YAS-News Term 3 Week 5

A Note from the Principal

Dear Families

As we approach the halfway mark of the term, I am delighted to share some positive updates about what has been happening in the YAS school community over the last few weeks.

Book Week Dress-Up Day

Last week, our school came alive with creativity and imagination during Book Week Dress-Up Day! It was truly heartwarming to see our students and staff embrace their favourite characters from literature. A special shout-out must go to our Primary teachers who all dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland to reflect the theme “Reading is Magic”. The enthusiasm shown by students was ……….., as students paraded in their costumes and engaged in a variety of book-themed activities. A special thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a memorable celebration of reading and storytelling.

Acknowledging SSO Week

We were also pleased to recognise School Services Officer (SSO) Week, an opportunity to honour the exceptional work of our ancillary staff. Their dedication and support are integral to the smooth operation of our school and the well-being of our students. From administrative tasks to classroom assistance and beyond, their contributions do not go unnoticed. On behalf of the entire school community, I extend our heartfelt thanks to all our SSOs for their hard work and commitment to the YAS community.

Progress on Strategic Directions

I am excited to report that we are making significant strides in designing our strategic directions for 2025 and beyond. By the end of week 6, all students will have had the opportunity to provide their feedback on our current practices and offer suggestions for improvement.

We are well on track to have our strategic directions solidified (and communicated to our community) by the end of the year. This will enable us as a school community to say, “This is where YAS is going and this is how we will get there!”. When I first started at YAS I had many parents and staff provide feedback that they wanted a clear plan about the future direction of YAS, and I am so pleased to be able to deliver this to our community in the near future.

Staff Changes/Update

In other news, Emma Zimmermann will be taking on a short-term principal role at Kangarilla Primary from Weeks 7 to 10 this term. During her absence, we will announce Emma’s replacement to our Primary families shortly. We appreciate your understanding and support during this transition period. I would also like to wish Emma all the best for her first Principalship.

2025 School Fee Discount

The South Australian Government has announced financial relief towards the cost of public education in 2025.

As part of the 2024-25 State Budget, families with school-aged children will receive a $200 discount per child on their public school’s Materials and Services Charge for 2025 – double the discount amount provided for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

You don’t need to do anything to claim the discount – it will automatically be applied by the school. The discount does not apply to families approved for the School Card scheme as these families are not required to pay a Materials and Services Charge.

Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement. Together, we continue to create a nurturing and dynamic environment for our students to thrive.

Warm regards,

Haley Przibilla

Principal

A Note from the Pastoral Care Worker

Father’s Day, 2024 is nearly here. In this week's newsletter, I wanted to share a few thoughts. 

Such a wide variety of descriptions - here are just a few..  

Father: mentor, hero, teacher, role model, caregiver, protector, father figure, heavenly Father, biological Dad, step Dad, Grandad. 

The everyday pressures of life can put incredible stress on family life. Dads, (and Mums) you don’t need to try to be that perfect parent, simply determine to be a positive presence in the lives of your children. 

To the Father's and Father figures in our community - we acknowledge your love, care and dedication to your children in our YAS community. Let's know how we can support you and your children as we partner together in educating your children. 

https://supportforfathers (a project delivered through Relationships Australia 1800 050 321)

MensLine Australia  1300 789 978

https://raisingchildren.net.au (an Australian parenting website)

I want to acknowledge that for many people, Father’s Day may not be a special or happy occasion. If this is a difficult day, or simply not relevant, I sincerely hope you and your family can spend the day doing something that you all enjoy! 

A BIG thank you to our SSO's!

Last week we celebrated our Support Staff, where we show our love for the amazing support staff who work throughout the school in classrooms, admin, Ag, canteen and grounds to keep our wonderful school running smoothly. We celebrated with a special morning tea and SSOs received a gift to acknowledge their hard work and a certificate of appreciation. Students also showed their appreciation for staff by writing or drawing a thank you message and/or why they think our SSOs are "superheroes".

Thank you SSOs – YAS couldn’t do it without you!

Year 8 Home-Ec!

For the last seven weeks, the Year 8 students have been focusing on different Asian cuisines. The students have made recipes such as: Thai Stir-Fry, Fried Rice and Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. 

Recently, the students made Teriyaki Chicken and Salmon Sushi. The results speak for themselves! You did an AMAZING job, Year 8's!!

Jade Barry

(Yr  7-10 Home-Ec Teacher)

Stage 2 Mannum Tourism Camp

In Week 4 of this term, our Stage 2 Tourism students embarked on an insightful camp to Mannum, where they investigated the impacts of the 2022/23 floods on local tourism. Blessed with perfect weather, students soaked in the sunshine while exploring Mannum's attractions, including the PS Marion paddle steamer, Big Ben Lookout, and Swan Reach. They also engaged with key operators, business owners, and tourism stakeholders. A special thanks to Christine Bell, who graciously came to support the students and Ms. Shute on this educational adventure.

Book Week Celebration 'Reading is Magic'

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

Thank you to everyone that took part in making this year's Book Week parade such a memorable event. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and spirit truly brought the parade to life! A shout out to all those who dressed up as their favorite book characters, you all looked incredible and made the parade so special!

HASS Excursion Reflection

On June the 28^th our Year 10 HASS class went on an excursion to the city and visited Parliament House. Leon Bignell, Member for Mawson, gave us a little tour of what rooms there were and what side the government sits and the opposition. We went through his office as well and at the end of the tour we asked questions like what AFL team do you go for and asked about the ‘blood’ red line that was next to each side. He told us that the blood line was there because people back in the day had swords and they would try and stab the other side but couldn’t because they could cross the line.

Then we went to Christies Walk a sustainable living community in the heart of the city.  Two ladies took us in groups, and we took a tour around the area, we saw all the gardens and how sustainable their homes were. We look at the walls that were made from straw bale and the roof top garden which had fresh food and plants growing up there.
By Kaylee

On Friday, the year 10s went on an excursion into Adelaide to explore Parliament House and Christies Walk. Firstly, we went into Parliament House, where we went on a tour through the building. We were taken through the Senate and the House of Assembly, which is where they hold the debates and question time. Leon Bignell explained his role in Parliament as the Speaker and how he got to that position. We were able to gain more knowledge about the Parliament House and why we use it today. After we had this talk, we had a walk through the library, where they taught us about old maps, books, and a globe from years ago. This was a very good excursion choice, as it gave us a better view of how Parliament works and how we can get into a role like that.

After this, we went to Christies Walk, an eco-friendly ‘village’ in the middle of Adelaide. In this place there are around 42 residents there, and they live in houses built with straw and aerated concrete. They had rooftop gardens, where they grew plants to gain the most amount of sunlight and kept the bees to keep the plants alive and produce honey. They have many sustainable methods such as, keeping stormwater in a tank to reuse, using eco-friendly materials to build houses, and only having 8-10 cars between the 40ish people that live there, to save fuel and money. They ride bikes around the town and have a ‘shared space’, where they all use 1 laundry, a community room and share resources. 
By Charlee

On Friday, 28th of June, my HASS class went on a civics excursion. I really enjoyed the excursion because it allowed us to get to explore Parliament House and meet different people who worked there. We got to find out more about their respective jobs and how debates in parliament worked. We met someone who worked in the library and got to learn about the different artefacts that were kept in safes and their significance. We got to learn about the Senate and House of Assembly rooms where Leon Bignell informed us about the different positions in debates and meetings. Getting to sit in the South Australian Premier’s seat was also cool.

We then went to the Christies Eco walk where we learnt about the importance of recycling and the upsides of living in communities and sharing assets, such as laundry appliances, gardens and communal spaces. It highlighted the perks of having different people live so closely together like everyone having different skill sets that can help the community. 
By Claire

Formal Fundraiser Sausage Sizzle

On Friday, 16th August, the Year 12 students held their final fundraiser for the formal, raising an impressive $169. A huge thank you to all the students and staff who supported the event by buying a sausage. Special thanks go to Adam, our new groundsman, for organizing the BBQ and to the Coastal/FLO students who helped with the cooking. Your teamwork made the day a great success—thanks!

English Excursion – Live Theatre Performance - Fourteen

Last week 50 English students (and their teachers, Ms Nicholls and Ms Joshua) from across Senior School headed into the city to view the live performance of Fourteen. The Shake and Stir theatre company presented an adaption of Shannon Molloy’s memoir at the Dunstan Playhouse on August 8.  Directed by Nick Skubij, the cast had the audience in its thrall from the opening monologue.  Fourteen is an evocative and deeply personal exploration of Molloy’s experiences growing up as a gay teenager in regional Queensland in the late 90’s. It chronicles the harrowing and often brutal reality of bullying, isolation, and the struggle for self-acceptance. 

On stage Shannon’s 14th year raced along with him caught up in a progression of defining events.  We watched in awe as his life spun by, from one humiliation to the next, until he was able to gain control and awareness of himself.  The largely teenage audience roared support for him on his journey, clapped his every success, and howled abuse at the thugs and bigots who stood in his way. The audience was inundated in a flood of action, exploration, reflection, imagination, creation and finally – a direction.

For theatre lovers in our community, Fourteen is a must see. As adults in the audience, we were engaged at perhaps a deeper level than the much, much younger majority in the audience.  We could see how Shannon Molloy’s struggle has led to change in society.  The magic of this play is that it is both a romp, with songs and laughter, and the depiction of a boy becoming a man despite the terrible odds. It is both entertaining while lifting us to an understanding that decency, tolerance and understanding have prevailed.

Special thanks to volunteers, Graham and Marianne who joined us for the day. An extra shout out to Marianne, who got up at the crack of dawn to make a bus load of donuts– and let me tell you, they were as good as Krispy Kremes! We should know, we had 2 each!!  Thanks to the students too for their positive participation and appreciation of the experience. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you.

Jane & Graham

Yankalilla Area School Students giving back to their community.

As part of their community connections subject, several students in our Flexible Learning Options (FLO) class have recently come together to make a meaningful impact on the local community. In a collaborative effort, students planned, prepared and donated a batch of homemade soups to the 5CY Community Pantry, a local group dedicated to supporting families in need.

This initiative was part of a broader effort by FLO students to give back to their community, especially during challenging times. Under the guidance of their teachers, the students learned about the importance of nutrition, meal planning, and the value of helping others. They worked together to prepare a hearty, nutritious soup that was not only delicious but also made with love and care.

The soup delivered to the 5CY Community Pantry, has already been eagerly received by several local families providing warmth and comfort during difficult times.

This project not only nourished the bodies of those in need but also nurtured the spirits of the students, instilling in them a sense of community and compassion. The FLO students' generosity and hard work have set a shining example for others to follow, demonstrating the power of kindness and community service.

7/8 HASS

This term the students have been learning about Landforms and Landscapes. We have been focusing on the special connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have with land and place. We have also been looking at our own connections to land and place. 

The students created their own photo memory of this special place and explained why this place is special to them. As you can see, they have done an amazing job! 

Jade Barry

(7/8 HASS Teacher)

'Tumbleweed' run by the Yankalilla Youth Theatre

Students who would like to participate as an extra in the film 'Tumbleweed' run by the Yankalilla Youth Theatre on Wednesday 18^th sept please contact Mrs. Williams via email. heidi.williams808@schools.sa.edu.au

Students will need to provide their own cowboy costumes.