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Message from the Principal 2018 SCHOOL YEAR Welcome back to the new school year. I hope staff, students and families have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year break enjoying time with family and friends. It has been a great start to the 2018 school year with students well prepared for learning and striving towards their personal best. I extend a very warm welcome to our Year 7 students and families and commend all students on the positive start they have had to school. STUDENT NUMBERS Current enrolment of 726 STAFFING UPDATE 52 staff and 14 support staff have commenced in 2018. Mrs Holmes will be on a further 12 months maternity leave and Mr Bath will be relieving Head Teacher TAS/Music. Mr Hurley returns after 12 months leave. Mrs Chand returns after a 12 month Teacher exchange program in Canada. Ms Toni Keane relieving Head Teacher English. Welcome and congratulations to our new staff: Mr Grant Ward new Head Teacher Administration; Ms April Wilk, new English Teacher; Mrs Charlie Richardson, new Science teacher. Welcome back to some of our regular casual staff Ms O'Mahony – TAS Ms Bennett - HSIE Ms Slocombe – Visual Arts Mr Austin- Teaching and Learning Mrs Leon – Mathematics Mr Saisall – PDHPE Ms Sophie Lipshus – Science 2017 HSC RESULTS Congratulations to our 2017 HSC students on their very strong results. Results we are very proud of. 81 students sat the HSC with 29 courses examined and 10 of these courses were above state average at Erina.

Erina High School 152 The Entrance Road Erina 2250  

Phone: 43677353 Phone: 43677246 Fax: 4365 3086  

Email: erina-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web: www.erina-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/ErinaHighSchool  

Issue No: 1 Date: 12 February 2018

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 Our Star performer Bronte Fenech with the most outstanding results Band 6 – Ancient History, Biology, Advanced English, Modern History and PDHPE and a Band 5- Mathematics with an exceptional ATAR of 95.7. She was on the NESA All-round Achievers list for students who achieve a result in the highest band possible (Band 6 or Band E4) in 10 or more units of courses in their current pattern of study. Huge congratulations Bronte so very well deserved!!! Congratulations to our band 6 achievers

James Rhodes and Michael Ng – Band 6 Mathematics and Extension Mathematics—E4

Ebony Bender and Bella Masia Band 6 Music

Achieving 5 band 5’s

Jaclyn Cambers, Georgia Forrest, India Jacobs, Reece Harrison and Marco Zetnovic Congratulations to all of our year 12 students from last year they have done exceptionally well and we wish them all the very best of luck in their future endeavours. I sincerely acknowledge all of our year 12 teachers for their dedication and commitment to supporting our HSC students to achieve their personal best.

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68 band 5’s

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS All students have started the school year positively and focused on learning, thanks to our Year Advisers and Head Teachers for ensuring students are aware of their new classes and assisted in settling students into the new school year. Thank you to all the families who have ensured their children are wearing school uniform which builds pride and a positive school culture that is supported and expected by our community. It is fantastic to see our students looking great in their uniform. All students need to be well prepared for learning each day and that requires them to be equipped with appropriate writing materials, books and laptops/ chrome notebooks as well as specialist equipment for Technology, Art, Sport and PE lessons. Students are expected to carry their equipment in suitable bags that protect and secure their materials. Senior students have been advised of the school’s expectations in terms of their regular attendance and management of a flexible time table. All senior students are to attend roll call each morning that they are timetabled. Students commencing the day later are able to sign in through the front office and are able to leave if they have no scheduled lessons for the rest of the day. Students are NOT allowed to leave during breaks or scheduled study periods in the middle of the day. Rather, use this time effectively by completing work and assessment tasks in the library, senior study or outdoor senior area.

Course Band 6 Course Band 6

Ancient History 1 Mathematics extension 2

Advanced English 1 Modern History 1

Biology 1 Music 2

Mathematics 2 PDHPE 1

Total count 11

Course Band 5 Course Band 5 Course Band 5

Ancient History 1 English Standard 3 Maths Gen 8

Biology 2 English Advanced 8 Maths 2

Business Studies 6 Japanese 1 Maths Ext 1

CAFS 4 Indus.Tech 4 Modern History 2

Engineering Studies 1 PDHPE Physics 2

Music 4 Textiles 3 Visual Arts 6

SAC 2 Legal Studies 3 PDHPE 1

Hospitality 5 Total count 68

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 SCHOOL GATES With the major upgrade in Ernest street and our school car park now complete we will return to locking the gates during the school day for security purposes. The school car park gates will be locked from 9am until 3.15 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Tuesdays the gates will be locked at 8.50am and opened at 2.30pm. For staff and students on a flexible timetable the gates will be open during break 2 at 1.50pm and closed at 2.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and re- opened at 3.15pm. Authorised users of the car park, that is Erina High School staff and senior students, wishing to park on site will need to be aware of the opening and closing hours. In the event senior students have an early leavers pass for a genuine reason approved by the senior executive and require the gate open they will need to collect the gate key from the administration office and provide their drivers license as a security bond. On returning the key the license will be returned. Students are not permitted to hand the key to other students under any circumstances. YEAR 7 2018 A special mention to our Year 7 students who have settled in to school life at Erina extremely well. I am very pleased to see all students participating in learning and managing the transition with ease. Congratulations to Mr Brailey, Mr Schoffl, Ms Kearney, Mr Austin and Ms Walsh for their support in ensuring our Year 7 students were well informed and cared for during the first critical days of high school. A reminder to parents who have concerns about their students’ learning or wellbeing should contact their children’s year adviser or Ms Kearney, Welfare Coordinator, as the first point of contact. I have listed each of the Year Advisers for your information.

I have also included a list of our Executive for families to contact if they have particular concerns or questions and can direct the enquiry to the best person. Erina High School is committed to positive communication and believe problems are better solved when shared and discussed. Please be aware that both our Year Advisers and Executive have a teaching load and may often not be able to return a phone call on the same day, but will certainly make contact at the first available opportunity.

Year  Year Advisers 

7  Ms Walsh and Mr Austin 

8  Ms Padroth 

9  Mrs Ruming 

10  Mrs Scully and Mr Joyce 

11  Mr Bangura 

12  Mr Knight and Mrs Braun 

Faculty/Area of responsibility  Executive Staff 

Deputy Principal – students 7,8,9  Mr Brailey 

Deputy Principal – students 10,11,12  Mr Mallon 

Head Teacher English  Ms Keane ( Relieving ) 

Head Teacher Mathematics/LOTE  Mr Wade 

Head Teacher Science/Visual Arts  Mr Huntington 

Head Teacher HSIE  Ms Jansons 

Head Teacher Teaching and Learning  Mr Schoffl 

Head Teacher PDHPE  Mr Jones 

Head Teacher TAS/Music  Mr Bath (Relieving) 

Head Teacher Administration  Mr Ward 

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 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE Erina High School is committed to working closely with families to ensure all students attend school on a regular basis. Successful students are those students that attend every school day possible and attend all 5 lessons each day. Missing one school day means missing 5 lessons which causes difficulty when students next attend because they often have missed vital concepts that can cause them undue stress and anxiety. Please contact school personnel if you are concerned about your child’s attendance patterns. The school will continue to send a text message on the day of a student absence. This has a once only reply facility for parent with a 24-hour window for reply. These replies are then uploaded against the student’s attendance records which parents can access through the parent portal. If the reply is sent after 24 hours it does not automatically upload to the student record this is done manually. The Deputy Principals will monitor student attendance in 2018 and will make contact with families when student’s attendance is falling below 85%. SCHOOL FEES In the coming weeks families will receive an invoice outlining the school charges that cover the cost of materials used to support teaching and learning. There are three contributions that families are encouraged to pay. One is the School Voluntary Contributions that goes towards the cost of the following items: Updating textbooks Purchasing new novels Software programs and licensing agreements Library books Stationery items Photocopying Printing Sporting equipment The second cost covers elective charges for consumable materials. It is mandatory that these courses are paid for to ensure students have the best opportunities to support their skill development. Some of the consumable materials include but are not limited to: Timber Metal Food Textile fabrics and accessories Paints, canvases, art diaries, Ink cartridges for printers and paper Guitar strings and other music consumables Resource booklets It is an expectation that students pay for these courses, not all elective courses have charges so students and families should be aware of the costs involved before electing these courses. All year 12 students are expected to have paid for their elective courses before being eligible for an invitation to the year 12 Formal in November. The third charge is a P&C levy that provides additional resourcing for the school to update technology, library and teaching and learning resources. As the P&C do not have a fund-raising program the levy is a great way to support your local school without being regularly expected to contribute or participate in fund raising ventures. In 2017 the P&C subscribed to an online literacy program that was delivered to all students in Years 7-10 at a cost of $3,000. They purchased new picnic tables for the senior area currently being installed and gift vouchers for students recognised at the annual presentation night for outstanding achievement and purchased blazers for our School Captains and Vice Captains. These resources are greatly appreciated by the students and would not be possible without the generosity of our families supporting the $40.00 levy per family. Please contribute if you can. Genuine financial hardship can be considered through a student assistance application available from the administration office. Applications are confidential and addressed to the Principal only. Erina High School greatly appreciates families paying these charges as the funding is vital to ensure we provide the best educational resources and opportunities for our students to be successful. 2018 will again be a terrific year of teaching and learning at Erina High School, and I look forward to working positively to support each and every student to reach their full learning potential. Yours Sincerely Mrs Karen Nicol Principal

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COLES SPORTS FOR SCHOOLS PROGRAM The Coles Sports for Schools Program is back for 2018. Erina HS is proud to be a part of this great initiative which helps local schools purchase additional sporting equipment. Every $10 spent at Coles during the program, will earn a Coles Sports for Schools voucher. The more vouchers our school collects, the more equipment Erina HS could receive. We encourage all families who shop at Coles to ask for their vouchers at the checkout and deposit the vouchers in the collection boxes. Erina HS has 2 collection boxes available: 1. At the registers at Coles Erina Fair 2. In the Administration foyer at Erina HS The program runs from 7th of February to 11th May. Your support of Erina HS is encouraged and appreciated. Mr Keyes CHS Sports Organiser   

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Order your package online at: www.advancedlife.com.au, order code: WC3 G3E PH1. Online orders due by day of photography 9/3/18. Erina High School (MLR197-1A) (3H).

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 HSIE The HSIE faculty welcomes back the students and parents of E.H.S. for a productive and fulfilling year in 2018. The year has started smoothly with classes immediately getting on with the job of learning. During Semester One, our faculty will continue to deliver a wide range of courses including Geography (in stages 4 and 5), Year 10 Commerce and a variety of subjects in the senior school that includes Legal Studies, Modern History, Business Studies, Ancient History, Geography and Retail (VET). Term One is often very busy with spelling and glossary tests, assignments and homework taking place in the junior years. A few of our upcoming excursions include: Year 7 we have an excursion to the local area to investigate water issues and management strategies. Year 12 Legal Studies will visit the Supreme Court to improve their understanding of the Criminal Trial Process. Year 11 and 12 Business Studies will be going to Sydney to investigate marketing, human resources and starting a business. Members of our faculty include Ms Jansons, Mr Joyce, Mr Schoffl, Ms Keane, Ms Bennett, Ms Whitfield, Mr Ward and Ms Johnson. We wish all E.H.S families a healthy, productive and successful year. Lena Jansons (Head Teacher HSIE) ENGLISH The English / Drama department would like to welcome students back to EHS for the new school year. We have another big year planned in English with a firm focus on teaching and learning, to enable our students to reach their full potential. Year 12 English have plunged back into their HSC courses. Standard English are currently undertaking a study of Henry Lawson’s short stories, analysing how images are used to create meaning. Advanced students have begun their comparative study looking at the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and the novel The Great Gatsby, with a focus on how these texts reflect their context. Our English Studies students are studying the concept of being “Telling us all About it”, looking at a variety of texts that focus on media. Year 11 English students are settling into their senior courses, as the first cohort in NSW to study the new syllabus. Standard and Advanced and English Studies are exploring the unit “Narratives that Shape our World”, analysing how texts vary in their depiction of this theme. All junior classes have started the year with a poetry study. This study concludes with an assessment task in Week 9, which involves them constructing a narrative based upon one of the poems they have studied. Intensive language lessons will continue in junior English classes in 2014. In Years 7 to 9 these lessons are designed to improve every student’s literacy skills with the NAPLAN tests in mind. Year 10 students will also have a lesson to develop their literacy so all students are equipped with the skills required to complete senior English. Drama classes have returned eager to begin the year with a bang! We have lots planned and look forward to working with both returning and new students. Junior Drama classes are starting the year off with teambuilding and playbuilding skills to ensure they become cohesive teams in the performing arts. Students will then work through the elements of drama, characterisation and script writing before attempting their first group performance task later in the term. Year 11 students will revise skills gained in the junior school, looking particularly at performance techniques and engaging an audience. They will then script and perform a duologue for their first assessment. Year 12 students will attend the annual ‘On Stage’ performance on Friday February 9. This performance is a showcase of the top group and individual performances from around the state in 2017, giving students the opportunity to see how they can gain solid results in their performances. If you have any questions regarding your child’s English studies please contact their class teacher. English / Drama Faculty

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 YEAR 7 and YEAR 8 MATHEMATICS Welcome parents/guardians to high school Mathematics. This year your child/ward will need to be aware of some information: Calculators are a necessity for class and will be required over the following years at high school. In particular they are essential for the majority of the Naplan paper and it is essential students first have instruction in their use. We teach students to use the Casio –fx, but if they have a different type they should check with the teacher to ensure it is able to be used. Homework Club will run from week 2 onwards. On Wednesday’s Break 1, Break 2 or between 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm students can attend room D8 and there will be at least one Mathematics teacher available for assistance and tutoring. Any students having difficulty with classwork, assignments or examination preparation this is the place to receive regular help. It is strongly encouraged that if parents/carers want their child/ward to receive some extra help this will be the recommendation. The Scope and Sequence and Assessment Schedule have been issued to your child/ward in class and is the timeline of what your child/ward will learn this year and when the assessment tasks will be. Note the timeline can be subject to change but is a good reference of what your child/ward will be learning at any given time. This is useful information if any students are receiving private tutoring to ensure more consistency between home and the school. Homework is issued but in manageable amounts and if any difficulties arise students should consider homework club. In Terms 1 and 3 students will be given a small homework sheet to answer and use as a study guide for the quiz issued the following week. This encourages study and revision habits in manageable amounts. If students take this process seriously, they can ensure achievement as 40% of their yearly mark will come from the quizzes. YEAR 7 MATHEMATICS As a trial Maths Online will be provided to your child /ward this year at no cost. It is a software package that has over 1400 video tutorials that complement questions that students can receive instant feedback with instructions and fully worked solutions. This will allow your child/ward to complete their homework with assistance and help receive instant support. YEAR 9 and YEAR 10 MATHEMATICS Welcome back parents/guardians to high school Mathematics. The following is the relevant information that child/ward will need to be aware of this year: The Course Standard can be found by having your child/ward ask their teacher. Stage 5.1 is for students trying to reach a basic standard with a focus on support for Naplan performance. Stage 5.2 is students working towards studying Standard Mathematics in Year 11 and Stage 5.3 is for students considering Advanced or Extension Mathematics in Year 11. Calculators are a necessity for class and will be required over the following years at high school. In particular they are essential for the majority of the Naplan paper and it is essential students first have instruction in their use. We teach students to use the Casio –fx, but if they have a different type they should check with the teacher to ensure it is able to be used. Homework Club will run from week 2 onwards. On Wednesday’s Break 1, Break 2 or between 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm students can attend room D8 and there will be at least one Mathematics teacher available for assistance and tutoring. Any students having difficulty with classwork, assignments or examination preparation this is the place to receive regular help. It is strongly encouraged that if parents/carers want their child/ward to receive some extra help this will be the recommendation. The Scope and Sequence and Assessment Schedule have been issued to your child/ward in class and is the timeline of what your child/ward will learn this year and when the assessment tasks will be. Note the timeline can be subject to change but is a good reference of what your child/ward will be learning at any given time. This is useful information if any students are receiving private tutoring to ensure more consistency between home and the school. Naplan this year will be at the beginning of Term 2. In the next few weeks, an information and useful websites sheet will be sent home to assist in home preparation. This will include information for students in Year 10 who have not yet reached the Band 8 standard. Joshua Wade HT Mathematics

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 TAS FACULTY Some examples of work that Year 7 and Year 8 students can look forward to designing and making in Technology Mandatory this year.

Timetable explainer for Year 7 Parents

Via the Student and Parent Portal, up to date student timetables are available to view. However, moving from Primary school (where students often have one or two teachers and stay in one room) to High school (where they have up to 11 teachers and possibly 5 different rooms per day) can produce a timetable with mystifying codes that may be difficult to interpret. We’ve produced a quick reference for Year 7 parents to help understand what these codes mean.

Our timetables run over a 2 week cycle. This is what at a typical Year 7 timetable looks like, and shows Week A and Week B.

Let’s break down what information is in each period:

Here is a course code decoder:

Code Description Code Description 7CPS Computing Studies 7MTH Mathematics

7ENG English 7PDH Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

7MTE.1 Mandatory Technology (Home Science, Textiles, Woodwork, Metalwork)

7ROL Roll Call

7HSI HSIE (History / Geography) 7SCI Science

7LAN LOTE (Languages Other Than English)

7TL Teaching and Learning (7E and 7M only)

7LIB Library Studies 7WEL Welfare

If you have any other enquiries about the Parent Portal, please contact the IT Department, via the Admin Office during Office Hours.

Day and Cycle (A or B)

Day and Date

Roo m

Subject na me and Code

Teacher’s Na me

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