Renmark High school students have had another successful year, taking advantage of the fantastic opportunities available in a wide range academic and extra-curricular activities.  Some of these have included language competitions, drama performances, a huge range of interschool and Adelaide sporting competitions (including volleyball, football, soccer, athletics, swimming), market days, Cows Create Careers, Australian Business Week, NAIDOC week, Harmony Day, Super 8 Cricket, careers expos, prom, French quiz nights, maths quiz nights, Agriculture Innovation boot camp, song writing workshops, an illustrator visit, music performances, university pathways camps, and the Flinders University mentoring program. We also hosted the Flinders University Regional Open Day, students took sheep to the Adelaide Show, have been involved in Greek and Japanese online cultural exchanges, and a range of other camps and excursions (including surfing, kayaking, bushwalking, mountain bike riding, volleyball camp and French trip) … there is way too much to list it all!

We have also had year 7 students join us for the first time this year. This has been a great success due to the preparation work we have done with primary school staff, students and parents in the last couple of years.  I thank everyone for your support through this.

Our school improvement journey has continued this year. Students and staff have also had time this year to enjoy our renovated learning spaces, furniture and the air conditioning without them being a building site!

To our year 12s, the Renmark High School class of 2022, I wish you good luck on behalf of our Renmark High School Community. We have seen you grow into the fine young men and women that will make your families proud. You haven’t let the complexities of life (including COVID!) throughout your senior schooling to get in the way of pursuing your dreams and we look forward to hearing about your future endeavours.  

Thank you to the parents and caregivers, the family members, and the volunteers who all contributed significantly to the successes of all of our students. Thank you to the many others who have significantly supported the school this year, including the SRC whom staff, students and families have appreciated their efforts throughout the year.  Thank you to our SRC leaders Judd H, Madelyn L, Colby L, and Kira W for your leadership and school representation. Thank you to Governing Council Chair Darren Bussenschutt and our Governing Council members who continue to volunteer their time and support myself and our school in our journey of improvement. And of course a huge thank you to all of our staff who do an extraordinary amount of extra effort across the school, without which we would not enjoy the student successes we have today. We have amazing staff here at Renmark High School that go above and beyond, every single day in their continued pursuit of supporting students to be successful. 

Farewells

We do have some longer term staff members leaving us this year, after more than 10 years of service to Renmark High School. Amy Evans, Assistant Principal who during the year has won Principal of Loxton High School and Lori Sandland, who is on leave from our Alternative Learning Leader position but who has now also won a leadership position at Loxton High School. We also have two long term staff members who have been on leave from Renmark High School but have now taken up positions in other schools. These are Melek Demir, admin and classroom support officer who is in a school in Adelaide and Kathryn Jenner, Lab Technician, who is now at Berri Regional Secondary College. As for 2023, we are still finalising some staffing, however, there are a few farewells for staff that we know that won’t be here next year. Design and Technology teacher Matt Gove who is off to Pt Pirie, Middle School and Home Economics teacher Jo Cole who is returning to Berri Primary School, English and HASS teacher Erin Pick who is teaching in Adelaide next year, English and HASS teacher Michele Moore who has spent some time with us this year but returns to Adelaide, and Maths and Science teacher Jeremy Blackwell who is also leaving.

I am proud to be your site leader, and enjoy seeing Renmark High School students, families staff, and the wider community continue to build our school from strength to strength. I wish everyone a happy and safe school holidays and look forward to working with you in 2023 with our continued school focus on Literacy, Numeracy and the wellbeing of our students.