Term 1 | Week 10 | 4 April 2019 From the Principal

It is hard to believe that it is almost the end of Term 1, 2019 Governing Council and what a term it has been! The Governing Council Annual General Meeting We began the year with a clear message to students (AGM) was held on Tuesday 5 March. At this about excellence - excellence in learning, excellence in meeting the 2018 Annual Report was presented achievement, excellence in all that we do. and endorsed. This report is now available on the school website, along with the 2019 – 2021 School Across the term, teachers have supported students to Improvement Plan which the Governing Council achieve excellence (their personal best) by providing endorsed earlier this year. feedback about learning and strategies to improve student skills, knowledge and understandings. In week It was wonderful to have new parents/caregivers five, ‘traffic light data’ was collected for each student attend the AGM and nominate to join the Governing as part of our tracking and monitoring of student Council, as well as other parents/caregivers progress. This process assists us to identify early in the nominating for another tenure. Congratulations to year students ‘on track’ with learning and those who the following parents/caregivers elected to join the require intervention and support. This data was shared Governing Council for a two-year tenure: individually with students and they were supported Di Edwards to reflect on their progress and set learning goals for Catherine Elliott further development/improvement. Year Level Teams Dan Johnson followed up students whose progress was identified Helen Keen as concerning and parents/caregivers were informed Megan Resch of intervention strategies to support improvement. Russell Scutchings Michael Shanahan Mid-Semester 1 reports will be given to students on Jacinta Walton Friday to bring home to share with parents/caregivers. I would expect that there are ‘no surprises’ in the Thank you to the following parents/caregivers who reports as students should be aware of their progress will continue on the Governing Council for one more and achievements across the term and (hopefully) year: have kept their parents/caregivers informed. Parents/ Melissa Brown caregivers can also monitor their child’s learning, Gerald Westbrook progress and achievement through the Daymap Also, congratulations to parents/caregivers elected Parent Portal. as Office Bearers for the Governing Council. We Next week parents/caregivers and students will greatly appreciate their willingness to take on these have the opportunity to discuss student learning roles to enable the effective functioning of the and achievement at the Student/Parent/Teacher Governing Council. Conferences which will be from 1.30pm on Tuesday 9 • Di Edwards – Chairperson April and Thursday 11 April. Information about how to • Michael Shanahan – Deputy Chairperson book conferences with your child’s teachers is included • Russell Scutchings – Treasurer/ Assistant Secretary in the report package. I strongly encourage students to • Dan Johnson - Secretary attend with their parents/caregivers so they actively Finally, on behalf of the Blackwood High School participate in the conversation about their learning community, thank you to retiring Governing Council and contribute to strategies that will further support members Sarah Tucker, Michael Clark and Bertram them to be successful and achieve excellence, their Ostendorf, for their service and support of our personal best. wonderful school. Department for Education Strategic Plan and 2019 Action Plan The Department for Education Chief Executive, Rick Persse, launched the new Strategic Plan and the 2019 Action Plan at the Department’s Leaders Day held on Monday 25 February. The key vision is to build a world- class education system in South Australia within 10 years and the Achievement and Growth for every child in every class and in every school. A key area of focus is Challenging Learning with School Improvement, Learning Design, Assessment and Moderation and Literacy and Numeracy identified as key drivers. There is a strong correlation between the Department’s key actions and the actions identified in our Improvement Plan to lift student learning and achievement at Blackwood High School. Please take the time to read the Department’s plans at the link below. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/department/about-department/strategic-plan Student Free Day The first Student Free Day to support our Improvement Goals was held on Friday 8 March. The day focused on Goal 2, in particular writing, with the following expected outcomes: • Identify and list the structural and language features of one or two learning specific genres • Use the Elements of Quality Assessment Task Design to create/reinvent quality assessment task(s), which foreground one or two key assessment genres • Develop quality models of writing in one or two specific assessment genres at a level that students are aspiring to – IB Grade 7/8. Teaching staff appreciated having significant time to work in curriculum teams to focus on ‘the doing’. This enabled teams to work through the expectations for the day so that staff have a better understanding of key subject specific genres, their structure and features. We will continue to progress this work next term through curriculum meetings. Our next Student Free Day will be on Tuesday 11 June. This day will focus on Collaborative Moderation and our teachers will work with teachers from Mitcham Girls High School, Unley High School, Urrbrae Agricultural High School and Springbank Secondary College. Open Night The school’s annual Open Night was held on Monday 18 March. Approximately 750 people visited the school to view our facilities and learn about what we offer and deliver at Blackwood High School. With the enrolment of Year 7 students to high school in 2022, there was an increase in the number of families with younger children visiting. The evening was very successful with lots of positive feedback from our visitors. A special thank you to our student tour guides and assistants who were such wonderful ambassadors for the school. Principal Tours At Blackwood High School, we conduct regular Principal Tours across the year. These tours provide an opportunity for families to see the school ‘in action’. The first tour was held on Tuesday 26 March and the next opportunity is Tuesday 9 April. Future dates can be found on our website at https://www.bhs.sa.edu. au/upcoming-events/principal-tours/. Please contact the school to book in on a tour. Finally, thank you to our wonderful staff for their efforts to support our students to be successful this term. I wish students and teaching staff a relaxing break, and I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter. Sharon Goldman, Principal 2 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Pedal Prix The Governing Council are seeking interest from parents/caregivers who are keen to form a sub-committee to help establish a Pedal Prix team at Blackwood High School. This sub-committee will be looking into what is needed for a team to be set up, including understanding the participation requirements, vehicle and trailer purchase, structure of the team, and what supports will be needed for the team to move forward into the sport. Previous experience in Pedal Prix will be helpful, but not necessary. Please contact Gerald Westbrook on 0451 013 210 to register your interest. School Uniform Thank you to parents/caregivers for your support of the Blackwood High School uniform. There has been a considerable improvement this year, particularly concerning the wearing of black shoes.

As we approach the cooler months of the year I ask that families ensure their children have correct winter uniform in readiness for the new school term. Acknowledging that it can be very cold at Blackwood, and the need to ‘layer up’ to keep warm, we have introduced a green woollen jumper, a long sleeve polo and a water proof winter jacket. These items are available from our uniform supplier, Devon Clothing.

Sharon Goldman, Principal Bullying No Way Blackwood High School stands together During a very busy start to the year, Year 11 Peer Support Leaders delivered anti-bullying messages across Year 8 classes and also at a Year 9 Assembly to coincide with The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

Peer Support students worked with students identifying the different types of bullying and demonstrated safe and effective bystander interventions in a bullying scenario and a short video, Stand Up, Stand Strong, The Consequence of Words. The purpose was to encourage students to explore their own behaviour when it comes to witnessing bullying and speak out when you feel safe to do so.

Student Reflections When you are an active bystander you feel like you are helping the person that is bullied. You should block communication with people who harass others online and tell someone you trust. Jack Keen, Year 8 student

A world without bullying is peaceful and kind and nobody is hurt. Students should not provide a supportive audience for the person who is doing the bullying. Maksim Maclean, Year 8 student

Isabella Stephens and Scarlett Partridge Powell, Year 11 Students 3 Blackwood High School high achievers • Congratulations to Olivia Wheeler in Year 12 who has been chosen in the SA Track Cycling Team which competed in the National Track Championships in Brisbane from 28 March to 7 April. • Congratulations to Jamilla Hartogh-Jennings in Year 9 who participated in the 24th Annual Flagstaff Gift Athletics Carnival on 2 March. Jamilla placed first in the Girls U18 70m final. This is Jamilla’s second sash of a very successful first season running pro’s, with the first being won at the Brighton Gift 2018 U14 120m. • Congratulations to Jacob Koop in Year 10 who represented South Australia in the National Junior Track Cycling Championships held in Brisbane from 25 March to 1 April. • Congratulations to Olivia Smith in Year 11 who made her debut in the SANFL Women’s Football Competition on Saturday 23 March at Norwood Football Ground, playing for West Adelaide. Olivia is a member of the school’s Special Interest Football class. She is pictured with Rachelle Martin (top right) who won the 2018 Best and Fairest for the SANFLW and presented Olivia’s jumper to her. • Congratulations to Tyson Dyer and Taine Mitchell in Year 11 who have been selected to represent South Australia in the National U/18s Basketball Tournament held in Townsville, Queensland from 11 to 19 April. Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday 9 April and Thursday 11 April, during the last week of Term 1. We encourage all students to participate in the discussion about their learning as part of the Conference process. Conference times will be available from 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm. You should have already received an email with details for parents/caregivers to book appointments. Term 1 reports will be sent home with students on Friday 5 April along with further information on Student/ Parent/Teacher Conferences. We anticipate that digital copies of reports will be published in Daymap on Thursday 4 April. We wish to remind parents/caregivers that students will be dismissed at 12:50 pm on Tuesday 9 April and Thursday 11 April, to accommodate Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences. We understand that early dismissal causes difficulty for some families who require their children to be supervised until 3:10 pm. Students who remain at school will be supervised by teachers, who are not required for interviews, to undertake personal study. Please note that school bus times will remain unchanged. Parents/caregivers can make appointments using the Parent Teacher Online (PTO) booking system found on www.bhs.sa.edu.au under the Portals tab. Parents/caregivers needing assistance to book appointments are able to call Student Wellbeing Centre on 8278 0900 or 8278 0970. A positive partnership between parents/caregivers, teachers and students is vital in supporting your child’s learning. We thank you in anticipation for meeting with subject and Care Group teacher(s) to support your child’s academic progress. Mark Flynn, Assistant Principal Information Systems, Learning Technologies and School Operations

4 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Harmony Day Harmony Day was celebrated last week. The message of Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’. It’s a day to celebrate Australia’s diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home and provides a great opportunity for students to learn that not only do they share common ground with other cultures, but also that our differences make Australia a special place to live. Students in the Watercolour Wednesday Club explored themes of cultural diversity through painting and drawing while the Year 11 Peer Support students created ’orange emojis’ to make a visible gesture of inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. The Resource Centre also got in the spirit with their own wall for Harmony Day.

Johanna Moore and Kelsey Murrin, Year 11 students

Year 8 and 9 update Week 9 saw our Year 8 students head off to camp at the Woodhouse Activity Centre where there was lots of excitement and fun to be had by all. The students got to experience activities ranging from survival to orienteering to tube sliding, and of course the favourite Challenge Hill. At night, students participated in “Win-it-in-a- Minute” and a quiz. The camp provided students with opportunities to further connect with others in their Care Group as well as form bonds with students from other Care Groups. We had our first four Care Groups leave Blackwood High School on Monday morning; our fingers were crossed the rain would stop. Tuesday morning our other four Care Groups headed off for camp. Congratulations to 8A for winning the quiz on Monday night and 8H winning the quiz on Tuesday night. A highlight for many students (and staff) included Ms Renee Daish’s spectacular attempt at a water crossing. We will have more about Year 8 camp in the next newsletter.

Sue Richards, Assistant Principal Middle School

The Year 8 camp to Woodhouse was a really great experience for all students. The activities we did were having a go at Challenge Hill, the tube slide, orienteering, a team building session, being educated on survival, a night walk around the grounds, Care Group vs Care Group games and activities and a quiz night. The things we learnt about surviving in nature were greatly beneficial and enjoyable to do, but most people’s favourite was Challenge Hill. All up, this camp was a great experience in a wonderful and historical area.

Maisie Hempel and Anna Twining, Year 8 students

5 While the Year 8 students have been working on preparing for camp, the Year 9 students have been hard at work analysing their own data sets which has helped them learn more about themselves as a learner. They have been using this data to set learning goals for themselves, identifying their areas of strength and areas they would like to improve. These goals have included a literacy, a numeracy and an organisational goal. This is work we will be revisiting during the year to enable students to monitor their own progress and identify challenges for themselves. The other area we have been working on is students taking ownership of their learning communities and working on how they would like these spaces to look. Students will have the opportunity to continue with this work during the year. We would like to thank all of the families who supported us with our Hot Cross Bun fundraiser.

Sue Richards, Assistant Principal Middle School Nunga Tag On Wednesday 6 March five of our Aboriginal students attended the Annual Nunga Tag Carnival heldat Christies Beach High School. Our students joined with Hallett Cove School to create a team of eight. The Blackwood High School students took on the challenge of playing with a group unknown to them. They played in the sunshine and even in the rain.

Stalls of fruit, books, healthcare needs, and University and TAFE options were taken advantage of. Some of our students even managed to get a few tattoos, of the glitter glue variety.

Thank you to our Aboriginal Secondary Education Transition Officer, Dannielle Flynn, and our Principal, Sharon Goldman, for helping to organise and provide transport to the event. A massive thank you must also go to the Nunga Tag organising group and Christies Beach High School for the use of their ovals.

Renee Daish, Aboriginal Education Teacher

6 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Year 10 update There has been a lot happening during this term and I can’t believe that it is nearly over. The Year 10 students have settled well into the year and most are starting to form some strong learning habits that will serve them well as they move into the Senior School next year. We have also had a busy term in Care Group with students getting their heads around the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) requirements. Below is a bit of a summary of what has been happening in Year 10 and what is coming up:

Sekseed Sam Ghamwari has completed the first workshop of the Sekseed Program with all of the Year 10 students. This workshop was titled ‘The Seeds to Success’ and focused on strategies for students to change their current state at any given time into a more productive state. He also explored the notion that failure = feedback and encouraged the students to take risks and give things a go, knowing that failing provides a great learning experience.

Sam’s next workshop is called ‘Me, Myself and I’ and has kicked off this week. In this workshop he will be getting students to focus on what they want from life and putting plans in place to get where they want to be. The Sekseed program will run with the Year 10 students through to the end of May.

Save a Life Parent Information Session We had 20 parents/caregivers attend the information session on 27 March where Darren from the Save a Life Driver Education Program discussed what to expect when their child gets their Learners Permit.

Darren went through what it is to be a good driving supervisor for our Learner driver children, how to choose a good driving instructor and how to select a car that will keep our children safe. He also outlined what he will be going through with our students when he runs sessions at the school later in the year.

It was a really valuable session for the parents/caregivers involved and will hopefully go a long way towards keeping our children safe as they take to the roads in the next year.

PLP The tasks set for PLP1 are all due on 8 April. The tasks range from exploring the SACE Capabilities, setting short and long term goals and exploring safe workplace practices.

I have placed a checklist for students on Daymap that has a brief reminder about the requirement of each task so they can check what they have completed and what they need to complete by 8 April.

If you or your child have any questions then please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Care Group Teacher.

7 Work Experience Hopefully students have been busy securing a work experience placement for Week 8 in Term 2. We have had plenty of questions and lots of students excitedly telling us where they will be doing their placement, which has been great. The date for getting the Work Experience Placement Agreement form back to the Student Wellbeing Centre is Friday 3 May. This allows us to do the necessary risk assessments so that all is in place for Work Experience Week. Just a reminder that the forms can be found by going to www.blackwoodhighcareers. com, clicking on the ‘Workplace Learning’ tab and selecting ‘Required Documents’.

Ashley Robinson, Leader, Year 10

Year 11 and 12 update During the latter half of this term, students have been discussing the importance of careful planning, effective study habits (including homework) and keeping up with assessments. A key ongoing success will be your child’s willingness to communicate with teachers in a timely and open manner. This is particularly important when due dates for tasks are approaching and when extra assistance might be needed. Students consistently not submitting work by the due date run the risk of receiving a failing grade, or potentially not completing a subject. For Year 11 students, this can then have an impact on their ability to choose subjects in Year 12. For Year 12 students, this can impact a student’s ATAR, TAFE Selection or SACE Completion.

Parents are able to check deadlines, student progress and attendance through Daymap. If you are unsure of how to proceed, please contact the school via your child’s Care Group teacher for further information.

Student Drivers / Passengers Please ensure that your child has completed the appropriate forms if they are now driving to and from school. Additionally, if your child is a passenger in other students’ vehicles, please also ensure they have completed the ‘Passenger’ form. Both of these forms are compulsory and help the school to meet our duty of care requirements to your child.

Luke Northcote, Leader, Year 11 and 12 8 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Stage 1 and 2 Child Studies

The Stage 1 and 2 Child Studies classes have been busy this term working closely with one of the reception classes from Blackwood Primary School – Sacha Uern (Room 14). We visited our buddies at Blackwood Primary School on three occasions, getting to know the children, with a focus on observing the children’s cognitive abilities. The Stage 1 students engaged the children in identifying an image they would like to print on edible icing for their cupcakes. The Stage 1 class then worked with the primary students to create the image the primary student wanted; this included photos of the child’s art work, photos of friends and images from the Internet. The end result was stunning and, during a visit to the high school, the primary school children enjoyed the ability to place their printed icing on a cupcake of their choice baked by the Stage 1 students.

While this was happening, the Stage 2 students were very busy designing a “Cookie in a Jar”, taking into consideration specific dietary requirements, health and nutrition of the primary school students and the aesthetics of their design. The primary children helped to create the “Cookie in a Jar” by measuring out ingredients and adding them to their jars. The end results were very pleasing and the children excitedly returned to the primary school with their jars ready to take home to make their cookies. The Stage 2 students also worked with the primary students to create a 3D cookie cutter. This involved working closely with the primary school children to create a design the children wanted. The primary school class was very excited to see the 3D printing taking place, and again were very excited to receive their completed 3D cookie cutter. A big thank you to Mr Ben Cullen for his help and support with this project.

The work with our primary school buddies has provided the high school students with very authentic learning experiences where they are able to see how decisions they have made, taking into consideration their research, affects the end result. The feedback from the children is in real time and the high school students need to be agile in their thinking to respond to a range of experiences. We will continue to work with the Blackwood Primary School Junior Primary students throughout the year to the benefit of all involved.

Sue Richards, Stage 1 and 2 Child Studies teacher 9 Morioka Study Tour On 22 March we farewelled a group of 17 Japanese students from Morioka Chuo High School after a very successful 12 day study tour program. This was Morioka’s ninth visit to Blackwood High School and we are looking forward to a special tenth anniversary trip in 2020.

The students enjoyed a range of activities including cooking sausage rolls and rocky road with a Year 9 Food Technology class, making damper and billy tea over a campfire with our Pastoral Care Worker, Sam, and a day trip to Victor Harbor, which included a visit to Urimbirra Wildlife Park and a hike around Granite Island.

Here are some of the comments made by the students at the end of the tour: • I really enjoyed every day being with my very kind host family. I learned a lot as I have experienced many things and listening to English all the time. • I enjoyed Japanese class and Science class experiences. The Science lesson was conducted for us to understand and enjoyed my first experiment. I was very happy to have a plenty of interaction with primary school children and high school students. I enjoyed the Victor Harbor trip the best. This must be included every year. • My buddy was incredibly kind that I did not want to say good bye to her. I wanted to have more time together. • I had very comfortable stay with very gentle and kind host family that I am grateful to them. I was anxious in the beginning being in the different environment, but my host family helped me by talking to me a lot and giving me some private time too. I wished I could speak English better. To the host family: • Thank you for looking after us for two weeks. You were very kind to us and felt comfortable staying with you. We enjoyed very much as being taken somewhere every day and you talked to us. I wish we will meet you again. • I could not talk much to my buddy as I was nervous at first, but we gradually get to know each other and had great time together.

Thank you to the homestay families and Blackwood High School teachers for making the visit such a success. The next opportunity to host a short term visitor will be in August this year, when we welcome our seventh group of visitors from Ushiku High School to Blackwood High School. Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a student from this group.

Karyn Jones, Leader, International Student Programs 10 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Year 8 Japanese Recital Competition On Wednesday 27 March, Year 8 student Monica Tolic represented the school at the JLTASA Recital Competition.

Monica had to learn and revise a speech in Japanese, to then perform it on the night in front of an audience. Students were judged on their fluency, gestures, confidence and accent.

We congratulate Monica on a fantastic speech, and ranking in the top 15 Year 8 competitors in the state.

Sarah Andrews, Japanese Teacher

International Women’s Day

On Friday 8 March six Year 11 Blackwood High School students were fortunate enough to attend the Adelaide International Women’s Day (IWD) Breakfast along with our Principal, Sharon Goldman and teachers, Janet Bradley, Dan Smith and Adeline Reiter.

This year the breakfast was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. In 2018 our school entered an inaugural competition where we had to create a short video on why gender equality is important. Blackwood High School was selected as the winning entry, as the winners we were invited to have ten people from our school attend the IWD Breakfast as the committee’s guests. The annual event was hosted by the Hon Senator Penny Wong and had guest speakers including social commentator and writer, Jane Caro and ABC radio presenter, Sonya Feldoff. The video was played during the breakfast to the 2,600 guests from all ages and backgrounds. We also had the opportunity to meet many of the special guests including Senator Penny Wong, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, and the Adelaide Crows Women’s team. The event was extremely successful because celebrating the outstanding achievement of women while also focusing on the importance of promoting gender equality and parity can bring about positive change on a local and global scale.

Scarlett Partridge-Powell, Year 11 student

11 Meta High School e-Sports League Blackwood High School now has a competitive e-Sports program. The Blackwood High School Barons are part of the Meta High School e-Sports League. The Meta league has over 100 participating teams from over 60 schools across the country. The MTA HSE is a division of the Adelaide Football Club.

The Barons have an overall roster of 20+ players from Years 8 to 12 and currently have 17 active players in two teams competing playing “League of Legends”. We are also exploring the possibility of joining the upcoming “Rocket League” competition, resources permitting. Blackwood High School teams compete in both the nationwide beginner division and the SA/NT combined open division. The current League of Legends tournament runs over 11 regular rounds before regional/state playoffs and finals leading to nationals which take place in Melbourne at the end of July.

There have been four rounds in the league to date with both teams sitting on two wins and two losses each. Being new to the league our teams are on a steep learning curve against some more experienced opposition but are building as our teamwork and communication skills develop.

A big goal of the program, in addition to building communication and teamwork skills, is to encourage healthy online behaviour and device use. Students have been putting together a Code of Conduct for the team to ensure they are leaders and role models in the school.

Staff overseeing the program are Ben Dening, Adelle Matthews and Josh Deakin. A big thanks has to go to the Blackwood High School IT Team for the time spent setting up the network and workstations for safe and reliable online play.

Ben Dening, Student Pathways and Career Development

Kyton’s Fundraiser Collection Date

Just a friendly reminder that the Kyton’s fundraiser items will be available for collection on Tuesday 9 April after school at the Front Office. If you placed an order, please collect on this afternoon.

Daniel Smith, Leader, Year 8 and 9 Learning Communities

12 Inspiring Achievement and Respect 13 Arts news Festival Excursions Blackwood High School Dance and Drama students had the opportunity to attend the following festival productions.

Year 9 Dancers attended Out of Chaos, a physical theatre production performed by Gravity and Other Myths. The class is currently workshopping material inspired by the performance. Year 8 students attended Foehr by Compagnie Non Nova, unfairly described as the “plastic bag show“. Students were mesmerised by the Scientific and Engineering genius of this artistic production in which a solo puppeteer/magician armed with sticky tape, fans and a pile of shopping bags seem literally to breathe life into the inanimate objects. No strings, no tricks, described by The Guardian as “miraculous...a brilliant metaphor of Art and the imagination”.

VET Dance students attended a Dance performance of Carmen performed by Dresden Semperoper Ballett, a contemporary take on this classic story of seduction and betrayal, and Grand Finale by Hofesh Shechter Company, extraordinary dancers supported on stage by a live band. Dance students inspired by viewing these performances are creating their own choreographic works that will be performed later this year.

Drama students attended Ulster America by Traverse Theatre Company, direct from the Edinburgh Festival described by the Guardian as “a satire as timely as it is riotous”.

Review writing is an important feature in the Arts curriculum, students will use these excursion experiences to complete their written tasks.

Leaps and Bounds - SACE Dance Day Festival Centre VET Dance students attended a full day of workshops and information sessions on Dance at the Festival Centre. Students participated in a Contemporary technique class with guest teachers, a choreographic workshop, as well as a Jazz Dance class. Important information about Dance was presented by previous Dance students and an AC Arts Dance student discussing future pathways and career options in the Dance industry. Topics discussed included, how to succeed, choreographing your own dance work and preparing for performance.

Student feedback: Great to meet dance students from other schools and participate in a range of workshops with guest teachers. A really valuable day, enjoyed the workshops and the information session.

Katrina Constantopoulos, Leader, Arts

14 Inspiring Achievement and Respect The Magnets The Blackwood High School vocal group was given an incredible opportunity to perform with international acapella group, The Magnets, at the Adelaide Fringe. After a two hour workshop, students learnt how to beatbox, use projection and learnt a three part harmony to John Farnham’s The Voice, which they performed as the encore to a sold out show at Gluttony!

The vocal group were confident, passionate and sounded fantastic. It was an extremely proud moment for all staff involved and the Blackwood community. We look forward to the opportunities to perform with The Magnets again next year!

Simela Petridis, Arts Teacher

Stage Band The 2019 Blackwood High School Stage Band has had its first meeting and rehearsal. This band will be supported by Instrumental Music teacher Tim and Sarah in its initial set up stage and then managed and run by Mr Ben Dening. Any interested Music students please attend meeting/rehearsal Tuesday lunchtime in Performing Arts Centre Auditorium.

2019 Dance Star Program Auditions for the Theatrical, Hip Hop and Jazz teams have now finished, the Contemporary audition will take place in Week 10. Coaches and teams have been confirmed and rehearsals are underway. We will showcase all teams at the Arts Showcase at Blackwood High School in the Performing Arts Centre Auditorium on Wednesday 12 June at a matinee and evening performance at 7.00pm.

Katrina Constantopoulos, Leader, Arts Oh Snap! In our newsletters across the year we are starting a section called ‘Oh Snap!’. This section will showcase a student’s photograph that they have taken as part of the Photography curriculum. We hope you enjoy the images!

A macro study by Lucas Groves, Year 10 Photography student.

Emma Golding, Photography teacher

15 Sports news It has been another busy start to the year with sport at Blackwood High School. The Southern Zone Sport Competition (afterschool sport) began with the school having two Year 8/9 boys basketball teams coached by Trevor Clarke and Oliver Garrett, a Year 8/9 girls badminton team coached by Adeline Reiter and Chris Olenich and a Year 8/9 girls volleyball team coached by Laura Conley.

The Knockout competitions for Term 1 began in Week 2 with the school having four cricket teams, those being Year 8/9 Boys, Year 10 Boys T20, Open Boys and Open Girls T20. The Open Boys’ team were knocked out of their competition by St Johns Grammar. The boys did their best and surprised themselves to deliver a quality performance but were outclassed by a better opposition on the day. Henry Beenham was the mainstay throughout the innings compiling a solid 33 while Emil Nachazel took two quick wickets early in our bowling innings and bowled well throughout.

The Year 8/9 Boys’ team defeated Adelaide Botanic High School in a one sided match of cricket and progressed to the second round of their competition. Riley Stone was outstanding with the ball taking 5 wickets and Will Torode lead the way with the bat in the run chase posting a quality 53 Not Out. The boys then played Seaview High School in their second round match and unfortunately were outplayed on the day.

The Open Girls team played Brighton in their first match, won the toss and bowled first. The girls bowled well at the start but Brighton was able to build strong partnerships to post an impressive 142. Charlie Scutchings and Indigo Bowering both took wickets, and Willow Homersham bowled well for no reward. The chase was always going to be difficult with Brighton having a very strong bowling attack. Brie Medder was outstanding with the bat making 40 not out. Unfortunately the girls lost the match and were knocked out of the competition.

The Year 10 Boys team played Wirreanda in their first round match. The boys batted first and posted an imposing 181. Everyone contributed well but Will Torode was outstanding making 74 not out. The boys then went about defending the total. They bowled very well and kept Wirreanda to 68. The boys then played St Peters College in the second round and came up against a much stronger opponent. The boys played well and kept St Peters to 117 with Jacob Mayr and Harry Lemmey being the pick of the bowlers. The boys fell 30 runs short of the target and once again Will Torode was the mainstay with a well compiled 44.

A thank you must be extended to Mr Dan Smith, Mr Oliver Garrett and Mr Andrew Cavallaro who have done an outstanding job coaching our cricket teams this term.

There is still more sport to come this term with our major event being the Interschool Athletics Carnival held on Thursday Term 1, Week 11. Some of our students have been visiting the Santos Athletics Stadium on Tuesday nights to train for the pole vault event on 11 April.

If there are any enquiries about the above carnivals or anything sport related please contact Mr Steve Aulert, Sports Coordinator or Mr Luke Beenham, Sports Officer on 8278 938 or come to the PE Office located in the Recreation Centre.

Steve Aulert, Sports Coordinator and Luke Beenham, Sports Officer

16 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Whole School Athletics Carnival This year’s Athletics Carnival was on Thursday 8 March. The house spirit and rivalry was strong again with students dressing up in the ‘Legends’ theme and proudly wearing their house colours. Student leadership was again a feature of the day with House Captains and Vice Captains taking on a range of roles both in preparing for and during the carnival. Congratulation to the following student leaders for their leadership roles. ASHBY MILLS Captains: Kye Dean, Olivia Wheeler Captains: Darian Dragun, Isabella Stocks Vice Captains: Jayden Jones, Lucy Boehm Vice Captains: Cameron Rowley, Taylah Jayne

MADIGAN RUSSELL Captains: Ben Curry, Kimberley Dean Captains: Jackson Hughes, Maddie McDonald Vice Captains: Taine Mitchell, Tia Fox Vice Captains: Charlie Whitfeld, Willow Homersham

The day started with the 100m finals of all age groups. Throughout the day, there were a number of incredible team and individual performances.

Congratulations to the following students on winning their respective age group trophies: U/14 Girls Jamilla Hartogh-Jennings Madigan U/14 Boys Zachary Mayr Madigan U/15 Girls Charlie Scutchings Ashby U/15 Boys Jonathan Chigwidden Russell U/16 Girls Taylah Jayne Mills U/16 Boys Zac Washington Russell U/21 Girls Scarlett Green Ashby U/21 Boys Darian Dragun Mills

The house competition this year was close. The participation by students was again very high with students taking advantage of earning a point for their team by simply having a go and earning extra points for a top eight finish. Congratulations to Mills who won the house competition in 2019.

1st Mills 1,239 pts 2nd Ashby 1,206 pts 3rd Russell 1,184 pts 4th Madigan 1,179 pts

Congratulations to all students and staff for making the day enjoyable and successful. Students are now preparing to compete in A2 Division in the Annual Interschool Athletics Carnival held at SA Athletics Stadium on Thursday 12 April.

Janet Bradley, Leader, Health and Physical Education

17 18 Inspiring Achievement and Respect 19 Order before the end of April to receive Early-Bird Offers!

20 Inspiring Achievement and Respect 21 22 Inspiring Achievement and Respect Year 9/10/11 2019 CANBERRA TRIP Depart Sunday 16 June - Return Friday 21 June Week 8 Term 2

 Travelling by bus  Costs: approx. $750- 850  Costs include accommodation, all food, entry fees Venues: - Parliament House - Boat cruise on Lake Burley Griffin - National Art Gallery - High Court - First settler Homestead, Lanyon House - War Memorial - National Museum - Sound House - Government House - Questacon: The National Science and Technology Centre

 The Canberra Trip can contribute to 10 SACE Credits

23 Calendar Dates

Term 1 Wednesday 8 May Monday 3 to Friday 7 June Tuesday 9 April School Photo Catch Up Year 11 Exam Week Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences Thursday 9 May Monday 10 June Step Out Matinee 11am PUBLIC HOLIDAY Thursday 11 April Step Out Performance 7pm Parent/Student/Teacher Tuesday 11 June Conferences Friday 10 May STUDENT FREE DAY Interschool Athletics Year 10 Career Expo Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 June Friday 12 April Tuesday 14 to Friday 17 May Year 11 Football Trip - Last day of Term 1 NAPLAN Melbourne

Term 2 Tuesday 14 May Wednesday 12 June Monday 29 April Principal’s Tour 9am Performing Arts Matinee and First day of Term 2 Governing Council 7pm Evening Performance

Tuesday 30 April Wednesday 15 to Friday 17 May Tuesday 18 June Principal’s Tour 9am Year 12 Aquatics Governing Council 7pm

Friday 3 May Monday 27 to Friday 31 May Friday 21 June School Photos National Reconciliation Week End of Semester 1

Tuesday 7 May Tuesday 28 May Tuesday 25 June Year 10 and 11 Immunisations Principal’s Tour 9am Principal’s Tour 9am

School Contacts Student Absences: [email protected] Student Wellbeing Centre: 8278 0900 or see website for staff email contacts