Upcoming Events Contents

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Covid-19 Update—Student Attendance at School

With dramatically reduced cases of COVID-19 within South Australia over the past month, please be aware of the latest direction from the Department for Education regarding student attendance at school. Whilst we have been supporting parent/caregiver choice during this pandemic we now expect all school students who are well and not considered vulnerable to COVID-19 to attend school. If you have any queries regarding the above information or would like to discuss your individual circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Teachers will commit to providing lesson delivery via face-to-face in classrooms.

External School Review

Our External School Review was conducted last term and we received the report that reflected the feedback and observations of our school community. The commendations and recommended directions are available in the full report which can be accessed on the school’s website www.mghs.sa.edu.au.. We thank the staff, students and parents who were able to contribute to this information. The main directions for our shared focus over the next 12 months are:

Direction 1—Ensure school goals are achieved through methodical implementation of systems that build the capacity of teachers, SSOs and leaders to implement agreed actions.

Direction 2—Better meet the learning needs of all students by building the capacity of teachers and leaders to anaylse, understand and respond to data to inform more intentional, differentiated planning.

Direction 3—Motivate greater student engagement through the collective development of an agreed, evidence-based pedagogical approach and establishing systematic scaffolds that enable teachers to consistently implement expected practice.

Entrepreneurial Education Specialist School (ESS)

System reviews, conversations and planning continue to grow and develop around how our entrepreneurial approaches can look as we push forward on this exciting program. Our team consisting of Josh Praolini and Jess Magarey have been working with the ongoing support of Flinders University and the department to design and construct a stream of specialist classes in years 8 to 10 on offer for students in 2021. This compliments the Stage 1 and 2 Business and Innovation subjects for senior students and will be supported with entrepreneurial projects and activities as they become available throughout the school year. The work of every teacher at Mount Gambier High School to explore how curiosity, problem solving, teamwork and real world connections can flourish in existing subjects has also been an exciting journey over the last few terms.

It is exciting to see the work happening in and with our primary schools as the ESS team plan for new programs to roll out for our year 5 -7 students in and around Mount Gambier.

Upcoming Events

Public Holiday

Monday 8 June

Stage 1 and 2 Exams

Monday 15 to Friday 19 June

Governing Council Meeting

Monday 22 June

Contents

1. From the Principal

3. SACE End of Semester

Arrangements

4. Glossop Exchange

5. Outstanding Accounts

6. 2021 Year 8

Entrepreneurial

Program Applications

IMPORTANT

NOTICE!

STUDENT FREE DAY

9 JUNE 2020

CANCELLED Students are

expected to attend

school as usual

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL (continued)

Year 7-8 Transition School Visits

Members of our Junior School Management Team have spent time over recent weeks visiting our local primary schools to share what it is to be a high school student. We appreciate that this is an exciting time for students and families to make decisions about how a school best meets their needs. If you know of anyone whose child missed out on these sessions please ask them to contact Matt Crowden, Junior School Assistant Principal.

SSO Appreciation Week

Last week we celebrated and recognised the enormous work of our non-teaching staff. Our school is lucky to have nearly 40 SSOs as part of our school community. They really are the glue that holds countless bits and pieces of process, policy, documents, learning, maintenance, improvement and working relationships together – and they do it every day with a smile, care, compassion, support and understanding. Thank you!

Facebook

Our Facebook page continues to highlight many of the outstanding achievements of our students and learning programs. Thanks to our Public Relations Officer, Amanda Fraser, for the great work here and we encourage all members of our school community to ‘keep connected’ by liking the Mount Gambier High School page.

Building works

A key part of preparation for year 7s to high school has been the design of new learning spaces and improved facilities. This Capital Works Program includes the removal of all transportable buildings, upgrades of our science classrooms, the redevelopment of the schools canteen to include a café, landscaping in the quadrangle and new classroom/learning spaces; building ‘A’ located on the south side of the Miller building and building ‘B’ to be situated where the current FLO learning space is located. We expect construction to commence late October this year and take 12 months to complete. Plans and 3D images will be placed on our website once a builder has been confirmed.

School Expectations and Reminders

We began the school year with a rigorous and relentless approach to reminders, high expectations and follow up to supporting a positive change culture in regards to students. This included:

Zero use of mobile phones and headphones in classrooms and learning times

The importance of attendance to class and engaging fully

Wearing clothes that align with the school’s Dress Code Policy

Being mindful in using appropriate language towards others

I would like to acknowledge the enormous effort that has gone into these shared expectations from the start of the year. Support for each other, both at home and at school, a consistent approach for all students, and our effort to reward and recognise student effort and model these behaviours at all times is our greatest tool for change.

Year 7 to High School 2022

Our focus on the preparation for year 7s starting high school from 2022 is picking up pace with reviews of staffing, timetable changes and curriculum needs identifying key aspects to work towards in the next 6 months. Parents are encouraged to contact the school if they would like a tour and to be aware of upcoming information sessions to help prepare themselves and their children for what will no doubt be an exciting time of change.

PUSH UP CHALLENGE

From 11 May until 29 May, Mount Gambier High School participated in The Push Up Challenge with the target of completing 3046 push-ups in 21 days. Each day the target number of push-ups completed represented a different statistic to do with mental health in Australia. Day one saw home groups needing to pump out 135 push ups representing the 135 minutes of exercise we should be doing a week to help support our mental health. While some days had smaller numbers to represent varying statistics, home groups relished in the larger numbers such as day 18’s target of 232. This highlights that seeking help can be difficult with the 2320 completed representing the amount of men who committed suicide in 2018. This challenge allowed students to participate in physical activity each day while also learning about mental health. Congratulations to the following home groups who reached the target of 3046: 12DN, 11PS, 11GN, 10ST, 9JD, 8SU and 8HM.

Nicolle Orr Positive Intervention and Support Teacher

Chris Edmonds Principal

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SENIOR STUDENTS END OF SEMESTER ARRANGEMENTS

The end of semester is fast approaching and the next few weeks will be busy for our Stage 1 and 2 students. Please find below the exam arrangements for Stage 1 and 2 students.

Week 8: Monday 15 June – Friday 19 June

Exam Week for all Stage 1 and 2 students

1. Exams will be held on the SACE Floor as well as Rooms 23 and 32.

2. It is an expectation students are in full school dress code and arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the exam start time. Mobile phones and Smart Watches are not permitted.

Stage 1—Although there will be no official classes scheduled during this time, teachers may request your son/daughter to meet with them to finish off final assignments.

Please ensure textbooks from semester subjects are returned to the Collaborative Learning Centre.

There will be no Stage 2 classes scheduled for this week.

Week 9: Monday 22 June – Friday 26 June

Stage 1—Semester 2 begins and all Stage 1 students will begin a full academic program during weeks 9 and 10.

Any student requiring subject changes must see Mrs Penne Saffin and ensure they are finalised by the end of week 9.

Stage 2— Normal classes resume for all Stage 2 subjects. Research Project classes will have now concluded, however if students did not meet all requirements, parents and students will receive information regarding semester 2 arrangements.

Week 10 : Monday 29 June – Friday 3 July

The annual Glossop Exchange will not take place during Week 10 of Term 2 due to current excursion and sporting restrictions. Further information will be provided in Term 3 regarding a potential date and location.

A reminder that Friday 3 July is a student free day.

Reports

Reports will be available to view using Daymap on Friday 26 June from 3pm. Please read them carefully and contact the school should you have any concerns.

Home Study

Stage 1—There is no home study for Stage 1 students. Students will use the year to demonstrate their skills and abilities to be eligible for home study as Stage 2 students. Students are expected to be on site from 8.40am until 3.20pm each day, and if required to sign out, a note or phone call from a parent/caregiver is required.

Stage 2—Home study will continue for all students who returned their notes in Term 1. There will be a review of home study for students who were not successful in their Term 2 reports.

Reminders

Attendance is vital to a student’s success. Please support us by ensuring that your student attends all lessons including home group and study lines. This allows students to seek assistance from teachers outside of lesson time. The Daymap Connect Parent Portal is available to view attendance and class information.

If students are absent, please phone the school or message through Daymap prior to 9.30am each day.

We ask that students dress appropriately for school. Please refer to the school dress code, in particular pants must be navy and leggings are not permitted. Ugg boots and moccasins are also not permitted as we must adhere to WHS requirements.

Samantha Brown Assistant Principal, Senior School

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GLOSSOP EXCHANGE

POSTPONED

The annual 2020 Glossop Exchange has been postponed until term 3 due to current restrictions on excursions and sporting events. Both Mount Gambier High School and Glossop High School are working together to determine how this event will look, and we are currently hoping to hold the exchange on Wednesday 12 August (week 4). This proposed date however will be subject to change depending on government restrictions at the time. There are obviously a large number of factors which need to be considered and many of these are out of our direct control.

Further information on the exchange will be provided to the school community via the Daymap bulletin, Facebook and the newsletter early in term 3.

Kerran Wingard Special Sports Coordinator

DIGITECH VR EXPERIENCE

In Year 8 Digital Technologies students are learning about different technologies, how they interact with each other and how this assists us in our learning, and in society when used appropriately. Due to our Entrepreneurial Specialist School allocation, we have had the opportunity to purchase a set of CLASSVR Headsets.

The current class of year 8s have been the first to work with this amazing new technology with many of them having never experienced Virtual Reality (VR) previously. The students found the prospect of this type of learning incredibly exciting. As part of the Year 8 Digital Technologies subject students are learning about the technology and how it works together with computers, Wi-Fi and software to create the experience, however, the potential for these VR headsets is endless.

Students were unaware what their first encounter was going to be like and many were shocked to find themselves in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks. After the squealing had stopped the students were keen to have another turn at looking at these magnificent creatures up close. Other VR experiences included exploring a model of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon and an aerial view of the pyramids. The VR headsets allow students to experience the environment or item they are learning about in a different and exciting way, which reinforces the teaching and learning they have received in the classroom.

Emma Robinson Teacher

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OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTS

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, both Finance Advisory Committee and Governing Council are sensitive to the fact that some families may require assistance for the payment of overdue accounts. There are various payment methods we can offer to help assist in the payment of any outstanding accounts that can be tailored to suit your family’s budget. If you require any assistance or would like to discuss payment options, please contact the Finance Officer on 8721 0200.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Payment via the school’s website: www.mghs.sa.edu.au – use the payment link provided.

Direct Debit by Instalment: Regular Direct Debit Instalments can now be implemented through the Commonwealth Bank. If considering this option, forms are available from the school website or from the Student Office.

Instalment Agreement Payments: Regular payments as negotiated. If considering this option, forms are available from the school website or from the Student Office.

School Card: A School Card form is required to be completed for each family, each year, regardless of the previous year’s status. If a form has been completed at a primary school for younger students, a form is also required to be completed at Mount Gambier High School for secondary students. These forms can be collected from the Student Office or completed online using the following link http://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-and-learning/financial-help-scholarships-and-grants/school-card-scheme under the Applications tab, selecting the form relevant to your circumstances.

Belinda Roughana Finance Officer Steph McIntosh Business Manager

NEW MGHS UNIFORM SAMPLES NOW ON DISPLAY

As previously announced in the last newsletter, our SRC representatives and the Uniform Committee have been busy working with Lowes to develop a new Mount Gambier High School uniform range. A storyboard of the design options has been distributed to the school community over the past couple of week and can be found on display around the school and on our school Facebook page. We now have a sample range of these uniform items available for inspection in the Student Office. The items on display are a cross section of the clothing chosen by the committee following recent consultation. At this stage, feedback is required on these samples (including logo placement, fabric and style). Please note that the colours and print designs of these samples are just examples of the fabric choices and clothing styles and do not reflect our school colours and logos at this stage. Once design options have been decided on following this stage of the consultation process, a sample range will be created by Lowes, specifically for our school, reflecting the choices made.

We invite all parents/caregivers and students to take the time to have a look at the samples located in the Student Office. Parents/caregivers will be invited to participate in a feedback survey on the new uniform proposal in the coming weeks. It is important to note that when the new uniform range is implemented, a cross-over period will be arranged to give families adequate time to purchase the new uniform.

Amanda Fraser Public Relations Officer

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