13 December 2023
Principal’s Report
As another school year draws to a close, I would like to thank the school community for their continued support and patience during a year of site development and the continued impact of staffing shortages. Despite these challenges, we have continued to develop the learning environment to benefit current and future learners and secure noteworthy success across the full range of educational experiences our staff work tirelessly to provide.
The End of Year Presentation event is scheduled for 12 December and will celebrate personal achievements, personal growth and sporting endeavours. We look forward to welcoming our community on-site to celebrate the achievements and resilience of our amazing young people during 2023.
As this is our last newsletter of the year, I would like to thank the staff who will begin a new chapter in 2024 for their service to the school. Sarah Bury is leaving Quorn Area School after over twenty years of service to the community, and we wish her every success in her new role as the Principal at Port Augusta West Primary School. Megan Guevara has secured a permanent position close to her family and home in Adelaide, and Hannah Thomas is leaving to begin the next stage of her Australian teaching career. We thank them for their service and contribution to our improvement journey during their time at our school and wish them well in the journey ahead. I also want to acknowledge the remaining staff's professionalism and commitment in 2023. Your energy and drive enabled us to successfully induct many new staff, who in turn have shown genuine passion for our school and the community it serves. Thank you to our entire team for your tremendous commitment on behalf of our learners.
Work will begin on upgrading our Junior Primary area during the upcoming vacation. Therefore, we not only seek the support of our community in looking after our school during the summer closure, but we also ask that all site visitors adhere to the cordons and safety notices.
Finally, I would like to wish all of our learners and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Andrew Gilsenan-Reed
Employment Opportunities in 2024
Curriculum Support Officer Ancillary Jobs (education.sa.gov.au)
Aboriginal Community Education Officer Ancillary Jobs (education.sa.gov.au)
Applications Close Thursday 14/12/23
Primary Report
Firm Foundations Program
I warmly welcome our new learners and their families starting in 2024. They have been participating in our Firm Foundations Program this term as they transition to school. We are looking forward to growing our QAS community. Over the last few weeks, they have been settling into classroom routines and getting to know the school. They have been introduced to our Read Write Inc. and Numicon Programs, joined us for the Camp Quality performance, participated in an obstacle course hosted by the school students and Mrs Bury and made some beautiful art with Mrs Griffiths in the Art room.
Here are some snaps from our Firm Foundations Program
Learning in F/1 with Miss Neu
This term, we have been learning about weather and seasons. We learnt that rain comes from the clouds. We went outside and observed the weather and then used craft materials to show what we saw.
We also created designs and created shelters to keep our Quiet Critters dry. We tested different craft materials using ‘rain’ from spray bottles.
Here are some of the results.
Camp Quality School Performance
Last Wednesday, we were visited by Camp Quality, who put on a performance for the K-2 and Years 3-6 about Cancer Education. The program aims to reduce bullying, absenteeism and the need for mental health support services for kids impacted by cancer by removing the stigma and myths around cancer through an interactive puppet play. All learners enjoyed the performance.
Year 6 Graduation
Last Monday, we congratulated our Year 6 learners who are transitioning to high school next year. We celebrated the year with a BBQ and as we looked back over their time at QAS.
Farewell to Lucas, Shelby and Kylah. We hope to see you around the yard.
Children’s University
Children's University is a great initiative by The University of Adelaide. It ignites curiosity and a love for learning, instilling a mindset of continuous exploration and discovery. This curiosity-driven learning extends beyond the classroom, fostering a lifelong commitment to education. The program goes beyond traditional subjects offered here at school, fostering the development of a wide range of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork.
As a school, the learning that is done outside of the classroom is just as important as the curriculum we provide. Through various activities and achievements, Children's University boosts confidence and self-esteem. It encourages learners to set goals, overcome challenges, and celebrate their successes, contributing to their overall well-being.
For those who may be interested in participating in Children's University in 2024, please contact Monique Griffiths at the school or via email monique.carcuro994@schools.sa.edu.au.
Secondary Report
Graduation Dinner
The Class of 2023, along with their families and teachers, celebrated their completion of schooling at Quorn Area School with a lovely dinner hosted by Tickle Belly Hill on Thursday, the 23rd of November.
It was a lovely evening with the group reminiscing with stories and photos of the graduating students whilst enjoying a beautiful meal and venue.
We wish Amaru, Alisha and Kai all the best with their future endeavours and look forward to hearing about them over the coming years.
Congratulations ‘CLASS of 2023’
Year 7/8 English - Informative Writing
To conclude, the year learners in our Year7/8 English class have been busy researching, planning, drafting, rehearsing, filming, editing and presenting their news report segments. Throughout the term, learners had to develop their literacy skills to present their news broadcast. Our lessons involved learning the basics, such as the difference between a fact and an opinion. They learned to determine what ‘fake news’ is and identify the structure of a news report using the inverted pyramid method. They learned about the language of news writing, such as writing and speaking in the ‘third person’ and the idea of ‘bias’ and how that may influence their writing and reporting. Their outcome required learners to collaborate in small groups, ensuring each member had a vital role in creating a script, setting up the camera or teleprompter, and role-playing as a news reporter/anchor or interviewee. They had to report on accurate and factual weird yet wacky news stories from around the world. Here’s a snippet of the amazing editing and saying our learners applied to their projects. Of course, there is still a lot to improve in our projects, given that this is the first time our learners have done this; however, they did their best and should be proud of the outcome.
Farewell from Mrs. Guevara
It is never easy to say goodbye, especially since I have been in Quorn for six years. I can’t thank the community enough for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me throughout my time here. Quorn has undoubtedly become my second home. I have enjoyed every aspect of teaching at QAS. I have learned so much – both professionally and personally. I have also experienced both the thrill and tranquillity of rural living. I have made many memorable memories that I will always cherish, like our time in Sydney for our ANSTO trip, our time at Illawonga Camp, and the Adelaide Careers Trip. You may have seen me working in the library, teaching in the secondary and primary classrooms, maybe you heard me MC at the Swimming Carnival, or see me measure out at the high jump and heard me simultaneously shout from the top of the lungs cheering on our teams on Sports Day, I might have been floating around to take school photographs for Book Week, MNSEC formal and the stalls among many other events, or the unofficial IT person behind the scenes helping with technology issues or flicking through the slideshow presentation in assemblies.
It has been a privilege to be part of the learning journey of my first Year 7 class here. To see them achieve what they wanted, with some, I am honoured to have pushed through Year 12 and be there to witness them accomplish their final year of schooling. To all the learners, the QAS team, families, and the community. Thank You… I am genuinely moved and grateful. I will miss Quorn, which will have a special place in my heart.
Megan Guevara
Headspace Workshops
The 7/8 class was fortunate enough to participate in well-being workshops with Youth Mental Health Worker Ben McCann from Country and Outback Health.
We realise that schools play an important role in supporting the mental health needs of young people and their families. Learners were exposed to several mental health and wellbeing initiatives and spent the lesson learning some essential skills in self-care and looking after their mental health.
Ben visits QAS fortnightly and is available for individual sessions as needed. Please let us know if your child would benefit, and we can share the referral form with you to begin the process for 2024—a huge thanks to Ben for his time and efforts.
Renae Churchill – Stage One Kindy Placement
Congratulations to Renae, who participated in a work placement at the Quorn Kindergarten this semester. Renae has spent every Thursday at the Kindy and gained valuable experience and insight into the education sector in the early years environment. She will continue this placement as part of her Year 12 studies in 2024, and we wish her all the best. Thank you to Peta and all the valuable employees who have supported Renae this year.
Below are some pictures of Renae, who facilitated a successful Christmas biscuit decorating activity last week with the Occasional Care and Kindy children.
End-Of-Year Reflection
It is certainly hard to believe that we have come to the end of another school year. We have been very busy throughout 2023 in secondary school as we take the time to ponder the achievements, challenges faced, new experiences and personal growth. To recap some of the highlights, which include the Year 9/10 Careers Trip, various sporting events, curriculum excursions, The Smith Family initiatives, Rural Medical Ambassador visit, MNSEC formal, Aquatics, Career Coaching and Headspace workshops.
I want to congratulate the secondary teachers and learners on the academic and personal growth secured this year. Our Learner Management system, DAYMAP, has enabled learners to keep up to date with assessment tasks and increase communication among stakeholders, and coupled with the traffic light system, it has allowed success in managing the learning requirements.
I want to thank Megan Guevara for her amazing contributions towards the secondary school over the past six years as we say farewell to her. The students will undoubtedly miss her friendly and kind nature, curriculum knowledge, and experience. She has built and developed great relationships over time, which is evident in my conversations with learners. We appreciate her commitment and dedication to her teaching practice and ensuring that the students achieve their highest. We wish Megan all the best at her new school and the future.
Farewell from Mrs Bury
As my time at Quorn Area School ends, I reflect on the incredible experiences and memories I’ve had with the community. I will take on a new position as the Principal of Port Augusta West Primary School for 2024 and beyond.
As I embark on a new chapter in my life, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the QAS community. My 22 years here have been filled with growth, learning and unforgettable experiences. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff, students and parents who have supported me and guided me throughout my time at QAS. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given, which have shaped my growth as an educator and which I will carry with me as I begin this new career phase.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Sarah Bury
End of Year Presentation
Thank you to everyone who attended our End-Of-Year Presentations yesterday. We hope you enjoyed a fun afternoon celebrating all that our learners have been working towards throughout 2023.
Our staff put in an enormous amount of work to bring this event to you, which I’m sure you can appreciate.
We did record the event for parents who could not attend. This will be distributed to you via Schoolzine before the end of the week.
Congratulations to all award winners, whose names are listed below.
End-of-Year Award Recipients
Class Award – Foundation/Year 1
Ellanor Partridge – Eleanor Leith – Oliver Finlay
Class Award – Year 1/2/3
Jac Moore – Sofia Ceballos – Taitum Atherton
Class Award – Year 4/5/6
Mark Case – Ella Butler – Floredre Hansen
Class Award – Year 7/8/9
Georgia Shannon – Noah Kruger
Class Award – Year 10/11/12
Mia Crisp – Renae Churchill – Timothy Brady
Primary School Art Award
Amilia Fuchs
Year 6 Graduation
Lucas Bury – Shelby Finlay – Kylah Donald
Maloney Primary Sports Award
Shelby Finlay
F-6 School Council All-Rounder Award
Nevaeh Pool
School Attendance Award
Saskia Baxter
7-9 Flinders Ranges Council All-Rounder Award
Georgia Shannon
10-12 AMPOL All-Rounder Award
Elise James
Claude Stokes Secondary Sports Award
Lachlan Holtham
Tom Bury Athletics Award
Ella Holtham
Des Wallace Swimming Award
Camron Snelgrove
Sally Smart Art Award
Gemma Peart
ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership & Teamwork Award
Amaru Omonte-Kramer, Year 12
Eyre Trading Certificate of Achievement
Lachlan Holtham
Eddie Hughes Year 12 Certificate of Excellence
Amaru Omonte-Kramer
Rowland Phyllis Nicholas Scholarship 2022
Lachlan Finlay
Rowan Ramsey School Community Service Award
Jacinda Harvie
Minister for Education Volunteering Award
Kyley McCarthy
Miscellaneous Items
The Smith Family – Saver Plus
The Smith Family – Student 2 Student Reading
Student2student (s2s) is a confidence-building reading practice program run by The Smith Family for students interested in getting some practice with reading to be more confident at school.
It is reading with young people, and it is for young people.
s2s consists of the following fun elements:
- Read with a Buddy
Students in schools across Australia from Year 6 – Year 11 have volunteered to be a reading mentor for you. They will be there to help when you are stuck, have a laugh about the stories you read together and make reading fun no matter what level you are at…no teachers here!
- Read with a fun-xpert
Buddies are genuine, nice people who like reading and want to help. They aren’t a super smart expert, but they are super generous, patient and kind. Our Buddies will encourage you to read the words and think about the story…but in a fun way… where mistakes are no problem, and success is celebrated.
- Read at your pace online
If you are in the digital program the reading is over a computer with an online library of books. This means you get to choose what book you read, and if it’s too hard (or too easy) you can change levels in a flash…
- Be your own superhero
Readers who have been involved in the s2s reading program have gone from struggling with reading to getting class awards. They tell us they love going to school now, and everything is easier once you can read the same as the other children…this can be you too!
TAFE Careers
Government School – Bushfire Ready
Dental Assistant Traineeships
Port Augusta Percussion & Pizza
Would you like to learn to dance?
After a successful year of toddler classes in Quorn, Anderson Dancers are offering dance tuition from ages 2-7 starting in Feb 2024. These classes will run in at the Quorn Area School at a day and time yet to be determined.
Just fill in the expression of interest link attached and we will contact you shortly.
Anderson Dancers Expression of Interest 2024 (snapforms.com.au)
Details are still being finalised and more details will be available once we have more to give you.
Anderson Dancer students have the opportunity to perform in the annual Pantomime held in Port Augusta on the 1st 2nd and 3rd of November and where possible at events held in Quorn.
We look forward to offering these classes for you in Quorn, so spread the word!
Cheers Lindy Madigan
Anderson Dancers Principal.
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