Findon High School “Start with a dream. Finish with a future”

FinNews Date 20 June 2018 2018 Issue 9

Inside this issue:

From the Principal

1

Closure Day/ Student

Free Day

1

Diary Dates 1

National Day of Action 2

Aboriginal Student

Pathways Conference

3

Entertainment Books 3

Principal’s Tour 3

Mid Year Music Concert 4

RAA Driver Ed 5

She Leads 5

Ration Challenge 6

AIME 7

Community Notices 8

Phil Fitzsimons Principal

Important Dates

Yr 11 Camp week 8 Wed 20—Fri 22 June

Stage 2 Aquatics Fri 29—Tues 3 July

End of Term 2 Fri 6 July Early finish 2pm

SATAC Presentation Year 12, Mon, 6 Aug, Wk 3

Yr 10 & 11 Parents Course Information Evening Wed, 8 Aug Wk 3

SATAC Presentation Year 12, Mon, 13 Aug, Wk 3

Ski Trip Mon 13 Aug—Fri 17 Aug, Wk 4

Subject Selection Day Year 11 Wed, 15 Aug, Wk 4

Findon High School

Drummond Avenue

Findon SA 5023

Ph: 08 8445 7944

Fax: 08 8345 5401 Email:

dl.0805_info@schools.sa.edu.au

Web: www.findonhs.sa.edu.au Welcome to this week’s newsletter. Building Better Schools Update Earlier this year I mentioned that Findon High School has been awarded $10 million as part of a $690 million State Government initiative in upgrading facilities in 91 schools across South Australia. I am currently in negotiations with the Department finalising a Business Plan that will place the school in the best position to grow and prosper as a “Lighthouse School.” Incorporated within this Plan exists opportunities for our students to become immersed in advanced manufacturing, music recording, composition, sports and pre-tertiary studies amongst others. I am pleased to announce that negotiations are tracking favourably for the school, and in the very near future, statements will be made in regards to the specific building works to be undertaken. Student Centred Learning Update Semester two commences next week and with that, so begins the school’s formal whole school transition into student centred learning. Students in Years 8 & 9 will undertake three electives that go far beyond what the school has offered in the past. In addition, all core subjects including English, Mathematics, Science , Humanities and Physical Education will be delivered using the student centred learning approach. Students will begin to notice across all year levels, with the exception of Year 12, a shift towards teachers releasing control of the teaching and learning process, and the opportunity for authentic student voice to become prominent in the classroom. To support student progress across Years 8 & 9 this year, all students will

be expected to have a One Plan written by the end of this year. The indi-

vidual student will write the One Plan with support provided by their

family and the school. All students will be required to outline their

specific strengths, aspirations and challenges with their learning within

the One Plan. From this document the teacher will guide the learning for

each individual student. This is a significant undertaking for the school,

and it is certainly an advantage that with our smaller numbers at the

moment, the school can create the necessary cultural shift in collaboration

with the students for this process to become deeply embedded across the

school. All families will be provided with the relevant One Plan information

shortly that outlines the process to be undertaken. Naturally, the school

will provide whatever necessary support families require to successfully

implement this transition process.

From The Principal

School Closure Day

Term 3 Monday, 03 Sept

Student Free Day

Tuesday, 04 Sept

Page 2

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence Term 2 Update

Since the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence in March 2018, the Student Action Team, which was brought together to work on improving the anti-bullying program here at Findon School, have been busy working on reviewing the pledges made last year. Using the traffic light system –

green meaning we are doing well,

yellow meaning we have some areas to improve

red being there needs to be some definite improvement Home Groups were asked to feedback how we are going as a school. The team of Heather, Alex, Karen, Ryan, Sania, Leah, Cayla and Nathan got together to look at and collate all the results. The student reps then delivered the information back to year levels in several organised sessions. The information showed that as a school we are actually doing quite well however, there are areas that need improving. So, during these year level discussions the student reps asked for ideas of how these improvements could be addressed under the headings of –Students, Staff and Leaders.

This information was then considered by some students of the team, and with the help of Kiah Craig, Student Wellbeing Leader, there were inclusions made into the school’s Safe School Policy. Leah was very involved in this process. Sania and Leah also presented the information and changes to the Safe School Policy to the Findon Cultures Wellbeing team.

Nathan and Karen with the suggested ideas for improvement after a year level information session. ‘So far this year I have been a part of the NDA group. While being a part of it we have presented back the pledges we made and after that we got some feedback on how students, teachers and leaders can improve with the Safe School Policy. We either changed some things or added new things. Next we should be doing Restorative Training. Being a part of this group has been really good and exciting. Leah, Year 10.

Leah and Ryan with the changes to the Safe School Policy So, where to from here? Some of the students from the team will be sitting with the Principal, Phil Fitzsimons, Student Wellbeing Leader, Kiah Craig, and Pastoral Care Worker, Kathy Pivetta, to discuss Restorative Training. They will also bring the new updated information and speak at the next staff meeting as well as begin to consider how to address the whole student community about the importance of looking after each other and how this could look at Findon High School. Also, as mentioned in the last newsletter, the Department awarded Findon High School with $500 towards the good work happening in our school in this area.

Kiah Craig

Student Wellbeing Leader

Kathy Pivetta Pastoral Care Worker

Page 3 2018 Issue 9

Principal’s Tours 2018

Open Day is every day

Contact us for your

personalised tour.

Findon High School will also

be holding Principal’s Tours

on the following dates.

Friday 31 August 2018

Week 6 @ 9.15am

Please phone Ms Kate Gow on 8445 7944 for bookings or further information.

2018 Aboriginal Student Pathways Conference

Each year, the SACE host the Aboriginal Student Pathways Conference for students in Year 10, 11 and 12 to explore future study, training and job options. On Wednesday, 13 June 2018, Aboriginal students from Findon High School attended the conference in the hope that they would be inspired to reach beyond their SACE to the range of training options that are available after Year 12. The conference was opened with a strong welcome to country, followed by a welcome to the University of Adelaide by their Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen and an address on the future of education by SACE CEO Professor Martin Westwell . The keynote presentation was then delivered by a young Aboriginal man, Seth Westhead from Mildura , Victoria. Seth told of his

journey to university and the adversity he had to face when university overwhelmed him and pushed him sideways. The students responded well to his story and candour. The day progressed through a number of activities, led by professors of the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. The students learnt about the importance and potential uses for probability; were guided through

the newly opened Health and Medical Science ’s anatomy and physiology museum; and learnt about the most trusted equipment of an attending paramedic. All in all, the students were challenged to believe that they can join those who have gone before them and pursue their education far beyond the end of Year 12.

Andy Wooden

Findon HS Coordinator

Entertainment Book Findon High School will be selling Entertainment Books again this year, in both digital and hard copies. You will be able to purchase the books by credit card via the following link: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/16p1655. An envelope will also be coming home with students for those who wish to pay via cash. All early bird orders will receive additional vouchers. A sample book will be available to look at in the front office once they are released. Please tell family and friends that our school will be selling them to help our fundraising. For further information please contact: Melissa.Campbell502@schools.sa.edu.au.

Under the guidance of a mathematics professor, the students learnt about probability.

Rusty calculating the probability in a sam-ple of 100 patients.

Ms Keast, Rusty, Tailer and Kadijah after a tour and activity in the Vernon Robert's Museum.

Page 4

Mid-Year Concert 2018

This year’s event was a wonderful showcase of the talents, passion and commitment of our Music students. Held in the intimate setting of Theatre 2 of The Parks complex on Wednesday, 6 June, the audience was entertained by a wide variety of musical styles in the repertoire present, largely selected by the students themselves. Although most of the performances were by senior music students for assessment, our Year 8’s demonstrated they were a force to be reckoned with by their confident rendition of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift and “Dead” by Madison Beer. Kylia, Isumi and Adele not only sounded great but looked the part as well. Jordan, in a superb duet with older sister Jessica also showed she is someone to look out for in the future with their presentation of “For Good” from the musical “Wicked”, containing a meaningful message for us all. The Year 11 Music students, being the largest group performing on the night, contributed an interesting variety of duets, trios, small ensembles and whole class band items to the program. I personally enjoyed all their performances but felt their two class band items, which closed the first half of the show, “Animals” by Maroon 5 and “Last of the Real Ones” by Fall Out Boy were a stand out. The group showed just how well they worked together by their polished performance , a result of their commitment to extra lunch time rehearsals, organised by the students themselves. In addition, this was the first time in many years the band did not need me playing along with them. The Year 12 Music students certainly felt this was their last Mid-Year Concert and performed with passion and enthusiasm in both their four class band items and the vocal solos presented by Jasmin, Natasha & Bradley. Jasmin gave a heartful tribute to her departed grandfather with her rendition of “Heaven” by Bryan Adams. Natasha’s choice of repertoire suited her voice in her sensitive rendition of “Happy” by Marina & The Diamonds. Bradley entertained with his version of “Sway”, partly sung in Spanish and accompanied by his dance moves. The Year 12’s band performance gave each member a chance to shine with their varied song choices and I loved seeing them owning the stage. Our two MC’s on the night, Year 12’s Sam and Michael kept things flowing smoothly with their introductions and humour. Things also flowed very well due to the involvement of Year 8 student James who assisted the theatre’s audio and visual technician up in the sound box. With our move to student centred learning, many feel it is such a positive thing that James has found an area he is interested in pursuing in the future. My hearty congratulations to everyone involved on the night and I look forward to next year’s concert which, all going well, will be run entirely by the students! I have every confidence in them based on what they demonstrated at this year’s memorable concert!

Natalie Stanco Music teacher

Page 5 2018 Issue 9

Ticket to Drive for our Flexible Learning Options Students Findon High School’s RAA Driver Education program will open up doors for Findon High School’s Flexible Learning Option (FLO) Students. James, Kayla and Emy will work alongside accredited RAA Driving instructors to gain the necessary 75 hours of supervised driving time and to meet log book requirements to gain their Provisional Licence. Having a licence is associated with a four times higher chance of full time employment (George Institute for Global Health Australia,2018) and so this opportunity, the result of a successful Western Futures Empowerment Grant application, will lead to exciting things for our FLO students. Kayla’s current study in Cert II Community Services will enable her to pursue a career in the care industry and the ability to drive will enhance her capacity to secure employment and demonstrate key employability skills such as effective time management, punctuality and flexibil-ity. Likewise, James understands that securing the Carpentry Apprenticeship he dreams of will be made possible through the independence a licence affords. Emy is seeking full time work and the commitment that working towards a licence requires will provide an edge that many other young people don’t have. Further to this, The Findon High School RAA Driver Education Program focuses on using our roads safely and will ensure that FLO students not only obtain their licence, but also that they develop the skills and understandings required of responsible and safe road users .

This important civic education experience is made possible through connections with expert RAA mentors and demonstrates how critical community partnerships are in developing the high quality adults that Findon high School aims to foster. Key Elements of the course include:

Obtain the required supervised driving hours (night and day)

Understanding how a vehicle operates

Respecting the needs of other road users

Knowing and applying the road rules

Understanding risk factors such as alcohol , drugs and fatigue

Recognising reasons for crashes and post actions

Driving to reduce road harm

Resilience training to understand and take action when distracted

Driving the vehicle

Jessica Dutschke

Flo Manager

SHE Leads Conference 2018

The aspiring young female leaders of Findon High School were invited to attend the SHE Leads High Conference at Bonython Hall, University of Adelaide to develop their leadership capacity by building con-nections with young female leaders from schools across South Australia and young women already forging their own successful careers. A valuable experience in discovering the world of women in STEM, we had the opportunity to listen to stories of challenge and ultimately success in areas normally dominated by males. The break-out sessions were a chance to do some hands on, interactive learning with sessions including: SHE makes a game: Coding Workshop hosted by Mighty Kingdom, Careers in STEM hosted by the University of Adelaide and Connecting the Leadership Dots hosted by the YWCA. These opportunities positioned us well to understand some of the fundamentals a career in STEM requires. The afternoon session focussed on the way leadership connects to our wellbeing, family and not just our career goals.

It was inspiring to see young women from Findon posing questions of the presenters to develop their understanding and giving everything a go! After all, taking your first tentative step towards doing something new and possibly a bit scary, is what it means to be a leader. Overall, this year’s conference was a valuable experience in personal development and helped us learn more about being female leadership in the 21st Century. Yamini Yr 11

Page 6

Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience Findon High School has taken part in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, or AIME as it is known, for the past two years. AIME was created by Jack Buckskin in Sydney to help close the educational gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian school students. AIME does this by providing partnerships between industry leaders, education institutions and high schools around Australia. At the most recent count AIME has 5,000 university mentors, has supported 15,000 Indigenous high school students and has 73% of AIME participants go on to university, vocational training or employment after school (compared with 40% for Indigenous students not in the program). The program gives Aboriginal students the opportunity to engage with mentors from university who provide role modelling and homework support. For the past two years, Findon High School has welcomed mentors from the University of South Australia to support our young people on Thursday afternoons from 3:00-4:00pm. The AIME program also includes regular excursions to the University of South Australia where the students from year 9-12 join students from other schools for a two-hour workshop. In these sessions AIME leader Anthony Wilson is joined by stu-dents from the University of South Australia who have signed up to mentor our students. These included learning and sharing about identity, mentorship, preparing for success , making goals. These workshops were highly energetic and hands on. AIME is led by former students and AIME mentors Brytanni Wright and Chance Ndume and is supported by Mr Wooden, Mrs Bulmer and Carol Otto , whom organise Thursday afternoon tutor squads (homework support) and lead the excursions to the Uni SA workshops. Without their commitment, this program would not continue to help our students.

Andy Wooden

Findon HS Coordinator

At our first AIME University Experience Workshop for the year. (rear L-R) Mr Wooden, Kadijah, Gordon, PJ, Rusty, Juanita and Reece (front L-R) Tailer, Marissa, Graham and Loraysha

Reece, Gordon and Rusty working on a group task

Kadijah and Tailer getting creative alongside an AIME mentor from Uni SA

Page 7 2018 Issue 9

Findon Takes on the Ration Challenge Hello Findon High School community. Did you know that 13.5 million Syrian refugees are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 6 million CHILDREN? This is a dire statistic but thankfully it is one we can do something about. At Findon High School , a team of eight students and two staff are taking charge by partaking in the Act for Peace Ration Challenge together.

The Ration Challenge requires students and teachers to consume the same rations as a Syrian refugee, living in a refugee camp in Jordan. This means lentils, chickpeas, rice, red kidney beans, sardines (which can be replaced for a vegetable) and vegetable oil for a five day period. As the donations increase, the variety of ingredients we are able to consume increase in variety as well; and so far as a result of the generous contribution of the Findon High School Community, we have raised almost $1000 and so we have earned spices, a vegetable, sugar, protein in the form of an egg/ chicken. Because of all the fabulous fundraising we have done together as a group, including leadership activities such as hosting a mini-assembly we are also entitled to a 330ml cold/hot drink of our own choice; this should really keep us going! The Team

Flat Breads and Beans and Rice – Made with ration staples. The challenge was first introduced to me by Ms Huffa and I was inspired to take it up once I knew what Act for Peace and the Ration Challenge really stood for. The Act for Peace Foundation designed the Ration Challenge to create awareness about the harsh lives that refugees live, create an opportunity to build the empathy required to connect with others in situations different to our own and to provide an avenue for effective fundraising to supply refuges with basics such as food, water, medicine and clothing; the things that we in Australia often take for granted. Most importantly though, in getting behind the school team, you’ll be supporting refugees to cope with the hardships and the horrors they have suffered by providing them with the physical and emotional strength that comes with building connections with others across the world. In doing the Ration Challenge, the Findon team is showing first hand that we are with refugees! I hope that in reading this article, you will be encouraged to sponsor us and share the Findon High School hub fundraising page link on your Facebook page as in sharing this link with those closest to you, it will broaden the team’s network of contacts. This link is: https://school.rationchallenge.org.au/findon-high-school. Thank you for your donations and ongoing support. Sumaya and the rest of the Ration Challengers.

A mini-assembly to promote the challenge

Doing some fundraising to create awareness about he situation facing refugees in the school yard.

Support Findon High School’s fundraising efforts.

All funds from each ticket sold is returned to the school.

Get your ticket today @ FHS Front Office