Phone: 8852 1233 Fax: 8852 1024 Email: dl.0767.info@schools.sa.edu.au Web: ww.yorketownareaschool.sa.edu.au

Diary Dates February Mon 18/2 – Thur 20/2 Automotive Week 1

Mon 24/2 – Wed 26/2 Adelaide Trip (Yr 10-12)

Fri 28/2 School Surfing – Rd 1

March

Wed 4/3 School Photos

Fri 6/3 Sports Day

Mon 9/3 Adelaide Cup

Tue 10/3 Student Free Day

Wed 11/3 Nominations for Junior &

Middle School Captains

opens

Mon 16/3 – Thu 19/3 Automotive Week 2

Wed 18 Harmony Day Activities

Fri 20/3 School Captain speeches

& voting

Mon 23/3 Yr 9 Aquatics @ Berry Bay

Nominations SRC open

Tues 24/3 Yr 9 Aquatics @ Berry Bay

Wed 24/3 YPSSAC @ Moonta

Wed 25/3 Nominations SRC close

Thu 26/3 Primary Interschool

Shortlist SRC

nominations (if

required)

Fri 27/3 SRC Elections

April

Fri 10/4 Good Friday

Mon 27/4 First day Term 2

Tue 5/5 Year 8/9 Football

Wed 6/5 Student Led Conferences

CANTEEN

February

Wed 19/2 Kelly Michels

Thursday 20/2 Katherine Borthwick

Friday 21/2 -

Wed 26/2 Kelly Michels & Tammy

Turner

Thurs 27/2 Katherine Borthwick &

Melanie Trengove

Fri 28/2 Simone Hayes

Growing Minds, Shaping Hearts, Changing Lives

Issue 1 14th February 2020

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Welcome to the 2020 school year – either the end of

a decade or the start of a new decade depending

which way you look at it –

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/decade.html

has a good explanation. I am calling it a new

decade as it gives a feeling of optimism and

freshness.

Thanks to all our families, students and staff who have

contributed to a very settled start. The Junior School

are enjoying their refurbished facility and the Middle

School have new furniture. Both areas are furnished

for flexible spaces and include a range of

sitting/standing options for students to choose from to

undertake their learning. The secondary students are

also adjusting to using a lock on their locker. They are

now required to place their devices in their lockers

unless a teacher requests they have it for their

learning. We considered a range of options for

devices and chose this one to make students

responsible for their own equipment and not rely on

staff collecting etc.

The new School Captains: Taylor Smith and Kaelah

Hendry are working with Ms Sandric (Pritchard) on the

draft of the “Digital Citizen” agreement, which will

encompass managing devices and participating in

the digital world. They will work with classes and take

a draft to staff and Governing Council for feedback.

We are hoping to complete the agreement this term

so our staff, students and community are clear about

responsible use of all digital platforms across all

contexts.

Over the past two years, we have been developing

our curriculum to:

Provide a range of options at senior level with

vibrant class sizes

Focus on capabilities in addition to curriculum

content

Develop individualized programs for SACE

completions

This has included Problem Based Learning at Middle School, cross-school activities such as

electives and student led events, rotation of senior courses as well as Open Access options. We

are pleased to have some new options off the ground:

Certificate II in Automotive (available to all SYP students) delivered from our Trade Training

Centre

Shark Tank – delivered in collaboration with Ardrossan Area School

Students engaging with Extension Studies through Flinders University

These options are supporting our students develop their capabilities and have “learner profile”.

This aligns with the project outlined in the article below, where Universities are looking for broader

entry requirements for students. Research has shown that the ATAR is not a good predictor of

university success (Literacy level is a better predictor) and universities are seeking students with a

range of capabilities to be successful in degrees with a greater emphasis on innovation and

entrepreneurship.

This semester we will focus students on the General Capability of Literacy – “I can understand

and be understood” across their learning. They will discuss this at the Student Led Conference -

Wednesday 5th May 2020, Week 2, Term 2. Please mark this date in your calendar as we expect

all parents to attend the conference. The Junior School are participating in Student Led

Conferences on the same day which replaces the interviews held at the end of Term 1.

Congratulations to our 2019 Year 12 students on their results. Sarah Haylock was DUX and

students were successful in the applications into further learning. Many have entered the world of

work and are taking those steps towards independence.

Staff at YAS

Our staff is largely the same as 2019:

Junior

School Ms Walsh

Middle

School Ms Fehring

Senior

School Ms Fehring

R-2 Ms Bishop/Ms Castiglia 7/8A Mr Rothe 10 Ms French

3-4 Ms Secker 7/8B Mr Talbot 11 Ms Flynn

5-6 Ms Murdock/Ms Jeffrey 9 Mr Hutchings 12 Mr Buckerfield

Ms Sandric Ms Sandric Ms Mack

Ms Rushbrook

We welcome back Emily Sandric (Pritchard) from maternity leave

Cassandra French is continuing in the Secondary School

Liliana Castiglia continues in the Junior School

Bronwyn Jeffrey has joined our staff after spending some time parenting. Bronwyn is a

Mathematics and Digital Technologies teacher

We welcome Sarah Haylock back as a staff member; she is working as a Student Support

Officer, which is complementing her studies in education.

Another past student Josie Rudduck is working as a Student Support Officer

Delivery of technologies at YAS

Technologies are a broad range of subjects in the curriculum and encompass materials

technology, computer aided design, digital technologies and food technologies. We have not

secured a “materials” technology teacher for semester one but plan to deliver some materials

technology in Semester 2. In the meantime, most students are engaged with technologies in the

following courses:

Certificate II Automotive

(delivered by TAFE in our Trade

Training Centre in weekly

blocks)

Digital Technology – Year 10

Home Economics (with digital

technology embedded) Year

7/8 and Year 12

Digital technology – Year 3/4

class

Other classes will have Technologies

curriculum in semester 2.

Fiona Haselgrove

SENIOR SCHOOL

YEAR 12 RETREAT

The Year 12 students go on a retreat at the start of every year. This year they went to Wambarna

at Point Turton and stayed two days and one night.

“The experience was great and a lot of fun. The Year 12 students all came together in the

activities. We did lots of team building activities. Overall, it started the year off on a good note”

(Ms Fehring).

“I thought it was a good experience. We were able

to work together in bonding activities and did a

range of different activities including yoga, a

beach walk and team building exercises. It gave us

time to reflect on what we hope to get out of year

12,” (Kaehlah Hendry).

I enjoyed the retreat! It was a good bonding

experience and was a lot of fun. We did goal

setting, shared stories and practiced yoga. If I could

go again, I definitely would because it was relaxing.

I liked it when Ms. Fehring and Mr. Buckerfield

shared their pathways after year 12,” (Charlee

Boord).

Sunny Nowlan and Keyarah Croxton

MIDDLE SCHOOL

7/8 BEACH DAY

On the 6th and the 7th of February, the Year 7/8 students went to Port Vincent for Aquatics. They

did activities such as knee boarding, sailing, paddle boarding and kayaking. Mr Talbot, Mr Rothe,

Jackie and John accompanied the students. Knee boarding was a favourite amongst the

students. Students learnt about team work and sun safety.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

PRIMARY UNIT

As you may know the primary unit has

recently been renovated and refurbished.

This year primary staff and students have

been lucky to start in new fresh building.

Here is some things staff and students have

said about the building,

“It’s an exciting building, where there is lots

of light coming in, its organised in such a

way so students and teachers have their

own separate areas, which they can also

share with others. I love the common area

its spacious, the furniture is light and

functional and it’s a joy to work in.”

Mrs Castiglia.

All the staff love the modern fresh look and

enjoy working in such a lovely open space.

Olivia Lloyd

YEAR 5/6 BEACH DAY AT BERRY BAY

On Tuesday the 4th of February, 2020, the Year 5/6 students went to Berry Bay for a beach day

with Mrs Murdock and Mrs Sandric. The bus ride was long, but after a brief stop at Corny Point to

get wetsuits, the students arrived at Berry Bay South.

When the Year 5/6 students got there, they had to listen to a brief safety speech from the

instructor, Squizzy, who spoke about the potential dangers, such as rips. After that, the students

headed down the stairs with their bags and either a boogie board or a surf board.

When they got down to the beach, they set up on the big flat rock and put sunscreen on. On the

beach they listened and learned the safety signals that lifeguards use all around Australia.

Student Comments

“I loved that I caught almost every single wave in to shore,” (Sabine Meyer).

“I loved going over the big waves just before they crashed,” (Samantha Peckover).

“The big waves were the best,” (Lucas Mulholland).

“Boogie boarding was fun,” (Ruby Foley).

The Year 5/6 students had a great day, especially when the dolphins swam up close to them!

Lily Johns

3/4 BEACH DAY AT BERRY BAY

These are snippets from the conclusion part of our recounts of Surf Safety Day at Berry Bay.

My day was awesome at the beach. I learnt to

surf. It was amazing at Berry Bay! Koby

At Berry Bay I learnt to surf and body board.

Caleb

I had a good day at Berry Bay. I learnt how to

body board. It was fun! River

I had a really, really fun time. It was the first time in

my life at surfing and I was a pro at it. The first time

I stood up until I hit the sand. Kalani

I had a great day at Berry Bay. I learnt how to boogie board. I touched a dolphin and it

felt gooey. I really liked the fact that there were flags to keep us safe. Harrison W

I had so much fun surfing. The dolphins were awesome, they got so close to us. Berry Bay

had lots of big waves. We learnt how to stand up on the boards. The teacher said that it

will take practise, 40 tries for me I thought!! Riley

It was a really good day. I loved boogie boarding. We saw dolphins. We caught a lot of

waves. One was so big it flipped me under water. Gilbert

I had a fun day. I loved surfing. It was the best day at Berry Bay. Josie

It was an amazing day. I hope it will happen again next year! Olivia

I loved beach day. It was so fun and cool. I loved surfing. Beach day was the best day of

the week. I learnt how hard it is to boogie

board. Harrison F

I liked surfing even when I fell off! It was very

fun body boarding. It was so much fun at

Berry Bay. Tyson

I loved it at Berry Bay. I loved the dolphins

swimming near me. I had a good time at the

beach. It was amazing. Zack

I had a fabulous day at Berry Bay. I learnt how

to surf. I enjoyed watching the dolphins go

underneath me. I had a good day! Jayden

I had an amazing time at Berry Bay. I learnt how to surf. I almost touched a dolphin. It was

so much fun. My favourite part was surfing. Layla

I had a great day at Berry bay. It was an amazing time. I was good at surfing and boogie

boarding. I loved it. My favourite was the body boards! Zack

The dolphins were under my surf board swimming. I loved it so much! We all had so much

fun! I got so tired! Chase

I had a fabulous day at Berry Bay. I learnt how to surf. I enjoyed watching the dolphins

swim near us. It was fun! Leearna

R/1/2 BEACH DAY AT BLUFF BEACH

It was an ideal summer’s day at beautiful Bluff Beach for our Junior Primary beach day. This

outdoor learning experience gave the children the opportunity to develop water skills under the

guidance of the Port Vincent Aquatics Centre instructors. Sustainability became a focus as we

concluded with a walk to explore the beach and talk about what should be left at the beach

and the rubbish that needs to be taken away. It was a great opportunity for our children to share

the joyous experience of sun, water and sand.

Liliana Castiglia

SHARK TANK

Innovation and entrepreneurial thinking will address many of our pressing community issues.

Therefore it is valuable for students to develop skills in identifying real-world problems and

creating business solutions. This year eight students from both Yorketown and Ardrossan Area

Schools are enrolled in SACE Stage 1 Business Innovation, collaborating face-to-face with each

other every Wednesday and online. The course content being delivered to students by Mr

Stephen Talbot (YAS) and Mrs Cherie Beech (AAS) is the University of Adelaide’s Shark Tank

program. Upon successful completion the university will reward students an undergraduate

course credit, with VET credits also available upon application.

Students will complete modules of work guided by teachers. To date students have completed

‘Imagine It’ and ‘Define It’ where they have discussed the ‘employment’ of products and

services to performs tasks, reflected upon personal abilities and the achievement of young

entrepreneurs, and formed team expectations. This week students will share and select ‘pains’

they have identified in their lives, which will form the basis of solution/business development.

Students will have to confirm the severity of their problems and get to know those customer

segments that are impacted by them. Challenges will come during cycles of solution ideation

where students are encouraged to ‘fail fast’ to discover workable outcomes. Marketing

strategies will be created to accompany their product / service, which will be displayed as part

of their ‘pitch’ to angle investors. At the end of the semester course students will have the

opportunity to pitch their business ideas to the general public, peers from across the state and

real business investors at the Shark

Tank Venture Show Case in

Adelaide.

This style of education delivery is new

to our SYP schools partnership. It has

and will continue to throw up

challenges, but as the students are

discovering, overcoming these and

other inhibitions makes individuals

more resilient and builds capabilities.

Stephen Talbot

CENTRAL YORKE FOOTBALL ACADEMY

At the beginning of last week, multiple students from YAS were chosen to partake in the start of

the Central Yorke Football Academy. For the induction, the students travelled to Maitland, where

they were involved in fitness and skill practicals, covering what theory tasks they would be doing

over the two-year program, and meeting the other peers that they will be working with over this

time. The program will be over a two year period and each student is capable of maintaining 40-

60 SACE credits by the end of this time. Everyone enjoyed themselves and put in 100% effort to

show their new coaches how high their skill level was. Overall everyone had a great time and

everyone involved finished the day with a smile on their face.

YAS ELECTIVES TERM 1, 2020

Once again Yorketown Area School is running its excellent Elective program, providing students

with the opportunity to participate in a range of learning experiences outside of the classroom.

Students get to work with a range of teachers and peers from many different classes. There are

many exciting Electives on offer this Term.

NEW STAFF

This year we gained a new teacher, Mrs Jeffrey.

Mrs Jeffrey teaches Year 8 Maths, Year 5/6 Maths and Year 3/4

Design and Technology. At the four previous schools where

Mrs Jeffrey did relief-teaching work, she taught Maths and IT.

Mrs Jeffrey enjoys working with the students and getting to

know how their wellbeing is going and works on mindset.

Minecraft

This is the sports elective.

Students are practising for

our sports day in week six.

This is our sustainability elective.

They help improve the school

grounds and make the school

look presentable