Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School Newsletter Week 3 Term 3 2024

R-12

Principal’s Report

It’s very disappointing to see a handful of people in our community who have taken to social media to make outrageous allegations about our school, the staff and students to deliberately cause significant harm, cover up their own personal issues and deflect from taking accountability for their own actions. It’s extremely important for individuals to verify facts before sharing information online and to consider the potential consequences of their statements.

These unfounded claims can damage the reputations of dedicated educators and create a climate of mistrust within the community. Often, these allegations spread quickly, fuelled by the viral nature of social media, and can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety for those involved.

Sadly, many people are leaving our profession and avoiding careers in education because of these derogatory statements and personal attacks on their integrity.

Defamation is against the law and unfortunately in some cases this will be the road we have to take in the future.

A faceless keyboard warrior often hides behind anonymity to spread negativity and create conflict, without facing the real-world consequences of their actions. In contrast, someone who addresses issues maturely, seeks constructive dialogue and resolution, fosters understanding and positive change. The latter approach not only builds trust and respect but also leads to more effective and lasting solutions to help us maintain a positive and supportive educational environment at Eastern Fleurieu School.

We encourage and welcome all of you to engage in the wealth of opportunities we provide to showcase your child/children’s learning opportunities and success at this school. There are daily Instagram posts, the upcoming Gala Day, Milang Concert and Art Exhibition, the recent Drama and Music Performances as well as the Create Showcase and many more events that people attend. The Newsletters and Magazines are testimony to this.

We urge you to follow the proper processes to address any concerns you might have. Thank you to the 99% of people in our community who do. This is a great school; our school and we are proud of it.

Warm Regards,
Ian Kent
Principal
Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School

Term Dates 2024

Eastern Fleurieu School R-12 Important dates

Would you like to host an international student?

Information:

Apply here:  

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

R-12 School Uniform

EFS School Uniform Shop
9a Callington Road, Strathalbyn SA 5255

Term Time Open Hours

Tuesdays 8:30 – 10:45am
Thursdays 3:45 – 5:45pm

For uniform enquiries outside of our open hours, contact Ms Julie Martin.  

Bubbells Embroidery 

Phone: 0417 771 944           Email:bubbells@adam.com.au

If our open hours don’t suit you, we can take email and phone orders and we can arrange remote purchases for your convenience. 

To view order forms please visit our website 

David Booth's Memorable NAIDOC Week Visit to Eastern Fleurieu School

We are excited to share that in celebration of NAIDOC Week 2024, David Booth, a proud Warumungu and Yuggera man, visited the Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School's smaller campuses on Wednesday, 26th June 2024.

During his visit, David conducted a dynamic and engaging workshop with our students. He shared traditional dances and involved the students in interactive movement activities. His storytelling sessions captivated everyone, bringing to life the rich culture and history of the Warumungu and Yuggera people. The students also enjoyed participating in the fun and educational games he introduced.

One of the highlights of the day was David's explanation and demonstration of the didgeridoo. He provided fascinating insights into its history and cultural significance, leaving the students both amazed and inspired.

David Booth's visit was a memorable and enriching experience for all, allowing our students to immerse themselves in the vibrant traditions and stories of Indigenous Australian culture. This special event truly enhanced our NAIDOC Week celebrations and provided unique learning opportunities for our school community.

Strathalbyn R-6 and 7-12 Campuses Celebrate NAIDOC Week 2024

NAIDOC Week was a vibrant celebration of First Nations culture at the Strathalbyn R-6 and 7-12 campuses, filled with exciting activities and community spirit.

The festivities kicked off at the R-6 Campus with a lively Nunga Disco. Shaan and Jo, our dynamic DJ and dance duo, got everyone on their feet and dancing, setting the tone for an energetic week ahead.

Tuesday saw the Year 5/6 students donning specially designed First Nations Basketball Jerseys for a spirited game, all while DJ Darcy kept the beats going strong.

Wednesday was a cultural highlight with Jaeleo and Saber delivering an engaging and impressive yidaki performance at the celebration assemblies. This display of cultural pride resonated across both R-12 sites, bringing everyone together.

At the 7-12 Campus, Wednesday was also a day of culinary and artistic exploration. Students sampled delicious bush tucker bites, courtesy of Tom, Ms. Maple, and Ms. Brooksby's classes. The campus buzzed with activities including temporary tattoos, music, bracelet making, and face painting.

To cap off the week, Friday was a day of unity and pride. Students were encouraged to wear black, yellow, red, or their favourite First Nations designs. Our Nunga families came together for a special breakfast and yarn with David Booth, fostering a sense of community and shared heritage.

The First Nations team extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making NAIDOC Week a memorable celebration. Your dedication and efforts ensured that First Nations culture was honoured and celebrated with the respect and enthusiasm it deserves. We are grateful for the amazing staff who volunteered their time and energy to make this week such an epic success!

Community News

Strathalbyn Show Monday 7^th October 10am – 4:30pm

Juniors and Schools Entries

ASHBOURNE CAMPUS

14 Ashbourne Road, Ashbourne SA 5157 Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Welcome back to Term 3, I hope you all had a safe and relaxing holiday with your family. The end of Term 2 was very busy with our termly family Bush school day, a Year 10 Bush school visit, our camp to the Adelaide Zoo and the Small Campus Student Creation Market. This term looks to be just as busy with lots of fun events including the Small Campus Public Speaking Competition, Book week and Science week. This year’s Book week theme is ‘Reading is Magic’. The theme celebrates reading stories and their amazing power to transport minds, whist encouraging children to be curious about the wonders in the world.  The Science week theme is ‘Species Survival – More than just sustainability’. The theme aims to share with children the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever changing world. We will be having a dress up parade on Friday 23^rd August. The students will take part in a range of book week and science week activities.

We welcome Shiloh to our campus, Shiloh is a new reception. He has settled into Ashbourne well, making new friends. He loved his transition days, and enjoyed Bush school, the Student Creation Market and playing soccer.

Regards,
Rebekah Fahey
Head of Campus

Bush School

On Tuesday 4^th June, we invited our families to our weekly Bush School day. It was wonderful to have so many parents, grandparents, uncles and young siblings join us. The students shared their morning learning on butterflies and moths with their families. They used the microscopes to look at the wings and parts of the body, they found this interesting. The students made the life cycle of a butterfly and then went outside to begin creating our new butterfly garden. At recess and lunch the students played in the scrub, building cubbies and new shops using natural materials. The families enjoyed sharing this experience with their children. It was lovely to have the campfire, the student’s cooked damper twisties and marshmallows. The feel around the campfire was joy and excitement. The day allowed us to enjoy the special community we have at Ashbourne. The students look great in our new Bush School polo shirts.

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On Tuesday 18^th June, Tom Doody and Dani Humphries brought their Year 10 Outdoor Education students to Ashbourne to participate in our Bush School program. It was something new for our students as we have not had a visiting high school class previously. The year 10 students enjoyed the day and were enthusiastic in their approach to the learning tasks and the outdoor weeding, planting and general clean up in the scrub area. We had a campfire before lunch, where the students could enjoy some damper and marshmallows. The Year 10 boys had a game of soccer at lunch with our boys, it was high competitive and in the end it was a draw. It was a pleasure to have the year 10 students with us for the day and we are looking forward to hosting another outdoor education class next Term, a wonderful opportunity to build R-12 connections.

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Camp

On Thursday 20^th and Friday 21^st our students took part in a school camp to the Adelaide zoo for a Zoo Snooze. On the way to the zoo we went and saw Garfield at the Mount Barker Cinemas. They students all enjoyed the movie. When we got to the zoo we had a few hours to explore the zoo on our own. The students loved this time and highlights were the meerkats, tigers, giraffes and the pandas. We had some free time at the playground before meeting our zoo education officer. The students had the opportunity to explore the zoo that night, which was a fun and new experience for them, we saw lots of the zoos nocturnal animals. In the morning they enjoyed the zoo again on their own, hearing about more of the animals on another tour which included the animals having their breakfast. On our return to Ashbourne we stopped off at Keith Stephenson Park in Mount Barker for recess and a play on the new playground. The students loved the camp.

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Student Creation Market

On Friday 28^th June, Ashbourne hosted our annual small campus Student Creation Market (SCM). The day was a wonderful success. Over the term the students from each small campus researched, planned, designed and made a product of their choice to sell at the SCM. It was fabulous to see so many parents from each campus attend the market and support their students. Prior to the market the students participated in four fun activities, clay making, nature craft, Ashbourne Mountain (game) and cubby building and scrub play. The students worked so well together, supporting each other and making new connections.

At Ashbourne our students focussed on creating something connected to our term theme, Mini Beasts. We had a variety of products including a bee book, pencil pots designed with hand drawn beetles, insect magnets and pencil toppers, hair clips, necklaces and bracelets, mini beast Pokémon cards, spiders, a variety of clay insects, painted pots and clay flowers. The students were able to share what they had made, the purpose and how it was connected to Deep Learning and the 6 global competencies (Character, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Citizenship).  We are all looking forward to our forth SCM in 2025, which will be held at Langhorne Creek Campus.

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Dates to Remember

LANGHORNE CREEK CAMPUS

Bridge Road, Langhorne Creek SA 5255    Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Dear families,

Another great start to term 3. We welcome our new receptions Casey, Kyle and Mattias into our Kind Koala’s class with Miss Anna & Miss Hannah. We also have another year 6 student Tash  join our Quirky Quokkas with Mrs Hopkins & Miss Hannah at the end of term 2. So good seeing new students and their families join our campus.

Over the holiday break we have had border fencing installed, our sandpit edges redone with rubber edging, edging of garden and bark chips main entrance to school and path repaired under our Mulberry tree. With completions of these works our campus continues to look amazing, a great place for teaching and learning.

Our Small Campus, Student Creation Market was a great success held at Ashbourne campus this year. So many creative items for sale from student learning programs. Out students worked well in our learning programs during term 2 in preparation for their items for sale. Across campuses, items provided were of high interest and standard. Funds raised have been donated to Adelaide Zoo and Homeless Shelter, Hutt St. In 2025 we are pleased to be hosting the Student Creation Market at Langhorne Creek Campus. Term 2 finished up with a Biggest Morning Tea, students enjoyed a milo & muffin along with families joining in. It is always great to have our families attend our assemblies. Next assembly is Friday of week 5 this term, hope to see you there.

As part of our Natural Environment learning unit this term we were fortunate to work with Kate, Zonda and Dennis for tree planting at Mozzie Creek. The weather turned it on for us as students created nature art and built “Pulgi – house”, students worked collaboratively to collect branches, leaves and bark to create some great structures.

It was great to see our Bee Hotel built last year is holding up well. This space has become an important place as we link our visits with integrated learning at school.

We are pleased to have pre-service teacher Madelene return to us for the next part of her teaching practicum. She will have 3 day visits on Wednesdays then lead into a three week placement with us. We also welcome SSO Anthony to our Langhorne Creek Team, he will be working with us on Fridays.

With some brighter days coming our way we are working with our CAC members to organise a working Bee to do some jobs in our yard. We will send dates out soon. It is ever changing to provide interesting learning and play spaces for all. More about this to come.

Looking forward to the remainder of the term.

Regards,

Les Cameron and Staff team
Head of Campus
Langhorne Creek Campus

100 Days of School at Langhorne Creek Campus

Another wonderful celebration of 100 Days at School was held on Wednesday, 24^th July. Students dressed as if they were 100 years old. They paraded around the court and each spoke of what they wanted to be when they grew up. We had a lovely turn up of parents and grandparents to watch our parade and then all were treated to a morning tea of scones, jam and cream. Special thanks to Lainie and Verna for setting up welcome screen yet again for the day. Also, thanks to Zonda for sharing old school days stories.

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Mozzie Creek Tree Planting Day

We went to Mozzie Creek to do tree planting. We had different groups, some did tree planting, some did nature art and the others did hut building. We rotated through each activity. After we followed our nature trail and looked at the native species. It was so much fun and lots of great learning.  -  Isaac

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Fun with Science

We had Peter and Sue come in who run 'Science For Real'. We did lots of fun learning with batteries and wires and other conductors of electricity. There was also an electric hair machine which made our hair stand up on end. It was very cool and super interesting. Peter and Sue are coming back later in the term to do a workshop about fossils, minerals and dinosaur bones. We are looking forward to it.   -  Frankie and Esther

Playgroup

This term the children have been engaging in a range of experiences inspired by our playful learning focus for the term - Trucks, Tractors and Transport. 

Sensory trays with vehicles was a popular activity. The children enjoyed a truck wash station and they have also painted with small cars. They explored sinking and floating with sponge boats and rocks. We have read many stories written by Julia Donaldson.

We will celebrate our learning for the term with an excursion to the Milang Railway Station where the children will enjoy a train ride.

Libby Thornton 
Playgroup Co-ordinator

From Nazz – PCW

Dates to Remember

MILANG CAMPUS

Cnr Cox and Rivers Street, Milang SA 5256     Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Welcome back to Term 3 at Milang! It’s been a frosty start, but everyone has returned full of enthusiasm! This term our focus will be the Spring Concert and Art Exhibition and we are very much looking forward to sharing this with all of you. Each class will present a performance as well as songs from our Choir group. Some students have been preparing their own acts to perform on the night so it looks to be a full program! We will again have our display of Student Art for you to wander through and also your child’s cards to purchase, $12 pack of 8.

Class teachers have been meeting this week with you to chat about your child’s learning. If you were unavailable this week please contact us to arrange another time as this is an important way you can support your child’s schooling.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the concert, Tuesday 24^th September at 4pm. SAVE THE DATE

Regards,
Susannah Cook
Head of Campus

Playgroup

This term our playful learning focus is "Weird and Wonderful Animals."

We have already discovered alpacas, llamas and the aye-aye. This week we are finding out about yaks.

The children are enjoying several new resources. The John Deere tractors and trucks have been very popular. 

Later in the term we will have an excursion to the Callington Recreation Ground.

Bonnie’s Break times

With Father’s Day coming up next month, some keen crafters have joined me in the lunch shed again for some creative gift making for Dads, grandpas and other dad-like figures! There will be opportunities over the coming weeks for any students who didn’t join this week just gone, so plenty of chances to craft something for Dad! Whilst making, the students and I usually chat and catch up and this week we decided to call our making adventures ‘Crafty Club’. We talked about how joining in with Crafty Club would mean being considerate of everyone and sharing the materials, celebrating each other's creativity, and speaking with kindness. Check out some of the awesome creativity in these lovely handmade frames.

Junior Primary Learning

We recently purchased some Emotion Duplo which was perfect for our Junior Primary class to recognise their emotion and build their character in their Health lesson with Mrs Cook.

During our Maths lesson on Space and Location we recognised a variety of shapes and created Robots from them.

Upper Primary Learning

This term we have started rehearsing for our play to be performed at the Spring Concert. As it includes some characters from different fairy tales we read our old fairy tale stories and made the characters! 

This week our visiting dogs were treated to a pedicure! I’m not sure who enjoyed it more!

Happenings at Milang

Basketball

Last term the students enjoyed 2 sessions of basketball as part of the Sporting Schools programme.

Choir

Mrs M has started rehearsals for the choir with many enthusiastic participants.  The students will perform their songs at our Annual Spring Concert.

Assembly

The Junior Primary class enjoyed showing their Robots.

Congratulations to all of our award winners and special Congratulations to Marley Newbery on receiving the VIP award for Term 2.

Student Creation Market

Small campuses met together at Ashbourne this year for the Student Creation Market.  Students have been working on preparing their market stalls all term where they sold their products or services they have researched. 

This event brings together a range of learning across all curriculum areas with a specific focus on the 6 C's; these skills are essential to all students as they move through life and include citizenship, collaboration, character, communication, creativity and critical thinking.

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Naidoc week

Last term all the students from Milang Campus travelled to Bird in Hand Winery to support with their revegetation of the land of the traditional custodians; Peramangk, Paredarerme and Ngarrindjeri peoples They joined with workers to plant 500 native trees and shrubs across the fields overlooking the water and then joined them for a shared lunch around the campfire. This is the second year we have worked with them and it was wonderful to see the trees we planted last year growing strong!

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Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud was the theme of NAIDOC week this year.

The students at Milang were lucky enough to have Aboriginal artist David Booth visit and run a session with the children.

They also had a Naidoc themed Lego challenge and casual day.

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Reminders from Donna

Book Club

Orders due back Monday 12th August

Attendance 

Please always contact the school if your child is late, call or come in and sign a yellow slip.  Also if your child is away or someone else is picking them up.  If we don’t hear from you your child’s absence is marked as unexplained.  A message from another student is not enough, we need to hear from a parent. If you are picking your child up early please come into the office and complete a green slip. 

Please continue to follow the guidelines for keeping us all safe.  If you need to come on site, please ensure you are sanitising when entering any buildings. Keep your visits brief and social distance at all times. 

Dates to Remember

STRATHALBYN R-6 CAMPUS

34 East Terrace, Strathalbyn SA 5255     Ph: 8536 2455

Heads of Campus Report

What a wonderful start we have had for the term. Welcoming students back visiting classes on Monday, I was delighted to see the high levels of learning and engagement from both students and teachers right from the sound of the first siren.  Students seamlessly slipped back into our consistent routines and reconnecting with staff and friends.

11 very excited Receptions started in Rm 30 and Rm 31 as we return to a mid-year intake.  Our new Receptions have had a fantastic start, showing great eagerness to learn and engage in their educational journey.  They were lucky enough to have a special celebration of their first week of school last Friday as we celebrated 100 days of school for our beginning of year students.

It was lovely to speak with many parents who shared how enthusiastic their children are about attending our campus. This excitement and positive feedback reinforces our commitment to providing a supportive and stimulating learning environment.

Staffing update

• Ms Nurse and Ms Clatworthy have stepped into Rm 26 as Zara enjoys her new role with baby Jude
• We welcome Ms Fry to Rm 29 working with the Millindilla team
• Ky Matthew-Hampton, currently backfilling Rm 14, will also join Rm 11 on Monday in addition to his PE days
• Jordan Lee, a past pre-service teacher is backfilling Rm 9 on Friday
• Emma Cooney from Rm 28 has won the First Nations Leader role until the end of the year, luckily, we will still see her on Mondays

A Reminder

Lunch is moving….From the beginning of Week 5, staff will be supporting students to eat lunch earlier in the day at 11:05am after play.  Very importantly, all lunch orders will need to be in by 9am. This will be a trial until the end of the term at which time we will review and update all families.

Facilities

Our new cricket pitch is nearing completion, funded by a SACA grant supported by the Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek Cricket Clubs.  We have all our fingers crossed that our turf can regrow in time for Sports Day in Week Nine.

Looking forward to 2025

As we prepare for the 2025 school year, it is crucial that we gather vital information regarding your child’s attendance. This information is essential for our planning and staffing needs, as our funding is based on enrolment numbers. To ensure we can budget appropriately, form class sizes effectively, and staff, we need to know if your child will be attending our school next year. Your timely response will help us provide the best educational experience for all our students. Thank you for your cooperation and support. An email will be sent out to all families next week.

School Uniforms

School uniforms are important, and we rely on parents to support our governing council by ensuring their students are dressed in uniform each day. We appreciate your continued support in this matter. Nearly all of our students wear their uniforms consistently; however, there are occasional instances when students come in non-uniform clothing, sometimes due to laundry issues. Please remember that our school colours are navy, white (top and bottoms) and grey (shorts/pants only) (no black, hoodies or denim) and uniforms are not to have visible brand names or patterns.

Additionally, our Parent Club has second-hand uniforms for sale. The school is also willing to assist you with any uniform challenges you may have. Inquiries can be made at the front office.  Uniforms help identify our community and instil a sense of pride.

Save the Date – more info to come

• Book Week Parade – 23^rd August, theme ‘Reading is Magic’ parents welcome to attend parade
• Wear it Purple Day – 29^th August, students to wear a splash of purple on the day
• Sports Day – 20^th September

Regards,
Jo Garwood, Sophie Frost and Mel Pitt
Heads of Campus

Road safety reminders from the Wellbeing Team

Hello all and welcome back the beginning of term 3, 2024. What a chilly but positive start it has been.  

We are so fortunate to live in a relatively safe community where many of us know each other and keep an eye out for each other. It is such a benefit for wellbeing, confidence and independence that so many of our students are able to come to school via bike, scooter or on foot. However our crossing area and school drop off zone, is extremely busy and a potentially dangerous area. Busses, trucks, cars, kids, bikes, scooters, dogs, elderly people and toddlers. It is an extremely busy zone and one which we can all actively support.  

Some things to consider when crossing at the lights.  

• Stop a step back from the curb and never on the curb (encourage your child to do the same)
• Always be aware and check for safety issues, even when it is safe to walk
• Wait to hear the monitor to say ‘walk!’
• Look left and right and left again
• Listen for vehicles and potential dangers
• Walk within the crossing lines until you reach the other side (do not cut off the corners)
• Please remind your child to hop off of their scooter or bike when crossing
• Please remind your child to walk (not run) across the crossing and to be mindful at all times
• Please keep your hand on toddlers if they are not restrained
• Be aware of elderly pedestrians or people with mobility difficulties 
• Please report any concerns to the staff member accompanying road crossing duty – for example children looking upset, sad, lost or any unusual or unsafe behaviours

Children learn from watching adults, so it is important to be a good role model on the roads. Crossing at the lights, staying within the crossing boundaries, being present and observant when crossing the road and discussing what is happening with your child.  

Also, please remember to only park in the designated areas. It is tempting to squeeze in closer to the crossing and park in the unmarked area, however this really impacts visibly for our monitors.  

Our monitors do a fantastic job. Please thank them and support them in the great work that they do and congratulate your child when you witness them enacting safe behaviours on the road.   

Regards,
Heidi Yard
Wellbeing Leader

Room 26 Article

This term, Sally Nurse and Jasmine Clatworthy have joined to teach in Team 26. We have an exciting Term 3 ahead full of lots of fun learning opportunities.  

We are learning about Earth and Space in Science, recognising Earth as a planet in the solar system and identifying the changing position of the sun, moon, planets and stars in the sky. In Geography, we will be exploring how places can be spatially represented in geographical divisions. We are focusing on ‘Critical and Creative Thinking’ as part of deep learning and will be busy working on our stall ideas and planning for Gala Night in Term 4.  

Team 26 started an author study on Roald Dahl through shared book experiences. The class read the novel, ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ and created some amazing artwork. We then began reading our next novel, ‘The Twits’, which provided us with many fits of laughter! The students are excited to now be reading our third Roald Dahl novel, ‘The BFG’, continuously asking if we can read more and more chapters! 

We are looking forward to a fun Book Week, our Year 2 Sciworld Planetarium and Science Show incursion, as well as an exciting Sports Day this term. 

Regards,
Sally Nurse and Jasmine Clatworthy

100 Days of School Celebration with Room 22

The Reception Classes at Strathalbyn R-6 celebrated 100 Days of School on Friday 26^th July2024.  The children had been recording the number of days they had been at school each morning using a 10’s frame to record this information. They have enjoyed being involved in the count down and became quite excited for our 100 Day celebration.   

On the 100^th day the children had an opportunity to take a photo with our ‘Photo Booth’ to mark the occasion. Room 21, 22, 30 & 31 participated in 100 Days celebration activities including making a crown, using 100 Planks to create something, and using the numerals of 100 to create a piece of artwork. The children also got to do a 100 Day placemat where they collected 10 of each food/treat for their placemat which they were able to later eat! They collected 10 m&m’s, 10 Fruit Loops, 10 nutrigrain, 10 popcorns, 10 skittles, 10 choc chips, 10 pretzels, 10 mini marshmallows, 10 tic tacs and 10 twisties. 

The children came dressed in brightly coloured clothes as our theme was ‘100 Days Brighter’. They were super excited for a surprise disco at the end of the day and had an amazing day celebrating!  

Regards,
Ally Mead

Jump rope for heart with Room 7

We were extremely lucky to have Vanessa Gale, one of our former teachers, come to the class to speak to students about her heart transplant during Donate Life Week. The students asked questions that were both hilarious yet thoughtful. Questions, which nearly moved Vanessa to tears!

Vanessa stated that she was proud of Room 7 participating in Jump Rope for Heart, raising funds to help support innovative heart research and save Australian lives through Heart Transplants.

“What an honour it was to share my journey. My hope is to have all adults register to become an organ donor. “

Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun, and raise funds for lifesaving research and programs.

Room 7 is taking part in Jump Rope for Heart – a skipping program supporting physical activity with lessons involving how to keep our heart healthy. Students have commenced skipping during fitness breaks and are sharing their skills with one another.

Donations raised within Room 7 and from our Staff will go toward funding powerful new research that will help end heart disease and the family heartache it causes.

If you’re not already a registered donor you can get information here

Regards,
Lyndall Codlin and Vikki Mclnnes

Tech Update

Term 3 Technology is set to be busy with students' learning tied into the many events happening around us. Upper Primary students have been busy coding and testing their own pedometers as well as using microprocessors to gather data on how hard they can kick a ball, exploring how we can use technology to help us with fitness and sports performance just like our Olympic athletes.

Other grades have begun using Minecraft where we plan to use the range of Minecraft lessons about nature to explore this year's Science Week theme, 'Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability.'

Our Upper Primary students are also beginning to receive their 3D printing projects from last term. They were given the task of using AI to create an original image from a text prompt before replicating the image as a 3D model using CAD software. The only restriction...there must be a way to incorporate a Fizzbit to bring your creation to life. The result, a room full of creative, vibrating 3D models that dance around on the table. 

Regards,
Tom Bilney

Singing lessons at Strathalbyn R-6

We have singing lessons available at school with Lauren Holdstock. Commencing in Term 3, they will take place on Mondays during school hours and cost $34 per week for a 30-minute lesson.

A little about Lauren…

Lauren Holdstock is an Adelaide Hills-based jazz musician and vocal teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) and performs in her self-named quartet with fellow graduates. Lauren’s background in classical choir has included performing at the Opera House and Sydney Conservatorium with Gondwana National Choirs. She is currently a chorister in the Elder Conservatorium’s Chorale. Lauren teaches a variety of music to her students from musical theatre to indie, pop and jazz. Her aim is to build the confidence of young performers and help find their individual voice.

If you are interested in singing lessons for your child, please contact me via email: Shayne.Tarling361@schools.sa.edu.au, or phone: 08 8536 2455.

Regards,
Shayne Tarling

Dates to Remember

STRATHALBYN 7-12 CAMPUS

11 Callington Road, Strathalbyn SA 5255    Ph: 8536 2455

Head of Campus Report

Head of Campus Report

With Olympic fever at its peak, we reflect on the amazing achievements of determined athletes and elite teams from across the globe. We take inspiration from the levels of discipline and determination of high achievers, and consider what can be learnt from their pursuits. We can see that stamina and resilience have a huge role to play, along with healthy routines around nutrition, physical activity and sleep. A positive mindset, team spirit, patriotism and pride also seem to play a significant role in achieving excellence.

I’m sure there are lots of opportunities for our learners to make small changes to daily routines to enhance some of the habits that promote a positive outlook, improved focus and stamina in learning. Our consistent routines at school help to foster these habits. For example, our Welcome Circles encourage positivity, connection and preparation, Health and Wellbeing curriculum helps students understand how to look after their bodies and develop healthy habits, even our uniform rules have a purpose – promoting pride and team spirit.  In Term 3 we have been encouraging students to embrace the daily routines to enable them to develop healthy, lifelong habits.

WHAT WENT WELL?

The contents of this newsletter speak for themselves in showcasing the diversity EFS students’ achievements. Since our last newsletter we have much to celebrate across technologies and the arts: EFS Create 2, The Music Showcase and Grease. In technologies our focus on native ingredients as part of reconciliation included an Artisan Bakery, and our NAIDOC event offered bush tucker bites to bring people together. As well as many achievements in sport, we were able to acknowledge large numbers of students at our celebration assembly for high academic achievement and demonstration of school values.

So what’s next? The highlight of Term 3 will be the Royal Adelaide Show! Our Show Teams will be active this year across a range of events including steers, merino wethers and goats. We also have a group of students heading out on a Music Tour and an abundance of sport and other excursions. We wish them all the best of luck!

HEALTH & SAFETY

A few reminders about general expectations for students to enable us to provide adequate duty of care.

• Attendance: Students are expected to be at school and in their classes all day, every day. Students are not permitted to leave school grounds for any reason during the day, unless they are signed out/ collected by an adult. Students need a legitimate reason to be absent from school, for example, sickness or a family emergency.
• Uniform: All students are expected to wear the correct school uniform every day, or change into loan items when they arrive without the correct items. This helps us to quickly identify EFS students, improves school culture and promotes school pride. We appreciate your support in this matter.
• Bus Travel: Last week we sent out our revised information for bus travel and consistent expectations on buses. Please remind your children of the importance of remaining seated on buses and wearing seatbelts.

As ever, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school and we will do our best to help you.

Regards
Vanessa Coker
Director of Secondary Education

Important Dates to Remember

Inclusion and Wellbeing Team

EFS are very fortunate to have an extensive team of passionate educators providing Wellbeing supports to the young people in our school community. You or your child can get in contact with the Inclusion and Wellbeing team by contacting Student Services to book an appointment on 85362455 or you can send an email to the team at: DL.0796.Wellbeing@schools.sa.edu.au.

Verity Castleton has recently been appointed as Pastoral Care Worker at EFS 7-12 Campus. We would like to congratulate Verity on this appointment and welcome her to our school community. Verity has recently spent some time with our 7-12 campus completing her Social Work placement within our Wellbeing Team. EFS works closely with the Department for Education to ensure that wellbeing services through SMG continue to be provided and we are very happy to have Verity a part of our team.

Name: Verity Castleton
Role: PCW (Pastoral Care Worker) at 7-12 Campus
About the role: The role of the PCW is to promote student wellbeing and engagement, and to support young people in activities that support their learning and development.
Verity is currently studying Social Work and has extensive experience working with young people in an education setting. Verity is passionate about Inclusion and ensuring that every child feels a sense of belonging and connection.
Interests: Roller derby, Reading, and spending time with family
Places you will find Verity at EFS: Verity works on Wednesdays and Thursdays and can be found in in Room 17 during lunch times running Rainbow Club and Lego Club, in the Youth Worker Office, Room 17 or Room 19.

Bullying No Way: National Week of Action

12 – 16 August is Bullying No Way: National Week of Action. This is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative and connects schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying. The 2024 theme of ‘Everyone Belongs’ will be highlighted throughout this week. It’s about embracing who we are, respecting everyone’s differences and standing up together against unkindness. Throughout this week our students will learn what bullying is (and isn’t), recognise the impacts, learn practical, in the moment responses and understand how they can look after themselves and others.  This year, Kids Help Line, is launching the largest anti-bullying lesson streamed via Vimeo, tailored for HS students, with content that is evidence-informed and based on the latest psychoeducational research. If you would like to know more please contact the Inclusion and Wellbeing team.

Pride Month

During the month of June EFS 7-12 Campus celebrated Pride month. For each Wednesday in June the Rainbow Pride Club held different activities for staff and students to participate in.

Week one was badge making. Students could either design their own badge or choose one of the premade designs.

Week two students were able to make coloured bracelets which was very popular.

Week three students had the opportunity to paint some rock art and because all of these activities were so popular with students in week 4 all of the activities were available for any of those who missed out.

Pride month seeks to raise awareness within communities from a positive stance on the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. It also aims to promote inclusion and diversity. It is called pride as opposed to the shame and social stigma suffered.

At EFS we aim to provide an all-inclusive school community where students feel safe to be themselves.

Regards
Inclusion and Wellbeing Team

FOOD AND HOSPITALITY

Reconciliation Week

For Reconciliation Week, the Year 11 Food and Hospitality students hosted an Artisan Bakery showcasing various native ingredients. Some of these ingredients included quandongs, wattleseed, lemon myrtle, kangaroo, native basil, native thyme, and rosella. It was great to see students celebrating First Nation culture through their food and prepare recipes with these unique and beautiful flavours that are uncommon in everyday cooking.

Thank you to all who came and tried their delicious baked goods, and who supported our wonderful Food and Hospitality students.

Tess Maple
Teacher

Basketball

Year 7/8 Girls State-wide Basketball Finals

On Wednesday 26^th June our Year 7/8 Girls Basketball Team attended the State-wide Schools Div2 Basketball Finals at Wayville Showgrounds. 

They came away with a silver only losing to 1 team out of the 6 games they played.

The girls showed great teamwork in their games against Encounter and Mt Gambier and listened well to instructions from their coach.  Their last game before finals was against Faith who came out strong and our girls took some time finding their rhythm.  Faith had a good lead by half time but we worked hard and fought back, getting within 2 points of the lead. Unfortunately Faith were just too strong and came away with the win.

This meant we finished 2^nd in our pool and had to play the top team in pool B, Kadina.

The girls played great basketball leading all the way to a win. This meant we were into the gold medal game against Faith once again. 

The gold medal game was a huge improvement on our first round with Faith and our girls never gave up however some interesting decision making by our team meant Faith once again took the win.

Congratulations to all players, to finish 2nd in the State School Finals is an awesome achievement.

Jo Thornley
AEW (Aboriginal Education Worker)

Outdoor Education

There is a huge focus on the environment in Outdoor Education (ODE) and we have each cohort participate in at least one Environmental give back day per semester. Out of the three classes this year, one class went to Ashbourne Campus to help with their bush school (See article below) and the other two classes have built on the revegetation work started by the Stage 2 ODE class back in 2021, at a private property in Belvedere, which backs onto the Angas River. This year we have removed Prickly Pear Cactus and “feral” olive trees, and some other introduced weeds and in total have planted close to 300 native plants. By planting native plants and trees that are endemic to the area, it hopefully encourages the native fauna to return, the property owner has mentioned that she has seen a positive growth on the native fauna numbers in the area, with a couple of varieties of birds, a number of pygmy possum the size of a finger and even an echidna.

On our latest give back day on Monday 29^th July, which happened to coincide with National Tree Day on Sunday, we were met with clear blue skies and many apprehensive students. Most students participated eagerly and once shown what was required, were extremely efficient. Morning tea and lunch was spent chatting around a small sustainable campfire. Our day ended with a game designed to bring the cohort closer together as a group by focussing on group dynamics, you may have seen us doing similar activities during lessons.

The ODE teaching staff are determined to grow these types of Environmental give back days, over the coming years we will continue to work with Ashbourne Campus and their bush school but are also looking for other opportunities to help foster the student’s appreciation of and for the natural environment. If you know of a block or plot of land that we could potentially adopt (it could be yours?), ideally with access to the Angas River I’d love to hear from you, especially if you’d like some assistance with revegetation.

Thank you to Dani and Alyssa (preservice teacher) for their help and support on our give back days this year

Regards
Tom Doody
Teacher - Middle Years Science and Outdoor Education

Environment Day – Ashbourne

Students from Mr Doody’s Outdoor Education class went to visit the Ashbourne campus on their recent Bush day for a fantastic blend of fun, learning, and connecting with nature. The primary school students joined forces with the year 10 students for a day filled with activities that had everyone enjoying the beauty of the natural environment in Ashbourne.

The year 10s had a great time joining in the activities, including a lesson with Darcy the ecologist about mini-beasts, cleaning up the frog pond and transforming it into a flowing creek, cleaning debris and weeds out of the scrub and planting natives near the front office.

Students all got along well with the primary school students showing the year 10s all about their bush school, with fast friends being made. All loyalties went out the window in a heated lunchtime soccer match though. The year 10s were confident despite being outnumbered 2-1 but were sorely mistaken as the R-6’s came through with their skills.

The year 10s enjoyed spending more time in nature, helping to give back to the school environment, and taking some time to be mindful in the beautiful Ashbourne peace. The bush school excursion was a resounding success, with new connections being made between students and the environment.

Dani Humphries
Teacher- Health and Wellbeing, Outdoor Education, Rite Journey, Connect

Mathematics

Stage 1 Essential Mathematics

The SACE website states that Stage 1 Essential Mathematics is designed for a range of students from those who need to meet the SACE numeracy requirement to those who are planning a career in the trade and vocational area. This makes this an ideal Maths subject for many students.

Students started Measurement last term and finished it this week. This topic covered perimeter, area, volume, capacity, mass and energy.

The next topic students will cover is Investing, where they learn about simple and compound interest for savings accounts, term deposits and the real interest rate with fees added, called effective rates.

Later this term students start the last topic Data in Context, which covers various statistical calculations.

All these topics are covered in Year 12, so are good preparation for next year.

Kind regards,
Adrienne Carter
Teacher

NETBALL

Year 9/10 Knockout Netball

The Year 9/10 girls won both games in Round 1, defeating St Francis and Blackwood at Blackwood High School, and well and truly earning the McDonald’s and playground adventure afterward. Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite take the win from Scotch College in Round 2, going down by 1 goal in the last 30 seconds of the game (talk about a nail-biter!).

Throughout both rounds, the girls worked tirelessly, displaying teamwork, determination, respect, and integrity—the school values shone through.

Special shout-out to the talented netballers below:

Majestic Marlee’s prowess and quick reflexes made her unstoppable in GD, intercepting passes with ease. Her leadership on the court and ability to read the game were instrumental in our defensive strategy. What sport can't this girl do?

Incredible Issy dazzled as WD, showing agility and shutting down the opposition’s attacking centre plays. Due to injury, she was on the bench for round 2—luckily her vocal cords were not injured. Her cheering could have been heard from Strath!

Keen Kayla’s precision and flair in the ring brought excitement to every match. The question still remains—how does she stay so cool, calm, and collected, and does she ever miss?

Rocket Ruby’s determination and strategic defence in WD kept the pressure on her opponents at all times. She was missed in round 2, but she was too busy representing Australia over in New Zealand for the indoor netball team!

Mighty Mackenzie’s versatility and speed at C made her the heartbeat of the team, connecting defence and attack seamlessly. Some would say it’s sickening how talented she is…

Reliable Claire’s strength and dependability in GD and WD were crucial in blocking countless goal attempts and centre passes. One would think she was superglued to her players.

Amazing Alannah’s creativity and quick passes as WA set up numerous scoring opportunities for our shooters. We’ve never seen someone giggle so much on court and dominate at the same time.

Marvelous Marlee’s cool composure and impressive shooting skills as GS resulted in a barrage of goals. She makes goal shooting look effortless—no pressure too high, no angle too tricky.

Magnificent Mia’s sharp shooting and clever positioning as GS made her a key player in our attacking line up. Never have we seen a more beautiful holding position!

Tough Tilly’s tenacity and shot-stopping ability as GK made scoring against us a real challenge for any team. Seven-foot giants are no match for this girl.

Lively Lucy’s vision and precise feeds as WA provided the team with a steady flow of attacking chances. We are so thankful to have her back!

Legendary Levi’s strategic insights and motivational skills as Assistant Coach inspired the team to perform their best every game. Hopefully, she’ll be back running amuck next year!

Regards
Gaby Taylor 
Learning Support, The Rite Journey & Physical Education Teacher 

2024 EFS Ski Trip – Mount Hotham

On the Saturday before week 9 of Term 2, the biggest ever EFS ski trip crew (48 students and 6 teachers) assembled in the 7-12 library eager for the adventure awaiting. EFS was returning to the snowy slopes of Mount Hotham for a week of skiing, snowboarding, snowball fights and snow angels!

We boarded the coach and drove overnight, arriving at Hotham mid-morning on Sunday. Very few on the trip had ever seen snow before and the first sightings of the white stuff brought excitement to all. Hire skis, snowboards and boots were collected and we jumped into our first lesson that very afternoon.

The next 4 days saw plenty of fun, falls (but thankfully no serious spills) and snowballs thrown. Thursday was our last full day on the mountain and also the day we had our biggest fresh snowfall of the trip. There really is nothing like watching it fall from the sky and slowly build a fluffy white blanket over everything and then being the first one to make a trail of footprints through it. Although this was the earliest in the snow season that EFS had ever ventured to Hotham for, we were lucky enough to experience the largest in-trip snowfall of any EFS Ski Trip.

Friday was upon us sooner than we would have liked but gave us one last chance to get a few turns in and use the skills we’d built throughout the week. It was rewarding to see just how far everyone had come and how many students pushed themselves through the challenges that Snowsports bring. Skiing and snowboarding can both be tricky to pick up but with a positive attitude, determination and teamwork, the EFS Ski Trip crew embraced the challenge.

We returned the hire equipment, said goodbye to our lodge hosts, Fiona and James, and boarded the coach for another overnight drive home with everyone thankfully intact and better for the experience. If you’re interested in attending a future EFS Ski Trip, keep your eyes on the Daymap Bulletin or speak with Mr Langhans, Ms Clark, Ms Stevens, Ms Bahr, Ms Playford or Mr Neville.

2024 Ski Trip Team

Year 9 GEOGRAPHY

Year 9 Geography students in Mr Jamieson’s classes are learning how to operate drones. This innovative technology has powerful applications in geography, including biome photography and topographic surveying. In preparation for their first flight, students planned a flight path, attended a drone safety briefing, and learnt joystick controls. Students then took turns to fly their flight path above the school oval in a race against the clock.

Michael Jamieson
Teacher (Maths & History)

FOOTBALL

YEAR 7-9 GIRLS FOOTBALL

In the Year 7-9 Girls Knockout Football Competition, Eastern Fleurieu School took a team to compete against St Francis and River Mallee & Districts (RMD) in Murray Bridge. EFS had a fantastic win against St Francis (78 to 8), however fell short to RMD (38 to 1).

Best players on the day were Kayla, Brooke, Lacey, Sienna, Ella, and Poppy. Our goal kickers were Poppy (5), Ella (3), Brooke (1), Sienna (1) and Eva (1).

Unfortunately, we don’t get to progress to the next round, but the girls should be proud of how they played. They demonstrated our values of determination, respect, integrity, and teamwork, both on and off the field.

Thank you to Ryan Diepgrond and Tess Maple for coaching the girls, and many thanks to Jack and Levi for umpiring.

Tess Maple
Teacher

7/8 BOYS’ KNOCKOUT FOOTBALL 2024

GAME 1:  EFS 2.4 defeated by St Francis 4.9

Our boys had their first Round Robin in Week 2 this Term at Murray Bridge. The weather was fine, albeit a little breezy. We played St Francis in our first game in our four-team round robin. Unfortunately, we had a somewhat slow start in the first quarter. We fought hard in the next three quarters but couldn’t bridge the gap in a low scoring game.

BEST PLAYERS: Rowan, Josh, Ned, Ollie, Elisha.

GOAL SCORERS: Elisha, Oliver

GAME 2:  EFS 4.4 defeated River Murray/Mallee Schools 0.7

We then had to head across to Ramblers Oval to take on the combined River Murray/Mallee, who also lost their first game. Again, it was a tight low scoring first half, however we started to use the ball better and work well as a team. We started to get on top in the third quarter and had a comfortable win, helped a little by their goal kicking.

BEST PLAYERS:  Josh, Rowan, Ned, Jayden, Davis, 

GOAL SCORERS:  Ned 1, Rowan, Jack, Ned

GAME 3:  EFS 8.4 defeated Unity College 4.4

In our last game we took on Unity College. Despite obviously being tired after two games, where they worked very hard, the boys saved their best football for the last game. In a much more even team performance, they used the ball a lot better, maintaining possession going forward which gave them more scoring opportunities.

BEST PLAYERS:  Ned, Jayden, Davis, Rowan, Hayden C. 

GOAL SCORERS:  Ned 3, Oliver 3 Elisha 1, Michael 1

Well done to St Francis who won all their three games to go through to the next round. Our boys did our old retro EFS jumpers proud demonstrating many of our school values. With the improvement they demonstrated throughout the day it would have been a much closer result if we played St Francis last.

Jerry Blair
Teacher

Design and Technologies

As the previous semester concluded, the Eastern Fleurieu 7-12 campus Design & Tech storeroom saw a flurry of activity. Students excitedly took home their projects, from intricate models to functional gadgets, showcasing their creativity and dedication.

As we step into the new semester, there’s a fresh wave of enthusiasm across all Design & Tech subjects. In Digital Tech, students are immersing themselves in designing and coding robots using EV3 kits, with hands-on experience in both block-based and Python programming. Meanwhile, our Architecture students are exploring the fundamentals of design, creating blueprints and models for imaginative new buildings. In Automotive, learners are delving into the mechanics and design of vehicles, gaining insights into the engineering behind the machines. Design and Tech students are also busy planning new projects, utilizing skills from across all areas to bring their innovative ideas to life.

The workshop tools, including the laser cutter and other machinery, are getting a much-needed rest after being worked tirelessly across various year levels. This pause provides students with the time to refine their ideas, collaborate with peers, and prepare for their next big projects.

As we kick off this exciting new semester, we can’t wait to see the innovative work and fresh ideas our students will bring to life. Here’s to a semester filled with creativity and discovery!

Happy designing!

Tom Nevill
Senior Leader Middle Years
Curriculum Leader Food & Technology

Year 9 Science – STEM Task

Students in 9C were recently given the challenge of making an instrument from scrap/rubbish. This task was part of their sound unit and was inspired by people making instruments from landfill and performing in a “junk orchestra”. Students embraced the task, collaborated in small teams and made a variety of instruments. Their final pieces were evaluated by Mr Tarling, Allyssa (pre-service teacher), and Ms Bahr. Thank you to Julianne, Bill, Marty and the amazing Tech team, for supporting students with this task.

Regards
Lisa Halling
Agriculture/Science teacher

Library News

Jigsaws

Our kindly donated jigsaws are remaining popular. Quite a few have been completed since the last newsletter, even though there was two weeks off for the school holidays. Students have completed a ‘Where’s Wally?’, a jetty to an island puzzle, ‘Tropical Paradise’, the yellow and red ‘Fun House’ spiral and the current one is of the broken arch on the Great Ocean Road.

Reading

Middle School English classes regularly come in to read books. This helps develop students’ vocabulary as well as developing empathy for other people as they are reading about other people’s lives.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is on again this year. Forms are available from the PRC website https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au or from the library. The PRC closes on the 6^th September and students can return forms to the Library desk or to me at Adrienne.Carter407@schools.sa.edu.au any time before then.

Regards,
Adrienne Carter
Teacher Librarian