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- Acknowledgement of Country
- Principal's Address
- Senior School News
- SRC Report
- Harmony Day
- Materials and Service Charges for 2023
- ABSTUDY Support for Students
- Aboriginal Education
- Sports News
- Footy Roadshow
- Year 11 Outdoor Education Canoe Camp
- Year 7 Science
- Year 9 Science
- Year 9 Drama Performance - Parody
- SA Schools Pétanque Competition
- OzCLO
- Critical Perspectives
- Breakfast Club
- Making Her Mark
- Renmark High School is now in a Red Fruit Fly Zone
- Canteen Menu
- Qkr! App
- School Holiday Office Hours
- Career Pathways
- Community
- Upcoming Events
- Update your student's information
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.
Closing the Gap
Last week we held a family evening for Aboriginal students for Closing the Gap day. The national Close the Gap campaign arose in response to Professor Tom Calma’s Social Justice Report (2005) which challenged governments to bring about health equality within a generation. The aim is to “close the gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in “life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity”. For our school it meant finding out from families the strengths and challenges to a successful education at Renmark High School. Thank you to everyone that attended and gave us valuable insights that we can use to further improve the engagement, access, teaching and learning for our students.
Sports Day and Riverland Secondary Schools Sports Day
On Friday of week 6, it was a terrific day for our sports day. Congratulations to Sturt for their win and well done to all students who participated on the day. We are looking forward to Interschool Athletics this week. Go Renmark!
Governing Council AGM
Last week we held our AGM. Thank you to our retiring treasurer Scerina Rasheed and to Governing Council member Kerry Thompson for your service to our school. We welcome our new parent member Kerril Vowles. Our 2023 membership includes:
Chairperson – Darren Bussenschutt
Deputy Chair – Sean Leesue
Treasurer – Kimberley Wegner
Secretary – Andrea Logos
Parent Representatives – Kerril Vowles, Karen DiCerbo, Deanne Flaherty, Sally Kroemer, Laura Strout and Megan Petersen
Renmark Paringa Council Representative – David Sims
Staff Representatives – Jasmine Sotiroulis and Wayne Elliott
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Renmark High School has been selected to be part of a pilot program to implement the school-wide Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework. PBL is an evidence-based framework that supports equity and improved learning outcomes for all students. The school-wide PBL framework will be piloted in 41 public schools over a period of three years. You will hear updates from us on how we are implementing the PBL framework at our school and the outcomes and benefits for your child/children.
The PBL framework brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture. Our school will:
- develop school-wide behaviour expectations
- explicitly teach these expectations and establish clear and consistent boundaries
- acknowledge positive student behaviour
- consistently address behaviour of concern
- monitor student outcomes and use data to inform decision making.
The PBL framework helps schools teach behaviour skills proactively, and address behaviours of concern without immediately resorting to exclusionary discipline, such as office referrals, take home and suspension. The PBL framework and resources will consider the needs of neurodiverse learners when implementing the PBL practices and any adjustments that might be required for individuals.
School Values
One of our first steps through our PBL program is to review our school values that will form the foundation of our positive, safe and supportive learning culture. If you have suggestions on what these values could be, please keep an eye on our Facebook posts, information at parent teacher interviews, correspondence via SMS or send them to us using the contact details at the top of this newsletter.
Reminder: No phones in canteen
Please remember that from the beginning of next term students will need their bank card or cash when purchasing items. Phones will not be allowed to make purchases at the canteen.
Uniform
As the weather gets cooler, please dig out the uniform items you may need or make a visit to Tristate Graphics or Yates to purchase our winter uniform. Please remember that firm fitting pants (e.g. active wear, leggings) and hoods are not school uniform, neither are non-uniform colours visible under your t-shirt (e.g. a red long sleeve top under your uniform t-shirt). If finances are a barrier to your student being in school uniform, please contact our wellbeing team for support.
COVID reminder
As we head into the cooler months and with increasing amount of illness around, we ask that you please keep students home when they are sick to help restrict the spread of the illness.
You can find your nearest COVID-19 testing centre here.
If your child tests positive, you must inform Renmark High School immediately.
It is recommended positive COVID-19 cases stay home until acute symptoms have cleared and take steps to protect others. Siblings of confirmed positive cases are considered a close contact and should follow the advice from SA Health.
People who have recovered from COVID-19 will not be considered a close contact for 28 days after testing positive.
The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff are paramount. As such, we will continue to work closely with SA Health to ensure that all necessary health advice is closely followed, and all necessary precautions are taken to minimise the risk of further transmission within our community.
On the 11 April, there will be a flu vaccination clinic at Renmark High School for staff and students. More information will be provided to parents and caregivers soon.
Kind regards,
Mat Evans
Principal
Elevate Education
Elevate Education visited our school last Friday to present a series of workshops to our year 11 and 12 students. They also presented to the staff at Thursday’s professional learning time.
The workshops included a session on time management and one called Study Sensai. All students thought the session were useful and were highly engaged with the speaker. Students have collected some notes, which they can refer to as they move through the year. The presenter will return later in the year to present further sessions around exam preparation.
All students were provided with a password to access the Elevate Education website where they will find useful information on how to survive senior school, including study habits, stress release, exam support, note taking ideas and typical exam questions.
The school has already advertised some online parent seminars that our school community can access every month or so. We will continue to do this throughout the year.
How memory actually works (and how it has nothing to do with brain capacity) The most effective environments to assist in memorisation 3 techniques you can implement overnight to improve revision.
Register your interest here: https://get.elevatecoaching.info/au/schoolwebinarStudiosity
This online drafting program is proving very popular with senior students. Staff can access the portal, see what kinds of feedback students are receiving, and therefore structure some of the lessons to suit this. Please ask your child if they have used it and get them to show you the results. The school will continue to support this new program throughout the year.
Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews
These interviews will be held on Thursday 30 March and Tuesday 4 April. This is the very best time parents can support their student by finding out from their subject teachers how they are going and what they can be doing to improve their learning, study habits and thereby, results later in the year. Please make a booking with your child’s teachers using the online portal listed in this week's newsletter.
Attendance and Engagement
There are many presentations and useful activities that the school plans for our students. Some of these extend beyond the curriculum and are designed to support students wellbeing, engagement and study skills. Students need to attend these whether they are in their Beyond Tomorrow class, supervised study or sometimes subject lesson.
Kind regards,
Marina Pater
Assistant Principal
Director of Operations
The year has started well with the student cohort voting in their year level representatives during a Beyond Tomorrow session. There are six students per year level plus the four executive team of Sakina Qambari and Lachlan Goody (student leaders) and Armandeep Kaur and Alex Teakle (deputy student leaders). Three other year 12s have also joined to support them. I will be the staff facilitator this year with some other staff looking to support.
I have met with the executive team and have planned our first meeting.
The students decided upon four main areas of development. These are:
- Fundraising & Events
- Arts & Culture
- Sports Activities
- Environment & Facilities.
Students brainstormed all the things they wanted to improve, plan and achieve this year.
We have held another meeting so that each team could develop their action plan for the year. Students divided their plans into short, medium and long term goals. This allows them a chance to achieve some quick wins and have some more time to plan for longer term actions.
Students have already run the Sports Day BBQ and taken a ‘clock audit’ around the school. They were also a big part in planning for Harmony Day, which was celebrated at the assembly last Friday.
Further plans and ideas have been presented to both the principal and to the staff leadership team.
Mr. Evans also presented the idea of beginning to upgrade our school values so that students, staff and parents all have a say.
The SRC was made aware that Renmark High School would be celebrating its 100th year in 2025 and while some may not still be in attendance, there would need to be some planning started to support this event.
Regards
Marina Pater
Assistant Principal
Director of Operations
The people are fantastic and super kind and always ready to help. A big difference I noticed is that here the school teachers help the student grow as a person and not just as a future worker for the country like in my school.
Australia and Italy are obviously different in history and culture and is for this I can’t tell you which one is better. They are both beautiful countries with some things that makes them unique but at the same time they are similar is some respects. Thank you.
I was born in Afghanistan as part of a minority group called the Hazara along with my three older brothers, and my parents. Very early in my childhood, before I was five, my dad decided to move to Pakistan which we later followed him. This decision was made upon the circumstances and the living conditions, although I do not remember much of it, I could only imagine what my parents went through. Living in a country where there is constant war, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, and most importantly, not knowing whether you’ll still wake up the next day with a roof above your head. My journey continued in Pakistan which I have more memories of as I was a little older and we stayed there for quite some time. Although, Pakistan was a little safer, we weren’t fully safe hence my dad decided to take a huge risk for his family. He took the risk of travelling to Australia by boat as a refugee, a country which we only ever dreamed of living in. I’ll spare all the details about my dad’s journey here, and all the struggles, and risks he faced but he described arriving to Australia as being given a “new life”.
About two years later, my dad earned and borrowed some money to sponsor my family and I to join him. We were fortunate enough to not have to travel by boat and arrived in Australia by plane in October 2011. There are key differences that I remember to this day, between my old country and this beautiful country which I call home. For an example, tap water here is drinkable and doesn’t make you sick. The water back in Afghanistan, we had to boil it and let it cool down to ensure all the harmful bacteria was killed. We’re very lucky and fortunate to be living in this beautiful and safe country. Unfortunately, not everyone is given the same opportunities as us so it is very important to be to grateful for the things we have. The 15th of August 2021 was the day the Taliban fully took over Afghanistan where the world watched in silence as the freedom and rights of the Afghan citizens were taken away from them. Basic human rights. Its worse if you’re a girl, no education, no study, no work, and basically no life. It’s very sad when I think about it, thousands of girls who were in the same situation that I once was in, cannot do anything about it.
When I first started going to school in term 3 of reception, I couldn’t speak English besides the basics of course such as hello, thank you, and goodbye but not proper sentences. I remember distinctly a girl coming up to me to ask how I was going or ask if I needed help and that is when I felt my world transform. I realised that moving to another country also meant that I am now the outcast. I was the girl who couldn’t speak, understand, or write English, which meant I couldn’t stand up for myself. For many, communication is taken for granted however through my experiences I know that communication is key. Because of the language barrier, I was sometimes bullied, made fun of, and had racist remarks made about me, about the way I speak, the way I dress, and anything else you can think of. The sad truth was that there was nothing I could do about it, not that I didn’t want to but how was I meant to when I wasn’t able to express my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I told myself that at the end of the day, everyone was going to be remembered for something, so why not be remembered for something good which is why I let my hard work speak for itself.
With hard work and dedication overtime, I managed to learn English and began to interact with what seemed like the outside world. At first I tried very hard to fit in, to prove that I was just the same as everyone else but the truth was I wasn’t the same. I stopped trying to fit in once I became confident in my own skin and realised not matter how hard I tried, I could never be someone else. This helped to build my confidence, shaping the person I am today, proud of my culture, my race, and my identity.
I’m very fortunate as an Afghan girl to be here today, studying, working, and having the basic human rights, that everyone deserves. From just 11 years of me living here in Australia I’ve accomplished many great achievements that I am grateful for everyday as nothing would have been possible if I was still in the country I was born in. Ever since coming to Australia, I’ve been recognised as a regional winner, a state winner, national winner, a guest speaker, and many more but I’ve also been recognised and accepted within the community I grew up in. Despite, all the struggles and hardship I went through, I must admit it was worth it. Worth every I’ve been through. I’m lucky to be supported by a range of people, my friends, peers, school, and the community.
The moral of my story is to never let anyone define who you are and what your capable of. Be proud of who are you, where you come from, who you represent and what you achieve. At the end of the day, each one us will leave a footprint in history, whether that’s something small as being remembered in 10 years or something bigger. Choose how you want your footprint to be seen as, what will be remembered, what will be forgotten, and importantly, what will be the impacts. I am Sakina, a proud Muslim Afghan girl who tries every day to make a positive impact, succeed and achieve my goals. Thank you.
Thank you to the families who have fully paid or partly paid for their 2023 school fees, and to those families who have taken the time to apply for school card. Final payment of school fees is due by the end of Term 1. If you require a payment plan to be put into place, please contact our Finance Officer, Sonja Modlinski on 85866974 or email dl.0794.finance@schools.sa.edu.au for support.
Fees can be paid direct into our bank account
BSB: 105-035
Account: 157004240
Account Name: Renmark High School Council Inc
Any families who would like to apply for school card can do so by following the link below:
Staff Meeting
The focus of last week’s staff meeting was Aboriginal Perspectives. Martine shared with us some food for thought about the treatment of First Nations people who have served their country in the lead up to Anzac Day. We heard from veterans who reported on the disparity between their inclusivity on the battle field and their exclusion and segregation upon their return. It was very disturbing to hear that Aboriginal soldiers were not even served in the same bar as their white platoon members.
Daniel then spoke to us about ‘dadirri’, a form of meditative deep listening practised by Aboriginal people, allowing them to connect with the present and be in the moment. We all sat around the yarning circle and engaged in a period of silent reflection which was very calming. It really forced us to be still for a short time and concentrate on letting the busyness of the day go. The culmination of the meeting saw us experience a very moving, spiritual, smoking and healing ceremony delivered by elder, Uncle Barney. While we sat in the circle, eyes closed in quiet reflection, Uncle Barney played his digeridoo, moving around the circle. He followed this with drumming, again moving around the circle. Finally, Uncle Barney moved around the circle with the smouldering native plant, sharing his blessing as the fragrant smoke moved around us. It was such a special, moving experience that we felt very blessed to be a part of.
Closing the Gap
Last Thursday evening we welcomed our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families to our Namawi Pulgi room for "Ya:yun and Yanun." This was an opportunity for our community to come and have something to eat and share ideas about education for our students. We shared information about the excellent rates of attendance of our First Nations students in comparison with the state average. Families also shared their thoughts and ideas on things we can do to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and continue to strive for high standards in education. We would like to thank all of the families who attended and shared their ideas. We look forward to more opportunities to open our school in the future.
Special thanks must also go to Woolworths for their generous donation of refreshments. This was greatly appreciated.
Danielle Weeks
Assistant Principal
Director of Inclusion
Well done to all students who attended and participated at our School Sports Day in week 6. Please see below for overall results. Good luck to Renmark High School at Interschool this week hosted at Loxton High School.
In week 8, Mr Thiele's year 11 Outdoor Education class set out on their three day canoe trip along the Murray River. Students have been learning the fundamentals of canoeing and camping in the lead up to this trip.
This term Ms Blanden's year 7 science class have been learning about separation techniques. Their task was to design a method to separate a sand and salt mixture using techniques they have learnt. Students added water to make a salt solution, used filtration to separate the sand and evaporation to change the salt back into a solid.
Chris Blanden
Mathematics & Science Teacher
In week 8, Miss Bor’s and Ms Schiller’s year 9 Science classes created models of atoms using Skittles. By using the colourful lollies to represent the protons, neutrons, and electrons of an atom, students were able to visually demonstrate how the subatomic particles are arranged within the nucleus and electron shells. This hands-on activity helped students understand new concepts in a creative and memorable way. Plus, it's a great opportunity to incorporate some tasty treats into the classroom!
Rachel Bor and Lauren Schiller
Science Teachers
Parody is imitating someone in a way that is supposed to be amusing. It's when someone copies and exaggerates someone’s actions or copies their voice and appearance.
Our parodies were based on soap operas which are really dramatic. They include gasps and dramatic pauses, stereotypical characters called stock characters such as the nosey neighbour. They have dramatic, over the top plotlines such as secret family members turning up at the most inconvenient moment. The plotlines also include cliff-hanger endings.
With our performance on Thursday, week 8, we included stock characters, dramatic plotlines and cliff-hangers in a comedy style. We had to act really dramatic with big actions, reactions and expressions which made rehearsals hilarious and a lot of fun.
Chloe and Zahli
Year 9 Drama students
Do you see what I see? This week Mrs Hooper’s year 11 English class have been learning about Critical Perspectives through various texts. Students read and watched traditional and contemporary texts to understand how audiences are positioned to interpret gender roles and archetypes. For a bit of fun, students created lenses and illustrated them with representations of various perspectives. Students have been able to apply critical perspectives to better understand the world around them.
Tamara Hooper
English and Psychology Teacher
We are excited to announce the launch of our brand new Breakfast Club at Renmark High School! Breakfast Club will run on Friday mornings and students will have the opportunity to enjoy a nutritious breakfast with their friends before starting their school day.
We understand the importance of starting the day with a healthy meal and want to ensure that all our students have access to a nutritious breakfast. Our Breakfast Club will offer a variety of options including cereal, toast, and fresh fruit.
The Breakfast Club will run from 8.00 am to 8.40 am and will be located behind the Learning Hub. Students are welcome at any time during this period.
We believe that the Breakfast Club will provide many benefits to our students. It will give them a chance to socialise with their friends before class and improve their concentration, memory and academic performance. Additionally, it will give parents peace of mind knowing their child has had a healthy start to their day.
Thank you to the Lions Club of Renmark and Pam Pearce for their kind donations.
Alicia Thackray & Kyla Wade
Social Worker & Student Engagement Officer
On Friday of week 8, a small group of Renmark High School students participated in the Making Her Mark program based at TAFE SA in Berri. The program provided exposure, information and activities that are to inspire, educate and encourage girls to explore careers in non-traditional industries.
- Cert III Automotive Body Repair Technology
- Cert III Automotive Refinishing Technology
- Administration - Berri Regional Hospital
- Dental Nurse
- Spare Parts Interpreter
