At John Pirie Secondary School, preparing students for life beyond the classroom is a core part of our mission. One of the most valuable opportunities we offer our students in this space is Work Experience—a chance for them to step out into the real world, explore potential career pathways, and gain practical insights that will shape their futures.

This term, we are proud to share that approximately 80 of our Year 10 students have taken part in a week-long Work Experience placement as part of their Exploring Pathways subject. The majority of these placements occurred over the last two weeks, with a small number of students scheduled to undertake theirs later this term due to other commitments or the availability of their host employers.

Work Experience offers students far more than just a break from the classroom. It enables them to experience first-hand the expectations and routines of a workplace, develop critical employability skills such as punctuality, teamwork and communication, and gain an understanding of what a particular job or industry is really like. For many students, it provides clarity about what they might want to pursue after school—and sometimes just as importantly, what they don’t.

The success of this year’s Work Experience program is a testament to the initiative and effort shown by our students. Organising a placement involves researching options, preparing applications, contacting employers and navigating paperwork—tasks that require resilience, maturity, and organisation. We commend each student who took on this challenge and represented our school with pride and professionalism.

We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Port Pirie business community for their outstanding support of our students. Providing a Work Experience placement is a significant commitment. It requires time, resources, and a willingness to mentor and guide a young person who may be stepping into a workplace for the very first time. We are exceptionally fortunate to have a local community that understands the value of investing in the next generation.

From small businesses to large employers, from trades to health care, and from early learning centres to retail outlets, the diversity of placements offered to our students this year has been outstanding. Each of these experiences has played a part in building our students’ confidence, expanding their understanding of the world of work, and helping them take meaningful steps toward their future.

Thank you once again to all the businesses and organisations who opened their doors and supported our students. Your contribution not only made a difference in their lives this week, but also in shaping their pathways for the years ahead.

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our local community to ensure every young person at John Pirie Secondary School leaves us equipped, confident, and inspired to take on the world.

Michael Gaunt

PRINCIPAL

On Tuesday, 13th May, our Outdoor Education class went on a day hike at Telowie Gorge Conservation Park. The weather was perfect—sunny and mild.

The purpose of our trip was to find and photograph plants that are also found in the school’s Urumbula Garden. These photos were shown to our teacher, Mr. Gray, as part of a fun competition. The winner received a large chocolate bar and two smaller ones, including Mars Bar, Skittles, and Kit Kat.

During the hike, we saw a variety of wildlife such as goats, kangaroos, rock wallabies, lizards, spiders, and even a scorpion! We also came across dry waterholes, lots of trees and bushes, and many animal bones.

We took several breaks along the way to rest, enjoy snacks, and chat with classmates. One of the most fun parts was climbing over large rocks in the creek bed—even when there was an easier path! Some parts of the hike were tricky, especially carrying our backpacks while climbing, but we helped each other through it. A highlight for us was sitting together on a sloped rock, sharing food and chatting.

It was a great day filled with teamwork, laughter, and adventure!

By Tameka and Elliott

The Pirie Academy embarked on the 18^th Santos Aboriginal Power Cup, week three, in Adelaide.

The squad of 30 students engaged in a football tournament, cultural activities and a career expo. The boys team won a few games with James Langenberg being a standout with his game play, sportsmanship and leadership. 

The girls team had won all but 1 game and with points accrued from workshops, attendance and academics the Pirie Academy made the grand final, which was played before the Power game at Adelaide Oval. The girls played hard but just fell short, finishing as runners up to the Central Yorke Academy.

We are proud of their efforts and achievements and we look forward to 2026. 

On May 28th students from Year 7-12 competed in the Statewide Netball Competiton, over all a successful day was had, with some wins and losses, but most importantly great sportsmanship and leadership shown by students, organising their own rotations and confidently umpiring games.