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Another amazing community turn out at the Ski for Life event last Friday. Thank you Mr Clinton Griffiths for providing extra entertainment by winning and wearing the pink tutu. Well done to our SRC who raised and donated funds to the ‘Walkers-On-the-Water’ team and also to our School Captains on making their first community public speech. Many thanks to our staff who organised, supervised and assisted to make the event for all our students, preschool to year 12.
The Ski for Life speaker, Ben , once again spoke well about how mental ill-health can, and does afflict any of us. He consistently encourages all that when experiencing such difficulties, it is more important than ever to talk to a trusted person about it.
The Ski for Life priority, to raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues, closely aligns with SRAS’s WeMatter focus. Through events like this, we continue to take further steps in building our positive school community. This helps children (and adults) feel that the school and community is a safe place where needs can be met. Research shows that when children and families are connected to school and community that children (and adults) are less likely to develop mental health problems and succeed better at school and in the community.
Furthermore, positive school communities create opportunities for children, families and staff to feel included. They build bridges to help everyone benefit. Well done SRAS and local communities on a successful joint venture.
Coming soon will be the media release from Mid Murray Our Town (MMOT), whose team submission won $100,000 to raise mental health in the Mid Murray Council area, with a focus on Swan Reach Community. The decision to focus on Swan Reach rather than the whole Mid Murray Area was made after careful consideration by the MMOT team; taking aboard feedback from the Fay Fuller Foundation that our community has activated members (such as Ski-for-Life), and to concentrate on a smaller region as a blue print for the future. SRAS will ensure a copy of the release is included with our next newsletter.
SPORTS DAY
Congratulations to all students for their participation in this year's Athletics Day. Well done, and thank you to Mr Coleman who did an excellent job in organising the event which was fun and inclusive for all.
DAYMAP
SRAS apologises that Daymap won’t be accessible to our community until the start of term 2. We are highly frustrated with the slow and inadequate ICT support we are receiving, as most of the faults can only be rectified by them. Mr Troy Cowland is highly persistent and is outsourcing what support he can to an expert in another Area School. We are beginning to open access to students, so hopefully by the start of term 2 they’ll be able to assist families at home. We are also looking at organising a support sessions for families ASAP after term 2 begins. Thank you for your patience.
3 WAY CONFERENCE
Parents, Carers and students are strongly encouraged and invited to book in for these conferences in week 8 (Monday 15th Mar, Tuesday 16th Mar & Wednesday 17th Mar). The format will be the same providing you with the opportunity to meet with a core team (where possible) of your child(ren)’s teachers and SSOs to set relevant learning goals using the Individual Learning Plan(ILP) template. Data about your child(ren)’s achievement against national and state standards will be viewed on the ILP form and Education Dashboard application on the smart board.
NOTE WELL:
- The school will close early on Tuesday the 16th March at 2:20pm to allow for parents and carers to access earlier time slots
- Buses will depart at 2:30pm
- Conferences will begin at 2:40pm
- Early Learning Centre (ELC) conferences will be offered on preschool days over the course of this term. Mrs Trish Horstmann will organise these separately.
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
This week SRAS has staff engaging in two major professional learning workshops:
- The Berry Street Education Model is a progressive training program that enables teachers to increase engagement with challenging students and successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, growth, and academic achievement.
- Sheena Cameron’s reading comprehension strategies. This workshop takes this research and turns it into classroom practice. It is based on Sheena’s experience of teaching strategies in a real classroom. It answers questions such as, ‘Are the strategies hierarchical? How long should I spend teaching each strategy? and ‘Do I teach them to the whole class or in groups?
Professor John Hattie places significant emphasis on the importance of evidence-based professional learning for teachers. Both of the programs above are highly endorsed by the Department for Education and will be crucial learning for staff to further embed wellbeing for learning through the Berry Street program and further skills and knowledge to continue embedding our Literacy Site Improvement Goal to improve students’ reading achievements.
Professor Helen Timperley supports this understanding and advocates that:
“Teachers who are engaged in cycles of effective professional learning take greater responsibility for the learning of all students; they do not dismiss learning difficulties as an inevitable consequence of the home or community environment. As they take more responsibility, and as they discover that their new professional knowledge and practice are having a positive impact on their students, they begin to feel more effective as teachers.” Teacher professional learning and development (page 9). https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.524.3566&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Our recent positive School Review is testiment to the impact of effective teacher training by SRAS staff in the past 4 years that have improved Literacy and Numeracy outcomes for our learners – evidenced by our PAT data.
PAT READING
2018 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 74% 37 out of 50 students
2019 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 82.9% 34 out of 41 students
2020 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 90% 28 out of 31 students
PAT MATHS
2018 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 64% 32 out of 50 students
2019 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 60.9% 25 out of 41 students
2020 - Year 3-10 at SEA = 70.6% 24 out of 34 students
Mr John Robertson
Principal
What a crazy time this first part of the year is! Well done to everyone at the Swimming Carnival and thanks for everyone’s contribution to our 'sell out' Sausage Sizzle.
We will be catering for the fast approaching Sports Day.
Hots Dogs $4
Icy poles and drinks will also be available.
Look forward to seeing you all there. Bring on the Tug-of-War Mr Coleman!
Cheers,
Mardi Le Brun
USE Swimming
Last Tuesday, 16th February, three students from SRAS competed at the interschool Upper South East swimming carnival. Congratulations to Jasmine Challenor, Kai Gribble and Amillia Carver for being selected and representing our school at this event. This year was the first time the event was held in a central location, utilising the 50m pool at the Murray Bridge Swimming Centre. Overall, despite serious competition, our students came away with some impressive results. Jazzy came 2nd in her U/15 Div 1 50m Freestyle event, Kai came third in his U/16 medley event and Amillia came 4th in her U/14 50m Freestyle event. A huge effort from students who haven’t experienced professional swimming lessons or club training. Well done all!
SSSSA Swimming
As a result of Jazzy’s impressive swim in the 50m Freestyle event, she was selected to represent the USE zone in the Secondary School Sport South Australia (SSSSA) Swimming competition. Jazzy swam in the U/15 Div 2 50m Freestyle and 50m Freestyle Relay yesterday, 24th March, at the Marion Aquatic Centre. This is an incredible achievement and we are certainly proud of her representation of our school. More to come on how Jazzy went in her events in the next newsletter.
Athletics Day
Time to shift from the swimming pool onto the oval. The SRAS Athletics day is only one week away! I look forward to seeing everyone out to support and or participate next Thursday, 4th March. Thankfully, the long-term weather forecast looks to be much kinder than temperatures experienced on swimming carnival.
Once again, I’d like to recognise just how lucky we are to have Phil Carter as our groundsman. He has spent countless hours and days preparing the oval, creating an absolute treat for us to enjoy next Thursday. Thank you so much Phil.
Parents, Carers, family members, please come and join in the excitement and cheer on your child/ren. Better yet, if you would personally like to volunteer as an official marshal, please contact the school to let me know of your interest.
Our students have been hard at practice throughout this week, eager for the real deal to begin next Thursday. Our pre-carnival events kick off next Tuesday morning, 2nd March, with the combined 3000m/l000m event. The Javelin event will follow for our senior students on Wednesday morning, 3rd March.
I am ecstatic to announce that the Bungee Run will return this year. We had so much fun with this new event last year that we had to get it back. Calling on any challengers out there amongst our parents for a staff vs parents battle…??? I’m sure the parents will be looking to get back some points (and bragging rights) after their ultra-tough defeat in the swimming relay…
Lastly, I kindly thank the efforts of our amazing Parents and Friends team for catering lunches for this event. Please refer to their report in the Newsletter for more details. I am extremely excited for a huge day of fun, participation and competition! Bring on next Thursday! Go Murray Eagles and Mallee Kangaroos!
Mr Jayden Coleman
Sports Coordinator
Thank you to all those who kindly donated jars for our special fundraiser. Beginning this Friday, the SRC will be selling positive message jars to raise awareness for mental health and well being. All proceeds will be donated to the 'Walkers on the Water' Ski for Life team and will be presented next Friday at 2pm at the Len White reserve, where over 250 skiers will be in our community.
Small jar $2 | Medium jar $3 | Large jar $5
MID TERM ASSEMBLY
The SRC will be hosting the Mid Term Assembly on Friday 24th March at 2:30pm in the Outdoor Learning Area. Parents, Carers and family members are invited to attend. Covid safe measures remain in practice including QR code check in at the venue.
Dalton and Olivia - School Captains
Julie’s Column
Hi everyone, welcome back to school, and a huge welcome to the new families for 2021. It’s great to see the new students settling in so well already.For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Julie Maxwell and I am the Pastoral Care Worker here at Swan Reach Area School. I am here to provide wellbeing support for the school community – students, staff and families. You would have received a consent form for your child/ren to see me individually if the need arises and this explains my role a little. If you would like more information, or want to chat about anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can do this in various ways – you can drop off a note at the front office, phone the school, email me at julie.maxwell32@schools.sa.edu.au, or call in on Wednesdays and Thursdays when I’m at school. With the start of the year upon us, it’s a good time to think about online technology and how we can best use this remarkable tool. Those of us who are adults know what fantastic access it can give us to information and entertainment. It also enables us to continue to communicate with family, friends and work places through the challenges of last year. While we want our children to have access to the benefits of the online world, it can often be difficult to know how to balance the advantages with the drawbacks and potential online dangers. Below is a link to an article from Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner outlining some of the ways to help our children have a positive experience.
Have a great year. Let’s hope we have a much simpler and more “normal” one than last year.
Mrs Julie Maxwell,
Pastoral Care Worker
The agriculture students have been busy learning how to operate machinery, and the Doorways2Construction team try out the shades after making repairs in time for sports day.
SRAS staff are continuing to work tirelessly to make Daymap available for families as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties and wait times being experienced when contacting Daymap Support, we are postponing our ‘go live’ date again. Secondary students are starting to gain access and are becoming familiar with the different features. On the back of advice from the support team we have decided to ‘go live’ to parents in Week 9. Thank you for your patience.
Mr Troy Cowland
Deputy Principal
Due date for the next Newsletter is 10:00am, Wednesday 24th March. The newsletter is distributed via the SZApp and school website. Printed copies are still available upon request.
Articles can be emailed to dl.0423.info@schools.sa.edu.au clearly marked in the subject box as Newsletter, faxed to 8570 2325 or delivered to the library/front office. Due to the way the Newsletter is now being set up, not all photos are included in the print copy, however there are several photo galleries included online and via the SZApp.
The Swan Reach Area School website is where you can find all the school information including the newsletter, forms and policies. Please visit https://swanrchas.sa.edu.au.
KIDS CLUB
3.15pm-4.30pm. FRIDAY 19th March at the Swan Reach Lutheran Hall, for Reception to Year 7 children. Cost is $1 each. For more information please contact Taryn 0427 702 377 or Kristy 0438 857 721.
SACWA NILDOTTIE and DISTRICTS BRANCH - 2021 CALENDAR DATES
EXHIBITION
An exhibition of paintings by Tanuna artist:Marco Angelo is now on display in the Gallery at the Swan Reach Women's Rest Rooms (Victoria St). There is also pottery by various artists until the end of April. Opening times 10am-1pm; Monday, Wednesday & Saturday, and when a volunteer is available.
BIBLE STUDY
Swan Reach Christian Women's Group invite you to join them for Bible study and fellowship each month. 11am, second Tuesday of the Month at the Swan Reach Lutheran Church Hall. BYO lunch. For more information please phone Taryn 0427 702 377 or Josie 0419 708 224. All welcome.
PURNONG TRASH & TREASURE
The 2021 SWAN REACH CLASSIC CAR & MOTORBIKE RUN TO THE REACH will be held at Len White Reserve on Sunday 18th April, 10am-3pm.
10-11-12 March | Staff Training Days |
15-16-17 March | 3-way Conferences |
16 March | 3 way conferences, early dismissal, 2:20pm. |
22 March | Governing Council 5:30pm |
23 March | USE Athletics at Karoonda Area School |
26 March | SAPSASA Swimming |
2 April | Good Friday |
5 April | Easter Monday |
7 April | SSSSA Athletics |
9 April | End of Term 1, early dismissal 2:10pm |
18 April | 2021 Swan Reach Classic Car and Motorbike Run |
23 May | 8-hour Pedal Prix - The Bend, Tailem Bend |
July 31 | 12-hour Pedal Prix - The Bend, Tailem Bend |
11-12 September | 2x6-hour Pedal Prix - Murray Bridge |