NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2021 PRINCIPALS REPORT Welcome to the 2021 school year – which is set to be a DIARY DATES special year for our school community. In 2020 we achieved our targets for improving student Wednesday 17 February achievement across Year 11 and Year 12 subjects. This Governing Council AGM resulted with our highest amount of A and B grades achieved Monday 22 February Knock Out Cricket by students across the board. This is a reflection of the hard work done by students, the support from parents and Monday 22 February Outdoor Education Camp (Wild Dog Hill) families and the guidance from dedicated teachers. Well Monday 22 - Friday 26 February done to all. VET Block Week We have had a positive start to the year, with students Tuesday 23 - Friday 26 February settling into their subjects and routines across the school. Health Science Camp There are a number of new initiatives in place for our school. This has included staff Monday 8 March Adelaide Cup Day (Public Holiday) professional learning for SACE, Aboriginal Education initiatives and strategies to guide student literacy in senior years. Wednesday 10 March WASSAC Trial Day In 2021 we welcome several new staff to EJEHS: Chantelle Lucas, who joins us from Friday 19 March Stuart High School in the role of Assistant Principal Intervention. We farewelled and Bullying No Way! Day thanked Sean Sheedy for his work at EJEHS in Week 0, as he has taken on a leadership Monday 22 - Friday 26 March Block Week role with the Polly Farmer Foundation and wish him all the best. Tuesday 23 March A number of teachers new to EJEHS join us this year, including: Miriam Alford, Miron Achievement Interviews Bar’am, Micah Elder, Greg Genovese, Emma Hage, Kathryn Hardwick Franco, Sarah Friday 2 April Hemming, Rhiannon Howell, Rebecca Johnson, Punam Kataria, Andrew McLean and Good Friday Public Holiday Jeshurun Tan. We also welcomed new Student Services Officers: Wasantha Dissanayake, Monday 5 April Alessandro Parisi and Paula Zbierski. Easter Monday Public Holiday The AGM for Governing Council will be held on 17 February at 7.00pm in the Staffroom Friday 9 April Last day term 1 to elect members, with a short 30 min meeting to be held afterwards. I encourage any Monday 12 Friday - Sunday 25 April parent to come along and nominate for the committee. Governing Councils play a vital School Holidays role in schools. Monday 26 April I look forward to working in partnership with you for another successful year at EJEHS. Anzac Day Public Holiday David Marino Principal BUILDING STRONG SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS Our ACEE Specialist Program students have been visiting the Whyalla Secondary College building site, as part of their Vocational Learning program. This is a valuable opportunity for them to learn about their trade in a real building site, as well as how a building site works. Thank you to all involved in this strong school- community partnership initiative. Below is what Sarah Construction had to say about the experience: Last week we welcomed Year 12 work experience students from Edward John Eyre High School to the Whyalla Secondary College site, as part of their EDWARD JOHN EYRE HIGH SCHOOL ACEE Program (Automotive, Construction, Grundel Street, Whyalla Norrie SA 5608 Electrotechnology, and Engineering). E [email protected] Continued on page 3. P (08) 8645 7677 F (08) 8645 0677 www.ejehs.sa.edu.au facebook.com/edwardjohneyrehighschool EXCELLENCE - INNOVATION - COURAGE WELCOME BACK TO EJEHS Back (L-R): Emma Hage, Greg Genovese, Rebecca Johnson, Chantelle Lucas, Miron Bar'am Front (L-R): Rhiannon Howell, Sandro Parisi, Dr Sarah Hemming, Micah Elder, Miriam Alford, Jeshurun Tan Absent: Paula Zbierski, Wasantha Dissanayake, Dr Kathryn Hardwick-Franco, Andrew McLean, Punam Kataria Welcome back to Edward John Eyre High School 2021! What an exciting year it is going to be. EJEHS would like to introduce our 16 new staff members to the team. Chantelle Lucas (Assistant Principal: Intervention) Dr Kathryn Hardwick-Franco (Teacher) Chantelle is an English/HASS teacher who taught in Adelaide and Dr Kathryn has taught at multiple schools across South Australia; Mount Gambier prior to moving to Whyalla to work at Stuart Para Hills High, Port Lincoln High, all the way up to Wudinna High School in 2020. Chantelle received a Bell Shakespeare Area School. This year Dr Kathryn is teaching Research Project Regional Teacher Mentorship for 2021, so she will be travelling and PLP which is perfect because she completed the Doctorate to Sydney in March for their workshop and then bringing her of Philosophy (PhD) this year. Dr Kathryn has four research new knowledge back to EJEHS! degrees. "I LOVE research! My personal research is about rural contexts and educational leadership including a focus on the Micah Elder (Teacher) climate crisis. I hope I bring to EJEHS a passion for research that Prior to Micah's teaching career, he was in the Australian is infectious." Defence Force for 7 years. Micah has previously taught a range of subjects; PE, Outdoor Education and Sexual Health Dr Sarah Hemming (Teacher) and Relationships. Micah completed two degrees, a Bachelor Dr Sarah will be teaching year 11 chemistry, biology and of Human Movement and a Masters of Teaching. "This year I essential maths and year 12 psychology and chemistry. This will have the privilege to create and coordinate Stage 1 Outdoor be Dr Sarah's first year of teaching, after being in the Medical Education as it is a new subject at EJEHS." He is also teaching Research Field. Stage 1 & 2 REC PE and Essential Mathematics (mainstream and flexible). Punam Kataria (Teacher) Punam came to Australia in 2017. Punam first started teaching Greg Genovese (Teacher) throughout Port Pirie High Schools. Punam has a Masters in Greg has about 25 years of teaching experience behind him, Chemistry and Nanotechnology, and also has a Bachelors Degree 10 of which have been in Whyalla Schools. Greg is currently in Biology and Education. At EJEHS Punam will be teaching teaching English Essentials, Research Project, Personal Learning Research Project, Community Studies and Flexible Learning. "I Plan, and the Careers Pathway Program. Greg brings with him believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, a Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) and Graduate Diploma to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the Education. hope that I can inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well" Emma Hage (Teacher) Emma has joined our cohort this year as a PE, Outdoor Andrew McLean (Teacher) Education, Biology and CPP teacher. Emma has previously taught Andrew is a boilermaker by trade and has a Diploma of at Seaford Secondary College in General Science, Mathematics, Management, Bachelor of Construction Management and Physical Education as well as, Special Options classes across Economics, Bachelor of Education (secondary design and year 7-9. Emma has a Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor technology). Andrew worked as a site manager in commercial of Education (Middle and Secondary) majoring in Physical construction for 15 years before switching to teaching. Andrew Education and Biology. taught design and technology at a small rural school in Central "I look forward to working with the students at EJEHS this year Queensland last year. This is his second year of teaching. and making the transition across to Whyalla Secondary College in 2022." Cont on next page. EDWARD JOHN EYRE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2021- PAGE 2 WELCOME BACK TO EJEHS (CONT.) Wasantha Dissanayake (Special Education Support) Miron Bar'am (Teacher) Wasantha completed her Diploma of Education Support (Special Miron was born in Israel and lived in Sweden and Denmark Education) and also studied a Bachelor off Primary Education for 6 years before moving to Adelaide in 2005. Miron has a Swinburne University. This year, Wasantha is Special Educational Bachelor of Science (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) and Support. Prior to working in a school, Wasantha completed a worked in telecommunication and microchip companies. He Degree for Quantity Surveying and worked as a Senior Quantity also completed a Graduate Diploma in Education in 2011 and Surveyor in Sri Lanka. Wasantha also worked as an Integration has been teaching Maths, Science, Physics, Computer Science, Officer at Pakenham Secondary College, Victoria. and first year engineering courses for the past 7 years. This year Miron is teaching Essential Maths, Project Based Learning, and Paula Zbierski (Kitchen Support Officer) Science, Technology, and Community Studies. Paula has returned to EJEHS after a short 18 month absence. She is the Hospitality Support Officer working with the teachers Sandro Parisi (IT Manager) and students in the kitchen and the Eyre Café. When Paula left Sandro has come on board this year as our new IT Manager. school, she completed her apprenticeship as a Chef then gained Sandro has been working in the IT industry since 1987! For the a Certificate IV in Hospitality. Paula worked in the Hospitality past 11 years he owned and operated a local cafe, Sempre. He industry for 10 + years. Both of these qualifications were decided to make the transition back to IT this year. "It is so good completed through TAFESA. "I am currently completing my Cert to be back where I started" IV Training & Assessor and I look forward to working closely with the VET team." Rhiannon Howell (Teacher) Rhiannon returns to EJEHS after 8 years away. Prior to going on Jeshurun Tan (Teacher) leave, Rhiannon taught at EJEHS for 9 years. Rhiannon will be Jeshurun has 12 years of experience teaching across various teaching Year 11 and 12 Music and Year 11 and 12 Community high schools in Adelaide. Jeshurun taught at Peterborough High Studies with a Music focus.