We have now officially welcomed the year 7 class of 2022. Yesterday our new students spent their final full day transition with us at Kapunda High School. Students were able to experience the new middle school building, meet their Home Group teachers and be part of lessons in a range of learning areas, including Science, Drama, Digital Technologies, Home Economics, Music, Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), and Health and Physical Education (HPE). We are looking forward to working with the year 8 class of 2022 next Thursday.

With the opening of the South Australian Borders we now find ourselves preparing for the next stage of COVID-19. We are hoping that our end of year events can continue as planned, however we do know that SA Health advice can change at any time. While we are hoping that events and excursions planned for the last few weeks of term will go ahead, we all need to be flexible should circumstances change. Ultimately, we will need to work within SA Health and Department for Education directions.

Senior Presentation Evening

At this stage of the year, we usually invite all members of the school community to attend our annual presentation evening – this year on Monday, December 6. This event is by invitation only and we are still restricted in the numbers of people who can attend. The main purpose of the evening is to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our Year 11 and 12 students.

A significant number of students will be the recipients of certificates and prizes recognizing effort and achievement. There are also a range of prestigious awards and scholarships presented on the evening.

During the ceremony, we individually acknowledge all Year 12 students and present them with a certificate and gift from Kapunda High School. As one of the most important events on the school calendar, it is expected that all students receiving awards are dressed in full school uniform. Each Year 12 student receiving an award is welcome to bring up to two guests and Year 11 students can also invite up to two guests.

Guests must ensure their seats are booked through the link provided to their student, as we will not be able to accept 'walk-ins' that evening. We appreciate your patience and understanding in these difficult times. If you are unsure about the booking process, please contact the school. 

Year 8-10 Celebration Ceremony

This ceremony will occur on Tuesday, December 7 and will recognise the achievements of our Year 8-10 students. Year 10 students will also be presented with their Junior Secondary Certificates. Once again, there will be a restriction on the number of guests with all Year 10’s plus Year 8 and 9 prize winners able to bring along two guests. Bookings have now opened to invited guests, so click on the link provided to choose your seats soon. As with our Presentation Evening, the above booking process applies.

Year Level Prize Criteria

Each year, the number of prizes available at each year level represents 10% of the term 4 enrolment.  For example, if there are between 91-100 students in a year level, there will be 10 prizes; if there are 101-110, there will be 11 prizes.

Academic Excellence prizes are awarded to the student(s) with the best grades for the year – across all subjects. This is calculated using end of term data. Teachers nominate students for the following awards which are then finalised by the Year Level Manager and teachers:

Generally speaking, there are a large number of students who are nominated for awards and those who ultimately receive awards are just a small proportion of the many great students who attend our school.

BYOD Reminders

Please remember, in 2022 all families are required to have made arrangements for their children to have a device for school.

If you are intending on purchasing one of the recommended devices, please make it a priority to order as soon as possible to avoid delays experienced through COVID-19.  Go to the BYOD page on the Kapunda High School website and follow the prompts to order through the LWT (Learning with Technology) portal.  There is also a ‘rent to buy’ a recommended device option through LWT.

End of Year Reports

Year 8 and 9 students will be issued with written reports on Friday, December 10.  Due to our timelines, these will not be available any earlier.

Due to their earlier finish to the school year:

• Year 10 students will receive their reports at the Celebration Ceremony assembly on Tuesday, December 7.
• Year 11 students will have their reports available via DayMap on Friday, December 10. If they require a hard-copy of the report, they can arrange this in the week following school or at the beginning of 2022.

For students undertaking South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) studies, grades are assigned according to the performance standards that are stipulated for each individual subject. Copies of these performance standards can be found on the SACE Board website.

For Year 8-10 students, the Australia wide common definitions apply:

Student ‘effort’ grade is equally important and as such award Personal Best awards at the end of each term.  These recognise students who have achieved excellent effort in all or most subjects.

Tim Jones

Principal