As we approach the end of the school year, it's a time of reflection and anticipation. We look back on the achievements of 2024 while preparing for a successful start to the New Year ahead.

Over the past few weeks, we've celebrated the growth and achievements of our students through various events. From the Prize Presentation, Year 12 Formal, and Clontarf Awards Night, to this week's Presentation of Learning for middle school students, it has been an inspiring time. These events provided an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary progress our students have made throughout the year. It's only when we pause and look back that we truly recognize the remarkable achievements of our young people that have shaped 2024.

As we look toward 2025, I'm pleased to share that we will be welcoming several new staff members to our teaching team:

• Laura Pardon (English & HASS)
• Carol Bowman (Science & Maths)
• Thao Ly (Science & Maths)
• Jordan Rafferty (Physical Education)
• Chris Mayman (Physical Education & HASS)
• David Lawton (HASS & Maths)

While we are excited to welcome these talented educators, it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to a few staff members this week. I would like to sincerely thank the following staff for their invaluable contributions to our school and commitment to our students during their time at JPSS:

• Paul Blyth
• Qingbo Shi
• Kimberley Jenkinson
• Mel Farrows

We wish Paul, Qingbo, Kimberley and Mel all the best in their future endeavours.

Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all members of our school and wider community for your support throughout the year. Your involvement in events such as those mentioned above, as well as the Year 6 Transition Evening, has been truly appreciated by both our students and staff. Your continued support strengthens the vital relationship between our school, students, and families.

I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and I look forward to working together again in 2025.

Michael Gaunt

PRINCIPAL

JPSS Year 12 Formal was held on Thursday 21^st November as the annual culmination of 13 years of schooling and a celebration to farewell this year’s cohort. Despite it being a hot day and facing challenging conditions in the Ballroom, 54 Year 12 students, accompanied by family, friends, and staff, memorialised the event through a lovely 3 course meal, staff speeches, a presentation of photos from their time at high school, getting professional photos taken, as well as hamming it up in the photo booth. Students also flooded the dance floor to dance with someone significant in their life.

This year’s Year 12 Formal Committee, comprised of Katja Kupsch, Michaela Macdonald, Marissa Laver, Caitlin Northcott, Josh Hargans and Kurt Eldridge, did an amazing job of designing the tickets and other documents, choosing the menu, choosing and organising the table decorations, organising a DJ and many other jobs throughout the year. They also chose Frank D’Agostino to be this year’s keynote speaker, and he did not disappoint. Frank delivered an engaging speech, with just the right balance of inspiration, humour and nostalgia, and he also demonstrated his uncanny knack for remembering almost every student number in the school.

Thank you to the people who have assisted in some way throughout the process of making Formal happen. A big special thank you to Maria Sgherza for assisting in organisation this year, Mr Gaunt for his Principal’s address, Frank D’Agostino for the keynote speech, Mr Black for being the MC, Northern Festival Centre staff (particularly Bianca Roeters), DJ Kobe Butler, Brooke-Tia Mudge and her catering staff from Fork and Cork, Kathy Gould for professional photography, Leanne Clements from Graphics by L for the design and printing of our documents, Sweet Image Hire for our photo booth hire, Matt and Sam from the school’s IT department, Owen Griffiths for all of his assistance, and Emma Grossman, Maria Sgherza and Frank D’Agostino for helping with photos, ticket sales, and other tasks throughout the year. We couldn’t do it without you!

We would like to wish the graduating class of 2024 all the best and congratulate them on finishing their schooling journey.

 Mrs. Tara Mark

During Term 4 the JPSS Soccer Academy hosted their annual Presentation Night at the JPSS Powerhouse. These nights are a great opportunity to reflect on the student achievements throughout the year and give thanks to all that supported the Soccer Academy throughout the year. Whether it be JPSS staff, families or our sponsors (Intersport, Midstate Hardware, Geoff Brock, Betta Port Pirie), we are very grateful to have such a supportive group. Our players should feel proud of their efforts, with all making big strides in their abilities on and off the pitch.

Our individual award winners on the night were as follows:

Betta Port Pirie Most Improved:

Lucy Grant, Caleb Key

Geoff Brock Leadership:

Kacey Seidel, Lucas Edwards-D’Antonio

Midstate Hardware Rising Star:

Skye Voumard, Malakai Wyatt

Intersport Best & Fairest:

Indianni Lockyer-Black, Harrison Seidel

A big congratulations again to another successful year with soccer here at JPSS. We look forward to seeing players continue to take big steps in development next year and beyond!

Over the past few weeks, Miss Sutcliffe’s Year 9 English students have immersed themselves in an exciting project, partnering with 30+ local businesses and industry experts Joby Connor and Abby Zubrinich to create advertisements that capture the heart and soul of their chosen brands. 

It was fantastic to see local businesses, staff and students celebrate the student’s successes at their ‘Year 9 Advertising Exhibition’. This event wasn’t just a showcase of talent but also a powerful demonstration of how classroom learning can connect with real-world experiences. By collaborating with local businesses, students gained valuable insights into professional practices, branding, and the impact of effective communication.

The event was catered by Miss Arbon and Mrs Rohde’s amazing Year 8 and 9 Food and Hospitality students. Their delicious creations added an extra touch to the event!

Congratulations to all our students for their dedication and passion. A special mention goes to Isabelle Micken and Tori Martin from 9B, who gave an insightful talk about their experiences with this assignment. We’re so proud of our students and can’t wait to see how they continue to apply these skills in the future.

During Miss Sutcliffe's Year 9 English Advertising Exhibition, invited guests had the exciting opportunity to vote for their favourite student advertisments. After an incredibily close race, we are thrilled to announce our winners!

1st Place - Tori Martin: Berry Okay (35 votes).

2nd Place - Leah Johncock: Pearl of Beauty (34 votes).

3rd Place - Xavier Joy and Tyson Hardaker: South City Gym (33 votes).

4th Place - Skye Voumard: Kate Millard Photography (30 Votes).

5th Place - Isabelle Micken: Delish Ice Cream (27 votes).

These incrediable advertisements stood out for their creativity, innovation, and ability to connect with a wide audience - congratulations to all our winners!

A huge thank you to all the guests who participated in the voting and to the local businesses who partnerred with us. Your support made this project a meaningful and rewarding real-world learning experience for our students.

Special thanks to Business Port Pirie for generously donating a voucher for first place, which was awarded to Tori Martin for her outstanding work on Berry OKay.

We are so proud of all our year 9 students for their hard work, creativity, and dedication. This event is a true celebration of their bright futures!

Tuesday, November 26 and Wednesday, November 27 year 6 students attended JPSS for the ‘Taste of High School’.

While attending JPSS students experienced different learning spaces we provide, with lessons in all main learning areas.

To conclude day 1 students were treated to a Dance/Music showcase, performed by students and members of JPSS Dance Academy.

Students kicked off day 2 with a soccer carnival, which was run by members of JPSS Soccer Academy.

Students stayed in their 2025 care groups for the 2 days and we were priviliged to witness new friendships quickly forming between students from different primary schools.

A big shout out to our student mentors who did a awesome job over a busy 2 days. Super Effort!!

Students thoroughly enjoyed their ‘Taste of High School’ and are looking forward to returning for year 7.

We can’t wait to officially welcome them to JPSS.

On Wednesday November 27, the John Pirie Clontarf Academy hosted their first Awards night. The Awards night kicked off at 5:30pm for dinner with families, teachers, partners and local community members. We couldn’t have asked for a better turn out!

After having a yarn and dinner together we got straight into celebrating the young men in our Academy. We have had over 40 young indigenous fellas sign up to the program and we can’t wait to see this academy grow and flourish. Shannon McGregor, Harry Miles, Tyson Evans and Jake Thatcher were our MCs for the night, they did an outstanding job running the first awards night.

Clontarf Awards night are a great way to champion the boys and also get them out of their comfort zone with public speaking and thankyous. It was great to see so many Academy members get up and thank their families and school staff for the support they have had over the years.

The award winners on the night were 

Academy member of the year – Shannon McGregor.

Clontarf Spirit – Dylan Evans, Tyson Evans.

Top Trainers – Stewart McGregor, Riley Thatcher, Riley Swales and Jack Eggmolesse.

Employment Award – Elijah Black, Harry Miles, Scott Masterton and Elliott Black.

Sportsman Award – Jayden Walker, Liam Martin, Lane Warren and Tyran Dodd.

Attendance Award – Shannon McGregor, Jake Thatcher, Jye Dodd and Tyron Langenberg.

Driving Award – Caleb Martin, Liam Martin and Harry Miles.

Rising Star Award – Tyreece Masterton, Owen Karpany, Chavez Eldridge and Tye Lennon.

The Aboriginal Arts Excellence program has had a busy year of creating.

The artists have produced art pieces with acrylics on canvas, wood and clay as well as sketching with pencil and charcoal. 

Kiki Stubbs, Antonia Martin, and Maddie Hanley displayed their skills on a larger platform and showcased their creations in exhibitions in Adelaide and Port Augusta and were even lucky enough to have them sold.

Airdale Primary school visited and created a collaborative piece with the artists. We are hoping to continue engagement and collaboration with our Primary school in 2025.

In our local John Pirie Art Prize, Kiki took out the main prize with Antonia receiving high recognition. 

We have been busy this term creating a mural for the school and look forward to the unveiling in the New Year when we welcome families and students back.

For SAASTA shield this year, JPSS SAASTA academy students ranging from Year 9 - 12  participated in a three day camp which included a full day soccer carnival against all regional and non-regional SAASTA Academies.

The carnival was held at the brand new 'Metro Stars' Stadium in Adelaide, the day included also cultural activities.

The last day held a grand final and a staff vs students match and concluded with the 'SAASTA ceremonial awards for 2024' which was a great way to motivate and inspire our academy students for 2025.  

The students from rooms 85 and 86 attended the Variety Club Sports Carnival in Kadina on Wednesday November 13. It was another opportunity for students to participate with peers from across the region and we thank the Variety Club for sponsoring this event.

The students played 5 a-side-soccer and volleyball. It was a wonderful day, and the students enjoyed the exceptional facilities available at the Kadia Sports Complex.

Students participated in learning new skills and a dance combo. 

All students showed enthusiasm and engagement, we were impressed with their confidence and willingness to give all aspects of the audition a go.

Thanks to everyone involved.

On the 1^st December – 6^th of December, the year 12 Clontarf Graduates got rewarded for all the hard work they have put into their schooling, engagement to the Clontarf academy and their employment portfolios.

The lads got to enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity!

One of the most anticipated parts of our trip was the opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. We set out on a boat tour that took us out to the reef, where the turquoise waters stretched as far as the eye could see.

After an unforgettable day at the reef, we set sail for Fitzroy Island, a stunning tropical paradise just off the coast of Cairns. With its crystal-clear waters, lush rainforest, and secluded beaches, the island felt like a hidden gem.

The next stop on our journey took us to Hartley’s Crocodile Farm, a hands-on wildlife park that allowed us to get up close and personal with some of Australia's most iconic creatures. The highlight of the visit was, of course, the crocodile feeding demonstration.

No trip to Cairns would be complete without chasing waterfalls, and our group certainly made the most of the region's natural beauty. We trekked through rainforests to visit some of the most stunning waterfalls in the area, including the beautiful Milla Milla and Josephine falls.

On Friday December 6, the students from rooms 85 and 86 took a trip to Port Broughton to celebrate the end of the year. They enjoyed the water slide and challenged each other to games of mini golf. A BBQ lunch was shared by all and also some other caravan visitors. A great day was had by all.

John Pirie Secondary School was fortunate to host a Year 9/10 Volleyball tournament between our own students and the students of Booleroo, Peterborough and Jamestown.

The round robin tournament action led to some intense and high-octane games between the 8 teams and some nail-bitingly close matches.

Our three teams of Year 9 and 10 students were able to put up on a good showing and take home some much needed victories and showed some truly amazing sportsmanship in the process.

All schools had an amazing time and a big thank you to  everyone who participated.

8A6 have recently studied the topic 'Changing Nations'.

This included learning how country and city areas change over time with urbanisation and also how migration can influence communities.

Students studied how Port Pirie has been influenced by many cultures through migration with a focus on Italian migration.

8A6 travelled to the local 'Molfetessi Fishing Boat Museum' and further discovered the influence Italian migration has had in Port Pirie.

Dino Gadaleta shared with us his wealth of knowledge regarding the local history and also gave an inspiring talk about how it is never too late to follow your dreams.

On Thursday December 12, 35 students travelled to Port Broughton for some fishing and fun on the foreshore.

Lots of fish were caught and lots of undersized crabs.

Everyone enjoyed the day and represented JPSS in a fantastic manner.

JPSS Red Soccer held their presentation evening for the 2024 season.

Coach Shane Scarman spoke of how proud he was of all his players, showing great improvement throughout the year. He also thanked parents/caregivers for their ongoing support to the players and the team during the season.

Well done to all the students who participated this season, we hope to see you back for season 2025.

Award Winners

Most Improved - Dane Congdon

Best Team Man - Logan Allison

Runner Up Best & Fariest - Austin Baldock

Best & Fairest - Tyler Phillipps

Students from our school can now apply for part-time industry training at Port Augusta Technical College!

Set to open in semester 2, 2025, the Technical College will enable hundreds of students from across the region to access training in state-of-art facilities, with short-stay accommodation available.

Students can get a head start to a career in 1 of 4 industry specialisations:

• Civil, resources and infrastructure
• Health and social support
• Hospitality and tourism
• Multi-trades (for careers as plumbers, builders, electricians, boilermakers).

Students who are accepted into one of these training programs will continue to be enrolled at our school and travel to Port Augusta Technical College in week-long blocks to gain hands-on training.

Applications are now open for year 10 and 11 in 2025. Talk to us about how to apply.

More information about the technical college, its industry specialisations and the application process is available at www.technicalcolleges.sa.gov.au/our-colleges/port-augusta-technical-college.