Urrbrae Agricultural High School
505 Fullarton Road, Netherby 5062
Ph: (08) 8372 6955 Fax: (08) 8372 6999
Email: [email protected]
http://www.urrbraehs.sa.edu.au
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
May 2015 | 04
Welcome
Welcome back to term 2 2015 to all students and staff at Urrbrae. At this weeks whole school assembly organised and run by the Urrbrae
Student Representative Council I was asked to make a few comments. The main point focussed on quality of student work and the school
time which has already elapsed this year . I reinforced three points to the whole school: first push yourself to extend the quality of your
work, secondly be up to date with your work and thirdly ensure you are effectively organised and use your time. The following advice was
offered specifically to Year 12 students and was basically in two parts. Part A– chronologically the academic year is one third over. The rest
of this year will still be covering new work, as well as revision closer to the end of the academic year (late November/Early December). Part
B- Ensure you do not fall behind in your academic work and consequently generate a back log which will be difficult, if not impossible to
overcome. The principles reinforced to the whole school will ensure success if they are observed and practised.
Staff Movement
Ms Deb Niven has been appointed as our Student Counsellor following the transfer of Ms Gill Panton. Ms Niven has previously taught
Music and has been a Year Level Coordinator at Urrbrae. Welcome back Deb.
Mr John Bowling (Technology Studies) has confirmed he will be retiring at the end of the term. John is a highly experienced Technology
teacher and has also been the technology coordinator previously. In both roles he has significantly influenced the development of
technology at Urrbrae in previous years. I wish him well for his retirement.
At this time of the year we are beginning the process of planning for 2016. The first step, which is currently underway, is to clearly identify
our complete staff complement, including possible vacancies, so as to cover our subject offerings.
NAPLAN Tests
At the time of writing our Year 9 students were engaged with NAPLAN tests of their Numeracy and Literacy development. Despite the
various spin that media put on NAPLAN for us at Urrbrae it is a snapshot in time which informs us of students progress from Year 7
NAPLAN to Year 9 NAPLAN, as well as a snapshot of their level of development at this time. The data that Urrbrae receives informs our
teaching program, as well as identifying student who have specific needs. NAPLAN results for Urrbrae (and the rest of Australia) will be
available later this year in August.
Parent / Teacher Interviews
These were held on Wednesday 6th May in the school gym. Interviews began at 12.00 midday and concluded at 8:15 pm. Parent
attendance was steady throughout the day with many staff having full schedules of meetings throughout the day. Thank you to the parents,
and staff and students who attended. World Challenge students also ran a fund raising BBQ throughout the day and raised $400 dollars for
this venture.
School Review
Last week Urrbrae was informed that we will participate in a DECD School Review. This has been scheduled to take place in week 2 term
4. The focus of the review is the effectiveness of student learning and will address 5 key areas: Student learning, Effective Teaching,
Effective Leadership, School Community Partnerships and a School Improvement Agenda including analysis and use of data. The review
will also seek a report on our observance and implementation of DECD Policies in the areas of governance, teaching and learning , school
organisations, HR management and safety. I will keep parents informed regarding the process of the Review during this year.
New Arrivals
Urrbrae is proud to announce the beginning of the 2015 new arrivals program. At time of writing we have had in the last two weeks 3 new
calves delivered, and two new alpacas. Thanks to Ms Cath Evans for her assistance in the birth of the calves and the farm staff (Robert
Grivell and Tegan Buckley) for the assistance given to our latest alpaca birth, which was particularly difficult. Mother and baby however are
both fine.
Walter Czernezkyj
PRINCIPAL
LIBRARY NEWS
What’s on in the Library?
The library has had an extremely busy start to the year. All year 8
classes have completed their library orientation with students using their
smart phones to explore what the library has to offer. There were
enthusiastic students everywhere as they worked in groups in a race to
complete the QR code circuit.
Year 8 students have also been involved in learning how to access and use Google
Apps with sessions being run by Nick Jackson, Senior Leader Quality Pedagogy and
eLearning. 100 students at a time used all available space in the library to explore
these free tools.
Our first Library competition for the year was for male students to
encourage them to join the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Every boy
who borrowed a book went in the draw to win two Clipsal tickets. 114
fiction books were borrowed by boys in 1 week. When this number is
compared to the 86 books fiction books that boys borrowed in the first
4 weeks of school, it is a fantastic effort. The extremely excited winner
of the Clipsal tickets was Josh Downing (8Z1).
The Library is also a vibrant display space for student work and we continually have beautiful artworks that circulate through the Library
during the year. A recent addition was the 5 panelled mural inspired by Aboriginal themes and motives, created by Ms Hoffman and her art
students. At the moment we have work created by Mr Heinemann's year 8 science students. Their cell models are informative and eye
catching, creating much student discussion
(Above: mural inspired by Aboriginal themes)
(Above: Year 8 cell models)
The highlight of the library so far this year has been the launch of our new Maker/Tinker/Innovation space. This is a space where students
can image, design, make, invent, collaborate and explore, supporting curriculum areas such as technology, science, maths, to name a
few. Students will have access to fantastic ‘gadgets’ that will enable them to learn theoretical concepts in a practical manner. So far
students are using:
Little Bits; Electronic modules that you can snap together to invent anything
Lego Minestorms; Building and programming robots
3D Doodlers; Draw and sculpture in 3D
The launch was run by the Robogals, a group of engineering undergraduate students from Adelaide University, with a class of year 8
students. The Robogals taught our students to program Lego Mindstorms, which culminated in a Sumo round-robin session which was
VERY entertaining.
This space will be supervised and operational during lunch and we hope this will eventually lead to the formation of a number of clubs. In term 1 a ‘Name the Space’ competition was held, with the winner being Tom– our new “ The Tech Deck “
Annabel Dalzell, Library Manager
LAPTOP LOAN PROVISION SCHEME
To accommodate student needs, the laptop loan provision scheme has been adjusted. Here is a summary of the outcomes:
If a student has a laptop that is not functioning in a way that enables them to do the work set in the class (eg broken keyboard, wont connect to
the internet, etc). They MUST come to the IT helpdesk to have the laptop seen by technicians.
If the problem cannot be solved immediately, they will be provided with a laptop to use and return that day to IT helpdesk. If a laptop needs to be
loaned for any longer than a day, students will also be given a form for parents to fill in and return the next day. They will then collect and return a
loan laptop from the library.
\
Please note: This is NOT for students who forget their laptop.
Detention will continue to be given to those students who forget their laptops..
Nick Jackson, Senior Leader Quality Pedagogy & eLearning
CANTEEN NEWS
The canteen lucky winner for term 1 was Lisa Burner who will receive a $50 voucher to the Torrens Arms Hotel. Enjoy the Voucher Lisa, and
thankyou to the Torrens Arms Hotel for supporting the canteen for another year.
With the colder weather settling in we have added a few more hot items to the menu: Hokkien Noodles, Lime Leaf and Lemon-grass Chicken,
Taco Bao, Beef Stew and Hot Soup.
We still have the Telstra $20 charge cards that we are selling off for $15. So call in quick and top up your prepaid Telstra phone before they all
go.
Adelaide Metro cards can also be topped up from the canteen.
Tell your friends, neighbours and relatives that they are all welcome to call into the canteen (during school hours) and purchase our produce. We
currently have honey, wine, olives, olive oil, eggs, lamb and goat sausages.
Gayle Squires, Canteen Manager
TERM 1 AGRICULTURE REPORT
Term One has come and gone, and the new term is already two weeks in progress. The Agriculture faculty and farm have had a busy start
to the year.
The school welcomes our new farm staff member Tegan Buckley, replacing Michael Lawrence. Tegan has come to us with a wide range
of experience with horses and other livestock. Tegan is working supporting the sheep, goat, and alpaca enterprises.
We started the term 1 with a visit from a Channel 10 film crew, who filmed a segment for the children’s program ‘Scope’, looking at the
school’s Agricultural programs with input from three Year 11s; Ainslee Raven, Hannah Tatlock and Kelly McDonald. The finished segment
screened on “One” on Saturday 11th April.
The school hosted in Week 3 the Australian Wool Innovation “Train the Trainer” program, which saw about 15 agriculture teachers from
across the state and 3 of our agriculture teachers attend to learn and update how to guide their students in merino carcase and wool
appraisal.
Open day was held on the 17th March, with the school farm showcased to potential year 8 students and the parents. A number of students
from Yrs 9, 10 and 11 provided the guided tours for the farm, with parents commenting favourably on their manner and knowledge. In the
lead up to open day this year, six Year 10 students from the Urrbrae Trails class, with piglets, visited some of the primary schools in the
Adelaide Hills and Southern Vales to promote attendance at the open day and Urrbrae as a schooling option to Year 7s.
Eight Year 12 girls attended the International Women in Agriculture conference with Ms Coonan and Ms Warren. They have reported back
that they found this to be an interesting and valuable event to have participated in.
Year 9 students and a number of VET Agriculture Certificate students attended the Karoonda Farm Fair on the 27th March to look at
aspects of broad acre farming. Several teams participated in the wool handling competition, with an Urrbrae team coming second behind
Coomandook AS.
On the same Friday night, at the Mortlock Scholarship Ceremony, students who completed Year 12 in 2014 were awarded the specialist
Urrbrae certificates in Agriculture, Animal Studies and Horticulture.
Year 8 students have been busily involved with planting and tending
to their vegetable gardens. Students have either been taking produce
home, or attempting to sell it to staff members for a cash return.
The year 9 classes of Mr Kirkwood and Mr Templeman successfully
raised two batches of meatbirds, which grew very well, and have
been for sale through the canteen.
The Alpaca club hosted a handlers competition here at Urrbrae during
the school holidays.
Members of the Sheep club and Heifer club paraded their animals for
judging at the Mount Pleasant show with success, with the sheep club
also attending the Mount Barker show. The first three of our show
steers have arrived on site, a Shorthorn a black Limousin and a
Murray Grey. These will be cared for by members of the steer club.
And as welcome back present for term 2, the first Hereford of 2015
has been born – a bull calf.
Ross Templeman, Assistant Principal, Agriculture
INTERNATIONAL RURAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Eight students from year 12 and two teachers, Ms. Coonan and Ms. Warren attended the International Rural Women’s Conference on
the 23rd and 24th of March. It was an extraordinary experience to learn about Farmers on Film and to be able to interact with influential
women working in agriculture. The guest speakers at the conference spoke about their journeys through different types of jobs and how
being an influential woman in a workplace can be hard but is very rewarding at the same time. Sarah Gayton one of the Keynote
speakers, is the founder and driving force behind “Farmers on Film” which is a project that aims to link famers directly to consumers
through videos of 3 minutes or less. This is done by using smart phones to scan QR codes on food packaging, to allow the consumer to
view the short videos of the producers at that point.
The conference also had multiple workshops that the students and teachers participated in. The two workshops I went to with Chantelle
Harper were ‘Technology Inspiring Innovative Change’ and ‘Women Influencing Agribusiness.’ The ‘Technology Inspiring Innovative
Change’ I found was inspiring as it spoke about how people in Taiwan use Facebook and multi-media and apps to sell their produce,
which is an efficient way of keeping customer support and selling produce. The ‘Women Influencing Agribusiness session was very
interesting as we learnt the Family Dynamic and the Development of the Pre-Entry Family Farming. For instance, during the workshop
we acted out a mother and daughter in law dynamic and its effect on the family farm.
Overall the experience I obtained from this conference was phenomenal. Throughout the day I learnt that the three key points to
success are hard work, to take opportunities when they appear, and luck. I also learnt that to be successful in a career you must ‘know
thyself, be thyself and love thyself.’ These three statements express the good skills and attitudes to be used in a career.
It is important to know what motivates you and your limitations.

Have good leadership skills, helps to build relationships easily,
Be proactive and outperform,

Be confident, be proud and passionate about your job and to have good public speaking skills.
It is also ideal to create a good learning and developing environment..
April Summers, Student

YEAR 11 OUTDOOR EDUCATION - CHOWILLA CANOE TRIP
Year 11 Outdoor Education student reflections
Shailie Herbert:In the last week of Term 1, Tuesday 7th – Friday 10th of April, our
Year 11 Outdoor Education class went on a canoe camp to Chowilla Game
Reserve. This was because our fist semester’s focus is kayaking/ canoeing and
we practice in the school pool during our lessons. We started paddling on the
Murray River and during the four days travelled through New South Wales and
Victoria as well as South Australia. We paddled a total of 38 kilometres, but only
for around 9 hours overall. The hardest part was paddling upstream when the
current was really strong. We couldn’t stop for a break unless we held onto a
branch because the current would’ve pulled us backwards. Also, it was on the
third day so our backs were already a bit sore from the previous full day of paddling.
When we weren’t on the water we were setting up camp, cooking or just hanging out. We became really close throughout the camp. We
played games and stole each other’s food, although the guys still haven’t admitted to taking ours. Overall it was a fantastic camp and I
had loads of fun. Outdoor Ed. is one of my favourite subjects and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys being outdoors.
Hayley Jolliffe: We started off on the Murray River, just off of Renmark road and then portaged the boats onto Hypurna creek. During the
next day we travelled along Salt Creek and crossed the boarders of New South Wales and Victoria as well as South Australia. As we
continued, we stopped at various historic sites such, the footbridge, the Scab Inspector's House and the weir connecting to the Murray
River. Although sleeping was extremely uncomfortable and the nights were freezing, the scenery was very pretty and waking up in the
morning along the river was incredibly peaceful. Overall, I had a very fun time singing along the river and laughing with my peers, I would
definitely go on this trip again.
Nikki :On the 7thof April we set out on a four day camp paddling across the South
Australian, Victorian and New South Wales borders. We went on this camp to put
into practise the skills we had learnt and studied in class. We had to be prepared
in what we packed making sure we packed light and had everything evenly
spaced in the canoes to even out weight. Throughout the four days we paddled
from campsite to campsite, setting up our tents and cooking meals each night.
We prepared a meal plan at school before we left and cooked what we had
planned each night. Paddling was in pairs; we shared boats and took turns at the
front paddling and back steering. Through the three days we paddled upstream
and down stream. I had fun on our camp and it taught me many new skills. I
learnt important navigation skills as well as other responsibilities and skills
unteachable in a class room environment.
Nick Horsnell, Outdoor Education Teacher
YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE
As a component of the compulsory SACE subject, Personal Learning Plan, all Year 10 students recently undertook one week of work experience.
This is an important part of students’ personal development as it is often the first time many students have an opportunity to experience the world
of work first hand. They are encouraged to think about a placement that possibly matches their career pathway at this point in their life and approach an employer for the opportunity to work at their company. This task in itself can be quite daunting but is the part of the process of thinking
about and developing skills for life beyond school.
Our students spent the week at a range of different places including Gorge Wildlife Park, Department for Environment Water and Natural Resources, University of Adelaide-School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Wittunga Botanic Garden, Nairne Engineering, Animal Shelters, various Kindergartens, Primary Schools, Veterinary Clinics, Pet Shops and computing companies. It was with pleasure that I read the reports from
the employers with many comments reflecting the outstanding calibre of our students and their application to the task. The students spoke positively about the experience of being in the work environment, with many commenting that they had no idea what went on behind the scenes but
now have greater insight. This is a highly valued component of the Personal Learning Plan as students now work towards developing a meaningful study plan for the next two years of school.
Jane Sulicich, Senior Leader, Student Pathways
ANZAC DAY
On ANZAC Day Evan Grear and Liam Edgecombe represented Urrbrae Agricultural High School at the ANZAC
Day dawn service in Mitcham. Arriving before the sun rose, there were hundreds of people there to remember
Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. On behalf of Urrbrae we
laid a wreath on the city of Mitcham war memorial. The area around the war memorial was surrounded, with
people even spilling out onto the pavement, which made the atmosphere really quite special. We were
honored to represent Urrbrae and pay our respects at the Mitcham Anzac Day Dawn Service, especially to
have been there on such a momentous occasion, the 100th anniversary of the Anzacs.
URRBRAE WORLD CHALLENGE
Urrbrae has 4 teams of 14 students going to either Cambodia and Laos, or Zambia and
Botswana at the end of the year. Two teachers will accompany each group as they complete community service in a poor community. Each team fundraises to complete these
community projects.
We are now registered with the People’s Choice Credit Union Lottery. We keep every
dollar of every ticket we sell. The last group made $6,000 which allowed a lot of work to
be done. Books of tickets will be available soon but tickets can be bought on-line
immediately. If you go to the following url you can buy tickets and monitor our progress.
You can also then print your tickets.
www.peopleschoicecu.com.au/urrbrae-agricultural-high-school-world-challenge
Urrbrae’s intrepid World Challenge participants
Mark Zivkovic, Year 9 Coordinator
YEAR 12 CELEBRATIONS
On Monday the 4th of May, the Year 12s gathered for a celebration assembly. The purpose was to celebrate their achievements from
Term 1. 28 students received certificates for their results from Term 1 reports, however as the Year level Coordinator I was very impressed with the results of all Year 12s.
I hope they can all keep up the work ethic for the next two terms.
Thanks to John Adams who helped me with the shopping and organised for our four lovely volunteers to come and cook the BBQ: David
Belby, Elizabeth Belby, Heather Cooper, and Peter Cooper.
Also thanks to Gayle for allowing us to use the canteen and Kym and Con for helping set up.
Fran Charlton, Senior Leader ,Senior School.
CAREERS EXPOS
PUBLIC
SAFETY–
PARKING
CONTROL AROUND
AROUND SCHOOLS
& KINDERGARTENS
PUBLIC
SAFETY–
PARKING
CONTROL
SCHOOLS
& KINDERGARTENS
City of Mitcham Council requested the following information be published in order to keep parents and those responsible for dropping off
and picking up students are informed of Council enforcement of parking restrictions around schools and kindergartens.
The brochure is to inform drivers about public safety and provide for student safety around roadways at school drop and pick up times, any
breaches of the Australian Road Rules observed by compliance officers may result in the issue of an expiation notice
FUNDRAISING
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
All babies, children and young people under 18 years are welcome to
attend the School Dental Service. Dental care is FREE for most
school-aged children and ALL preschool children.
SA Dental Service participates in the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
A small fee may apply for children who are not eligible for the Child
Dental Benefits Schedule.
Barn Market & Car Boot Sale
Saturday 6th June 9:00am –12:00pm
Olives
Honey
Olive Oil
Jams, Chutneys, etc
Fruit and Vegetables (in season)
To locate your local School Dental Clinic, or for more information
about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, please phone 8222 8222 or
visit www.sadental.sa.gov.au
Wine
Plants
Available from School Canteen 83726970
For further information please contact [email protected]
DIARY DATES
Week 4 Monday 18/5—Friday 22/5
Year 10 Career Counselling
Tuesday 19th May
Finance Committee
Tuesday 19th May
School Council Meeting
Week 5 Monday 25/05– Friday29/5
Year 11 Career Counselling
Friday 5th June
Pupil Free Day/ Staff Conference
Saturday 6th June
Barn Market
Monday 8th June
Public Holiday
Tuesday 9th June
Year 8 Immunizations
Wednesday 10th June
Music Night
Tuesday 16th June
Finance Committee
Tuesday 16th June
School Council Meeting
Friday 19th June
Senior Pathways Information day
Friday 19th June
End of Semester 1
Friday 3rd July
End of term 2
Saturday 4th July
Barn Market
JUSTICE COUNTRY, MAY 20, 2015
AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO
PARTICIPATE IN AN OUTSTANDING SCENARIO
LEARNING WORKSHOP
“The endless, restless quest of the human spirit is for a
future which is more human, more just, more liberating than
the past or the present.” Basil Moore
“You must be the change you want to see in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
An exciting opportunity exis ts for Year 9-12 students on May
20th. Interstate educator, Leo Keegan will be conducting a one
-day Justice Country workshop at Urrbrae.
Justice Country is a social justice and Parliamentary
simulation in which students are able to analyse ways in
which social justice changes can be achieved through political and legal systems.
Workshop participant will participate in a mock parliament in
which they will form political parties and make decisions and
explore the social and economic impacts of these decisions.
As there are only 30 places available, I urge all interested students to return their consent forms to me immediately.
Annette Chigros, Humanities Teacher, Urrbrae Agricultural
High School
Looking to swap or buy second hand Uniforms. Please call Cheryl Sieber 0402709369