Principal Report
Remote Learning
Thank you for the ongoing support during these challenging times. Please reach out to a member of staff if the College can support your students/family during this latest lockdown.
Just a reminder to students in Year 3-12 to log onto their homegroup each morning between 8:45 and 9am. This is the most important part of the day as it sets a routine. Foundation - Year 6 students are required to work until midday. Year 7 - 10 students will follow their normal timetable, until 2:30pm. Year 11 & 12 students continue with their full timetable.
Moving ahead with the Cluster
The three local schools Edenhope, Balmoral and Goroke), are continuing to touch base at principal and staff level as we look to move forward with ways to support our students. Many ideas pop up when you get people working collaboratively together. The reason we are working together is so that we have better resourced staff, students have more opportunities, greater subject selection and have the chance of better outcomes. With numbers declining in rural areas, this impacts schools and to hold that at bay we need to look within our own communities for areas of strength.
One of the first things the schools will do together is to combine year level camps from Grade 5 up Year 12. Schools are currently running a school social together and have run SRC leadership days previously.
Kinder Transition
It was great to have the Kindergarten to school as part of the transition process as students look ahead to next year and starting school. Students had a great time listening to Kim Thornton our F – 1 teacher, asking questions and then heading out for a play in our playground. We will resume our visits to Kinder, and welcoming the kinder students onsite at Edenhope College as soon as restrictions permit.
Thank you to all prospective families who attended our recent Online Information Evening. Enrolment packs are being prepared and will be sent out to families shortly.
Year 9/10 Electives 2022
Current Year 8 & 9 students have picked the most popular electives and these have been blocked for final selection this week. On Thursday students will be directed to log into an elective webex so they can ask any questions they have to help finalise their choices for 2022.
The final elective selection, the students have helped to choose include:
Café Culture, World of Food, Grow, Cook, Sell, Textiles, Woodwork, Web Design, Machines & Electronics, Real World Mathematics, Agriculture, Advance/Community Connections, Visual Arts, Drama, Musical Theatre, Theatre Production and Media.
Student Leadership
We are always looking at ways to build student agency within the school. While taking on these roles is important, so is recognising those who put their hands up to help in these positions. We’ve decided to put on lunches for students who’ve taken on these leadership roles. It’s a small reward and recognition for the leadership skills they are developing and the roles they do for our school. Looking at the picture, I’d say the it's been well received by the students.
School Farm
Great to see the school farm being revitalised with a multitude of stock appearing over the last while. We’ve currently got some newborn lambs and some very young calves. Thanks to those who have arranged for stock to be onsite and also a thanks for those who are looking after the stock. A big thanks to Chloe and the Dubois family, who are feeding them during the current lockdown. We also have a very friendly sheep who has been moved to the farm from a flooded house block. He will walk up to you and generally accept a pat or two, if food is at the end of negotiations! Ex students Shakayla Summerhayes even managed to feed him a slice of toast with vegemite, as she sees him every morning before going to work.
Parent Attitudes to School Survey
This will be conducted over the next fortnight. The Department of Education asks that the survey to be done by 30% of families within schools. We have randomly sent 25 of our 76 families a link and are asking for your feedback. At Edenhope College there are things we do well and there are things we could do better. The survey data that is collected helps set direction within our learning environment, so please take the time to do the survey and make a difference for your child.
Thank you Edenhope Cricket Club
A huge thank you goes out to the Edenhope Cricket Club for donating heaps of cricket equipment to the school. Helen and Nolan Roll delivered the equipment to the school. I’m really thankful for the contribution that the Edenhope community make to our college and this is another example of how small country town communities band around each other.
School Camps/Excursions and Transitions
Whilst it has been frustrating for everyone, students are the ones who have copped most of the disappointment with all the postponed, cancelled, repeatedly rescheduled trips. Thanks everyone in these trying times for the efforts and patience involved. We have plans to run several camps in Term 4 as well as Kinder and Year 7 Transition days. We’ll do our best to make these happen, restrictions permitting.
Staff
Thanks again to the professional efforts of staff so far during 2021!