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ACTING PRINCIPAL: Mr John Sutton ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: Ms Kathleen McGuire SENIOR SCHOOL LEADER (6-12): Ms Alyse Moore

JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADER (R-5): Mrs Wendy Starling WELL-BEING LEADER Mrs Rachel Neumann

GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON: Mr Jason Schulz

dl.0750_info@schools.sa.edu.au Issue 9 – 2nd July 2021 www.meningieas.sa.edu.au

Dear Parents Welcome to our week 10 newsletter I would like to take this opportunity to thank students, staff and parents for their support this term. Unfortunately, the school was unable to secure a Principal from the last selection process. As I have stated previously, I will continue in the role until the appointment is resolved for at least 2021. School holidays start today and I urge everyone to be safe during the holidays and have a relaxing break. School returns Monday 19th July. Staff News Parents may or may not be aware, but Mr Bubner will be leaving us next term. He has won the position of Principal at Coonalpyn Primary School for the remainder of the year. Whilst this is a huge loss for us, it is a good result for Coonalpyn and we wish Mr Bubner every success in his new role. Mr Bubner has been a valued member of the school and town community. We are in the process of looking for a replacement for the class and have secured Mrs Keynes for the first 2 weeks, whilst we run a selection process. Mr Walther has won a full time contract at Hawker Area School and will be leaving us also in third term. We thank him for his time with us. With this we can no longer offer German language in the primary classes. This will be replaced with other curriculum subjects. We are expecting Mrs Starling to return from leave and are looking forward to her return. Her semester reports will be available early next term. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. We are currently running panels to fill positions relating to Non Instruction time in the Junior Primary and Primary classes and middle years Maths and science classes. When these are known I will announce them. Rest assured I am doing all in my power to secure strong teachers who will bring expertise to our classes.

NAIDOC Week NAIDOC week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) is held during the first week of the school holidays. This year’s theme is Heal Country. As a school we believe it is important to recognise and celebrate, hence activities were held at school during this past week. On Monday Thomas Pearson welcomed us to Country which

was followed by a flag raising ceremony with special words from Isobell Koolmatrie about what this land means to her and the Ngarrindjeri people. Grace Gubbin, Violet Richards, Coen Pearson and Heston Schulz were our flag raisers. This was followed by a performance by the Deadly Nannas. It was great to see our students rivetted in their seats for this performance. On Wednesday our Year 9/10 students organised a free BBQ of Kangaroo Burgers and Coorong Wraps On Thursday students from the primary classes were involved in tree planting around the oval surrounds to coincide with the Heal country theme. Our last event was a Welcome to Country Assembly conducted on Friday.

Meningie Area School

Newsletter

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Phone Policy At a recent Governing Council meeting the committee ratified our draft phone policy for students. Please discuss the implications of the policy with your child/children and the expectations of the school. Because we are an Area School we have 2 policies one for R to 7 and 1 for 8 to 12. A). As per government instructions no Year R to 7 should have a phone at school. B). For students in Years 8 to 12 the school recognises the possible need for students to have a phone especially for safety reasons. The policy states:-

1. Students from Years 7 to 10 are not permitted to have their mobile devices in use during the day unless to engage in an educational activity and with the permission of the teacher.

2. All students Years 7 to 13+ are expected to put mobile devices away during instructional teaching time. 3. Students who bring their mobile devices to school are expected to leave them in their bags in their lockers. 4. Students will be requested to present their phones to the front office if they do not comply with the school’s

policy. If they do not comply as per our school SBM policy a phone call to home referring the matter to parents will be the first step, followed by a take home in the event of continued use of the mobile device under the guise of not following reasonable instructions.

5. In the event of needing to confiscate the phone based on evidence of misuse the phone will be stored at the front office and parents called to retrieve the phone. Depending on the level and seriousness of the misuse then SBM steps including suspension may be invoked.

6. This policy includes ear buds, headphones and smart watches. Grievance Procedures From time to time, parents, students, and staff will have need to pursue the School’s Grievance Procedure. I have included a copy of the procedure for you to read with your child/children. To summarise, it reads when people have a complaint, the first step is to contact the Class Teacher. If the issue is not resolved, then contact the Senior School Leader, Junior School Leader or the Well-being Leader. If the issue is still note resolved, then contact the Principal or Deputy Principal. If the situation is still not resolved, the next step is to contact the Education Director. The school cannot act on events of bullying or other matters, if it’s not brought to our attention. We appreciate that our school community uses a range of social media and people's first response may be to vent on the various platforms. This does not help the issue and can inflame the situation, especially if staff are already working with the students involved. Staff are aware that there is bullying on this site and we frequently meet with students to discuss issues, restore relationships and support students to not engage with bullies. This is in line with our school value, "Be Kind". All staff are accessing resources to teach anti bullying programs in homegroup and pastoral care lessons and the school is working with external providers- Centracare and AC Care to provide programs to support students. Bullying is not okay and needs to be addressed. I urge parents who believe their child is being bullied to be proactive and contact the school, rather than use social media to vent their frustrations. National Definition of Bullying Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and / or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. Lockers Lockers are now available for all students in Years 4 to 12. The lockers are designed to store student belongings, laptop, books and stationary. There is no need to carry school bags around the school yard. Students are encouraged if they wish to use a lock with a combination or key lock. A spare key or the combination code needs to be given to Catherine in the front office as a spare in case of losing the key. End of semester1 reports End of Year reports will be sent home with students on the last day of school. Students who are absent on that day will have the reports mailed to them.

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End of Term School finishes at 2:10 on Friday 2nd of July and restarts on Monday 19th July. COVID-19 Update The Premier of South Australia has announced restrictions to help prevent the spread of the Delta strain of COVID-19 should it make its way into South Australia. While these current restrictions don’t directly impact daily preschool or school operations, it’s a reminder that we must continue to be prepared and responsive to the changing nature of the pandemic.    QR check in It is expected staff and visitors continue to COVID-safe check in when you enter the workplace. This information is vital to ensure SA Health contact tracers can notify you if you have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.  Our site’s QR code is clearly displayed at all entrances to buildings. A hard copy sign in is also readily available.   Masks The wearing of masks is not required in preschool, school or office settings, unless a student or staff member chooses to wear one.    Singing Singing as part of an educational program can continue. Indoor seated performances such as school assemblies can go ahead but parents (if in attendance) may choose to wear a mask.   Vaccination Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the next thing we can all do to protect ourselves and the greater community.

Foodbank SA have been supporting MAS on multiple levels this year

o Breakfast Program

We have been receiving fantastic supplies for our breakfast program which is run out of the Wellbeing Room daily.

o Young Women’s pack We have also received Young Women’s packs for the female students at school. Available upon request, these packs include deodorant, hair ties, soap, sanitary items, toothbrush and toothpaste.

o Food Hampers Each fortnight the school has been receiving food hampers. We were sending them home with a particular class each fortnight but found this system was not working well. We have been leaving them at the front door under the veranda and notifying all families they are available. If you have missed out on one of these hampers and would like one please contact the school to add your name to the list and we will ensure you receive one in our next delivery.

o Murray Bridge Foodbank Hub Referral The school is now the local point of contact for families and community. You can request a referral which will entitle you to do your weekly or fortnightly shop at the Foodbank Hub in Murray Bridge. This has proven popular and we ask you to contact the school by phone, drop in to the front office or email dl.0750_info@schools.sa.edu.au

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with Rachel Neumann and Daniel Irvine

Art as A Way to Express and to Heal The Well-being Room has a new artwork now hanging in it. The piece, a seascape overlain with the Lord’s Prayer in Ngarrindjeri, was painted by Alexandrina Campbell who is a Ngarrindjeri woman born in Adelaide in 1991. Her style is described as Contemporary Ngarrindjeri Art and she paints using her memories, life experiences and stories passed down from her mother and grandmother. Alexandrina seeks to express her Ngarrindjeri Culture in her art and to pass down her family’s stories. She also hopes that the process can be a way of generating healing. The painting was purchased by Daniel Irvine via Alexandrina’s grandmother, Aunty Amelia Campbell, the

granddaughter of David Unaipon (who you can find on the $50 note). Aunty Amelia was born in Raukkan and went to Meningie Area School when she was a child. She was thrilled to learn that the painting was going to be displayed in the school. Alexandrina’s artwork will be on exhibit called “A walkabout down my memory lane” in Gallery 1855 in Tea-Tree Gully as part of Reconciliation and NAIDOC Weeks until the 31st of July. More details can be found at by searching for Gallery 1855 in the “Events and Places” section of the Tea-Tree Gully Council website (www.teatreegully.sa.gov.au). It is hoped that the artwork will help inspire students to pursue their dreams and encourage them to find constructive ways to express themselves and to work through difficult situations and emotions. Art therapy is a noted method for helping to foster healing and mental well-being and can come in many forms including painting but also writing, dance, drama, or music. (https://www.verywellmind.com/) Last Friday the school was incredibly lucky to have the Hip Hop youth team from Murray Bridge entertain the students with a junior and senior social. Over 20 students stayed after school to get mini workshops and connect with the youth team. The youth in Murray Bridge can use art to

maintain their own well-being, explore their emotions, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, boost their self-esteem and work on their social skills. In addition, Hip Hop exposed our students to a different way to use writing, rhyming, singing, performing, digital music, technology, finding voice and connection to others. Aiden and his team generously gave up their Friday afternoon and evening to connect with our students and would love for you to follow them on Facebook or drop into The Station to say hi. Two students from Coomandook Area School Esther Neumann and Alicia Gollan attended the day and were great helpers. They enjoyed meeting new students and engaging with the team of staff at Meningie. We look forward to engaging more with Alicia as a Ngarrindjeri woman with future learning projects. The MAS Leadership team as part of Reconciliation Week made 3 commitments to the school and we listed 2 of these in the last newsletter. The 3rd commitment to action is that we will ensure a Ngarrindjeri mural is commenced on the school buildings this year. There was some great networking with the Aerosol specialist from The Station and we look forward to starting the planning stages of this project early next term. Big thanks to staff members Kathleen McGuire, Sarah Wilson, Caitlin Hattam and the formal girls for helping set up, pack up and providing snacks and BBQ to the students, youth team and staff. It was a fantastic, fun day and evening.

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Year 4/5 Reviews CHOIR REHERSAL @ Murray Bridge North School – 23rd June 2021 On the 23th of June the 6/7 and the 4/5 class went on a trip to one the Murray Bridge schools. On one of the buses was the 6/7 and the year 4’s. There were 5 year 6/7. We went to the playground to eat our recess, and the year 5’s were there when the year 4’s and 6/7’s got there. We ate recess and packed up and we all got into the bus headed up to one of the schools. When we got there, we headed to the hall. There were at least 5 schools there. We sang for 3 hours but it felt like more than 3 hours. Then we went to the playground to eat Lunch. When we were finished we were allowed to play. By Melissa On 23th of June on Wednesday we went to choir for 3 hours, and the 6\7 came with the 4\5. There was 5 year 6\7 and the year 4\6\7 went on the same bus together. The year 5 went with Mrs Wright. First the year 5s went with Judy and the year 4\6\7 went with Ms Bagshaw, and on the way back the year 5 went with Ms Bagshaw and the year 4\6\7 went with Judy. We sang “I have a voice”, “water is life” and all of the other songs. We had recess and lunch at Sturt Reserve. Choir went for 3 hours and a girl won the rock paper scissors competition. I enjoyed choir. By Kadience

CANTARA HOMESTEAD Excursion – 24th June 2021 On the 24th of June we went to Cantara Homestead. Our first task was to drive from Meningie to

Cantara. It was a long drive there.

We met Robbie and Cristina. We, first, ate our recess, then went to the hills to do the work. After

doing the work on the hill we went to another hill. We found a lot of wombat holes. The work that we

were doing was to take the broken guards and rotten wooden stakes.

Then we explored the place around the hills, up the hills and down the hills. Then it was toilet break,

then lunch. When we finished lunch, we explored the

slippery, steep and dangerous hill that was next to the

house. Then everyone ran down the hill because

kangaroos and emus chased us down the hill.

I went down to the house and explored the house. It

looked old and creepy. No one lived there except the

workers. Then the bus came back to pick up everyone.

At the end we had a long 1 hour drive back and it was

longggggg. By Zaranie On the 24th June the year 4/5 class and the 6/7 class went to Cantara home stead, when we arrived there we met up with Robbie. After we had recess, Robbie told us ,that we were going to plant trees, take out broken guards and take off guards that didn’t have a tree in it. When we had to go to a toilet, we had to use a drop toilet. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good. After a while of fixing the trees and finding wombat holes, we got 15 minutes of free time. Some of us went up the hill and saw an emu chasing a kangaroo. We all had a great time until we found there were steps. They were slimy, slippery, steep steps. When we tried going down, we nearly slipped and knocked all of us down like dominoes. We had some lunch. Then we had a picture in front of the house and explored the house. It kind of looked like a horror house. When we finished looking at the house, we jumped on the bus and took an hour and a half drive again. By Christian On Thursday, 24 June, my class went to Cantara House. Firstly, we had Recess, then we started. BOOM!! Here we were in the field. Here are all the plants; some are sick, some are dead and some are hurt. Some are growing tall and strong. After we had worked hard, we went on an adventure. We climbed the big hill, it was so cool! By Heston

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SCHOOL SOCIAL 25th June 2021

The Station

The people who came down from the Station for our social were really fun.

There were 4 activities to choose from. My favourite DJ was Skeptic, which

is his DJ name. Oscar

At the hip hop social, we had the R to year 5’s classes. The social was about an hour long but just

about everyone got to go up on stage and be a DJ. There were food and drinks. They also sold

balloons and mini plastic trophies. The food that was available was chips, popcorn, lollies, and the

drink was cordial. By Bohdi

MONARTO ZOO

Giraffe food Mr Leon Dodd On the 27 of June Isobell’s brother, Leon Dodd, came down and removed a wattle

tree from the butterfly garden down near the flag poles. Leon gave the branches

to the giraffes at Monarto.

By Lincoln

CITY OF EMBER – Class Novel

For the past couple months, the year 4/5 class has been reading a book called City of Ember. We have been designing a book and doing trivia questions and sticking it in our books. We also drew lots of pictures and we did a little bit of watercolour pencils. I really enjoyed the book and I think the whole class enjoyed the book.

By Zoii

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ASTHMA AND WINTER TRIGGERS People with asthma have airways that are more sensitive to some things that may not impact other people without asthma. The things that set off or start symptoms are called triggers. COLDS AND FLU The flu and other viral infections are the most common trigger for asthma flare-ups (attacks). Colds and flu can be more serious for people with asthma, even if your asthma is mild or your symptoms are well-controlled by medication. You can’t really avoid them, but you can reduce your risk of catching viral infections:

• Wash your hands before you eat or touch your face, eyes or nose • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or elbow • Avoid crowded spaces where possible – especially where people have colds • Have the flu vaccination every year • Adhere to social distancing • Stay home when unwell

Good asthma management year-round is critical to ensuring you are ready for the winter cold and flu season. FLU VACCINATION One of the best ways to protect yourself from the flu and spreading it to others is annual flu vaccination. The flu virus is always changing, so it is important to have the flu vaccine every year. This will ensure you and your family are protected against the most recent flu virus strains that may be around. It is best to be vaccinated from mid-late April, so your body has time to protect itself and you are ready for the peak flu period, from June to September. Everyone with asthma including all family members should be vaccinated against the flu, especially people with severe asthma. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a free flu vaccination under the National Immunisation Program. This winter, it’s also important for people with asthma to get the COVID vaccine in addition to the annual flu vaccine. COVID-19 AND ASTHMA We strongly support the COVID-19 vaccination program roll out across Australia. People with asthma, including people with severe asthma, should feel confident about accessing these vaccines alongside other Australians. It is recommended that people with asthma get both the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the Department of Health recommends spreading the vaccines apart by at least two weeks. For more information on this question, speak with your doctor. MINIMISING TRIGGERS Identifying and minimising exposure to confirmed triggers may help improve asthma control. Other than colds and flu, winter triggers may also include changes in temperature, dust mites, pollens and mould. Using a preservative-free saline nasal spray or sinus irrigation:

• helps to reduce your allergen and viral load and can improve your nasal symptoms • helps to cleanse and hydrate nasal tissues • if used 10 minutes prior to medicated nasal sprays it may improve their effectiveness • may relieve nasal and sinus congestion by thinning excess mucus in the nose and sinuses

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the benefits of reducing and washing away allergens, irritants and viruses breathed into your nose when you use a preservative-free saline nasal spray or sinus irrigation. WINTER HYGIENE The influenza virus can live on surfaces such as handrails, lift buttons, and toilets for 48 hours and is spread when people touch a surface with the flu virus on it and then touch their own mouth or nose. Stopping the spread of flu is possible by making sure you’re following three simple steps:

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow • Wash your hands thoroughly, and • If you’re unwell, stay home

If you don’t have a tissue handy and you feel a sneeze or cough coming on, cough into your elbow. This stops your hands from getting covered in the flu virus and will help stop the spread of those nasty germs. If you do use a tissue, make sure you dispose of it into a bin nearby and then wash your hands thoroughly. Flu viruses are carried in almost invisible droplets from saliva, sneezes, coughs, and runny noses. Hands are one of the top spreaders of germs and viruses. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap at regular intervals throughout the day is a quick and easy way to help stop the spread of these germs.

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MENINGIE AREA SCHOOL Term 3 2021

WK DATE DAY MEETINGS PLANNED EVENTS

1 19/7 Mon

20/7 Tues

21/7 Wed

22/7 Thurs

23/7 Fri

2 26/7 Mon

27/7 Tues

28/7 Wed

29/7 Thurs

30/7 Fri

3 2/8 Mon

3/8 Tues Tennis Clinic – R - 2

4/8 Wed

SATAC – Year 12 Info Session @ 1.30pm Maths Competition @ Coomandook Area School

5/8 Thurs

6/8 Fri

4 9/8 Mon SAPSASA SOCCER CARNIVAL – Monday to Wednesday Murray Bridge Band – Beginners

10/8 Tues Tennis Clinic – R - 2 Murray Bridge Band – Continuers

11/8 Wed Murray Bridge Band – Continuers

12/8 Thurs

13/8 Fri

5 16/8 Mon NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

17/8 Tues Tennis Clinic – R – 2

18/8 Wed SATAC – Year 10/11 Info Session @ 1.30pm

19/8 Thurs AG EXPO

20/8 Fri

6 23/8 Mon STUDENT FREE DAY

24/8 Tues BOOK WEEK “Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds” Tennis Clinic – R – 2

25/8 Wed 9-A-Side Football @ Murray Bridge for Year 5-7

26/8 Thurs

27/8 Fri

7 30/8 Mon

31/8 Tues

1/9 Wed

2/9 Thurs Royal Adelaide Show – Led Steers

3/9 Fri Royal Adelaide Show – Led Steers

8 6/9 Mon

7/9 Tues Royal Adelaide Show Wether Competition

8/9 Wed Potential day of local significance SHOW DAY

Adelaide Choir Festival

Royal Adelaide Show Wether Competition

9/9 Thurs

10/9 Fri Royal Adelaide Show – Goats

9 13/9 Mon SAPSASA Trials – Boys & Girls Tennis & Boys Cricket

14/9 Tues

15/9 Wed

16/9 Thurs

17/9 Fri Premier’s Reading Challenge Finishes

10 20/9 Mon SAPSASA Athletics in Adelaide

21/9 Tues Year 7/8 Excursion to Butcher

22/9 Wed

23/9 Thurs

24/9 Fri Last Day of Term – School Finishes at 2.05 Buses depart 2.15

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Version 2 11/06/2021