This issue
- Principal’s Message
- ASMS Governing Council Letter
- Important Dates
- Learning Conversations
- Enrichment
- Activities Day & Sports News
- Year 12 Health Excursion
- Brains or Bots?
- Order from Chaos
- SASTA Science Active School
- Library News
- School of Languages April Enrichment Program
Principal’s Message
Transitioning Beyond the Start of Term: As we move further into Term 1, our students have started to settle into the routines and expectations of the ASMS. With the initial excitement now behind us, we are aware that some students are beginning to experience challenges – please reach out early if you would like support from the school. Learning Studies teachers are the first port of call, and they can refer you to another appropriate person if necessary. Alternatively call the school and we can direct you.
Last week, the ASMS staff and Governing Council hosted the annual “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” event for parents and carers. This session provided an opportunity to ask questions about what parents have seen and heard thus far, and to discuss ways to support their child as the year progresses. Frank (Youth Worker), Matt (Deputy Principal), Sarah and Jamie (Governing Council parents) emphasised the importance of the relationship and early communication between home and school.
Curiosity in the Community (CiC) Week: Year 10 & 11 students now know their allocated activities for Curiosity in the Community Week and consents and invoices for camps were sent out this week. I apologise to the families who were originally assigned to the oversubscribed Port Lincoln camp. Consents and forms for other excursions will occur later in the term. Please note that Year 12s have normal lessons during CIC Week.
Medical Forms: To ensure the safety and well-being of all students, I would like to remind you of the procedures regarding medication at school. If your child needs to take medication during school hours, please be aware of the following requirements:
- Medication Administration Form: If your child needs to take medication while at school, a completed Medication Administration Form must be submitted. This form provides us with the necessary information to safely administer the medication.
- Self-Carry Medication Form: For students who need to carry their medication in their bags, a Self-Carry Medication Form is required. This form ensures that students who are capable of managing their own medication can do so responsibly.
Both forms are available at Front or Upstairs reception. Please ensure that these forms are completed and returned to the school as soon as possible if applicable to your child.
Dress code: This year we are reviewing our school dress code, with Matthew Verdon leading the process. Students will be consulted through many forums. Parents, please keep an eye out for further updates and communications from the Governing Council. All feedback will be considered during this review, although, as with any consultation, not all suggestions may be incorporated into the outcome. We appreciate your engagement and support as we ensure our dress code reflects the values and needs of our school community.
ASMS Governing Council Letter
Dear ASMS community,
My name is Jamie Wright and I am the 2026 Chairperson of the ASMS Governing Council.
On Monday 16 February we held our 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM). At this meeting, we shared our vision of how we see the role of Governing Council relating to our school’s values of Community, Agency and Curiosity, along with an update from our principal, Ms Kylie Eggers, as to the ASMS Site Learning Plan. The 2025 annual report will be shared on the website shortly.
A big thank you to parents and caregivers who were able to attend and to those who nominated for Governing Council. Another big thank you to those who helped cook, serve and clean up the bbq.
Nathanael Whitrow and Tiffany Katchmar stepped down from council at the start of this year and I would like to thank them both for their contribution in 2025. Against these vacancies, two formal nominations were received and accepted, meaning no election was called.
A number of informal expressions of interest to join council were also received. It is exciting to see this level of interest in participating and I encourage anyone with interest in supporting ASMS to reach out to me or the school and attend our council meetings.
The ASMS Governing Council parent representatives for 2026 are: Luke Atkinson, Desmond Mbangani, Sarah Martin, Sarah Williamson, Marie Venturini, Pia Wells, Lisa Simpson and myself.
We are fortunate in 2026 to have Sue Pyke (Flinders University) and Steve Bailey (SAGE Automation) continue as community representatives. Their insight is amazing and provides the council with an enviable depth of expertise.
The first meeting of council was held immediately following the AGM where the following office bearers were appointed:
- Chairperson: Jamie Wright
- Vice-Chair: Sarah Martin
- Treasurer: Desmond Mbangani
- Secretary: Luke Atkinson (supported by Matt Verdon)
Our next meeting is planned for 7pm on 16 March 2026 at ASMS.
I firmly believe that the voices of our parents, caregivers, students and other stakeholders are essential to the success of our school and I would be excited to hear from you. Feel free to contact me at governing.council@asms.sa.edu.au
Regards,
Jamie Wright
Important Dates
| Harmony Week | 16-22 March |
| International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | 21 March |
| Learning Conversations | 25 March from 3:30pm and 31 March from 1:30pm |
| Good Friday Public Holiday | 3 April |
| Easter Monday Public Holiday | 6 April |
Learning Conversations
Learning Conversations are available on Wednesday 25 March and Tuesday 31 March 2026. Some teachers may have extra times available, and you will see this once you are logged in.
Learning Conversations are an important aspect of the learning culture at the ASMS. It is an opportunity for your child to reflect and celebrate their growth in their Learning Attributes across the year. It is an expectation that all ASMS students will lead a Learning Conversation with their Learning Studies teacher and a caregiver.
If your child’s Learning Studies class has two teachers, please only book in with one teacher.
You book through Daymap. Please see instructions attached below.
If you are having issues logging in, please email ICT@asms.sa.edu.au or call the school.
Enrichment
Enrichment is a fun space at the moment; as students are signing up for a number of different activities in the upcoming weeks.
Last week students attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Convention Centre with special guest speaker Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg. ASMS students also participated in the Australian Maths Trust Bebras computational Thinking competition.
In other news, the Enrichment portal page has had a revamp, with a new viable event calendar to promote more student agency in organising dates and registering on time for competitions which can be viewed by families on the homepage of the portal. Nikki has been working with a range of students to get feedback on the portal design and other improvements.
Changemakers
Our student leadership team, the Changemakers are well underway for the year. The Year 11’s have dedicated themselves to one of the sub-groups which will focus on Curriculum Reviewing or Socio-community builders. They are also planning ways for effective communication & feedback process with their peers at the moment. Watch this space for more updates from the Changemakers team.
Passion Project
In Passion Project, students are in the midst of working on a range of projects. They are also working towards collecting evidence of their learning and developing their Learner Attributes.
In Week 11, there will be a showcase for students to demonstrate the progress they have made on their own project and also have the chance to see what peers have been doing this term.
Activities Day and Sports News
ASMS Activities Day took place on Tuesday of Week 4 and was a fantastic celebration of school spirit and community. While the forecast threatened rain throughout the day, it certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of ASMS students, who arrived dressed up and ready to participate.
One of the standout moments of the day was the tug-of-war final, accompanied by the beat of a war drum as teams cheered their friends on in a dramatic and energetic finish. The atmosphere captured the spirit of the day perfectly, with students rallying behind their houses in a show of teamwork and enthusiasm.
Students competed in a wide range of events across the day. Alongside the traditional athletics events such as sprints, students also took part in favourites including soccer, volleyball, pétanque, ultimate frisbee, and the ever-popular ASMS Spelling Bee. There were impressive displays of athleticism, strong participation across all year levels, and plenty of team spirit on show. A special mention goes to Wynton, who won the Best Dressed award for an unforgettable full-sized bird costume.
At the end of the day, the results were announced with Green finishing fourth, Blue third, Red second, and Yellow reclaiming first place this year. Congratulations to all students and staff who contributed to making the day such a success, even when celebrations continued in the rain.
Beach Volleyball Carnival
On Wednesday of Week 6, ASMS fielded four teams at the Beach Volleyball Day Carnival held at Glenelg. Our teams included Year 10 and Year 12 mixed divisions, with strong representation from both year levels.
With fantastic weather and around seven other schools competing across the divisions, the day was full of energy from the start. After arriving early to set up our spot, students quickly got into the competition. Throughout the day, students demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and responsibility, self-umpiring, scoring and refereeing matches without issue. Between games, many also took the opportunity to relax with teammates or head to nearby shops for a quick snack.
The carnival showcased great teamwork, community spirit and athletic effort from all involved. By the end of the day, three ASMS teams had finished either first or equal first in their divisions: the Year 10 girls, Year 12 boys and Year 10 boys. The Year 12 girls team also competed strongly and finished sixth in their division.
Congratulations to all students who represented ASMS so well and contributed to a fantastic day of sport. We look forward to many more day carnivals throughout the year and encourage students to get involved in any sports they are interested in. It is a great opportunity to try something new and enjoy a day out with friends.
Year 12 Health Excursion – Colebrook Reconciliation Park
On Friday the 27th of February the Stage 2 Health and Wellbeing class went on an excursion to the Colebrook Reconciliation Park in support of their work for their first assessment task on Indigenous Health. The students have been researching the Closing the Gap Government strategy and determinants of Indigenous Australian Health.
We spoke to the most wonderful Aunty Di and brave Aunty Ros about Colebrook home, it’s history and the impacts experienced by the Aboriginal children who were removed from their families.
We wandered the grounds and heard the stories of past residents, many who have gone on to be significant leaders in their fields despite many hardships.
It was a day that students will not forget. A very personal and brave sharing of stories and our students left with a greater understanding of the immense impacts when a child is taken from their family, culture and country.
They understand the importance of truth telling and truth listening if we are to move toward a reconciled Australia.
Brains or Bots
In Brains or Bots, this term, students have been building a powerful toolkit of technology skills for the future. From coding and data analysis to digital design and ethical use of AI, classes have focused on both practical ability and critical thinking.
As part of this learning, we have challenged students develop their skills in a range of technologies, starting with 3D modelling and technical drawing, but then opening up to cater to each student’s individual passions and interests. There was plenty of options and choice for students and we have students learning skills in 3D printing, laser cutting, programming with a variety of languages, programming robots, manipulating images in photoshop, creating animations and more.
While technology does not always work the first time, it was great to see so many students persist and show resilience to these challenges. These experiences are helping students become confident, creative, and responsible digital citizens that are ready to adapt to a rapidly changing technological world beyond high school.
Order from Chaos
In Order from Chaos, students finished up with Module 1 – Divisive or Decisive by preparing their Persuasive speeches. Students selected a Closing the Gap target that they felt needed greater advocacy and using the data around this target have incorporated their prior statistical learning to add depth and logic (logos) to their speeches.
This week we moved into Module 2 – Patterns and Perspectives. This module is broken down into two units, Periodic Patterns where students explore the patterns demonstrated by the elements in the Periodic Table, the evolution of this model and how some of these patterns demonstrate additive patterns (in the form of arithmetic sequences). The second unit – Reactive Patterns, begin towards the end of this term and will extend to Curiosity in the Community Week (Week 3) in Term 2. In this unit, students will explore chemical reactions and geometric sequences and series in a way that enables them to make reasonable predictions by utilising the mathematical models in science contexts.
We are looking forward to lots of experiments so the students can really get ‘into their element‘!
SASTA Science Active School
The Australian Science and Mathematics School is thrilled to announce that we have been named a “Science Active School” by the South Australian Science Teachers Association again for 2026.
The Science Active School Award recognises Australian Science and Mathematics School’s high level of engagement in all aspects of science education within and beyond the classroom. Science Active Schools support and encourage the professional learning of their Science Educators through their involvement with, and support of, SASTA.
Library News
School of Languages April Enrichment Program
Let’s Talk Program
South Australian students enrolled in a Years 10-12 language pathway for Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese or Spanish are invited to register for the School of Languages Let’s Talk! holiday program here.
WHEN: Tuesday 14 & Wednesday 15 from 10.00am-3.30pm
WHERE: School of Languages, 255 Torrens Road, West Croydon
COST: $10 per student per day; School Card/Health Care Card Holders: FREE
The program will offer engaging and highly interactive language/cultural experiences with the aim of improving students’ proficiency in Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese or Spanish. Given that the focus of all sessions will be on the oral use of the target language, groups will be capped at 12 students per class. Students will be able to register for either 1 or 2 days as the program for each day will be different.
Need help? Get in touch with ICT
If you are having any issues with the portal, or Daymap, please get in touch with by emailing ict@asms.sa.edu.au.