and they enjoyed comparing how things have changed over the last 100 years.

School Sport

Term 1 is always very busy time for sporting events. We have had the Quorn Swimming Carnival, dancing lessons, SAPSASA basketball and the MNSEC Athletics Carnival, on top of regular Health and PE lessons.

In week 4 we had Anna from Footsteps come to the school to do some dancing with us. Over the three days students learned five different dances. The sessions were fast paced and full of laughter, and the kids had a great time performing for their peers and getting some extra physical activity.

Congratulations to Callie McInnis, Holly Smulders, Annabelle Allen, Rihanna McKenzie, Jack Allen and Vai Uran who participated in the SAPSASA Basketball Carnival in Port Augusta. We were lucky enough to have students from Stirling North Primary School join us so that we would have a full boys and girls team. It was a tough day for all but their hopes were still high and they enjoyed the day overall.

This year’s MNSEC Athletics Team consisted of Kane Press, Bek O’Neill, Tayla Mcinnis, Holly Smulders, Jack Allen and Callie Mcinnis. Students travelled to Jamestown to compete in various events. All who attended tried their best and should be very proud of their efforts.

Miss Hayley Brown
Year 3-5 Teacher and HPE Coordinator

Year 6-12 class

The 6 -12 learners have had a brilliant start to the year. Term One is the longest term and it is good that the holidays are around the corner since most of us are getting tired a little bit.

English

This term, the 6 – 7 class were involved in a lot of NAPLAN practice texts in preparation for Term Two. The class developed their persuasive, comprehension, reading and vocabulary skills. They also studied Mulligan’s novel, Trash and did class presentations on the novel setting, character analysis and author’s writing style.

The 8 - 10 English class focussed on bettering their poetry analysis and poetry writing skills. Students also studied Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men; a novel that explores the complexities and dilemmas of sharing a life with an adult who has the mind of an eight-year-old and needs continuous care. The students did excellent critique work on the author’s stylistic devices.

History

In History, the 6-8 class explored Ancient Egypt and investigated information on the beliefs, values and practices of Ancient Egyptians. Furthermore, students studied contacts and conflicts Egypt had with other societies and the legacies Egypt left to modern life. The learners thoroughly enjoyed this study especially when they looked at Egyptian beliefs in mummification and the afterlife.

SACE

This semester in our SACE Stage One we have students who have resumed studying Modified English and PLP and they are trekking very well. The SACE Stage One candidates seem to be ready to grapple with all the challenges that come with studying at this advanced level.

There is only the Research Project being offered at SACE Stage Two this semester. Most of the Stage Two subjects will commence in Semester Two.

I wish the 6 - 12 class a pleasant Easter holiday. I hope your caring parents and care givers have amazing family activities lined up for you. Enjoy your two-week break; you deserve it!

Mr Mphilisi Manombe
Year 6-12 Teacher

Maths and Science

Year 3-5 Class

Year 3-5 Mathematics lessons were both fun and very rich learning experiences for the 3-5 class. Students worked very hard to overcome their own difficulties and barriers, such as striving to develop their fluency in numerical skills. They challenge themselves, are enthusiastic and have a very positive attitude to their learning.

I am very happy to report that Year 3-5 achieved a lot this term, improving their literacy skills and also learning how to apply their newly gained knowledge. For example, they conducted class surveys and learned how to present their collected data as a bar graph.

Science lessons are a fun learning experience for our students. Students have been developing their observation skills and are learning how to write a scientific report. They have studied animal and plant classification and learned how animals adapt to their environment. They conducted a few experiments and learned how to report their findings through careful observation and by analysing their findings. Currently, the students are researching their chosen decomposer to present as a scientific report. Have a look at the photo below of the Report writing guide.

Year 6-7 Class

For Year 6-7 students, the Mathematics lessons have been a steep learning curve. They have worked hard to achieve fluency in their own numerical skills. They gained a lot of confidence in their own abilities. Well done Year 6-7 you have put in a great effort.

This year, during science lessons, students studied the science curriculum using the Science by Doing internet program. This program is made up of a number of components. The purpose of Science by Doing is to improve science learning by:

1. Focusing on student learning – striving towards high levels of learning for all students
2. Committing to a collaborative culture – time and support to work together
3. Focussing on results – programs and practices are continually assessed to determine their impact on student learning. For example, students at the end of the task, send an email with their work to the teacher - they then get the feedback before the next science lesson. Students are learning how to take charge of their own learning experience through these practices.

The digital component provides students with the opportunity to explore. A first -hand experience of environmental investigation is always engaging for students. Year 6-8 had a field trip to the Wilpena Pound this term. The hands on study of the National Park ecosystem was ideal as a field exercise. Guided by a ranger, we went for a short walk along the Pound Gap Track to learn about the biodiversity of the National Park. Students had a chance to observe the impact of human activity and the impact of the feral animals on the natural environment. They learned about The Bounceback program and how to make observations. Rangers talked about how National Parks manage the impact of the rabbit/goat damage. They also explained the impact of foxes and cats on the ecosystem. After a short break, we went to meet the Quoll team from the Quoll and Possum Reintroduction Project.

Students had an opportunity to learn about the reintroduction project, what data they record and what that tells them. They also had the opportunity to use the animal tracking radio devices.

Language and Music

Harmony Day

On the 21st of March, students and staff at HAS celebrated Harmony Day, which is an annual celebration of diversity, and honours the International Day against Racial Discrimination. As a part of this celebration, students enjoyed a trip to various parts of the world to experience a part of a number of different cultures, including:

• travelling to Poland with Mrs Szlezak, to learn some Polish words, and decorate eggs in the Polish style

• investigating Ireland with Mrs Hilder, to learn about the Celts, some of their knotwork, and the Irish origins of some of our yearly celebrations, such as St Pats and Halloween
• revisiting Brunei with Mrs Andersson, to play a variety of Malay games and learn some vocabulary
• playing rounders on the oval, to get our blood pumping and spend some time with Aunty Pauline and Warren, and;
• learning about Polynesian culture by practising weaving and being immersed in true New Zealander culture - rugby!

We also enjoyed a BBQ lunch, complete with jubardi (damper). Students participated in these activities in mixed age groups, organised by their Adnamatna moity - either Ararru or Matheri.

Thank you to all the staff and students for a great day, and the volunteers who made the day successful!

Mrs Sasha Andersson
Language Music and AE Teacher

HAS Community Library News

Welcome to Weird and Wonderful Wednesdays. What’s this, I hear you query? I am so glad you asked! Every Wednesday lunchtime, students can come into the library to participate in different activities. The idea of the activities is to encourage problem solving, collaboration and generally have fun in the library. So far, we have played card games and board games, built towers out of pipe cleaners and enjoyed Easter activities. The activities are not compulsory and students do not have to come in each week, or even stay for the whole activity.

Kuwa Zaidi means Be More in Swahili, the language of the Swahili people in eastern-African countries including Kenya and Tanzania. It is the title of a blog I have set up for our school. I chose the title because I desire to encourage students to not want to live with mediocrity but aspire to continue to develop themselves and seek to make their world a better place for others.

A blog is short for Weblog and is a website set up in such a way as to allow anyone to create a presence on the Internet. Our blog is a private one and is being developed to provide our students with the opportunity to present some of the things they are learning. It can be very empowering for students to have their work viewed by more than their classroom teacher and peers. It helps them understand the importance of such things as ensuring their work is completed well, that the information they provide is accurate and working safely in an online environment (which is part of the Digital Technologies curriculum). Being a private blog means that no one can view the blog without having been granted access.

At the moment, people need a password to view the Blog. Early next term, I will be providing information on how you can become registered users of the blog. This will give you opportunity to comment positively on the work you see on the blog.

The blog also provides information about different topics and includes links to websites that students or parents may find interesting. If you would like to be able to view the blog, please get in touch with me at school and I will happily pass on the information you need.

Mrs Ailsa Green
Teacher Librarian

S.A.K.G – Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

The Inventory

In week 2 the 3 – 5 students completed an inventory of the cutlery and we found that a lot of forks were missing. It was decided that the culpability was to be put on “Lunch Time”!

In weeks 5 and 6 the F – 10 students started the study of flour. What happens when we mix flour and water? If we mix the flour with eggs it become pasta dough. From there we made spaghetti that the children took home.

Flour water and………

Over two lessons the 6 – 10 students had to make a tomato sauce for a spaghetti dish. The first instruction of the sauce recipe was: wash the tomatoes…. While the sauce was cooking they made the pasta dough.

A melon to feed the school

A highlight of term one occurred when Mr Nigel Pratt gave us a “huuuuggge” water melon he grew. We were surprise that is was yellow inside . We had to ask Mr O’Neill to help us cut it. It was delicious and everybody in the school had a piece. Thank you very much Mr Pratt, we have saved some seed to have a go at growing a melon as big has yours….

The weather has not been conducive to a lot of gardening in the first term. We are planting seeds in pots at the moment to nurture them until the temperature cools a bit more in term two.

Mrs Joelle Sharples
Kitchen Garden Specialist

Reminder

Check our calendar for upcoming events each month –