Filter Content
Week 5 of Term 2 already; what a rollercoaster ride of a year we have had so far! We have certainly seen a large amount of change in the last three or four months which will have impacted on us all in different ways. For some, change is exciting and offers different opportunities, for others it is just accepted as is and for others still, it can be quite unsettling and the cause of great anxiety. When dealing with change, ReachOut.com offers the following tips:
- Think things through and ask, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’
We're often scared of change because we’re afraid of the unknown. A good way to deal with this is to think things through carefully, imagining all of the possible outcomes, and then decide what would be your best- and worst-case scenarios. Write them down, if it helps.
- Ask yourself how much you can control
When a big change occurs, it’s important to figure out how much control over the situation you really have. Understanding your role and how much you can change can help you put things in perspective.
- Accept and reframe
If the unwanted change is beyond your control, try taking a reflective approach. Accepting that there are things beyond your control, and choosing to be comfortable with that fact, is likely to bring greater peace of mind than fighting an unwinnable war. View change as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than as a setback, even if you have to fake it ‘til you make it!
- Celebrate the positives
Even though it can be a tough ask, focusing on the positives can really help you manage change. While the positive aspects of a situation might not be obvious to begin with, it’s worth seeking them out – no matter how small they might be.
- Take action
If the unwanted change is within your control, take an active approach to dealing with it. Try some problem-solving techniques, or set some goals to proactively address any challenges. Focusing on the problem at hand, developing a plan of action, and asking for advice are useful active strategies.
- Manage your stress
Improving your ability to handle stress will go a long way to helping you deal with change. Try practising mindfulness or meditation, or engaging in other relaxation techniques like listening to music, going for a walk or reading.
- Seek support
It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed if the change you’re facing is really big, or there’s too much change happening all at once. This is when it might be best to seek support. Consider asking friends or family for help or emotional support or seeing a professional if needed.
Virtual Open Night
Normally at this time of the year we have an Open Night where we invite our future Year 8 students and their families, as well as other interested community members, to join us at the school to tour our facilities, hear from staff and students and look at various learning areas in action. Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions in place due to COVID-19, we have been unable to hold this event in its traditional manner this year. Fortunately, we have some very creative staff members of staff such as Suri Umapathysivam, who worked tirelessly to put together a virtual open night, which provides an opportunity for you to meet a small number of our staff members and see some of our students in action in various learning areas around the school. Click on this link https://youtu.be/fuasoThmkFM to access the video and it can also accessed via our website or Facebook page.
We expect Year 7 students coming to BHS next year to be able to undertake transition days as per normal in Term 4 where they will have an opportunity to not only see our facilities but to also experience life in high school before they start their secondary education.
Student Free Days and School Closure Day
Whilst we have had a disrupted start to the 2020 school year with COVID-19 leading to parents choosing to keep their children home, a move to online learning and back to face-to-face teaching; student free days to allow staff time together to work on our school improvement priorities of literacy and numeracy as well as undertake professional development, will still occur. Governing Council have approved a number of Student Free Days for 2020 and we ask that you put the following dates in your diary:
Term 2 Week 6 Friday 5th June – Site Improvement Plan
Term 3 Week 1 Monday 20th July – Trauma Informed Practice Training Day 1 (Partnership day)
Term 3 Week 5 Tuesday 18th August – Literacy training combined with Riverton and District HS
Term 4 Week 6 Friday 20th November – Trauma Informed Practice Training Day 2
Governing Council have also approved a School Closure Day on Monday 7th September (Term 3, Week 8), which was aligned to the Royal Adelaide Show. Given the Show has now been cancelled for this year, we await confirmation from the Department for Education as to whether this date will go ahead or not. We will advise parents as soon as we know the outcome.
School Uniform
Finally, a reminder about school uniform. As the cooler weather has arrived, some of the uniform standards in the yard have slipped. Students are expected to wear a navy or white school polo top, navy bomber or spray jacket, navy rugby top or plain navy hoodie, all of which are available for purchase from TADS in Balaklava. Shorts and trousers are to be navy or grey and trackpants are to be navy with no stripes or large logos. Families are reminded that black pants and tops are not part of our uniform and leggings, jeggings and jeans are also not acceptable for school. If meeting the uniform expectations is a concern for families, please contact a member of the leadership team to discuss this.
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
Congratulations to Matt Mojares on winning the PRIDE design competition with the most amount of votes. Thank you and well done to all the other talented students that contributed to the competition with their fantastic posters. We will now laminate the school values poster that has had input from students, staff and members of Governing Council to be displayed around our school. Students displaying these values will continue to be recognised and awarded with our school PRIDE points.
Continuing on from the work we started last year, Kerrie Sellen will visit our school on Wednesday 17th June to speak to our Year 8 students and staff about Restorative Practices. Restorative Practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities.
The session will teach students about the compass of shame, affective statements, circles and formal conferences. This learning will provide our students with skills they can use at school, at home and in the community when faced with conflict. All our staff at Balaklava High School are trained in Restorative Practices and are committed to helping students view conflict in a school setting as an opportunity to foster learning and build better relationships.
Please visit this link to learn more video clip on Restorative Practice. If you have any questions about Restorative Practices please contact Michelle Pudney.
It is important to talk with your children about the possible consequences of sending or sharing intimate or sexually explicit messages, images, photos or videos. And there are ways you can help if things go wrong. The term ‘sexting’ is not often used by young people or in popular culture. Young people are more likely to refer to other terms like ‘sending nudes' or ‘dick pics’. There is a lot of information on the internet, but I have found the most accurate information for students, parents and the wider community is on the https://www.esafety.gov.au/ website. I have included a summary of the information for parents below.
What are the risks?
Sharing intimate images may seem like a bit of fun or innocent flirting for young people, particularly those in a relationship.
The child loses control of the image. Once an image is shared, it can be copied and saved by others, shared with people the sender does not know and posted on social media and public websites. Images can be extremely difficult to remove and the consequences can follow a young person into adulthood.
Images may not always be sent willingly. Young people may be forced or pressured into sending explicit images or videos. Sometimes sexting can lead to ‘sextortion’ — blackmail with a sexual component — when someone threatens to share an intimate image unless the person in the image pays money or gives in to their demands.
The consequences can be serious
For young people, sharing naked or sexually explicit images might result in:
- Humiliation, guilt, shame, anger and self-blame — which can lead to ongoing emotional distress, withdrawal from school and family life and in severe cases, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
- Bullying, teasing and harassment from peers — they may experience bullying, including cyberbullying, if photos are shared around their school community or friendship group.
- Damage to their reputation — it may impact on their reputation and performance at school, as well as employment opportunities in the future
- Criminal charges and penalties — it can be a crime when it involves asking for, accessing, creating, possessing and/or sharing sexualised images of people under 18.
Sexting and the law
There are Commonwealth and state and territory laws against asking for, accessing, possessing, creating or sharing sexualised images of children and young people under 18.
This means a young person who asks for, accesses, possesses, creates or shares sexualised images of someone under 18 may be at risk of criminal charges — even if both parties consented. This would prohibit them from working or volunteering in places involving children and may require them to regularly report to police and have restrictions placed on their freedom of movement.
Given the laws in this area are complex, it is important to be aware of the law and the legal services that are available to advise and support young people who have been involved in sexting.
How can I minimise the risks to my child?
Talk early, talk often
Match your approach to your child’s level of maturity, age and the type of relationship you share with them. Maybe take the opportunity for a chat while you are doing something together, like a long walk or a car trip.
You could start from a real life story in the media or from their school or community, asking questions like: Do you think it was right for her to share that photo after they broke up?
Let them know that they can always approach you if they feel pressured to share an image of themselves or if they have shared an image of someone else. It is also a good idea to save screenshots of any abusive or threatening message in case you want to report them later on.
Help them understand that viewing or sending intimate images can carry the risk of committing a crime, even if the image has been willingly shared.
What can I do when things go wrong?
Stay calm and open. Listen and act fast.
Consider talking to your GP if you have other concerns about the health and wellbeing of your child and seek a referral to an adolescent psychologist.
Young people can access counselling services from Kids Helpline (for 5 to 25 year olds) and eheadspace (for 12 to 25 year olds). Free and confidential legal advice is available from Youth Law Australia (for young people under 25 years) and local community legal centres can also assist with advice and referrals.
If you would like further information on this topic please visit the website https://www.esafety.gov.au/ or if you have any concerns regarding your child please contact the school.
Michelle Pudney
Middle School Assistant Principal
Upon completion, the student will see the image below. Once we receive the report, a staff member will approach the person who has been harmed and work through with them to see what they think they need to make things right.
STYMIE means stop so let’s work together to look after our friends and peers!
Lucy Thiel
Health and Wellbeing Coordinator
This week Mrs Niblett's Year 8 History class cooked Burritos with some help from Miss Mayer. Students are currently studying the Aztecs from Ancient Mexico and the burritos had to have maize & beans in them, which were staples in the Aztec diet.
TOURISM
Year 9 Geography classes 9PG2 and 9PG1 have been studying Tourism and how COVID 19 has affected the tourist industry. We have been researching local tourist attractions and creating a brochure to encourage everyone to travel in “our own backyard”.
Some examples are;
- Travel to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory because there are a lot of unique landforms and activities to do. Nicola
- Travel to the Blue Mountains in NSW because it is a family friendly location. Lillie
- Travel to Port Arthur in Tasmania because it is a great historical site to learn about Australian History. Dylan
- Travel to the Bungle Bungles in Western Australia because it is one of the oldest landmarks in Australia. Jake
- We should travel to the Gold Coast theme parks in Queensland because it is great fun for young and old. Clair
- Travel to the Adelaide Festival of the Arts because it shows a wide range of musical talent of the local people. Paige
- We should travel to Fraser Island in Queensland because it has unique wildlife that is only seen on the island which is the largest sand island in the world. Kyeasha
By Abbey Bigg
We have a limited number of School Magazines available for purchase through the Book Room from previous years:
- 2005
- 2008
- 2009
- 2012
- 2017
All $10 each
We also have 2 copies left from last year (2019) $26 each
