Beyond the
SAPSASA
SAPSASA is a sports program for primary aged students from 10 years old. Pooraka has a long history of strong student participation in a range of SAPSASA sports such as rugby, swimming, athletics, soccer, tennis and cricket. Students may volunteer to participate in one or more of these events.
Student Leadership
Student Voice gives students the opportunity to be involved in making decisions and creating positive changes in their school.
Student Voice consists of an ‘Active Leaders Group’, which includes a small group of year 6 students, and 1 ‘Student Representative’ and 1 ‘Vice Representative’ from each class. Student representatives are responsible for communicating between the ‘Student Voice’ committee and their classes to ensure all information is shared and all student voices are heard.
Student Voice is focusing on projects to promote learning, leadership, wellbeing and kindness across the school.
Student Voice reports on their progress and updates the student body on current issues through ‘Pooraka News’ videos at assemblies.
Student Action Teams
Student Action Teams (SATs) provide a student-centred approach to projects of interest to
students within the school community.
Underpinning SATs is the concept of building positive self-concepts by providing students with a:
- Sense of meaning and purpose
- Sense of control and
- Sense of belonging or bonding.
At Pooraka Primary School, Student Action Teams have been involved in leading a range of projects including : Mural Project; Shelter Shed Sensory space Project; Developing Wellbeing & Resilience Videos; Creating the Assembly Awards; and leading whole school events like sports day, World Teachers Day, Harmony Day, Walk Safety to School Day, Bullying No way Day; Reconciliation Week, Book Week.
Public Education Student Forums
Our purpose for public education in South Australia is for every child and young person to learn and thrive. This is the heart of our education strategy. Senior students at Pooraka Primary have been involved in a range of Public Education Student Forums, led by Chief Executive, Professor Martin Westwell. The goal of these forums is to build familiarity and to collectively explore the areas of impact and what they mean for our site. Students have been supported and encouraged to share their views about how they learn and to help embed our public education strategy at Pooraka Primary School.
Crossing Monitors
School crossing monitors are responsible for:
- giving reasonable directions to pedestrians for the safe and efficient movement of people and traffic
- exhibiting stop signs requiring drivers, bike riders and motorcyclists to stop before driving over a school crossing
Monitors are legally required to be at least 10 years of age and be trained and authorised by South Australian Police (SAPOL). Our school has a duty of care to supervise students who are monitoring school crossings.
Senior Leaders Awards
Senior Students at Pooraka Primary are given a wide range of opportunities to earn ‘leadership points’ and awards including; being crossing monitors, leading the school recycling program, facilitating assemblies, working with buddy classes, and organising whole school events.
School Sporting opportunities
Our school is a member of South Australian Primary School Sporting Activities programme (SAPSASA), and students participate in a variety of inter-school and regional sporting activities across the year. These can vary and are dependent on the skill and availability of staff to coach and train students. In past years these have included swimming, soccer, rugby, athletics, and cross country.
Gardening Leaders Group
A group of dedicated student gardeners work with an SSO and grounds person to lead our garden patch – planting and harvesting a range of vegetables throughout the year.
Leadership Awards
How students support the school community?
- Raising and lowering the school flags
- Managing the recycling bins
- Volunteering in the school canteen
- Working with younger students in their classes
- Representing the school in SAPSASA sports
Breakfast Club
Pooraka Primary and Kick Start for Kids volunteers work together to provide a Breakfast Club every morning. Students are welcome to enjoy a breakfast before school which is provided free of charge with all the food donated through Kickstart for Kids. The Breakfast club runs from 8:30am – 8:50am – and is based at the canteen.
This program also offers emergency lunches to students.
Volunteering in Schools
Volunteers are an integral part of our school.
Volunteers provide support in many areas and contribute to the success of learning and student wellbeing programs.
There are many areas in which you may consider volunteering your services:
- Breakfast Club
- Library support
- Lunch Club Activities
- Gardening Program
- Reading with individual students
- Supporting classes on excursions/camps
- Governing Council – and sub-committees e.g. fundraising
If you are interested in volunteering at Pooraka Primary School, please contact the front office for further information. A current Working with Children Check (WWCC) is required for volunteers in Department for Education. The school can organise the WWCC for prospective volunteers. Volunteers are also required to have completed Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care (RRHAN-EC) and Volunteer Online Training. Each of these courses are only offered online and are accessible from PLINK.
The Protective Practices for Staff in their Interactions with Children and Young People guides staff in their interactions and is a document that is made available in the RRHAN-EC training.
