I would like to welcome everyone back for Term 2 and I trust you all had a safe and relaxing holiday break.  I would especially like to welcome students new to our school this term and hope they settle in well and actively participate in all of the outstanding learning and extra-curricular activities Balaklava High School has to offer.

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is a time of reflection on the sacrifices of so many others who went to war, many of whom paid the ultimate price by losing their lives, which have allowed us to have the life and freedoms we ultimately enjoy today.  It was so good that Dawn Services were able to be held this year around the country after a couple of years of disruption due to COVID restrictions.  As a school community, it is important that we pay our respects to servicemen and women each year and we have traditionally sent Student Council representatives to the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Balaklava Triangle, however, last year we expanded this so we had representatives at other services around the community where our students live.  This year BHS was represented by Kayleigh Parker and Brooke Michalanney at the Balaklava service, Alice McArdle and Molly Warnes in Owen and Kashaya Carpenter in Mallala.  Thank you to these students for attending these important events and representing our school.  I’d also like to acknowledge the other students who attended services around the community, such as Elleanore Bowden who represented Scouts in Riverton.

Communication

Communication in schools is vital and it needs to be ongoing between students, families and teachers.  There are often times parents have questions about their student’s education or there’s a need to share information or contact us with a concern.  I encourage parents to contact teachers directly via Daymap or phone the school on 8862 0600 and leave a message for them to call you back when this need arises.  I have also attached a list of teacher emails to this newsletter for ease of reference and to provide another communication channel.

For questions regarding individual subjects, parents should initially contact the subject teacher; the Homegroup teacher should be contacted for broader concerns or absence information and parents should contact a member of the leadership team for more significant issues or if you need further follow up.  Other great forms of communication are the newsletter and social media and I remind all students and their families to follow our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with school events and information.  Skoolbag is also an important communication tool to be used to stay up to date with bus information and I encourage families with students who catch a bus to download this app too.

Reports

For a number of years now, we have used continuous reporting at BHS with feedback on individual student assignments on Daymap throughout the term, which means students in Years 7-11 receive a summary report at the end of each term without comments.  If your child is not receiving this feedback on assignments, feel free to contact the subject teacher in the first instance (see attached contact details or via Daymap) or a member of the leadership team if it is a repeated concern.  Students in Year 12 receive a full written report in Terms 1-3.  All student reports can be accessed through the Parent Portal of Daymap by going into the student's profile and opening the 'Report' tab on the left column. Students can also access their own reports on Daymap by clicking on 'My Portfolio' and then 'Reports'. The reports are in a pdf format, which can easily be printed if a hard copy is required.  Please contact us at the school if you would like to arrange for a hard copy to be sent home.

COVID-19 and other sickness

The use of face masks in education settings will be reassessed by the Emergency Management Committee and the Department for Education ahead of the start of Week 5 this term, however, as we know, for the first 4 weeks of Term 2, when indoors, face masks continue to be required for students in Years 7 to 12 and all adults (including visitors), except when teaching or interacting with children.  We thank students and their families for support with these guidelines, which are in place to keep us as safe as possible when large numbers of students gather together.  As soon as we are aware of any changes to requirements, we will inform families.

It is important that students stay home if they are at all unwell and that they have a RAT or PCR test if they are symptomatic.  If your child does test positive to COVID at any time, please report it to the school so we can keep families informed of positive cases.  We know there are many forms of illness other than COVID that are still highly contagious such as the influenza, common colds and gastro, so we ask that students stay home if they are unwell until all symptoms are gone.

As always, I am available to speak to parents about any issues or concerns or to discuss any aspect of their 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

Key School Contacts

Parents and carers should make contact via Daymap or email with the appropriate staff member as soon as any learning or wellbeing issues arise.  Or there is any relevant information to share.

Initial Concerns

• Learning/academic – contact the individual subject teacher
• Attendance and/or wellbeing – contact the homegroup teacher

Ongoing Concerns

• Literacy/English Coordinator – Joshua La Grutta
• Numeracy/Mathematics Coordinator – Alana Sharman
• Student Engagement Coordinator – Colleen Lowe
• VET Coordinator – Rosemary Goode
• Wellbeing Senior Leader – Kimberly Walker
• Middle School Assistant Principal – Michelle Pudney
• Senior School Assistant Principal – Carena Brookes
• Principal – Sonia Pringle

Other Key Contacts

• Business Manager/Finance – Peta Solomon
• IT Support – Michael Mazzone
• Enhanced Learning Hub – Neil Richards

Teaching Staff Email Addresses

Support Staff Contact Details