We are coming to the end of end of 2021, much the same as 2020 a demanding year in many different ways. Our staff have been putting a lot of time this term into developing our School Improvement Plan, a challenging exercise that will bring it’s rewards over 2022 – 2024.

This term we are farewelling four staff members:

• Lidia Szlezak who has been here since 2019, teaching Maths, Science, the Personal Learning Plan, the Research Project, Flexible Learning Options and Polish. Her hard work and commitment in teaching and differentiating for all students has been a hallmark of her time at Hawker.
• Harald Walther has been here in the second semester taking over from Hayley Brown in the Year 3 – 5 class teaching in all the core learning areas. Harald has taken on the class, continuing as he always does to maintain good working relationships with all his students. Harald will continue on as a relief teacher next year and we may well be able to bring him up from Meningie!
• Paul Lowe has been our bus driver and had responsibilities with the grounds at Hawker since before 2017. He is now moving into retirement for medical reasons after many hundreds of kilometres travelled.
• Dean Humphries has been an unofficial member of our staff, travelling up from Gladstone for the last two years to relieve in all our classes. Without exception he has been able to come in and work productively with staff and students. It is great to see a teacher who can walk into a class at both ends of the school, have great relationships with the students and keep the curriculum moving forward. Dean is also moving into full retirement.

We will miss all our departing staff. As always when people move into a country town and work in our schools, they develop their connections with the community. It is always a significant moment when staff move on and I would like to wish all our departing staff the best for 2022.

We also will be welcoming new staff to the school for 2022, we have had the opportunity as a staff to catch up at our Pupil free day with some, but the wait is still on for one new staff member:

• Sharon Lam will be teaching Maths, Science and PE. She will teach Maths to the Year 7-11 students and the Year 5-6 students and Science to the Year 7-11 students.
• Kim Adele is arriving from Victoria with a specialised background in the Special Needs area. Kim at this stage will be teaching three days a week. We are waiting on Kim to be able to cross the border, where she was delayed until the border opened up.
• Victoria Barratt will have the Year 3 – 6 homegroup and be teaching Year 3 – 4 for English, Maths and HASS and the Year 3 – 6s in Science, Health and LOTE.
• Travis McDonald will continue to teach our Year 3 – 6 and 7 – 11 students in Design and Technology.

Slowly over the year we have been building up to some exciting developments in career education. The Adelaide Institute of Hospitality (CEG) is our Flexible Industry Pathway (FIP) provider delivering the Certificate 2 in Hospitality Course to Year 11 students at Hawker next year with block weeks of training each term at Hawker. Schools across the state have been working to develop agreements with Registered Training Organisations as Flexible Industry Providers, tapping into the local economies of different areas and at Hawker this has led to the AIOH delivering in the area of hospitality. The FIP will involve students from other schools, with students from both Marree and Leigh Creek attending Hawker for curriculum delivery. As students move through secondary years at Hawker similar certificate courses and pathways will be available within and outside the Far North partnership. These will lead potentially to school based apprenticeships linked to the courses, whereby students can continue their education and pathway and at the same time be paid and trained on the job.

The recent announcement that COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for all people who work at an education and early childhood settings, except those who have a medical exemption endorsed by the Chief Public Health Officer will have implications for schools. In 2022 at Hawker this will include:

• all Department for Education employees and contractors
• anyone who visits a Department for Education site for work purposes
• all Governing Council members and employees
• all Department for Education volunteers / parent helpers (people who assist with reading, camps, excursions, canteen, fundraising etc)
• Department for Education contracted bus drivers

Under this Direction, all of the above-mentioned people must receive at least 1 dose of a Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) approved COVID-19 vaccination and a booking to receive a second dose by 10 December 2021.

At the end of this challenging year I would like to thank all the staff, parents and students, along with community members who have put the time into supporting our school and local community. Enjoy your Christmas breaks and I look forward to seeing everyone in 2022.

As usual if anyone has any questions I can be contacted through the front office on 86484003 or through my email at daren.oneill253@schools.sa.edu.au

Mr Daren O'Neill

Principal