ROXBY DOWNS AREA SCHOOL fortnightly newsletter This community page is paid for by the Roxby Downs Area School
Please report vandals From time to time the school suffers vandalism by persons unknown. Over the past few weeks we have again been experiencing some vandalism at the school. Police have been contacted and are taking an active interest in these recent spates of arson and vandalism involving damage to equipment throughout the school and the G Block roof. Not only is this costing the school valuable money in time and resources in repairing and replacing equipment, it is also very dangerous for trespassers to be in the school and on the roof at any time. Most vandalism happens at night and on weekends and results in upturned bins, broken windows, damaged equipment etc. and generally spoils the school for the rest of us. We need support from parents, community and Police to keep people away from the school during evenings and weekends. It is actually an offence for unauthorised personnel to be on school property between the hours of 11pm and 7am. Where damage occurs we will have to recoup the cost from individuals found causing it. We ask that all members of our school community take an active interest in watching over the school. Please contact the police if you notice anything suspicious. This school belongs to all in our school community and we need to ensure that our resources and buildings are protected.
Student voice appointments
YEARS R-2...Years R-2 Student Voice representatives Thomas Spaeth 7, Caroline Wissell 7, Darcy Lindner 7, Jacob Knoll 5, Reuben Sutton 5, Brooke Carthew 5, and Rene Gilliland-Rocque.
Calling all tradespeople This year at RDAS we are running a trade skillsbased program for a small group of Year 9 and 10 boys. In order for this program to be successful we are asking for the expert assistance of local trades people who have some spare time to donate at any time during the year. Particular areas of interest to the participating students are motor mechanics, bricklaying and building etc. Please help if you can as this program will only be successful with assistance from our community. Contact Lyndall Craker at the school for more information.
YEARS 7-12...Years 7-12 Student Voice representatives, from left, back, Tamara Marsh, Matthew Plant, Roxanne Henfry, Tanya Bilka, Aaron Watkins, Daniel Perkins, Alex Nedelkovic, James Bott, front, Seb Holbrook, Rebecca Clancy, Tara Jordan, Kirsten Worby, Nathan Kittel and Steven Fox.
Year 9 aquatics camp 2004
Sister Pat’s
y a d e h t r o f t h g u o th
Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. Roy Goodman
Mar 26
R-6 Assembly 11.30am
Mar 29 - April 1 R-6 Interviews Mar 30
Early closure 2.10pm
April 1
7-12 Swimming Carnival
April 2
3-6 Swimming Carnival
April 5/6 Year 7 - 12 Interviews April 8
& Da tes to RRemember emember Dates
Upcoming Ev ents Events
R-12 Assembly 11.30am, Early dismissal time - 2pm
Page 18 - Thursday, March 25, 2004
On the Monday of week 7, term 1, a ‘highly enthusiastic’ group of year 9s and their teachers were seen leaving RDAS on the Roxby coach, headed for their aquatics camp at Port Vincent. Though the trip was sluggish and dull, the group pased time by watching movies, singing untimely to walkmans, chatting noisily to mates and eating lollies. On the arrival at the Port Vincent hostel, beds were claimed, with the girls choosing the boys dorms and the guys ending up in the girls dorms, on opposite sides of the dinning room! We unpacked our gear and headed for the beach while over 10 of the campers stayed behind for a boat licence test (missing school already!) While Mr. Hodgson went on an unexpected goose chase for the camp folder, (which was on its way to Adelaide in the bus) our groups were allocated and a cleaning roster was set. Some of the students even learnt how to wash the dishes!! Bed, which was at 10 pm, became the perfect time to text messages and exchange ‘sweet nothings’ over the mobile. And while the girls giggled about guys and entertaining relationship quizzes, the guys had fun participating in very original and informal competitions! From the Tuesday at 7 am, everyone rolled out of bed tired and sheepish, had breaky, got dressed into bathers and trudged down to the beach. There were four groups, and four rotational activities to do hourly, throughout the day. These were snorkelling, sailing, wind surfing and kayaking, as well
as the ‘boat people’ practicing for their boat licence during the morning, and uneventful fishing in the chill evenings. The days activities were the same on Tuesday and Thursday and on the Wednesday, we all went to Berry Bay for the day, to learn how to surf and go body boarding on the waves that gathered over a metre above our heads, and crashed on them just as enthusiastically! Though the surf boards were made for grade 5/6s and the students spent more time falling off them then surfing them, the boards were great fun to ride on and some people even managed to stand up, for 5- 10 seconds, mostly! This year’s camp was loads of fun, and it couldn’t have worked out so well without the care and support the students had for each other. Everyone got on really well, working together and socialising with people they weren’t familiar with or hadn’t really liked! I’m sure all the teachers were thinking what ‘nice’ kids we were and what potential we all have!! (I doubt it, but they should say it anyway!) Of course we can’t forget the teachers, who kept us going throughout the days activities, participated in cleaning up, lectured us to ‘hurry up’ and to ‘put more sunscreen on’, and yelled at us to “Get out of bed” in the mornings, (though having the TV on full volume, at 6:45am was enough, Mr. Hodgson!) “Later Days!” from the year 9 campers.
A message from the Principal Staffing for Term2…As is the usual practice we have been busy staffing behind members of staff who are taking long service leave in term 2. We are also sad to farewell a member of staff who has tendered her resignation effective at the end of this term. Jutta Marksteiner has been a valued member of staff at Roxby Downs Area School for a number of years and we wish her the very best in her retirement. The following appointments have been finalised: Year 1 – backfill behind Pam Pedler who will do the R-6 Student Counsellor role is Sam Dalgety. Sam, who taught here in 2002, will co-teach the Year 1 class with Fiona Campbell-Colquoun. Year 2 – backfill behind Jutta Marksteiner is Emma Bartsch. Many students and parents will remember Emma who has taught at Roxby for two years. We are farewelling Jenni Nitschke who is going on long service leave and will be travelling. Her replacement is not known yet but will be soon. We also have a vacancy for the new Headstart class which we hope to announce soon. In term 2 there will be some changes to the Management Team: Principal – Jim Michalanney (returning from leave); Deputy Principal – Kath Macalister; Assistant Principal 7-12 – Joslyn Fox. Student Issues…I have been made aware that a significant number of students are still bringing spray can deodorant to school and using it freely in the teaching blocks. Students may not have any spray can products at school. There is a health risk posed to people who suffer from asthma and other breathing disorders from these products and school policy bans them. Given that there have been some problems because of the recent use of these products I have asked the teaching staff to confiscate any spray cans that students have. Parents will be required to collect these. A second, and perhaps more worrying issue, is the increasing number of mobile phones, which students are bringing to school. Students may not have mobile phones at school for a range of reasons - Phones have been stolen, they ring during lessons, students are text messaging during lessons and the latest technology now includes camera options and we have to guard student privacy under our duty of care. Please be aware that if students have mobile phones they will be confiscated and parents will need to meet with a cohort Assistant Principal to have them returned. Recent highlights…To date this term has been a productive and happy one. Student work abounds in the classrooms and blocks and is even appearing on the walls outside my office. In week seven, the Year 9 students went on camp and last week Year 8s were away. Look for reports from these students in the weeks to come. Last week senior students were invited to observe and, in some incidences, take part in a mock accident. The purpose of this was to demonstrate to our new or soon to be drivers the impact of a crash and the consequences of such an event. We would like to thank the Police, SES and CFS for this opportunity for our students. Despite being very hot in the middle of the term students successfully engaged in a wide range of curriculum including the practical areas of Dance/Drama, Technology Studies, and a wide variety of Arts/Media experiences. Whilst we are a remote area students are exposed to a breadth of performers during the year. Whilst I only caught the end of the performance it was very obvious that students thoroughly enjoyed the Pocketful of Poems interactive workshop last week. I am sure that teachers learned some presentation strategies through attending this workshop. Grievances…From time to time individuals within the school community (students, parents, staff members) will have a grievance that needs to be resolved. What is important is that this is done effectively. Too often a sense of anger or irritation persuades individuals to voice their grievance very publicly. This does not aid resolution of the grievance or reflect well on those involved. I would like to urge parents, students and staff members to use the school’s grievance process (pictured opposite) to find a solution to any grievance. Please ask at the school for more information about this process. Year 7-12 Attendance Update…This week we started a new and more effective sign in-out procedure for Years 7-12. It is an expectation of this school (and a legal requirement) that an adequate explanation be given for any late arrival or absence. So that you can support your child(ren) please provide a note detailing the reason for lateness or early departure from the school. In all instances the note needs to be sighted and signed by the home group/class teacher and shown at the front office on arrival or departure. Please note that street access is not available to students in R-10. Notes should not be provided to allow them to visit the street or purchase lunch there unless accompanied by a parent. We have noticed that the most common excuse for student lateness is “slept in”. We urge the parents of these students to invest in a very loud alarm clock. Seriously, for some students this is a major issue – the time lost mounts up very quickly and can mean the equivalent of weeks of lessons lost in the course of a year.
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