From the Principal

Facilities Update

Last week the wait was over as the new outdoor table tennis tables were delivered. We have installed two new table tennis tables outside of the Middle Years Centre, adjacent to the four-square courts and soon to be upgraded play area. I was so pleased to see how students of all ages were playing together both during Care Group time as well as Recess and Lunch. I too have played many games against the students and staff. 

To further enhance this area, we will install the outdoor volleyball court (as you will see in this edition of the Anchor, Endeavour has had a great deal of success at SACSA Volleyball). This new addition will allow further opportunities for our students to engage together in sport from Years 7-12.

During the holidays, work will begin on the upgraded play area that will include climbing walls, chin up bars, monkey bars and other engaging rope activities. As part of this process we will need to remove three trees during the holiday break, but have already planted additional trees in line with our policy of planting two trees for every tree removed.

Staff Recognition at Endeavour

Behind the scenes, Endeavour College educators are continually striving to develop and grow for the betterment of our students, ultimately maximising student learning potential.

Congratulations to Ms Renee Hutton who, after being highly recommended by the outgoing President, has accepted the volunteer position as President of the Home Economics Institute of Australia (South Australia) commencing in Term 2. 

Through this role, Ms Hutton will work closely with SACE on the planned subject changes, plan and run professional development opportunities and work with schools in any areas of the curriculum/subject they feel they need further support with.

We look forward to seeing her thrive in this role.

In Week 9 of this term Ms Layla Clarke presented at the annual South Australian English Teachers Association (SAETA) on Perspectives and Persuasion: Student Agency and Microtexts in the Middle Years. 

We congratulate her on her success and recognition in this area.

Ms Lauren Dutton has also been recently selected for a Northern Territory government funded Top End Family Tour. 

In the first week of the upcoming holiday break, Lauren is set to join a small group of teachers from around the nation to tour key locations and engage in several activities with the aim being to familiarise them with school tour opportunities. 

Lauren and Louisa Mulligan (who was selected onto the Central Australia Family Tour in 2023), will start to investigate the potential for optional school cultural tours in the future. Exciting things are happening in this space.

Mr Satchet Singh, Digital Technologies Learning Leader, will be attending the Hatchery’s 2nd Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education Conference in May this year. 

This conference is a valuable opportunity to engage with peers who are navigating similar stages at their institutions, so that we can take the necessary steps for leveraging this technology effectively to improve teacher efficiency in planning, student outcomes and to have the right knowledge and resources to be able to measure its impact here at Endeavour College.

Europe Tour 2024

Departing tomorrow the Art and History departments will host our international study tour to Germany and France with 16 senior school students and 3 staff. 

A prime focus of this trip will be an extensive educational tour of World War I battlefield sites in Belgium and France where Australian troops gallantly served and made huge sacrifices.

France is also one of the great cultural and artistic centres of Europe, so we'll be spending time in Paris to experience some of this unique heritage. The study tour will include spending time exploring key historical and cultural sites in Germany, specifically in and around Berlin and Munich. Sites in Berlin include the site of the infamous Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and the Pergamum Museum. In Bavaria, we shall visit the city of Munich and undertake day trips to Berchtesgarten and Dachau.

In the spirit of fostering relationships,

I will be visiting Japan before joining the European Study Trip to meet with the new Principal of Sundai Kofu (our Japanese sister school and student exchange partners) as well as the Mayor of Mobara City (sister city to the City of Salisbury). 

From there, I will join the European Study Tour in France, which culminates with the ANZAC Day experience at the Australian National Museum in Villers-Bretonneux on the Western Front. 

I hope you all have a safe and rest-filled holiday break. 

Richard Baird

Principal