Balaklava High School
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14 Gwy Terrace
Balaklava SA 5461
Subscribe: https://balakhs.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email: dl.0769.info@schools.sa.edu.au
Phone: 08 8862 0600
Fax: 08 8862 0650

PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

One of the many things we pride ourselves on at Balaklava High School is our Arts education.  This occurs in Performing Arts through Drama and Music and the Visual Arts in Art and Design.  The broader benefits of an arts education are well-known and include developing a young person’s  ability to collaborate, cooperate, communicate, create, problem solve and so much more.  This week our Arts program was showcased through the school production of Seussical Jr, which was a spectacular production of amazing colours, sight and sounds with some spectacular individual and group performances.  Miss Umapathysivam, the cast and crew are to be commended on their presentation of this musical.  You will read further about this production later in this newsletter.  Our students’ Visual Art and Design skills will be showcased at our upcoming Art Exhibition at the Balaklava Courthouse Gallery running from the 4th to the 21st November.  I encourage you to go to the Gallery and see the quality student work Mrs Tilbrook has curated.

Year 12 Farewell

Scheduled lessons for our Year 12 students will conclude this afternoon and we will hold a formal farewell assembly at the school at 9am tomorrow (Friday 22nd October).  After this date, some students may still be completing final assessment tasks or preparing for exams, which brings a new set of stressors.

The SACE Board offers the following advice to students for managing exam pressure:

  • Develop good study habits – devise a study plan, set aside a quiet study space and take regular breaks
  • Eat and sleep well – eat healthy food, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep and exercise daily
  • Use friends – study together, discuss exam topics and test each other
  • Speak to family and friends – tell them how you are going and let them know when you need quiet time
  • Recognise stress signals – discuss concerns with family and friends, speak to teachers, take a break.

The SACE Board have announced that Year 12 results will be available via Students Online from 8.30 am on Monday 13 December with hard copy documentation arriving from this date onwards.  Year 12 students should log in to Students Online to activate their accounts and check that their details are correct prior to results release day.  Waiting for these results can also be a stressful time and Reach Out.com offers the following advice for parents to support their teenagers during this time:

  • Avoid discussing potential results before they are released as speculation about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ results isn’t helpful
  • Stop worrying what other people might think of your child’s results and avoid comparing your child’s results with other family and friends and appreciate individual success
  • Recognise signs of stress in your child and offer support if needed
  • Most importantly, don’t panic if the results are not what you’d hoped for as there are many alternative options available for university degrees and employment.

More advice on supporting your child can be found at the following link:

https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/6-things-parents-can-do-to-help-teenagers-handle-exam-results

As the Year 12s embark on their next great challenge, from the safety and routine of school to the often uncertain expectations of Uni or work, we wish them well and trust they have many happy memories of their schooling.  They are at a very exciting point in their lives and we hope they enjoy every minute of it.

Presentation Night

Once again, Presentation Night will look a little different this year to the traditional format we have enjoyed for a number of years.  With the current COVID restrictions, we are able to hold a modified event at the Balaklava Town Hall with restricted numbers of audience members present.  We are currently working out final details and will communicate information to Year 12 students and other award recipients as soon as we are able to.  As with all events in SA at present, the event will, of course, be subject to last minute change if SA Health guidelines dictate.

Staffing News

We have a couple of staffing changes this term.  Hudson Noack has joined us to teach PE and Performing Arts and he has been a great addition to our teaching team with his specialist Physical Education knowledge.  Hudson has taken the teaching load left by Sally McArdle when she left at the end of last term to start her maternity leave.  We were very pleased to hear this week that Sally and Jamie have welcomed their daughter Annie into the world and we are sure she will soon settle in at home with lots of love from her two older brothers.

Colleen Lowe is on long service leave this term and we have redistributed her teaching load with the bulk of her Maths/Science classes going to Kelly Schubert whilst Michelle Pudney has also picked up a Maths class.  Thank you to both Kelly and Michelle for being willing to take on these extra classes and we trust that Colleen has a relaxing break.

Student Free Days

A reminder that, as previously advertised, we have two student free days this term:

  • Monday Week 3 Term 4, 25th October
  • Friday Week 6 Term 4, 19th November

As Balaklava Primary School are also having the same student free days, the school buses will not run on either of these days.

I am excited for all of the opportunities this term holds for students as we continue with our learning program until the very end of the year.  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