We come to the end of another school term and look forward to our holidays after a week 10 filled with NAIDOC events and culminating in a Whole School Closure for NAIDOC next Friday. The newsletter is filled with information on teaching and learning programs this term, enjoy the read.

I can’t start this article without congratulating Archie and Jimmy Morgan on their success with Cross Country Running at SAPSASA and Secondary levels this term, competing in the Cross Country State Championship at Oakbank on Thursday June 8^th. Both boys trained hard for the day, runnning around Hawker, testing and timing themselves. Archie qualified through the district qualifying event in Port Augusta. The pair ran and splashed their way around the hilly 3km course at Oakbank against the best in the state, runners who had qualified through other regions. Archie completed the course in 14.13.29, coming in 137^th out of 172 runners, while Jimmy ran in 14.53.90 finishing 124^th out of 148 runners. The race was fast and willing with this number of runners, Jimmy taking a slide around the last corner in the wet conditions!   

The School camp at Mannum was a busy and exciting experience for our students and staff. After some issues with the bus on the way down on Monday we arrived late, and proceeded to Mount Barker for our Laser Tag session, arcade games and dinner. The students had a ball, enjoying the maze in the Laser Tag arena, and engaging in a wide variety of games on different game consoles, traditional arcade games and hands on games such as air hockey. This was followed up with a good day at Monarto, where the students were divided into two groups for the bus tour and educational activities with the staff at the zoo. The tour of the Safari Park was especially interesting for the students. Monarto Safari Park is the largest open-range safari experience outside of Africa and is home to more than 50 species of exotic and native animals. We learnt about the challenges facing many different species and the role of the Safari Park in trying to support efforts to preserve these species. We drove past Giraffes, Lions, Zebras, African Painted Dogs, Black…..and White Rhinos, Blackbucks, Cheetahs, Antelope, Przewalski’s Horse, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Spotted Hyenas and also got the chance to see the Chimpanzee enclosure while on a walk.

On the Pupil free day on Tuesday June 13^th staff underwent the conclusion to their training in LEAP LEVELS, which outlines a very explicit approach to teaching and assessing writing. The day was directed at our Writing Goal, which is part of our School Improvement Plan. Staff have conducted Cold Writes once a term and have been developing knowledge and skills through the training which can be applied to teaching and learning of writing by students.

On Thursday June 22^nd, the day after students returned from camp, the school had a visit from Senior Students and Teachers from the Australian Science and Mathematics School who were visiting our region, having been to Burra earlier in the week. The day has been in the planning this year, as a pilot to future visits from the school and has been set up to inspire students with an understanding of the opportunities for learning that can come out of Science and Mathematics. Due to the weather on the day after the camp the duration of the visit was limited to two lessons, before the students visited Wilpena Pound. In lessons three and four our students who were at school on the day had a chance to be part of an interactive expo of activities and the various booths that students had set up. There were some fantastic hands on activities that our students participated in including:

• The science of making slime
• STEM design challenges
• DNA separation and modelling
• Digital electronics activities
• Activities investigating Aerodynamics and Physics

At the end the audience had a great demonstration of “Elephant Toothpaste” which had to be seen to be believed. The double session finished with a group photo, and thankyous from staff and students of both schools.

NAIDOC week is on in the last week of term. We have planned the following activities:

• On Tuesday a visit to Arkaroo Rock, with a cultural and environmental focus on the importance of the location to the Adnamatna people.
• On Wednesday morning individual class sessions at the firepit area, the cooking of Adnamatna food over the pit and on a barbecue.
• Friday is our Whole School Closure Day for NAIDOC celebrations in Port Augusta.

On Wednesday the Adelaide Youth Orchestra will be visiting Hawker, the visit set up with assistance from our Instrumental Music teacher, Kate Mawson, who is also the tour director with the orchestra. The orchestra will arrive at 1.15pm and conduct a half hour workshop with our instrumental music students, followed by a performance at 2pm.

Enjoy the newsletter and the holidays. I look forward to seeing all our students back for the start of term three.