Banksia Park International High School
Beyond The Classroom
Students at Banksia Park International High School have many opportunities to become actively involved in leadership, decision-making and accountability processes within the school. Through the various student voice groups, leadership programs and activities, our students are able to build self-confidence, gain a willingness to work with others, set goals, show a genuine interest in people, show empathy and rapport.
Student Leaders
As a School Leader and Year 12 Change Agent for 2025, I am excited to represent and support my peers at BPIHS. Throughout my time at the school, I’ve been deeply involved in leadership, from serving as the Year 11 Change Agent in 2024 to participating as an International Ambassador during my earlier years at BPIHS. I am also consistently involved in our international exchange programs, participating in the buddy program, study tours and taking part in the 2024 trip to Japan. This year, I aim to represent my peers by ensuring student voices are heard, strengthen our school’s global identity and help students to build a stronger connection with our community. With an incredible team of student leaders and supportive staff, I look forward to making some positive changes around the school in 2025! Megan Rouski
My name is Stephanie Stavrou, and I am one of the BPIHS school leaders for 2025. I have been attending Banksia since my year 8 transition and am now in year 11. I’m passionate about creative arts, biological sciences, cooking, and literacy. I decided to step forth and nominate for this role, because I feel I can be a great advocate for student voice and representation. I understand that it may be confronting to speak up, and so, I wish to vocalise the voices of those who may be unable too. Every student deserves to feel equally valued and heard. In the yard, I will always be available for a friendly chat or a supportive smile. As a member of both the student voice, and wider governing council, I have frequent meetings with fellow leadership students and staff. During these meetings I will ensure to share the opinions of my peers and increase the overall involvement of students in future school decisions.
Student committees
Students can become a part of a consultative committee or group (often with staff and parents) when student representatives are required. Some examples include:
- Governing council
- Uniform committee
- Year 12 Formal committee
Leadership Opportunities
The school provides opportunities for students to represent the school at school functions and in various events held outside of school. Students have the opportunity to talk about our school confidently and positively, sharing their knowledge of our school and learning community.
Leadership events for students include:
- house captains
- student tour guides – with international visitors and for our open night
- student hosts for school assemblies
- Tea Tree Gully Citizenship ceremony
- Tea Tree Gully prayer breakfast
- year 12 reception at Government House
- assistance with local community events
The Global Citizens Medal was established at Banksia Park International High School in 2003 to recognise the qualities that many of our students acquire and develop throughout their secondary schooling. This program was awarded a National Quality Schooling Award in 2004.
The Global Citizens Medal recognises the following capabilities:
- aware, empowered humans developing identity and wellbeing
- eclectic, visionary thinkers and innovators developing and challenging futures thinking
- respectful, responsive communicators and team members, developing collaborative interactions with others
- resouceful, reliable implementers and performers developing capabilities for enterprising endeavour
- discerning, supportive advocates and contributors developing global interdependence with the world.
Students submit an application where they identify these qualities in themselves, list various organisations they are a part of, add activities they have been involved in, recognise their achievements and contributions to the school and wider community. Students submit references and conduct a presentation to a panel about a global issue where they demonstrate their characteristics in becoming a global citizen.
Recipients are awarded their medal at the annual valedictory.
Annual School Sporting Events
Sports Day – this is an annual event coordinated by the school and is held in term 1 for track and field events. Students belong to one of four houses:
Grenfell (green), Haines (red), Newman (yellow), Milne (blue)
Combined zone Track and Field – this is an annual event held in term 1 at Bridgestone Athletics Centre. Results from sports day are used to assist with student selection for this athletics event.
Vista Sport
The school actively fields and trains various teams for this interschool sporting competition that involves a group of neighbouring secondary schools. The VISTA sport competition is played on Tuesday afternoons during three of the school terms. VISTA sports include:
- Soccer
- Softball
- Football
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Netball
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Touch Rugby
Carnivals and Competitions
Banksia Park International High School students can compete in various sporting competitions and carnivals throughout the school year. Sports include: cricket, soccer, football, netball, basketball, rugby, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, hockey.
At BPIHS we are dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every member of our diverse school community can be the best version of themselves. We prioritise proactive and preventative approaches, promote positive relationships and provide comprehensive support services to cultivate a culture of resilience, belonging and wellbeing that enables all individuals to flourish in an ever changing world.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and supported and the responsibility for promoting mental health and wellbeing is a shared one.
How the Wellbeing Team support the BPIHS community
Whole school positive mental health promotion
- Developing and implementing whole-school wellbeing initiatives that create a positive, inclusive, and supportive school culture, including regular Wellbeing Wednesdays and annual Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness Days
- Creating visible and accessible wellbeing resources and information through our ‘Wellbeing Matters’ communication
- Providing access to food, toiletries and sanitary items
Early Intervention and Cohort-Specific Support
- Conducting targeted small group interventions addressing specific social, emotional, and academic challenges for identified student groups
- Developing tailored Student Life learnings and year-level presentations that address developmental, social, and mental health needs specific to each age group
- Supporting student leadership initiatives that foster student agency and wellbeing
- Review wellbeing survey information of students who may require additional support or are at risk of disengagement
Individualised and Targeted Support
- Offering one-on-one counselling and personalised support for students experiencing significant challenges
- Developing individualised wellbeing and academic support plans for students with complex needs
- Providing targeted interventions to support students with attendance issues, relationship difficulties, and academic struggles
- Coordinating referrals to external mental health professionals and specialist support services when additional expertise is required
- Maintaining confidential, needs-based case management to support students wellbeing for learning
SchoolTV
SchoolTV is an online resource available through BPIHS to help with the challenges of modern-day parenting relating to youth mental health and wellbeing. Parenting is a learning journey and SchoolTV supports families by providing credible information from trusted professionals, along with practical strategies to help alleviate some of the challenges being faced by young people today. This resource helps families build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding, and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can help start conversations on topics that can sometimes be awkward or difficult to tackle. SchoolTV is an essential part of a whole school approach to student wellbeing. Parents and caregivers are the greatest influence on a young person’s life, and SchoolTV provides information and strategies to support our common goal of better wellbeing outcomes for all students. You can access SchoolTV by clicking here
Making appointments with one of our team members
Students: can make appointments by completing an online form via their Daymap home page. The student will receive a daymap message to confirm their request, and a member of the wellbeing team will offer an appointment date and time.
Parents & Caregivers: Wellbeing concerns can be addressed by contacting Wellbeing Support Officer via phone, 8264 8122. Please note that any attendance issues need to be directed to the Year Level Lead in the first instance.
School Staff: Staff members who become aware of wellbeing concerns, such as Student Life Mentors, Year Level Leader or teachers, may also request a wellbeing check-in.
BPIHS in partnership with wellbeing support services
In-School Psychology
In-School Psychology counselling service is provided FREE of charge, as our service is bulk billed to Medicare or through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for eligible clients. The In-School Psychologist sees adolescents who have a referral from their GP under Medicare’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative, which allows the psychologist to provide 10 sessions per calendar year. Children/adolescents eligible under the NDIS do not have a limitation on the number of sessions they can have per calendar year.
As In-School Psychology bulk bills to Medicare or through the NDIS there is no out of pocket cost for the family. Also, the service is provided onsite at the BPIHS during school hours, it is therefore convenient and easily accessible to families.
Due to the demand for the service, there may be a short wait before the psychologist can start working with your family. You can find some free or low cost programs for parents and young people here. These programs teach the skills that a psychologist uses in face-to-face sessions and will complement the work you do with the psychologist once sessions commence. If you are interested in accessing this service or finding out more, please contact the Wellbeing Support Officer on 8264 8122.
Other resources to support your child’s wellbeing:
Kids Helpline for teens- https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens
Headspace- https://headspace.org.au/
ReachOut for young people- https://au.reachout.com/
ReachOut for parents https://parents.au.reachout.com/
RUOK- https://www.ruok.org.au/
Beyond Blue- https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support
eSafety– https://www.esafety.gov.au/
1800respect- https://www.respect.gov.au/
QLife– https://qlife.org.au/
Partners in Parenting https://partnersinparenting.com.au/
CAMHS Connect– 1300 222 647 (1300 2 CAMHS)
Emergency Mental Health Support
If you need to talk to someone urgently, or if you need emergency medical or psychiatric help, here are some suggestions of extended hour services whom to contact:
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 (freecall)
Parent Helpline 1300 364 100
Lifeline 131 114
Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (over 16yo) 8448 9100 Adelaide https://umhcc.org.au/
Ensembles
Banksia Park International High School offers many ensembles to cater for a range of instruments and abilities. School ensembles rehearse weekly and perform at various school events throughout the year and at our major performance evenings in terms 1, 2 & 3.
Ensembles students can join include:
Orchestra – which caters for students starting on their instruments to intermediate level. This ensemble plays a range of music from classical, pop, and jazz to rock music.
Stage band – this ensemble is for our students further along in their musical journey from intermediate to advanced music abilities. The stage band focuses on jazz, rock and funk music and features soloists.
Guitar and folk – has a focus on stringed instruments, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, violin and banjo. Students will play a wide variety of styles, classical pieces, electric surf rock, pop, metal, Irish and bluegrass tunes.
Middle school choir – is open to all ages and levels of experience. It provides excellent preparation for the senior vocal group. The choir provides a chance to learn 2-3-part harmony singing in a variety of styles, from pop, jazz and folk.
Senior vocal group – this group is primarily made up of singers from years 11 and 12 but also includes younger vocalists with significant prior experience. Students learn a range of advanced 4-5-part vocal pieces including jazz standards, classical repertoire and pop classics. Students are able to use the material learned in this ensemble to complete Stage 2 Music – ensemble performance.
Percussion – our percussion ensemble performs regularly at music events and at sporting events creating an electric atmosphere with marching band style pieces. This ensemble regularly supports the orchestra and performs drum cadences on their own at smaller events
Instrumental Music
Students can hire the following instruments through the school and take part in weekly group lessons provided by Instrumental Music at no cost.
- Brass – trumpet, trombone, euphonium, french horn, tuba
- Woodwind – saxophone, flute, clarinet, oboe
- Strings – violin, viola, cello, double bass
- Guitar – classical, electric, electric bass
- Voice
- Piano – (payment required)
Outdoor Education
Camps are a part of the year 10, 11 and 12 outdoor education course. Students put into practice their navigation, camp craft and group dynamic skills. Students need to problem solve, communicate and react appropriately to situations.
All students have the opportunity to become a buddy for an international student either for a short or long term visit. Local buddies act as mentors during the school day and will often be accompanied to lessons by their international buddies. The buddy system enables both parties to learn more about each other’s cultures, history, foods, traditions and education systems. Many cross cultural, long lasting friendships and invitations for our local students to travel overseas as guests of their international buddies family, have resulted as an outcome of this very successful system.
Banksia Park International High School students have opportunities to experience international travel and gain valuable insights to the living and culture of a different country. In recent years students have travelled to Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.
Korea
Banksia Park students have travelled with students from other South Australian schools to attend international schooling camps in Korea for two weeks during their January holidays. Students attend classes with Korean students which are delivered by South Australian teachers. Much of this time involves students getting to know each other and a sharing of cultures. Students have excursions to see various parts of Seoul and Korea including a visit to a traditional Korean Folk Museum, War Memorial, National Museum of Korea, indoor and outdoor theme parks – Lotte World and Everland, and shopping expeditions. Students have many cultural demonstrations including Korean drums, kite flying, martial arts. Our students certainly get to experience really cold weather, with below zero temperatures and they have a lot of fun in the snow!
Japan
Shikama High School is one of our sister schools in Himeji, Japan. Shikama visits Banksia Park each year, and we visit Shikama every two years. Students have wonderful opportunities to participate in school life in Japan and they get to try sports and activities we do not have in Australia. Students get to visit a number of places including the famous Himeji Castle, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island and the Kinkakuji and Kiyomiza temples in Kyoto. Students stay with homestay families where students gain a real insight in to living in Japan. Host families show our students around other parts of Himeji and Japan which have included Universal Studios, kimono wearing, local museums and restaurants.
Hong Kong
Po Kok Secondary School visits Banksia Park through their study tour. Banksia Park students have had a reciprocal visit to Po Kok. Students learn about another education system through attending lessons and activities in Po Kok Secondary School. Students also visit many places including a cable car ride to the statue of the Big Buddha situated on Hong Kong’s highest altitude and they go to two theme parks – Ocean Park and Disneyland. Students try a variety of new foods and enjoy lots of shopping too.
