As you may have seen on our Facebook page recently, a number of our Year 10 students have been engaged in a powerful Learning Expedition task focused on designing a community event. In Week 8, these students presented their ideas to a panel made up of school leaders and representatives from the Port Pirie Regional Council, showcasing their creativity, planning, and communication skills. I’d like to acknowledge and congratulate not only the winners, but all students who presented their ideas.

This task, led by teachers Abbey Sutcliffe and Bella Arbon, has provided immense learning opportunities. Students have engaged with real-world stakeholders, including Council staff and even the South Australian Minister for Education, the Honourable Blair Boyer MP. Through these connections, they’ve developed a deeper understanding of event management, logistics, budgeting, marketing, and community consultation.

But the learning extended far beyond event planning. Students were challenged to think critically and creatively, problem-solve when ideas didn’t go as planned, and persist when faced with setbacks. They built confidence by presenting to a panel of seven adults, navigated group dynamics, and showed empathy in designing inclusive events that reflect the needs and interests of their community.

These are the kinds of dispositions and capabilities that prepare young people not just for academic success, but for life beyond school. Skills such as resilience, adaptability, collaboration, critical thinking, and effective communication are essential for navigating the modern world, and this task brought them to life in a meaningful, relevant context.

These skills are not implicitly acquired, students don't simply pick them up over time. They must be explicitly taught, modelled, and practised through well-designed learning experiences. By embedding these capabilities into our curriculum, we ensure that students are equipped with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing and complex world.

Importantly, these same capabilities and dispositions are central to the new South Australian Curriculum, which our staff have been actively engaging with over the past 12 months. As part of our professional learning, we have focused on designing learning tasks that intentionally foster the development of these future-focused skills. While content knowledge remains important, we know that building our students’ capacity to learn, adapt, and thrive is what will ultimately support their transition into successful post-school pathways.

Congratulations to our Year 10 students for their creativity, courage, and commitment throughout this task, and thank you to our staff and community partners who continue to provide these authentic and empowering learning opportunities.

Michael Gaunt

PRINCIPAL

On Friday 23^rd May, the JPSS Soccer Academy supported the year 5/6 soccer carnival as referees at the Senate Road Sport Complex.

Our students applied their knowledge of the game to support the local primary schools in running a safe and professional day out for all involved.  Their influences on the day were greatly appreciated by the event organisers and members of participating primary schools and they should be very proud of their efforts.

This contribution has been an ongoing tradition between the JPSS Soccer Academy and School Sports SA since the beginning of the Soccer Academy’s establishment in 2017.

It is great to be able to give back to the Port Pirie community and we thank Kate McBride and her team for supporting us on the day as well!

For this year’s Reconciliation Week theme, "Bridging Now to Next", our SAASTA students hosted a special Morning Tea for one of our assessment tasks that celebrated culture, connection and community.

Using native ingredients from our Urumbula Garden Program, students prepared and served a range of traditional-inspired Aboriginal dishes, showcasing their understanding of bush foods and cultural practices.

The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on the learning experiences and growth students have shared throughout the year, highlighting success and achievements.

Year 12 Theatre Restaurant – A Night to Remember!

On Wednesday 18th June, our incredible Year 12 Food & Hospitality and Drama students wowed guests at 'Theatre Restaurant' which was held at the Northern Festival Centre.

From the kitchen to the stage, students showcased their talent, teamwork, and professionalism, delivering an unforgettable evening of delicious food and dynamic performance.

The event was a major success and a true celebration of their hard work and dedication.

A huge thank you to all staff, families, and community members who supported the event and most importantly, congratulations to our amazing students.

The John Pirie Clontarf Academy went to Ceduna footy carnival with Woodville Academy in Week 8 of term 2.

We took one year 10 and two year 11 boys from Pirie & Woodville took four year 11 Boys who were accompanied by myself and Marty. 

The first night we went to Koonibba Football Club for a BBQ Dinner & viewing of Koonibba Football Club documentary. An interesting fact that was shared was that Koonibba FC was the oldest Aboriginal club in Australia. 

Discussions were had about the State of Origin selections, after the briefing all Academies went back to their accommodations.

Day two we drove out to Koonibba Community football oval.  It has been 38 years since any football has been played on the grounds.

We are grateful for the Koonibba Community who worked hard to get the grounds ready for the carnival.

Our Clontarf Academy Boys played with great spirit and sportsmanship. We were lucky to participate in the Cultural Cook up and Bush Medicine making from the community members.

Koonibba school came down for community engagement on day one and joined in with a range of games lead by the Clontarf academies.

On day 2 we got to meet the Community Rangers that work in the local area looking after country. The area they maintain is from Ceduna to Tarcoola - Tarcoola to the West coast near Yalata. They shared information about the areas they care for, the water rock holes, the bird species and we had opportunities to ask them some questions. 

After the discussions with the rangers we got to do some fishing, sandboarding, beach games and a tour of Cactus Beach. We later joined together for the presentation dinner night at the sailing club in Ceduna. It was announced that Port Lincoln/Port Pirie won the overall carnival.

Day 3 all academies started their long drives back to their academies.

This term, Miss Sutcliffe, Miss Arbon, and Miss Mathews' Year 10 students have been diving headfirst into one of their most exciting projects yet — designing, pitching, and potentially launching original festival and community event concepts for Port Pirie!

Following inspiring visits from local government leaders — including Peter Ackland (CEO of Port Pirie Regional Council), Jade Joyce (Council Representative and Accessibility Advocate), Belinda Jackson (Communications Executive), and Natalie Waite (Tourism Team Leader) — students have been gaining invaluable insights into community engagement, event promotion, branding, budgeting, accessibility, and the power of local voice.

To elevate this learning even further, students had the honour of meeting Minister Blair Boyer, South Australia's Minister for Education.

Minister Boyer generously shared his experiences in government, described the responsibilities of his role, and offered powerful advice for students preparing to pitch their event ideas to a real-world panel.

He spoke about the importance of: 

• Knowing your audience and tailoring your message to them
• Backing up your ideas with purpose and planning
• Speaking with confidence, even when nervous
• Staying connected to community needs and values

Minister Boyer’s encouragement left a lasting impression. His discussion reminded students that their voices matter, their ideas have potential, and their learning can lead to genuine change — not just in school, but in the world around them.

What’s Next?

With final proposals, social media campaigns, and pitches in development, students are preparing to present their event concepts to a panel of community and council representatives — and one winning idea will be brought to life in Port Pirie!

We are so proud of how our students are rising to this challenge, combining creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Thank you again to all our guest speakers and community partners for inspiring the next generation of leaders and change makers.

Stay tuned — these big ideas are just getting started!

On Thursday 19th June, our students took centre stage in one of the most exciting real-world learning experiences we’ve had yet: Pirie’s Next Big Event Pitch!

Over the past term, Miss Sutcliffe and Miss Arbon’s Year 10 English students have been working hard in teams to design fun, inclusive, and realistic event ideas to enrich our local Port Pirie community. With collaboration from Miss Mathews’ Maths class on budgeting and financial planning, each group created a full proposal and accompanying social media campaign, before presenting their pitch live to an expert panel.

We were incredibly honoured to welcome a distinguished judging panel, including Peter Ackland (CEO of the Port Pirie Regional Council), Jade Joyce (Council Representative and Accessibility Advocate), Belinda Jackson (Communications Executive), Natalie Waite (Tourism Team Leader), Councillor Joby Connor, and Councillor Alan Zubrinich. Their presence brought a real sense of purpose to the task, and we are deeply grateful for their time, thoughtful feedback, and genuine encouragement throughout this project.

The judges were blown away by the professionalism, passion, and original thinking our students demonstrated. From bold concepts to inclusive planning, engaging visuals to practical community considerations the level of maturity and creativity on display was outstanding. The judges commented just how impossibly difficult it was to pick a winner, with so many pitches showing true potential for real-world impact.

A massive thank you goes to all the teaching staff who guided and supported students along the way, and to our incredible local community for getting behind this initiative. Whether you attended the event, offered advice, or simply shared your excitement your involvement shows our young people that their voices matter.

The winning team will be announced very soon so stay tuned!

And who knows? You might be attending their event in Port Pirie before you know it!

We couldn’t be prouder of what these students have achieved.

This is just the beginning.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

After weeks of planning, pitching, and pouring their hearts into their ideas, our amazing Year 10 students have officially wrapped up Pirie’s Next Big Event and the results are in!

1st Place – Indianni Lockyer-Black with the Port Pirie Beats Festival
2nd Place – Parker Wait & Madalina Cojocea with Splash City
3rd Place – Jaxon Phillips with MTB Showdown

Public Choice Award (Facebook + School Library Vote)

Congratulations to Ruby Thomas, Tilly Dyke & Charlotte Mummery for Pirie Fear Fest, a clear community favourite!

Special Mentions:

Taliah Donald – Recognition of Bravery
Brenton Brockwell – Recognition of Creativity

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible judging panel: Peter Ackland, Jade Joyce, Belinda Jackson, Natalie Waite, Councillor Joby Connor, and Councillor Alan Zubrinich, your support and feedback meant the world to our students.

To our amazing staff and wider community: thank you for encouraging, guiding, and cheering on our young people. Your belief in their ideas and potential helps make opportunities like this truly meaningful.

We couldn’t be prouder of every student who took part.  The future of Port Pirie is in good hands!

Stay tuned to see this event come to life within our community very soon.

The Year 12 Child Studies class have been busy making toys to support children's development.

A range of sensory toys have been made including sensory puzzles, fidget boards, stress balls and sensory trays with the themes of summer, winter and the beach.

The Year 12's created these toys for a junior primary class at Solomontown. All the students enjoyed a fun morning together playing with these toys.