News, Week 7, Term 4, 2025

This issue

1. Principal’s Message
2. Important Dates
3. Enrichment Roundup
4. Pathways Summary
5. COMBINE Symposium
6. Japan Super Science Fair
7. Canada Overseas Opportunity
8. X and Why?
9. Engineering a Monster’s Frankenfest
10. Sustainable Futures Earth Summit
11. Numeracy Challenges
12. Year 12 Students 2025
13. Library End of Year Message
14. Bushfire Preparedness Information
15. Safe Schoolies Resources

Principal’s Message

As this year draws to a close at ASMS, I want to thank everyone who has played a part in our school community. Our school continues to thrive because of the efforts of so many people—students, families, staff and our partners. Thank you for all that you do and for your ongoing support throughout the year.

Last week we welcomed our new Year 10 & 11 students for their Transition Day. The enthusiasm across the building was evident as students engaged in a range of activities designed to help them connect with each other and familiarise themselves with our unique learning environment.

We are delighted to announce that our ASMS Interdisciplinary STEMM team won the 2025 STEMM Educator of the Year Primary or Secondary Award at the SA Science Excellent and Innovation Awards recognising effective teaching and learning in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine in a school setting. We’d also like to congratulate Dr Hayden Tronnolone from Flinders University who won the STEMM Educator of the Year (tertiary). Hayden was a valued community representative on our Governing Council for many years.

We have also been very busy planning for and finalising 2026 staffing. At this point in time, I’d to wholeheartedly thank Alix Verdon, Sophie Braun, Lara Lang, Thomas Doerfer, Amy Snell-Wakefield, PK Saxena, and Lorraine Coupe who are leaving the ASMS for a range of positions and opportunities including retirement for Lorraine. We wish them all the best for their next experiences. We have not yet finalised our staffing appointments for 2026 but will keep you informed as they progress. 

As we approach the end of the year, I encourage everyone to take the time to relax, disconnect from daily routines, and reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past twelve months. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to support each other, strengthen connections, and enjoy some well-deserved rest in preparation for another learning and challenge-filled year ahead.

Thank you again for your continued support. Wishing you a restful holiday break and a happy, safe New Year.

Kylie Eggers, Principal 

Governing Council

We encourage parents and caregivers to connect with our Governing Council for any questions or feedback about school matters. You can reach the Governing Council via email at governing.council@asms.sa.edu.au, and they welcome your input and involvement.

Important Dates – End of Year Reminders

Enrichment Roundup

Come and Fly

On Wednesday 5 November, Tim took a group of students to the Come & Fly day by Flight One at Adelaide Airport. Students heard from a range of guest speakers which reinforced the interdisciplinary nature of the aviation field. Students also got the opportunity to ask a range of questions about careers and pathways.

Royal Flying Doctor’s Service Excursion

On Tuesday 4 November, Robbie took a group of students to Adelaide airport to visit the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

The day was focused on providing information on careers and pathways into the RFDS. Our students gained valuable advice and heard from a range of guest speakers discussing their careers as pilots, nurses and engineers in this field of work. The ASMS students were also lucky enough to get a personal tour of the hanger planes and witness the process of maintaining the planes.

“Going into where the action happened was an eye-opening experience” (Chantelle, Year 10)

Supernova Adelaide Comic Con

On Friday 31 October, Jason took a group of interested students to the Adelaide Supernova Comic Con Expo at the Adelaide Showgrounds. Students experienced several workshops on a range of areas such as animation, film, gaming, and special effects. This expo also covered a range of topics such as neurodiversity in the workforce, defending the digital future and more.

Archaeology Taster Day at Flinders University

On Thursday 13 November, McKenzie took a group of students to the Archaeology Taster Day hosted by the leaders in the Archaeology field in SA Flinders University, held at Glenthorne National Park.

This was more than a careers day; students were able to be hands on and learn techniques and strategies imperative for preserving finds in archaeological digs. Students had many opportunities to engage with the PhD students that ran the workshops, ask questions about their individual research projects, career and pathways opportunities and more.

It was a very engaging day for all who attended and we thank Flinders university for hosting this day for students. 

“I had lots of fun and definitely made me think about doing Archaeology” (Theo, Year 11)

Passion Project 2025

To launch the Passion Project program this year students were inspired by listening to teachers and support staff high school projects/hobbies, the theme for this year is “Learn a skill that you will be proud to tell people about in 10+ years time”.

Throughout this year, students have engaged in various Passion Project groups, selecting skills they wanted to develop and explore further whilst being guided by specialist teachers. The projects have ranged from costume design to nutrition and sports performance enhancement programs, debating, enrichment activities, aviation, criminology, scouts/community programs, work experience in industries, music development, scientific research, robotics & Arduino and completing the Certificate III in IT, to name just a few. The sky is the limit!

Students have been building on utilising a range of their Learner Attributes throughout different aspects of their projects each term. This year students have been showcasing their work once a term. This has given students an opportunity to develop communication skills and see what peers have also been working on, we have also welcomed members of the local community / industry to view students’ projects and see how agency comes to life at the Australian Science and Mathematics School. Thank you to all the wonderful support staff, leaders and teachers who really make Passion Project what it is today.

Changemakers End of Year Celebrations

We are so incredibly proud of the 12 students that have represented their fellow peers as Changemakers this year. Students have worked on areas such as community building, social events and curriculum review, they have given up some of their spare time to work closely with students and staff in forums, gathering opinions and synthesising next steps. It’s been nice to see each member grow individually and navigate challenges. Students have taken a range of valuable learning and development in a range of Learner Attributes.

Pathways 2025 Summary

A company called Gnomix, contacted the school early in 2025 looking for casual lab staff and had heard good things about the school. Seven Year 12 students got the opportunity to apply and work in the research lab at Gnomix. This worked effectively for the company, and they have approached the school again for over the summer and 2026 employment opportunities. This is a terrific connection that has come about through word of mouth for the school. 

Workplace Learning placements 

The breakdown of workplace learning placements is below along with the placements from Curiosity in Community week. Gaps in opportunities have been identified within the health industry and discussed with VET leaders and the Pathways advisor in South Adelaide. The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) has also identified a wait list of hundreds of students, actions to remedy this are being explored across southern Adelaide. 

Working closely with Enrichment has meant 29 career related enrichments have taken place throughout 2025, along with 2 major Career expos and 6 industry presenters in Learning Studies. Students broad and deep exposure to industry has been amazing. Feedback from tertiary providers and trainers is that ASMS students are very good at articulating their skills and know their career pathway forward. This can’t happen without the ongoing support of staff in Career Education Lessons, going on excursions and helping students engage with industry. 

Assessment Centre Outcomes 

The assessment centre occurred in Term 1 for 48 Year 11 students. Outcomes are out and all 48 have achieved within the bands and so can use as an offer at the end of their Year 12 in 2026, 36 students achieved the band they wanted or higher, with 12 not getting the band they wanted but still with the opportunity to review the course list and pivot. 

Certificate III in Information Technology 

A Flinders Direct Entry pathway has been established so students can use their Cert III and select Year 12 subjects to get guaranteed entry into 11 specific Computer Science, Information Technology or Software Engineering courses at Flinders. 

Ten Year 12 students finished their programming this year, along with seventeen Year 11 Cybersecurity. Four continuing Year 11 Programming students will be joined by 21 students beginning in 2026 (possible 4 more from new enrolments to ASMS).

University Extension Studies 

Fifteen Year 12 students have completed UES this year alongside their ASMS studies, many students achieved high distinction grades across the year.  These students will have a good conversion towards their ATAR or have the choice of UES Entry in select Flinders University courses. 

COMBINE Symposium

On 24 November, our Phage Hunters group of students and staff from the X and Why? Central Study attended the COMBINE 2025 Bioinformatics Student Symposium at Adelaide Oval.

The COMBINE Symposium is a not for profit and student run conference that gathers together post graduate and early career academics to present their work on bioinformatics and computational biology to their peers.

Our ASMS delegates heard from keynote speaker Keynote Karin Kassahn- Head of Technology Advancement Unit, SA Pathology; Affiliate Professor, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, as well as a career panel of speakers.

Later in the day they presented their posters on phage therapy to the rest of the attendees where our ASMS students’ posters won the people’s choice award out of 123 posters on display.

Thank you to George Bouros, Professor Rob Edwards, Dr. Andrew Stone and Anna Zilm for supporting our students in this incredible scientific endeavour.

Japan Super Science Fair

In Week 2 and 3 of Term 4, students from ASMS represented the school at the Japan Super Science Fair (JSSF) held by Ritsumeikan High School. Presenting their work on oysters to schools from around the world students had the opportunity to “Share perspectives with kids from different cultural backgrounds [which] really helped me develop the way I think. Looking into Japan’s research on sustainable planets or when designing the future of artificial intelligence in school with my group, it’s been amazing to visualise what the future of our world will look like.” – Lizzy

Students also had a cultural experience in at the Hiroshima Peace Park and explored the city of Osaka. “Walking around the city’s was really fun, we were able to learn so much about the country we were in and their culture. The food was delicious and different to the Japanese food we have in Australia. A thing that shocked me was how many vending machines there were, I knew there would be a lot but it was like there was at least two on each street” – Emily

The ASMS is proud of how students presented themselves and the school at this year’s JSSF in the face of some diverse and challenging experiences. Thank you to accompanying teacher Nikki Asikas and Deputy Principal Matthew Verdon who attended and made the experience unforgettable for the students.

We look forward to students and teachers from Ritsumeikan High School attending next year’s International Student Science Fair at the ASMS in Term 4.

Canada Overseas Opportunity

In the school holidays, a group of students and teachers from the ASMS flew to Winnipeg, Canada for an overseas opportunity to Fort Richmond Collegiate. Hear more about what our student, Ashlyn, had to say about this learning experience below:

“The Canada Trip was an incredible experience filled with learning, adventure, and new friendships. Exploring a new country while discovering global perspectives on sustainable agriculture was both exciting and eye-opening. I loved immersing myself in Canada’s culture and environment – every day brought something new to see and learn.

Meeting people from around the world was a definite highlight. I made lasting connections with others who shared similar interests, and their diverse perspectives gave me a deeper appreciation for collaboration in solving global challenges. My homestay sister and family were truly special; they were incredibly kind and welcoming, showing me so many wonderful parts of Canada – saying goodbye to them was the hardest part of the trip

Overall, the trip was a truly memorable experience that blended enjoyment with valuable learning. It broadened my perspective on sustainability and reinforced my commitment to developing thoughtful, environmentally responsible solutions in the future.” – Ashlyn.

X and Why?

One of the new modules in the X and Why? Central Study is Fermentation 101. This module aims to provide students with the opportunities to understand chemical reactions and enzymes, especially how we can manipulate and measure reaction rate. The big focus of this module has been our ferments. We have been fermented a range of juices (apple, pineapple and grape) with a range of yeasts (brewers, bakers and a wild yeast from a sourdough starter) to see the effects on reaction rate and total alcohol production. Fermentations can be slow, and this one involved students measuring the sugars present, using a refractometer, every day for 9 days.

Data analysis required students to calculate average and instantaneous rates, using calculus and I was very impressed with students’ ability and persistence to do this with some unfriendly data.

While it is still too early to share the results, the good news is that there are some interesting patterns developing, while the bad news was that there were certainly some very interesting smells developing in the ferment.

In the X and Why? module Engineering Design students have been designing solutions to problems. Many have been using the Ideation Studio and its metal and woodworking tools, 3D Printers, electronics, and laser cutters, to help prototype their solutions. Here is student James in class, working on laser cutting a cover for his flight simulator control box.

Engineering a Monster’s Frankenfest

On Thursday Week 6, the ASMS celebrated Frankenfest! This celebration of learning marked the culmination of our semester-long interdisciplinary topic Engineering a Monster, bringing together learning from design, technology and engineering, science, maths English and history. Students showcased their learning from Engineering a Monster that they were most proud of. The event highlighted the creative, critical thinking problem-solving skills that define learning at the ASMS and celebrated the diverse ways students make their thinking visible through authentic, student-driven artefacts.

Sustainable Futures Earth Summit

Sustainable Futures is on the home stretch. Students are working on their Earth Summit module where they imagine the utopian or dystopian future of a country if it does or does not hit its Sustainable Development goal related to a pressing environmental issue. Students have been working collaboratively to investigate and research a developing or developed country of interest including considering metrics like the human development index and goals like climate action or life below water. They have then used this to write creative stories in the form of narratives or vignettes proposing the future for their country. These creative stories will be collated and curated into an eBook for sharing with our school community.

While the main body of the Evidence of Learning was due at the end of Week 5. This research and imaginative future come together in our Earth Summit presentation Thursday Week 6, where groups will present to their classes to propose a solution for their environmental issue drawing from the rich language features, they have developed in writing their creative texts. 

Numeracy Challenges

For the last couple of months, ASMS students have been engaging in weekly school-wide numeracy challenges. It has been wonderful to see students and teachers actively engage in mathematical discussions and enjoy solving challenges together. We have had high student engagement, with over 100 student submissions to date. One current Year 12 student who participates each week shared, “I want to state how much I appreciate these math problems; they often bring a smile and a calming break to my otherwise rushed school day.”

Below is an image of Robbie Miller’s Learning Studies Group, who regularly work together to solve the weekly numeracy challenge.

Year 12 Students

Year 12 exams concluded on Friday 14 November. We have been so impressed with how our Year 12s applied themselves to this part of providing evidence of their learning for their final result calculations, remembering that 70% of their subject grade comes from their school-based assessment and 30% from the external assessment, which the exam provides for in examinable subjects.

We are really looking forward to congratulating and celebrating with all our Year 12s and their families at our Presentation Night on Wednesday 26 November. If your child is in Year 12, please remind them to return any library books, complete and return their School Leaver forms and ensure that they have saved anything they wish to keep from their school emails or accounts, as these will be closed in a few weeks.

We congratulate our Year 12’s on all their achievements throughout the year and offer our best wishes to the Class of 2025!

Library End of Year Message

Bushfire Preparedness Information

This brochure provides you with important information about the Department for Education’s approach to managing bushfire risk in government schools and preschools.

Read the brochure here.

Safe Schoolies Resources

With the Schoolies period fast approaching, there is partnership between the Australian Government’s Smartraveller and DrinkWise to help educate school-leavers on how to enjoy their Schoolies experience safely, especially if they travel overseas to celebrate.

Schoolies is an exciting time in a young person’s life. It’s a chance to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of a new chapter. But we also know that this sense of freedom can sometimes lead to risky choices, especially when alcohol is involved – and for many this is the first time they are travelling without their parents.

There are a range of resources available for school leavers and parents which are linked below:

• Videos for school-leavers
• Videos for parents
• Tip sheets for parents and students are also available on both the Smartraveller and DrinkWise website

Together, we can help young Australians celebrate safely and return home with only good memories.