40 Wilson RoadHinchinbrook NSW 2168Subscribe:Subscribe: https://hoxtonphs.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email:Email: hoxtonpark-h.school@det.nsw.edu.auPhone:Phone: 02 9607 4222

Fax:Fax: 02 9607 4836

7 March 20187 March 2018

Principal’s Report – Mrs Leny WallaceWelcome back to Hoxton Park High School and a specialwelcome to our new students and their families. We aredelighted you are part of the wonderful Hoxton Park HighSchool Community!

We have had a great start to 2018 and are so looking forward toan exciting year of learning together. I trust all of you have had arefreshing break and ready to start the new year with purpose.

The beginning of the school year is one of my favourite times -there is such a great

buzz around the school, staff keen to meet their students andbegin classes and students excited about seeing each otherand the next year of learning. We have 134 bright eyed Year7s this year – each unique and keen to find their place andmake their mark. With the exiting of each graduating classof 2017 and the arrival of the Year 7s I am acutely awareof the very short and precious time the students have at ourschool and the importance of ensuring every moment counts.This is one of the unique aspects of an educator’s world: theregular cycle that informs the core of what we do –supportingyoung people to be the best they can, building a toolbox ofknowledge, skills, understandings and dispositions to supportlearning confidence, emotional/social wellbeing and happinessat school and beyond.

The beginning of secondary school marks a significant andexciting time for our incoming Year 7 students and families.Over our ‘Meet and Greet’ barbecue many of you havecommented that you were pleased with your child’s transitionto high school. I know you will eagerly ‘watch this space’ asyour child grows and develops. At Hoxton Park High School,we support young adults to be independent thinkers, focusedon fun, stretching their capacity through challenge and tryingnew ‘things’, whilst working hard towards their goals anddreams. We look forward to partnering with you to ensureyour child is progressing from one level of learning to the next,socially connected, emotionally supported, fulfilling their

potential and contributing positively to our school and thecommunity.

Hoxton Park High School has a rich tradition of both academicachievement and involvement in community beyond theclassroom. We encourage students to get involved and startmaking a mark in their ‘Passports to Leadership’. Students canpursue their passions in music, performance, the visual arts,sport, social justice, environment, science, mathematics andEnglish competitions, debating, public speaking, chess, camps,technology, design, agriculture and Café Hoxton! There really issomething for everyone.

Class of 2017

We are once again delighted with our HSC results increasingour mean study score

and excellent individual achievements. We were congratulatedin the Sydney Morning Herald for number of students achievingBand 6’s in their subjects and when compared to similarschools, Hoxton Park High School outperformed many of themand is continuing to ‘punch above our weight’. It is a fineexample of a local compressive high school providing qualityeducation to its community. Congratulations to all the HSCstudents, I wish them all well with their future endeavours.

Our student’s results exemplify their focused work which beganin Year 7 and the work of our teachers who over many yearshave been focused on improving learning outcomes for allstudents. It was wonderful to see so many of our studentsreceiving first round university offers.

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Hoxton Park High School -Learning andRelationships

This year we are continuing to focus on quality relationshipsbuilt around our new vision of high expectation for leaders,teachers and students. In 2018, we will continue to expand andimprove learning opportunities for all our students. Teachers areworking in teams reviewing and developing the myriad of wayswe engage with and challenge all learners. Their key focus isplanning rich and active learning experiences in the classroomand beyond. From Art / Technology and multimedia events tomusic performances, the planning for the School Spectacularto competitions, sport enrichment to our Green Team focusedon environmental action.

Our teachers, executive and Business Administration Teamlook forward to a great year working with you for our children.

Leny Wallace

Travelling to and from school

Riding bikes & scooters

Some students have chosen to ride scooter or bikes to school.The school has provided a space where the students canlock their bike or scooter, with their own ‘bike lock’. It is theresponsibility of the student to secure their possessions as theschool cannot take responsibility for theft, loss or damage.

We need to remind students that for that safety of all students,parents and carers arriving and leaving the school grounds thatbikes, scooters, etc cannot be ridden within the grounds of theschool.

Student must wear an approved safety helmet, when ridingtheir bike, scooter, etc, as it is the law.

Helmets

“The helmet laws for cyclists of all ages in NSW help preventhead injuries and brain damage from falls and crashes. TheRoad Rules state that a bicycle rider on roads and road-relatedareas must wear an approved bicycle helmet securely fitted andfastened. This applies to all bicycle riders, regardless of age,including children on bicycles with training wheels and any childbeing carried as a passenger on a bike or in a bicycle trailer.”

http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/bicycle-riders/laws.html

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-across-the-curriculum/road-safety-education/media/documents/pdf/29450_Ride-a-bicycle-Safely-5.pdf

Additionally, Safety Town is a great resource for parent toprovide safety information to their children.

https://www.safetytown.com.au/parents/

OPAL Cards

A reminder to all students that the school Opal card is only validwhen catching the bus to & from school. Students can only usetheir school opal cards in the afternoon to catch the bus fromthe school Bus Bay to their designated bus stop.

Picking up your child from school in theafternoon

Let's work together to keep our students safe.

Even though it can be inconvenient, the Bus Bay, 'No Parking'& 'No Stopping' areas are positioned for the safety & well beingof our students.

We would ask our parents, guardians and carers to observe &adhere to these traffic signs for the safety & well being of all ourstudents.

Coordinator of Professional Practice – MsFelicity Way

2018 has started strongly with staff already participating ina variety of professional learning opportunities, ensuring allstudents are receiving the best education possible. So far staffhave been involved in:

Faculty Action Learning Projects – All faculties have utilisedstudent data from assessments and diagnostic testing todevelop a plan that will help improve student outcomes withintheir subject. Staff are keenly exploring new technologies,resources and teaching strategies to ensure all classes are aplace of learning and improvement.

Direct Instruction Deep Inquiry course – All staff haveundertaken a professional learning course to deepen their skillsand abilities in the two key phases of teaching and learning –Explicit Teaching and Inquiry. The course is a blend of onlinelearning and face – to –face workshops and will provide theschool with a common foundation while faculties areundertaking their action projects.

Staff professional Learning meetings – Our enthusiastic anddedicated staff have also run a variety of workshops for theirpeers throughout the course of the term. These workshopshave covered important topics such as Positive Behaviour forLearning and the Mandatory Training requirements for staff.These sessions continue throughout the year, assisting staff toattain the school targets for improved results in NAPLAN andthe HSC.

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HT Wellbeing - Ms Carol CampbellThe Hoxton Park High School Student Wellbeing teamwelcomes back students and staff to a brand new year withrenewed focus on Positive Behaviour for Learning as a schoolwide initiative starting with the introduction of the revisedHoxton Honour Code. The vision of the Student WellbeingTeam in 2018 is to be committed to providing for the growthand holistic development of Hoxton Park High School studentsand their success in school and beyond.

Throughout 2017, The Student Wellbeing Team engaged withevidence-based research around promoting student wellbeingthrough Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), including keyleaders undergoing DoE training to revamp the Hoxton HonourCode to meet the needs of our 21st Century Learners andthe Department’s Wellbeing Framework for Schools. The team,comprising of teachers in the school who hold extraresponsibilities such as Year advisors, Student RepresentativeCouncil and Prefect Coordinators, Girls’ coordinator,Counselors and School Chaplain worked together to createa plan for action in 2018 which would suit the needs of ourstudents and support teachers in creating and maintaining aschool-wide system for PBL.

A big focus was to revise the Hoxton Honour Code for theneeds of our students in 2018 and creating the Mobile Phoneand Electronic Devices Policy, both of which has found highlevels of success in maintaining a safe, respectful and activelearning environment for all students since it’s implementation.

The direction now for the remainder of 2018 is to begin planningand training of Positive Behaviour for Learning systems fromthe top down, beginning with the Executive Team consistingof Faculty Head Teachers. They will commence professionaldevelopment and participate in in-house workshops todetermine effective PBL strategies and plans to implement withteachers and students throughout the year and ongoing into2019.

We look forward to consulting with staff, students and parentsthroughout the year about PBL initiatives for school-wideimplementation in 2019!

SRC Report – Mrs T Hoang

What is the Student Representative Council atHoxton Park High School?

A Student Representative Council (SRC) is a group of studentsin a school elected by their fellow students. Once elected, theSRC represent the students in the school and organise waysto improve the school environment and ways for students toparticipate in school life.

A Student Representative Council is...

EDUCATIONAL by developing skills in leadership andcommunication.DEMOCRATIC because every student has a voice.RESPONSIBLE for solving real problems and makingdecisions.SHARING decision-making with the school executive,teachers, other students and the school community.CARING about the school, what happens in it and to it.FUN and REWARDING for everyone in the school.

SRC nomination forms have been distributed to Years 7-10,and I look forward to announcing our newly elected membersvery soon.

Mrs T HoangSRC Coordinator

Prefect Report – Ms Marnie SmithHoxton Park High School’s Prefect Body has a range ofactivities and ideas to undertake in 2018. Coming up early inthe year, the Prefects will participate in a Student LeadershipTraining Day. The day enables students to engage in differentseminars based on resilience, effective communication andleadership skills. The Prefects will also work in teams tocomplete a series of activities to build upon their problemsolving skills. This day aims to build upon their skills andqualities as leaders of the school and is a fun day for allinvolved.

The Prefects are also busy planning for the National Day ofAction Against Bullying and Violence coming up on March 16th.They will be running a two period session for Year 7 studentsto promote this years theme: ‘Let’s imagine a world free frombullying”. The Prefects will present role-plays and initiatediscussion on the implications of bullying. They will then breakoff into groups and complete a range of activities that aim toraise student awareness of the impacts of bullying and violence.

The Prefects are continuing to develop ideas for the rest of2018 – stay tuned for more Prefect news!

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Sports Organiser Report -It has been an exciting start to sport in 2018. On Friday the23rd of February, student's attended our Annual SwimmingCarnival. This year the carnival was held at the Whitlam Aquaticand Leisure Centre, which was a new venue for the school toattend. It was a very successful day with a number of studentsgetting involved in both competitive and novelty races with allstudents displaying school spirit by supporting their peers. Thecarnival showcased a number of students who successfullyqualified for the Zone Swimming Carnival to be held onThursday the 1st of March, 2018. The school would like to wishthe following students the best of luck representing HoxtonPark High School at the Zone Carnival: Nayeela Saheed, TylerMorley, Mason Abou Ghaida, Jasmine Hoang, Jack Collis,Aston Vandenberg, Tara McHugh, Khiarna Reece, LeonardoTran, Bryce Vandenberg and Justin McMartin.

The Athletics Carnival is also scheduled to be held at a newvenue this year. The Campbelltown Athletics Centre will hostour school on Tuesday the 3rd of April, 2018. This stadium is afantastic venue and allows students the opportunity to competeusing proper facilities. The Zone carnival will be held at the

same venue this year and we are predicting that our school willhave a variety of representatives achieve success on this day.

Cross Country will be taken off site this year with the eventstructure changing. It will be compulsory for all Year 7 studentsto attend the day and they will be joined by competitors onlywith more information for parents/guardians and students to beprovided soon regarding the event and competitor registrationprocess.

Round 1 of Grade sport kicked off during week 4 and studentsare encouraged to check the sports notice board each weekto see if their team is playing at school or away. For Term1 and Term 4, we have entered the following teams: Oztag,7 Aside Soccer, Volleyball, Table Tennis, European Handballand Ultimate Frisbee. Students are encouraged to start makingtheir payments for Term 2, where they will also select theirwinter sports. Students can choose from the following sports inthe appropriate category as per the permission note: Soccer,Slider Hockey, Basketball, Softball, Netball, & 7 Aside Soccer,Volleyball, Table Tennis and Touch Football. A number ofknockout sports have begun to form and we encouragestudents to get involved in the sports teams to representHoxton Park High School.

Year 7 and 8 students have started Integrated sport as wholeyear groups and each week they will be provided with theopportunity to select from a range of different activities. Thefeedback from each group has suggested that studentsappreciate the opportunity to choose an activity and participatein something they enjoy each week. They are also remindedthat Tuesday is sport and they can wear their full practicaluniform all day.

We are excited for the challenges and opportunities that sportwill bring in 2018

Year 7 Advisor’s Report – Mrs AllisonWinnall

Year 7s have been having an exciting first term of high schoolwith many special events occurring, such as First DayOrientation, Photo Day and the Swimming Carnival. Year 7shave been making some excellent progress in their classes andit has been great to see so many students getting involvedin extra-curricular programs offered at our school, such asthe SRC, Dance Ensemble, and Choir auditions. Many of ourYear 7s will be auditioning for the Schools Spectacular DanceEnsemble in March.

On Tuesday the 27th of March, Hoxton Park hosted a Year7 and 11 Meet and Greet, where many parents and studentscame to speak with Year 7 teachers and enjoy a sausagesizzle. Students received a lot of wonderful teacher feedbackabout their academic and behavioural progress so far, whichis really encouraging to hear as their Year Advisor. I am proudof our Year 7s achievement and I hope they maintain this highlevel of application, engagement and dedication to their studiesthroughout the year.

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Overall, the Year 7 students seem to be settling in well withall of the new rules and routines and they have successfullytransitioned from primary to high school. Our Year 7s havebecome a very welcome and positive part of the Hoxton Parkhigh school community.

Year 11 Advisor’s Report – Mrs SylviaJoseph

The Year 11 students have started 2018 with great enthusiasmand commitment to their learning. Students are adjusting tothe demands of senior studies and are now fully engagingwith the content in their Preliminary HSC subjects. Studentsare effectively working towards completing set classwork andassessment tasks and are demonstrating positive attitudestowards their education. It is critical that students continue tofocus on their studies and set high expectations to ensure thatthey are achieving success for their academic future.

The Year 11 students have also begun fundraising for theirYear 12 formal, school jerseys and other school. The Year 11Fundraising Committed recently fundraised for Valentine’s Day.They worked effectively as a team to coordinate the event andsuccessfully The Fundraising Committee will continue to runfundraisers at school.

Year 12 Advisor’s Report – Ms NouhaMalak

The Year 12 cohort has commenced the second term of theirHSC with self-confidence and consistency. They continue towork towards the mid-year stage of their course while applyingall their learnt skills and maturity over the past year and a half asseniors.

This week a group of student will be taking part in the FastForward program and will visit a university. Here students aregiven the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of availablecareer choices and opportunities for their future by engaging ina series of interactive and informative sessions.

The venue for the 2018 formal was chosen, it will be held atConca D’oro on the 29th November 2018.

Year 12 also attended their last swimming carnival and dressedup for the occasion. While the students continue to progressin their studies they are also making the most of the time theyhave left here at HPHS.

Library – Mrs I AhilleosStudents’ literacy, vocabulary and writing skills improve byreading regularly. At Hoxton Park High School, students areencouraged to be engaged in ongoing reading as part of boththeir junior and senior education. As a part of their wide readingprogram, students of Years 7 and 8 attend regular readinglessons at the library and during roll call. Students in all yearsneed to be active readers.

Students of Years 7, 8 and 9 are able to participate in theNSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC). The PRC aims toencourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure. Thechallenge is not a competition but a personal challenge for eachstudent to read widely.

Our school library collection includes a mixture of print anddigital texts that are accessible via the student portal. Duringtheir library lessons, students will be shown how to log on toPRC and enter the books they have read.

In 2018, the challenge runs from Monday 5 March and closesFriday 31 August.

Students need to read 20 books within this time frame; 15books from the 5-6 and 7-9 reading lists and 5 that are personalchoice. This is not a difficult endeavour, since students arereading class novels and most books are clearly identified in thelibrary. The reading list is also available at in the link below.

https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html

See the Library Staff and the Noticeboard for furtherinformation.

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