2023 Term 1 Week 8
FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
HARMONY DAY AND BUILDING INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
Harmony Day is celebrated annually on March 21st in Australia to honour the country's cultural diversity.
Salisbury East High School is a good example of such diversity, with students from various cultural backgrounds coming together to learn, interact and work collaboratively. Our school community includes First Nations students, whose connection to the land stretches back thousands of years, as well as those whose families have been in Australia for over a century or have arrived more recently.
At Salisbury East High School, we value and respect the unique traditions, customs, and perspectives that our students bring. Our school recognizes that intercultural understanding is crucial in our diverse world as it promotes mutual respect, empathy, and effective communication between people from different cultural backgrounds.
This year's theme for Harmony Day is "Everyone Belongs." It serves as a reminder that regardless of one's cultural background or journey, all of us are part of the Australian community. Our school celebrated this year's Harmony Day by organizing cultural food tastings and traditional dance performances led by our ‘Student Voice’.
We take pride in being part of a society that acknowledges and embraces diversity. By learning from each other, we can create a stronger, more cohesive community. Therefore, we continue to work towards creating a school community where everyone feels valued, respected, and included.
NEW BUILDINGS – SOON!
Almost two years ago the then Minister of Education visited our school to announce additional funding for new buildings that would provide better facilities and resources for students in our Special Options classes as well as respond to the additional enrolments resulting from the Year 7 to High School initiative.
The fact that it's taken over two years for the new buildings to come to fruition is due to various factors, such as the need for extensive planning with our Special Options and Alternative Learning staff, value management in the face of increasing costs of building materials, issues related to the global supply chain, development planning and approval, and finally the construction phase.
The buildings are being constructed offsite at Edinburgh and today I had the opportunity to visit and see progress which is very exciting. The building that is largely complete is part of our new Salisbury East Alternative Learning (SEAL) space and will house a kitchen and barista area.
Work is commencing on site on Monday to prepare the pad and the footings so students will begin to see activity here at school next to the school gym. Buildings will then arrive in the early weeks of Term 2 and be fitted out – ready for occupation. The area will also be landscaped to develop some positive outdoor learning and seating areas.
We anticipate that we will be using these new buildings from the beginning of Term 3.
CAR-PARKING AND IMPROVED ‘DROP-OFF’ ZONES
Discussions are underway between the Department for Education and the City of Salisbury to develop a solution for the congestion that is evident before and after school. There have been a number of meetings, involving the school as well as traffic management consultants. Watch this space!
COMING UP SOON: PARENT-STUDENT-TEACHERS ‘INTERVIEWS’
Teachers are in the process of preparing Term 1 reports which will be published in Week 10 ahead of interviews on Thursday, April 13. They will commence at 2.30 and go through until 7.00pm.
Parent-student-teacher interviews are a valuable opportunity for everyone involved in a student's education to review the student's progress, discuss any challenges or concerns, and set goals for the future.
These interviews provide an opportunity for parents to better understand their child's academic strengths and weaknesses, as well as their behaviour and attitude towards learning. It also provides a chance for students to share their perspectives on their academic performance, and for teachers to provide feedback on how students can improve.
Regardless of whether your child is performing well or struggling, you are all encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
Kristen Masters, Principal
LAURENCE GO BACK-TO-BACK
The Yellow Army has continued its dominance over their opposing House Teams in the latest SEHS Sports Day, held at Bridgestone Athletics Centre on the 10th March.
What started as a very even competition, eventually became lopsided as Laurence representatives ran, threw, and jumped their way into the lead and ran away with the victory.
Final results: Laurence (Yellow) 786 points, Fenden (Blue) 653 points, Harvey (Red) 615 points, Moss (Green) 391 points.
We had some special performances throughout the day, with the following students being named our Champion Athletes:
Year 7 – Robert Joseph & Rebeka Matabaro
Year 8 – Lochie DeBais & Tegan Mychajliw
Year 9 – Neil Haythorpe & Jessica Nicholson
Year 10 – Jackson Coaby & Lilliana Murray
Senior – Lachlan Carr-Moody & Alicia Brandon
It was a fantastic day filled with fun, great competition, and sportsmanship. We would like to thank all staff and students who attended the event, and a special thanks to staff and House Captains who were involved with the main organisation and running of the day.
Sports Day was the first House competition for 2023. Stay tuned for the results of more House competitions as the year progresses.
Corey Ottey, HPE/House/Sports Coordinator
YEAR 10 HISTORY EXCURSIONS
Our Year 10 History classes ventured into the city a few weeks ago to visit to the Adelaide Holocaust Museum. Students worked in small groups to interpret and analyse primary sources to better understand this horrible chapter in history. They also had the opportunity to learn the stories of local survivors who have since, made Adelaide home. Students also spent some time looking at the Adelaide War Memorial and some of the other war commemorations around the city.
Shari Bray, HASS Co-ordinator
STUDENT VOICE
Reflections about Student Voice, From Hajera (Year 12):
Students voice has created a sense of ownership of the school and its activities among the student population. It has helped me gain more confidence by making my voice heard. It has helped me discover other students by engaging with them, and exploring their unique ideas about the things they want to improve, and how they want to improve it. Student Voice has given me an opportunity to acquire communication, and it has helped me with my planning and organisational skills which will also benefit me with my future lives. An example is the Open Night that happened a few nights ago. Open Night helped me become more familiar with student’s families, it helped me with my communication skills, such as, meeting and greeting them and being responsible.
Harmony Day:
Student Voice would like to thank the efforts of all the students who contributed to our Harmony Day Celebrations. Student Voice put on fantastic activities and food, so that all students could explore cultural food and beliefs. It was a special time to have our Community Liaison Officers, teachers, and students come together to celebrate.
Kate Mckinna, Year 7 Co-ordinator and Student Voice Mentor
OPEN NIGHT
It was terrific to welcome prospective new families into our school on Thursday, March 15 for Open Night.
There was a range of presentations, displays and interactive ideas.
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Adelaide 36ers April Holiday Clinics supported by HomeStart Finance are back. Hosted by Hall of Famer’s Brett Maher and Scott Ninnis, these clinics are the perfect way for children to develop skills, make new friends and learn from some of the best to ever play the game. Allocations are going quick so secure your child a spot here:
Metro Clinics:
Week 1:
When: Wednesday 19th – Thursday 20th April, 9am – 3pm Daily.
Where: St Clair Recreation Centre; 109 Woodville Road, Woodville South, SA, 5011.
Week 2:
When: Thursday 27th – Friday 28th April, 9am-3pm Daily.
Where: Springbank Secondary College; 267 Daws Road, Pasadena, SA, 5042.
Link to Metro Clinics: https://www.adelaide36ers.com/pages/holiday-clinics
Regional Clinic:
When: Monday 17th April, 9am-3pm
Where: Seaford Recreational Centre; 620 Grand Blvd, Seaford, SA, 5169
Link to Regional Clinics: https://www.adelaide36ers.com/pages/regional-clinics