From The Principal

As we approach the end of Semester 1 and Term 2, it is timely for students to reflect on what they have achieved and things they can improve. Some possible considerations include:

• asking more questions in class
• ensuring being prepared for all lessons
• submitting work by the required date
• acting on feedback provided by the teacher
• having a timeline for when tasks are due and sticking to it including a plan to start, continue and finish tasks by the required date
• staying focussed in class
• ensuring work does not pile up to the extent it is hard to find a starting point leading to increased unnecessary pressure.

Semester 1 reports will be available on Friday 8 July for Year 7 to 11 students and Term 2 reports for Year 12 students.

As part of the completion of the Capital Works, the Governing Council has approved the establishment of a working party. Currently we refer to buildings such as the Maths block, HASS and Languages. However as our school is growing many teaching spaces will deliver more than one subject and so naming of the teaching blocks needs to change. The working party wants to engage Aberfoyle Park High School students, parents/caregivers and staff in working with them to look at how we want to rename our 19 buildings. The working party will go through a process of identifying a theme for naming the buildings and then gather suggested names based on the theme. There are two places for parents/caregivers on the working party. If anyone is interested in being involved, please email Rachael Kuhl, Rachael.Kuhl201@schools.sa.edu.au by Friday 1 July.  Meeting times for the working party members will be set once the representatives from the Governing Council, students, parent/caregivers and staff have been finalised.

I would just like to remind the community of some of the school expectations to ensure that we maintain a safe environment with a focus on learning and teaching:

• students are expected to start at 8.45am and be punctual to all classes. Students who are late to school need to sign in through Student Services. Any students who need to leave school early to attend appointments sign out through Student Services
• wearing of school uniform is required. Essentially students should have a school top, plain black pants, however not trackies or leggings, and plain black shoes. A change of clothes is required for Health and Physical Education lessons
• whilst mobile phones can be brought to school, students need to keep them in their pockets or bags during lesson times unless teachers give them permission to use them for a class based task. Students who do not meet this expectation will be given a reminder to put their phone away. In the event that the phones come out again, they will be taken by the teacher and put in Student Services until the end of the school day when they can be collected
• students should not have cigarettes or vapes at school. Any student not meeting this expectation will expect consequences and parents/caregivers will be notified
• students are not to bring illicit substances or paraphernalia to consume the drugs. In instances where this occurs, police will be notified and students will at a minimum be suspended from school.

Our next Student Free Day is Monday 25 July, the first day of Term 3. We will be undertaking curriculum work to strengthen what we want students to learn and how we assess what they have learnt.

With the colder weather and COVID-19 continuing in our community, it is important that if students are not well they do not come to school and put at risk other students and our staff. In the event that students are absent they need to:

• check Daymap to see the current work being done in their classes
• continue their learning program where possible
• in the event of having difficulties, email their teacher
• negotiate an extension to the due date of an assessment task using the school approved process.