Each time I sit to write something for the newsletter and I reflect on what has occurred in the weeks since I last wrote, I am struck by how busy the school is.  It is a vibrant location in not only its ever-evolving physical landscape but even more so through the student body and the activities they have an opportunity to be involved in.  The schoolyard was particularly animated two weeks ago when we gathered as a collective to watch Lachlan Gaze and his band of brave fellow students who stood up to raise money for the World’s Greatest Shave.  There is a report further in this newsletter that will speak about this event but what I wanted to comment on is not the selfless leadership shown by Lachy by having his long hair cut off, nor the piercing shrieks of some male students as their (very…) hairy legs were waxed, but the strong sense of community spirit that swept across the quadrangle.  The majority of our student population joined together to support each other, cheer each other on, pool their money to support a good cause, perhaps laugh good naturedly at the discomfort of a friend and basically experience a fair bit of joy and a sense of community together.  Well done to all involved.

Open Night

Last year, due to COVID-19 we were unable to hold our traditional Open Night and we moved to a virtual event.  If you’re interested in watching it, the recording is still available on our website or by visiting this link https://youtu.be/fuasoThmkFM which will also allow you to get a glimpse of our old transportable buildings.  This year, we were very pleased to be able to welcome students, their families and interested community members back to the school to tour our amazing facilities and hear about the great things we do in them.  The night was a huge success, which was and very well attended by future Year 7 and Year 8 students.  As you can see from the images included, many of the displays were interactive and highly engaging for our visitors.  Open Night provided an opportunity for people to see a number of the quality programs and learning opportunities available here and to get a taste of exactly what makes BHS so special.  I would like to acknowledge the work of all staff on the night, led by Colleen Lowe, and the many students who volunteered their time to talk to visitors, conduct experiments, sing, share their learning experiences and interact in a variety of other ways.

NAPLAN Online

In 2019, the NAPLAN tests moved online for the first time, then in 2020, the tests were cancelled across the nation due to COVID-19 and this year they were back on the agenda!  The online platform and our technical capabilities worked well and the event went off without a hitch.  Students engaged seriously in the tests and they should provide an accurate representation of students’ abilities when results are released later in the year.  We are very well aware that these tests are only a snapshot of a child’s ability in literacy and numeracy and they don’t provide the full picture of a student’s ability, however, they do provide data to look at individual growth and achievement by students and areas for us to focus on as a school.  This information helped us set directions for our Site Improvement Plan, where we have been focussing on writing for the past 3 years.  We have been assessing our progress towards this goal throughout this time but this is the final year of our existing SIP and we look forward to reviewing it again and setting a new direction for the next 3 year cycle.

School Uniform

At last week’s Governing Council meeting, the parent body approved a request from Student Council to add grey tracksuit pants to our existing uniform policy.  After surveying students, listening to their peers and chatting with parents who know how difficult it can be to find navy track pants without large logos, Council were pleased to be able to support this student-led addition.  Navy and grey tracksuit pants, with straight leg or cuffs, are available from TADS in Balaklava for under $30 each.  Families are reminded that students are not to wear black tops or pants to school, nor are jeans, leggings or jeggings appropriate.  Students are expected to wear a navy or white school polo top, navy bomber jacket, navy rugby top or plain navy hoodie, all of which are available for purchase from TADS.  Shorts and trousers are to be navy or grey and trackpants are to be navy or grey with no stripes or large logos.  If meeting these expectations is a concern for families, I ask them to contact a member of the Leadership team to discuss this.

Cold and Flu Season

Over the past 12 months we have all become much more aware of the importance of hand washing, sanitising and social distancing, however we are becoming a bit complacent with these practices and this is becoming evident as we enter cold and flu season.  Whilst attendance at school is always important, in the case of sickness it is more important that you keep your children home until they are no longer contagious.  Let’s all work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

As always, I encourage parents to contact me at the school with any issues or concerns or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning.  I can be contacted at the school via Daymap, email Sonia.Pringle235@schools.sa.edu.au or phone 8862 0600 where you can speak to me directly or make a time to come and see me.

Sonia Pringle

Principal