2015 School Year It just seems like yesterday when we were welcoming the new Year 8 students to Blackwood

High School. The last few weeks have been busy in finalising teaching and learning programs,

Semester 2 reports and planning for 2016. Our Year 11 Students had the opportunity to get a

head start on their Year 12 studies for 2016 with a week of introductory subject sessions. I

know many teachers provided students with work they can start during the school holidays.

The last two weeks of the school year are also busy with acknowledgements of student

achievements with the recent Year 11 presentation assembly and morning tea on 1 December

followed by the Year 10 Graduation on 2 December. This week will see the presentation

assemblies for Year 8 and 9. These events are always wonderful as we provide public

acknowledgement of the many achievements of our student; be they academic, service and/or

performance. It is always heartening to see the maturity with which our students participate in

these celebrations congratulating others and being confidently compered by students.

On 2 December the 2016 Class of Year 8 joined the school for the day. They worked with their

Care Group teachers and undertook lessons and in orientation program to assist with them

transition into the school. At the end of the day many of the parents and caregivers returned to

the school to see their children and visit the Middle School area where Year 8 students spend

their first year in our school.

On behalf of the staff of Blackwood High School I would like to wish all of our students and

families, along with our community partners, a safe and happy festive season. I hope that the

remainder of 2015 is filled with joy and the unfolding of 2016 brings all the very best.

To the students and families who are leaving our school, I wish you all the very best as you

travel the paths to unfolding futures.

Staff Changes at the End of 2015 The end of the school year brings with it the end of time for some staff due to retirement,

transfer or end of tenure.

This year we have five staff retiring. Collectively these staff have contributed 87 years to

Blackwood High School and 174 years to education.

Mrs Lindy Bartlett has taught at Blackwood High School for 19 years. She

leaves us having contributed 44 years teaching across three states. During

her time at the school Lindy has taught Biology, Physics, Science and

Mathematics. She has been the Year 10 Leader mentoring, supporting and

cajoling many a student as they navigate their final year of the IBMYP, PLP

a d Perso al Proje t. Li d s commitment to each and every student who has been in her

class or for whom she has had responsibility have been the recipients of her love of

learning and her energy. Lindy will leave to pursue travel and time to relax.

Mrs Sandy Dorshorst has been at Blackwood High School since 1996 contributing a total of

thirty two years in public education in South Australia including working at Roxby Downs

Area “ hool. Duri g “a d s ti e at Bla k ood High she has pro ided support to se e principals, undertaken the role to support the International Coordinator and assisted many

teachers particularly in her daily management of reliefs. Sandy has been a

main stay of the school being able to mentor and support teachers and

support staff through her expertise and knowledge about many of the

requirements of the Education Department. The recipients of her calm and

assuring manner have included not only the staff but also students, parents

and visitors to the school. Sandy will leave the school to pursue time with her

gra d hildre , ooki g a d as her hus a d has said Go e Fishi g .

No 12 – 4 December 2015

CALENDAR

Our calendar format in the school newsletter has changed. The calendar dates that used to appear here are now listed on the last page of the newsletter. We have changed the format so that we can include more dates which will assist families in their forward planning.

The Staff at Blackwood High School would like

to wish all of the School Community and their

families Season Greetings and

a safe and happy

holiday.

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

2

Mrs Robyn Fuller joined Blackwood High School in 1989. During that time she worked in the

Resource Centre and witnessed the burgeoning impact of technology in supporting education. She

has undertaken the vital role of electrical testing, endlessly tagging equipment across the school.

“he has assisted stude ts a d tea hers ith the issui g of resour es a d a aged the s hool s archives. When the Performing Arts Centre was opened in 2004, Robyn was responsible for hiring

the facilities to other schools, community members and local organisations. She has demonstrated

a calm manner and rapport with everyone she comes into contact with. Robyn will pursue her community

interest along with cycling and rowing.

Mr Graham Hook leaves Blackwood High School having been the inaugural coordinator of the newly

established Autism Intervention Program in 2013. He has spent 38 years teaching in public schools

with a commitment to supporting students with specific education needs. Graham has a calm

approach to all situations which instills confidence in those who meet him and work with him. He has

had an unwaving commitment to students he works with developing independent living skills as part

of their academic program. He leaves us to pursue travel, photography and time with his family,

particularly his grandchildren.

Ms Sue Wilkinson leaves Blackwood High School having had a teaching career of 46 years of which a

combined 19 years have been at our school over two different times. Most recently Sue has worked

in the Resource Centre. During her teaching time her main area of responsibility was teaching music

including strings, piano and conducting the orchestra. Sue leaves to pursue travel, reading and her

love of horse riding.

On behalf of the education community I would like to acknowledge the outstanding commitment these

five staff have made to Blackwood High. Their impact on the lives of the students and their colleagues will be

ongoing.

Farewell to other staff At this stage of the year we are farewelling a number of staff who have been at Blackwood High School for many

years, this year or part of the year. Some of these staff are moving to other schools or have won leadership positions.

They include:

Ms Chris Bourlioufas, Mr Liam Clarke, Ms Vanessa Crane, Ms Margaret Brockhoff, Mr Brad Cummins, Ms Rachelle de

Fazio, Ms Lee Ann Dunstall, Mr Nic Hurcombe, Mr Aaron Jacquier, Ms Adrienne Kajewski, Ms Laura Packard, Ms

Natalie Reinboth, Dr Rogan Tinsley, Ms Robyn Trebilcock Ms Michelle Zirngast, Mr Terry Patiniotis, Ms Hannah Knight

and Mr Hue Plumtree.

We wish these staff moving to a new school all the very best.

School Security

School holidays pose an increased risk to school property. If anyone sees suspicious behaviour on our school site it

can be reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Police Emergency 131444.

Report & Cambium distribution Semester 2, Term 4 reports will be distributed on Wednesday 9 December. Year 10 and 11 reports can be collected

from the Senior Learning Centre between 9am and 12noon. Year 8 and 9 reports will be distributed at the end of the

school day. Students are only able to collect their own reports. A reminder, that students cannot be given the reports

of others students.

Any reports not collected will be available from Student Services between 8.30am and 3.00pm on 10, 14 to 16

December. Student Services can be accessed via the Front Foyer area.

Forward Planning The Governing Council approved the following Student Free Days for 2016 at the recent meeting on 1 December

TUESDAY 15 MARCH TUESDAY 14 JUNE MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER

The School Closure has been approved for FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER which coincides with the first day of the 2016 Royal

Adelaide Show.

Harassment and Bullying Policy and Procedures At the recent Governing Council meeting the updated Harassment and Bullying Policy and Procedures was approved.

The updated documents have been reviewed and changed based on staff and student feedback. They will be

uploaded to the s hool s e site for the egi i g of the s hool ear.

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

3

Cycling Opportunity Cycling South Australia is offering Year 5 to 9 students the opportunity to undertake training and racing opportunities

at the Criterium Track in Victoria Park on Saturday mornings. Bikes are available for use during training and racing

sessions. Any student interested in this opportunity can email Susan Bassett on susan.bassett@cycling.org.au or ring

0410 336 983 or Peter MacDonald on sa.ceo@cylcing.org.au

Marion Coady, Principal

BLACKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL HIGH ACHIEVERS Congratulations to Bethan Mounfield in Year 9 who competed in the Swimming at the Australian

Short Course National Championships in Sydney from 23 to 27 November 2015.

Congratulations to Branden Penn in Year 9. Branden started learning karate at about 10 years of

age, achieving a brown belt (two below black) before his interest in kick boxing led him to Muay

Thai. He travelled to Thailand with his family during August this year to compete in the Muay Thai

World Titles, in which he achieved third place in his age category. He followed up with a second

place in the Australian National Titles in Queensland during October. Remarkable achievements

indeed! To compete so successfully at such a high level requires a great deal of discipline, hard work,

and talent. Branden estimates that he typically trains for about 10 hours each week.

Congratulations Branden and best wishes for all your future endeavours!

MATERIAL AND SERVICES CHARGE POLL All of our 743 families were posted information and voting slips about making the 2016 Material and Services Charge

legally recoverable. Thank you to the 51 families who returned their votes.

The result was in favour of making our $800 Material and Services Charge 2016 legally recoverable.

Michael Tlauka, Chair of Governing Council

SCHOOL FEES I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those families that have paid their school charges or are continuing to

make instalments.

At this time of year we have students getting ready to move on to different aspects of their lives whether university,

apprenticeship, hospitality or sales or other education.

All school fees and any other associated payments need to be finalised prior to the end of the year for students

completing their education at Blackwood High School.

You will receive a final statement for the year for any outstanding amounts due in the post in the coming week.

Please ensure that all your payments have been applied as I have one family that have been paying via our bank

account with no name attached. If you think this may be you, please contact Sharna on 8278 0929.

We would like to wish your child every success for the future and we hope they have enjoyed the experience of

attending Blackwood High school.

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year.

Sharna Granpre-Moliere, Senior Finance Officer

ADELAIDE METRO FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER Adelaide Metro has advised the school that if any students will be at school on Friday 11 December, buses will be

coming at 12 noon.

YEAR 8 PANEL PRESENTATIONS As part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Blackwood High School, all Year 8 students

prepare a formal presentation about what, why and how they learn. We held this ear s prese tatio s on Monday 7

December.

Ea h pa el i ludes a Care Group tea her, other Bla k ood High “ hool staff a d stude ts fa il e ers. This year we have a wide range of guest panellists, including former staff members as well as representatives of Rotary,

local and state government.

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

4

WOODHOUSE ACTIVITY DAY On Wednesday 25

November, the Year 9

Netball class had an

activity day at the

Woodhouse Activity

Centre in Piccadilly. It

was a fantastic day,

with great weather

and great spirits.

There were three

different activities

that the girls participated in across the day, all aiming to challenge or

engage them in different ways. Challenge Hill was a fun team obstacle course, where we had to move as a group

through some challenging obstacles such as the Mouse Trap and the

River Crossing. Laser Skirmish was an activity where the girls were

split into two teams and competed through a lush forest area with

lots of places to hide, while kitted out with laser guns fighting for

each team. The last activity was Frisnet Golf, which as the name

suggests was a combination of Frisbee and golf, which was a nice

a ti it to fi ish o as it as t as fast a pace as the previous two. It

was a great day out doing a different style of team bonding and it

was a very enjoyable way to finish off the year in the netball

program.

Laura Packard, Netball Program Manager

WHOLE SCHOOL REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie were murdered in Sarajevo, Austria by Gavrilo

Pri ip, o e of the se e assassi s ho o prised the “er ia separatist group, The Bla k Ha d . This triggered World War I, a horrific war that lasted four years and caused over 38

million causalities, both military and civilian. On 11 November at 11 am,

the guns stopped firing. The war was over. People ran into the streets

dancing, drinking champagne and hailing the peace.

On 11 November 2015 Blackwood High School commemorated

Australia s efforts i World War I, ears o . The Asse l as hosted by Cooper Goss and Eleana Willmott. Students Emily Crump,

Charlotte Meldrum, Kabilan Venkatasalam, Adam Turner and Leia Glenn

talked a out the auses of World War I, Australia s o it e t to the Allied war effort and the

events around Armistice

Day. After the students

spoke of World War I, the

Last Post was played and

there as a i ute s sile e to re e er the falle soldiers.

“I thi k that Re e ra e Day is i redi ly i porta t as we remember the fallen Australian soldiers and the history of World War

I, said o e stude t. A other stude t oted that The last post, which is played at every

Remembrance Day ceremony, has great significance to Australians as

it gives us time to reflect on the efforts of the soldiers who enlisted and

gave their lives to protect our country and to fight for what was right.

Charlotte Thomson and Tayla Rosewarne-Reece, Year 10 Students

Cooper and Eleana hosts of the Assembly

Charlotte spoke about the enthusiasm of young Australian men to enlist

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

5

AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION In July Blackwood High School participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition, sponsored by the

Commonwealth Bank. This was a voluntary competition with 39 students participating, with excellent results from

our students. The students below received their certificates in Term 4 for achieving distinctions and credits, the

remaining students acquired proficiency and participation certificates.

Distinction

Alina Tairli – Year 8 Noah Osmond – Year 8 Ca ero O Co ell – Year 9

Credit

Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

Joshua Campbell-Rage Jai Brown William Bae Jaimee Bruer James Herriman

Jude Hunter Allaina-Jean Chadwick Natsu Endo Ian Douglas Lachlan Hunt

Alexander Lauritsen Misa Hirahara Hugh Limbert Emily Lauritsen

Cameron Rowley Jing Zhan Lim

Tyler Petersen-Dix

Kingsley Rosman

Cassandra Shannon

Amilga Sunarko

Fedor Tairli

Yaqi Wei

Proficient Certificate

Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

Renjana Al-Haq Toby Edwards Michael Bes Nathaniel Ramesh

Muhammaad Hamiludin Jaidyn Maidment Martin Nachazel

Jules Marjanac Aishwarya Manumari

Zane Millington Eddy Tse

Giordan Staines

Anna Tulloch

Olivia Wheeler

An achievement by all the students who participated was to demonstrate great

understanding with many problem solving situations that were required to test a

high-order of thinking.

Congratulations to Alina Tairli for receiving the highest award for Blackwood High

School that was presented at Glenunga High School in November. Well done

Rachelle De Fazio, Mathematics teacher and Amanda Aulert, Leader Mathematics

SPORTS NEWS Year 8/9 and Year 10 Beach Volleyball Carnival On Monday 16 November and Wednesday 18

November Blackwood High School went to Glenelg

Beach for the annual Year 8/9 and Year 10 Beach

Volleyball Carnivals respectively. Over the two days

we were represented by a total of 12 teams and 75

students who competed in a round robin competition

leading to finals. We had some great success with a

lot of our teams making it deep into the finals of their

competition. Our students represented the school

with outstanding sportsmanship and overall both

days were a success and all staff and students

involved had a fantastic time.

Liam Clarke, Sports Officer

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

6

YEAR 10 GRADUATION EVENING – CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS On Wednesday evening 2 December at Blackwood Hills Baptist Church, approximately three hundred students,

parents and families, invited guests and staff celebrated the Year 10 Graduation.

At Blackwood High School Year 10 Graduation marks the transition from the IBMYP to the SACE, from adolescence to

young adulthood, and from school based to SACE and VET accredited learning and assessment. The program

commenced with Kobe Cavouras reading the Acknowledgement of Country and showcased the achievements and

talents of our Year 10 cohort. Student presenters Ethan Keen, Kaitie Harris, Yoshua Aranibar Sabag, Kelly Whitehead,

Ryan Williams and Imogen Deller-Evans brilliantly hosted the evening. Musical items were performances by Yoshua

Aranibar Sabag, Natalie Macarthur and Amelia Watson; Hot Coffee – Cooper Goss, Dylan Stewart and Cameron

Crawshaw accompanied by Mr Ben Dening; and Artisan Rabbits Ryan Williams, Jackson Pagett and Chris Williams a

Year 12. Valedictory speeches, which shared some amusing insights into student life as a Year 10 student at

Blackwood High School, were given by River Moore and Hiromi Hill.

Dozens of students had their opportunity to be in the spotlight as they were awarded Subject Awards, IBMYP

Recognition Certificates and Personal Project Merit Awards. Every student was presented with a Graduation

Certificate by Care Group teachers. The evening culminated with the announcement of the special award winners

listed below.

Wednesday evening also provided an opportunity for the Year 10 students to officially

farewell me (Lindy Bartlett, the Year 10 Leader) as I retire from teaching this year, and

for this, I sincerely thank you.

We were pleased to be joined by so many family members to celebrate the emerging

skills, talents and achievements of this wonderful group of young people.

Finally, I would like to say THANK YOU to the Blackwood High School community – past

and present over these last 19 years. It has been both a privilege and pleasure as a

teacher to have accompanied so very many students on part of their lifelong learning journey. All the very best in

your future endeavours.

Lindy Bartlett, Year 10 Level Leader - Physics, Biology, IBMYP Science Teacher

SPECIAL AWARDS

Student Name Award

Ella Burton Rotary

Isobel Stolinski Magarey Shield

James La Vanda Australian Defence Force – Long Tan

River Moore Sports

Hiromi Hill Sports

Hiromi Hill Year 10 Dux 2015

YEAR 10 SUBJECT AWARDS

Student Name Subject

Martin Nachazel Advanced Production Technology

Grace Williams Child Studies

Rosalind Stafford Dance

Yoshua Aranibar Sabag Design

Martin Nachazel Electrotechnology

Amelia Watson English

Charlotte Thomson Food Technology

Thomas Brown Football

Hattie Waters German

Ella Burton Girls and Physical Activity

River Moore Health and Physical Education

Molly McCarthy Humanities

Phan Min Duc Nguyen Intensive Secondary English Course (ISEC)

Amelia Needs Japanese

Cameron Crawshaw Materials Technology

Martin Nachazel Mathematics

Martin Nachazel Mathematics Extension Lindy Bartlett collected for James La Vanda who

was in Africa with the World Challenge team

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

7

Yoshua Aranibar Sabag Music

Kelly Whitehead Netball

Natsu Endo Photography

Hiromi Hill Science

Martin Nachazel Science Extension

Matthew Walton Specialist Physical Education

Daniel Elliott Sports Studies

Thomas Brown Visual Art - 2D

Ella Burton Visual Art - Craft

Bailey Dyer World Challenge

Craig Meharry 2015 Vocational Education and Training

Hiromi Hill Stage 1 English Communications

Jaehoon Bae Stage 1 Mathematical Studies

Taaid Falah Arts Factor 1st Prize

Jackson Pagett Arts Factor 1st Prize

Ryan Williams Arts Factor 1st Prize

Mitcham Hills College IBMYP Graduates

Emily Coleman Cooper Goss Lindsey Green Ainal Hasna Hiromi Hill

Olivia Jaensch Robyn Meyer Amelia Needs Hattie Waters

IB Personal Project Merit Awards

Thomas Brown Imogen Deller-Evans Bailey Dyer Hiromi Hill

Nina Lombardi Hayley Sutter Hattie Waters

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

8

YEAR 11 PRESENTATION ASSEMBLY It was wonderful to see all our talented and enthusiastic students congregate in the Performing Arts Centre to

ele rate the a hie e e ts of . This ear s Prese tatio Asse l as hosted our “tude t ‘eprese tati es Kate Westphalen, Nathaniel Ramesh a d Ma a Tlauka. The asse l ega ith a re ou t of the “‘C s a hie e e ts and focus on school improvement, building leadership skills and participating in action research into positive

education and what it can mean for students. Our SRC, with the support of Ms Buesnel, raised funds for various

organisations that raise awareness for Salvation Army, Oxfam, Brain Cancer research and World Vision, with the

assistance of Sam Thomson.

We would like to congratulate all our award recipients and thank the various community groups including The Lions

Club and The Rotary Club of Blackwood who have supported Blackwood High School. This year The Lions Bursary

Awards were presented to Shahin Javadifar and India Plummer. Both of these students have shown perseverance and

dedication to their studies and other aspects of their school life.

The Rotary Award was presented to Kate Westphalen in recognition of her dedication and active role as the Vice

President of the SRC and academic achievements.

A long standing award at our school is The Winn Award and was presented to Nathaniel Ramesh for his academic

achievements and service to both the school and the community.

Congratulations to Maya Tlauka the Year 11 Dux of 2015, who achieved the highest outstanding level of academic

achievements on all subjects assessed over the four terms in Biology, Chemistry, English Studies, German, History and

Research Project.

Congratulations to the following students who have shown outstanding Academic Achievement in the subject areas.

Mary Hodson, Assistant Principal Senior School

Student Name Major Awards

Hinako Igarashi International Student farewell

Yuya Suzuki International Student farewell

Isaac Jurecky Sports

Victoria Nicholls Sports

Nikki Schwarz Vocational Student of the Year

Kai Bain ASBA Student of the Year

Shahin Javadifar Lions Bursary

India Plummer Lions Bursary

Kate Westphalen Rotary

Nathaniel Ramesh Winn Medal

Maya Tlauka Year 11 Dux 2015

Year 11 Subject Awards

Student Name Subject Student Name Subject

Jordan Kervers Advanced Technologies Skye Jepps Visual Art

Tahlia Harrison Child Studies Adrian Hammer Workplace Practices

Chantelle Fey Dance Abbey Hutton Japanese

Aimee Magallon Design Abbey Hutton Netball

Brenda Chigwidden Drama Emily Lauritsen Physics

Haiying Liang English as a Second Language Emily Lauritsen Specialist Maths

Hiromi Hill English Communications Nathaniel Ramesh Business & Enterprise

Chloe Shearer Food & Hospitality Nathaniel Ramesh Legal Studies

Josh Buckney Furniture Construction Mitchell Smith Football

Melissa Pisano Health Mitchell Smith Physical Education

Kynan Saurbrey IPP Electro-Technology Maya Tlauka Biology

Jarred Clarke Mathematical Applications Maya Tlauka Chemistry

Jaehoon Bae Mathematical Studies Maya Tlauka English Studies

Nicholas Congedi Music Maya Tlauka German

Erin Hegarty Photography Maya Tlauka History

Erin Hegarty Psychology Maya Tlauka Research Project

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

9

This past year may have caused sleepless nights, high stress levels and a few tears. Year 11 has been a big step up from Year 10, some people even say that this is the biggest leap we will have to take in high school. But in my opinion Year 11 has definitely been the best year so far.

We started off this year by making our way for an Orientation Day at Flinders University which would begin the stream of many conversations regarding our futures. A future which is getting closer, but for now let us focus on this year brought the i trodu tio of the stud li e; a o elt hi h I do t thi k ore off. Of ourse for many it was a time that we told ourselves we were going to use for studying and staying on top of our work. Congratulations to anyone who achieved this consistently throughout the year. This year also brought about our first taste

of proper e a s, hi h I ot goi g to talk a out a further due to ot a ti g to trigger any possible Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So while this year has come with its ups a d do s, it s i porta t to re e er hat e ha e a hie ed, o atter how small.

It s at this ti e I supposed to share a ute a e dote a out the ear e are a out to embark on, after some well needed holidays of course. Some quote that will summarise the stress, pressure and excitement we will feel throughout the year. The harsh truth there is no quote. Nothing will summarise next year, until we finish next year. For some of you, next year will be your final year of formal education, for some it will be the last puzzle piece before going to university. Next year will be a time of many lasts, but many firsts. For some it will be the first formal we attend, or for some it will be their last. We finally get to become the big kids of the school again, for the first ti e i fi e ears. We ll e perie e the last da of high s hool, hi h ill e o erl

celebrated until we realise we have some major studying to do. The truth of the matter is there will be nothing quite like Year 12, so breathe in and enjoy every last minute.

Despite how often we blame our teachers for all the work we receive, and how many times we are convinced they are all working together to make that sure all pieces of work are due in the same week, it is important that we thank them putting up with us. So thank you to all the teachers who helped us through this year and helped us to start preparing for the next. But I think the most important people to acknowledge today is us, the students, because we did it. We made it through another year, we may have shed some tears and lost our minds at times along the way, but now it is over and we can look forward to a nice long holidays.

So enjoy your holidays, have a good Christmas and we will see you next year.

Emma Roberts, Eleana Willmott and Emily Lauritsen, Year 11 students

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

10

YEAR 6 CLUSTER SPORTS DAY On Friday 20 November Blackwood High School hosted

the annual Year 6 Cluster Sports Day. A total of 260

Year 6 students from our feeder schools, Belair,

Blackwood, Hawthorndene, Bellevue Heights,

Coromandel Valley and Eden Hills Primary School,

attended the day. The day was run by the Blackwood

High School Physical Education staff and Blackwood

High School students who showed outstanding

leadership in their roles. A number of sporting activities

were conducted with students from the Specialist Football and Netball programs hosting

stations as well as a number of other activities including badminton, table tennis, World

Challenge, Ultimate Frisbee, Tennis, T-ball, Volleyball and Dance. The focus for the day was

for students to have fun while being physically active in a range of sporting and

recreational activities. The 100 Blackwood High School students who volunteered their

time to help out on the day were a credit to themselves and great ambassadors for

Blackwood High School. The day provided a fantastic opportunity for the primary students

to work in a different setting with peers

from a variety of schools. We look forward

to hosting the event again in 2016.

Glen Little and Liam Clarke

YEAR 9 PRODUCTION: THE SEVEN DEADLY TEENAGE SINS The Seven Deadly Teenage Sins, performed by the Year 9 Drama class on Wednesday 25 November, was conceived

after dis ussio ith stude ts a out the origi al se e deadl si s as part of our resear h i to Medie al Theatre. “tude ts de ised a d polished s e es that ere the ost popular i the group a d dee ed to e the ost si ful , much to the amusement of their teenage audience. Congratulations to the cast for their fine ideas, amazing ensemble

work and skilful performances.

Brigitte Esvelt, Drama Teacher

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

11

NETBALL SA IS RUNNING AN INTENSIVE ANZ NETSETGO

When: Tues 15, Wed 16 and Thur17 Dec From: 9:30 - 11:30am At: Priceline Stadium 155 Railway Tce,

Mile End SA Weblink: https://netball.resultsvault.com/common/pages/noauth/olregstart.aspx?type=6&entityid=66277&fl=1&id=15671 Netball SA is running School Holiday Clinics When: 19 & 20 January At: Priceline Stadium 155 Railway Tce,

Mile End SA Time and date vary dependant upon the participants age. Weblink: http://sa.netball.com.au/netball-sa-school-holiday-clinics/

Are you the parent of a school aged child with a disability?

IF SO, MINDA NEEDS YOU! Minda is looking for participants to be involved in a market research project to understand more about the needs and desires of people with a disability and their families and to inform the design of future services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to support Australians with a significant and permanent disability. The NDIS will mean access to supports for anyone who has, or might acquire, a disability.

The NDIS gives people with a disability more choice and control over how, when and where their supports are provided, and gives them certainty the ll re ei e the support the eed o er their lifetime.

Developing services for the future is a critical goal to ensure that people with disability can access supports that enable them to fulfil their goals and aspirations and the outcomes they require to live full and valued lives within their communities.

At Minda we are transitioning to the NDIS and to do this successfully, we want to better understand the support needs of various groups, what these groups are looking for from a service provider and what new services might be required.

All interviews will be conducted by an external research provider and you will not be identified in the research report. All responses will be kept confidential.

If you are interested and available to be involved during the week commencing 7 December 2015, please get in touch with Disability Choices on 84666244 to register your interest.

NEWSLETTER NO. 12 – 4 December 2015

12

BLACKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL CALENDAR Term 4 2015 Diary Dates

DATE EVENT TIME

Dec 7 Year 8 Panel Presentations (by appointment) 8:00am - 4:15pm

Dec 7 Year 9 Curriculum Activities 8.40am – 3.10pm

Dec 8 Year 8 & 9 Curriculum Activities 8.40am – 3.10pm

Dec 9 Year 8 & 9 Curriculum Activities & Presentation Assemblies 8.40am – 3.10pm

Dec 11 Year 8 & 9 students dismissed at 12:00 noon

Term 1 2016 Diary Dates

DATE EVENT TIME

Feb 1 School commences

Feb 5 Whole School Orientation Day

Feb 8 Year 8 Pool Day (Unley Pool)

Feb 10 SACE (Year 11 & 12) Parent Information Evening 7:00pm

Feb 16 Year 9 & 10 Parent Information Evening 7:00pm

Feb 16 Finance Advisory Committee Meeting 7:00pm

Feb 18 Year 8 Sports Day

Feb 23 Governing Council Meeting 7:00pm

Feb 22 Whole School Assembly (Student Leaders Induction) 11.55am

Feb 24 Year 8 Acquaintance & Information Evening 7:00pm

Mar 4 Whole School Athletics Carnival

Mar 8 Governing Council Annual General Meeting 7:00pm

Mar 14 PUBLIC HOLIDAY – Adelaide Cup

Mar 15 Student Free Day

Mar 21 Open Night 4:30 – 7:30pm

Mar 25 PUBLIC HOLIDAY – Good Friday

Mar 28 PUBLIC HOLIDAY – Easter Monday

Apr 13 Parent / Teacher Interviews & report distribution 1:30 – 8:00pm

Apr 15 Last day Term 1

AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS New arrangements for 16 and 17 year old

applicants

The Australian Government recently introduced

legislation that affects 16 and 17 year old passport

applicants.

From 1 January 2016, child applicants aged 16 and 17

will be issued with 10 year passports instead of the 5

year ones currently issued to children under 18.

Parental consent will still be required.

16 and 17 year old applicants must still be accompanied

by their parent or a person with parental responsibility

when lodging passport applications. The application fee

will be the same as for adults, reflecting the longer

validity of the passport to be issued.

Contact: The Australian Passport Information Service

on: 131 232.

Living Well with Asthma This session provides information on What is Asthma? Learn about the symptoms and triggers, assessing asthma control, how to manage asthma with an Asthma Action Plan, medications and devices and how to use them and what to do in an asthma emergency. Presented by the Asthma Foundation SA. When: Wednesday 20 January 2016 10.00 – 11.30am Where: Marion Cultural Centre – Sturt Room Cost: Free Bookings essential 8375 6785 or online at www.marion.sa.gov.au