Phone: 8852 1233 Fax: 8852 1024 Email: dl.0767.info@schools.sa.edu.au Web: ww.yorketownareaschool.sa.edu.au

Diary Dates May

Monday 18th Governing Council 7pm

(staffroom OR zoom)

Tuesday 19th Immunizations (8:30 for

Football Academy students)

Wednesday 20th Student Leadership

Planning Day

June

Friday 5th Student Free Day

Monday 8th Queen’s Birthday

Wednesday 17th Student Led Conferences

Friday 19th End of Semester 1

July

Friday 3rd July Last day of term

Reports home R-12

Growing Minds, Shaping Hearts, Changing Lives

Issue 4 15th May 2020

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Thank you – students, families and the community

for working through the past 8 weeks with us. I

have greatly appreciated the cooperation and

responsiveness of everyone as we prepared for

home learning and then the return to school.

Families responded to school communications

providing us with the information we needed and

support for the students who were at home. I tried

to keep you informed but not inundate you with

information and hope I got the balance right.

Where are we now?

It is an expectation from the Department of

Health and Department for Education that

students are attending school unless there

is a health reason.

With the vast majority of students back at

school, teachers have returned to face to

face teaching. For students who cannot

attend teachers will select two-week units of work from the Department curriculum

resources. These will be sent home (electronically or in hard copy) for parents to supervise

delivery. Teachers will use the evidence of learning (returned work) in the assessment and

reporting process. New work will be provided when set work has been returned.

Students are attending Central Yorke School for Football Academy and Ardrossan Area

School for Shark Tank.

Instrumental music lessons have resumed.

SRC elections have been completed, students will have a planning day Wednesday 20th

May and the “school publications and events” elective are looking at alternatives for a

student leadership induction.

There are no sporting events at this stage and no general excursions. Work Experience is

not allowed at this point.

Student Led Conferences were deferred (see below)

We are looking at the protocols for making the library available to the public again. This

will have limited times to begin with.

NAPLAN was cancelled.

Safety measures at school include: regular hand washing routines; sanitizer available in all

rooms; larger classes have been moved to larger spaces so they can be spread more;

additional cleaning of indoor and outdoor areas; reminder of social distancing with

students, minimal adults on site and site entry forms for any visitors.

NOTE: social distancing requirements in public spaces are not required for schools. We

have used strategies to spread students and encourage them to socially distance but the

1.5m and 4m3 rules do not apply for children.

Any students or staff with cold or flu like symptoms are to stay at home.

We ask that parents do not come into the school yard/classrooms at this stage – please

go to the front office if you need anything.

Where are we going to:

We will be following the Department of Health and the Department for Education

guidelines at all times.

Week 8 which is generally “Activities Week” for secondary students will have normal

lessons to allow some catch up of time.

We are planning to run Student Led Conferences Wednesday week 8 (R-12). If we are not

able to have parents in we will look at electronic options.

All going well we will return students to learning spaces later in the term.

Normal reporting procedures will occur. Please ensure any work completed at home has

been returned to teachers – this work contributes to the evidence for grades.

Continued vigilance around living with COVID19.

Teachers understand that this has been an unsettling time for students and the return to school

may involve some anxiety. This may be around the fear of COVID19, the difficulty of returning to

routine or the fear of being behind in work. Please reassure your children that they have support

from you and their teachers to get back into the swing of schooling. All going well we hope to

have everyone well settled within the week. If you have any concerns please contact your

child’s home group teacher or sub school leader.

Fiona Haselgrove

WHOLE SCHOOL

Junior School – finishing touches

The Junior School has settled into the refurbished building and

some finishing touches are being completed. Thanks Greg for the

bag racks to keep student bags tidy. There are still a few defects

to tidy up, pin boards and whiteboards to go up and it will be

complete.

The COLA (covered outside learning area) is at engineering stage

and we are hoping to have it to tender this term.

On the grounds front, the signage has been completed and the

front entry landscaping will start shortly. The grounds group have

gone through the Play Safe playground report and developed

actions for the playground. There will be some outdoor painting

to match all buildings to the Junior School finishes.

Student Led Conferences

Student Led Conferences were very successful last year and were due to run week 2 this term.

We are committed to providing students with the opportunity to share their learning with families

and we plan to go ahead with them in week 8. Students will be supported in preparing for the

conference during pastoral care. We are excited that the Junior School will participate this year

(replacing Parent-Teacher interviews). Front office staff will schedule and manage appointments.

You will receive an appointment; if it doesn’t suit all adjustments will be managed through the

front office. So keep the date Wednesday 17th June clear.

Immunizations

On Tuesday the 19th May, the Year 8 and 10 students will be getting

their immunisations at approximately 9am. This will be held in the old

wooden building next to the front office. The immunisations for the

Year 8 students will be for HPV (human papillomavirus) and Boostrix

(prevents tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), and the Year 10 students

will be immunised against Meningococcal B and Meningococcal

ACWY. Steph Mumford and Bri Murdoch from the Minlaton

Community Health Centre will be the attending nurses.

Immunizations were scheduled last year prior to the date set for Football Academy. We

apologise that these are on a Tuesday but Football Academy students will be prioritized from

8:30am and then travel to Central Yorke School.

School Surfing

As with all excursions school surfing will not run this term

but they are hoping to run the last event next term. Please

follow SA School Surfing on Facebook to receive updates.

Hygiene at YAS

Because of Covid-19, Yorketown Area School has

been practising keeping up good hygiene

throughout the classrooms and school community.

Measures that have been taken include washing

our hands in between every lesson and trying to

maintain a safe social distance. The 7/8B

homegroup has moved to the drama room so that

there are less people in the Middle School area.

Extra hours have been allocated to our fantastic

cleaners, to ensure that surfaces are cleaned

regularly.

It is great that most students have been able to

return to learning in the classroom environment, but

for a few weeks, everyone adapted well to students working from home. Students and teachers

in Years 5 -12 used Daymap to deliver and engage in lessons. Primary teachers provided hard

copy packs. Our teachers, students and parents worked incredibly hard to maintain

communication and quality learning during a difficult time.

Farewell Jules

Our French exchange student, Jules Labussiere will be leaving us

next week. Jules joined us in 2019 and has been staying with the

Warren and Tooze families. Jules is from the state of Britany and the

city of Rennes. During his time here, Jules was an important part of

our school community.

Our newsletter elective Interviewed Jules about his time at

Yorketown Area School, and here is what he had to say:

1. How was your time at Yorketown Area School as an exchange student?

It was good. I am not used to the countryside but I liked it a lot.

2. Did you feel included by the students here?

I felt very included and made very good friendships, especially with the boys.

3. Would you ever come back?

I would definitely come back.

4. What are some of the things that you are going to miss the most about Australia?

I will miss drinking Iced coffee, eating Krispy Kremes, and kicking the footy at recess.

5. What have you liked about Australia?

The people, the way people live and the way the school is set up.

6. Did you learn anything new over here?

The language and the way people have friendships (relationships are very different over

here compared to France).

7. Were you involved in any leadership roles during your time here?

I was co-captain for red house, along with Matt Drewer.

8. How did surfing here compare to France’s surf?

Very different to France. I was constantly thinking about sharks, where over in France there

are none. The waves are also very different.

9. What are some of your favourite foods from Australia, that aren’t available in France.

Iced coffee, Tim Tams, hash browns, sausages, Allen’s lollies, beetroot in hamburgers and

shapes (barbecue shapes are the best !)

10. What are some foods France has, that Australia doesn’t?

People in France eat snails and snakes.

11. Would you encourage your family and friends from France to come over to Australia?

Yes, I would encourage them to come. I have learnt more in one year than five years in

France.

12. Did you get homesick?

Yes, a little bit. There was a time when I didn’t feel very good.

13. Did you enjoy staying with the Warren and Tooze families?

I now classify them as family and will always stay in contact with them.

14. Would you encourage other students to become exchange students?

Yeah, I learnt things that I would not have learnt if I were still in France.

We hope that Jules enjoyed his time here and we wish him all the best

2020 Student Representative Council

After the disruption of COVID-19, we have settled back into the term and have finalised our 2020

SRC members. Last term, students from Reception to Year 11 who wanted to become a SRC

member filled out a nomination form. The nomination forms asked the students questions like

“why do you want to be a part of the SRC?,” “what skills could you bring to the SRC?” and “how

do you want to make the school better?” Teachers approved the nominations and homegroups

voted in two SRC members from their class. Next week our student leaders will participate in a

leadership development session, where they will get to know each other, reflect on the qualities

of good leadership, and plan for Term 2. We are looking forward to all of the positive things that

they will achieve this year.

Year R/1/2: Year 3-4:

Sebastian Thom and Jack Leibhardt Kalani DeRoos and Harrison Wilkin

Year 5/6: Year 7/8A:

Tayer Warren and Samantha Peckover Charlotte Barlow and Amos Timms

Year 7/8B: Year 9:

Sunny Nowlan and Bailey Warren Sidney Norris and Emilie Heinrich-Smith

Year 10: Year 11 Year 12

Ellen Lombladt Wes Goldsmith and Sally Page Kaelah Hendry and Taylor Smith

:

:

Canteen

Yorketown Area School Canteen would like to welcome everyone back and look forward to

providing staff and students with delicious fare prepared by Amy and her volunteers.

The new winter menu is

available and listed on next

page. Orders can be made

via the QKR app or directly

to the canteen. We are

excited to announce that

the YAS canteen will be

extending their services and

from Wednesday 13th May,

staff and students from St

Columba’s Memorial School

will be able to order from our

lunch menu.

Amy and a couple of her dedicated volunteers

It will be a busy term and Amy would welcome anyone who can volunteer their time on a

Wednesday – Friday to join her awesome team.

If you think you may be interested, please call the front office on 88521 233 and register your

details and availability.

Chickens for sale The Year 9 class will be raising and

selling point of lay chickens. We are

estimating that they will be available

during term 4.

They will be approximately $15 dollars

each (price to be confirmed)

Expression of interest contact Daniel

Hutchings at Yorketown Area School

at Daniel.hutchings628@schools.sa.edu.au by 23rd May (Week 4). Please include

contact details and estimate of how

many you would like.