Dear families 

Term 2 is well underway and it is great to see many of our students engaging positively in their learning and striving to make strong progress.  We want our students to be learning more every day and we appreciate our families’ support in encouraging students to engage in their learning, apply themselves fully throughout the day and to extend and challenge their thinking. Growth and aspiration are values we uphold and we know education is the key to opportunity in our society. Over this year we are doing work with our students on having a growth mindset and we look forward to sharing more with families about this.

When children have a growth mindset, they can accept and embrace challenges, take feedback, practice and put in more effort when they fail and are open to taking risks and trying new things. Their efforts can influence how their talents and abilities develop.

Key Strategies to Cultivate a Growth Mindset:

1. Embrace Challenges: See them as opportunities to learn and grow.
2. Persist in the Face of Setbacks: Understand that failure is a part of the learning process.
3. Effort is Key: Recognize that effort leads to mastery and improvement.
4. Learn from Criticism: Use feedback as a tool for growth.
5. Celebrate Others' Success: Be inspired by others' achievements and learn from their journeys.

Two good questions to ask your students at the end of the school day that can help to foster a growth mindset are:

1. What made you think hard today or what was something that was challenging?
2. What progress have you made so far?

The Power of "Yet": One of the most powerful tools in developing a growth mindset is the concept of "yet." Instead of saying "I can't do this," say "I can't do this yet." This simple shift in language reinforces the belief that students’ abilities can be developed over time.

We can certainly see many of our students exercising their growth mindset.  It is always so exciting and rewarding to see our young people take on challenges and move out of their comfort zone to build skills, confidence and knowledge.  In the last three weeks we have seen several examples of this:

• Year 10s have Survival Camp and whilst 10Bs Camp had to be postponed due to the inclement weather that presented safety concerns, a number of students in 10A have embraced the challenge this week and had a fabulous time testing themselves and developing deeper bonds with their classmates and teachers. Many thanks to Mr Le Fevre for his outstanding organisation and running of these camps and to Miss Walker, Miss Tuffin, Mr Tyson and Miss Heidi Nailer  who accompanied and supported the students.  10B camp has been rescheduled to Term 3 and further details will be sent closer to the date to families.
• Five students volunteered to assist the Red Dirt team with Mothers’ Day breakfast at Scottsdale Primary School on Thursday 8 May. Maya, Aliqui, Emmy, Shayla and Ethan were excellent assistants who demonstrated great warmth and kindness as they helped prepare and serve breakfast.  They showed that they are terrific student role models who embody the values of respect and responsibility.

• On Saturday 10 May, Rhylan and MJ (Year 10) competed in the Rostum Public Speaking Competition at Scotch Oakburn College. They had to prepare and present a 8 minute speech and also give an impromptu speech for 3 minutes.  MJ spoke about coping with change drawing on her experience moving from the Philippines to Australia and Rhylan spoke about doing things differently using Dylan Alcott as inspiration. Both students put a great deal of thought and effort into their prepared speeches which they delivered with a high degree of confidence.    Well done to Rhylan who won the Encouragement Award in the Senior Competition!  The courage and growth demonstrated by MJ and Rhylan was inspiring to see. Many thanks to Miss Walker for her encouragement and support of Rhylan and MJ.  We have included Rhylan and MJ’s prepared speeches for you to read further on in the newsletter .

• A number of our Year 9/10 students have been assisting with the primary schools’ Cross Country Carnivals this week! Well done to the following students for the leadership they have shown:

Scottsdale Primary School Helpers:

Ella

Molly

Sarsha

Larni

Emahlia

Zoe 

Bridport Primary School Helpers:

Peta

Jade

Sam

Alfie

Ringarooma Primary School Helpers: 

Oaklea

Millie

Eliza M

Aaron

As you would appreciate, the support, effort and guidance from staff and families really does enable our students to shine and strive to be the best versions of themselves. 

Agfest

Many thanks to Mrs Rattray and a number of volunteers including former student Jordan, for making it possible for our cattle handlers to compete at Agfest. Molly, Taylor and Alabama proformed exceptionally well and brought home a number of ribbons and awards.

Uniform reminder

It's remarkable how over a couple of weeks the weather can change from warm school days through to the cooler mornings we are having now.  I have been impressed to see many students making an excellent effort to be in school uniform. However, as the weather gets colder, it is important that students are wearing the correct uniform and enter the school grounds doing so – our new half zip tops are warmer than the school hoodies and we highly recommend students wearing these.  Thank you to the many families supporting our uniform policy endorsed by our School Association. Non- school hoodies are not to be worn to school and students will be asked to lend a uniform item for the day if not in the correct uniform.  Students must also be in the correct footwear; Crocs and Ugg boots are not to be worn at school.  If families need assistance with uniforms, please contact the school.

Scottsdale High School Cross Country Wednesday 21 May (Rain day Friday 23 May)

A reminder that next Wednesday we are holding our Cross Country Carnival at the Bridport Village Green.  Buses will leave school at 11.10am and we will return by 3pm.  Students need to wear school uniform and/or house colours. Please ensure your child is prepared for all weather conditions. Students will need to bring water to drink and are encouraged to bring a hat. There will be a free sausage sizzle for students available on the day but there will be no access to the shops.  Bridport students wanting to be dismissed from the Village Green after the carnival at approximately 2.30pm will need to have written permission from parents as indicated on the permission form that have been sent  to families.  Students who qualify for the Interhigh Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday 27 May at Kings Meadows will bring a letter home with them following our Carnival.  We look forward to a good day of competition.

Students signing out of school:

If your child needs to sign out of school to attend an appointment, they require a signed note written and dated by the parent/carer.  This note needs to be given to the Administration staff in the office before school or during Home Group and signed off by an Assistant Principal.

Alternatively, the parent/carer can come to the school office to collect and sign their child out of school.

Students should have a valid reason for signing out of school such as needing to attend a medical or dentist appointment.  We have a very good canteen and K1 Café so students should not be signing out to go to the local shops during break times.

Students will not be permitted to ask the Office Administration staff to call home for permission to sign out unless a student is unwell and parent/carer needs to be notified.

Out of Bounds/Off Site

Students have been reminded of the need to stay in bounds during recess and lunch times. This is for safety and duty of care reasons.  Students are not to be at the front of the school or up the side of D Block/ Kitchen.  If your child is seen out of bounds, you will receive notification of this through an email.

Elizabeth Williams

Principal

Student Leadership Profiles – Jake and Savannah Community Committee leaders

This newsletter we are pleased to introduce Jake and Savannah:

Jake

Hello, my name is Jake and I’m one of the Community Committee leaders alongside Savannah and lead the  team of grade 7s, 8s, and 9s who are on this Committee. Being on the community committee involves creating community involvement within the school and I hope to do so in a positive way.  So far we have organised the Easter raffle and activities. Next thing we are planning is The Big Freeze.

Something you may not know about me is that I live on a dairy farm outside of Ringarooma and enjoy the tractor work. I like being outdoors and keeping busy all the time. Alongside that my hobbies are motorbikes and freshwater fishing. 

Inside and outside of school I have been known to be very resilient, resourceful and able to solve problems when no one else can.  In the future I would like to go to university after completing Year 11 and 12 and study an agriculture degree.  I hope to work in the agriculture sector after university in the northeast.  I would also like to travel with New Zealand being a destination I am interested in visiting.

 I wish you all a great 2025. 

Savannah

My name is Savannah, although my teachers and peers call me Sav. A lot of the time you will find me enjoying time with my friends and family or playing my sports. I’m very passionate when it comes to my sports. I’ve been boxing for a year and currently box four times a week and have been competitively dancing for around ten years with Dance Pointe Academy. Although my lifestyle may seem busy with school, work and sports I love keeping busy and having stuff to do.

I’m a person who strives to do my best, have fun and make our school a safe and respectful community for everyone. I’m so grateful to be able to take on the role as one of our community Committee members and make a positive and fun impact on our school for the upcoming grades as well as the wider community. I always try to set a good example as a Year 10 leader for the younger students and in the wider community. I am hoping to set our school up for success in the future and leave some fun and positive ideas behind that make an impact.

Some things you probably don’t know about me is that I have a one-year-old Boxer.  His name is Morgan and I also have a Maincoon cat called Dexter who only has one ear, and doesn’t have a nose. I love going to the gym and going to cardio classes as well as going to concerts. I always try to have a growth mindset, have positive relationships and love pushing myself to meet my goals. I hope I can bring these positive attributes into my role as community committee and make everyone feel welcomed.