At the start of this week we welcomed 72 Year 6 students to Balaklava High School for their first taste of high school.  This transition event provided an opportunity for them to try life as a high school student by making some new friends, trying new subjects and meeting their homegroup teachers.  We very much look forward to having them join us next year as Year 7s when we embark on a six year journey of secondary schooling together.

Presentation Night

Wednesday night we gathered in the school gym for our annual Presentation Night and what a great celebration it was!  Last year we changed the venue of this event to our gym as it allowed us to have a larger number of people present and it also seems fitting that the students finish their schooling in the same place they started their high school adventure.  During the evening, our guest speaker was old scholar Brooke Stiller (nee Michael) who talked about what she has done since leaving us and her journey to becoming a full time artist.  She had an incredible story to tell that included moving to Sydney as a 17 year old after she finished her secondary schooling.  She stepped out of her comfort zone, took opportunities as they presented and was brave at trying new things, which are good messages for us all to learn from.  Congratulations to all of our graduates, performers and award winners; it was an excellent celebration of the students of Balaklava High School.  Thank you also to the team who organised the event; a great deal of planning goes on behind the scenes to stage such a production.  You can see a full list of award recipients further in this newsletter.

Year 12 Results

Year 12 results are due to be released on Monday 19^th December from 8.30am.  Students can access their results through Students Online and I encourage them to go on to the SACE Board website now and check their login details are correct before the rush on Monday morning.  Students will also receive an official certificate (if eligible) and Record of Achievement in the post.  A large number of our students have already started employment, are continuing with apprenticeships or have gained early entry into University and we look forward to hearing where their lives take them in the future.

Reflection of Learning

Our middle school students are currently working on their Reflection of Learning presentations ready to deliver them next week.  As the name suggests, these presentations allow students an opportunity to reflect on their learning across the year and to share these achievements with others.  We wish them well with their preparations and the panel members look forward to hearing about successes and challenges the students have encountered this year.

Staffing for 2023

We are still working through a small number of vacancies for next year but we are able to announce the following staffing positions:  Hannah Hoepner has won the position of English and Literacy Coordinator for next year, Holly Crighton will join us from Kadina Memorial School to be our Agriculture teacher, we are pleased to welcome back Sally McArdle who will return from maternity leave to teach English and HASS, Louise O’Halloran has been employed as our Home Ec teacher and she comes from Nuriootpa High School and Jerry Elder will join us for the first two terms next year as James Mussared takes some leave to finalise his Master’s degree.

Farewells

Whilst we have a number of teachers to welcome, as is often the case at the end of the year, we also have some staff members to farewell.  After a decade of teaching English and HASS and leading English and literacy for the last few years, we say goodbye to Joshua La Grutta.  Josh has had a huge impact on many of our students and his expertise (and love of coffee) will be missed as he takes up a new role teaching English at Riverbanks College.

Colleen Lowe joined us three years ago as our Student Engagement Coordinator and then stepped up this year to also take on the Ag teacher role from Term 2 on.  Colleen is returning to Gawler and District College and we wish her all the best there.

Sarah Mayer joined us partway through 2019 and has seen a huge change with the long overdue renovation of the Home Economics Centre.  She has built strong connections with students and will be missed as she takes up her new role teaching in the private sector.

Another staff member going to Riverbanks College is Hudson Noack.  Hudson has been with us for just over a year and we have enjoyed working with him on his first teaching position.  He easily fit into our school culture and embraced all of the opportunities that come with teaching here, such as going on an Operation Flinders trek and coaching school sport.

Andrew Jettner joined us early in the year and we were thankful that he was able to support us at short notice to fill a position mainly in Science but also in student innovation as his Studio focussed on small business ideas where he had many thoughts to share.

Mercy Edeh joined us this term in Maths and Science and we thank her for her willingness to join us for a short contract.  We wish her the best for her next school.

Abbie Tiller worked as an SSO supporting an identified student and helping a Year 8 class settle into high school for the first time.  To all staff members leaving we thank you for your time here and wish you well for whatever the future holds.

For the past four years that I’ve been at Balaklava High School I have appreciated the work of our Governing Council, ably led by Chairperson, Andrew Parker and I acknowledge the work they do regarding the governance of the school and I value their questioning to clarify how or why we do things at BHS.

Bushfire Procedure

BHS is considered a low/medium bushfire risk site, therefore, on days deemed catastrophic, the school will remain open as closures based on the predicted forecast do not apply to us.  However, our bus runs are located in both the Mid North and Yorke Peninsula Fire Ban Districts, which means if a Catastrophic Day is declared in either district, all buses that travel through these areas will be cancelled.  We will inform parents of this information as soon as practicable after it is declared on the CFS website at 4pm the day before.  We will do this via a text message to parents/carers, Daymap and Facebook whilst Balaklava Primary School will inform bus families via SkoolBag (please download the app if you haven’t already done so).

As we may need to contact you urgently, it is vital that we have your most current details on our system.  Please keep us informed immediately if any of your contact details change throughout the year.  Please click on the brochure link for further information.  https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/bushfire-and-your-childs-school-or-preschool-brochure.pdf  Parents can also call a parent hotline number (1800 000 279) to gain further advice when a catastrophic bushfire day is forecast.

Happy Holidays

I thank the broader school community for their support and I look forward to continuing these positive relationships next year.  I wish you all an enjoyable, relaxing and safe break with your families and friends and I look forward to seeing many of you back at school on Monday 30^th January 2023 ready for another year of learning.

Sonia Pringle

Principal

YEAR 7 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 7:	Holly Baumann	Emily Kirkland
	Mahlia Darby	Rhys McArdle
	Rubi Fabry	Molly Warnes
	Steele Harbrow	Annabelle Cay (DUX)

YEAR 8 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 8:	Karl Adrian Arevalo	Tully Pratt
	Melanie Cavanagh	Natalie Ritchie
	Theo Halkias	Scarlett Smith
	Angus Lemon	Macy Tiller
	Beatrice Marshman	Matilda Williamson (DUX)

YEAR 9 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 9:	Coline Banas	Lucy Pym
	Elleanore Bowden	Tess Rana
	Jayana Dos Santos	Jorja Schutt
	Charlotte Moore	Maylea Carpenter (DUX)
	Denise Nellas	Sebastien Hughes (DUX)

YEAR 10 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 10	Emily Curnow	Irish Pagadut
	Sarah Davies	Danwel Urmenita
	Abbey Fagan	Taylah West
	Rachel Feltham	Bligh Wilson
	Dahli Jacobson	Janna Mojares (DUX)
	Brooke McArdle	Madison Litzow (DUX)

YEAR 11 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 11:	Olivia Allen	Jasmine Gibson
	Tylah Arthur	Sophie Hamdorf
	Ellie Bell	Brooke Michalanney
	Abbey Bigg	Nate Veitch
	Tamzyn Dos Santos	Kashaya Carpenter (DUX)

YEAR 12 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

Year 12:	Abbey Artwik	Kayleigh Parker
	Abigail Futterleib	Hannah Watson
	Leyla Jacobson	Riley Hayes-Revitt

Wakefield Regional Council Dux of 2021: Matt Mojares

Presented by Mayor Rodney Reid

Wakefield Regional Council Leadership Awards: Kayleigh Parker & Leyla Jacobson

Presented by Mayor Rodney Reid

Muriel Matters Award: Brooke Michalanney

Eden Prize: Janna Mojares

Presented by Mr Malcolm McInerney

House Shield: WALTER - Captains Kayleigh Parker & Charlotte Davey

Presented by Mr Neil White

 

Physio Prime Sports Girl of the Year: Kashaya Carpenter

Presented by Mr Neil White

Physio Prime Sports Boy of the Year: Jacob Battle

Presented by Mr Neil White

HOUSE CHAMPION AWARD: Janna Mojares

Presented by Mr Neil White

Year 10 ADF Long Tan Leadership & Teamwork Award: Emily Curnow

Year 10 ADF Future Innovators Award: Janna Mojares

Year 12 ADF Future Innovators Award: Leyla Jacobson

Presented by Mr Martin Miller & Mrs Rosemary Goode

BALCO VET Pathways Award: Ella Standley

Presented by Mrs Rosemary Goode

WOOL, WINE & WHEAT AWARD: Riley Hayes-Revitt & Steven Wade

Presented by Mrs Rosemary Goode

DES ROSS PRIZE FOR LITERACY - Riley Hayes-Revitt

Presented by Mr Joshua LaGrutta

BALAKLAVA COURTHOUSE GALLERY VISUAL ARTS AWARDS: Abigail Futterleib

Presented by Mrs Jo May

BALAKLAVA COMMUNITY ARTS DRAMA AWARD: Ella Taylor

Presented by Mrs Kelly Bickle

BALAKLAVA EISTEDDFOD SOCIETY MUSIC AWARD: Ella Taylor

Presented by Mrs Bronwyn Cottle

ELDERS PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AWARD: Bella Pratt

Presented by Mrs Sue Pratt

BALAKLAVA BETTA HOME LIVING IMPROVEMENT AWARD: Shae Wood

Presented by Mr Jeff Karklins

PLAINS PRODUCER SCHOOL SERVICE AWARD: Dahli Jacobson, Bligh Wilson, Sarah Davies

Presented by Mr Jarrad Delaney

APEX CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Kashaya Carpenter

Presented by Ms Kimberly Walker

VALEDICTORIAN AWARD: Leyla Jacobson

Presented by Ms Penny Pratt MP

Thank you to our sponsors

Australian Defence Force
Agfert Balaklava	Greene Eden
Balaklava Apex Club	Joyce Ross
Balaklava Betta Home Living	Nutrien Ag Solutions
Balaklava Community Arts	Peter Harcourt & Co
Balaklava Courthouse Gallery	Physio Prime
Balaklava Eisteddfod Society	Terry Redden
BALCO Australia	The Plains Producer
Elders Rural Services	Wakefield Regional Council

Balaklava Transport	TADS
Employment Directions	Warehouse Matrix
Foodland Balaklava

SPECIAL THANKS TO

GUEST SPEAKER

Brooke Stiller

MCs

Clair Allen

Alice McArdle

STUDENT HELPERS

Annabelle Cay   

Molly Warnes

Matilda Williamson

                                          BHS CHOIR                                           

                                                 

What a year 2022 has been! This year we welcomed our first Year 7 cohort who have been a wonderful addition to BHS. The Year 7s have experienced a fantastic year full of achievement and memories that will last a lifetime. A big thank you is needed for our Year 7 Homegroup teachers, Miss Leonello, Miss D’Alboy and Mrs Hadley who have been an excellent support in their first year at BHS.

Next year we will see our Year 8s move into Year 9 and start their last leg in middle school before becoming seniors.  In 2023 all Year 9 Homegroups will be shuffled and students will be informed of their new Homegroup and teacher on the last day of term. We hope this gives all students a fresh start to 2023 and an opportunity to continue building new relationships with peers before stepping into senior school in 2024.

As for our current Year 9s I wish you all the best as you start your journey in the senior school. You have achieved so much in your past two years here at BHS and there will be many amazing opportunities to come.

I thank all staff, students and families for your support and a wonderful Semester 2 as the Middle School Coordinator. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working closer with students and supporting them through the second half of this year. Lastly I would like to wish Lucy Thiel and Eddy all the best as Mrs Thiel enters into next year as the new Middle School Assistant Principal.

I look forward to continuing to further support all students in 2023 in my new role as the Wellbeing and Engagement Leader.

Thank you

Ash Parsons

Middle School Coordinator

On Monday the 5^th and Tuesday the 6^th of December we had 72 Year 6 students from a range of schools attend Balaklava High School for Transition. The day ran smoothly with all of the new students enjoying a wide range of curriculum options. All students were lucky enough to be trained in Restorative Practices; in 2023 we are aiming for 100% of students and staff to be trained in the practice and, at the moment, we are less than 10 people total away from our target! Jack from Connected Self ran some Rock and Water activities with all the students helping them to understand their body and emotions and start to build some lasting connections with their peers.

One student said to Mrs Hadley, his homegroup teacher for next year, “I think I’m ready for high school now, I think I will just stay”. I heard a group of students on Tuesday afternoon having a conversation about who their favourite teacher was; I was delighted to hear that it was a tough decision and they had great things to say about all the staff they met over the two days. I have no doubt that each student will be forming great relationships with all staff. Other feedback reported that the students ‘wished it was longer’ and that is was ‘so interesting and enjoyable’. Many commented that a highlight was making Doorstop Pizzas with Mrs Cowan.

Teachers reported how enthusiastic and keen the new students were. We really enjoyed having the students with us and look forward to guiding them through their educational journey over the next six years. A big thank you to our Year 7 homegroup teachers Mrs Hadley, Miss D’Alboy and Miss Leonello as well as all the teachers and SSOs who helped Transition to be a valuable experience for our 2023 Year 7 cohort.

If you are a parent of a Year 7 student attending our school next year and need more information or have any concerns then please contact me at the school on 8862 0600. 

Lucy Thiel

Transition Coordinator 

Sunday – Arrival

Arriving at West Beach Caravan Park, 28 BHS students and 3 BHS staff organised themselves into bunk house groups and unpacked. After discussing some very important safety rules and behaviour expectations, the boring part was done and the fun began! The first thing everyone wanted to do was stretch their legs so we headed to the beach with a cricket set to play a few innings. It wasn’t long before bellies were grumbling though, so we headed back to base to organise some grub. Garlic bread for a starter, lasagna and salad for dinner, apple crumble for dessert and hot milos before bed. We spent the evening playing games back at base or sitting by the fire near the meal hub. Overall a pretty chilled out first day!

Monday – Sebastien Hughes

On the Monday of Success Camp we woke up to a breezy 7am to prepare for the day ahead, starting with some excellent breakfast. After we finished eating breakfast and packed lunch for the day we headed off to The Beach House for a few hours of adrenaline filled fun with events such as water slides, arcade games and bumper cars. Later on, we got to go on a letter hunt. The aim was to find a photo of an object on Jetty Road that looked like a letter of our name, some names were harder than others but we all managed to have some very creative ideas to spell our names out, (and check out a few shops in the mix). After we had finished the letter hunt we walked to West Beach mini-golf where I got a hole in 2 and finished 5 over par for the course. When we got back to the bunk house we settled in for dinner and showers and finished the day on a positive note.

Tuesday – Charlotte Moore

Our last day of Success Camp. Even though it was the last day, all of us reached new heights. Literally! Tuesday started with an assortment of items for breakfast like: cereal, toast, fruit and pancakes. After breakfast we packed our things and loaded up the bus, ready to go to our first location. Here we would test our fear of heights at West Beach Mega Adventure which is a multi-tiered aerial adventure course. At the top we had to take the “Leap of Faith” which is a 20m vertical drop down to finish the course. After we were all connected and strapped to the Leap of Faith zip wire, the crew member who was assisting us would either gently push us off or pick us up like a backpack and drop us down. Later on we watched Miss Schubert and two other students go on the Sky Swing and most of us laughed at their screaming. After we left West Beach Mega Adventure, we travelled to our last destination before going back to school which was Harbour Town. Here we had lunch, watched planes land and take off from the airport and went shopping. Finally we loaded back onto the bus and took the long trip back to school.

Our Come and Try Choir were out in the community today. They visited Mill Court, Ira Parker, Balaklava Community Children's Centre, Balaklava Primary School and the Balaklava Courthouse Gallery spreading much Christmas cheer! Thank you to all the wonderful local places for having us and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Suriya Umapathysivam

The farm has pretty much wrapped up for the year, with all livestock sold and collected. I have however, been taking some pre orders for next year, so if you would like to pre order some pork, pullets or even lamb (subject to availability), I can add your name to the order sheet.

This week students have been wrapping up their Agriculture Skills/Merino Wethers studio, with a trip to the triangle to sell some of their home made produce. Students were asked to select some produce from the school farm and create a value adding product from that produce. Students needed to budget, calculate money made and reimburse the school for any non-school produce bought. Students were then able to keep their profits. Products included lemon melting moments, fresh lemonade, lemon butter, apricot jam, berry jam and a variety of biscuits and brownies. Students did a fantastic job selling their wares to the community and most walked away with a small profit!

There is still a small amount of produce for sale:

• Whole chickens   $8/kg
• Lamb chops/ribs/shanks   $10/kg
• Pork roast, belly, chops     $10/kg
• Olive oil    $5 per 500ml bottle

On a personal note, as my time at Balaklava High Schools comes to an end, I would like to sincerely thank the Balaklava community for their support of all things Agriculture. You have allowed me to use and abuse your knowledge in the different industries that we focus on here at BHS, as well as support the school through the purchase of our products. Your continued support allows us to be able to continue to provide a quality learning program with real world applications and links to industry. A massive thanks to David Pratt, who has walked me through a lot of the processes this year and I would not have survived without his skill and experience to guide me through. I wish the incoming Agriculture Teacher Holly Crighton the best of luck for next year and know that the students and the farm will thrive under her leadership.

Colleen Lowe

Science/Math/Agriculture Teacher

Student Engagement Coordinator

Year 9/10 Basketball

On Wednesday the 16^th November, the Balaklava High School Year 9/10 Girls Basketball team competed in the Division 3 School Sport SA finals at Wayville Showgrounds. The team had a very successful day finishing runner up and came away with wins against Mt Barker, Kadina and Woodville. However, it was Keith that proved too strong in the end and edged out the BHS girls to be overall winners for the day. All girls were outstanding and played their roles which contributed to the team success. The team also got to wear, for the first time, the school's newly designed basketball guernseys, which look fantastic. Onwards and upwards next year for BHS sport! 

Ash Parsons

Left to right 

Back row- Coach Ash Parsons, Jorja Schutt, Janna Mjoras, Georgia Renton, Emily Curnow and Assistant Coach Prue Brind

Front row - Kasey Battle, Chelsea Michalanney, Lilly Tiller and Maylea Carpenter 

Year 7/8 Basketball

On Wednesday 23^rd November thirty-two Year 7/8 students were selected to represent Balaklava High School in the Lower North Basketball Carnival at Balaklava Ralli Park.  The four teams consisted of two boys and two girls teams, competing against Clare High School, St Josephs, Horizon, Riverton & District High School and Kapunda High School.

All had a very successful day with students in the four teams displaying exceptional team work, fair play and inclusivity.  Some students hadn’t played together in a sporting team before so it was a great opportunity for the development of new friendships and connections.   Part of this included three girls from Riverton & District High School joining us to fill our two teams. It was fantastic to see everyone being inclusive and supportive of these players and including them positively.  A proud moment for BHS!

There were some wins and losses over the carnival with students working hard to be their best with some games coming down to the wire!  The highlight of the day was the Boys A team winning the day in their group of teams. (see Jamie's report below)

A huge thank you must go to Jamie Banwell, Seb Hughes, Alice McArdle, Jenaya White and Georgia Renton for volunteering their time for the day, whether it was coaching, umpiring or timing duties on the day.  All was greatly appreciated and we value their contributions to the school.

Laura Hadley

Year 7/8 Boys Basketball

I had the pleasure of coaching the Year 7/8 Boys Basketball team in Week 6 this term. The team ended up winning the day, only losing one game for the day. The boys all worked hard in the heat of the day and won as a team. Each player played their part and remained positive and supportive throughout the day. I hope to take this team through their years at BHS and see them progressing as a team and as individuals.

Thankyou to the players for their hard work, teamwork and dedication.

Jamie Banwell

On Monday 14th November and Tuesday 15th November our Year 9 students visited the Adelaide Zoo. Thanks to Mrs Von-Zieden for organising and to the various staff members who also attended.

The Australian Federal Police through the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is seeing a concerning global trend of teenage males being targeted to send explicit images of themselves and then blackmailed. This is called sexual extortion, or sextortion.

The AFP is urging families to have important safety conversations ahead of the school holidays to prevent young people from becoming victim. This crime can have serious wellbeing and psychological impacts.

How does sextortion start?

• Unsolicited friend and follow requests on social media
• Direct messages on one app and then being asked to keep chatting on a secondary app
• Conversations suddenly and quickly becoming sexualised
• Requests for sexualised images or content.

What can families do?

• Have open and regular conversations about your child’s online activities and interactions
• Know what platforms, apps and games they are using and who they are interacting with
• Remain open and approachable, victims will be reluctant to come forward if they feel they will be punished or blamed
• Ensure your child knows that it is okay to leave conversations if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe
• Support your child and know how to respond. The Online blackmail and sexual extortion response kit has been created to recognise sextortion and get help.

The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is here to keep young people safe from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

You can make a report via accce.gov.au/report

For further information, resources and advice visit thinkuknow.org.au