We acknowledge that we are on the land of the First People of the Murray and Mallee.

We pay our respects to the Elders both past and present and honour the laws and customs that cross this traditional country, the ancestors who taught and still teach the knowledge that is embedded forever with the Aboriginal people today.

Welcome Year 7 students

I would like to extend a warm welcome to Year 7 students and their families.  It was terrific for Renmark High staff to meet many of you at our recent Futures Expo.

It has also been great to have Year 7 students here for their transition visits and we look forward to their next visit this Thursday! If there is anything we can do to support you in your transition to high school please let us know.

SSO week - Thank you

This week is the 2020 Support Staff Week and the theme is ‘Support Staff – Essential for Learning’. On behalf of the Renmark High School community, we would like to acknowledge our support staff for all of the fantastic work that they do. These valuable staff support the school in a multitude of ways in the classroom, administration, library, IT and grounds, and without them we couldn't offer the high quality learning environment and opportunities that we do to help support young people to achieve their potential. 

Thank you to Brett B, Carli B, Tara C, Tracey C, Joanna C, Rhett C, Melek D, Tom G, Ashlea J, Kathryn J, Karina L, Stacey L, Pammy M, Sonja M, Samps O, Kerrie P, Erin R, Anthony R, Connie S, Leanne W, Daniel G, Amanda H and Uncle Barney.

Student Free Day - Week 8

On Monday 7th September we have a student free day. On this day teaching staff will be working with the National Performance Standards for Teachers and peer observations. Support staff will be involved in the skill development of championing a culture of care, welfare, safety, and security.  We value these opportunities to learn together.

New works

Our new building works are underway with demolition in and around the new front office and the library. Keep an eye on our Facebook page to see progress photos!

COVID readiness

While having students back in the classroom this term has been fantastic, we do want students and families to be prepared just in case we do need to go back online in the future. Please make sure students can access Daymap, Learnlink and TEAMS from home, and if not, ensure they ask staff to support them in how to access these. Please also make sure that the school has up to date email addresses and phone numbers for parents and caregivers.   

Student assessment and reporting at RHS

In our continued endeavour towards reporting in an ongoing way throughout the year, we encourage you check Daymap for teacher feedback on assessments. By keeping track of student progress on Daymap you are able to support your child in an ongoing way, to make changes in their efforts or to challenge themselves to achieve at a higher level. In Daymap you will currently find the traffic light indicators for Week 5 and we encourage you to use these to prompt conversations with your child about their progress at school. Please do not hesitate to contact teachers at the school with any concerns or questions, especially if you see a yellow or red rating.

Student, parent and teacher interviews

We strongly encourage your attendance at the upcoming student, parent, teacher interviews (see details in this newsletter). These interviews are a great chance for teachers, students and their parents/caregivers to discuss student achievement, progress and goal setting for the remainder of the year. Interviews are not only for students who aren't progressing as well as expected, they are just as valuable to discuss the learning and skill development of students who are already performing to a high standard. 

We offer these interviews in Term 3 to give time for students to put new goals and actions in place to improve results during the remainder of semester two. Use the online booking system now to reserve your preferred time slots.             

Mat Evans - School Principal

 CHAFFEY THEATRE TOUR - All the backstage secrets!

Year 8 and 9 Performing Arts students were fortunate to be able to go backstage at Chaffey Theatre with theatre technician, Luke Meaney. Students were shown how gobos (stencils that go inside lights to project images) work with a variety of lights. They were given a tour of the backstage areas where students were able to see how the curtains are operated, as well as the large white screens. Students learnt how to operate the theatre’s lighting desk and use a variety of effects including colour gels and macros. They were able to program their individual lighting effects and then play them back to music. Students grasped the technology quickly.

It was a great experience and I enjoyed it very much. To see how the theatre workers manage it all is quite fascinating. I was taught how to operate the lighting desk. The light show and how the curtains operate were my favourite parts of this tour - Charlize

I enjoyed learning about the new technology used to operate the lighting and having fun with it all including using the lighting desk. I enjoyed touring around backstage and exploring the area - Caleb

I now know how to use the lighting board to program a light show, I got the hang of it quite quickly and now I want to work on the light board in the theatre - Allan

YEAR 9 PERFORMING ARTS - MELODRAMA

Students have studied Melodrama over the past 3 weeks with a performance held on the 14th of August. The history to a final stage production, demonstrating exactly how much they had learnt was exciting for everyone.

Melodrama was discovered in the 19^th century and included six stock characters in all of their plays. Some of these stock characters included the hero, heroine and the villain as the top three. I played the two villains. I enjoyed working with new people to produce our play. I’m not used to performing on stage, so it was fun to give it a try. A challenge I struggled with was knowing all of the scenes - Caleb

I have learnt that Melodrama is a very dramatic and energetic form of performing arts. The theme is always good vs evil. My role was the costume designer. I organised each character’s costumes in different styles according to their stock character - Charlize

My role was the heroine and organising the music. I learnt about what type of music is used in Melodrama and the different tempo used during different parts of the play. I added modern music to our play which worked well in the fighting scene - Michelle

My role was costume designer. It was enjoyable to work out what each actor was wearing according to their stock characters even though finding the right size for everyone was a challenge - Jorja

Melodrama was intense and used exaggerated expressions and emotions. The role I did was the heroine, but one of the biggest challenges of Melodrama was to use more energy in the plays - Blake

 All of the actions are over exaggerated. I played the hero in my play. I enjoyed creating our own plays based on what we had learnt in class as there are specific things that Melodrama plays have to have such as asides, suffering from the villain and hero and a good vs evil plotline - Kelli

It was fun learning about the history of Melodrama.  I enjoyed playing the hero even though it was scary, it was still enjoyable - Amber

Melodrama is all about over acting and exaggerating. I played the villain and enjoyed the over dramatic acting especially the fighting scene. It was challenging to remember what I had to say in each scene - Connor

I played the sidekick to the hero, the shining star. I enjoyed acting and getting into character because I like acting a lot - Alan

Wendy Matulic - Performing Arts and Food Technology Teacher

PHOTOGRAPHY

Over the last 2 weeks, photography students have been learning about painting with light. They have been exploring camera exposures as well as different props they could use to produce light painted photographs. For a third year in a row, we were fortunate enough to have Chad Vigar, a local photographer, volunteer to conduct a student workshop on light painting last week on our school oval. Chad shared his abundant knowledge of light painting and happily shared a great variety of tools with students to take some amazing photographs. Here is a sample of some photographs students took.

Darija Atsaves - Digital Media Teacher

LEARNING HUB

Renmark High School’s Learning Hub provides students with a space to receive assistance and direction with learning differentiated to meet individual needs. Staffed nearly every lesson with teachers and often SSOs, the hub provides support to students across the spectrum of learning. While specific intervention programs are being run out of the space, it is also used to support students to re-engage in schooling by offering a flexible timetable and curriculum for a small number of students. Additionally, it has supported others as another quiet space to complete tasks independently or with teacher support.

The school’s Site Improvement Plan features a strong focus on the continuous improvement of literacy and numeracy outcomes for our students. The Maths Online and Lexia literacy interventions are computer run programs designed to assist students in closing the gap between their current level of achievement and the state Standard of Educational Achievement. Students who are not meeting this achievement level have been identified and offered the opportunity to engage in the intervention(s) for a specified period of time. Students take ownership of their data enabling them to track their improvement and set goals.

Quicksmart Maths is an intervention run by an SSO with pairs of students who work on improving knowledge of their number facts, in particular learning times tables.

For those students presenting with gaps in their learning, hampering their ability to effectively access high school maths curriculum, we are providing small group teacher-led explicit instruction. The focus of these groups is Big Idea in Number, teaching students skills in multiplicative thinking and place value which are an essential foundation of numeracy.

The Learning Hub is often a busy and exciting space which appears to be effectively meeting the needs of a range of students. Feedback from students includes the comments below:

Being able to go to the Learning Hub has helped me to catch up and finish assignments – Brodie

My literacy skills are improving – Taj

Lexia has given me confidence with words and meanings – Blake

My spelling has improved - Harry

If you would like your student to receive some extra support in the Learning Hub, please contact their class teacher or Danielle Weeks (Student Support Coordinator).

Danielle Weeks - Student Support Coordinator

YEAR 9 ENGLISH

Year 9 English students have been studying the unit of work called "Seven Billion Stories". Students have learnt that every person has a story to tell including themselves.

Athina Papametis - English and Greek Teacher

YEAR 8 MUSIC

Year 8 Music students have spent the term learning how to play a variety of instruments including the flute, alto saxaphone, trumpet and trombone, as well as a range of percussion instruments. For some students, this was the first time they have had the opportunity to pick up an instrument, which is an incredible achievement. What's even more impressive is their ability to play not on their own, but in a group, or ensemble, with 20 other students! Students quickly learn the art of patience and concentration.

Alistair Ward - Music and English Teacher

DRONE CHALLENGE

The PIRSA Drone Challenge is an interschool competition in which we fly a drone over a block of citrus trees and identify diseased trees. We then put together a report outlining what the disease is, what trees are infected and how to treat it, and present to the owner of the block and answer questions. The challenge is helping us learn to trust each other and work as a team - Kelli

The students are being supported by Mrs Farrelly.

Jess Farrelly - Science Teacher                                        

YEAR 8 PE

Year 8 students from Mr Thiele’s PE class have been learning the sport of Tennis over the past 3 weeks. The lessons have been held at the Renmark grass tennis courts and the students have received coaching during this time by John Pick. The students have participated in a variety of activities which have developed their skills and the understanding of the sport. The students had a lot of fun and have improved on their ability. Many students are now going to continue to play socially or competitively over the next few months.

Thank you to John Pick for organising and running the lessons. The courts are well-maintained and the students were lucky to receive coaching from one of the best coaches in the state.

John is also offering tennis sessions for high school students each Thursday from 2:40-3:20pm. If you would like your child to be involved please talk to Mr Thiele. 

Mark Thiele - Maths and HPE Teacher

DIVERGENT THINKING WITH 8.1

Problem solving involves critical and creative thinking skills, one of these is divergent thinking. This is the ability to come up with many ideas from a single starting point. It is something that five-year-olds do very well, teenagers struggle with, and adults typically do very poorly in.

8.1 were gathered in a circle and challenged to come up with ideas for what an object could be used for. They managed to go around the circle seven times with everybody contributing one idea at a time without repetition. They came up with over 175 different possibilities. In our debrief afterwards, a student said that it was really difficult at first and I just wanted to know what it actually was. But then it got easier once we stopped caring about the right answer and just thought about what it could be.

LEARNING IN THE LANDSCAPE

This term, Caregroups 9.2 and 9.3 have been working on a joint project between Science and HASS learning about biomes, ecosystems, and food security. On Thursday last week, students travelled down Twenty-Fifth Street to Bookmark Creek to participate in several activities in the field. These included a habitat audit, using quadrats to measure plant biodiversity, cooking damper, water quality testing and a macroinvertebrate survey.

Due to the weather, we brought some water samples back to the classroom and finished some of the testing there. We are currently analysing the results and intend to report on the physical, chemical, and biological health of the river. In the next few weeks Caregroups 9.1 and 9.4 will participate in this topic and I’m sure they will also enjoy it.

TRIBUTE TO SIR KEN ROBINSON (1950-21st AUGUST 2020)

Sir Ken Robinson was a British author and international advisor on education in the arts and was knighted in 2003 for his service to the arts.

He is possibly most famous for his TED Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity” in 2006. It is the most watched TED Talk of all time and has impacted countless lives including mine. He talked about how people can discover their true talents and passions and the enormous difference it makes in their lives if they do. He also proclaimed that creativity is not something that you grow into, but something you grow out of (unless you nurture it). He advised schools to: promote diversity by offering a broad curriculum, curiosity through creative teaching, and finally awakening creativity in students through less emphasis on standardise testing and a more personalised learning experience.

His passion and wisdom will not be forgotten.

Do Schools Kill Creativity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Nic Tubb - Science and Maths Teacher 

Future Renmark High students got their first taste of life at our fantastic school, when they visited in Week 3. Students from all four Renmark primary schools were divided into six groups where they participated in lessons in STEM, Music, Cooking, Humanities, PE and completed a quiz. Lessons were run by both primary school and high school teachers.

Students loved using our Home Economics kitchens and new STEM classrooms. Students said they loved getting a chance to meet their future teachers and catch up with some of their friends already attending RHS.

We look forward to seeing the students back at the high school on Thursday for another transition visit.

Parent Teacher Interviews for students in Years 8-11 will take place on Thursday 17th September between 2:40pm-5:30pm, and Tuesday 22nd September between 3:30pm-5:30pm.

Please book an appointment time that suits you by following the instructions below:

KOC NETBALL

On Monday 29th August, the Year 8/9 and Open netball girls travelled to Gawler for the first round of Knockout Cup netball. For most of the girls, it was their first game for the season but they all worked well as a team to put up a fight. Despite their excitement they were also nervous about the caliber of players in opposing teams. A majority of teams from independent schools also play club netball on weekends.

Despite considerable hard work and effort, the Open girls came away with no wins. The Year 8/9 girls however were able to take away one win. 

Thanks to Ash James and Mrs Sandland for coaching the teams. 

Best players for the day were: 

Year 8/9- Zoe S, Kierra S

Open- Grace N, Matilda R

We congratulate the following students for being selected to represent RHS!

Year 8/9                                                             

• Alice E                                                          
• Amelia K                                                       
• Breea M                                                        
• Georgia K                                                      
• Jade C                                                          
• Kierra S                                                        
• Shay C                                                         
• Steph P                                                        
• Mijanou N                                                     
• Zoe S                                                           

Open

• Chloe B
• Courtney L
• Ebony M
• Ella F
• Grace N
• Kasey B
• Lily H
• Matilda R
• Tori L
• Yasemin A

                                           

Lori Sandland - HPE Teacher

KOC VOLLEYBALL

Congratulations to the following students for being selected to represent Renmark High School at Knock out Cup Volleyball.

• Lily H
• Georgia P
• Kasey B
• Tori L
• Ebony M
• Courtney L
• Yasemin A

The team will be accompanied by Mr Clark and will play on Wednesday 2nd of September at Brighton High School in Adelaide. We wish them all the very best!

Daniel Clark - English and HPE Teacher

2021 Bus applications are now due for the West/South run

Applications must be lodged every year and students are only eligible for bus travel if they live more than 5kms; by the shortest road route from their nearest government school.

Applications have been posted home to all eligible families. Please return your form as soon as possible or direct any enquiries to Stacey in the front office.

Last week we had our first Aboriginal Student Voice (ASV) meeting, it was held during lunch time in Namawi Pulgi. There were some interesting topics discussed with students and this will be a great platform for our students to use their voice. We will have some of ASV representitives on our Reconciliation Action Plan committee to shed light on their ideas and will have a few projects up and running in the near future. 

The land is my mother. Like a human mother, the land gives us protection, enjoyment, and provides our needs – economic, social, and religious. We have a human relationship with the land: Mother, daughter, son. When the land is taken from us or destroyed, we feel hurt because we belong to the land, and we are part of it.

– Djinyini Gondarra

Martine Turnbull - Aboriginal Education Teacher

Daniel Giles - Aboriginal Secondary Education Transition Officer

Hi everybody!

Here we are in Week 5 and half way through the term. Time is going so fast.

As a school we continue to push through the last vestiges of winter, with the hope and promise of a glorious spring to come. Nature can teach us so much about the mindset we can have to overcome adversity.

Despite the cold and the rain there are small signs of warmth in the plants and animals around us. At home, I have bulbs flowering and my beautiful freesias are in full bloom sending their gorgeous fragrance all around our front door. 

If we focus on the here and now it can be tempting to think it will never end but things do pass and things do change.

Seeing and hearing the birds every time I come to school lifts me up and fills me with a sense of joy, a reminder that the world goes on regardless.

Have a wonderful week and keep smiling even when you don’t feel like it.

Pammy Main - Pastoral Care Worker

The SRC have been working behind the scenes in 4 groups within our school. We’ve asked the leader for each group what their group has been up to!

Values:

Our group have reviewed the current school values and are considering the potential to adapt and modify these values to better represent the Renmark High School community. We have constructed a survey that will be distributed amongst the students, staff and community members to seek feedback on the current values and ideas of possible new values. Our goal is for the school values to be revised and adapted to better suit our school vision.

Pride – Maintenance:

We are working on our short-term goal which involves implementing recycling bins for cans and bottles around the school ensuring they are accessible to staff and students. Surveys are being completed by caregroups to gain a consensus of the number of students who would be willing to utilise the bins, where they should be located and what the money raised by recycling could be used for. After we receive the survey responses with student feedback, we will begin to take the next steps towards the completion of our short-term goal.

Pride – Extras:

We have begun organising our music licence and surveyed students for new song ideas to be played on the schools sound system. Following up this plan, the SRC have spoken to staff to begin taking action and hopefully this goal will be reached in the coming weeks. Another goal is to hold some fundraising events during Term 3. We have begun brainstorming potential ideas, which include; Jeans for Genes Day, Footy Colours Day and Wear it Purple Day. During our next meeting we will plan these events before taking our ideas to Governing Council to gain approval.

Learning:

The learning group of the SRC are looking toward improving the range of subjects provided at Renmark High School, the ongoing issues surrounding internet speeds and quality of I.T resources, in addition to quality of textbooks sourced from the library. In order to understand the general consensus of our students, we plan to survey all year levels, asking them which subjects in particular they would like to see RHS introduce. By the end of Term 3, we plan to assess the senior SACE subjects that are not currently offered and show high interest in our surveys, while making a definitive list as to which junior subjects could be run by virtue of popularity. We will  look at what subjects the other Riverland high schools offer that we don’t and analyse whether this is feasible with our current resources and teaching staff. Presently, we plan to have the implementation of new subjects finalised by the end of 2021. 

As another focus of our group, we are striving to enforce strict rules regarding the use of school I.T. In recent years, students have taken minimal care and consideration for computers and laptops, resulting in significant damages and financial burdens. As a group, we are going to brainstorm a definitive set of rules and propose these to the staff for approval. We will also endeavour to assist in improving internet speeds schoolwide. We have also discussed making laptops and/or computers more accessible for students who are not able to bring one from home. Furthermore, we have discussed buying new mathematics textbooks for Years 8-10, seeing as the quality of the current ones are not fantastic. We understand that these textbooks are passed from student to student each year, and some students take minimal care with them. This of all relates back to enforcing strict and cohesive rules, wherein RHS property and resources are treated with respect and care.

STUDENT ABSENCES, LATE ARRIVALS AND EARLY DEPARTURES

It is important to make direct contact with the school if your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early.

CONTACT OPTIONS:

• Daymap Messaging
• Phone 8586 6974 (Option 1 for Student Services)
• Email - dl.0794.info@schools.sa.edu.au
• Writing a note in your students diary when giving advance notice of an absence

Students arriving late to school or leaving early must sign in and out at Student Services. They are expected to have a note from their parent/caregiver if the school has not received prior notice.

SMS messages on student phones will no longer be accepted to inform the school if your student is signing in late or signing out early. Parents/guardians must contact the school direct.

Students in Years 11 and 12 must also sign in and out when they arrive and when leaving before the final bell.

A reminder that senior students are not permitted to leave school for Home Study if their study periods fall between classes.

INTRODUCING.......

Tara Camilleri - Classroom Support

Our library team have been working hard to relocate their resources to the D block while their building is under construction. 

Dungeons and Dragons Club meet on Wednesdays of week 6, 8 and 10 between 3:30pm - 5:30pm. All students are welcome! - Stuart Watkinson

Is your child enthusiastic about playing, learning, or listening to music?
The Music room will be open every Wednesday at lunch time for students to play some instruments with other students. With the piano, guitar, drums and other instruments available, students have the opportunity to experience the magic of music without commiting to purchasing an instrument. Hidden talents may be discovered!

"Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” – Diane Duane

Miss Evans has started a Games Club for students who like to get together and play some card games or do a puzzle! Games Club is held on Thursdays during lunch in the D block. All students welcome!

https://www.murraypioneer.com.au/almondco-and-rfl-umpires-join-forces/