Friday 4th March 2016, ISSUE NO. 3

Year 6 to 7 Transition Day

On Friday 26th February Nambucca Heads High School held a Year 6 to 7

Transition Day. The day was science based so the students were involved in

many experiments. They were

given the opportunity to use mi-

croscopes, make elephant poo

and make toothpaste. The bottle

rockets were a big hit. The final

experiment of the day was to

make ice cream. Some students

nearly got there however, be-

cause it was such a hot day not

everything went to plan. It was

great to see the Year 6 stu-

dents, who were from St Patricks

Macksville, Macksville Public,

Nambucca Heads Public and

Frank Partridge VC Public

schools, all joining in with one

another and getting to know

each other. A big thank you to

our Year 9 and 11 students who

were responsible for helping the

younger students navi-

gate their way around the

various experiments and

the school. There will be

more transitions days

held throughout the year.

What’s Happening

March 7th

Zone Netball Port Macquarie

Zone Union Kempsey

March 8th

Regional Swimming Carnival

March 9th

Years 10 & 11 Bell Shakespeare

March 10th

School Photos

March 15th—18th

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition to Nymboida

March 17th

Years 7 & 8 Netball Gala Day Kempsey.

March 21st

Years 9 & 10 Marine Studies Excursion to Port

Stephens

March 24th

Zone Touch Wauchope

March 25th—28th

Easter Break

April 5th—8th

Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Point Lookout

April 6th—8th

Year 12 Sydney Excursion —ArtExpress, Modern

History, D&T

Dear Parents and Community

On Friday 18th March we will once again have the Enlighten Education Group in the school presenting to all of

our students in Years 9 and 10. The girls will be taken through The Butterfly Effect and the boys will experience

Goodfellas: Conversations with Young Men that Matter.

The Buttterfly Effect talk will address the following: Open any teen magazine and you will see that much of

the information the media bombards teenage girls with is negative and contradictory; no wonder they

report feeling stressed and inadequate! The workshops will recognise the diverse interests of our girls

and present them with content that is non – commercial, age appropriate and (most importantly) empow-

ering.

Goodfellas: Conversations with young men that matter will take the boys through the Myth Busters workshop "debunks" the most

common, and damaging myths about boys in a really engaging, funny, positive way and builds up skills that allow boys to

move beyond stereotypes. Some of the myths debunked amongst others include: There's nothing I can do about violence against wom-

en, Real men don't cry, Men are from Mars, women are from Venus and Boys hate learning.

These workshops are another great example of how NHHS is using its GONSKI funding and through this funding NHHS will be able to

provide each student with this experience when they are in Stage 5 at NHHS.

At last week’s P&C meeting the winter uniform was discussed. We will be offering slacks for the girls and a pull over and zipper jacket

with the school logo on it for both boys and girls. We are going to offer a tracksuit for all students to wear. The P&C would like the student

body to choose what they want so we are holding a competition for students to design the school tracksuit. More details to follow in re-

gards to this design opportunity.

As always please contact me at the school if you have any questions in regards to your child’s education at NHHS.

My two highlights of the fortnight:

The Year 7 camp that was held last Wednesday to Friday. Congratulations to our new Year 7 students who have settled well in high

school life, our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders who were great role models for our younger students and our Year 12 Hospitality students

who catered for the three days. A special thank you to all of the staff who went on camp and made it such a great experience.

Our first 6 to 7 Orientation Day for our 2017 Year 7 cohort. Over 100 students from FPVC Public, Nambucca Public, Macksville Public

and St Patrick’s filled the school and participated in a number of science experiments that gave them a taste of what high school will be

like. Thanks to the Year 9 and 11 students and other staff who helped Ms Lockyer and Mrs Waters run a great day.

Simon McKinney—Principal

Christopher Knights and Morgan Robins represented NHHS at the Nambucca Heads

Lions Youth of the Year competition on Tuesday 23rd February. Both students repre-

sented the school with honour and distinction and both gave interesting and thought-

provoking speeches that caused much discussion amongst the audience. Christo-

pher spoke about tattoos and the reasons as to why they are so popular in today’s

world while Morgan gave a very well researched speech on the issues that may arise

if Australia allows nuclear waste to be stored in selected areas of our country. Chris-

topher was named the winner on the night and will now move onto the regional final

at South West Rocks in mid-March.

Lions Scholarship

Nambucca Heads Lions Scholarship is an award that is presented each year. Students

are interviewed and asked a series of questions on their aspirations and goals for ther fu-

ture. This year the scholarship was awarded to Year 11 student Rhiannon Patfield. Mr Pe-

ter O’Neil from Nambucca Lions made the presentation at the school assembly on Tues-

day 23rd February. He was extremely pleased with the students that applied this year

which made the decision one of the hardest they have had to make. Congratulations to

Rhiannon.

Principal’s Report

Lions Youth of the Year

Christopher Knights and Morgan Robins

Rhiannon Patfield and Mr Peter O’Neil

Sports Roundup

Swimming

A number of students attended the Zone Swimming Carnival held at Macksville recently. We now have ten students moving

onto to the next carnival, which is the Regional Carnival, to be held at Kempsey on Tuesday 8th March. Congratulations to

Alexandra Cowan, Charlie Dent, Carly Donovan, Max Galo, Liam Jones, Olivia Langley, Annabelle McCullagh, Xanthe Ro-

nan, Charlotte Williams and Ella Williams. These students have qualified in a number of individual events as well as a num-

ber of relays.

Touch

Last Tuesday the Under 15’s boys and girls touch football team travelled to Bowraville to take part in the Zone trials. Each

team played four rounds, against Camden Haven, Bowraville, Melville and Wauchope. The girls won three out of their four

games, playing extremely well given the hot conditions. The boys team weren’t so lucky, they went down three games and

drew one. All are to be congratulated on playing so well in the hot weather conditions. Congratulations to Beau Langford,

Bella Ronan, Charlie Dent and Kyiesha Cohen on making the Zone team. These students play on the 10th of March, trying

out for the Lower North Coast Team.

Rugby League

Three students, James Weimer, Cameron Blair and Beau Langford, attended Rugby League trials recently Congratulations

to James and Beau who have qualified for the next round of games which will be held on the 15th March at Macksville. Con-

gratulations also to Cameron Blair who tried out for the Opens although only being sixteen. He will be one to watch next

year.

Basketball

On Thursday 11th February two teams travelled to Port Macquarie to compete

in a round robin competition. Basketball hasn’t been very popular at NHHS

over the years but that all changed when Mr Gary “Duke” Lee began working

here. He has been working with the students over the last couple of years to

gain new skills and run lunchtime sport. Everyone was very excited to come

away from this competition with their first win playing for NHHS. The boys

defeated Kempsey High and lost to Melville. The girls had a win against

Kempsey High and then won on a forfeit from Melville High. Congratulations to

the students who have put in a lot of hard work to improve and enjoy

learning a new game.

Charlotte Williams, Luwarna Cohen, Lanita Jarrett, Maleeka

Darcy, Jasmine Smith, Charlie Dent, Crystal Wylie, Alexandra

Cowan, Brooke Elphick, Bella Ronan, Kyiesha Cohen

Ethan Hocking, Nathan Woodland, Bradley Hallett,

Decklan Cutmore, Isaac Jones, Beau Langford, Kane

Galo, Dane Saunders, Ethan Moller,

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Nambucca Heads High School P&C Association will be holding it’s AGM on Wednesday 23rd March

BEGINNING AT 5PM in the School Library. All welcome.

Brooke Elphick, Renee Watson, Maleeka Darcy, Talitha Jarrett,

Kelli-Ann Ridgeway, Lanita Jarrett, Shaina –Lee Donovan

Diary Dates:

A Region Working Together The first regional meeting for Head Teachers’ of English was held at Coffs Harbour High School on Wednesday 22nd Febru-ary. Head Teachers of English from: South Grafton, Toormina, Bellingen, Woolgoolga, Orara, Macksville, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Dorrigo High Schools met to discuss and share; successful ideas, resources and strategies on how to improve teaching and learning for students’ overall results. From this day, we have planned a series of combined high schools:

Year 9 and 10 creative writing workshops

Workshops from published authors presenting ideas on ‘Imagination in Writing’

HSC study days for students

A Debaters camp

Teacher Professional Learning provided from specialist HSC markers focused on improving HSC results. Dates of events will be published on the Nambucca High School Calendar as well as student notices. I would encourage all students to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities to explore new experiences to improve their learning. What’s Happening in Year 12 Advanced English? Ms Dennis sought the opportunity to attend the annual English Teachers’ Association HSC workshops in Sydney on 26th February. The conference provided insightful information and resources for teachers and students on the intricacies of study-ing the Advanced English Course modules as well as strategies on how to increase results through the application of particu-lar approaches to the texts and the HSC questions. Building on the additional morning classes already established with her Advanced English class, Ms Dennis will run a 2 ½ hour session on Wednesday 9th March to lead students through this invaluable infor-mation. Well done to Ms Dennis and her hard working class on their commitment to improved learning and striving for the best possible results. Great Effort Team!!! What’s Happening in Year 8 Cleo English? In English this term, our class is learning about Storytelling. In this topic we are studying a text called Dust Echoes which is about Aboriginal Dreamtime stories from Arnhem Land. This animated series of stories is designed to teach young people about natural events in a way we can understand. We have divided the stories within the class and each pair of students are study-ing two stories in-depth, which we will present to the class to teach them the meaning and importance of the story as well as the importance of storytelling within cultures. Written by: Charlie Dent - Year 8

Curious about Dust Echoes? Scan the QR code for a quick link to the ABC website. (*QR code readers are free Apps on both Android and I Phones – visit your app store ) Why is Storytelling Important? We are only limited by what we can imagine, and the worlds described in our stories, as well as other peo-ple’s views and opinions, help us expand our understanding of what is possible. Storytelling is what con-nects us to our humanity. It is what links us to our past, and provides a glimpse into our future. Ideas of How to Read Stories with our Children at Home

Before reading, talk about the cover, the title, the pictures, and discuss what the book may be about.

During reading, discuss what has been read up to that point, and imagine what will happen next time

After reading is finished, talk and ask questions about the story (and the pictures).

When reading a harder book together, take turns. Beginning readers can read the repetitive parts and more experienced readers can read a paragraph or a page.

On finding an unknown word: Pause to give your child time to work out the word Prompt – go back to the beginning of the sen-tence, or read past the difficult word to the end of the sentence. – look for a clue in the picture or the words – look at the first letter and think about what the words could be – ask “Does this make sense?” – try to sound out the word – if necessary tell your child the word

For more information about how to encourage reading and how it links to life-long learning visit: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/languagesupport/reading/read_english.pdf

English Day

English Term 1 Assessment Tasks

Week 7 Friday 11th March Year 10

Week 9 Friday 25th March Year 8

Week 10 Wednesday 30th March Year 11 Advanced, Standard and Studies

Week 11 Thursday 7th April Year 9, Friday 8th April Year 7, Year 8 and Year 10

English Students of Week: Term 1 Weeks 5-6 We are half way through the term with the first of the year’s assessment tasks on the horizon. Well done to following students who are clearly establishing their ‘Learning Groove’ in English.

Watch this space in the next newsletter to see if your name ap-pears. Any questions about an English course you child has elected this year, units we are studying, assessment task queries or general concerns please feel free to contact me. Phone: Nambucca Heads High School: 65 686777 or Email: tina.seckold@det.nsw.edu.au Tina Seckold Head Teacher English Bangarra Dance Workshops are a New South Wales Public Schools Arts Initiative. Each year a group of Aboriginal students

attend the workshops which were held at Woolgoolga High School this year. These workshops aim to foster the develop-

ment of dance skills and cultural significance in talented Aboriginal students. These workshops can help to lead to a future

career path at the National Aboriginal and Skills Development association dance college. Jerrai Dahlstrom has been selected

to attend the next workshop which is a great effort and is now waiting on the necessary information. Many thanks to Ms

Lyndee Thomas for also attending the day and former teacher at NHHS Mr Stuart Ison for volunteering to drive the bus and

be official photographer. Also, congratulations to the students who were extremely well behaved and had a great day.

Enthusiastic and Positive Attitude Towards Learning: Kelvin Dates Rohan Guguid Jamison Rigby Riley Hayden Lucy Harvey Ellie Argent

Thoughtful Contribution to Lesson Discussion: Isabella Ronan Charlie Dent Grace Mackney Zac Baldwin Kyle Pallister Kian Coggan

Creative and Critical Thinking: Tullee Rixon Llogan Greenup-Stokes Bradley Stone Genevieve Gardner Ian Henstock Samara Moller

Consistent and Diligent Effort in Learning: Abby Raethel Brody Mackney Georgia Saker William Glidden Kalani Martin Claire Ryan Maleeka Darcy Luke Bennett Peka Wikaira-Pehirari Deklan Cutmore Chloe Colb Keely Waters Hannah Donnelly Ella Cox Emma Bournes

Bangarra Dance Workshop

NHHS students learning some movements from the professionals

Regular attendance at school is essential if students are to maximise their potential. Schools, in partnership with parents/carers, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. While parents/carers are legally responsible for the regular attendance of their children, school staff, as a part of their duty of care, monitor part or whole day absences. If your child is marked absent at roll call, without an explanation, an SMS will be sent to the mobile number on the student’s record. Parents/Carers are responsible for:

Enrolling their children of compulsory school age in a government or registered non-government school or registering them with the Board of Studies NSW for home schooling.

Explaining the absences of their children from school promptly and within seven days to the school.

Ensuring that their children attend school regularly.

Taking measures to resolve attendance issues involving their children. School Staff are responsible for:

Providing a caring teaching and learning environment which fosters students’ sense of wellbeing and belonging to the school community.

Recognising and rewarding excellent and improved student attendance.

Maintaining accurate records of student attendance.

Implementing programs and practices to address attendance issues when they arise.

Providing clear information to students and parents/carers regarding attendance requirements and the consequences of unsatisfactory attendance.

If your child is absent from school, for any reason, notification must be received by the school within 7 days,

otherwise the absence will remain “unjustified”. This could affect any Government payments

you or your child receives.

Junior Music (Years 7-10)

Music is off to a GREAT start for 2016. Years 7 and 8 have begun the year learning guitar and are utilising technology in as-

sisting them to tune the guitar by themselves. This has been very successful so if you have a guitar at home, encourage

them to tune it, and show you what they’ve got!

Year 7 are currently all learning 4 chords on the guitar and preparing for their first music practical assessment in Week 10.

All students have been working learning Tracy Chapman's ‘Fast Car’, which has just come back on the radio.

Year 8 are working independently, and have chosen their preferred instrument out of drums, piano, vocals, guitar and bass

guitar. The first topic for Year 8 is ‘Popular Music’ and all students individually have chosen repertoire that they personally

enjoy and want to learn. Year 9 is on a roll! Students have the option to create a band, or work individually for the first semester on their preferred instrument. Some of this elective class has already formed a band, and are putting together a portfolio of Rock ‘n’ Roll music and are sounding great! We have a few aspiring solo acts.

Year 10 is showing even more energy than last year! All students are working passionately with a few of our Year 10 stu-dents extending themselves and now working above and beyond with Mr Gilbert’s Senior Music Band. They sound absolute-ly unreal!

Senior Music and Entertainment (Years 11-12)

Senior Band are working very hard under the guidance of Mr Gilbert in preparing a major 4 HOUR performance to be held

later this year. This will be a whole school and community outdoor event. They have just begun

to stay back until 5pm on Wednesday’s perfecting their performances! They know hard work and

dedication pays off! Year 11 and 12 Entertainment Students will be running the entire show!

Extra Curricular

We have three bands working at the moment in the Music Department.

Junior Band - A mixture of Year 8 and 9 students working on songs from the 70s!

Year 7 Band - Year 7 have taken the plunge to create their own band! They are already learning

the Cranberries ‘Zombie’. Some of the students have never touched an instrument before, and it is amazing to watch the stu-

dents who have experience, take on leadership roles and encourage their peers in the band! Well Done Year 7!

Year 10 Drama has their drama production of ‘Unbeatable’ underway. Character roles have been assigned. The production

is to be held early Term 2, and features the short stories of Paul Jennings coming to life!

Mr Brock Janssen, Mr Matt Gilbert, Mrs Cathy McSkimming. Music and Drama Teachers

School Attendance

Performing Arts

Each year students are voted onto the Student Representative Council (SRC). An SRC is a group of students in a school elected by their peers. SRC members repre-sent all students in the school and organise ways for students to participate and contribute to their school community. This years group were inducted into their roles at the School Assembly on Tuesday 23rd February. Congratulations to this years group. We wish them well with their decision making within the school community.

SRC Representatives 2016

Sporting and Community Notices

Our School Newsletter is available

to be received via email. Our

eNewsletter includes more photos

and links. If you would like to be in-

cluded on our email list please

contact Annette Welsh at the

school with your email address.

After school fitness classes have started. Tuesday afternoon will

be Game Fit: Games that aim to improve your fitness while having

fun. Thursday afternoons will be Resistance Training: activities

which will aim to improve your muscular strength and endurance.

Everyone is welcome to attend the afternoon sessions. With win-

ter sport and school competitions starting very soon, this is a great

way to improve your overall fitness and get ready for the sporting

season ahead. Please bring plenty of drinking water and a towel.

Do you like to have fun with music?

Want to learn flute, recorder or piano. Ms Christine Szalay-Kessler is offering lessons for children & adults. Flute & re-corder lessons from beginners to advanced and piano les-

sons for beginners.

Christine has 12 years experience as a professional teacher in Germany and Australia.

For more information contact Christine on (02) 6564 7160

2016 SRC Members: Monty Wilson, Flynn Franklin-Baker, Jonah Edwards, Domynique Byrt, Keely Waters, Carly Robins, Abby

Smith, Dylan Williams, Riley Hayden, Lily Dedman, Ellie Argent, Gabrielle Hall, Pyper-Rae Wagstaff, Kiarra Cohen, Anne Gilbert,

Olivia Langley, Georgia Dent, Dane Saunders, Max Galo, Bethany Burns, Timothy Ralston, Jasmine Smith.

Absent Indianna Naylor, Deklan Cutmore, Isaac Jones,

Samurai Sword Demonstration

Jade Crawley in Year 7 gave us a riveting demonstration of the moves she is learn-

ing, in the ancient art of Japanese Samurai swordsmanship. Students were able to

watch her in action, with a beautifully crafted sword, that was kindly donated to

Sensei (Mrs Angela Tate), by Mr & Mrs Crawley.