Principals Report
It has been an incredibly busy term as we have moved through hybrid learning programs, a mix of face to face and online teaching and learning through to the present situation where most of our students are now regularly attending. Things have settled down now and I thank our staff for their efforts over the term to keep the school running in difficult circumstances at times. Both teachers and SSOs have worked really hard in our classes to support our students.
In this Newsletter we can find our reviews of the learning activities that have occurred in our classes this term. Enjoy the read and the pictures.
It is a big second term coming up with a variety of school events including professional learning opportunities for our staff:
- Term 2 starts on Monday May 2nd.
- Two Pupil Free Days on Thursday and Friday May 6th and 7th, focusing on Read Write Inc and primary and secondary literacy.
- Student Parent Teacher Meetings – Monday and Tuesday May 9th and 10th.
- NAPLAN tests over the two weeks of Tuesday May 10th to Friday May 20th. Most of the tests will be in the first week of testing.
- Hotshots Tennis in Port Augusta on Thursday May 26th (Year 3-4 students) and Friday May 27th (Year 5-6 students).
- Whole School Closure Day on Monday May 30th after the Hawker Cup.
- Bikes Palya week at Hawker from Monday June 20th to Friday June 24th.
- NAIDOC day at Wilpena Pound on Tuesday July 5th.
- Last day of term Friday July 8th
On the Thursday and Friday of week one, our teaching and ancillary staff will be involved in two days of professional learning with the Read Write Inc program. Hawker Area School will host the professional learning days, which will be attended by staff from Leigh Creek Area School, Marree Aboriginal School and Woomera Area School. Hawker has joined with these schools as part of a common learning program which will allow us to train together and also take part in professional and collaborative discussions on the common issues that small schools in this region face with their Read Write Inc programs.
Student Parent Teacher conferences will be held on Monday and Tuesday of Week 2 in term two. Bookings for this will be available via Schoolzine. If meetings can’t be arranged on these days please contact the school so an alternative time can be arranged. These meetings are in lieu of our start of the year conferences which were cancelled due to the COVID restrictions.
NAPLAN testing will be held over weeks two and three of term two for our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students in an online format with the exception of our Year 3 students who will complete their NAPLAN Writing test on paper. With everything going to plan all tests should be completed in the first week with only catch up tests in week 3 of the term.
Bikes Palya will be run over the week of June 20th to June 24th. Bikes Palya is Bicycle SA’s remote bicycle education programme for isolated communities and Aboriginal youth. Over the week some features of the program will include an introductory session with helmet and bike checks, a skill assessment of turning and moving safely on the road, bicycle maintenance activities (chain, cranks, fixing punctures, brake adjustments), a program of healthy lunches, designing, planning and construction of bike jumps, a road rules program, riding activities on a road course and a licence qualification exercise at the end. Activities will be delivered to our individual classes at the Foundation to Year 2, Year 3 – 6 and Year 7 – 11 levels. It should be a fun week of learning for our students.
As always if parents have any questions I can be contacted at the school on 86484003 or by my email at daren.oneill253@schools.sa.edu.au . Have a great holidays!