From the Principal
Term 2 – A Busy Time Again!
Again this Term has been extremely busy. As Term 2 draws to an end it is interesting
to look at some of the many activities/events that took place over the last 10 weeks.
This list is certainly not exhaustive and in some ways only scratches the surface of
what occurs in the school:
Formal Anzac Day Ceremony
NAPLAN Exams for Years 7 and 9.
Parent and Teacher Nights- one for Years 7&8 and one for Years 9-12.
Two P&C meetings
Music Night
SRC organised Trivia Night
Numerous Sports Knockouts, as well as Grade Sport.
Year 9 Language camp
Year 7 Language day
International Student Guardians meeting
A variety of excursions organised by different KLAs
Visits by Executive and students of BHS to our five feeder Primary Schools.
Reports for all years written and distributed to parents.
The School Athletics Carnival – held this year at Sylvania Athletics field
100‘s of hours of Work Placement completed by VET students.
Term 3 sees this frenetic pace continue. Amongst a multitude of other activities we will have a Subject
Selection evening for Years 8 and 10. Year 12 will be sitting their HSC Trial exams and Year 11 will be
completing their Yearly Preliminary exams in the last two weeks.
SRC Trivia Night
Thanks to the SRC for organising the extremely successful Trivia night held on the 15th
of June. The night
was supported by a large number of staff, parents and ex-students. All who attended had a fun night with
challenging questions and activities. Many thanks to Sarah Butler and her team for their efforts in organising
the event and prizes. Also a vote of thanks to Peter Slater who performed wonderfully on the night as the
Master of Ceremonies. The night raised over $1000.
Half-Yearly Reports
By now you should have all received a copy of your child‘s half yearly reports. It would be great if you discussed
the teacher‘s comments with your child, especially the recommendations for improvement.
Primary School Visits
On the 12th
of June, Blakehurst High ‗took to the road’ to visit five of our local Primary Schools to talk to Year 5 and 6
students about coming to High School in general and attending BHS in particular. This is part of our Primary Links
Program. The schools visited were:
Hurstville South Primary School
Blakehurst Primary School
Connells Point Primary School
Baldface Primary School
Carlton South Primary School
N E W S L E T T E R
Blakehurst High School
Your Outstanding Local Comprehensive Secondary School
Term 2 Update – June 2012
270A Woniora Road BLAKEHURST NSW 2221 Ph: 9546 3281 Fax: 9547 1024 Email: [email protected] Website: www.blakehurst-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
The ‗road show‘ consisted of Dan Ovens (Deputy Principal), Joanne Louey, Troy Van Munster (2013 Year 7 Student Advisers), five
Year 7 students (all of whom attended different Primary Schools) and myself. Topics discussed included:
What is different at High School?
Subjects undertaken in Year 7
Sport
Interact
Peer Tutoring
First days at High School.
The Year 7 students who addressed the Primary students were – Celeste Trpkoski, Alexander Ristevski, Cassidy Que, Alexia
Mouratidis and Rachel Huang. They all did a wonderful job and were great ambassadors for the school.
The Year 5 students will visit Blakehurst High later in the year for an orientation visit and partake of some ‗taster‘ lessons, which
could include a Science experiment, a Cooking lesson, a PDHPE lesson, or an Industrial Arts lesson.
Subject Selection Evening
On the first Wednesday back next term (18th July) we will be holding a Subject Selection Information evening for all Year 8 and 10
students and their parents. We are requesting that all students and their parents attend this very important meeting if they intend
studying at Blakehurst High School in 2013. The organisation for the evening is:
Year 8 Meeting in the hall promptly at 5-15pm for a short presentation – this will be followed by various KLA/faculty
displays of elective subjects available for Year 9 students in 2013. Teachers and Head Teachers will be available to
discuss the options available within their KLA (5-30pm until 6-30pm).
Year 10 Meeting in the hall at 6-00pm for a short presentation on HSC requirements and the subject selection process as
it operates at BHS. This will be followed by KLA/faculty displays to allow students and parents to discuss 2013 Year 11
subject options with subject teachers and KLA Head Teachers (6-30pm until 7-30pm). There will be TAFE teachers also in
attendance during this time.
Interested in Becoming a „Homestay‟ Parent/Guardian
I recently attended a conference run by the International Students Centre (ISC). At the conference, a plea for ‗Homestay‘ parents/guardians was made by both the ISC and Homestay organisers. A ‗Homestay‘ parent/guardian provides board and lodgings for International Students attending local schools/universities. Therefore, if you have a spare room and would like to find out more about what is involved in becoming a ‗Homestay‘ parent/guardian, please contact one of the organisations below. Homestay parents/guardians are paid approximately $300 per week per student.
School Fees
Thanks to the many families who have already paid their school fees for 2012.
These fees assist greatly in the running of the school, and all fees received are used to enhance your child’s education this
year. General contributions are used to pay for things such as photocopying, textbooks, teaching resources, library books etc. The
school would simply not have enough money to pay for all of these things without parents paying the General Contribution. So
again, thank you.
Subject fees vary in their amount based on the amount of consumerables used in the teaching of the subject. As a result, some
subjects have NO fees, but others such as Visual Arts, Woodwork, Construction, Food Technology etc have higher fees due to the
resources/consumerables required and used by the students undertaking these subjects.
The P&C Student Enhancement Fee is used by the P&C to fund worthwhile educational projects/resources around the school,
again to improve the educational outcomes of students this year. So far in 2012 the P&C has funded projects valued at over
$23000. These include the ongoing funding of the SMS Attendance System ($5000); Data Loggers for Science (over $8000);
Sewing Machines for TAS (>$5000); Block Out Blinds requested by English ($2400); and installation/servicing of Ecomist products
in the boys and girls toilets ($2000 annually).
If you have trouble in paying your fees, please feel free to contact Kim Morris (Office Manager) or myself to organise payment in
instalments, or to discuss other arrangements. All information provided will be held in confidence.
Oz Homestay
Elizabeth Walmsley Ph: 8765 9063
www.ozhomestay.com.au
Aussie Families Homestay Care
Christine Rose Ph: 9301 0900
MOB: 0419 628 168 www.auzziefamilies.com
Staydown Under
Rachel Whyte Ph: 8901 4499
www.staydownunder.com.au
Blakehurst High School PLEASE USE THIS FORM FOR CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ONLY
Student Name: Roll Class:
Payment For:
PAYMENT DETAILS: {Please tick on box}
Please debit my credit card for $ Visa Mastercard Name on Card:
Card Number: PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
Expiry Date: / Signature: (Receipts will be sent home with students)
STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR JUNE: REVIEWING YOUR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS
Did you know that if you don‘t look at what you are learning for a second time within 24 hours you forget 80% of the detail! This is
why your teachers encourage you to review what you learn each day when you get home from school.
One of the best habits you can develop is the following:
each afternoon, even before you start your homework, spend 10-15 minutes reviewing what you learnt at school that day.
There are lots of different ways you can do this review, here are some ideas
(and you can do something different every day):
Highlight the key points in each lesson.
Write down the top 3 things you learnt in each lesson (you could do this in a separate book or at the bottom of the day’s
classwork).
Make a mind map about what you have been learning in class.
Try and explain what you did in each lesson that day to a family member (or even to the cat).
Go on a Google adventure, do some quick research on one interesting thing from each lesson.
Write up on a white board one main idea from each lesson (a whiteboard in your room is a great tool for secondary
students).
Write down for each subject a question you could ask about what you learnt that day.
There will be a fabulous payoff to doing this, more of what you learn at school will stick in your head, you will have less to learn at
test time, and it will make your assignments and projects easier when you can recall what you have been learning.
Learn more about the Brain and Advanced Memory Techniques at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.
User Name: blakehursths
Password: 186results
Mr B Lester Principal
Please ensure your
child has a reasonable
bed time so they can
be on time for
school
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S Report School Uniform
Your assistance in arranging for students to attend school in full school uniform is much appreciated. With the onset of colder
weather, jumpers and jackets often get lost. Clear labels on clothing will help the return of mislaid items.
Student Attendance
Everyone finds it harder to get out of bed in winter. Years 11 and 12 absences and lateness have worsened since the start of Term
2. Please encourage your child to get up at a reasonable time so that they can arrive on time by encouraging a reasonable bed
time. Students who miss Period Zero lessons can be missing up to 25% of their timetabled lessons. Students can not achieve their
best if they are not present for at least 90 to 95% of lesson time. Students who are late disrupt their own learning and the learning
of all other students in the class.
Junior students need to ensure that they arrive in time to attend rollcall (8:50am). Students who live closest to school, those who
walk, and those who travel to school with parents are often the last to arrive! Please ensure that your child is learning good habits.
As we know employers would not accept regular lateness.
The school will continue to communicate by SMS and mail, with parents of those
students who are absent. If you know that you child will be absent please contact
inform us by SMS, phone, email or note. This will ensure that you don‘t get the SMS
messages.
Year 12 – The End is in Sight
We are reaching a really important time for Year 12; many of whom are on target to
achieve their goals. Clearly however, the time has come for each of our Year 12
students to shift into gear and allocate real time to engage in examination practice to
consolidate their understanding of course work and accustom themselves to the
examination style questions that they will be asked to complete during the Trial Higher
School Certificate examinations commencing Week 3 Term 3, and the Higher School
Certificate examinations commencing Monday 15 October.
Past Higher School Certificate papers with markers comments can be found on the Board of Studies site at
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/
What is a good Band 6, Band 5 or Band 4 response?
http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/hsc/std-packs/ is a site where students can practice questions and compare these to
sample answers matched to the various bands. These sites provide students with plenty of options for examination practice in the
lead up to their trial and Higher School Certificate examinations.
Semester One Reports
Congratulations to all students whose Reports reflect that they have tried their best this semester. Year 7 students will receive their
Reports in the last week of term. If you have any concerns about your child‘s Report, please contact the individual teacher, the
subject Head Teacher or the Year Adviser.
Mrs Lyn Paton Deputy Principal
ENGLISH News
Mona Williams…….
….is a vibrant, much in demand storyteller. She covers a vast spectrum
of stories including myths, legends and heroic tales; folk, fairy and
wisdom stories, fables, riddles and autobiographical adventures. Her
action packed stories and dramatic presentations enthrall audiences of
all ages. Mona has taught English at Primary and Secondary Schools
and has lectured at University levels. She is also an author of 24
children‘s books and an Emmy Award winner for her television storytelling
program in the USA, ―Roots & Branches‖.
Tales with a Difference
On Tuesday 14 August there
will be a Year 7 school
incursion where students will
participate in a dramatic
presentation by Storyteller,
Mona Williams. This is an
integral part of the students‘
study of the Narrative, through the
themes of Fantasy, Myths and Legends.
This performance will take place in the Blakehurst High School Library during
Period 1 and part of Recess.
This is a compulsory component of Blakehurst High School‘s English Program. The
cost for each student is $4; to be paid to the Office and the permission slip, with the
receipt, is to be given to the student‘s English teacher by Monday 23 July, at the very
latest.
Mrs P Plessas
Year 7 English Coordinator
Mrs J Hinson
Head Teacher English
News from the LIBRARY All students
The school holidays are nearly here. All students are eligible to take advantage of the ―double borrowing‖ offer for the holidays. Students can borrow double the number of books that they can usually borrow so that they will always have something to read in the Holidays! The library has many NEW BOOKS ready for borrowing.
Keep reading your books for the 2012 PREMIERS READING CHALLENGE. Don‘t forget, Reading Logs need to be finalised in August.
Hurstville City Library has an extensive collection of resources for high school students. These resources are not only for HSC students, there are many that are of assistance to all years. The Library has recently acquired several databases that are accessible free from the Library‘s Website. Well worth a look! BLAKEHURST HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY is being re-
carpeted during the School Holidays. Come in for a visit next term to check out the new look!!
Jennifer Davoren
Relief Teacher/Librarian
Venus
News from SCIENCE
It was a cold and humid morning on the 6th
June, with the sky
patched with grey clouds and the sun a fuzzy orb that no sooner it
peeped into view than it disappeared again, as if in teasing. A breeze
was up too, mild and intermittent but perceptible enough to send tremors up
the solarscope and cause the projected image of the sun to occasionally
tremble and shake.
For someone out to observe the Transit of Venus, the conditions were far
from exemplary. But we stood our ground, no regrets there, and braved the
elements. The transit was an event not to miss, particularly when the next one
is not due until 2117. It was, literally and figuratively, a once-in-a-life
opportunity. Rain, drizzle or shine, we had to persevere.
On that particular morning, two solarscopes were in operation. A contraption
made from a lens, a mirror and a cardboard structure folded upon itself until it
resembled something futuristic—the first was won by the school following an
online competition, while the other was bought by the Mathematics and
Science faculties as a collaborative resource. The day before the transit, a
Year 11 Physics class had assembled both solarscopes, using the
instructions provided, and then took them out for a test run. On the 6th
,
more senior classes took part in the experience, with Mathematics and
Science taking the lead. Mr Bob Harrison, a guest speaker, was our
surveyor on the day. After introducing the field of surveying to a selection of
senior students, citing the skills needed and emphasizing the high
employability prospects of the field, he directed the same group outdoors
and in the lead up to the observation provided students with some hints on
how to correctly use a solarscope.
It was 8:30 am, and the transit had already begun. But the sun was
still masked by clouds and it simply refused to reveal itself. Time passed
one, one lengthy minute after the other. Overhead more clouds gathered,
further darkening the sky and adding to the collective angst. But then,
almost expectedly, a patch cleared out
above the eastern horizon and the
sun finally came into view.
Before another cloud would
creep in, students instantly
gathered around their
solarscopes and after some
adjustment watched the
image on the cardboard
sharpen and brighten up. The
projection was the size of a small plate, and equally bright.
There, against the white backdrop, was a small black sphere: our sought-after Venus.
What followed was a buzz of activity: fingers pointed; exclaims echoed; camera phones clicked; uniforms and
badges pressed and nudged as they vied for that better view of the celestial display in progress. Excitement hung in the air like
static. It was as if the beauty of Mathematics, the power of Science, the elegance of the Universe and the tenacity of the human
spirit in its eternal search for meaningful answers were all encapsulated in that simple display of shadow and light. It was ―strangely
exciting”, to quote a Head Teacher, ―seeing that black dot go across the sun”, and strangely exciting, indeed it was. Had I had the
time, I would have spent the whole day watching, but the bell had gone and it was time to move on. Such was life! Too many
chores to do, too little time to reflect. But on that day (June 6th
) the heavens had put on a show and we were out there to admire.
The Transit of Venus did not disappoint. It was a memorable experience for all involved. We had our moment of reflection, after
all.
On The Transit of Venus June 6
Projected Image of the Sun
Mr K Estephan
Science Faculty
Year 7 Science Excursion
Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife Park – Darling Harbour.
Over two cold winters mornings, all Year 7 students gathered at Hurstville Station to start an
amazing adventure into the realm of living organisms. The excursion to the Sydney Wildlife Park and Aquarium provided a stimulating experience and educational context
to the unit of work, Classifying Living Organisms, being studied in Term 2 by all
Year 7 students. After a quick train trip to Town Hall, it was a hop, skip and step down to Darling Harbour via the Queen Victoria building. The first stop was the Sydney Wildlife Park, where students screamed with excitement whilst being funneled through a
maze of dark walkways into the sweltering heat of the tropical enclosure. Students and staff were descended upon by a plethora of butterflies as they moved throughout
the tropics and forward to view the reptiles exhibit.
Sydney Wildlife Park – Ali Bassam Bazzi
The largest inhabitant and by far the most impressive was Rex, the 6ft long,
500 pound crocodile. Students witnessed Rex through a below ground viewing platform whilst Dave the keeper informed them of his history. He
has a viscous streak and in his time at the park has killed two of his former girlfriends. As a result, all attempts to prolong Rex‘s legacy through a mating program were abolished. Sydney Wild Life Park – Rex during his daily exercise routine.
Following a short break and bonus ―free sausage sizzle‖ it was a short walk to the Sydney Aquarium. The boys and girls were all buzzed up and
rearing to go after copious amounts of frozen coke refills and chips from the food court. The aquarium provided some spectacular observations of a variety of
marine habitats including The Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Bay of Rays, Northern and Southern Oceans and my personal favourite, The Discovery Pool.
The Discovery Pool was a fantastic hands-on exhibition that
provided the students with an opportunity to connect core knowledge of living organisms with real life sensations of
sight, touch and smell. On display were a variety of starfish, sea sausages, shark eggs and coral.
Overall, the staff and students had a wonderful experience over two days of superb weather. A big
thank you goes out to Ms Ware who organised the whole excursion, Ms Linda O‘Brien, Head Teacher
Science, for approving the excursion and all of the staff and practicum students that were in attendance. The students
represented the Blakehurst community with pride and should be commended for their exemplary behaviour and safety whilst on
public transport and walking through the streets of Sydney‘s busy CBD.
James Roff - Science Faculty Mrs Linda O’Brien Head Teacher Science
Every day we set out to satisfy our own personal needs with not too much thought of those less fortunate than us. I‘m hungry, I‘m tired, I‘m bored, I‘m busy… are a few of the narrow thoughts that went through my mind during the Easter holidays. Then it occurred to me, what do I do for others? Relatively little it seemed…..hmmm.
So, I began thinking about my upcoming ventures and how I
could incorporate them into a positive experience for people
less fortunate than myself. I decided to get the Blakehurst
High School community involved with the Charity event “The
Balmoral Burn‖ via student and staff involvement. Our Goals
were:
Raise $1000 for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation
Enter two teams - one boys‘ team and one girls‘
team in the schools relay category ―Head of the Hill‖
In a very short time frame and with the help of the dedicated
SRC team, Ms Butler, Ms Camilleri and Mr Smith we were able to organise
a Cupcake day to raise the funds required to enter a Senior Boys‘ Relay Team (as above). A fantastic effort by all involved.
The following results were achieved:
We fielded 1 team - Senior men‘s relay team – The ONLY public school entered
The boys‘ placed 23rd
out of 30 schools in the ―Head of the Hill‖ category
We raised $1105 for the Humpy Dumpty Foundation
Thank you to all those who donated:
On a personal note, I would like to express my immense appreciation towards the Blakehurst High community for getting behind
this event and giving the students an opportunity to help the less fortunate by participating in a positive community event. A huge
thank you to Mr Lester who has supported me throughout the whole process and was actually the first person to donate when the
fundraising page was created. Last but certainly not least, I would like to extend a massive thank you to Mr and Mrs Hughes for
getting the boys there on the day, taking a huge number of quality photos and making a DVD for all the boys - they were stoked!
Looking forward, I hope that this will be an annual event and I encourage every student, staff member, parent or caregiver to get
involved in 2013 and feel the burn!
helping put kids back together
Mika Zammit, David Hughes, Dylan McCuaig-Walton, Daniel Towe
Mr James Roff
Science Faculty
News from
Mathematics Faculty…
Venus came and w e n t!
What a great day! We recall looking out the window in the morning at the clouds and rain and thinking
we wouldn‘t have the opportunity to see Venus, but as Mr Estephan has reported elsewhere in the
newsletter the clouds did indeed open at critical times and we had the chance to be mesmerised by
that little black dot.
We are fortunate in the Mathematics staffroom that our windows face west, so all afternoon we left
the solarscope set up and we glanced at it often. A quite unique experience, and one we are grateful
that the wider school community got to experience.
Year 12 – Your time is approaching! HSC study days
It‘s time to take advantage of many study days that are being provided during the school holidays.
Remember these aren‘t holidays for you now – the Trial exams start in Week 3 of Term 3 so now is the time for serious ―trial‖
preparation. Time to find out what system will or will not work for you.
We recommend attending a seminar organised by your local council or one of the many Universities. Many of our Mathematics
students had the opportunity to attend a wonderful day at the University of Wollongong in late June – thanks very much to Mrs
Louey and Mr Yan for accompanying them.
HSC Mathematics Lock In – Kogarah Library
Friday 13 July, 7pm – midnight
Experienced HSC teachers will provide advice on all levels of HSC Mathematics. You can
have full access to library resources and free dinner and snacks. They are also doing English
on this night.
Registrations are essential and you can download from Kogarah Library‘s website
(www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au/library-services) else click directly on this link.
University Workshops
This website (http://hscintheholidays.com.au/workshops/) has links to lectures on many
campuses. They are low cost and cater for many subjects. They advertise using the phrase
“Sit for a day with the most qualified and experienced HSC teachers in NSW!” Who can
argue with that?!
………………………………………………………………….
Donate your blood! Others need it!!
In 2012 Blakehurst High School has started donating blood and we have made 72 donations
over the past 4 months. That‘s over 200 lives we have helped to save or improve…. absolutely
brilliant!
We‘ll be ramping up our awareness program during
Term 3 as we‘ll be having a great hit out in the 2012 -
2013 Vampire Shield; a friendly competition between St George and Sutherland Shire
schools. Our next donation days will be towards the end of Term 3, so watch out for the
posters around the school and presentations on Assembly.
Mrs A Peachey Head Teacher Mathematics
Testimony
of a
Student
Teacher
A Message from NSW Health re Vaccinations…..
……Each year NSW Health Public Health Units offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research
Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school-based program. If you have any medical queries re the vaccinations,
please contact the Public Health Unit on 9382 8333.
Parent Information Kits will be sent home to parents/guardians. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians
are advised to read all the information provided and complete the consent form. Only consent forms signed by the parent/guardian
will be accepted. To ensure your child is vaccinated, please return all signed consent forms to the school as soon as possible after
receiving them.
Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so in writing to the school Principal. The
procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at:
www.health.nsw.gov.au/PublicHealth/Immunisation/school_prog/withdraw_consent.asp . Please note that for the HPV vaccine
only: parents/guardians must record their Medicare Number (including all 10 digits) on the consent form, as this is required to
record the student‘s health information on the National HPV Vaccination Register and link to the National Cervical Screening
Program.
A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at the clinic. Parents/guardians should ensure that this
record is kept for future reference and should not assume that their child has been vaccinated if they do not receive this Record of
Vaccination. It is also recommended that you inform your GP so they can update your child‘s records.
What happens if your child misses a dose of the vaccine at school? Provided you have returned a signed consent form,
any student who is absent from school and missed a dose vaccine will be caught up with at the next scheduled
vaccination clinic at your school throughout the year.
Vaccinations Year 7 Vaccinations Year 10
Mrs J Smith Welfare Co-ordinator
A Record of Vaccination…
…will be provided to each student vaccinated at the clinic. Parents/guardians should ensure that this
record is kept for future reference and should not assume that their child has been vaccinated if they do not
receive this Record of Vaccination. It is also recommended that you inform your GP so
they can update your child‘s records.
Visit 1 30/03/12
Hepatitis B Vaccine (dose 1 of 2 dose course) Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) (dose 1 of 3 dose course - GIRLS ONLY)
Visit 2 29/06/12
HPV Vaccine (dose 2 - GIRLS ONLY) Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis booster – (single dose) Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox) – (single dose) HPV and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis vaccine –‗Catch ups‘
Visit 3 16/11/12
Hepatitis B Vaccine - dose 2 (for those who received dose 1) HPV Vaccine – (dose 3 GIRLS ONLY) HPV and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis vaccine – ‗Catch ups‘
Visit 1 30/03/12
Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis booster vaccine - (single dose)
Visit 2 „Catch Up‟
29/06/12
Year 10 Students
who miss the Visit 1
Vaccinations, can
‘Catch up‘ on Visit 2 or 3 Visit 3 „Catch Up‟
16/11/12
From the CAREERS Adviser
Parents Supporting Their Student
Quite often I receive phone calls from concerned parents anxious to help their
child as much as possible with their future career plans. As a parent myself I
fully understand the anxiety, the concern and the desire for their child to be well
prepared for their future.
While we sometimes don‘t think we are getting through to our teenage children,
research tells us that families and in particular parents are the single biggest
influence on our young people‘s career choices, but how do we keep up with all
the changes that have taken place in education since we were at school.
There are a number of excellent websites that can help us help our children.
The most comprehensive site that is user friendly and specifically aimed at
students, teachers and parents is: www.myfutrure.edu.au.
It is set-up in three sections:
It is this third section (Assist Others) which targets teachers and parents and where you will find a vast wealth of information that
you can use to help your child with these life changing decisions.
I also subscribe to a web service call ―MHSCareers‖ and as a parent attached to the
school, it‘s a simple matter to also register to receive their email alerts. I regularly edit
the information and email Newsletters to all Year 10, 11 and 12 students via the
Department‘s email system. I‘m sure if your child in these years were to check their
emails regularly they would find a number from me with these Newsletters and
numerous other career items as I receive them. The registration details for
―MHSCareers‖ are given below.
Students or Parents Registering for Email Alerts
Please send an email to the address below for the state (or states) that you are registering for with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Please include your name, school or college and whether you are a student or parent.
NSW/ACT – [email protected]
NSW/ACT Newsletters ONLY – [email protected]
With this option you will only receive one email a week but you will miss some news. I hope this information has been useful,
particularly with Subject Selections coming up and Year 12 contemplating the next step in their career journey.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants has requested the following information be included in this Newsletter, for
the attention of Students and Parents of Years 10 & 11.
Mrs Centorrino Careers Adviser
My Guide The Facts
Assist Others
Come Along to Meet the Business Leader Event for 2012 This is your chance to meet with young professionals from a wide range of Industries and gain
an insight into their real life experiences. When Wednesday 22 August 2012 from 4:30pm Where Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Level 1, 33 Erskine Street Sydney Who Year 10 & 11 students Dress Smart Casual Cost Free Register – www.charteredaccountants.com.au/Studnets/Whats-on/Eventlisting/NSW/NSW-Meet-the-
Business-Leader.aspx
Students need to Register as soon as possible as spaces are limited
Year 7 Graffiti Bin Project
The Environmental Team recently completed their
latest project, The Graffiti Bin Project. Some of the
Team cleaned school bins and selected Year 7
students to paint them on Friday of Week 7 and
Thursday of Week 8. The aim of the project was to
encourage students to put rubbish in the bins by
making the bins appealing to look at. We wanted
Year 7 to continue their good habits from primary
school and help make the school more attractive.
All Year 7 classes were asked to participate in a design competition, and
then the best 28 designs were selected to be painted onto bins. In the
process of painting and designing, students were reminded about the
importance of the 3Rs - Reduce Reuse Recycle! Reducing our
waste by putting our food into Reusable containers instead of plastic
bags/wrap; using Reusable drink bottles instead of buying water;
Recycling both paper in the appropriate box in the classroom and
objects at home.
The project was fun for all students involved and the finished product of
the bins look great! We also created a 5 minute video for the Enviro
Inspiro! Competition based on this and other projects carried out by the
Team.
Rebecca Gray-Schwarz, Stina Alevris, Erin Bayas
Environmental Team
Finished bins from first and second painting session
Ms Jane Camilleri
Environmental Team
SRC Report
Multiculturalism Project ….Diversified – Unified
One of the major on-going projects by the SRC of Blakehurst High for 2012 is the Multiculturalism project. The slogan for this year‘s
project is „Diversified - Unified’.
The purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the different race and nationalities present in our school and also to break down
the barriers between cultural groups.
We have interviewed teachers of different racial backgrounds to help us gain a better insight of what life is like for a non-Australian
background person to be living in this country. In these interviews, the teachers speak about what it means for them to integrate
with ―mainstream‖ Australian culture, while still practicing their own. We then present these interviews to the school during
Assembly (the first of these were shown to the school on June 28th). Students start to understand different views of other cultures
and will start to realize that despite the different racial backgrounds, we are not too different after all.
The Multiculturalism Team will begin a different theme next term, based on cultures. We will be focusing on things such as the
festivals, values and beliefs that different cultures hold. The purpose of this is to help students appreciate the wide variety of
cultures present in Australia.
The SRC, in conjunction with the Senior Prefects, have also taken on the Acculturation project, which is a program to help new
students, especially International students, to adapt to our school. We plan to commence this project in Term 3.
The SRC believe that the Multiculturalism project will impact the Blakehurst High School community in a positive way, and our goal
of having a peaceful, harmonious and unified student body will be achieved sooner rather than later.
Charlene Su, Year 11 SRC Member and Multiculturalism Project Leader 2012.
Miss Sarah Butler SRC Co-ordinator
Another busy and productive few weeks have passed by quickly. Most of the
‗Get into VET’ course attended by quite a few Year 10 students, finished last
week. The feedback has been very positive from both students and TAFE colleges.
This experience will help the participants with their subject selections for next year.
Other students and their parents will be helped by advice from teachers and various
stakeholders when they attend the upcoming Information Night next term and
through the course counselling that the school provides.
Other Year 10 and 11 students attended the St
George Career Compass Day at Hurstville
Entertainment Centre.
Many RTOS (Registered
Training Organisations),
TAFE, Universities, and
Apprenticeship Providers
had stalls, with lots of
information disseminated
for curious and enthused
students.
Year 10 Boys Jumpstart,
run by the Pole depot‘s
Youth Zone, finished last
Friday. The boys learnt a
lot and came away inspired to focus on their future
education and career. A group of Year 10 girls will be
completing a similar course next term. Some of you can
expect a permission slip to come home this week. Please
don‘t hesitate to contact me at the school if you need to
know more or would like your daughter to attend.
A highlight of last week was a visit to Yamaha
Corporate Headquarters at Wetherill Park. The Yamaha
Young Mechanics Partnership which also involves CBCC
and Oatley Senior College, Hurstville and Peakhurst
Campuses, has some of our Year 9 students competing
for one of the limited places in the Students‘ Grand Prix,
held next term. The students had to complete several
technical (mechanical) tasks and computer based tasks
involving motor bikes, both off road and on road;
outboard motors and wave runners. These tasks
simulated the type of skills required by Yamaha
technicians. The Yamaha technicians will study the
results of the written work and confer on how the students did on the technical tasks to decide who goes ahead to the Grand Prix.
The boys had a great day and worked hard on their various tasks.
The Yamaha Young Mechanics Partnership also involves offering work experience opportunities to students from Years 10, 11 and
12 who have given me an EOI. This will be happening during Semester 2.
Transition Adviser’s Report
Janelle Lyons Transition Advisor
Year 11 Hospitality students
completed their Prepare and Serve
Espresso Coffee competency at
Barista Basics, George Street
Sydney. During this course the
students had a great opportunity to
learn and prepare 5 different types of coffee. These valuable skills will be used
when they come to running the Blakehurst High School Café which is now known
as Café 2221.
Reminders for Year 11 VET Students:
Work Placement is MANDATORY. You will receive an N-award in your VET
subject if you do not complete Work Placement.
Second Work Placements for all Frameworks are coming up at the beginning of
Term 3.
Hospitality Term 3 Week 2
Business Services Term 3 Weeks 3 and 4
Construction Term 3 Week 5
Once again, for insurance purposes it is essential that all paperwork is
completed correctly. No students will be permitted to attend Work
Placement unless all signatures have been collected on the required
forms and these are returned to the class teacher prior to the
placement. For further information on Work Placement please use the
following link:
http://stgeorgeswl.mycms.com.au/Parents.aspx
Reminders for Year 12 VET Students:
Work Placement is MANDATORY. You will receive an N-award in your VET
subject if you do not complete Work Placement. If you have not completed 70
hours of Work Placement by 31 August 2012, your VET subject will not count
towards your HSC. Please see your teacher or Mrs Simpson ASAP to
organise this.
Trial HSC Examination are MANDATORY, however, if you want to opt out of the
HSC Examination you must see Mrs Simpson after the Trail Exams.
Keep completing your class work to ensure you get the most out of your
training, i.e. your Certificate II. If you have not met the requirements in some
competencies please see your teacher for the work that is outstanding.
Attention all Year 12 Students
….who may be interested in completing a Responsible Service of Alcohol and/or
Responsible Conduct of Gaming course. This Course has been booked for August
15 and 22, 2012. Please see Mrs Simpson for a permission note.
Cost: RSA $110, RCG $80 or both $180
You will need both of these if you intend to work in a Pub, Club, etc.
Mrs J Simpson Head Teacher VET
Tianni Vigh
Cindy Cheung & Melissa Tan
HSIE Report
The Global Leaders Convention was a one-day leadership
event held by World Vision for students in Years 10 -12 who
want to be a voice for justice in the world. The Global
Leaders Convention for Sydney was held on Friday June 1 at
The Big Top, Luna Park. This year Blakehurst High School
selected four Year 10 students – Chris Choe, Kamal
Marfatia, Sarah Irving and I, to attend the convention.
We arrived at The Big Top at 8:45am where we had to line
up to have our school‘s attendance marked off. After this
we received a name tag with different company names or
countries, and were then assembled with the rest of the
schools in the hall area.
As soon as all the schools were seated, we were welcomed
by two chefs/hosts who told us what we were going to do for
the day. They only told us that we were going to play a game
called ―Chopping Board‖ which involved all students
gathering together with other students with the same
company or country on our name tags. ―Chopping Board”
was a game where you had to build your own mini food box,
and collect the correct amount of cut-and-paste food for each
round and then place it into the boxes in order to win a prize.
If you were unsuccessful and didn‘t collect the right amount
of food you were then eliminated, and could only be eligible
to win the prize if you scored double the points of the next
round. When the game finished we had to assemble back
into the hall, to find out the prize for the winners.
Afterwards we listened to the two ―chefs‖ speak, and they
revealed to us that they weren‘t chefs, but that they were
actually two World Vision workers. They then explained that
the game had no prize, and that it was a game designed to
show us the struggle for food and how hard it is to attain.
Everyone quickly realised how hard it was to share the food
around, so that each group member would be able to obtain
the same amount of food. They proceeded to show us
videos of the famine and poverty occurring in Africa, with
heartfelt stories of some children and their families living
through these hard times.
The New South
Wales World Vision
Youth Ambassador
also gave a speech,
telling us the story of
her trip to Ethiopia.
Her speech was
inspiring, but the
story about what is
going on in some
parts of Ethiopia was
saddening. After a
break, we were given
information about the 40 Hour Famine and how we, as
students could help get our schools involved. When they
finished giving us some information, we were dismissed. All
in all, The Global Leaders Convention was a very
inspirational, informative and empowering day. It taught me
many valuable things that I didn‘t know, but also showed me
that everyone has a chance and a choice to do something,
and be a voice to help change this world.
Blakehurst
High School
will be running
the 40 Hour
Famine next
term. All
students are
welcome to
participate in
this event to
raise aware of the
food crisis overseas and
help raise funds to support people in need.
Ken Khamhing
Year 10
Food parcels on their way overseas to help
those in need.
World War II did not just involve men fighting overseas but
also greatly impacted men, women and children at home.
Imagine an excited bride wearing a wedding dress made out
of a parachute and sharing it with three other women
because materials were scarce. Blakehurst High School
Year 9 History 1 and 2 classes learned about these effects of
war on the Home Front from 1939 to 1945 at an exhibition at
the Museum of Sydney on 28
May. We also attended
Susannah Place Museum
in The Rocks as a site
study. During these visits
we learned many different
historical facts about how
Australian lifestyles have
changed over time.
When we visited the Susannah Place Museum we were
warmly greeted by two guides who provided us with
information about the living conditions of people over a
century. We took a tour
around the terrace houses
which consisted of layers
from different time periods.
The houses were very
different to modern times
because of the structure.
The houses were narrow
with narrow stairs, rooms
and low ceilings. There
were many things we
would not use today such
as a chamber pot, a bed
warmer and an outside
toilet. The guides also told us
about air raids during World War II, which happened when
they thought an enemy plane was flying over and an alarm
rang, this meant everyone had to close their blinds and turn
all lights off. It was a similar process for people driving at the
time because they would
apply a cover over the car
lights which had horizontal
lines that made the light
shine down so it did not
attract any planes flying
overhead.
The exhibition at the
Museum of Sydney was all
about the experiences of
people at home during
World War II. We watched
a documentary about the
work women did and what
type of contribution they
made at the time. Women were given the right to be involved
in the War, participating in jobs such as sewing, food
preparation for the soldiers but also in more skilled and
typically male jobs such as building aircraft. Women were not
just housewives but instead they got to explore their options
in different jobs. The guides took us around the
exhibitions
from the start
of the war to
the end, and
gave as a brief
insight into
women‘s lives
and people on
the home
front. The
exhibition also
showed many
artifacts such as children‘s board games which showed that
children were also affected during the war. It also showed
paintings of the Defense Forces on beaches which
demonstrated that people‘s lifestyles were changed. Another
artifact was recruitment posters to persuade women to get
involved in
the War.
Both the
museums
gave
everyone
great visual
insight of
Australian
life during
the 19th
and 20th
Centuries.
Roshan Cosgrove & Angela Isajlovska
Year 9
Year 9 Students behind Susannah Place Museum
HMAS ‘KATTABUL’ MEMORIAL SERVICE
South Hurstville RSL and Sub Branch invited five Year
12 Modern History students to attend a
commemorative service in recognition of the 17th
Anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul on 31
May 1942 during WWII. The Kuttabul at the time was
permanently berthed at Garden Island providing
accommodation for Allied sailors.
During the Japanese midget submarine attack on
Sydney Harbour, torpedoes were fired towards two
principal target ships however neither was hit. Instead
the Kuttabul was sunk for the loss of twenty one lives.
Ms Camilleri took Sara Petkantchin, Jennifer
Ognenovski, Illia Klianev, Bronte Luff and Adam
Moubayed to Darling Harbour. On arrival we were
welcomed by Mr John Burns, from South Hurstville
RSL sub branch, where to our great surprise we
boarded the grand ‗Bella Vista’ cruise boat for a
memorial service followed by an appetising lunch.
Directed by Chaplains Colin Tett and Rabbi Jeffrey
Kamins, the memorial was led with a commemorative
prayer followed by a Naval Hymn and an Ode to
remember the lost servicemen. A roll of honour was
presented, recognising each man who lost his life on
the night of the midget submarine attack with a poppy
laid in a wreath by a relative or member of the Royal
Australian Navy. A wreath was laid by Sara
Petkanchin and Illia Kilianev on behalf of South
Hurstville RSL, the school and local community.
The memorial was followed by an exquisite lunch
accompanied by a tour of Sydney Harbour and the
Garden Island Dock with historian Stephen Cuther‘s
exposition about the Japanese attack and the
discovery of the third midget submarine in 2006. This
excursion was a very valuable and enjoyable learning
experience for all the Modern History students who
were lucky enough to witness this unique way of
commemorating the past.
Special thanks to Mr John Burns, South Hurstville RSL
and Sub Branch, Office of Veteran‘s Affairs, Chaplain
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins and Chaplain Colin Tett RAN.
Bronte Luff
Year 12
HMAS Kuttabul after the explosion 1942
Sara Petkantchin, Illia Klianev, Mr Burns
Illia Klianev, Adam Moubayed, Jennifer Ognenovski, Bronte Luff,
Sara Petkantchin on the ‘Bella Vista’ deck
MODERN
HISTORY
EXCURSION
TO SYDNEY
JEWISH
MUSEUM
On Tuesday 22 May,
Year 12 Modern
History students
attended the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst to learn
about Nazi Germany and World War II.
The day began with us being introduced to Holocaust
survivor, Kuba from Krakow, Poland. Kuba described his
first hand experience of the Holocaust as a child separated
from his family and forced to work for the Nazis. We were all
touched deeply by Kuba sharing his experiences.
After Kuba answered our questions we independently
explored the Museum where we could see artifacts from the
period of the Nazi German regime such as Nazi propaganda
and personal Jewish belongings, which came from ghettos
and concentration camps. We were able to view
photographs of Jews who were in the ghettos and in
concentration camps, which opened our minds to the
perspective of how Jewish people suffered during the
Holocaust and the horrors that were encountered.
While we explored the Museum we came across a memorial
dedicated to Jewish children who passed away during the
Holocaust which was very emotional.
After we had explored the museum we attended a seminar
about German strategies during WWII. This seminar was
very interesting with the use of filmed interviews of
eyewitnesses and written documents to educate us further
about the practices of the Nazis during this time.
Overall, our visit to the Jewish museum was an amazing
experience. It helped us to understand the impact of Nazi
racial policies towards the Jews during WWII. We were able
to pay our respects to the Jews who suffered throughout
Europe during the Holocaust.
Ana Stanojevic and Celeste Winters
Year 12
Mr P Slater Head Teacher HSIE
CAPA ‘Column’
“Music! Lights! Action!”
Music Night - what a fabulous ‗note‘ on which to
finish a very busy Term!
On 20 June, the students of Blakehurst High School
presented a first class afternoon and evening of musical and
dance entertainment. The matinee performance was
presented to an audience of enthusiastic students from
Blakehurst and Baldface Primary Schools, and an audience
of approximately 400 parents and friends of our students
enjoyed the evening performance.
We were overwhelmed with the number of students who
auditioned this year for our musical event, so we decided to
hold a matinee and an evening performance to showcase the
extraordinary talent of our students.
The Year 11, Music 1 class, began the audition process early
in the Term and selected 11 acts for the matinee
performance and 13 acts for the evening performance, both
shows ending with a ‗finale‘ involving all performers for each
concert.
I would like to personally express my thanks and
congratulate all performers for their outstanding effort in
presenting a polished concert performance. And very special
congratulations the Blakehurst High School Cheer Leading
Girls, under the expert direction of Ms Belinda Berrett -
who incidentally also choreographed and rehearsed the
Finale with all performers! This was the debut
performance for our Cheer Leaders, who did themselves
proud with their precision movement and lift routines!
An event such as Music Night doesn‘t just happen – it is a
lot of practice and hard work over a long period of time,
and the unfailing support and encouragement of all
Blakehurst High School staff. Thank you to all the staff
who supported us on the night and to all the staff who
supported and encouraged our students throughout the
journey, allowing them out of class to rehearse and
perfect their acts. And of course a huge thank you to Mr
Lester, Mr Ovens, Mrs Paton and the front office staff, who
were ‗entertained’ every day for at least the last two weeks
before the show. They were all very encouraging with their
comments and not once complained about the fact that they
had probably heard each song at least 40 times prior to the
concert!!!
The stage crew were equally amazing! They managed to
keep the show rolling smoothly, changing all the sets and
equipment, microphones etc in a timely manner, and with a
minimum of fuss. We were also very privileged to have the
expert filming services of Cameron Gaubert (Year 11), who
has not only given us a fantastic collection of still
photographs of the event, but also recorded the whole show.
The filming will be
edited, and
DVDs of the
show will
be
available
for sale
early in
Term 3.
We will keep
you posted
about the DVDs! This
is a fantastic experience
and opportunity for our students and hopefully will encourage
more performances on a regular basis for all our talented
students. Congratulations to all students for a fantastic job!!!
Meanwhile, back in the CAPA staffroom, we are very
pleased to welcome Ms Sophia Psarakis to our team. Ms
Psarakis will be teaching Drama while Ms Helen Elakis is on
maternity leave. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Ms
Elakis all the very best as she eagerly awaits the upcoming
birth of her twin babies!
A very warm
welcome back
to Mrs Kerrie
Codey, who has
recently
returned to our
team (part time)
following the
birth of her little
boy Beau. Mr
Anthony Jenkins
will continue to job-share with Mrs Codey for the remainder
of 2012.
On behalf of
the CAPA
team, I wish all
the students a
safe and
restful break,
and look
forward to
working with
you all again
in Term 3!
Ms Judy Jacobsen & the CAPA Team
TAS Home Economics Update
What a busy Term this has been! I don‘t think we‘ve had
time to breathe with so much going on. All our students
and the TAS Home Economics staff have been working
extremely hard this term.
Senior Students
This term has continued to be an extremely busy term
for our senior students, in particular, our Year 12 Textile
and Design students who have been busy working on
their Major Design Projects.
Textile students
.. in Years 9 to12 attended the Craft and Quilt Fair in Darling Harbour. The
Year 11 students attended workshops to help them with their Major Textile Project design folios.
All our students had an enjoyable day gathering lots of
inspiration from all the stalls on display.
Year 12 CAFS class
….has had the opportunity to participate in the Baby Think It
Over Program as part of their learning experiences in the
Parenting and Caring module. They have all taken Baby Blake
home for a 24 hour period and have been required to provide
care for him. Baby Blake will cry and as his parent the Year 12
student needs to determine whether he needs to be fed, burped,
rocked or have his nappy changed. They have all had a very
realistic experience into the world of parenthood and what the responsibilities are to be
parents.
Year 11 Exploring Early Childhood class
….went to Hurstville Private Hospital Birthing Unit where they had the opportunity to speak
with new parents and midwives. They also saw new born babies being cared for by
midwives.
CAFE
Our Year 12 Hospitality students have been extremely busy running the School‘s Cafe on a
weekly basis all term. A big thank you to all the staff who continue to support our Cafe every
week! We have also begun the rollout of our Loyalty Cards to our loyal customers!
Junior Students
Our junior students have also been working hard this term across all our subjects and
producing a range of quality projects.
As we head towards the end of Term 2, I want to wish all our students and their families a
safe holiday break. On behalf of the TAS Home Economics staff we look forward to seeing
you all refreshed and energised to begin Term 3 with Gusto!
Mrs N Dexter
Head Teacher TAS Home Economics
LOTE Report
Language Camp 2012 On Thursday May 31, the Year 9 Languages classes attended a two day
Language Camp at Stanwell Tops. There were 67 students from the
Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Italian and French classes who made their
way to the National Park, with their language teachers to begin a fun-filled
two days of language immersion.
Thursday began with the students being divided into 2 groups to ‗experience‘
the infamous High Swing and Cart Racing. Mr Nassif assures us that the High
Swing is an unforgettable experience for all who try it!
The students then spent the afternoon making their language costumes. The
Italian students impressed everyone
with their fabulous ‗gelato‘ outfit.
Another activity session was
followed by a disco on Thursday
evening, whereby students
enthusiastically decorated the
hall in the colours of their
respective country.
Friday morning saw the students
participate in an International
Trivia competition and then they
assisted their teachers in making
some exquisite food. The pizza
went down a treat as did Mrs
Loizos‘ bougatsa. Mrs Mangraviti and
the French class made some delectable crepes, with the Japanese and
Chinese students not to be outdone with their chicken teriyaki and fried
rice.
The feast of food was then followed by a cultural performance by each of
the language groups. The French Can-Can was memorable as was the Greek
Zorba. Mr Nassif honed the voices of the Italian class to ensure that it was a fabulous performance. Mrs Huang and
Mrs Smith also entertained the students with their original Chinese and Japanese performances.
A very tired yet happy group of students returned home on the Friday, having enjoyed a very educational yet fun-filled
two days. So come on Year 8 let‘s see you all learning a language next year!!
Commedia dell-Arte Puppetry
Dennis Murphy
1 May 2012
―Dennis Murphy is Australia’s leading exponent of Commedia dell‟Arte, the
riotous Italian Mask and Puppet Theatre that was the forerunner of modern
irreverent Comedy.”
Students of Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 Italian and Year 7 Latin had the opportunity to see
him perform in both Mask and Puppetry. The
students found his performance entertaining as they
thoroughly enjoyed themselves from beginning to
end. It is important for students to have a cultural
understanding and awareness of the language they
are learning. Prior to the show, students were treated
with a special Italian lunch that consisted of a pizza
and a drink. I would like to thank all staff and students
who helped make this incursion a success.
Jessica Laubhan, Gina Famiglietti, Peter Koutsoukos, Samantha Michels
好hǎo
味wèi
道dào
!Delicious! - Yum Cha…
On Friday of Week 9, the Year 7 and 8 Chinese classes ventured into the city to visit the Chinese Friendship Garden and Chinatown where they enjoyed Yum Cha.
There was more food than we could eat, so some families may have enjoyed Chinese Dim Sim that evening.
Mrs Anne Mangraviti Head Teacher LOTE
Jayden Xabregas, Camran Hashmi,
Patrick Horvat, Philip Naumoski
Jessica Jiang, Ashley Yang, Sophie
Ward, Jake Moore, Pearl Zhang
Year 7 Theory – Body Wise Including:
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Access to Health Services
Components of Health
Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Soccer, Touch
Assessment – Half Yearly Written Examination
Year 8
Theory – Positive Relationships including:
Respectful Relationships
Conflict Resolution
Connectedness
Positive Relationships
Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Netball, Basketball
Assessment–Relationships in the Media Research Task
Year 9
Theory – “What‘s the Big Issue?‖ includes:
Body Image Healthy Eating Drug Education Negotiating Safe Sexual Relationships Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, AFL, Touch/OzTag
Assessment – Blooms Task-Drug Information for Young
People
Year 10 Theory – Protective Strategies including:
Resilience Binge Drinking Safe Sex Practices Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Basketball, Volleyball
Assessment – Harm Minimisation Campaign
PDHPE Faculty – Report
Coles Sports for Schools Program
Our school has once again entered the Coles Sports for
Schools program. Last year we were able to acquire some
much required sporting equipment due to the wonderful
support from, parents, carers, students and staff. The
collection box will once again be placed outside the PDHPE
staffroom so it would be great if we could have the same
magnificent support that was evident last year.
The Final Weeks for Year 12 Students
….are fast approaching and it is extremely important for
students to be using this valuable time to summarise, revise
and study all work from Cores 1 and 2 and the two options
for the HSC course. Remember your teachers, Mr Smith,
Mrs Johnson and Ms Berrett are your most valuable
resource as a means to understanding and learning all you
need to know in your course. These teachers are very
knowledgeable, competent and approachable and they are
more than happy for you to ask about any areas of your
study that you may be struggling with. I know that all PDHPE
candidates have been prepared well for the upcoming exams
and I hope that all students attain the results that they
require to pursue their interests after school, be it University,
TAFE or employment.
Year 11 Study Day
Year 11 have recently completed a study day at Sydney
University which was well attended and highly successful. All
students behaved very well and gained many benefits from
the information offered. Special thanks to Ms Berrett and Mr
Kemp for your efforts in organising this day. It is also timely
to remind all students that your Preliminary Course is fast
coming to an end before Year 12 starts in earnest at the
beginning of Term 4. Your final exam will have a major
bearing on your results and it is important that you are
revising all course components to ensure that you achieve to
your full potential. Whist the Preliminary Course work is not
examined in the HSC it is assumed that you understand
concepts that will be expanded upon in Year 12, therefore it
is very important for you to have a sound knowledge of all
work studied throughout Year 11.
Year 7 to 10 PDHPE
These courses have some compulsory requirements in order
for students to be able to satisfactorily complete Outcomes:
1) The PE uniform must be brought to school and changed
into for all practical lessons
2) All equipment must be brought for all theory lessons
including: laptops (Years 9 & 10), note books, previous
handouts and writing equipment
3) Students must participate in both practical and theory
lessons to the best of their ability and complete all work
as instructed by class teachers
4) Students must complete all Assessment Tasks and
Assignments to the best of their ability and hand them in
by the due date.
Year 10 2012
….will be the first cohort that will not sit for the School
Certificate. They will instead attain the RoSA-Record of
School Achievement. This has not changed dramatically for
PDHPE students who will still attain a grade according to
their successful completion of the Outcomes associated with
the work studied. It is therefore very important for all
students to work to their full potential so that they may be
able to attain a high grade for this course. This means that
students need to participate in all lessons and complete all
Assessment Tasks and Assignments to the best of their
ability by the due date. Effort and a positive attitude are
highly valued in PDHPE. Students showing these attributes
usually attaining creditable results.
Years 7 to 10 PDHPE
These Year groups have completed or are completing the
following units of work in Term 2.
Yours in Sport,
Mr T Yelavich/Head Teacher
& PDHPE Team
Girls / Boys
12 Years
Jelena Drakulovic / Anthony Lu Gurnoor / Singh
13 Years
Laura Seib
14 Years Julia Glavincevski / Drew Aftanas
16 Years
Natalia Bakrdanikoska / Martha Spilioti Nina Glavincevski
Dylan McCuaig-Walton / Billy Cai / Zdravko Majkic
17 Years Tayla Gardiner / Matthew Edenborough
18 Years
Angela Liley / Lily Gasparini Mark Langley / Stefan Radulovic / Rhys Puckett
PDHPE Sports - Report
Term 2 has been a very busy time for many students
competing in various sports and competitions over the past
six to eight weeks. Unfortunately, two sport weeks in early
June had to be cancelled due to the wet weather, however
the good news is that with most sports teams performing
exceptionally well, we are on our way to qualifying for the
semifinals which begin in Week 5 Term 3.
Cross Country
On Monday 21 May, the St George Zone Cross Country was
held in glorious sunshine and with the enthusiasm shown by
all competitors, a great day was had by all. Congratulations
to the following students who qualified through to the
Regional Carnival -
On Thursday 14 June, the above students competed at the
Regional Cross Country Championships which were held at
Miranda Park in wet and soggy conditions, and I am very
pleased to announce that we have two outstanding runners
who will be running at the NSWCHS Cross Country to be
held at Eastern Creek Raceway on Friday 20 July. These
students and their results from Regional were –
Julia Glavincevski – 1st
Dylan McCuaig-Walton – 2nd
Good luck to these two gifted runners and congratulations for
qualifying through to State.
Athletics Carnival
The Blakehurst High School Athletics Carnival was held at
Sylvania Athletics Track on Tuesday 29 May on a damp but
otherwise successful day. With near record numbers
attending, and the events running smoothly, we had a
number of outstanding competitors and a number of records
broken.
Congratulations to the following students who were
rewarded for their terrific efforts by being crowned Age
Champion for 2012.
The following students must be congratulated and
recognised for breaking existing records and now having
their names etched in history as the best in their age group
from the school. These students and their records are –
Sarahpheinna Woulf – U/12 Girls Discus (18.80m)
Julia Glavincevski – U/14 Girls 1500m (6.49min)
Drew Aftanas – U/14 Boys 1500m (5.31min)
Dylan McCuaig-Walton – U/16 Boys 1500m
(4.48min)
Peter Zourdis – 17+ Boys Shot Put (13.76m)
The Champion House on the day was Freeman, so
congratulations to Ms Berrett, and House Captains Eliza
Dolatowski and Chadwick Aryana.
At the time of writing this report, the Zone results are still
being finalised, and I would like to thank Mr Roff for being
Team Manager over the two day Zone carnival and for
providing his professional help in assisting our athletes to
compete at their best. Congratulations to all students who
qualified for the Regional carnival to be held in Week 3 Term
3.
Table Tennis
Congratulations to the following boys who won the Sydney
East Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship held at
Homebush during the middle of Term 2 and are now again
the Regional Champions for 2012. These boys are –
Aubrey Young, Nicholas Chen, Bryan Hung
Bob Zhang, Alex Fang and Matthew Fong
These boys then went on to compete at the NSWCHS
Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship held at
Homebush on Monday 25 June. These boys competed
exceptionally well at such late notice and came 2nd
in the
tournament. This is an amazing result from a talented group
of boys, and I would like to give a big thank you to Ms Chen
for going out of her way to ensure these boys were able to
compete. Congratulations!
Gymnastics
Congratulations to Rebecca Luhur of Year 10 who recently
competed at the Australian Rhythmic Gymnastics
Championships and placed a very credible 7th
overall.
Rebecca placed 4th
in the Ribbon and 4th
in the Ball events.
Congratulations also to Shoji Isomoto of Year 12 who
competed at the Australian Gymnastics Championships and
his results were– 2nd
Level 7 Open Pommel, 4th level 7 Open
Girls / Boys
Sarahpheinna Woulf / Ishayat Hayat – 12 Years Emeline Mafileo / Hayden Smith – 13 Years
Julia Glavincevski / Jeremiah Muriwai – 14 Years Pauline Beard / Braydon Pilot – 15 Years
Shannon Suryawan / Dylan McCuaig-Walton – 16 Years Tayla Gardiner / Danil Goloubev – 17+ Years
Vault, 3rd
Level 7 Open High Bars. Congratulations to these
very talented gymnasts and we wish them every success in
the future.
Upcoming Events
NSWCHS Cross Country Championships – Eastern
Creek Raceway, Friday 20 July
Regional Athletics Carnival – Sylvania Athletics
Track, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July
NSWCHS Athletics Carnival – Sydney Olympic
Park Athletic Centre, Thursday 6 – Saturday 8
September
St George Zone Winter Grade Sport Finals –
Wednesday 15 August and 22 August
NSW Interschool Cheerleading Championships –
Friday 10 August
Sport web sites
The following sport web sites are useful for School Sport
notices, Zone Sport information and Sydney East Knock
Outs and representation.
Blakehurst High Sport Information – http://www.blakehurst-
h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sport
St George Zone Sport Information –
http://www.stgeorgesssa.com.au/
Sydney East Sport Information --
http://www.sports.det.nsw.edu.au/syd_east/welcome.htm
Regards,
Mr N Smith
Sport Organiser
June Road Safety Tips
As the weather gets colder, it is good to consider our children‘s safe travel strategies -
A brightly coloured raincoat can help your child be
visible in wet weather.
Remind children to look both ways before crossing
the road.
Even if it is raining, please walk slowly and choose
a safe gap in traffic to cross the road.
An extra pair of socks and a plastic bag in your
child‘s school bag can allow them to change after
walking to school in wet weather.
If children are wearing several layers of clothing,
they will stay warm even if they are a bit wet. This
is better than running in the rain.
It is easy to sleep in on cold mornings. Please
allow enough time for a relaxed drive to school to
avoid making up time when driving.
Remember that everyone‘s child is special and to
drive slowly, patiently and carefully near schools.
If it is raining or overcast, using the headlights can
make it easier for drivers and pedestrians to see
your vehicle.
Please always park legally for the safety of
everyone. If there is a pick-up queue, park legally
and walk or wait several minutes before trying
again.
While adults sometimes find rainy weather stressful,
remember that kids can enjoy it. Instead of queuing
or rushing, perhaps a cheery walk in the rain in
raincoat and gumboots followed by a cosy evening
inside the house might be a way to share a laugh
together during winter.
A car maintenance check of tyres, brakes and wind
screen wipers is a good idea before rainy weather.