YAS Term 3 Week 10 Newsletter

From the Principal’s Desk – Wrapping Up Term 3

As Term 3 comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the successes and achievements of our Yankalilla Area School community over the past few months. Despite the weather for much of the term being a bit dreary, many opportunities for our students to connect with the world beyond the classroom and connect with their peers in meaningful ways have occurred.

 Building Relationships Through Camps and Excursions

One of the highlights this term has been the variety of camps and excursions offered to our students. These experiences have allowed them to develop teamwork, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for their school community. Whether exploring new environments, engaging in activities that challenge and inspire them, or simply spending time with classmates outside of the school setting, our students have embraced these moments.

Thank you to our dedicated staff for organising these invaluable opportunities and to the families who supported their children’s participation. Building relationships that are founded on mutual respect is central to both the student experience at Yankalilla Area School and the foundation of our values as a learning community.

Farewell to Our Beloved Tunnels

As part of our continued effort to create a safe and engaging environment, this school holiday period will see us farewell our beloved tunnels, which have been a longstanding feature of our school grounds. Unfortunately, they are now beyond repair and pose a safety risk. While we understand that many students have fond memories of playing in and around the tunnels, their removal will open up new possibilities for enriching our play spaces; including expanding our popular ninja course.

 Facilities Upgrades

In addition to our playground improvements, several exciting upgrades to our school facilities will begin during the holiday period:

• Wattle Flat Learning Street Upgrades: Enhancements will be made to improve functionality and appearance, ensuring a more engaging learning space for our students.
• Cricket Pitch Restoration: Our cricket pitch will be returned, providing students with more opportunities to enjoy sports and outdoor activities.
• Civil Construction Shed and Paddock Tidy-Up: Thanks to the support of Governing Council Chairman Tim Miller, this area will be tidied and refurbished, making it more functional and visually appealing for Agriculture students. 

We are confident these upgrades will bring lasting benefits to our school community and contribute to an enriching and enjoyable environment for all.

Acknowledging Parent–Teacher Interviews

I would also like to extend my gratitude to our families and staff for the success of our Parent-Teacher Interviews this term. Your engagement in these conversations is vital in supporting student learning and wellbeing. The collaboration between families and staff is what makes Yankalilla Area School the positive community that it is, and your commitment to these partnerships is truly appreciated.

Planning Ahead for 2026

As we look forward to Term 4, planning for next year is already well underway. To ensure we are able to create accurate class structures and budgets for 2026, it is essential that families let us know if their children will be moving on from Yankalilla Area School at the end of this year. If your family has plans to transition to a new educational setting, please inform the school office as soon as possible. This information is invaluable in helping us plan effectively and ensure every student is supported in their learning journey.

Happy Holidays!

For the first week back next term, I will be on long service leave, taking my family to the Gold Coast. My six-year-old is beyond excited at the chance to visit the theme parks and enjoy the warmer weather. I look forward to sharing these special moments with my family and will be returning to school in Week 2 of Term 4, refreshed and ready for another productive term. Alex-Anne Dawe (Deputy Principal) will be stepping up to the Principal's role during that time so please don't hesitate to reach out to her if needed. 

To our students, families, volunteers and staff, thank you for your contributions to another fantastic term. Your efforts, whether it be through participating in school programs, supporting extracurricular activities, or simply being present and engaged in school life is much appreciated. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable holiday break, and I look forward to seeing you for the final term of 2025, where we will continue working together to support the growth and success of our students.

Please note Friday 3rd October the Front Office will be closed. 

Warm regards,

Governing Council Updates – Supporting School Improvement

This term, the Yankalilla Area School Governing Council has played a pivotal role in shaping important decisions that respond to feedback from our school community while aligning with our overall strategic directions. We are pleased to update you on the outcomes of the Council’s efforts and the exciting changes coming to our school.

Parent–Teacher Interviews

The Governing Council has approved one day of no scheduled lessons in Term 1 and Term 3 to enable the hosting of full-day Parent–Teacher Interviews. On these days, staff working hours will be adjusted to 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, making it easier for families to engage with teachers outside traditional school hours.
Benefits of this decision includes: 

• Greater flexibility for working families to participate in vital conversations about student progress.
• Teachers are better able to provide comprehensive feedback to parents and carers, enriching the partnership between home and school.
• OSHC will run to support Primary School families. 
• Families with students across multiple year levels and sub-schools will be able to access all teachers on the same day rather than ad-hoc over a week. 

Uniform Updates

Council has approved the addition of several new items to our school uniform range: a T-shirt, a rugby jumper (Years 7–12), a jacket, and a quarter-zip jumper and sports uniforms for when our students compete in SAPSASA and other sporting events. 
Benefits:

• A modernised and professional uniform which has taken into account community feedback and preferences while enhancing school pride.

Commemorative Jumpers

Governing Council endorsed standardised commemorative jumpers for Year 6 and Year 12 students. Moving forward, these jumpers will feature a consistent design for each year level.
Benefits:

• Simplifies the process for families and creates equitable access to commemorative items.
• Strengthens a sense of identity and belonging for transitioning students at these key milestones in their education.

OSHC Staffing

The Council has approved the creation of an Assistant Director position for our Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) service. We congratulate Lauren Stone on winning this position.
Benefits:

• Provides additional support for the management of OSHC services, ensuring high-quality care.
• Enables better resourcing for program planning and staff supervision, ultimately enhancing the experience for students and families using this service.

Canteen Payment Policy

From 2026, phone payments at the canteen will no longer be permitted. This policy supports the State Government’s ban on personal mobile phone/device use at school. Parents are encouraged to support their children by using other payment options such as ordering on QKR, using cash or EFTPOS cards. Further information about options will be provided early next term. 
Benefits:

• Aligns with the broader mobile phone ban, promoting a focused and distraction-free environment for students.
• Encourages the use of alternative payment methods, ensuring a smooth transition to the new policy.

Invoicing for Overdue or Lost Library Books

Starting in 2026, families will be invoiced for overdue or lost library books, with a convenient payment option available via the QKR app.
Benefits:

• Supports the sustainability of our school library by recovering costs for lost or overdue items.
• Simplifies the payment process for families, making it easier to fulfil library obligations while maintaining equitable access to resources for all students.

Our Governing Council's contributions ensure that Yankalilla Area School remains responsive to the needs of our community. We thank the Council for their dedication and encourage our families to engage in these initiatives to continually strengthen our school environment.

A Note from The Pastoral Care Worker

Here you go!! 🤠
Hello school community. 

Term 3 seems to have flown by. Hold tight, Term 4 will soon be upon us. 

 One of the exciting things on the calendar for the coming term is our Wellbeing Expo and Farm Dance on Friday 7th November.  (please see flyer attached and in the Yank Regional News).

There are lots of opportunity for our families who may like to help out in the lead up to the FARM DANCE, to be involved. e.g. coordinating the Raffle, Cake and produce stall, BBQ, Soft drinks, Setup & pack down.

For further information, or to put your hand up to help, please give Wendy Lindsay a call at school or email wendy.lindsay412@schools.sa.edu.au

Have a wonderul spring break. See you all in October. 

Blessings, Wendy Lindsay

Year 12 Formal – A Night to Remember!

The Stamford Plaza’s Boulevarde Room was transformed into a glittering venue of celebration on Friday evening, 19th September, as Yankalilla Area School came together to celebrate the 2025 Year 12 Formal.

 Current and former teachers joined students for the occasion, representing the strong sense of community that has supported this cohort throughout their final year. Year 12 leaders, Lauren and Jed, proved to be exceptional hosts. With warmth and humour, they guided the evening’s proceedings, offering heartfelt thanks to teachers and staff.

 A highlight of the night was the Student and Teacher Awards, which brought plenty of laughs and well-deserved recognition. Another standout moment was a touching photo montage of student memories, paired with messages from parents and staff, a beautiful reflection of the journey shared over the years.

 The 2025 Yankalilla Year 12 Formal was more than just a party, it was a celebration of friendships, growth, and the final chapter of a remarkable shared experience.

Citizenship Ceremony at the Yankalilla Council Chambers

We’re so proud to share that Christine, one of our amazing Year 10 students took part in the Citizenship Ceremony at the Yankalilla Council Chambers on Tuesday, 17th September.

They had the honour of singing the first two verses of the national anthem, helping to welcome new citizens into our community. Christine performance was confident, respectful, and truly represented our school with pride. Well done on being part of such a special occasion Christine!

🌮🍜 Year 11 Food Truck Feast! 🍔🥙

Our Year 11 Food & Hospitality students have recently created mouth-watering, food truck-style meal inspired by a culture of choice! 🌏🚚 Students were tasked to reflected the rich diversity of Australian cuisine and showed a deep understanding of how multicultural influences are shaping the future of the food and hospitality industry. Well done Year 11’s, your dishes could easily roll out of any food truck on the streets of Yankalilla! 👏

Agriculture Student Highlights

Our Agriculture students have been busy over the last few weeks, showcasing their skills and representing Yankalilla Area School with pride!

Success at the Royal Adelaide Show

Some of our Agriculture students recently had the opportunity to attend the Royal Adelaide Show. A highlight of the day was seeing the chickens we had entered into the competition and watching the judging process for our eggs. This year, we achieved an impressive 4th place out of 51 entries, a fantastic result that reflects the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. While at the Show, the students explored a variety of agricultural exhibits and had a memorable day filled with learning and inspiration.

Local Community Tour of Amaroo Farm
On Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, one of our Year 12 students hosted a farm tour as part of her assessment task. She guided members of the local community and fellow students around Amaroo Farm, showcasing the wonderful work being done in our school’s Agriculture program. The visitors were thoroughly impressed and enjoyed every moment of the tour, which concluded with a delicious sausage sizzle.

Looking Ahead to the Yankalilla Show
Excitement is building as we prepare for the Yankalilla Show, where our school will proudly display an exhibit featuring our steers and chickens. In addition, we’re planning to enter as much produce as we can to highlight the amazing work happening at Amaroo Farm. We look forward to seeing many of you there and celebrating the talents of our Agriculture students.

Thank you to everyone who supports our Agriculture program—it’s truly a reflection of our school’s dedication to hands-on learning and community engagement!

STEM Congress

Over Tuesday and Wednesday of week 10, three of our students attended the annual STEM Aboriginal Learners Congress at Adelaide Oval. Students were involved in workshops that connected elements of STEM with culture and were able to work with other students and industry professionals to ignite their interests and broaden their knowledge. Students learned about sound waves, were able to experience history through VR and were able to create digital characters working with AIE.

The Congress is a transformative experience that we have been lucky enough to have been involved in for a number of years now.

Basketball Courts

Last Friday, with support from the Yankalilla Lions Club, our school completed our court marking project! Using the sponsorship funds, Jed (Yr 12 Student Leader) and Ash Edwards (YAS Groundsman) cleaned and repainted the school courts, combining spray tools and hand painting to give the courts a brand new look!

This hands-on project was a great learning experience, and we’re so grateful to the Lions for their generous support and work they do for our community! 

Mayor's Short Story Competiton

Last term, all of our primary classes from Reception through to Year 6 participated in writing stories for the annual Mayor’s Short Story Competition, competing against students from Rapid Bay and Myponga Primary Schools. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity, imagination, and writing skills.

We were delighted to have several of our shortlisted students attend the Presentation Evening at the Strathalbyn Community Library on Wednesday, 11th September, where winners were announced.

In the Reception–Year 2 category, the following students were shortlisted: Abigail Nottle, Poppy Walker, Evelyn Johns and Matilda Miller. The overall winner of this category was Abigail Nottle, who impressed the judges with their engaging story.

In the Year 3–4 category, Joshua McCallum and Matilda Graetz were shortlisted for their outstanding writing. Joshua was recognised as the overall winner for this category!

We congratulate all students who took part and represented our school so proudly. Your efforts and enthusiasm for writing were truly inspiring, and we thank the Mayor and the Yankalilla Council for continuing to provide this wonderful opportunity for our young writers.

Year 4/5 Camp – Woodhouse

Earlier this term our Year 4/5 students attended camp at Woodhouse, where they engaged in a variety of exciting activities and challenges. The camp provided wonderful opportunities for students to build friendships, develop teamwork skills, and stretch their resilience.

A definite highlight was Challenge Hill, where students pushed themselves to try new things, show persistence, and support one another as they tackled obstacles. Other activities also encouraged problem-solving, courage, and plenty of laughter along the way.

We would like to sincerely thank the staff who attended and supported the students. Camps like these wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and care of our staff team.

Our students returned from Woodhouse with plenty of memories, new skills, and a sense of pride in what they achieved.

Lions Speaking Contest Grand Final – The Power of Student Voice

Last Wednesday, 17th September, we gathered for one of the highlights of the term, the Grand Final of the Lions Speaking Contest! As always, the event was filled with a wonderful mix of nerves, excitement, and plenty of applause. Public speaking isn’t easy, but it’s a skill that helps us far beyond the classroom, and our students certainly rose to the challenge.

We are extremely grateful to the Lions Club of Yankalilla for their ongoing support. Not only did they donate the highly coveted perpetual shield, which proudly carries the names of past winners, but they also provided generous prize money: $50 for first place, $30 for second, $20 for third, and a special gift for the Judges’ Choice Award. Their commitment to encouraging young voices in our community is something we truly value. We would also like to thank the Lions members who attended on the day to cheer on our students, and especially those who took on adjudicating roles. Finally, a big thank you to the staff and families who supported our students behind the scenes, and who came along to support our speakers on the day. Your encouragement makes such a difference.

This year’s finalists spoke with passion, humour, and conviction on a wide range of topics. From gymnastics and the algal bloom crisis to the challenges of the social media ban, the fast food and fast fashion debate, and even the housing crisis. Each student chose an issue close to their heart, and it was inspiring to see how confidently they shared their thoughts. With three rounds of competition: the 4/5s, 6/7s, and 8/9s, it was wonderful to see the youngest speakers stepping up with courage, the middle years showing creativity and flair, and the older students demonstrating maturity and real depth in their arguments.

The Lions Speaking Contest once again proved that our students are brave, thoughtful, and more than ready to have their say. Congratulations to all who took part, you’ve made us proud!

And now for the big announcement. The winners were:

4/5 Contest:

1st place: Maisey W

2nd place: Archer B

3rd place: Regan S

Judges’ Choice: Skailah P

6/7 Contest:

1st place: Lilly O

2nd place: Evie M

3rd place: Ruby Mc

Judges’ Choice: Thomas T

8/9 Contest:

1st place: Rayne J

2nd place: Savannah A

3rd place: John C

Judges’ Choice: Blair C

Book Week

This year, Book Week was a smashing success, thanks in part to some fun lunchtime activities for the younger students. My goal was to give them something engaging to do during their lunch break to celebrate the joy of reading and to make Book Week even more special. 

I ran two different activities during the week. On Tuesday, students could get creative with spiral art and even try their hand at making their own mini books. The response was fantastic! So many students showed up that we had to cap the number at ten for the next day to make sure everyone had a great time and to make the activity more manageable. 

On Wednesday, we continued the fun with a bookmark-making session. Students used pages from book club magazines to create their own laminated bookmarks to take home. It was a great way to recycle old magazines and give them a fun, new purpose. 

To make things even more exciting, we held a raffle. All students who came to the activities received a raffle ticket. We had two gift bags ready as prizes, one filled with goodies for younger students and another for older students. 

And a huge congratulations to our two lucky winners: Otis from RA and Heidi G from 6A 

Both were thrilled to win, and it was a great way to wrap up Book Week celebrations. 

Thank you to everyone who came along and participated. It was wonderful to see so many of you so excited about books and creativity!

Library Lunchtime Craft

Our Primary students have been busy at lunchtimes, creating colourful masterpieces to exhibit at the Yankalilla Show.

YOSCH News

Introducing Lauren who has been appointed “Assistant Director”.   Many of you will already know her from before and after school care.
She holds Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and is currently working towards her Diploma in School Age Education and Care.
She brings many years of hands-on experience in early childhood education, including operating her own  Family Day Care service.
I look forward to her helping support me to ensure your children receive quality before school, after school and vacation care programs.