Current KHS Year 12 students who have been together since reception at Freeling Primary School

As we progress past the mid-point of Term 3, students are working across their learning programs and being involved in a broad range of enriching curriculum experiences:    

• Year 6 into High School Transition visits across schools.
• Healthy Minds workshops for Years 7s, 9s and 12s.
• Year 7 & 8 – 9 a side Football
• Year 8 HASS Excursion to the Barossa Medieval fare.
• Year 11 Biology Excursion to the University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus.
• Year 12 Tourism Excursion to Barossa Valley business and the Barossa University Campus.
• Agriculture students preparation for the upcoming Royal Adelaide Show competitions.

There has also been a strong focus on Subject Counselling for students, moving into 2024. Pathways conversations with students, parents/caregivers and staff have been enriching and valuable.         

Year 12 students who undertook their schooling together at Kapunda Primary School

Curriculum

We are continuing to grow on the rich and engaging opportunities which students have in Curriculum at Kapunda High School.

Some of these opportunities include special partnerships which have established with our school and key partners, including:

• An exclusive partnership with the William Lakes Lifestyle development by Villawood (at Gawler Belt).
• A partnership with FCTA – Building Careers RTO #40057 to deliver our Heritage Training Program – the first of its kind for schools in Australia.
• We are also working closely with The University of Adelaide – Roseworthy Campus with our Agriculture Programs, Science subjects and a recent whole-staff visit to the Campus.

These key partnerships are providing enriching, valuable and unique learning opportunities for Kapunda High School students – in every field of learning be it trades or academic.  

Some exciting news for our students is that our Heritage Trades Program has officially started!

We are running two immersion courses this year, Year 10s this term and Year 11s next term. These immersion courses are kindly funded thanks to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Students in both Heritage Trades immersion programs will be working on the Kidman Coach House this semester, the old stables located on the Hawke Street side of Kapunda High School. This will be a unique opportunity to learn trade techniques and apply these in a real setting. This work will continue into 2024 with our Heritage Training programs restoring the Coach House over the next few years. We also plan for Heritage Trades program students to work on restoring Eringa, as part of their unique learning program – which will be a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity and significant for student’s, our school and wider community. I look forward to sharing more information about these programs as the work takes place.

School Rugby Jumper

As previously shared, Rugby Jumper Option 2 has been voted for by students and families and accepted by our Governing Council.

A proofing sample has been ordered of the Rugby Jumper and should be at school by the end of this term. The next step is to check and approve the final product and then open-up an ordering process for families. Further information will be shared with families about this, when we have further information in the coming weeks.  

School House System

Our school has a fine tradition of School Houses: Hawke, Hughes and Kidman, stretching back to the origins of our school. We are continuing to grow on these traditions with the introduction of House Points this year, to recognise student’s efforts across all domains of their schooling. Assistant Principal: Positive School Culture & Wellbeing Sam Milne has introduced further initiatives over 2023 including School House Points and ‘Golden Events’, where students will have opportunities to gain points for their House by participating in a range of fun events. This is a great part of school-life and the student experience at Kapunda High School and we look forward to sharing more from the day. 

Governing Council

SRC and Governing Council are working in close partnership with the school to achieve some great things for our school. Our next Governing Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 12th September at 6.30pm. Working with SRC and Governing Council, we have recently purchased an Outdoor Table Tennis table for students, which will be installed in the coming weeks. This will provide further break-time activities for students, in addition to the existing outdoor games and range of lunch-time clubs which are being run by our school Wellbeing team.  

David Marino

Principal

School Closure Day Monday, 4th September (Week 7)

Pupil Free Day Tuesday, 5th September (Week 7)

Last Day of Term 3 Friday, 29th September (Week 10)

On the 25th August the Year 11 Biology class attended The University of Adelaide Roseworthy campus to continue their learning about the respiratory system, and get a glimpse into learning about the circulatory system in which is coming up in their content in the few next weeks. Students were fortunate enough to attend a couple of second year lectures on the respiratory system. They then joined the second year university students in their practical workshop looking at the circulatory system of a toad. Some comments from the students about the day:

“I liked working and talking with the university students about university life.”

“I liked observing how drugs have an effect on how fast a heart beats.”

Students also participated in the universities wear it purple day by adding to the rainbow paper chain.

“It was good to see university running similar inclusive and awareness activities to our school.”

Emily Patrick

Year 11 Biology Teacher

Earlier this month, year 7 student Milan Pozsgai competed in the South Australian Short Course Championships. Milan received a gold medal for the 100m breaststroke and silver for the 50m breaststroke. 

Milan was also part of two relay teams, both medley and freestyle. The teams won gold, and set a South Australian State Record for the medley.

Kapunda High School congratulates Milan on his achievements and wishes him the best for future swimming endeavors!

Matt from Stockyard Industries

Stockyard Industries kindly donated a penguin feeder and drinker bowl to KHS for our pigs. This was organized by Graeme Pope from Graeme Pope Consulting. Pictured is Matt from Stockyard Industries delivering the penguin feeder and drinker bowl to the school. The KHS Agriculture department thanks both Graeme and Stockyard Industries for this equipment – it is really appreciated. 

Karen Bromley

Agriculture Teacher

Preparations for the Adelaide Show have been full steam ahead the past few weeks. Students have been working extremely hard and excitement is building ahead of the competition starting this weekend.

Today, we're giving a big shout-out to the backbone of our school – the awesome School Support Officers. These folks are the gears behind the scenes, making sure our school runs like a well-oiled machine and our students have the best shot at success. These individuals deserve a standing ovation for their tireless efforts that keep our school running seamlessly and our students flourishing.

Dale and Renee are valued members of our Wellbeing Team

Ever walked into the main office and been greeted by the friendliest faces? Yep, that's our admin squad! They're like the wizards of paperwork, scheduling, and all things organization. They're the reason chaos doesn't reign supreme, and their smiles set the tone for the whole day. High-five to them for being the unsung heroes of order and cheer.

The Front Office Staff- plus IT manager Jack Mickan

Speaking of heroes, let's give a round of applause to our classroom support champs. These are the folks who give our students that extra boost, that little bit of "you got this!" They offer that extra hand of guidance, ensuring that every student's unique needs are met. Their dedication is the secret ingredient in our recipe for student success.

The Curriculum SSO Team

Technology has become the heartbeat of modern education, and our IT support team keeps this pulse steady. They're the unsung heroes of digital connectivity, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our online learning platforms operate without a glitch. Thanks to them, we can navigate the virtual realm without a glitch, and our teachers can teach without tech tantrums.

Our Student Services Team- just missing Lisa Verrall

Beyond the classroom walls, our grounds men are the custodians of our outdoor sanctuaries. With dedicated care, they sculpt our campus into an inviting haven that stimulates learning and creativity. They keep everything looking spick and span, so we've got the best backdrop for our adventures.

And hold your applause for the last but definitely not least – our canteen staff! These foodie extra-ordinaires keep our tummies happy and full. From whipping up tasty treats to ensuring we've got the energy to conquer the day, they're the culinary maestros we're lucky to have.

Our School Support Officers embody dedication, compassion, and excellence, making them the unsung champions of our school's success. Let's give a big round of applause and a virtual high-five to all our School Support Officers. They're the real MVPs, the unsung legends who make our school days brighter and smoother. So, here's to them – the glue that holds our school awesomeness together!

Jen Williams

Assistant Principal

Learning Support, Excellence and Pedadogy

Shanna Ransley with year 12 students Ella and Sofie

In Week 4, Ms Greenfield's Stage 2 Biology class received a visit from KHS graduate Shanna Ransley. Shanna spoke about her long experience living with Type 1 Diabetes (19 years this month). As part of the Year 12 Biology curriculum, students look at Homeostasis, which is the body's way of balancing blood sugar, blood pH, water balance and temperature. Diabetes is where the body is not able to balance the blood sugar and it has various affects on the body in the short, medium and long term. 

Shanna's talk to our students is invaluable, because it gives the class the human side to the science they are learning. Students can see how newly developed technology has enabled Shanna to manage her Diabetes, but she also talks about what happens when that technology just does not quite match up to the pancreatic activities she sorely needs. 

We are so grateful that Shanna could come and support our students again.

Kerensa Greenfield

Stage 2 Biology Teacher

The Year 12 Tourism class went to the Barossa Valley to interview businesses ready for their final assignment. The businesses all met us at Barossa Campus (a free space for university students to study at) where they were interviewed by 2 students about their business, how they attract visitors, what has changed since Covid and their target market etc. 

After the interviews, we then had the opportunity to visit each of the businesses to get a sense of what they offer and why visitors love coming to their businesses.  

The students will now conduct a seminar where they will have to represent the businesses as their final assignment. These videos will be in future newsletters!  

Thankyou to Damien Torres for helping with the driving and a huge thankyou to the individual business representatives, Taryn Wills - Seppeltsfield Road Distillers, Sonya Smith - The Louise, Amy Sajinovic - Barossa Chocolate Company, Nat Siegele - Pulp & Thread and Kelsey Pfeiffer - Whistler Wines, I really appreciate your support for the Year 12 Tourism students.  

Megan Samain  

Year 12 Tourism Teacher

Year 9 students dissecting eyeballs

This term in Science, the Year 9s are studying Energy, with a focus on Light, Sound, Heat and Electricity. All the classes have participated in a pig's eyeball dissection, which in spite of the grossness associated, is usually the most remembered and favourite practical of Middle School Science!!

Students are able to see the different parts of the eyes, which are very similar to our own, and learn about how the various parts allow us to formulate images of the world around us. The photos here show Ms Greenfield's class getting into the activity! 

KHS Science is very thankful to Seven Point Pork for donating the eyeballs and to our lab tech Alex Cowling who drove out to Port Wakefield to collect them for us! Our students are very lucky to have such great support.

Kerensa Greenfield

Science Teacher

A big well done to the Year 7 cohort.

The Health and Immunisation Management Services team have asked us to congratulate the year 7 students who received their immunisations on the 23rd August. They commented on how polite, well behaved and brave the students were.

So a high five and pat on the back to the year 7s.

Tab Mackenzie

Immunisation Coordinator

Starplex Netball Programs