PARKES HIGH SCHOOL

Inspiration - Innovation - Inclusion

I S S U E 1 0 - W E E K 1 0 T E R M 2 2 0 1 7

Phone : 6862 1844 Fax : 6862 5046 Email : parkes-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au

Parkes High School, Proud to be a member of the Henry Parkes Learning Community, “Leading In Education”

$150,000 Grant

On Monday we had the honour of hosting The Honourable Troy Grant, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, as he announced our success in gaining a $150,000 grant to keep students at school, and to contribute in a positive way to our community. Councilor Ken Keith Mayor of Parkes, Stephen Gaut P&C President, Lionel Lovett AECG President, Ms Nicole Richardson representing the SES, Mr Terrence Job representing the RFS, Sergeant Barker and Senior Constable Grief representing the Police, and our Henry Parkes Learning Community Principals and SRC students joined us for the announcement.

The grant is part of the Community Safety Fund. Deputy Principal, Mr Adam Currey wrote the submission in conjunction with our local Police.

The NSW Police Minister visited the high school on Monday morning to personally deliver the news.

“Parkes High School’s Re-connect Project will target students and ensure they are supported to continue with their education,” he said.

“I commend Parkes High School for identifying the need for this local project, and its commitment to giving its students the best possible start in life.”

Minister Grant said he was very happy to announce Parkes High School’s application for the grant was successful.

“I congratulate you because it’s not easy; it’s a competitive process,” he said. “You are up against the entire state, not just schools. You are up against agencies and different organisations.

“You are being awarded $150,000 to invest in what is a vital time in young people’s lives and that will hopefully give you the skills to allow those who are disconnected to reconnect and have opportunities in leadership.”

Parkes High School P & C Executive Contacts

President - Stephen Gaut on 0418 667 180 Vice President - Sharon Woods on 0401629 020 or 68 643 224 Secretary - Claire Mackenzie - 0411 409 174

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IMPORTANT DATES

Monday 17 July Staff Development Day

Tuesday 18 July Students Resume For Term 3

Monday 24 July - Friday 28 July Year 11 Hospitality Work Placement

Tuesday 25 July P&C Meeting

7.30pm in Conference Room

Monday 31 July - Friday 4 August Year 11 Construction Work Placement

Wednesday 2 to Friday 3 August Year 11 Ski Trip

ALLERGY AWARENESS - IMPORTANT REMINDER Due to the increasing number of students with severe allergies and anaphylaxis we ask students, parents, and all staff to not bring the following items to school:

All nuts including peanuts, cashews, pistachios, nut mixes, peanut butter, products including peanut / nut or extract or oil. These include nutella, muesli bars, satay, various sweets, chocolate and biscuits.

Raw egg

Also, students should not share or exchange food

Parkes High School ‘Bring Your Own Device’ Specifications”

Please refer to our Parkes High School website for specifications before purchasing any new

“Bring Your Own Device” computers or tablets.

CANTEEN WILL BE CLOSED

The Canteen will be closed on Friday 22 September 2017.

This is the last day of Term 3

Senior AECG Meetings 2017:

Term 3: Parkes East 16 August at 9:30 am

Term 4: Holy Family 7 November at 9:30 am

The Townsend Memorial Scholarship \

The Townsend Memorial Scholarship is available to students attending Parkes High School to assist students to complete a

degree course of study at the University of NSW or University of Sydney in the faculty of Medicine, Law, Dentistry,

Architecture, Agriculture, Veterinary Science or Engineering.

Please see Mrs Carter to discuss your application.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL FAMILIES

Dear Parents and Carers Parkes High School will transition to the new NSW Public Schools’ finance system and a new bank account on 4

th September 2017.

To ensure a smooth transition, there will be changes to the way we accept payments from parents and carers. We will not be able to accept EFTPOS payments between 21

st August 2017 and 4

th September 2017. Please ensure

that you have made any outstanding EFTPOS payments before 21st

August 2017. From 4th

September 2017, EFTPOS payments WILL BE ACCEPTED AS BEFORE. Between 21

st August 2017 and 4

th September 2017, we will also not be able to accept payments by cash or cheque, as

we prepare to close our current bank account and transition to the new one. Please ensure that you have made any outstanding cash or cheque payments before 21

st August 2017. From 4

th September 2017, cash and cheque payments

will be accepted as before. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transition to our new finance system. If you have any questions, please contact Parkes High School on 6862 1844.

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Term 2 Recognition Assembly

Last Friday, our Recognition Assembly was held, with a number of presentations made for a variety of student accomplishments throughout the term. Year 11 student, Sarah Reeves, was presented a Trades and Technology Opportunity Scholarship. Her brother Cameron, a Year 12 student from last year, was presented the Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation’ Scholarship, by Michelle Stanhope. Sarah and Cameron are pictured right with Mrs Carter, Michelle Stanhope and Deputy Mayor Barbara Newton. School Captain Yasmin Potts (pictured right) was recognised for her selection to the London International Youth Science Forum, by Phillip Donato MP. Mrs Sandra Carter presented the certificate on behalf of Mr Donanto. Deputy Mayor Barbara Newton and Mrs Sandra Parker presented our Hero Level 2 certificates to students who have progressed through our level system. Tiarne Rusten of Year 10 and Bailey Jones of Year 12 received Level 1 Gold Pins. These were also presented by Deputy Mayor Barbara Newton and Mrs Sandra Parker. The SRC Student of the Term was awarded to Nicole Hessel and was presented by SRC members Faith Hanstock and Kyah Turnbull. Year 8 student, Libby Hoyle, ( pictured right) then presented Mrs Carter with a book by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Libby won the CWA Intergroup Public Speaking Final held at Trundle on 20th June. The book was part of the prize she received on the day. Some of the Year 9 Level 2 recipients are pictured below after re-ceiving their certificates.

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Robotics Workshop: Tuesday saw Macquarie University’s Joe Lander and Bonnie Faulkner arrive with five robotics kits! Together with Mrs Melinda Richter, they worked with three groups of students to first build their robot, and then to program it to carry out functions like turning around and picking up objects. We thank Macquarie University for their support, as they have allowed us to keep the robotics kits for the rest of the year. They are also organizing a trip to Macquarie University Robotics Laboratory for next term. Mrs Richter and the students were very happy to ‘play’ today, and are looking forward to working with their robots throughout next semester.

Donation From Michael Ahrens: We have had a wonderful donation to our school from an ex-student. Mr Michael Ahrens has donated funds to our school that will allow us to develop a purpose built STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classroom. Mrs Melinda Richter and Mr Tony Hanson have written a project brief to develop a classroom into a teaching and learning space with the associated resources to support our students in learning about the world of coding, and how STEM is fundamental to our progress.

New Head Teacher: We welcome Mrs Fiona Hillock, who is our new Head Teacher Special Education. Mrs Hillock comes to us from a very large school on the central coast and is enjoying being in Parkes. She has already met all the students and is looking forward to working with our parents and the community to support our students. Mrs Hillock is pictured right.

Athletics Carnival: The Athletics Carnival was a wonderful success, with several records broken. Please see the report on page nine. The weather was perfect for the day, and the students and staff thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thank you to Miss Melanie Olney and the Charities and Appeals committee for continuing the ‘Hot Diggetty Dogs’ tradition, and to the SRC who managed to utilise the skills of Mrs Sandra Hessel, Mrs Justine Morrissey and Mrs Jacquie Baker to ensure that students had food in their bodies to run faster, jump longer, and throw more powerfully!

New School System: Our school has commenced training for the new computer system that will govern school enrolment information and finances. This system is known as LMBR and I have completed my first of five days of training. There is a notice on page two of this newsletter that explains some restrictions we will have in Term 3 with accepting payments, due to the changeover of systems. Please be patient as we all learn the new system.

New Student Jackets: The P&C are considering options for a mircofiber or waterproof jacket with a polar fleece lining which will be a warmer option for our students.

Most items of our school uniform are available from our school office. Please be mindful that our school uniform has been ratified by our P&C and as such, it is a core rule and requirement of all government schools, that students wear school uniform.

Expectations: I have spoken to our students and explained that my expectations are they will be safe, respectful and responsible at school. I have also explained that this year, my priorities with the student body are attendance, adherence to wearing our school uniform, and our student learning culture.

Attendance: Our overall attendance rate is concerning. Students MUST be at school unless there is a justified reason to be absent. Cold weather is not a reasonable excuse to be absent from school. If you know your child is going to be absent, a note can be brought to school, in advance. Otherwise, please remember to give your child a note explaining any absence on their first day back at school or phone the school and explain the absence.

School uniform: Our Parents and Citizens Association have worked tirelessly to ensure that our school uniform is sophisticated, functional and ensures students comply with safety regulations. Many items of our school uniform are now available through our front office. If parents or care providers are having difficulties in purchasing our school uniform, please contact me at school.

Student learning culture: All our teachers are now undertaking professional learning in HOW2Learn. This stands for Higher Order Ways to Learn. Part of this process is to develop strategies students can use to support their own learning. Students need to be actively engaged in their learning to achieve subject specific learning outcomes and to progress along the learning continuum. Learning is a dynamic process and it needs to be continually practiced.

Our next P&C Meeting for 2017 will be held in the Conference Room (just along the corridor from the front office) on Tuesday 25

th July at 7.30 pm. I look forward to seeing all our new and continuing parents.

Please contact the school (6862 1844) or make an appointment if you need to discuss any aspect of your child’s education or if you need clarification on any issues or events your child may be involved in.

Please be aware that all visitors to the school, including parents, must report to the office in Albert Street.

At Parkes High School we are safe, respectful and responsible.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday. All students commence school on Tuesday 18th

July as our staff have a Staff Development Day on Monday 17

th July.

Mrs Sandra Carter

Principal

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PARKES HIGH SCHOOL EXCURSION TO THE PARKES RADIO TELESCOPE Recently, Parkes High School students toured the CSIRO Radio Telescope near Parkes. The tour came about as the result of an invitation put to the school by Mr Erik Lensson who holds the position of CSIRO Honorary Research Fellow at the facility. Students from Years nine and ten science classes attended the excursion with Mr Terrence Job and Mr Anthony Carter. The tour took place as two separate groups. Both groups experi-enced a welcoming induction by Mr Lensson which explained the history and work of the telescope, as well as some basic rules and safety procedures. Group One then toured the facility while Group Two watched a series of films on space exploration in the Visitors Centre. The three dimensional IMAX system provided the students with a unique insight into Mars, and the universe and our place in it. Group One had a tour of The Dish, starting at the bottom and working upwards. The telescope contains an extraordinary array of technology, much of which was being updated while we were there. Students were amazed to hear of the capacity of this technology. Equipment that could pin point different stars and galaxies millions of kilometres away was humming away around our group as we moved up through the different levels of the complex. While standing in the main control room several students made the same comment: “It felt like you were in some kind of living machine”. The whole place seems to hum and vibrate. Students moved up through the core of the telescope, which enabled us to see much more of the gigantic engineering that enables the telescope to move and aim itself. Frequently, we stood at points that had been used as sets on the movie “The Dish”. The sheer size of the facility is something that is best appreciated from the inside, or from the walkway that surrounds the circular top of the building. Even at this point which is not at the top, the Dish seems to fill the sky. The views were spectacular as some of our photographs show. The tour lasted about an hour, and then it was the turn of Team Two. Team One withdrew to the Dish Café for morning tea, which was excellent. Students agreed that the milkshakes were the best they had ever enjoyed. At the conclusion, students took part in a group photograph and gave their heartfelt thanks to Mr Lensson. It was a great day and one that all of us will talk about for years into the future.

The Townsend Memorial Scholarship

\

The Townsend Memorial Scholarship is available to students attending

Parkes High School to assist students to complete a degree course of study

at the University of NSW or University of Sydney in the faculty of

Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Architecture, Agriculture,

Veterinary Science or Engineering.

Please see Mrs Carter

to discuss your application.

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Please 'like' the PHS Careers noticeboard

Faccebook page for access to further careers information

Open Girls Netball Team

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? The Careers department subscribes to career sites to enable students and families to access updated career information: A very informative career site called www.mhscareers.com. To view the news pages and calendar on the website: Login with the word Parkes and password: “Currajong”. Alternatively go to www.jobjump.com password “yak” for a wide range of career related material.

Defence Technical Scholarship: Set your sights on a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths related role in the ADF and you could be awarded a Surface Pro tablet. Simply apply for one of 70 STEM related roles in the ADF.

Applications close 30 June 2017. http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/DTS/

AAFP Margaret Fulton Future Foodservice Professional Scholarship: This scholarship includes work experience in leading kitchens, uniforms and a knife kit, and $1,000 for your training, as well as a full culinary apprenticeship.

Applications close in August 2017. http://htn.com.au/aafp-margaret-fulton-future-foodservice-professional-scholarship/

Year 12 HSC Study Guide: The HSC 2017 Study Guide is produced by The Sydney Morning Herald and NESA. It is full of practical information and advice for HSC students from NESA curriculum inspectors, experienced teachers and high achieving students. The digital edition contains lots of extra material and will remain available until after written exams.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/hsc-study-guide-2017/

WORK EXPERIENCE

During Week 9 a number of Year 10 students undertook the first block of work experience for 2017. I would like to thank the various employers and businesses who supported our students with this valuable program. Parkes Early Childhood Centre, Middleton Public School, Parkes Public School, Dansons Kitchen & Joinery, Body Express, Brian Day Building, Kindred Beauty Lounge, Parkes Veterinary Clinic, Ron Dunford Chemist, Neighbourhood Central, THD Studio, Protector Pty Ltd, Molong Chiropratic Service and Forbes Veterinary Clinic.

Students wishing to undertake work experience in Term 3, Week 5, 14

th-18

th August, must fill in the application sheet

which has been set up in their Google Classroom. This is due by Monday 17th July.

Need Help With Homework? Your Tutor Is Here!

Your Tutor is a program organised by Charles Sturt University to assist students from Year 7-12 with homework, essay

feedback and revision support. Students can connect online in seconds to an expert who will assist them with any question

that they may have. All core curricula subjects are supported by the program. See Mr Duncan to get your free activation code

and let Your Tutor give you the one-to-one support to get you back on track with your education.

Careers - Let Your Journey Begin Here By Mr Kieran Duncan

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Paper Plane Challenge Parkes High School held its first ever Paper Plane Challenge last week. Students and staff were encouraged to purchase a piece of paper and then make their own paper plane, with prizes on offer to those who managed to get their planes to fly the furthest or closet to the target. The winning pilots (pictured below) on the day were: Closest to the target: Emeline Lavaka (1st Place), Miss Lisa Young (2nd Place) Longest distance: Jacob Chambers (1st Place), Calvin Matthews ( 2nd Place)

Macquarie University Robotics Workshops On Tuesday, 27

th June, Parkes High School was very fortunate to have the opportunity for three groups of Year 9 and

Year 10 students to participate in a robotics workshop. Students were taught how to design, build, program and test Lego Mindstorm robots. They worked in small groups to create their robots, and then had the opportunity to build the code to make their robot perform a variety of simple activities. The workshops were conducted by Joe Lander and Bonnie Faulkner, who are representatives of the Macquarie University LEAP (Learning, Education, Aspiration, Participation) program, which is run by the Widening Participation Unit. The aim of this program is to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to higher education. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students living in rural and remote areas, and students from low socio-economic status backgrounds. The students were all very interested in the activities presented in the workshops and enjoyed the hands-on learning. The University have been very generous in loaning the robots and equipment to the school for the remainder of the year, so that we can continue the learning that was started today.

Inspiration - Innovation - Inclusion

The following letter of thanks was received recently, acknowledging Parkes High School students and staff for their support of the Red Shield Appeal.

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Oxley Wins Third Carnival Of The Year

Holding the annual PHS athletics carnival back until mid-June did no harm to the last carnival of the year. Met by a glorious day, the strong contingent from all 4 houses displayed excellent participation and sportsmanship as they ran, threw and jumped through the day. With one eye on the overall House Championship, all competitors played their part with a number of age championships going down to the wire. Congratulations to Oxley, who emphatically took out their 3

rd carnival of the

year, proving their Swimming Carnival and Cross Country domination wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The final house tally and age champions for 2017 are below: Girls Boys 12 Years: Jade Smith Jacob Fredericks 13 Years : Jordan Moody Harrison Bayliss 14 Years: Marites Woods Tobey Thorne 15 Years : Hannah Potts Dodo Sodrodro 16 Years: Jacqui Simpson Dylan Duffy 17+ Years: Alice Maier Jayden Pusterla

On top of these results, three records were also broken! Congratulations to Bailey Jones in the Open’s boys Discus, Holly McColl in the 13 girls Discus and Jasmin Morrison in the Open girls shot put. For both Holly and Jasmin, it was the 2

nd consecutive year they have broken the records in these events. Well done girls! Parkes High is now sending a

45-strong contingent to the regional carnival, held in Dubbo early Term 3.

House Points 1

st Place: Oxley - 1626

2nd

Place: Bass - 842 3

rd Place: Evans - 747

4th Place: Sturt - 483

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Suicide First Aid Training ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

A two-day interactive workshop for anyone interested in

suicide prevention, intervention and first aid. Participants learn to recognise when someone may be at

risk of suicide and respond in ways that help to increase their immediate safety and link them to further help.

ASIST aims to enhance a caregiver’s abilities to help a

person at risk avoid suicide. Includes workbook and certificate.

ORANGE: 1

st & 2

nd July 2017

Venue T B A - Orange 2800 Cost $250pp morning and afternoon tea provided

To register for the training:

email ataylor@lifelinecentralwest.org.au or [T] 1300 798 258 8:15a.m. - 4.30 p.m.

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Term 3 Assessment Schedules For Students, Parents and Carers

Please use this as a guide to help your child plan their study schedules and assessment tasks. On occasion, changes may need to be made to this guide due to unforseen circumstances. Students can confirm dates with the Head Teacher of the faculty if they have any concerns.

Week Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

1 Food Technology

Geography Mathematics Ext 1

Mathematics Ext 2 English Ext 2

2 Music 2 English Ext 1

Visual Arts Chemistry

Music Ext History

3 English Technology Man-

datory

Crime and Punishment

Mathematics General PDHPE

4 English Music

English Agriculture Chemistry

ASSESSMENT FREE WEEK

5 Mathematics Agriculture PASS Agriculture

Physics Modern History

CAFS Biology

Ancient History

TRIAL HSC

EXAMINATIONS

6 PDHPE IT Timber Outdoor

Education

IT Metals English Studies English Standard English Advanced Business Studies

TRIAL HSC

EXAMINATIONS

7 Mathematics Science IT Metals

D&T

Mathematics Science

Geography Food Tech

Exploring Early Childhood Visual Arts Industrial

Technology

VET Hospitality

8 Food Technology

ASSESSMENT FREE WEEK

9 Science History

Geography PDHPE PASS

Child Studies

History Music

END OF COURSE EXAMINATIONS

10 Music Textiles PDHPE END OF COURSE EXAMINATIONS

Year 7 Students

will have a variety of

assessments this term.

Information and due dates for assessments are available

in the Year 7 Course

Overview Booklets that were

handed out in term one.

Students will be given

a notice of Assessment two weeks

prior to task.

Please check with your child for due dates

New System Changes

Due to transition to our new finance system (refer to article on page 2), it would be appreciated if all payments for school fees and excursions including the Year 9 Surf Trip, be paid in full by

Friday 18th August 2017.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Inspiration - Innovation - Inclusion

UNIFORMS Now Available At Parkes High School

Cash or Cheque to the School Office

Beanies $10.00

Scarves $10.00

Girls Dress Pants $40.00

School Hats $15.00

School Tie $15.00

Girls Skirt $45.00

School Jumper $50.00

School Jacket $50.00

Blue Shirt $20.00

White Shirt $20.00

Trackpants $30.00

Sport shorts $15.00

Sport shirts $24.00

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Canteen Volunteers Desperately Needed If you have a spare hour a day at either

11.00 am or 1.30pm to help serve recess or lunch

it would be greatly appreciated. Please call Canteen on 68 622 805