Brighton Secondary School
Newsletter ISSUE 5 I June 2016
From the Principal I was pleased to speak at the Education Nation conference in Sydney about our school’s digital journey since 2009. Schools from around Australia, both independent and public, were impressed with the work our teachers do to provide a world-class learning environment for the students. Many of these educators commented how fortunate our students and staff are to be at Brighton. I heard interesting ideas that either affirmed Brighton’s path or gave me new ways of forging our future. I liked the expression “Learning is hard fun”. Students tell us they want to have fun at school but those who are given challenging tasks, seem to have more fun. Sadly, there are some students who don’t want to keep trying, when the going gets tough. Our goal is to teach the students how to learn rather than what to learn and we seek your assistance to reinforce this message at home. Male staff have discussed with me, how they would like to mentor some of our Brighton boys who are struggling to cope with school. They have suggested a bush walking camp to give students memorable experiences and build their confidence and perseverance. If students are going to cope with the future, they need grit and determination.
Department for Education and Child Development T/A South Australian Government Schools CRICOS Provider Number: 00018A
305 Brighton Road North Brighton, SA 5048 P 618 8375 8200 F 618 8296 0949 E admin@brighton.sa.edu.au www.brightonss.sa.edu.au
Character development is part of our business as educators. Last newsletter, I included the draft Character Wheel. We are enthusiastic about developing character in the students and look forward to your feedback.
Visit to BSS from Koonibba Aboriginal School. Sue Rodger, SIV Coordinator, Olivia O’Neill, Principal and Wade Bramford, Principal of Koonibba Aboriginal School with students from BSS and Koonibba.
We should call Brighton Secondary, “Busy” Secondary, as we have so many activities. All these events are designed to provide more opportunities for the students, who are fortunate to have dedicated teachers who go above and beyond. Last week, teachers stayed at school to 8pm to support the 19 Brighton teams in the Write a Book in a Day competition, then the outstanding Year 11 Drama production “Also a Mirror” was showcased and the remarkable “White Sands” exhibition of the shared artistic talents of Port Lincoln and Brighton students. The White Sands exhibition is well worth a visit to the Concert Hall foyer. None of these events could take place without staff who made a major personal commitment of time outside normal hours. I am leaving for Harvard on 6th July to study a course in setting Vision, the prize for the Leadership Award I received last year. I look forward to sharing what I learn. Olivia O’Neill Principal
STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! We are delighted to announce that Australian music legend Kate Ceberano will be an artist in residence at Brighton Secondary School in week 2, Term 3!
BRIGHTON SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER I ISSUE 5 I June 2016
Responsibility | Integrity | Fairness | Co-operation | Respect | Excellence
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