Year 11 Work Experience: Exploring Pathways, Building Skills

At the end of Term 2, our Year 11 students stepped out of the classroom and into the world of work, gaining invaluable first-hand experience across a wide range of industries. Work experience provides students with an opportunity to explore possible career pathways, develop practical skills, and build confidence for life beyond school.

This year, students impressed employers and mentors at an inspiring variety of placements, from local businesses to larger regional organisations. Some students spent time in classrooms at Kapunda Primary School, Laura Primary School, and Gladstone High School, exploring careers in education. Others got their hands dirty at Hanley Auto Repairs, DML Automotive, Goodyear Autocare, or with Joe Curtis, Plumber — experiencing life in the trades and mechanical industries.

Some gained insight into the world of health and care through placements at Port Pirie Regional Health Service, SA Medical Imaging, SAMI Clare Hospital, and Fernwood Darwin, while others explored opportunities in local government at Port Pirie Regional Council and SA Water. Creative industries were also represented with placements at Paolo Sebastian, while other students worked in retail, hospitality and services with employers like Stone Hut Bakery, Pirie Nails, Soul Lifestyle, and Gladstone Post Office.

The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. Many spoke of increased confidence, new skills learned, and a clearer sense of where their future might take them. We are proud of the mature and enthusiastic way our Year 11s embraced this opportunity, and grateful to all the local employers who generously hosted and supported our students.

Work experience continues to be a highlight of the school year and an important step in helping our students connect learning with life after school.

Year 12 Retreat

During Week 9 of last term, the Year 12s made their way down to Adelaide and enjoyed their annual retreat. Day one started with Bounce, where the students carelessly jumped around and participated in a fiery match of dodgeball. After maturing back to their age, the Year 12s then made their way to IKEA, where we indulged ourselves in some Swedish meatballs, along with a skittish game of hide and seek. The game quickly fell apart due to the sheer size of IKEA and miscommunication of the rules. After we finally found each other, we caught the bus to West Beach, where we based ourselves for the next two nights. We scrubbed up and made our way to Brighton Fasta Pasta, eating our way through a variety of pasta and pizza.

Day two began with a game of mini golf, followed by ice skating in the city. This tested our ability to the max, with some students significantly better and some needing extra support (the penguins came in clutch). After this, we wandered into the city and spent some time (and money) in Rundle Mall. After we killed some time, we made our way to the train station, where we briskly ran to the train (that we almost missed) for our Marion shopping night. We spent a few hours here, wandering around the shops, watching movies, and just spending time with friends on the last night of camp.

Day three kicked off with the packing up of our cabins and tidying the surrounding areas. This was done quite quickly, and students were ready and prepared to leave early, so kudos to us! With a buffet lunch ahead of us, we were all preparing ourselves for the big feed. Our first stop was on Jetty Road in Glenelg, where we all hit the op shops to buy our assigned person some ‘going out for lunch’ clothes. This consisted of Jonah wearing a turtleneck, Liam in velvet pants, Sataya in a velour skirt, Sam in pink fluffy slippers, and many more stylish fits. Once we hit Charlie’s Diner for lunch, the race was on between Sam and Max, both tied and finishing up with 6 platefuls of food. The sickening ride on the bus home was both quiet and sombre, with the year 12s realising that this bittersweet moment meant their last school camp altogether.

We thank Mr Rutjens and Miss Johnson for making this camp possible.

By Max Pedler

SACE & SATAC Information Night

Choosing pathways for life after school can feel overwhelming, so we’re here to help. On Monday 11 August (Week 4, Term 3), we will be hosting an important SACE and SATAC Information Night for students and their families.

This session will provide clear, practical guidance on completing the SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) and understanding how to apply for university or TAFE through SATAC. It’s a valuable opportunity for families to ask questions, gather information, and feel confident about the next steps toward further study, training or employment.

We strongly encourage all Year 11 and 12 students and their parents/caregivers to come along and make the most of this chance to plan ahead together.

Subject Counselling

Please use the Sentral Portal to book your subject counselling session for Week 5 or 6. These sessions are for students who will be completing SACE in 2026. During the session, your child’s intended pathways will be discussed and their beginning or continuing SACE journey planned.

If you are unable to attend during these weeks, please contact Alison Johnson to arrange an alternative time. If no booking is made, your child will be consulted during school hours and you will be informed of the decisions made.

Introductory lab- Year 11 Bio students

Students are beginning their study on the first topic, Cells & Microorganisms. Students looked at a lot of different types of cells under the microscope and were able to clearly see cell features.

Road Awareness Program

The MFS Road Awareness Program (RAP) recently came to Gladstone High School, presenting some hard-hitting facts about the impact of road users and their actions on safety, statistics, individuals and service workers. Year 11 students from Gladstone High School and Jamestown Community School were captivated by the content and provoked to reconsider how the seemingly minor infractions can cause considerable consequences. Josh Byerlee (MFS) ran the informative session, with the added knowledge of the area and the habits of rural kids having grown up in Orroroo. The personal and confronting nature of photos, videos and interviews prompted reflection and discussion amongst the students, heightened by the crash victim survivor, Yudi Mohan-Ram, who shared his extraordinary story of survival, the harsh impacts on his life, family and day-to-day events that still occur 23 years after his life-altering accident where a hurried driver t-boned him on his motorbike. This harrowing story of injuries, missed opportunities etc, prompted much reflection as students were continually reminded that you can choose your actions, but not the consequences of them.

Harry Mead, a Plains Producer reporter, had some questions about the value of the presentation for some audience members. See their responses below.

George Rackam, GHS – I thought it was very appropriate for the age group. Massive respect for Yudi. The session definitely changed my perspective on what being a safe driver meant.

Riley Hoskin, GHS – Great presentation. Both presenters spoke very well. I didn’t expect the statistics – amounts of injuries and fatalities per day [4800 accidents daily in Australia, 540 serious accidents, 4 deaths per day]. It is staggering to consider.

Hudson Seidel, GHS – Great presentation. It teaches us to be safe on the roads while young. Eudi, the videos and stuff shared shows us what can happen. We need to be safe, pay more attention and reduce distractions.

Billi Nicolson, GHS – A confronting presentation and [it was] so brave for Eudi to speak of his experience to help others. It had a lasting impact on us as students, with a lot to take away from it.

Danya McKay – Assistant Principal, GHS, I couldn’t speak highly enough of this MFS presentation and the guest speaker, Yudi Mohan-Ram. It was informative and challenging, pushing onerous choices on students as young road users to reconsider their driving behaviours and the impact of their choices upon themselves and others. Any student would be hard pressed not to consider how even what is deemed as a small risk or infraction could result in a dire consequence. The take-home message was simple. There are no good reasons to take risks when driving. None.