Hawker Area School eNewsletter

Principals Report

It has been a busy second half of our term, with some whole school events as well as activities to address the needs of our students in the development of their career interests. Enjoy the articles our teachers have prepared summarising their terms.

Bikes Palya

In week 8 of the term we had our Bikes Palya week. It was a huge week at Bikes Palya and the students were totally engaged. Students learnt about bike maintenance, how to ride and dress safely and healthy eating. Their skills and experiences were extended with all groups breaking new ground for bikes activities. The week could not have gone ahead without the generous support of our three sponsors:

SA Power Networks
Hawker Area School Parents and Friends
Hawker Community Development Board

This support was invaluable in getting Bikes Palya to Hawker and for the students to receive such a beneficial program. The week started off with a bike check of all the bikes to ensure roadworthiness, with well over half the bikes getting some sort of maintenance competed.

The Secondary students learnt a range of tricks that can be done on bikes, travelled out and about around Hawker, including Policemans Hill and Jarvis Hill, but not before they learned about the fundamentals of preparing physically for their bike rides. We rode up Policeman’s Hill and traversed across the top for a great view of the Hawker countryside. The Jarvis Hill ride was a real experience for the Secondary students who learnt a lot about extending themselves beyond the normal bounds of other activities and some great personal achievements were the result of this. The ride up was a real gut buster and not surprisingly many of us finished up walking the bikes up the last part of the journey. Not doubt if they take up the challenge this is something that could be achieved in the future. Once up the top a well-earned rest was had and the cruise down the hill in the ‘attack position’ (a safe riding posture for downhill slopes) was the reward. From here the ride back into Hawker was still a challenge but credit be given, as all the riders made it home.

The Year 3-6 students practiced safe riding skills, riding around town and went out to Castle Rock after learning their basic road skills earlier.

The trip to Castle Rock was a great experience as was the ride back when they learnt the approach to maintaining a single line of riders to ensure safety when riding on the road. The convoy they formed in fact may have been noticed by some of our locals! The students learnt the key fundamentals of road safety and got the opportunity to develop their off road cycling skills as they rode some of the gravel roads and traversed the mounds near the gym.

Our Foundation to Year 2 students have similarly been out of the school area riding the walking trail and also explored the redeveloped bikes area near the gym, which was tidied up and added to courtesy of our Secondary students and their instructors Antje and Abby.

Earlier on the Junior Primary students went through the process of learning basic road skills including how to signal left and right turns. Riding the mounds near the gym was a real reward and exciting for the students, as evidenced by their return to the mounds on Thursday and after school on Friday!

On Friday the week was completed with a Bikes Carnival where our students were divided into eight teams of mixed age to compete in a set of multi skilled activities – ‘The Card Game’, ‘Helmet Relay’, ‘Pump the Inner Tube’ (and explosive experience) and the ‘BMX River Crossing’. The week finished off with the presentation of L Plates and P Plates by Antje and our local Mayor Greg Flint to our students. Greg spoke about the importance of bike riding and the opportunities it can give to those who are interested in a region such as Hawker, he also addressed the importance of learning to ride a bike properly and how safety is so important to riders and their families. The L Plates went to the Foundation to Year 2 students for their efforts to develop their riding abilities on the road. The P Plates were awarded to the Year 3 – 6 students to recognise their success in riding in all locations and following the requirements for riding on the roads and in traffic around Hawker. Special recognition awards were also given to Sammy Haywood, Pip Solly, Thane Kinbacher and Belle Kinbacher. After this the students and community celebrated with a sausage sizzle and one last chance to ride their bikes.

There was a lot of great feedback from our students who spoke about the benefits of the program. On what students thought they were how better at here are some of the responses:

Safety and going down hill

Determined to try new things with my bike

Riding on the road safer now and I learned hand signals

I think I am better at off road riding

Riding along the jumps because I was scared the first time but I achieved my worries

Riding on the road and road rules

I learned about looking back and signalling

I am better at riding down hills because I now know the attack position

Students were also asked about learning that is important to them now:

Bike safety and maintenance because you need to know road safety and and how to fix your bike

Bike maintenance because i didn't know much about fixing bike until last week

I am safer more than before

Going uphill from riding in a race

Riding on the road because I can ride to school now

To ride on the highway with Ann and Abby it was the funniest thing ever I loved it

Stay on the left side of the road

Riding safely on the road

I learnt to look back and signal at a turn

Best memories also brought some interesting comments:

Going down Jarvis Hill

Going up Police Hill and Jarvis Hill

Riding up Jarvis Hill was very fun and tiring. Even though everyone almost died, they enjoyed it and want to do it again

Riding to Castle Rock (quite a few responses in this area)

Riding on the jumps

The carnival games

Have a look at the photos! Many thanks to Antje and Abby, our students have been clearly engaged with the experiences of Bikes Palya.

Walking Trail

The school’s involvement in the development of our walking trail is now gathering momentum. With council involvement to set up irrigation and landscaping, the school aims to set up the planting of a variety of indigenous plants over the first 100 metres of the walking trail from the starting point of the trail near the junction of Chace View Terrace and Wirreanda Terrace. This area will have it’s swale enhanced and from here dripper hose will be laid to support the watering of the variety of indigenous plants which will be planted. Students will be involved in the planting process as well as researching the background to the indigenous plants themselves.

Certificate 2 in Kitchen Operations

Our first week of our Flexible Industry Program the Certificate 2 in Kitchen Operations was held last week at the school. This will be first of four weeks, the rest over the second semester where students from Hawker, Leigh Creek and Marree will receive instruction from the Adelaide Institute of Hospitality, hopefully leading also to school based traineeships or apprenticeships for these students.

Leaving

We say farewell to some staff and students at the end of this term. The Bishop family have left for Far North Queensland and it’s warmer climate, with Cooper and Kira saying their goodbyes last week. Letisha McKenzie and her children, Deb, George and Eliza are moving to Port Augusta, we wish them all the best. Letisha has been at the school for the last couple of years in the positions of ACEO and also classroom SSO. Louise Watson is moving back into her tourism enterprises after a term where she taught the Research Project and the Personal Learning Plan. Finally Rachel Sinkinson McInnis is finishing at the school after over 10 years of service where she has worked as classroom SSO and also in our Front Office. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Enjoy the articles and the photos. I look forward to seeing everyone happy and healthy at the start of term three!

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.

Mr Daren O'Neill

Principal