It has been a busy term with a range of daily teaching and learning opportunities and extra curricular activities including:

• STEM Congress,
• Media Studies and Photography excursion to Adelaide,
• A whole range of sporting competitions, camps and excursions,
• Students taking sheep to the Royal Adelaide Show,
• Education Perfect Language competitions,
• Book Week activities - including magic tricks and Dreaming stories in the library,
• Family Fire Pit Night,
• Our Head Prefects Rachel and Zac meeting the Governor at Governor House,
• The Great Debate,
• Year 9 Banrock Station excursion,
• Year 9 Riverland Field Days Career Excursion, and many more opportunities for students.

Parent Teacher Interviews

A friendly reminder that our year 7-11 Parent Teacher Interviews are this Thursday. We hope to see you there!

SA Curriculum and SACE Thrive agenda

Last week on the Student Free Day, Renmark High School staff travelled down to Waikerie High School for the combined Riverland Secondary Schools Alliance Student Free Day. It was a great opportunity for professional development with presenters and workshops on a range of topics including the new South Australian curriculum, the new direction in SACE, processes, wellbeing, Aboriginal Education, and leadership. 

A significant part of the day for teachers was diving into the new South Australian curriculum and the SACE Thrive agenda. What stood out to us is how these significant updates align with the teaching and learning dispositions we already value for our students, particularly in fostering key capabilities that will set them up for success both in school and in life.

The updated curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing critical capabilities such as problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. These dispositions are vital for helping students adapt to a rapidly changing world, equipping them with the skills to think critically, connect with others, and approach challenges with resilience and empathy. At Renmark High School, we’ve long been committed to nurturing these qualities in our students, and these curriculum changes will support and enhance that mission.

By reinforcing dispositions like independence, adaptability, and empathy, these updates help ensure that our students are ready to respect diverse perspectives, connect meaningfully with others, and achieve their personal and academic goals. As we move forward, we’re excited to see how this new focus will enrich the learning experiences of all of our students.

'R U OK?' Day

Recently it was national 'R U OK?' day, a good chance to remind us the importance of checking-in.  Please don’t forget that we don’t just need a 'day' to check in on our families, friends, students, colleagues and ourselves- we can do this anytime! You don't need to be an expert to reach out; just a good friend and a great listener. Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in

Don’t forget that we have many staff who can support student wellbeing at school, including Wellbeing Leader Ben Files, our youth workers Kyla Wade and Emma Britton, Aboriginal Secondary Transition and Education Officers Daniel Giles and Uncle Barney, and Student Wellbeing Support Officer Maria Dowzard, so please refer to them for student support as required.

Student Self Care

It is the end of term 3 and, with only about 9 weeks to go until the last exam, the next few weeks are an essential time for year 12 students.  It is important to set a good study plan, making the most of the time remaining, and taking the opportunity to work with teachers to assist in your preparations for final assessments.  However, having a balance between work and fun is extremely important so ensure that you also take time over these holidays to relax and enjoy yourself.

For all of our students, as you will not be at school for two weeks, your support structures may not be as readily available to you.  With this in mind, here are some excellent resources you can utilise anytime, whether it be during school holidays or not:

Phone Counselling

• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
• Headspace 1800 650 890
• Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Online Counselling

• www.kidshelp.com.au
• www.headspace.org.au

Enjoy the break!

Mat Evans
Principal