PRINCIPAL'S NEWS
Celebrating Success and Achievement
BHS has once again been a hub of activity over the past few weeks, with students and staff involved in a wide range of learning opportunities, events, and achievements. It’s important to pause and celebrate the incredible efforts and successes across our school community.
Royal Adelaide Show Team
Congratulations to Holly Crighton, Sally Cowan and our Show Team students on an outstanding performance at the Adelaide Show! Our students showed great enthusiasm and professionalism in managing the animals and proudly representing BHS. A huge thank you also goes to those who make this possible — from donating animals and feed, to providing transport, and the many supporters who help create these rich learning opportunities.
Love, Crime and Wine Author Night
Well done to Tanya Niblett and the Library team for hosting such a successful evening. With people travelling from all over the state to attend, the Love, Crime and Wine Author Night was a true community celebration. The positive feedback and smiling faces were a testament to a job well done — an outstanding event for our Community Library!
From the Vineyard to the Plains
Congratulations to Sarah Wensley and the Music Team for a fantastic performance at the Town Hall. From the Vineyard to the Plains was a wonderful showcase of talent and collaboration, highlighting the strength of partnership between our two public education schools.
Celebrating Student Achievement
A special congratulations to Ruby Lemon, recipient of a Merit Award for the Eden Prize! Thank you also to Connor Edwards for the guidance and encouragement you provided in supporting Ruby to showcase her work.
Student Learning and Growth
- Student-Led Conferences: Thank you to Donna Carpenter for your organisation, and to families for engaging in these valuable conversations that place students at the centre of their learning journey.
- Subject Counselling: A big thank you to Carena Brookes, Luke Clarke, and their team for supporting our young people in exploring future directions. It was inspiring to hear the wide range of pathways our students are considering.
What’s Coming Up in Weeks 9 & 10
As we move towards the end of Term 3, there are still plenty of exciting opportunities for our students to shine:
Week 9
- Continuation of PAT testing
- Public Speaking Competition
- Senior Music student performances
- WRC VET Awards
Week 10
- Year 10 students graduate from Youth Opportunities
- Students attend the Aboriginal STEM Conference
- Year 9 students head off on camp to build resilience
- Year 10 students participate in RAA Street Smart
- Our Term 3 concludes with the always-popular Colour Run!
Congratulations again to everyone involved in these achievements — we are so proud of the way our students and staff continue to learn, grow, and represent BHS with pride.
2026 Confirmation of Enrolment
Families would have received the following email from the school regarding confirmation of enrolment for 2026. If you haven’t already, we ask that families complete this in the coming days to allow us to continue with our planning for 2026.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Preparation for the 2026 school year is underway and we are beginning to explore possible class structures for next year. It is essential to have accurate student numbers to determine the number of classes, their configurations, and teacher allocations. If you know that your child(ren) are likely to transfer from our school, please inform us as soon as possible to assist in our planning.
- My child (ren) will be attending BHS in 2026
- I am unsure at this stage – please follow up with our family in Term 4
- My child (ren) will not be attending BHS in 2026
As part of the 2026 class allocation and structure process, we invite parents/carers to submit any concerns or requests in writing that you believe should be considered and may impact your child(ren)'s educational outcomes. Please note that we are unable to accommodate requests for specific class teachers, and in some cases, we may not be able to meet all requests.
Staffing Update
Congratulations to both Caitlin Hanson and Nicole Matthews who have been made permanent to Balaklava High School. This is fantastic recognition to their quality practice and I’m thrilled to have them as part of our team going into the future.
Round 1 of Ongoing teacher vacancies have been finalized for 2026. I’m thrilled to welcome the following staff members to our team from the start of 2026
- Lauren Smith – Agriculture/Maths/Science
- Angela Winter – Home Economics/HASS
ThankED
Every day, those working in public education help shape the futures of South Australia’s children and young people.
ThankED gives you the chance to celebrate and thank Department for Education employees who make a difference in many ways, every day.
ThankED – Why our students are saying thanks - YouTube
We Need Your Help - Balaklava Show
Balaklava High School is proud to be supporting our local community and fundraising for our school by helping supervise the gates and running a stall at this year's Balaklava Show.
We still have a few gaps in our roster and would love your help!
If you are able to spare some time on the day contact the school on 88620600 or email kevin.kelly797@schools.sa.edu.au to put your name down.
Please feel free to contact me at the school if you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning. I can be contacted via Daymap or email derek.friedrichs447@schools.sa.edu.au or you can phone the school on 8862 0600 and ask to speak with me directly. Alternatively, I would be happy to discuss your needs in person – please pre-arrange this with the Front Office Team so that I can ensure I am available when you arrive.
Enjoy the weekend.
Regards
Derek Friedrichs
Principal BHS