We acknowledge that Renmark High School students, staff and community live, study and work on Erawirung Land. We acknowledge the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee as Traditional Custodians of the Riverland region and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We respect the deep connection Aboriginal people have with land, animals and waters. 

We honour the Lores and customs that cross this traditional Country, the Ancestors who taught and still teach the knowledge that is embedded forever with Aboriginal people today. 

Storm 

As with the rest of the town, we are continuing to clean up after the recent storm came through our school and took out 12 trees and countless branches.  Thank you to the SES, CFS, Builder Chris Vine, Riverland High Works and our own groundsmen Anthony Rothe and Tom Gregurec for your assistance in making the school safe and cleaning up our school for students after the storm.

Year 6/7 Information Night

We are looking forward to welcoming students to our final two day transition sessions over the next two weeks.  We are also holding an information session next Monday night for parents and students of year 6 and 7 students ready for their start next year.  6pm for year 6 students, 7pm for year 7.  Come along to ask your questions and find out about the start of the year.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

We have available the current models of BYOD on the portal.  We have 4 options (including a Mac) that are school recommended and that parents can buy outright (or through a payment plan).  For more information we have an information brochure available (attached to this newsletter).  We have had a few parents ask if we are making students buy their own computers instead of supplying through the school. 

To clarify, although BYOD is an option, it is encouraged. If more students are able to bring their own devices, it enables the school to free up funds to invest in the network itself and other technological tools that can be used by students. At this stage, the school will continue to supply devices for shared use. 

The BYOD options we have provided do however answer the often asked question of "what would I buy as a parent for my student to use at school?"  Purchasing a device also makes a student’s computer available for both school and at home use.  If you have any further questions please let us know.

Social Media Myocarditis Claims

In response to the false social media claims from people in other states of Renmark students reacting to the COVID vaccinations we have been in touch with SA Health to confirm the facts, and they have indicated that there is NO known group of myocarditis cases in the Riverland.  If you would like more information on the vaccines it is available from the Therapeutic Goods Administration website: https://www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-vaccines.  We can also confirm that the clinic provided at the school by SA Health had not even been in operation yet when the claims were being made.

Contact Details

Have you changed your address, phone number or email address? Please make sure that we have your correct details at school so we can contact you in the case of emergency and keep you updated with communications we send out.

 Mat Evans- Prinicpal

Congratulations to our own Jodi Long - Secondary Teacher of the Year Award joint WINNER in the 2021 Public Education Awards, presented by the Minister of Education at the Adelaide Convention Centre tonight - Well deserved Jodi 

Congratulations to Maddy L and Judd H who were elected 2022 Renmark High School Head Prefects and Kira W and Colby L who were elected 2022 Renmark High School Deputy Prefects.  

A further congratulations to Emma S, Jasmine B and Chrisovalantis H who were elected as the 2022 Year 12 SRC Representatives and will join the Head and Deputy Prefects in representing the student body next year.  

Through a series of election speeches and campaign videos created by the candidates, students voted in school wide election on Friday 12^th of November. We are very proud of our elected leaders and look forward to 2022.  

Further SRC elections at Years 7-11 will take place early in the 2022 school year.  

The Year 10/11 Enterprise class recently presented their 3 minute pitches for the businesses they have been creating over the last semester. All groups developed extremely innovative ideas and concepts and delivered this in a very professional manner. Two teams, Job Detective and VR Education, made it through to the Sharktank Semi Finals and will pitch their business concept to the judges via Zoom on Tuesday the 16^th November. If they are successful, they will move into the finals which will be held via Zoom on Friday 19^th of November. Congratulations to all teams and good luck to out finalists.

As part of preparing Year 11 students for Year 12 in 2022 we have worked to put together a University Exploration camp for interested year 11 students.

The aim of the camp is to support students to explore the opportunities offered at the major Universities in Adelaide, help students become more familiar with the city and how to use public transport and work on setting some goals for after Year 12. This trip is designed to make the world of study less frightening and give students a look into what life after school might look like if they decide on a University pathway.

The camp is scheduled for week 8, Wednesday 1^st to Friday the 3^rd of December. Interested students need to see Alicia Thackray before the end of week 6.

Hillary Trotter - Assistant Prinicpal

PROM 2021 - UPDATED INFORMATION RE ROUTE

We have been advised by Council that access to the petrol station on Industry Road must remain in place as this is a 24hr heavy vehicle access point. As a result, we have had to change road closures and therefore the direction of approach of vehicles and drop off as outlined below. 

Arrival

The road closure will now be in place from the corner of 23^rd and Pyap St, and around the corner onto Industry Rd just before the access road onto Renmark Avenue. This means cars will congregate along 23^rd Street. They will turn right onto Industry Road to The Distillery, drop off passengers and then proceed along Industry Road to exit. Arrivals will commence at approximately 6.00pm.

Spectator Parking

Spectators will be permitted to angle park along Industry Road where the road remains open, ensuring driveways and private residences are not impacted. Angle parking is also available along the Renmark Avenue side of the road. If cars wish to park in the vacant block on the western side of 23^rd Street, they will need to be in place prior to the road closure at 5.30 and will not be able to leave until 7.30. There will be no access to the Distillery car park.

ALL PAPERWORK TO BE RETURNED AND TICKETS PURCHASED BY FRIDAY NOV 12^TH (WEEK 5)

Students in years 8 to 10 will participate in a modified learning program across week 9. Innovations Week will provide students with a range of opportunities to develop and test their critical and creative thinking skills. There will be multiple activities on offer throughout the week with the chance to develop a short film, develop business start up skills through Etsy-Preneur as well as a range of STEAM challenges. Friday will be our traditional celebration at the pool (more information to come).

Jessica Farrelly - Senior Leader of Numeracy and Maths Innovation

Travis Akbar

On Friday of Week 3 we had screenwriter Travis Akbar give a workshop to 16 of our students from Years 8-11 where he talked about his process and the cinema industry. Travis is an Indigenous man with Wongatha heritage. He has written creatively his whole life, but, with no idea where to take it, writing took a back seat for quite some time. After getting the opportunity to write film reviews, that spark for writing returned. His favourite genres revolve around action, sci-fi, thriller, comedy, western, horror and fantasy. He also loves a good b-grade creature feature. Travis wants to include social issues and injustice in his screenplays and aims to bring these themes to the big-screen.

Nic Tubb - Science /Maths Teacher

As part of a unit on Energy, Year 9 students investigated musical instruments. Their task was to first investigate existing instruments and devise how they changed their pitch and volume. They then designed their own.

Nic Tubb - Science/ Maths Teacher

For many years, student Molly P has been kicking a football around with family and friends. Her love for the game started back when she got involved in the Renmark Rovers Football Club Auskick Program. From here she began playing games in the male dominated Riverland Football League for the Rovers in the U13’s and in 2021 the U15’s. Along with her commitment locally, Molly has been involved with the West Adelaide Academy and was recently selected in the Port Power Next Generation Academy. This is a huge achievement and will be a valuable learning experience as Molly looks to continue her involvement in the sport she loves.

I had a chance to sit down and ask Molly a few questions about her journey so far.

Name: Molly P

Team you support: Port Power / Geelong Cats

Who is your favourite male and female footballer: Travis Boak and Chelsea Randall

Who has been the biggest influence on you and your involvement in football: My family has always been huge footy fans and footy has always been a big part of my life.

Describe some of your major achievements: Winning an online competition for female footballer (got to meet some AFLW players), West Adelaide Development Academy and being selected as part of the Port Power Next Generation Academy.

What is your favourite position on the field: Midfield

What is your ultimate goal: To eventually play AFLW

What are your plans over the next few years with football: To continue training and playing West Adelaide and Port Power.

Explain any challenges you have experienced since your involvement in football: It was a challenge to first get involved in the PPNGA as it is a very small selection. It is also challenging playing with and against boys as they generally have a physical advantage although it assisted me in my development.

Do you have any pre or post game routines: No (occasionally watch the Geelong highlights).

Thank you for your time and providing us with a small insight in to your experiences so far in football. Congratulations on what you have achieved so far and we look forward to following your progress over the years.

House Captains for 2022

First commitment is meeting our Year 6 and 7 students at the transition splash events (Friday week 7 and Tuesday week 8).

Year 9 Volleyball

After a successful day earlier in the term, both the Year 9 Boys and Girls teams participated in the School Sport SA Pool B Volleyball Finals last Friday. To make the final was a great achievement as this year hasn’t been exposed to much volleyball due to many of the events being cancelled in 2020. The group was excited with approximately 26 students (boys and girls) trialing for the event during lunchtimes. Unfortunately only the 2 teams could be selected for the with the remaining students turning their focus to prepare for the Adelaide Smash Event being held in week 9.

After an early start to the day, the boys took a bit of time to get in to the game and battled hard against Seaford and unfortunately fell short. The team started to play some consistent volleyball as their passing and hitting improved, which resulted in a win against both the Seaview and Clare High Schools.

The results qualified the boys to play off against Thomas More for spot in the final. Thomas More were undefeated for the day and continued, as they took the first set. The team rallied together and put some pressure on Thomas More while gaining some confidence, which seen them take the second set. There was a bit excitement in the crowd and on the court as we moved in to the third and final set but unfortunately we went down after a few controversial calls went the way of Thomas More and they gained the momentum.

Meanwhile on the other courts the girls were being quite competitive considering the group hasn’t played much volleyball together. They battled throughout the day and according to their Coach Ash, the scoreboard didn’t reflect how hard the girls worked and progressed throughout the day. Even though at times they may have looked frustrated, they continued to have fun and remained positive which resulted in a win in their last game.

Overall it was a valuable learning experience for both groups (girls 5^th and boys 3^rd) and highlighted what the students can expect at the end of year event while identifying some areas for improvement.

Teams will continue to train during lunchtimes and other scheduled times in preparation for the South Australia Smash Event. All the best to those students attending in week 9. Go Renmark!

Outdoor Adventure

Over the past few weeks the Outdoor Adventures classes have been participating in a variety of learning activities, ultimately to prepare the students for their camp being held in week 7. Earlier in the term students developed their skills and knowledge in bike riding/road safety and maintenance, while recently focusing on camping skills, first aid, canoeing and water safety.

The students will depart school on Tuesday 23^rd (week 7) at 4:00pm and travel to Canoe the Riverland where they will set up camp and take part in a variety of activities before paddling back to Bert Dix on Wednesday. The camp is a valuable experience for those planning to continue in Outdoor Education in Stage 1 & 2.

Aaron Camplin - Health & Physical Education Coordinator

In week 2 of this term, the year 11 Outdoor Ed class, along with a few extras headed to Port Noarlunga for 3 days of surfing. With beautiful weather, we arrived by lunch on the Tuesday, with just enough suitable waves for students to enjoy their first session in the water, after collecting our wetsuit gear.  This year we had some students who had previously surfed, so we were able to skip some of the basics and head straight out to catch a few waves. We had students standing up straight away and enjoying themselves.

After a few hours in the water, we headed back to Moana Caravan Park to set up our tents and organise tea. The class was split into two cooking groups, and we had some decent nutritious food prepared by the students, exhibiting their organisational skills. After a walk along and games on the beach, students settled in for some bonding time of card and board games, before retreating to their tents ready for a big next day.

Wednesday morning was cold and the surf was flat, so our instructors organized for us to snorkel on the reef just off the jetty. Here they gave a great talk regarding the environment, perfect for the students environmental study. We snorkeled for approximately 1-1  ½ hours, and whilst it was cold, students (and staff!) loved swimming amongst the fish and coral.

Luckily, whilst we snorkeled, the waves lifted just enough for us to have a fun afternoon in the surf. After heading back to camp to shower and cook tea, we travelled back to Port Noarlunga for some ice cream, a walk along the jetty and some beach volleyball.

On Thursday morning, our final day, students hit the surf again for their last session. After stopping for an early lunch on the way home, the bus was very quiet after 3 days in the water.  We were impressed with the students’ persistence, organisation and behavior over the three days. Thanks to Mr Thiele for all his hard work organising the camp and also to students in their food prep, group work and behavior on the trip. 

During term 3 students from the Vex Club were given a challenge by SA Power Networks. The challenge was to build a robot that can make its way along a SWER Line so that SA Power Networks can inspect the line for faults or damaged areas. The tricky part of this is that the robot must be able to not only make its way along a wire, but also make its way around/over a Stobie pole to continue inspecting the SWER Line all the way along its length. 

The students have worked through a range of different prototypes, incorporating different constraints such as weight, balance, gears, and structural integrity. The final robot was successful in traveling along a SWER line continuously. When competing with other schools at the Adelaide Convention Centre on the 5th of November our robot impressed judges as the design was significantly different from the other schools. Unfortunately, an award was not given however students are eager to apply this knowledge in future Vex Competitions. Spot the SA Power Networks robotic dog also made an appearance.

Matt Gove - Technology Teacher

The Dean – Gurr Scholarship Foundation, originally called the Renmark Paringa Scholarship Foundation which was set up in 2001 by Judy Dean formerly of Renmark. 

Upon the passing of Johnny Gurr in 2018, the Committee of Management resolved in 2019 to rename the Foundation in recognition of Judy Dean’s foresight in establishing the Foundation and for the substantial donation the Foundation was bequeathed from longtime resident Johnny Gurr of Renmark.

The proposed course of study shall result in a bona fide university degree of not less than three years full time duration.

Applicants shall be ordinarily residents within the District or have completed their secondary schooling at Renmark High School.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate their family financial circumstances and geographic location would disadvantage them in undertaking or completing full time tertiary courses.

The tertiary institution providing the course of study shall be outside the region causing the applicants whilst undertaking such a course of study to reside outside the region.

Students are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about their past and future aspirations, including school references and recent school results.

CLICK HERE to download the Application Form 

Students are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about their past and future aspirations, including school references and recent school results.

Applications due Monday 22nd November

RHS 2021 PRESENTATION NIGHT

Chaffey Theatre Renmark

7.00pm Tuesday 30th November

Please find booking instructions on the flyer attached.

Due to current COVID restrictions, we have limited tickets to 2 per family to give all student award recipients an opportunity to have at least 2 family members present.

• Please note that bookings will be reviewed the week before the event and families notified if extra seating is still available.

Year 12 students do not require a ticket for themselves, however please let us know if they will be attending by contacting the school on 8586 6974.

Please remember to adhere to the COVID safe protocols of the Chaffey Theatre, including the wearing of masks and social distancing.

As per SA Health and Department for Education Guidelines, if you are experiencing cold and flu symptoms you will not be able to attend this event.

Thank you for complying with our COVID safe actions so we are able to have parents attend this important event.

The final exam for Year 12 of 2021 is Spanish and will run on Tuesday of this week! The end of this exam means that the Renmark High School class of 2021 have finally wrapped up all of their school based commitments!

Most of our students have put a great deal of time and effort into being successful this year and the hard work will pay off. You can now breathe a sigh of relief as you prepare for Presentation Night and Prom.

We know that for some of you, this year has thrown up many curve balls and you have faced many bumps in the road. Please know that there are many ways to pursue the future you want! If things didn’t work out, find a new way, just make sure that you find your own way.

We hope that you each find your next adventure and pursue your dreams with passion and joy.

The staff at Renmark High would like to wish you all the best and we hope that you look back at your time here with warm feelings.

What to do after Year 12- The options are endless but here are some ideas of what to do if things didn’t work out the way you planned. 

1. Complete a Year 13 by re-enrolling in 2022- this will mean you come back to Renmark High for another year to complete your SACE and potentially apply for university in the future.
2. Seek an apprenticeship or traineeship- get your name and resume out there and speak to people about working in their business, apply for jobs, do some gap year work!
3. Take a gap year and figure out what you want to do! Check out year13.com.au for handy tips about what to do in the year after year 12. This website has lots of information about travelling, further study, managing money and how to adult.
4. Complete the STAT test- search STAT on the SATAC website- this is an aptitude test which can give you a pathway to further study
5. Contact the individual Universities you may be interested in about bridging and foundation courses which could help get you into a course you want.

Hillary Trotter - Assistant Principal