Adelaide Secondary School of English eNewsletter

Graduation assembly

We are proud to congratulate all 172 students who completed their studies at ASSoE this term.

It has been a privilege to teach and support them in their learning and their transition to Australia.

We wish them all the best as they continue their educational journey and we look forward to hearing of their successes in the future.

Our guest speaker was a former student, Mohammad Al-Khafaji (CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia), pictured here with his first teacher from 21 years ago Ms Hilary Parsons.

The war within Gaza created intense feelings of distress and grief amongst many of our students from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Several students from Gaza, Palestine, enrolled at Adelaide Secondary School of English (ASSoE) in March 2024. Their stories have moved the school community, and their strength, pride and resilience have been inspiring. Shortly after their arrival, a forum about Gaza was held for students supported by two Department for Education Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) and members of the school wellbeing team. The focus of the forum was to enable students to express their feelings of solidarity, despair and hope, and then plan on how to share their feelings and thoughts within the school community and beyond.

The students decided to create a display, and this evolved into the exhibition. The students worked with Bushra Rasheed and Fariba Ahmadi (CLOs), Palestinian facilitator Enaam Oudih from Relationships Australia (SA), photographer Razan Fakhouri and artist Alissar Aleid, to facilitate four student art workshops and create the exhibition elements. The following themes emerged for the display: The beautiful history and land of Gaza, Gaza during the war, our hopes for the future and supporting Gaza. The Exhibition has been set up at school in the South building and the launch event, attended by the artists, parents and community members, was held on Thursday 20^th June. The exhibition will also tour to the Department for Education foyer, 31 Flinders St Adelaide, from 1^st to 5^th of July and be open to the public.

Mr Paul Coats

One and All (1st - 4th October, 2023)

The October school holidays saw three of our brave senior students sign up for the final voyage for the year on the replica Tall Ship the One and All. Ali Korshidi, Goytom and Nena wrote applications and met with Rotary sponsor clubs prior to their voyage, they then met on the docks of Port Adealide on a rainy Sunday morning to meet their fellow sailors from schools from all over the state. The students sailed for 5 days and 4 nights. They returned full of stories and new friendships, reporting back to their Rotary clubs on return. We are grateful to Rotary for their on-going support of our students on this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Ms Leila Haq

Ali Khorshidi Ali (class 17TB)

Goytom Yirdaw Mekonnen (class 6TA2)

(Nena) Nyawargak Pal (class 19AA1)

From the principal

As the end of 2023 nears, we take the time to reflect on many things, including our achievements and challenges. This year, we reached a peak in enrolments never before seen at the school, with over 480 new students enrolling and having more than 220 students transition at the end of term 4. We currently have 48 different cultural groups represented in the school, with the majority of students coming from Afghanistan, China, Vietnam and South America.
As a result of our increasing student numbers, many new teachers and support staff have joined the school, enabling us to continue on our improvement journey whilst maintaining a focus on increasing student achievement in reading and writing. Throughout the year we have celebrated student achievements and progress at assemblies and we have had former students share their successes. The important work we do to develop effective learners, by teaching the foundational skills, the knowledge, the competencies and capabilities they need to successfully navigate future challenges and further education, has been highlighted and is reflected in student success.
Having positive role models share their experiences is also an important part of the learning journey for our students, and recently we had the pleasure of hosting the Children’s Peace Literature Awards. The celebration was organised by Psychologists for Peace and our students had the opportunity to shine, asking interesting and thoughtful questions of the award winning author, Maryam Master.

Students were able to relate to the author, a former refugee who now calls Australia home, and were extremely appreciative of the large collection of 101 new books donated by the psychologists.
Some of our post transition students recently had the opportunity to work with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as part of their music elective, creating an inspirational piece of music highlighting their migration journey. Many students also participated in a range of community service activities, targeted programs and excursions, as part of the school curriculum.
As a school community we take pride in making our school a place where everyone belongs and is able to be their best and achieve their best. Together with our families and various community organisations, we will continue to endeavour to meet the individual needs of all of our students as best we can by providing quality education as we move into 2024.
Although it’s time to farewell a large number of students as they make the move to their new mainstream schools, we need to acknowledge the determination, courage and strength they have shown as they have embraced new opportunities and worked hard to improve their English language and communication skills. We also remind them of the importance of our school values of respect, responsibility and resilience.
Lastly, thank you all for your ongoing support and collaboration throughout 2023.
Wishing you all the best for the festive season.

Anti Macri

Student response to Q&A session with the winning author Maryam Master:
* While I was asking Ms Maryam questions, I felt a little nervous because it was my first time holding a microphone and standing in front of a crowd, but I remembered the character Aryan from the book ... who hid in the bin when he was supposed to be reciting the poem. I reflected and thought I must be braver than him. It was a special moment for me. Sokim D

* When I met the author online, I was full of questions to ask her about her refugee experience and how she became a famous writer in Australia but time was limited. However, I was glad others asked similar questions and clarified my thoughts. I was pleased I could relate to her experiences in Australia. Neda O
* ... I am so proud of her because, even though she faced a lot of problems as a refugee when she arrived, she worked hard and became a successful author in Australia. She has inspired me. Zainab H

NOTICE
As part of a security upgrade, a new fence will be installed around the perimeter of the school in 2024. This will therefore restrict access to the school ground by members of the public. A nearby enclosed dog park, Albert Greenshelds Reserve, is located at corner of Torrens Road and Greenshields Place, Ridleyton.

Cultivating Future-Ready Minds: Flinders University’s Insightful ‘River Journey’ Presentation

In a recent educational session, learners from classes 13AB2, 17TB, 28TA1, and 39AC were engaged in an insightful presentation titled ‘River Journey’ by Flinders University. This session was designed to broaden their understanding of the dynamic nature of today’s workforce. The specialist from Flinders University elaborated on how the employment landscape is being reshaped by various factors, including digital transformation, global connectivity, new technological advancements, automation, and the necessity for adaptability. The primary focus of the discussion was on “Skills of the Future,” identifying essential competencies required for prospective job applicants. In an exciting development, our students are scheduled to visit Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus next week. This excursion will offer them a chance to interact with university attendees, explore important aspects of higher education through stimulating questions, and participate in diverse workshops covering multiple disciplines, especially in the STEM field. ]

Mr Ash Parekh

Celebrated DIWALI- Tuesday, 14th November 2023

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a major Hindu festival that is celebrated across India and around the world. It commemorates the victory of good over evil. Students and staff at ASSoE celebrated the festival with cultural food, cultural costumes and fun activities around the school.
Teachers from South Asian backgrounds generously lent out dazzling outfits to see many of our staff dressed in ‘bollywood style’. This coincided with the school’s casual day, making it a rainbow of colours wherever you looked! There were Indian sweets as well as Rangoli chalk drawing, henna and music. ASSoE teachers modelled appreciation for others cultures as they embraced the fashion, traditions and beliefs held within celebrating Diwali.

Photos from our Diwali day

Mariposa Trails

Mariposa Trials has been attending ASSoE in Term 3 and 4, running workshops around positive mental health for our Spanish students. This has been very helpful for our students. A big thank you to our Spanish BSSO for her support. SWT

Lolly Stand

On Monday the 4th of December, Class 22IB ran a lolly stand as part of our Community Service activity. We wanted to raise money to help homeless people, and chose two charities to donate the money to: Catherine House and Hutt Street Centre. Each student contributed $5 and our teacher bought lots of lollies and iceblocks with the money. Our wonderful students made posters to advertise the lolly stand, and visited Home Groups to explain what we were doing and why. The lolly stand was a great success, and we raised over $200. We feel proud of our efforts. Ms Emma Hills