Performing Arts

During the past week, our Performing Arts have been on display to the community on more than one occasion.  Yesterday our Year 9 Drama students hosted Year 5 and 6 students from Balaklava and Mallala Primary schools for three short plays with some drama activities in between each one and last week, our senior Drama students delivered two performances of the thought provoking play ‘Selfie’.  The play covered a number of themes relevant to adolescents today and provided an opportunity for both the cast and crew to shine with professional performances.  Speaking to some audience members at the end of one night, one of them told me they even had tears at some of the poignant moments.  Well done to all students involved in these productions and to Miss Umapathysivam for the work to showcase BHS talent.

COVID-19 and other sickness

COVID remains a consideration in schools, however, as you would have seen from the regular emails home, we have had a low number of positive student cases this term, as well as some staff cases.  We have had some very tricky days to timetable due to staff absences and I’d like to thank Carena Brookes and Cherie Cmrlec who manage this daily process and also thank the teachers who have had to pick up extra relief lessons when our colleagues have been away.  As you would have seen through the media and in the letter that went home last week, masks are no longer mandatory in schools, however they are strongly recommended for all students in Years 3-12 and adults - including visitors and parents - while indoors.

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.

School Uniform

The cold and wet weather has definitely arrived and it has sent us all searching for warmer clothes.  In response to a request from Student Council last year, Governing Council added grey tracksuit pants to our existing uniform policy, which students are required to follow.  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 as are the navy spray jackets that are very popular with students.  Shorts and trousers are to be navy or grey and trackpants are to be navy or grey with no stripes or large logos.  School beanies are available from the school bookroom.  A final reminder that black tops and pants, jeans, leggings and jeggings are not part of our uniform and, therefore, are not appropriate to wear to school.  If meeting our uniform expectations is a concern for families, I ask you to contact a member of the Leadership team to discuss this as we want to support you to show school pride.

Staffing

I will be away for the last five weeks of this term, during which time, Middle School Assistant Principal, Michelle Pudney will be acting Principal.  I know the school is in safe hands with her and the rest of the leadership team.  Mrs Pudney’s AP position will be backfilled by Lucy Thiel for those five weeks.  Mrs Thiel has been away from the school for nearly a year but she will return early from her maternity leave to work full time for these five weeks and she will then return to her Wellbeing Senior Leader role three days a week for Terms 3 and 4.  Kimberly Walker has been backfilling this Wellbeing role for the past 12 months and she will remain here to job share with Mrs Thiel for the rest of the year and she will also pick up a teaching load in Semester 2 to make her full time.  Also returning from maternity leave for Semester 2 is Kym Spartley who will be back 2 days a week to do some student counselling and literacy support.

As this is my last newsletter for the term, I would like to wish you all well for the last 5 weeks and I very much look forward to returning next term and hearing about all of the excellent things that have happened at BHS during that time.

Sonia Pringle

Principal