Term 3 has yet again passed quickly with a multitude of programs and opportunities that our staff and students have engaged in to enhance learning experiences. There is much to be proud of at Balaklava High School with an amazing demonstration of the diverse range of talent and breadth of opportunities that our students are exposed to. I would like to thank all of the staff who have poured hours of hard work into organising these opportunities for our students and continually go above and beyond so our young people can participate in these experiences. In the past 3 weeks we have seen: 

• Outstanding results at the Royal Adelaide Show
• A range of curriculum excursions
• Knockout Sports
• Showcasing of student talent at our Performance Evening and Public Speaking competition
• PAT testing
• STEM Aboriginal Learning Conference
• Student Led Conferences with our first trip across to the Port Wakefield community
• VET Awards
• Breakfast Club and Positive Behaviour for Learning

Staffing

Staffing has been a major component of Term 3 to ensure we set ourselves up for a successful 2025 with a full contingent of staff and continuity of teaching and learning.

I am pleased to announce the follow leadership positions for 2025 and beyond.

• Assistant Principal – Head of Senior School – Carena Brookes
• Assistant Principal – Head of Middle School – Pina Ribbons
• Assistant Principal – Head of Junior School – Donna Carpenter

There are a range of teaching and leadership positions that are currently being finalised and I look forward to sharing more information with our school community soon.

Governing Council Fundraising

My sincere thank you to all members of our school community who donated produce, money or their time and expertise towards the smooth catering efforts for the Balco tent at the Balaklava Races.

It was a highly successful day with many positive comments and a great opportunity to link our school with a local event and local business.

Through your generosity, the Governing Council has raised approximately $2000 which will be used in the future towards school projects.

Keep an eye out at the Balaklava Show on Saturday 28^th September for a range of student work and school produce that has been entered into the various competitions. One such item that is not to be missed is the amazing creation from Miss Schubert and Miss Buick who have been busy in our STEM department whipping up this nifty little phone holder as our contribution to the Dalkey Trail Showbag. Such an amazing design!

5 Steps to Study Success

We are approaching the time of year where our senior students are preparing for exams, or are currently doing practice exams, and it can be tricky to know how to most effectively study for an exam or test.  The following tips from Reachout.com are not only useful for senior students but also for younger students preparing for a test:

• Break your study up into manageable 20 or 30 minute chunks. No one can study for 6 hours straight and be effective.  Get some more information about setting small goals here.
• Talk about it or say it out loud. When you say something out loud, you'll find it much easier to remember it. Chatting with someone about what you're studying is even better.
• Remove the distractions. Put your phone on silent and out of reach and turn off pop-up notifications on your computer. Research shows that it can take up to 20 minutes to refocus on what you're doing once you've been distracted.
• Take breaks. If you plan your study chunks with breaks in between, having the time away can help you to come back refreshed.
• Get some sleep! Getting a good night's rest helps your brain and body to rest and recharge. In fact, you'll do better at your exams and remember more of what you studied if you get a good night's sleep, rather than if you stayed up late studying.

Other things you can do include eating the right foods, perfecting your time management skills and knowing when to take a break from studying and getting some physical activity or social time in.

Student Free Day

A reminder that our final Student Free Day for 2024 is on Friday 1^st November (Week 3). This day will be used to work on site learning priorities for 2025. Balaklava Primary School also has a Student Free Day on this date and as such, buses will not run.

Student Council Colour Run & Early Dismissal

I’m looking forward to taking part in the Student’s Council’s Colour Run activities next Friday for their major fundraiser and also to celebrate the end of Term 3. Normal classes will operate in Lesson 1, following a whole school assembly in Lesson 2.

The main activities will take place in Lesson 3 and 4 before the Staff v Student football match, Ice Bucket Challenge and Lions Donut Van in action at lunchtime. We will ensure our yard and classrooms are neat and tidy in Lesson 5 followed by an early dismissal at 2:25pm for Term 3 holidays.

Enjoy your weekend and please feel free to contact me at the school if you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning.  I can be contacted via DayMap or email derek.friedrichs447@schools.sa.edu.au or you can phone the school on 8862 0600 and ask to speak with me directly. Alternatively, I would be happy to discuss your needs in person – please pre-arrange this with the Front Office Team so that I can ensure I am available when you arrive.

Derek Friedrichs

End of Term Reports on Daymap:

Term 3 Reports will be available on Student Profiles after lunch on the last day of Term 3 (Friday, 27th September, 2024).

For Students: Once your Report has been published, it will be located on Daymap in the Reports tab of your Portfolio as a PDF. You will receive a Daymap message when your report is ready to view.

For Parents: Once your child’s report has been published, it will be available to parents on the Daymap Connect Parent Portal as a downloadable PDF. All reports are located under each student’s profile, in the Reports tab. 

Your child’s classroom teacher is the best person to contact regarding grades and assessments for End of Term Reports.

Accessing Daymap Connect:

Each parent receives a unique login and password for secure access. Parents can access the portal using the link below, from the Balaklava High Schools website or via the mobile application.

https://balakhs.daymap.net/daymapconnect

New or inactive accounts should click "Forgot Password" and enter the email address you provided to the school along with your student's ID code (this can be found under the bar code at the bottom of your child’s Student ID Card or from their Daymap portal under “My Details”). If you need more support or encounter an error, please contact the school.

Daymap Connect Parent Portal guides and tutorials are available in previous Newsletters, on our Facebook page or by request. If you would like support accessing Daymap please contact the school.

Accessing EdPass at Home (for students)

EdPass is a Single Sign-On platform that provides students with easy access to essential programs used at Balaklava High School. The portal allows students to access the same software they use at school from home. This includes Daymap, Microsoft M365 (OneDrive, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint), Canva, and ClickView. For student login instructions, please refer to the steps below.

Well done to our 2024 Ag Show Team. Here are our results:

Steers

4^th place School Heavy Domestic 250.1-280kg HSCW – Toad

2^nd Place School Heavy Domestic 280.1-300kg HSCW – Diddy Kong

2^nd Place School Export 300.1-330kg HSCW – Goomba

4^th Place Crossbred Light Domestic 200-250kg HSCW – Mario

BHS were awarded The Princess Royal Station Prize for the school exhibiting the highest combined score of 3 carcases in the school’s competition.

Pigs

The Urrbrae, Graham Reu and APL Prize for school pig handling competition:

1^st Place Tyler Toholke and Alex Diegman

3^rd Place Ryan Cook and Daniel Simmie

Poultry and Eggs

Waterfowl any variety, drake, any age - 3^rd

Waterfowl any variety, duck, any age - 1^st and 2^nd

Open Twelve Eggs, hen, white 2^nd and 3^rd 

 Secondary school Six eggs, duck, any colour - 1st

 Secondary school Twelve Eggs, hen, brown 1st 

Champion Egg Plate – Secondary school

 The RA&S Trophy for best school egg plate

Sheep

7^th most valuable combined fleece from a pen of 3

Goats

School Heavy weight 40-41kg – 4^th place Laura Hills IBIS

School Heavy weight 46.5-48kg – 6^th place Arabar MAGPIE

School Heavy weight 48.5-51kg – 5^th place Laura Hills PIGEON

School Heavy weight 54.5-57.5kg – 2^nd place Laura Hills WEDGE TAIL EAGLE

1st Dairy Goat Heavy Weight BHS Tawny Frog Mouth 

Champion Dairy Goat Wether

Thanks to our many Supporters:

Steers

• Robinson Farms Mario (Angus x Limousine)
• Redwood Range Koopa Troopa (Speckle Park x Angus
• Pine Ridge/Willybee Pastoral Princess Peach (Speckle ParkxSouth Devon)
• Herd of Hope Bowser (Droughtmasterxangus)
• Arabar Goomba (Limousin)
• Hillview Toad (Shorthorn)
• Davelle Diddy Kong (South Devon)

Pigs

• Cheryl Wandel

Sheep

• Ian Michael - Nyowee

Goats

• Tania Gilbert
• Laura Hills Farm
• Arabar Livestock

BHS Show Team

Kiara Cowan

Hayley Coles

Lily Tiller

Emily Newton

Shae Wood

Corbin Branson

Lachlan Bull

Lincoln Cowan

Charlotte Hodgetts 

Keaton Hudson

Matthew Pain

Macy Tiller

Hamish Wildbore

Charli Dall

Alex Diegman

Isabella Kisbee

Riley Stuart

Tyler Toholke

Madalyn Wandel

Addison Little

Aliyse Lomman 

Dallas Michalanney

Jasmine Reynolds

Daniel Simmie

Kalirose Simmie

Ryan Cook

Logan Shepherd

Oscar Tiller

Holly Crighton

On Tuesday of Week 9, we held our annual Public Speaking Competition. What an amazing array of talent we were witness to as the students led us through water scarcity issues, issues everyday Australians face, the impacts of social media, the importance of human rights and motivation to reach our goals. We were lucky enough to have BPS Deputy Principal Michelle Pudney, Greater SA's Abbie Tiller and Melissa Smith and Wakefield Regional Council Mayor Rodney Reid as our judges for the evening, who were blown away by the performances. In addition to public speaking, we also had a showcase of work including Poetry and AUSLAN, with winners decided by the audience. 

Congratulations to all finalists and winners, what an achievement! 

Hannah Marshall 

Stage 2 Food and Hospitality students explore Adeladie Central Market for Local Produce

This week, our Stage 2 Food and Hospitality students took a special trip to the iconic Adelaide Central Market as part of their South Australian local produce task. The bustling market, known for its wide array of fresh, local ingredients, provided the perfect environment for students to gather high-quality produce directly from South Australian farmers and vendors.

As part of this task, students are required to create a dish that showcases the best of South Australian ingredients. During the visit, they explored a variety of locally sourced items, including fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and artisanal goods, while speaking with stallholders to learn about the origins and unique qualities of the produce.

This hands-on experience not only gave students the opportunity to select ingredients for their dishes but also deepened their understanding of the importance of supporting local producers and sustainability in the food industry. With their market treasures in hand, the students are now ready to return to the kitchen and transform these South Australian ingredients into delicious, creative dishes that celebrate our state’s rich food culture.

Year 10 Home Economics Students Perfect Choux and Shortcrust Pastry

This term, our Year 10 Home Economics students have been busy mastering pastry including choux and shortcrust. These versatile pastry foundations have given students the opportunity to develop key baking skills while creating delicious dishes.

In the shortcrust pastry lessons, students learned the art of making perfectly crumbly and buttery dough in which they made pasties. They explored techniques like cutting in butter and rolling out dough evenly.

Choux pastry, on the other hand, introduced students to a more delicate and technical challenge. They practiced piping dough to create éclairs, learning the importance of achieving the right consistency for a crisp, hollow shell that’s perfect for fillings. 

Through this hands-on learning, students are gaining confidence in their pastry skills, as well as a deeper understanding of the precision and patience required in baking. Both the shortcrust and choux pastry lessons are helping them build a solid foundation in kitchen techniques they can carry forward, whether they choose to bake for fun or pursue further culinary education.

Louise O'Halloran

Performance Troupe Concert

The BHS Performance Troupe and Senior music students put on a great show for an appreciative audience last Thursday evening.  The Performance Troupe have been rehearsing during lunchtimes since the start of Term 2 to prepare excerpts of singing, dancing and dialogue from Disney movies ‘Frozen’ and ‘Aladdin’ as well as solos and duets prepared by the senior vocal students.  All students showed great courage and teamwork and gave their best efforts under the lights in the Performing Arts Theatre.  Ms Matthews did an incredible job bringing it all together as our Director.  Much of the preparations were student led by our Music Captains Bligh Wilson and Sarah Davies; Drama Captains Charlotte Moore and Danwel Urmenita; Choreographers Molly Warnes and Aaliyah Wilkey; Costume designers Charlotte Moore and Rihanna Zanker and Lighting operator Shania Murray.  Students were involved in developing concepts and contributing in many different areas of production as well as on stage as performers.  Congratulations to all of you! A big thanks to Art teacher, Michala Taggart for helping out as our Stage Manager on the night and helping Ms Matthews with costumes and many details along the way.  We were very grateful to see many staff and family and friends attending the concert and supporting our students. 

Caitlin McLean – Festival of Music Orchestra

Congratulations to Year 7 student, Caitlin, for her performances in the orchestra for the Festival of Music over the past two weeks.  Caitlin successfully auditioned on cello earlier in the year and has been attending rehearsals in Adelaide for many months in the lead up to the concerts at the Festival Theatre.  She performed in five concerts with her final concert this week on Thursday 19^th.  Caitlin loved the experience and has developed her skills exponentially through this amazing opportunity.  Well done, Caitlin.  We are super proud of you!

Bligh Wilson – National Anthem at the Balaklava Cup

Congratulations to Bligh who was invited to sing the National Anthem at the Balaklava Cup last Wednesday.  She did an excellent job under challenging conditions.  Well done, Bligh!

Rihanna Zanker – Piano Exams

Year 11 music student, Rihanna recently completed her Grade 2 piano for leisure exams.  She has been working hard over many months to refine her pieces and her technical work and has been rewarded with a great result of a ‘Credit’ (B+).  Congratulations Rihanna!

Amelia Durdin and Ella Hahesy – Piano Performance at Mill Court

Year 8 student, Amelia and Year 7 student, Ella will be performing on piano for the residents at Mill Court later this week.  Both girls have been studying piano for many years.  It is great to see them using these skills to bless others in our community.  Well done Amelia and Ella!

Melanie Evans

Music Teacher

Agriculture is driven by innovation and technology, it needs everyone and all skills, whether people are outgoing and social, quiet and methodical or energetic or outdoorsy. Modern agriculutre is a primary industry where heavy diesel machinery is guided by satellite positioning systems and cattle wear digital locators and geofence units around their necks. It merges ancient wine-making principles with molecular research. It pairs primary production with creative branding and marketing. Most important of all, is the way agriculture brings caring for the planet's land, animals, climate and people together.

The Student Compendium is a colloboration between the Ag Institute SA Division and the Adelaide University Agricultural Students' Association. It aims to assist the next generation of vocational education training and tertiary students to discover opportunities such as scholarships, graduate programs and training to help guide their career pathways. 

Over 350 Graduate programs, internships, competitions, training, conferences, awards, scholarships, tours and trips, it's a one stop shop.