Term 1 Issue 3 2023

 10/03/2023
Principal's Page
 

Dear families,

This newsletter comes to you on the morning of our 2023 Sports Day, and we are all looking forward with excitement to what the day will bring. I am always in awe of the commitment and preparation of student and staff leaders in ensuring a fantastically competitive and fun day.  We will keep you updated on our socials, and plan for a mammoth spread in our next newsletter.

Thank you to the parents and community members who have joined our Governing Council this year. It is very reassuring to have all office positions filled, with chairperson Peta Pahl, secretary Caroline Kirby and treasurer Christopher Pahl. I will do full introductions in the newsletter following our next Governing Council meeting in early April. 

This fortnight has seen multiple opportunities for us to celebrate success and you can see this  so evidently in this publication. I would like to focus here on two events this week that showcase leadership and pride in our school and community.  On Monday, two of our young leaders represented Murray Bridge High School at the Department for Education Leaders Day. Jemma and Zedino were amazing ambassadors for our school, talking to leaders from all over the state about their involvement in the CE Prof Martin Westwell’s roadshow at the end of last year. The topic for discussion in the workshop last year was the purpose of Education in South Australia, and our students have been researchers and advocates for changes to improve the educational experience for students across the state. Martin has been influenced by student voices in the making of his strategic plan, and let us know that themes including wellbeing, equity, challenge and personalised learning are key in his thinking.      

On Wednesday teacher Roxanne Rowland attended an International Women's Day event at Veale Gardens which had Dr Melanie Bagg, GAICD, CEO of National Youth Science Forum and alumni of Murray Bridge High School and Tailem Bend Primary School as keynote presenter. T NYSF is delighted to have a person of her calibre as the CEO and the first woman to be at the helm.  Melanie chose to speak on "Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender Equal Future" and while her current work is in the STEM sector, her presentation applied to a much wider audience, regardless of gender, age, language or cultural background, socioeconomic status, childcare responsibilities, or living in the city or regional and remote locations. Melanie’s big message was that we all need to be leaders in connecting and encouraging all young women to consider diverse futures, including those career paths that have not been invented yet. 

Next Tuesday  is our first Student Free Day for the year, with the theme of Culturally Responsive Schooling (CRS). We have five teachers who have collaborated in an action research process in collaboration with a team from Uni SA, Adelaide Uni and the open University of Cyprus. We are very excited to welcome our keynote speaker Professor Daryle Rigney, citizen of the Ngarrindjeri nation and Director of the Indigenous Nations and Collaborative Futures Research Hub in the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology, Sydney.  Our teachers will all now take on action research in their classrooms about how CRS principles can drive engagement and achievement for all.   
 

Youth Leadership Conference Adelaide

A group of students attended the Youth Leadership Conference held in Adelaide. Students heard from inspirational young leaders about their journey and tips they can take into their lives to help our community.

Read more

Year 12 Lawn Bowls

By Ty Burkett

The year 12 Sports Studies class have begun their first practical for the course with two sessions to date at the Murray Bridge RSL under the expert tutelage of Noel Kneebone.

The students have begun to learn the basics of lawn bowls which involves understanding the shape of the bowl, bowling technique, grip, the development of muscle memory and the ability to adjust their delivery after each bowl. Over the next few session the students will get the opportunity to watch a Ladies Pennants preliminary final match and continue to develop their skills with the aim of being able to compete against each other in pairs and 4's formats of the game. 

Beach Volleyball Festival

By Maddie Hughes

During Week 6, students from Murray Bridge High School competed in the VolleyballSA Beach Volleyball Festival at Glenelg in Adelaide. Across two days, 85 students competed in 21 teams in 8 divisions. We saw some great successes across the age spectrum including the following medallists:

Year 7/8 Girls Division 2 - GOLD
Year 9/10 Girls Division 1 - GOLD
Year 9/10 Boys Division 1 - SILVER
Open Girls Division 2 - GOLD

Not all students have experience playing volleyball, and many students only played in their first tournament on the day. Everyone participated with enthusiasm and supported each other throughout the day. 

Some personal highlights of mine: 
1. Our more senior students (year 10s) supporting our more junior students (year 7s and 8s) with reffing and coaching them from the sidelines
2. The friendly and supportive game play during the year 7/8 girls divisions - the girls from ours and other schools all demonstrated great sportspersonship and it made the day very fun and positive. 
3. Watching some of our students improve across the day, including some great passes, chasing the ball out of court, and even diving for the ball!

Well done everyone - another successful tournament at which you are doing all of Murray Bridge proud!

Volleyball Trials

Trials for Year Level Indoor Teams will be held in trainings during Weeks 9, 10, and 11 of Term 1. These teams will compete in Statewide Knockout Tournaments, VSA School Cup and VSA Schools Smash.

More details to follow.

Secondary School Swimming Championships

On Friday 3 March, 5 students travelled to the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre at Marion to compete in the School Sports Secondary Swimming Championships representing the Murraylands District.

Congratulations to Danica, Haylee, Matilda, Bronte & Ella who achieved top 4 placings in all their swims.

Year 9 @Work

By Ty Burkett

Year 9 @Work students continue to go out into the community and volunteer with recent visits to Jervois Football Club and Murray Bridge RSL.

At the Jervois Football Club, students helped with the creation of a toddler area for families to use during the football season which involved moving dolomite into the area, leveling and compacting the surface, and installing fake turf.

Over at the RSL students are making progress each week with the removal of the overgrown plantlife ready to plant new seedlings, while others groups of students prune rose bushes next to the bowling green and spread mulch along the back garden wall in the carpark. The class will continue to work at the RSL in the coming weeks. The aim is by ANZAC DAY the grounds will be proudly displaying the RSL.

We are looking forward to the creation of a bush tucker garden at the Murray Bridge Community Children's Centre. Keep an eye out for social media posts over the coming weeks.

Year 8 Tech Studies - Shelterbox Visit

By Melissa Bermingham

Miss Bermingham’s year 8 tech studies class current unit is identifying and studying problems caused by natural disasters. 
They create solutions to these problems, design and 3D print prototypes of their ideas.
Peter Jarvis from ShelterBox Australia visited the class to demonstrate a real life example of this project. 
ShelterBox Australia provides disaster relief boxes to support families who have lost their homes to natural disasters all over the world. 
Seeing the ShelterBox in action allowed the students to see their designs could help thousands of people all over the world. 
Students were impressed by the amount of things ShelterBox could fit in their disaster relief packs and the amount of good a project like theirs can do in the world. 

Careers in Construction Industry Presentation

By Musekiwa Mafara

This semester our school is participating in CITB/Makers Empire Learning by Design pilot project. 
The project aims to make students aware of the contributions the construction industry as a whole, and individuals within the industry make to local, regional, national and global communities. 
Students have been introduced to the broad and diverse range of career pathways within the construction industry and learnt how to access related information and resources. 
The project will enable students to have connections with industry and develop positive attitudes towards construction industry pathways, including an awareness of how their own skills and interests might relate to the industry. 
Currently students are working on a construction related project within the school, where they are required to use the design thinking process to design storage space for their bags in Design and Technology workshops. 
They will then produce prototypes of solutions that have been designed using Makers Empire’s 3D modelling software and 3D printed. 
Students will present their solutions at a student-led showcase event in June in Adelaide, where they will pitch their designs to an audience in a shark tank-style forum.

Yesterday we welcomed industry partners Litsa & Annah to present to our year 7 and year 8 Tech Studies classes about their careers in construction.
 

When your child is unwell or going to be absent from school for any reason (appointments etc) please advise the school either by:

SMS – 0451 266 328

Email – dl.0785.attend@schools.sa.edu.au 

Telephone – 08 8531 9555.  A message can be left with the student/s name/s, year level, reason for absence, date/s of absence/s, and your name and telephone number.

It is important that students arriving late for school come to sign in at the student services office.
 

Are your current contact details up to date?

Do we have your current contact details?

There are times when we may need to get in touch with you. Do we have your most up-to-date details? If not, please contact the school on 08 8531 9500 or email

dl.0785.info@schools.sa.edu.au

so we can update our records.

These details include your name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details.

Please remember to let the school know if any of these details change.

Mon 13 Mar Public Holiday - Adelaide Cup Day
Tues 14 Mar Student Free Day
Wed 15 - Mon 27 Mar NAPLAN
Thurs 16 Mar Yr 12 Health Party Program at Flinders Hospital
Thurs 16 Mar Fringe Festival Excursion
Thurs 16 - Fri 17 Mar Yr 11 Outdoor Ed/ Aquatic Fishing Camp
Mon 20 Mar Yr 12 Business Innovation Excursion - Old Tailem Town
Tues 21 Mar Harmony Day
Tues 21 Mar Concert Band Excursion to Oakbank Area School
Fri 24 Mar  Senior Formal
Tues 28 Mar Slingsby Performance - Drama Workshop
Tues 28 Mar Finance Committee Meeting 5:00pm
Thurs 30 Mar Yr 7 & 8 Immunisations
Thurs 30 Mar Yr 11 & 12 Visual Art & Design Excursion to SACE Art Show and Gallery
Fri 31 Mar Yr 10 Immunisations
Fri 31 Mar Yr 10 P.E Aquatics
Mon 3 - Thurs 6 Apr Yr 7 Aquatics
Tues 4 Apr Governing Council - 6pm
Fri 7 Apr Good Friday
Mon 10 Apr Easter Monday
Tues 11 Apr Secondary Schools Athletics Championships at Mile End
Wed 12 Apr Middle Years Achievement Assembly
Thurs 13 Apr  MBHS vs Unity College Sports Competition
Fri 14 Apr Last day of term. 2pm dismissal

Ramblers Football Club are needing players for all grades, particularly in the U15.5 & U18. Trainings for this age group is 5:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Great coaches and team managers!!!!