It’s hard to believe that we are over halfway through this term already.  By this time all new students, including Year 8s, should have settled in and be feeling comfortable with their classmates, classroom expectations and physical surrounds.  Our Year 12s should have established study routines and be pacing their learning as they really only have three terms to go, which is both an exciting and somewhat scary proposition for many.  All of our students are expected to apply themselves fully to all classroom activities and learning and, of course, to follow all school expectations regarding behaviour and what it means to be a student at Balaklava High School.

Governing Council AGM

The school’s Annual General Meeting was held last Wednesday and I want to thank the parents and community members who attended.  I want to particularly acknowledge those members who have retired or elected not to continue in their roles and I thank them for their service to the school community.

The following people have accepted roles on this year’s Governing Council:

I thank the new Governing Council for taking this important opportunity to be more involved in their children’s education and for supporting the school community.  I look forward to a productive and successful year.  That said, we still have room for two more Councillors and I encourage you to volunteer for this important role.  Please contact one of the Councillors named above or the School on 8862 0600 if you are interested in joining us.  There are only two meetings per term and it provides an opportunity to have a greater say in your child’s education.

Sammy D Foundation

The Sammy D Foundation was established in memory of Sam Davis, who, in May 2008, went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday but never came home after his life was tragically cut short when he fell victim to a violent and unprovoked one-punch assault.  The Foundation educates young people about the impact of violence, and the consequences it has on victims, perpetrators, bystanders, families, friends and the broader community.

On Monday 18^th March, all of our students will be involved in presentations and workshops delivered by the Sammy D Foundation.  These sessions are aimed at changing students’ attitudes towards resorting to violence and bullying by educating them about the negative impacts of these behaviours and providing them with strategies to keep themselves and their mates safe.

Students will first hear from Sam’s father, Neil Davis, who shares Sam’s story and gives an example of the characteristics of violence and its consequences on victims, perpetrators, bystanders, families, friends and the broader community. The students will also participate in a values walk allowing them to think about their beliefs and how they would respond when faced with a potentially anti-social situation. Following the presentation students will break into class sized groups and work with education facilitators to explore in greater detail the impacts of violence. They will also explore the personal and community consequences of violence, what influences this behaviour and strategies to respond.

Student Led Conferences

Student Led Conferences were held in Week 5 and were well attended by both students and parents. Students are currently reflecting on their tracking in each of their subjects and are reviewing their learning goals with Homegoup teachers in Pastoral Care, which will be a regular practice throughout the semester. We surveyed parents for their feedback during the evening and much of the comments about the process were positive, however, a review of the booking process will be made before the Term 3 Student Led Conferences. If you missed this opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers, please contact their Homegroup teacher via Daymap, e-mail  or phone 8862 0600 to schedule an appointment or speak over the phone.

Sports Day

What an exciting finish to last Friday’s Sports Day, with a one point win to Ross House, who took the honours for the first time in 15 years.  Their victory once again shows that the team who fills their events has the greatest chance of winning on the day.  I would like to congratulate the HPE Learning Area led by Michael Brooks, for all of their work both in the lead up and on the day that made Sports Day such a positive event.  It is always heart-warming to see so many students involved in events and there were also obvious efforts made by many to support their Houses and display real team spirit.  You will see a number of images that attest to this further down in this newsletter.  It was also great to see so many parents and family members in attendance on the day.

During the day it was interesting to note the number of students who attempted events they weren’t necessarily comfortable with.  These students took a risk and potentially looked failure in the eye.  Basketballer Michael Jordan was an outstanding athlete who experienced great sporting success, yet he admits:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.

I’ve lost almost 300 games.

26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game willing shot and missed.

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.

And that is why I succeed.”

He also said, “I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.”  Thinking about this and about what I saw at the Athletics Carnival, I challenge everyone reading this article to take a risk; put yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new.  Who knows what success it could bring?  To finish with another quote from the great Nelson Mandela, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”  Have a great week.

Sonia Pringle

Principal

On Sunday 3^rd February, 29 students who were elected on Student Council for 2019 departed Balaklava for our 2-day planning camp. The bus trip to West Beach Big 4  Caravan Park was hot and sweaty on the 40-degree day on a bus with no air conditioning! Once we arrived, everyone unpacked and got settled into the cabins. The group participated in getting-to-know you activities and games during the afternoon to learn each other’s names and to find out a bit more about each other. This was followed by an early tea and a 5km walk along the beach to GH film house to watch the movie ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’. The next day consisted of lots of planning and organising for the year ahead, we discussed what we wanted to achieve this year, set goals and identified strategies to achieve these goals. As a Student Council we talked about how we can have a positive impact on the school environment and community as well as ways to connect with the students more. Later in the day we planned our major fundraiser for the year and were allocated to committees. We identifed what the roles and responsibilities of our committee groups are and what we need to do to stay organised and keep things functioning throughout the year. After an intense day, everybody spent an hour down at the beach playing cricket, kicking the footy, swimming or just enjoying time with each other. Not long after, everyone got changed and ready to walk down to Glenelg for tea. The last day everyone got up early to pack their stuff and get organised for the assigned activities. Half of the students went to MEGA-Adventure to participate in a range of high rope activities and the other half went to the Beach House. Overall the camp was really enjoyable and productive. Student Council is really looking forward to this year and representing the school in a positive way.

 Tiarhn Carpenter & Amber Pratt

Balaklava High School Athletics Day

On Friday 8^th March, a bunch of young, fit, athletic and enthusiastic students from Balaklava High School descended on the oval for the 2019 edition of Athletics Day. In perfect conditions for the Carnival, each senior House captain lead their House through a series of improvised warm ups before the serious business got underway.

Within the track and field events, students took the opportunity to participate in a series of novelty events. The three-legged race, wheelie bin relay, tug-o-war and spoke relay were popular but undoubtedly, the staff again winning the staff v parent v House captain relay was the ultimate highlight.

Libby Cleary is commended for etching her name into the record books, throwing a remarkable 10.67m in the U16 Girls Shot Put, beating the mark of 10.38m set in 1993. There was more history in the making with Ross winning by the slenderest of margins (1 point) and claiming their first Athletics Day victory since 2004. Congratulations to the whole House but in particular the senior House captains – Jacinta Cocks and Matthew Freebairn.

Overall, it was a day of fun, colour and enthusiasm. Well done to the groundsmen, Gavin and Chris, for improving the condition of the oval and to all student and parent volunteers for their support and help on the day. A massive thank you to all staff, in particular the HPE staff in Alison Schahinger, Ash Parsons and Derek Friederichs for their tireless efforts in the lead up to the day. We now turn our attention to Interschool Athletics where we aim to take over our strongest possible team to Clare on Friday March 22^nd. 

2019 Athletics Results (summary)

Age Group Winners

Boys

U14 - JAKE HUMPHRYS (RU), JED DAVIS (W)

U15 - MATT MOJARES (RU), JACK MCLEAN, HARRISON TAYLOR (W)

U16 - CODY REDPATH (RU), LOGAN OLSEN (W)

OPEN - DECLAN PHILLIPS, KARL BINKA, JERRY LOGAN (RU), ETHAN BROWNLIE (W)

Girls

U14 - NICOLA TILLER (RU), ELLA STANDLEY (W)

U15 - MEL MYERS (RU), CHARLI GRIFFITHS (W)

U16 - HAYLEY ARMSTRONG (RU), ABBIE MCARDLE (W)

OPEN - SIANNA BOND (RU), CATELYN HARKNESS (W)

Records

U16 Girls Shot Put - Libby Cleary 10.67m

Overall Results

1. Ross     794

2. Keith    793

3. James  722

4. Walter 721

School Sport SA

School Sport SA will enter state teams in the sports listed in the attachment below. Please check the the School Sport SA webpage for information regarding registration and training. Furthermore, feel free to contact me at the school for further information of assistance.

Michael Brooks

PE Coordinator

The Australian Geography Competition aims to promote geographical knowledge and skills.  The 2019 competition is being held from Wednesday 27 March to Wednesday 10^th April. The HASS faculty is providing funding so that all students in Years 8, 9 ,10 and students studying Geography and Tourism in Year 11 can participate in this year’s competition.  Students will have 35 minutes to complete the required multiple choice questions and this will be done during Geography /History lessons or during Pastoral Care time. 

Students will receive a copy of their results and certificates for their PLP Portfolios.  Prizes are awarded for the top performing students and these students could be selected to participate in Geography’s Big Week Out being held on Kangaroo Island.

Over 72,000 students from 782 schools entered the competition in 2018 so it is exciting to offer students at Balaklava High School the opportunity to participate.

Meningococcal B

The Meningococcal B vaccine  has been added to the School Immunisation Program. This vaccine will be available for all Year 10 students (ongoing) and Year 11 students (2019 only)

A catch-up program will be available for those aged 17-21 years. The vaccine will be available at Wakefield Plains Medical Clinic (WPMC) and should also be available at most GPs. This catch-up program will only run until 31^st December 2019.

 Meningococcal ACWY

This vaccine has been added to the schedule for all Year 10 students.

A catch-up program for this vaccine will be available to those aged 15-19 years, until 31^st December, 2019.

This vaccine will also be available at WPMC. There is the possibility of a catch-up clinic being held at BHS during this year. The clinic will only be held if there is a reasonable number of students interested. If your student would like to attend the clinic please let Cherie Cmrlec at the school know. More information will be available if a clinic goes ahead.

For more information about either of these vaccines please contact Tania or Rachel at WPMC: 8862 1444 or visit: www.sahealth.sa.gov.au

Students interested in pursuing medicine need to sit the UCAT in July 2019. MedEntry is a government accredited Registered Training Organisation specialising in UCAT preparation. MedEntry offers discounts of 30% for groups, numerous scholarships and bursaries. For more information, please visit www.MedEntry.edu.au

South Australia’s longest running and most comprehensive 10th Anniversary Tertiary Studies & Careers Expo Adelaide (TSCEA) incorporating the SA Work & Skills Expo event, will provide the best opportunity for students and their parents to gain an insight into an array of courses and career opportunities. These opportunities come in a wide range of education providers that are not only locally based, but from around Australia and overseas. The expo can assist students with their subject selection and planning their career pathways. 

TSCEA, with having a history of bringing together reps from ALL faculties, schools and courses from The University of South Australia, Flinders University, University of Adelaide and Charles Darwin University along with a comprehensive scope of courses from TAFE SA, will also offer in 2019, a strong presence of government agencies, professional associations, employers and registered training organisations will be on hand to provide details on employment opportunities, graduate recruitment, scholarship and bursaries available to support your student’s future.

The SA Work & Skills Expo, together with South Australia’s longest running  Tertiary Studies & Careers Expo Adelaide (TSCEA) will provide the best opportunity for students and parents!

UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB TRAINING START DATES:

Senior Colts (U/17) & Junior Colts (U/14): Thursday March 28th 

Minis (U/11) & Mini Minis (U/8):Thursday April 4th

Auskick Program: May 2nd - July 4th (10 Wks - School Term 2)

HUMMOCKS NETBALL CLUB

FIRST JUNIOR TRAINING

Wednesday 27^th March 2019 - Port Wakefield

5:30pm for GO (10&U) – U17’s

NetSet starts Wednesday 1^st May 2019 at 5:15pm - Port Wakefield

Please contact Ash Williams for more information.

hncsecretary@hotmail.com or 0437 849 227

Season 2019 Registrations

Registrations are now open for Seniors, Juniors and NetSet

Please contact Ash Williams for more information.

hncsecretary@hotmail.com or 0437 849 227

*Please note we will be participating in the Sports Vouchers program*

BALAKLAVA BUSHRANGERS HOCKEY CLUB

Come and Try Day for all ages

March 27th, 4.15pm at Ralli Park Oval

Contact John 0416372517 or Raff 0429622156