term 4 week 7, 25 november 2019 - figtree high school · 2019-11-26 · term 4 week 7, 25 november...
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T4 Week 7(A) Week 7 Starting 25 November Monday
25/11/19 Year 11 – HSC Mandatory Geography Fieldwork – Minnamurra; HSC Assessment tasks for Physics - P2; Maths Extension – P3; Aboriginal Studies – P5 & 6 Year 10 – Youth Frontiers Mentoring P5 & 6 Stage 4 Band Rehearsal 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Tuesday 26/11/19
Year 11 – Engineering Studies Excursion @ Bald Hill and Illawarra Fly; HSC Food Technology Assessment Task P1 Year 10 – EAL/D RAW Civics Day Excursion @ Sydney Opera House CoS Leadership Day
Wednesday 27/11/19
Year 9 – Top Blokes – P1 & 2 Year 9/10 PASS Ten Pin Bowling – P2 & 3 Year 6 Extra transition Non Feeder Schools
Thursday 28/11/19
Year 11 – HSC Physics Assessment Task P4
Friday 29/11/19
Year 11 – HSC Mathematics Standard Assessment Task – P3
T4 Week 8(B) Week 8 Starting 2 December Monday
02/12/19 Year 10 – Youth Frontiers Mentoring P5 & 6 Stage 4 Band Rehearsal 3:00pm – 4:15pm Year 6 into 7 2020 Information Night – 6pm
Tuesday 03/12/19
Year 11 – HSC Earth & Environmental Science Assessment Task – P2 & P3 Year 7 2020 Orientation Day – 9am – 2pm
Wednesday 04/12/19
Year 9 – Top Blokes – P1 & 2
Thursday 05/12/19
Friday 06/12/19
Year 11 – HSC PDHPE Assessment task – P1 & 4 Year 10 – Marine Studies Excursion @ Jervis Bay Year 9 – Olympics Unleashed incursion – P4 Year 7 – 7E Olympics Unleashed incursion – P4 Yr 7 & 8 Mathematics Enrichment Lesson – P5
T4 Week 9(A) Week 9 Starting 9 December Monday
09/12/19 Year 10 – Student Recognition Assembly Year 9 – Student Recognition Assembly Stage 4 Band Rehearsal 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Tuesday 10/12/19
Year 10 – EAL/D Excursion – Future Pathways for Refugees @ UOW Student Excellence Awards 6:30 – 8:30pm
Wednesday 11/12/19
Year 10 – EAL/D Excursion – Future Pathways for Refugees @ UOW; Royal Life Saving First Aid Course P1-3 Year 9 – Top Blokes – P1 & 2 Year 9/10 PASS Ten Pin Bowling – P2 & 3 Sports Presentation
Thursday 12/12/19
Year 11 – HSC Studies of Religion Task – P3 Year 10 - Royal Life Saving First Aid Course P1-5 Year 8 – Student Recognition Assembly Year 7 – Student Recognition Assembly
Friday 13/12/19
Lindsay Park PS Presentation - Auditorium PSC Reward Excursion – Paddle boarding
Year 12 Purple Year 11 Olive Year 10 Blue Year 9 Red Year 8 Green Year 7 Orange
Thoughts from the Principal
Term 4 has been particularly poignant as we bid farewell to our Year 12 2019 students and support them through their HSC exams. A number of teaching staff are employed at HSC marking centres and will bring this knowledge of statewide standards back to the school. This newsletter covers so many of the highlights of the past month and I thank all of the students and staff for each activity. Of course, learning continues every day in every classroom as our student cohort in Year 11, 2019 have now started their HSC course work and Years 7-10 are now completing their courses and final assessment tasks. SRC EXPERIENCE On Monday 4 November, students comprising the Year 10 and Year 11 School Representative Council journeyed to the Halogen National Young Leader Day Conference held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre. They were fortunate to hear from and engage with several motivational speakers, ranging from sports stars to inventors. Overall, our students learned that the secrets to excel and succeed in life are that we should focus on the
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Term 4 Week 7, 25 November 2019
Address: 2 Gibsons Road, Figtree NSW 2525 Phone: 02 4271 2787 Email: [email protected] Fax: 02 4271 6626
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positives, follow our dreams and take every opportunity we are afforded. I would like to thank Ms Tasker for accompanying the students to Sydney for this wonderful learning experience.
PEER SUPPORT After electing to be a part of the Peer Support Program, 50 of our Year 9 students this week completed their first Peer Support Mentoring Training Day. These students received training in communication strategies to support and engage younger students as well as training around the concepts of empathy and wellbeing. The students had the chance to practice the fun and engaging activities they will be leading with their Year 7 mentor group students. Students will apply their new knowledge and skills in these areas on the Year 7 2020 Orientation Day later this term with their mentor group. This experience will support our Year 10 2020 student mentors in learning key life skills and further enhance their leadership qualities. I have no doubt they will all serve as outstanding school role models, for not only the incoming Year 7 students, but the whole of the junior school. Special thanks to Mrs Lawson, Ms Young, Ms Richards and Mr Herbert for coordinating all of this important Peer Support Training.
CONGRATULATIONS YEAR 12! Congratulations Year 12 on your successful completion of 13 years of schooling. You should be extremely proud of all you have accomplished and especially your perseverance. The past few weeks have certainly been a rollercoaster ride of emotion. Firstly, the Graduation; what a momentous occasion for all - a packed house, with standing room only. I believe this illustrates just how much the 2019 HSC group means to Figtree High School and our wider Figtree community. The weeks that followed, encompassing the final lead up to the HSC, would have been challenging, especially dealing with the stress and pressure of the Higher School Certificate examinations. Congratulations is extended to a number of our students who have been offered early admission into the University of Wollongong. We now look forward to hearing more news about the post school destinations of our 2019 graduates. Finally, on Thursday 14 November, we all met one last time to celebrate with our students at the Year 12
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Formal at The Novotel North Beach. What a fantastic night with great food, friends and fun had by all. On behalf of the staff at Figtree High School, I would like to wish you all the best with your future endeavors. I sincerely hope you have many fond memories of your time here at Figtree High School. We are very excited for you, but will definitely miss seeing you around the place. I would like to pay significant recognition to your Year Advisers – Mr Smith and Ms Munro, who supported you throughout your schooling journey here at Figtree High School. THE ILLAWARRA SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AWARDS On Monday 11 November, The Illawarra Schools Excellence in Vocational Education and Training Awards were held. These awards recognise students from across the region who have excelled in their field. A huge congratulations to Jessica Nagy (Year 12) who received VET Student of the Year for Entertainment…. A truly incredible achievement! Congratulations also to Ashleigh Yeaman and Takirah Coulson (both Year 12) who each received a Certificate of Excellence for Hospitality. It is important to note that there were only 36 students out of 3000 nominations who attained these prestigious awards and three of these were from Figtree High School! I would like to specially acknowledge Mr Malouf and the three proud mums pictured here, who attended the event to celebrate with their daughters.
TRANSITION 6 INTO 7 It has been terrific to witness Figtree High School students and staff continuing to engage strongly with our Community of Schools (CoS) this term. Our transition team has made regular visits to the primary schools in order to develop a strong relationship and ‘a familiar face’ for our new Year 7s, starting off in 2020. All reports received so far indicate that the visits have been well received by all students. Year 5 Masterclasses continue to be a success. The current focus is on Science and our primary school students are a very curious bunch and are particularly enjoying the experiments. Last week teachers from the Figtree CoS came together to formalise our future directions for the Figtree CoS Numeracy Plan. This plan will enable us to better meet the numeracy needs of our students. CANTEEN Finally, I would just like to give a short update on our new look menu in the Canteen. Our amazing and generous Canteen Coordinators - Jo and Margaret - have been working very hard to produce fresh, quality food at a reasonable price for our students. Many pre-packaged items, like chips and chocolate bars and have replaced with healthy options such as veggie burgers, salads, pastas, falafels and wraps. As I walk through the canteen area at lunchtimes, I have noticed that the lines are getting longer and longer. When I take the opportunity to speak to the students about the food and whether or not they like it, every student has said how good the food is. Providing quality food at a reasonable price is yet another demonstration of how Figtree High School is endeavoring to support its most valuable assets, the students. Our canteen is run by the P & C, so all profits from the Canteen go back into the school. The canteen are always looking for volunteers, so if you can spare a lunch time, you would be most welcome. If you are
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available and interested, please email our P & C at [email protected] As we head into summer let us spare a thought for those communities in Australia who have been impacted by bushfires. Daniel Ovens Principal
Expectation of the Week
WEEK 7: BE A LEARNER – All settings Own your action
WEEK 8: BE A LEARNER – All settings Celebrate our school success
WEEK 9: BE A LEARNER – All settings Move promptly to class when the bell
rings
Deputy Principal Report Years 7, 9 and 11
Congratulations to Year 11 on starting their HSC courses They were issued with their Year 11 reports on Tuesday 12 November where students received comments that provided valuable feedback for their studies in the HSC year. It is important that students read and act upon that feedback. The Year 11 Student Recognition Assembly was held on Wednesday 20 November where many students were recognised for their efforts and application – congratulations to all students who are achieving their personal best. It was fantastic to see so many families and carers at the assembly. Mr Ovens spoke about the importance about being a part of a team and how that can lead to success. A number of Year 9 students have just completed Peer Support training – all students involved need to be congratulated on their behaviour and engagement. On
Wednesday 20 November Year 9 Links to Learning students graduated with most students also receiving a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. This involved students completing a 2 day walk. The Graduation Ceremony was held at Panorama House where students and their parents were present. It was with great delight that myself, Mr Herbert and Ms Alhindi attended to celebrate the occasion. A number of Year 7 students have been visiting their primary school to assist with the transition of Year 6 students into our 7 2020 cohort of students. They all have been wonderful role models and a credit to themselves, their families and Figtree High School. Trish Morgan Deputy Principal
Deputy Principal Report Years 8 and 10
Year 8 students have received the outcome of their Stage 5 Subject Selection survey that they completed last term and were issued with their Stage 5 elective subjects. All students should now have returned their signed subject confirmation sheets to one of their Year Advisers, Mrs Hunt or Ms Richards. If a student has a concern about their elective subjects for 2020/21, they have been told to see me during a lunch break. A number of classes are already full, so some students may have missed out on a subject that they really wanted to study. This is the reason why all students were asked to select 5 subjects, and rank these in priority order when completing the selection process in Term 3. Mrs Glasgow and Mr Sargent-Wilson have been busy preparing a range of engaging activities for Year 10 students which are designed to prepare students for the transition into senior school. Year 10 students are expected to be attending school everyday, so that they do not miss these valuable learning experiences. Ellie Donovan Deputy Principal
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English Faculty Report
During 2019 the English faculty has worked on providing innovative and creative lessons to all our students. With our key focus on delivering multimodal lessons and setting up Google Classrooms, our learning intentions have enabled our students to respond in critical and self-reflective ways. Peer assessment has also been a focus, with our students peer-editing and sharing work, which has created a culture of collaboration. This has had a positive side effect of turning each student into a critic of another’s work. When students look at the work of others with a critical eye it gives them the distance needed for them to recognise the process that goes into creating successful compositions. The Year 11 English Extension class has taken this onboard, critically reading and questioning literature. The following snapshots of composing creative pieces followed a process of workshops based on a stimulus. Creative snapshots by Nadine Kellermann Ingredients writing challenge:
The crisp sound of classical music drifted through the telephone, leaving me to ponder the origin of the ambiguous caller. Through the speaker, an enchanting melody was released, chiming hypnotically into my mind. The inescapable tune began to paint me red, and in a sweltering panic I abruptly slammed the telephone back down onto my rococo nightstand. I returned to my queen-sized canopy, diving into the rose velvet sheets, scented with the finest coconut fragrance. However, I couldn’t help but to be enthralled by the faint light that flickered upon my ivory windowsill; the flame intruding upon my solitude like man seizing the territory of a black bear, yet questioning the nature of its lethal resistance. I am no bear. The red that once forged through my system diluted and metamorphosised into a perilous yellow.
Dracula Fictitious Dish:
Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897: “The count had a naked plate paired with a voluptuous chalice, which seemed to seduce the room with its sensuous velvet insides. I tried to get a closer look, but I feel faint with such striking fumes; it seems as though I have fallen ill, for the liquid expels such scents as that inhabited by a country abattoir.”- Jonathan Harker
Creative snapshots by Connor Ryan Ingredients Writing Challenge:
The crisp sound of classical music drifted through the archway beside the grandfather clock. It’s minutes and hours spinning around uncontrollably, running from whom? The unscented soy candle which dimly lights the cove of the study flickers, all against the symphony from afar. The tulips, which stand tall against the silent, yet seductive shelf of literary excellency begin to dance. Their legs begin to tottle. Their arms begin to wave. Their faces begin to smile, all in delight of the unknown beauty. My faint cries turn into nothingness as my petals absorb warmth and prosperity.
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Fictitious Dishes Writing Task: Dracula
“He is a very peculiar man, for he do not eat, but only in the presence of his own soul does he consume the most wretched food”
Although the roots connect to the heart of the being, the emotions founded have just become entangles and snagged on the logic of the townsfolk. The being cannot control the logic founded within the townsfolk anymore, not after they built the civilization to combat the being’s true nature. His cranium was not filled with the pure thoughts they wanted. The pure derived logic that sprouts so easily from their own minds. Each house sat upon another neuron, blocking the webs of nerves from interacting, forming, joining, initiating thoughts. But of course the being just sat patiently, waiting, for the civilization to crumble into his mind. To form a better ‘person’.
Year 7 English are currently working on creating their own picture books. The following picture book descriptions are from students in Miss Gibson’s English class, 7N. Alyssa Burlin The little Things is a picture book based on a girl who always gets what she wants, until she asks for something bigger than ever. By the end of the book, she learns a lesson to appreciate the little things in life. Poppy Tomczynski Don’t Make Double Trouble is about a girl who gets powers and doesn’t use them in the right way. By the end of my picture book she learns a number of lessons of not to abuse power.
Olivia Harris Snowflake is based on a dancer, dreaming of performing with her very own pointe shoes. Every night she dreams of the big day. Eventually it arrives. Will she live up to her grandmother’s expectations? Matilda Cameron-Hayes Bob’s in love is about a snail who finds a snail trail one day in the garden. He decides to follow it in hope he will find a new friend. Once Bob reaches the end of the trail, he sees a beautiful snail and just so it happens he falls in love. But little does he know, it was just his reflection.
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Angela Mintzas Head Teacher English/Drama
LINKS2LEARNING GRADUATION Congratulations to Year 9 students Amara Karagiannis- Harland, Amber Cheesewright, Anastasia Tsangaris, Ben Harris, Chloe Currinckx, Dee Reh, Lee Meh, Ashley Freitas and Soe Reh for graduating from the Links2Learning program on Wednesday 20 November at Panorama House. The Links2Learning program includes activities which are creative and wide ranging, designed to develop critical areas of learning that are vital skills in either education or employment. Some major activities include:
• Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award including two overnight trips
• First Aid Skills • Self Development/Team & Confidence Building • Retail Training MCCI developed ‘the Big Sell”
program • National Parks and Wildlife Project • PEP-Pre Employment Program
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Salma Alhindi EAL/D Teacher
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FROM THE SPORTS DESK BOYS SOUTH COAST WATER POLO On 11-14 November 2019, we had four of our students travel to Tamworth as part of the South Coast Water Polo team to compete in the Combined High Schools Boys Water Polo Championships. Congratulations to Travis Moon, Tate Harland, Jack Ryan and Regan Smith. All boys were exceptional ambassadors for our school. They had a great start to the tournament winning their first game. Regan showed great team spirit as he only played in the first day as he received a nasty gash to his head, however, he stayed and supported the team throughout the tournament. Well done to all the boys.
On Tuesday 19 November 2019 the Zone Blues were held at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts. bThere were 38 students recognised from seven different schools. These students had to have demonstrated a strong commitment to their chosen sport, shown outstanding sportsmanship and participated with exceptional behaviour. Of the 38 students represented Figtree High School had 12 students receive awards. Luke Miners received the President’s award for his outstanding success in Tennis.
Congratulations to the following students :
• Ana Castrissios – Tennis • Caley Tallon-Henniker – Touch • Kaylen Craft – AFL • Teagan Williams – Athletics • Regan Smith – Swimming • Thomas Duncan – Hockey • Ned Glasgow – Cross Country • Logan Mathie- Football • Jimmy Skarvelis – Cross Country • Jacob Webster – Rugby League • Jessica Buffett –Swimming • Luke Miners – Presidents award for Tennis.
Tanya Markham Sports Organiser
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