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Wirreanda Secondary School
Week 5, Term 3 2020
Tues 8 Sept Year 10 Immunisations Fri 11 Sept School Closure Day
Week 10
Mon 14 Sept School Closure Day - Staff PD Tues 15, Thurs 17 Sept MS Dental Visit
Upcoming Events
Week 9
Week 7
From our Principal
Thurs 3, Fri 4 Sept SS Dental Visit
Our term calendars can be found on our website at this link
Dear Parents, Families and Students, Welcome to Term 3. Wirreanda Secondary School and “who we are” is a result of what we, staff, students and families, do everyday. Developing our staff profile continues to be critical to achieving our vision providing the best learning opportunities for our learners. We continue to revise staffing and HR profiles of leadership, teaching and support roles across Wirreanda Secondary School to ensure we are in the best possible position to build a strong community of learners with a shared focus on raising aspirations and developing high expectations of each other, our students and our community. Term 2 Achievement What a term we had during Term 2- it was completely unprecedented and our students continued to be amazing! At Wirreanda Secondary School we continue to believe it is important to recognise outstanding achievement, which we would normally recognise through our whole school assembly. A large number of students have applied themselves and no doubt worked very hard to achieve excellent results across Term 2, even with the challenges of COVID, and I extend my congratulations to them. Many other students are demonstrating achievement and responsibility through hard work and I encourage them to continue this and take great pride in their commitment. The 11 Million Build The initial stages of our 11 million build are progressing well. Our plans for this represent a substantial build and refurbishment across Wirreanda Secondary School. This will allow us to further develop the work we have been doing in refurbishing our learning areas, to develop world class learning spaces across Wirreanda Secondary School. As we progress through this year some of the new areas you will start to see take shape include the brand new Performing Arts Space, new sporting courts and refurbished Tech/Art/Home Ec spaces. Our 11 million building plans will allow for an expansion of numbers at Wirreanda Secondary School, which will move us over an enrolment of 1200. Year 7 into High School Pilot Our work as a Year 7 to High School Pilot school this year has been incredibly rewarding and positive. As we move toward 2022 with all secondary schools in SA transitioning Year 7 students from primary schools, we have seen an even greater number of Year 7’s enrol for 2021 at Wirreanda Secondary School. We have been able to share this journey across the state this year, with many schools interested in and seeking information and reflections from us about our work in this space. This has impacted on a range of areas moving forward with our exciting journey at Wirreanda Secondary School including structures/operations, teaching/support/ leadership structures, curriculum and pedagogy, finance and facilities. This has been really exciting, and it has been a fantastic move to bring Year 7’s into our school, evidenced by the Year 7’s we have this year. Learning Conversations and Course Selection Process Our Learning Conversations & Course Selection Day was held on Wednesday 19th August . This is always a wonderful opportunity to engage with our school community with a focus on learning. These conversations continue to underpin our focus on providing useful feedback for learning, and engaging parents and community in the learning journey. Over the coming weeks and into next term, our leadership team will be working to ensure we are providing students with a range of opportunities through their course choices and allocating staffing and human resources appropriately for 2021, with the information and selections provided from this day. We have had a very positive start to Term 3, with several events and programs to look forward to in the coming weeks. I look forward to continuing our work together this term. Thank you for your continued support. Remember….Wirreanda Secondary School and “who we are” is a result of what we do, or don’t do, everyday. Kind Regards, Caroline Fishpool Principal
Tues 22 Sept PBL Exhibition of Learning 3.45pm - 5.15pm
The Wirreanda Secondary School $11 Million is well underway! Here are a few images showing the process so far.
Week 8
$11 Million Build
Co-designing Learning Blocks Three of our Student Analysts volunteered to take part in our Wednesday Professional Development on Learning Blocks on Wednesday 5 August, Week 3. The Student Analysts have been focusing on Learning Blocks, and this was a fantastic opportunity to act as learning designers and decision makers. Teaching staff worked in different groups based on their learning areas. The challenge set to all teaching staff was to design a Learning Block for learners according to the class context sheet provided. The context of the class was a group of students with different learning needs and included a new student joining the class. Our Student Analysts co-designed a learning block that would be engaging for all students and reinforce their learning in a challenging way.
The Learning Area I chose to work in was English, and specifically text creation. Collaborating with the teachers to co-design a learning block was a positive experience because I got to learn and see how teachers prepare and plan lessons. I enjoyed co-designing the lesson and having a say in how we learn. My recommendations included putting together a seating plan and the importance of including brain breaks. I also contributed to the type of smart start that was planned taking into account the new student. I shared my experience of activities that I have enjoyed including being active and things that are related to the topic and things that are hands-on. - Abbie
What did the Teachers think?
I’m excited to continue collaborating with our Student Analysts, who have a genuine student voice in how we improve and shape teaching and learning at Wirreanda Secondary School. I encourage ALL students to be actively involved in our school community and to share their thoughts and opinions. If of our students have any questions, ideas and or suggestions we will happily discuss them with you, therefore please come and see Ms Smith or Ms Brodzicki. Jessica Brodzicki - Student Voice Lead Teacher
The Learning Area I chose to work in was HASS Business and Enterprise as this is a subject I’m passionate about and want to pursue in the future. It was a great opportunity to understand the teachers' perspectives on different topics and the way they plan learning and to see how they structure lessons: plenary, brain breaks etc. They have a lot of resources on hand which is really great. I found it interesting that teachers had goals and created content around that - I didn’t know how teachers created lessons. A lot of work and effort goes into lessons to help students understand. The teachers work really well in a group and bounce off each other - positive environment. It was a great opportunity to co-design a lesson and share my opinions. We had lots of positive feedback through pitching and reflection and discussions. All the feedback was positive and constructive and allowed teachers to improve and consider different things. It was a great experience and something I would like to do again! The teachers were really supportive and asked for my opinion which made me feel valued. - Jude
More students in PD! Jude was great to have with us. Similar planning sessions for our own classes.
More opportunity for students to co-design their learning and be actively engaged in the PD in collaboration with teachers. Although only 3 students attended today, all students shared how positive and valuable the experience was for them and that they were able to genuinely voice and share their opinions and thoughts
I chose to work in Food and Technology. I originally thought that the session would be more challenging as I was the only student present with three other teachers. However, after we started getting involved I realised that I had the power and opportunity to genuinely have a voice and share my opinions and thoughts with the teachers. This made me feel empowered and proud. Once I began sharing my ideas and thoughts we were able to co-design an engaging lesson based on theory for year 10s. I assumed teachers made up their own ideas, however, they genuinely take time to plan the lessons to cater to all learners with different needs. For me it was important that during the lesson students had a brain break, and particularly during a longer lesson with content that two short brain breaks would be beneficial. I also provided teachers with feedback about the exit card - what recipe students could make for the next week and why instead of just discussing what we did during the lesson. - Emmaiya
From Student Voice
Attendance to onsite classes reports all attendance to every class (including Home Group) each day. This also counts absences from class as a result of school sanctioned programs as well as where a student have arrived late or left early for a day (eg absent from first or last lesson)
The WAVE Program at Wirreanda Secondary School have welcomed Iris the Facility Dog to the program. In partnership with Guide Dogs SA/NT, Iris will be working with students on their physical and emotional wellbeing, social development and learning enhancement. Iris has undertaken intensive training with Guide Dogs SA/NT to take on this role. In June the Facility Dog handlers completed their training and PACT test with Guide Dogs SA/NT. The training included distraction exposure, correct procedures in toileting, use of equipment, entering and exiting transport safely, responding to handler commands and effectively managing the dog in a public setting. This training has equipped the handlers with the knowledge, confidence and accreditation for the WAVE Facility Dog to have access rights in the school setting. WAVE staff are extremely excited that Iris has arrived and the benefits that have already been seen include: Lowering anxiety levels Students feeling calm and relaxed Encouraging socialisation and prompted communication Motivating students to engage with classes and complete work Encouraging movement and physical exercise Educating young people on their responsibilities towards pet care Iris has already undertaken work involving case management meetings, group sessions with young people, and has participated in calming walks with students. In fact a number of students reengaged with the program when they heard that Iris was at WAVE. Wirreanda Secondary School are sincerely grateful for this wonderful opportunity and the partnership formed with Guide Dogs SA/NT. Iris will be the first Facility Dog in Australia to be placed by Guide Dogs SA/NT in a Secondary School. Paul Sherman - Senior Leader WAVE Program
From WAVE - Welcome Iris the Facility Dog
90 % - 94%
Student Attendance in Daymap
What do the attendance colours mean?
85% - 90%
94% & Above
Daymap is an important tool to track student attendance to school. Student attendance is reported every learning block with Parent/Guardians advised via SMS if an unapproved absence is detected. Student attendance can be tracked through the Daymap Parent Portal. An overall attendance count can be found under each student account, with specific details located under the attendance tab.
Below 85%
How can I track my child/children's attendance to school? Wayne Olifent - Senior Leader Strategic Operations
Attendance at School reports whether a student has been present at school for a given day including to school sanctioned programs. This rate is what the Department for Education use to track student attendance.
Have not logged on before? That’s ok here is how: Before you get started, ask your son/daughter what their student ID is. Then follow the link below: https://wirreandasecondary.sa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ICT-Signing-up-to-Daymap.p
In Term 2 the Wirreanda Secondary School Transition program implemented a new event in response to the COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place for excursions. This new event was organised in conjunction with Mr Siviour, our STEM lead teacher who introduced skills and creative thinking protocols into the sessions. The sessions were named ‘WSS Transition: Turbocharged’ and involved students designing their own puzzle pieces to be made with our laser cutter. Students had to design their piece so it included their name and a visual representation of themselves. We visited a total of six schools within our community and were so grateful to start making connections with our future Wirreanda Secondary School students. Later this term we will be presenting the finished product to the schools to be displayed. We look forward to seeing our new Year 7 students on ‘Leading the Way Day’ on Friday 28 August and our new Year 8 students again in Week 2 of Term 4 for our Learner Profile Interviews. Amy Newbound - Middle School Green House Leader/Transition Leader
"I enjoyed how competitive Jenga was and how much you had to think about where to place your next step." - Lilly-Arna F
This term the 7PBL Orange Village are creating businesses and games for the Engaging EnterPRIZES project. This project will see students creating and selling a product in the form of a game to a specific audience. In order to expose students to different types of games, we had an incursion where were able to play a variety of ‘giant garden games’ to get ideas and inspiration for different types of collaborative games. Students competed against each other in their business teams and played a round robin tournament featuring Giant Jenga, Connect 4, Ring Toss, and Corn Hole. All teams worked together well and were highly competitive throughout the tournament. Special thanks go to Garden Party Adelaide who kindly lent us all the games for the incursion. April Grava - PBL Teacher
From our Middle School
Operation Flinders is a South Australian based organisation that runs a world leading wilderness adventure program on Yankaninna Station which spreads across both the Ikara - Flinders Ranges and the Gammon Ranges. In this program, participants are confronted with physical, emotional and psychological challenges in an isolated and unfamiliar environment, all designed to improve confidence and resilience through positive achievement. Our team, Tango 10, this year consisted of 10 students from our year 9 cohort all successfully completed their Operation Flinders exercise over weeks 1 and 2 of Term 3. Over the 8 days, participants travelled approximately 60-70km all over Yankaninna Station on foot, carrying with them rucksacks full of all their vital equipment, bedding, food and water and leaving at home their comforts - including a shower and toilet! Whilst the days were spent hiking mountains, rolling ankles, abseiling, managing blisters and complaining about sore feet and early wake up times, most evenings were spent around the campfire admiring sunsets and smashing down packet mashed potato. What was consistent day and night though was the time, uninterrupted by technology, to reflect on things and people important to our students and how lessons learnt from our experience can be implemented into their daily lives. Some of our team grew and developed right in front of our eyes, whilst some will no doubt have that lightbulb moment down the track, maybe even in 5 years. Regardless of when this happens, what we do hope is that each of our participants can look back on this experience and recognise it as a major accomplishment in their lives that required grit, courage and perseverance. “I learnt that even if I’m struggling I can still push through it and get done what I need to get done” Hannah “It was really good! I didn’t think I’d be able to abseil but I feel proud that I went off the cliff” Nick “I didn’t think this would have challenged me as much as it did, but I feel really proud for completing it” Shaziah No doubt this year’s team faced some very unique challenges. Physically, emotionally and socially, each of our students had their good days and bad days, but the one thing they can all be proud of is finishing. Operation Flinders is certainly not for the faint hearted - it’s not meant to be! Congratulations to all of Tango Ten for completing the exercise and enjoy your showers and bed! Briony Steele and Alicia Dean - Tango 10 WSS staff
Operation Flinders
What is a Student Analyst? Student Analysts are leaders within the school community who have the crucial role in analysing the results of the Student Perception Survey from Semester One. What do student analysts do? Student Analysts act as: Researchers and Evaluators: Analysing the results and drawing conclusions to create positive change. Teachers: Sharing their ideas, opinions with their peers and Leaders about the next steps. Decision Makers: Creating an Action Plan to to improve their focus issue / topic in order to lead and shape change . What have Student Analysts been involved in?
Tara - Having the opportunity to become part of the Student Analysts team was a great experience to learn more about the role students play at school, how students feel at school and what changes we can all make to help the school environment. I also think it was good to be able to meet and interact with other students that wanted to be involved in making change for the better of the school, the students and even the teachers. Being a year 7 and being new to Wirreanda Secondary School just shows that even in my first year of high school I have been able to be part of changes that are going to be taking place soon enough. So thank you to Ms Brodzicki, Ms Smith and all the other teachers involved in making the student analysts team happen.
Charlotte - A positive of being a Student Analyst is being able to look at the data and see things that we didn’t have the opportunity to see what actually goes on at our school and what students say. Collaborating with students in other year levels which we don’t normally get the chance to was also a great experience.
Logan - I enjoyed learning about data, and how to analyse it. This experience has been great because I've got to work as a team and discover more about the school and we had a great and yummy shared lunch.
Workshop 1: Mr Wayne Olifent presented how the school uses data and how to analyse it. For the Student Analysts however, the data they were looking at was collected from the Student Perception Surveys completed by the entire student body earlier this term. Students were surprised by how much the leaders actually use the data. The Student Analysts spent this session analysing the data and selecting a focus topic/issue they are passionate about and want to improve. Workshop 2: Mrs Smith shared the power of Student Voice at WSS and how our students have taken action! Including shaping our current uniforms, designing new outdoor learning spaces and past captains leading Wirri’s Got Talent. Students organised themselves in teams on a topic / issue they are passionate about and want to improve and implement change. Workshop 3: The last session, Ms Jessica Brodzicki led students in creating an Action Plan and shared how they can share and present their ideas with the WSS community. In teams, students developed an Action Plan on their focus topic/issue. They shared this with experts and leaders to seek feedback about their ideas. If you would like to be a Student Analyst and part of the team in semester two, please send Ms Brodzicki an email. Jessica Brodzicki
Kierran - I enjoyed learning about different ways to show my thinking, whilst making the school community a more positive place. It was good to collaborate with new people, especially at different year levels. The experience I enjoyed the most was specifically looking at Learning Blocks - writing Learning Intentions and Success Criteria that are valuable to students and easy for them to understand.
Shaniece - Working as a Student Analyst is a positive and unique experience as it gave me an opportunity to have a voice on behalf of other students shaping school culture, particularly in regards to students wanting to come to school through our recommendations and strategies.
Mikayla - I learned that we do really look at the data behind it all and see what really needs to be fixed in and around the school and it’s a great opportunity to see what our school is all about. Being able to work with other students in different grades and get everyone’s opinion about the situations we looked at and what needs to be changed.
Student Analyst - Mainstream
Collaborating with Student Analysts in The Unit and Special Class Montana and I (Jasmine) were part of the Student Analyst team and we volunteered to collaborate with students from The Unit and Special Class. Our own personal experience was engaging and positive, and we saw how we, as students, have power to shape and improve our school if we are actively involved. Therefore, we wanted to support students from The Unit and Special Class to do the same. During the first workshop, we sorted into groups and explored the different datasets (mainstream opportunities, home learning, good days over bad, reports and interim reports) and analysed the completely unexpected results from the graphs and discussed the positives, negatives and everything in between and made hunches, assumptions and created ideas to impact the results of the data in a positive, uplifting message for our community. Each student chose an area to focus on and improve. The next workshop students focused on creating an Action Plan which will show how a range of actions will lead and shape change at WSS. Students verbally presented these to Mrs Smith and Mr McGrath for feedback to improve their ideas. All students presented really well, although being a little shy at first. We can’t wait to see the ideas and actions from the Action Plans being implemented. This was a valuable experience as we felt proud to be able to support the students who increased their confidence and felt successful as they were able to overcome their challenges, including talking in front of the team and working with us. We also learnt a lot from the students about their own perspectives and experiences at school, and the importance of supporting one another. We’re looking forward to making new connections between mainstream students and The Unit, and engage in opportunities where we can collaborate together. We encourage all students to. Jasmine and Montana
Student Analyst - Special Class
We volunteered to be a leader within the Student Analyst Teams and attended two different workshops on Friday of Week Two and Three. In the first workshop, we looked at all the data from the Student Perception Survey Data from Semester One that all students completed. We analysed the data by looking at the graphs. We looked at the positive, negative and interesting results. We also wrote our hunches, which was our thoughts and feelings about the data. We stood up and shared our data analysis with the group. At first, some of us were really nervous, but after sharing we felt relieved and proud. The next part was to individually choose an area we wanted to focus on. We chose areas that we are passionate about and interested in. We individually created an Action Plan which explains how we hope to lead and shape change at Wirreanda Secondary School in our areas. The areas we decided to focus on include: Deklan - I chose mainstream learning opportunities because this is an area that is important to me and I want all students from The Unit and Special Class to feel comfortable and connected. Mitchell - I chose home learning because this is something I began when we went to our continuation of learning from home. Home learning is important because students in the mainstream are expected to do it, so we should be too. It also helps us improve our work. Bec - I wanted to focus on school culture - having more good days than bad because it’s important for students to come to school each day, be happy and know what they are learning about. Megan - I wanted to focus on One Plan documents and student reports because it’s important for us to understand what we are learning about. Knowing our achievement is also important so we can improve. Being a Student Analyst was a positive experience because: Bec - we got out of our comfort zone and did activities that we haven’t done before. We had new opportunities to develop our learning. It was good to be able to learn how to read graphs and interpret what they mean. This is something that comes up often in our schooling. It was nice to also be able to talk about our interests and passions and get to know each other more. At first I felt nervous about presenting my Action Plan in front of people I didn’t know. But after doing it and not getting much help from the other students, I felt proud. I learned more about how different people think and how it impacts what we do next. Deklan - the opportunity to learn and collaborate with students from mainstream that we didn’t have the opportunity to do before was a positive experience. I loved to be able to learn with other students and share our experiences. We were able to learn from them too. Mitchell - I’m really proud of myself and my ability to share my ideas and thoughts. I now feel more confident in talking to people and sharing my ideas. All my peers did really well. We got to share what we do in The Unit and Special Classes which was great. It felt really good after presenting because it was a positive experience and I overcame my challenge and increased my confidence. Megan - I had the opportunity to be a leader and I got the opportunity to work with mainstream students. I developed confidence as I had to talk in front of others and share my Action Plan with the Analyst Team, Mrs Smith, Mr McGrath, and Ms Brodzicki. We are looking forward to seeing all of the changes and how we will see the impact. We hope these changes and our ideas last, even once we graduate and leave school. Deklan, Mitchell, Megan and Bec.
Year 8/9 soccer - Mr Darcy Cathro
We had a number of boys from Years 10 – 12 involved in our Open Boys soccer team, which competed against Seaford and Victor Harbor during the southern knock-out tournament. The tournament took place on Friday, Week 2 and we were graced with some beautiful sunshine in the middle of winter. All boys showed some excellent skills and tenacity on the ball and great sportsmanship. We were highly competitive throughout the day, unfortunately the results were not representative of how the boys played. We lost 3-2 against Seaford and drew 2-2 against Victor Harbor.
Open Boys soccer - Coach Ms April Grava
School Sport
Back row L-R Indiana, Rebecca, Georgia, Brooke, Mikayla Front Row L-R Liana, Grace, Emma
Year 7 SAPSASA netball - Coach Ms Ella Quinn The year 7 SAPSASA netball team had a great (cold!!) day on Friday of week 3 playing 3 games against Cardijn, Reynella and Reynella East College. Our first game against Cardijn saw us fall down convincingly to a very strong and highly skilled team. Kudos to the girls for showing some promising passages of play throughout this game and keeping their heads high with encouraging words to their teammates. Our second game was an absolute thriller. We went almost goal for goal against Reynella throughout the whole game but really started to find our rhythm with every single person going above and beyond to play their role on and off the court. We managed to seal the win by 2 goals in a terrific team effort. While our third game saw us lose by a mere 4 goals, we fought out to the last minute showing how courageous and determined we were. Considering the limited training and a few last minute player changes,every single one of the girls showed some very promising skills, encouragement and teamwork throughout the day. However, I would like to spotlight three players in particular though! Most improved: Tara Players of the day: Danika and Paige Congratulations to Cardijn who will now move forward to the next round.
Open Girls Zone netball - SUNA - Coach Mrs Briony Bryant On Thursday July 30, Wirreanda Secondary School Open Girls Netball Team participated in the Zone competition. Over the day we played in 5 games. Our first game was against Aberfoyle Park. We had a good start, but in the first half we struggled to find our rhythm within our team. By the end of the first half we were down 9-5. However after the half time break, the girls rallied and fought hard to win the second half. Eventually losing the game, the score was 14-11 in favour of Aberfoyle Park. Game number 2 we were up against a really strong team from Mt Barker. Their height was more than we could overcome unfortunately. The team were incredible with their resilience and determination during this game, continuing to work hard despite many difficulties. Our goal shooting combination worked brilliantly together for the whole game but unfortunately we were defeated well, 19-6. Our next game saw us come up against the second Mt Barker team. The Wirreanda Secondary School girls were incredible in this game. Their consistency and court movement was amazing and we ended up being victorious, 29-3. Game 4 was against Hallett Cove. Going into this game we were unsure of how we would match up. On paper, we felt that we had the upper hand and this was helpful with the team’s confidence going into the game. The team got off to an excellent start, ending the first half well in front, 8-3. This dominance continued with an overall victory of 14-7. Our last game was played against Willunga. Again, like in game 4 we were fairly certain that we were going to have an even game. It certainly felt like it on the court. Both sides were evenly matched across the court, however Willunga were able to capitalise on their scoring opportunities more easily than us. This resulted in our 3rd loss for the day, going down 21-14. Overall, the day was well played and the team’s commitment, resilience and overall sportsmanship was a testament to themselves and the Wirreanda Secondary School values, especially considering the team consisted mainly of Year 10 students, some of whom have had limited experience in playing any netball at all. A great day was had by all. Congratulations to the team.
We had a number of our middle years students attend Marion Sport Fields for the Year 8/9 Soccer tournament on Thursday Week 3. The day started strongly with a thundering long range strike from Tenzin, sending us into the lead against Reynella East College early. Unfortunately, despite Brock registering about 8 more shots on goal – a few defensive problems meant we went down 4 to 1. The team continued to show great teamwork and work ethic throughout the day. Special mention to Logan and Sean (Year 10 students) who showed great leadership skills coaching the team.
Year 7 and 8 Specialist Sports Group Coaching Sessions The Year 7 and 8 Specialist Sport groups have participated in coaching sessions during their Tuesday lessons. These sessions have been either Soccer with Matt, Football with James, Basketball with Teige and Strength and Power conditioning with Gerry. All students have been working within their chosen sporting groups, developing their skills and techniques with the coaches. Each sport and each session is built upon from the previous one, with the students working towards increasing their personal skills and team work each week. Initially, we had a long spout of wet weather which resulted in the oval being extremely muddy and slippery. The students were amazing in their resilience and continued to work through these conditions regardless. This term the weather has been much more in our favour, and we have been able to work through some fitness testing components and time trials in the absence of the AFL coach. Each week the students complete a reflection of their skills learned, a critical analysis of their own efforts as well as nominating a fellow team member who has demonstrated behaviours that inspire them. It is this nomination that we as staff value. It provides us with a valuable insight into the students perspective of an inspiring player and why. After collating the results over the first 5 weeks, we have awarded the following students with beanies from High Performance Coaching. AFL - Ryan M Basketball - Lachlan B Strength and Power - Cooper S Soccer - Brock D (absent) Congratulations to the above students who have demonstrated behaviour that inspires your teammates. Dan Gale, Briony Bryant and Narelle Badenoch 7 and 8 Specialist Sport Course Team
From the Specialist Sports Course
It’s been a hard long road to keep the resilience going in our Ice Factor team throughout term two, with students working to keep up their skills in the old gym, guided by the ice rink coaches Sami and Ambrose, who dedicate their time and expertise each Wednesday, to keep the team motivated. As I said at the end of term one, watch this space..... The Ice Factor team is back in term three! Just to mention, we are back on the ice. The students were eager to pick up their skates, pick up their semi dormant skills and continue the team support and comradeship of each other that they had built up during term one and two. We have a new member who has joined the team, Ashley C who has been an inspiration of mentoring and leading the team, through our term two incursion and now onto the ice at the ice rink. I am very proud of our WSS Ice Factor team who found the strength and resilience to combat the Covid - 19 epidemic restrictions, to never give up. Well done team. Vicky Smith
Uniform shop is now located upstairs directly above the finance office near UB01 and can be accessed via the outside link stairs. Students can collect their online orders from the Uniform Shop during our opening times. Monday 8.00am - 9.30am Wednesday 10.00am - 11.30am Thursday 1.00 pm - 4.00pm Families can download the uniform brochure and order form from the WSS website and pay for all your uniform needs via our QKR app. Please see link below on instructions to download app https://www.mastercard.com.au/en-au/about-mastercard/innovations/qkr.html
Congratulations to Year 7 Specialist Sports student Kylan who has been selected in the SAPSASA Onkaparinga North Boys Soccer team for the State carnival. Kylan will represent Wirreanda Secondary School at the Carnival from the 26 to 28 August at Barrett Reserve and we wish him all the best.
From the Uniform Shop
Exciting times ahead for the 2021 Wheeler House Across week 3, students in years 9, 10 and 11 were exposed to course information sessions to help them make informed decisions for subject selections for 2021. This was especially important for our year 9 cohort, as they move from the Middle into the Senior School and start to think about their future pathways. I had the opportunity to start to familiarise myself with the new 2021 Senior Students of Wheeler House and begin the conversation about pathways and careers. It was encouraging to hear that many students had already begun to intentionally plan out their subject choices for 2021 and beyond, setting their aspirations high and understanding the steps required to get there. The new Senior Wheeler House students were incredibly respectful towards the speakers and it was evident that the Wheeler House is poised for a great 2021. I look forward with excitement to the future successes of the Senior School Wheeler House. Keegan Taylor - Senior School Green House Leader
Senior School Course Counselling Workshops During week 3, our Year 9, 10 and 11 students attended Course Counselling Workshops during which they heard details about the subjects they can choose for 2021. These workshops indicate the beginning of the transition program for Year 9 students as they prepare to move into the Senior School, whilst for our Year 11 students course selection is imperative to set themselves up for success as they complete their SACE. Further information about 2021 courses for all year levels is available in the course handbook which is accessible on the Wirreanda Secondary School website at https://wirreandasecondary.sa.edu.au/curriculum-guide/
"Jason Horne, who is tipped as a likely early pick at next year's NAB AFL Draft, made his debut for South Adelaide and provided some classy moments with nine disposals." this quote from Callum Twomey recently appeared in the AFL draft hub afl.com.au
Future footy star: League Debut Keep your eyes peeled for future football star Jason H. who recently debuted with the South Adelaide Panthers, achieving nine disposals in his debut game. Well done Jason! #WSSProud Natalie Maddern: Senior Leader, Senior School
Flinders UniTest (Flinders University) Each year Flinders University offer year 12 students from around South Australia the opportunity to sit the Flinders UniTest. This is an aptitude based assessment and the score from this test can support their students ATAR into a selected Flinders University degree. With the events surrounding the pandemic this year, Flinders University has supporting students by also allowing this test to account for 100% of the ATAR score, if the score is higher than their ATAR, allowing another option for students to begin their university journey in their chosen degree. On Wednesday 12th of Augusts 25 year 12 students completed the Flinders UniTest. Lauren Buswell - Learner Wellbeing Leader
Red Jonker House Update Earlier this term, Red Jonker House were able to come together for the first time in over a term for a House assembly. During the assembly students were presented with the opportunity to apply for School Captain and House Captain positions for 2021. It was fantastic to have several conversations with students about the positions and what they thought they could bring to the role. It is not too late to put your application in for these positions and there is lunchtime support on Wednesdays in week 4 and 6 if you would like some help writing your application. Brad Stubing - Senior School Red House Leader
From our Senior School
Green House Update The start of Term 3 has been such a positive one for the Green House. Students have returned from holidays motivated for Semester 2, and starting to have really important and meaningful conversations with teachers about their 2021 subject selections and post-school pathway. Our four House Captains led their first face-to-face assembly since Term 1 and made it clear that Osborne students have a great attitude towards their learning and supporting each other. While we may be second on the scoreboard, the captains noted how many points students had accumulated from demonstrating our four school values. The challenge for our Green house is to consistently get House points and take the House Cup: get involved in lunchtime clubs, demonstrate our school values, and go for the win! Zoe Finch - Senior School Green House Leader
Pathway Expo (Year 11) In week 1 this term, Year 11 and 12 students attended the Wirreanda Secondary School Pathways Expo. We had a number of providers on site, with presenters from Defense SA, SA Power Networks, South Australian Police, Minda Inc (Disability Support Services), Your Destination Hair and Beauty, the School Apprenticeships Officer, Flinders University and Adelaide University. Each of the presenters provided information about careers in their field, what employers are looking for in employees, and training/courses that may support a career in that area. There was also time for students to ask questions and get individualised support from the experts in their field. The session was extremely valuable with Year 11s preparing for 2021 course selections, and Year 12 students planning for post-school pathways. Lauren Buswell - Learner Wellbeing Leader (Senior Years)
Financial Literacy (Certificate I: Financial Services) On Thursday and Friday of week 3, Year 11 and 12 students from across Wirreanda Secondary School participated in the Certificate I in Financial Services. This program was offered to the school through our relationship with The Smith Family. The Smith Family covered the expense of the course for the students through this fantastic initiative. On completion of this course each of the students will gain a deeper knowledge on budgeting, finances and taxes, as well as 25 Stage 1 SACE credits. Lauren Buswell - Learner Wellbeing Leader (Senior School)
Some advice from our current Year 12 students to the class of 2021.
Year 12 Celebration Lunch On Wednesday of week one, the Year 12 students and teachers came together to share lunch and acknowledge the resilience, perseverance and achievements of the Year 12 cohort so far during 2020. Despite the challenges we have faced this year, we have seen our Senior students demonstrating our core school values in the way they have supported each other, communicated with their teachers and sought support from the Senior School team; we truly are #WSSProud! Thank you to Georgia, Bree, Trae and Shontae for recognising the importance of finding ways to come together as a community during challenging times and proposing this event; and a big thank you to the Front Office team for bringing our vision to life. Natalie Maddern - Senior Leader, Senior School
Welcome We would like to introduce our new ASETO, Kahlia Miller-Koncz and welcome her to our Aboriginal Education Team. Kahlia will be supporting and working with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with attendance, engagement, and culture. We are really excited for her to join our team and share her knowledge and expertise to continue to build on and strengthen our programs. April Grava - Aboriginal Education Teacher
Students in the Orange and Green Rooms have been looking at employment and the skills and attributes required to obtain and maintain employment. The students engaged in mock group and individual interviews for a fictional workplace. The students used their interests and strengths to identify a suitable role in the workplace and applied for the position. Whilst undertaking this unit of work, the students identified that team work, communication and leadership were valuable skills that all students wanted to develop. The students engaged in a range of team building activities that worked on these skills which will assist with their post school pathway. The interviews were not easy: the students found them to be quite nerve wracking. Although the students felt anxious beforehand, all students stepped up and entered the interviews as if they were real. The students comments on the interviews were: “They were a bit nerve wracking but after I felt stronger and not nervous” Mitch "I was a little bit nervous but still confident. Afterwards I felt more confident and that i had achieved something” Leia “This makes me feel excited for future interviews, and it’s a good achievement” Deklan “I was nervous when i was waiting for the interview and I was probably more nervous than everyone else, but I knew it had to happen and afterwards I felt it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be” Luke This semester, one of the numeracy goals for Green and Orange Room students is focused on fractions, decimals and percentages. Students have been exploring where we see and use this part of mathematics in our everyday lives. We have been discussing examples of fractions, decimals and percentages on the Coles website; students will be completing weekly supermarket challenges to deepen their understanding and link their learning to real world problems. Jordan Zeelie, Gemma Stewart and Sam McGrath
Shark Tank Our students have competed against 90 different schools as part of the Shark Tank e-School challenge and won the entire competition! Taking home a cash prize and a placement with mentors and marketing experts at Adelaide University. A huge congratulations to Avalon, Nate and Tyler. On Tuesday this week Wirreanda’s Shark Tank winning group visited the ThincLabs at Adelaide University. Here they met with the head of the Australian e-Challenge and Shark Tank e-school manager, Julia Miller. This opportunity allowed Nate, Avalon and Tyler to meet with possible mentors for the launching of their start up company titled TaAn.Co. This business created over the course of semester 1 will launch into a real world experience working with engineers at the ThincLabs to create working prototype for their reusable coffee cup lid. TaAn.Co will also be competing in the e-challenge over the next 90 days as part of the Adelaide University ThincLab program. Here our students will compete against other tertiary students and adults wanting to kick start their own start ups. Stay tuned for updates on the progress of TaAn.Co. Some exciting things are truly in the works. Ms Cashel - Business Innovation Teacher
From our Aboriginal Education Team
I’m very excited to be joining you all at Wirreanda Secondary School. I am a proud Kaurna & Narungga woman and mother of 4. I have lived in Adelaide all my life and enjoy working within my community and being able to make a difference for our people. Working in education is totally different to what I have been doing in the past. Previously, I worked in Aboriginal health, homelessness & community development and I felt that it was time to try something different. I am looking forward to being part of the Aboriginal education team and walking alongside, students, staff and families. Kahlia Miller-Koncz
From The Unit
Our IT team Peter, Brad and Chris with Nick Jackson, Senior Leader
The Arts team are pleased to celebrate Wirreanda Secondary School’s second annual participation in the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Art Exhibition. Earlier this year we cancelled our on-site exhibition due to Covid-19 however with the return to school at the beginning of Term 2, we have eagerly curated a fabulous exhibition of art works by students and staff, which can be viewed now on our online gallery. Our theme this year is Classic Blue. As a school, blue is ingrained into daily life, from our school uniform to the banisters on our linked stairs. ‘Classic Blue’ is also the name of Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2020, insightfully described as: "Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era." True to the very meaning of these words, this theme has inspired a beautiful array of interpretations from students and staff in ‘classic’, ‘blue’ and ‘classic blue’. Our young people have enjoyed learning new skills and exploring creative opportunities throughout the year. You will see works from a range of genres and mediums, in the style of artists and art movements, and original artworks that reflect our students’ individual styles. We are proud of the work that everyone has produced and hope that you enjoy viewing our Classic Blue online exhibition. Noeleen Curran - Learning Area Leader, The Arts
SALA Art Exhibition 2020
YOUR VOICE MATTERS | YOUTH ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN Are you a young person aged between 8–30 years and you live, learn, work, or play in the City of Onkaparinga? We want to hear from you! Your Voice Matters! Head over to our website, complete a quick and easy questionnaire. Tell us: what are you passionate about? how are we doing with our current youth programs? what could we be doing to help you in the future? Your input will help shape future opportunities and programs provided through Onkaparinga Youth, at council's three youth centres, and throughout the City of Onkaparinga. Click here to tell it like it is:https://yoursay.onkaparinga.sa.gov.au/your-voice-matters
Youth Engagement Campaign
#WSSProud
Front Office: (08) 8329 7200 For Absences call (08) 8329 7202 or text 0427016253
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Until Next Time...
@WirreandaSS
@WirreandaSecondary
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