Dear ADHS Community,
Welcome Year 6 Families
A very warm welcome to our year 6 families. For many this may be your very first Deakin Digest, whilst some will have already enjoyed a long association with the school. Over the coming months our staff will be working in concert with families and year 6 teachers on supporting the transition of our 2020 year 7 cohort. ADHS Transition Coordinator, Elizabeth Lorenz, has been doing the rounds of schools within the priority enrolment area to meet with students and staff, as we begin the process of getting to know each young person.
We have invited year 6 students to attend a transition day on either Tuesday 27th or Wednesday 28th August. The day includes a range of activities with ADHS staff and student leaders designed to increase student comfort levels around transition and to provide an insight into the high school environment. We also use the opportunity to collect some diagnostic information on student learning to assist us in making the commencement of term 1 2020 as smooth as possible. For any student unable to attend there is a catch-up day on Tuesday 24th September. For students requiring more individualised transition support, Executive Teacher for Diversity Jennifer Bodell will be in touch to arrange a meeting.
We also look forward to seeing our year 6 families on the 21st of November at the combined Year 6/7 Disco and Parent Information Session.
Global Citizenship
In week 3 of this term we welcomed new friends from our Sister School in Tomioka, Japan. Staff and students from Tomioka Higashi High School enjoyed a homestay with our ADHS families. Students participated in a range of learning activities at school, as well as some memorable excursions. The impacts of the visit on all the young people involved were considerable. Clearly the benefits of cultural exchanges such as this go well beyond the educational realm. We look forward to our return visit to Japan in 2020. Our Language teachers have been extraordinarily busy arranging the visit and particular thanks go to Shizuko Barber, Michael Chun and Executive Teacher for Languages, Kirsten Bedggood.
As part of our ongoing partnership with the University of Canberra’s preservice teacher program, we also recently hosted a group of undergraduate teaching students and academics from Shanghai Normal University. The group gained insights into Canberra’s education system through lesson observations and speaking with teachers and students. The lunch of hamburgers and lamingtons was also a big hit. Thanks to Alex Nagy, Alex Scott and Sam Gaskin for their work before and during the visit.
Learning Update
We are now in week 5 and students and teachers are focused on their learning programs. Parents and students have access to the student course outlines in our Parent Portal, accessed from the ADHS website http://www.adhs.act.edu.au/. The course outlines detail course content and outcomes, as well as assessment due dates. This allows all those with parental responsibilities to check in with progress and ensure our young people are demonstrating evidence of their learning to teachers by the due dates.
Some recent additional big events in the curriculum have included:
- PANTHERS travelled to Sydney to run in the annual City2Surf race. The boys prepared in their PE sessions to tackle the gruelling 14km course. Thanks to the organising teachers – Scott Ritchie, Cara Irvine, Seb White and Kirsten Bedggood – who gave up their weekend to make this happen.
- A large number of year 10 students attended the Canberra Careers Expo held annually at EPIC. There were over 100 booths representing a range of employer, industry, education and training organisations to assist year 10 students with their pathways planning. Thank you to Sarah Baker for her work in providing this opportunity.
- The Elective Science Coast Trip this year saw students explore the ecology around Batemans Bay. Students conducted fieldwork focussing on interactions within ecosystems. The data collected will form the basis of analysis work back at school.
- Book Week Assembly is always a significant event on our calendar where students and staff dress up as their favourite characters. The theme this year was, ‘Reading Is My Secret Power’, celebrating the important role reading and books play in enriching our lives.
ADHS Satisfaction Survey
Thank you to all those parents, students and staff who have responded to the annual ADHS Satisfaction Survey. Your responses will be combined with those of other parents to give us a picture of how satisfied you are with our school and will contribute to the school improvement process, helping us to understand areas where we are doing a good job and areas for further development. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and closes on 2nd September.
Elective Selections for 2020
Year 8 and Year 9 students in 2019
The elective selection process for students currently in year 8 and year 9 will begin early in week 6. This year students will complete an online enrolment for elective courses. This involves students nominating the electives they wish to pursue from the timetabled elective options. Students will then be allocated to classes in a way that maximises the number of students who receive their first preferences. Detailed information, instructions and timelines will be distributed to students in special meetings in week 6.
Year 7 students in 2019
Year 7 will complete selections for their year 8 electives in 2020 later this term. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
David Briggs
Principal
|
|
