SFD Friday

Don’t forget that there is a student free day this Friday 10^th June. Staff will be engaging in professional development for the day.

Adelaide Swimming 

Congratulations to the Renmark High Swimming team for their win! This is fantastic, especially since it is off season and the Renmark Pool has been closed for a while.

Cross Country

Well done to our interschool cross country team, with a very close (4 point!) second place.   Good luck to our team headed to Adelaide Cross Country this week.

Reconciliation Week and RAP Launch

Renmark High School recognises the First Nations peoples of South Australia as the first people of our state. We also recognise the diversity of First Nations peoples, cultures and histories. The meaning behind reconciliation is important to all of us, whether we are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or non-Indigenous, leaders, teachers, support staff or students.  Reconciliation is an act of bringing together First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples, understanding and respecting each other’s perspectives, recognising the past and building a future together. Reconciliation can only happen where there is a true commitment to fair treatment and equal opportunities for First Nations peoples, and in places, like our school, that foster inclusion. As such, reconciliation needs to be embedded in our systems, our policies, procedures and the decisions that we make as a school.

As members of our Renmark High School community we show our commitment to reconciliation in our individual behaviours and our collective school culture. Reconciliation is a challenging journey; one that requires commitment and a willingness to challenge ourselves. A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a way to do just that. It sets out to stretch and challenge us with identified targets to aim towards and a plan formally committing to what we will do and how we will be accountable for it.

What is a RAP? A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation. A school or early learning service can develop a RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register and extend on existing initiatives or to begin a new journey.

What we are working on as a school for all students, families and staff is building a sense of belonging, developing an increased awareness of culture, diversity and acceptance, and being intentional, deliberate and visible in what we do.  Examples of the work that we have done at our school in the last few years include language signs on buildings, our three flags out the front of our school, Namawi Pulgi (our shared space), our new First Nations Language class, the firepit, sourcing of class texts and other books in the Library, a visit by SACE board, cultural connections in all eight learning areas across our school, documenting the first First Nations Language in the online Language Perfect program, the inclusion of an Indigenous logo on our sports tops, professional learning for staff, our mural, a newly written Acknowledgement of Country, students recognized through awards and scholarships including the Dame Roma Mitchell and STEM scholarships, our own new Reconciliation awards at presentation night, activities in BT (our pastoral care program), engagement in National Reconciliation week and NAIDOC week, and the building of a team of staff in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student education team – where we have progressed from having one teacher have some time allocated and one ASETO, to us now having a Leader (Amy Evans), 3 ASETO (Daniel Giles, Chloe Shorrock and Uncle Barney), 3 AETs (Mrs Turnbull, Ms Caputo, Mr Watkinson) and other leaders, teachers, support staff, students and families also involved in a whole range of ways across our school.

These are the things, the events, the activities, the people – and while they are important it is the learning that occurs around these that is the most valuable.  While we chose Reconciliation week for our launch, the RAP itself is something to be considered in our everyday actions all year, not just this week.  We are in a unique position to make a difference, in our classrooms, workplaces and services, to increase equity, develop opportunities and promote relationships built on respect and understanding. Having a RAP demonstrates our commitment – not only to people in wider society but to our staff and students. It provides a framework, outlines the principles that guide our work and gives us the directions that we need to guide us through this journey.

Thank you to the RAP committee who have helped collect our thoughts from across a range of stakeholders in our school community and put them together into the plan. Your time, enthusiasm and commitment is appreciated and we would not have achieved as much as we have without you.

We cannot do this alone though, all of us here today play a part in continuing to bring this plan to life – it belongs to all of us and we are all accountable for it.  And while I am proud to see what we have accomplish so far as a school, it is even more exciting to see what we can continue to do into the future.

Mat Evans - Principal