Bulli High School Newsletter
Ursula Road, Bulli NSW 2516 www.bulli-hs.nsw.edu.au March, 2017 Telephone +61 (0)2 4284 8266 [email protected]
Upcoming Events Principal’s report
Monday 6th March School Photo Day Basketball Open Girls Gala Day
Tuesday 7th March Seacliff CoS Leadership Program U/15 Rugby League Tag U/16 Girls League Tag This week saw students from each of our partner Primary Schools come to Bulli Regional Swimming Carnival High School to participate in the CoS Leadership Program of 2017. This project is a th Wednesday 8 March joint Seacliff CoS initiative supported by the Thirroul Lions Club. International Women’s Day Forum @ Nan Tien Temple Junior Boys Cricket The primary students were actively engaged in leadership initiatives to develop P & C Meeting @ 7.00pm their skills as future leaders. The purpose of the activity was to design a project Thursday 9th March Selective High School Test within their school that will improve their school community, engage the wider
Friday 10th March school community and increase their potential to be a future leader. Each group of Open Boys Basketball students was supported and led by students from Bulli High School. The students
Monday 13th March must be commended on their mentoring skills and enthusiasm on the School Photo Catch Up Day day. All students thoroughly enjoyed the day. th Tuesday 14 March Open Boys Soccer @ Bulli Park All schools will meet again later in the term to finalise their school projects. At the Thursday 16th March Enrichment Class Test end of the year, all schools will come together to showcase their projects. Years 9 & 10 Duke of Ed Training
16th – 21st March Many thanks to the coordinators, Ms Leanne Bush (Waniora Primary School), Japanese Students Visit Jackson Philp (Austinmer Primary School) and Mr Brankovic (Bulli High School) for Friday 17th March their efforts within the CoS Leadership Program. WOW Program TAFE (BDLC)
Tuesday 21st March Harmony Day
Thursday 23rd March COS Discovery Day
Friday 24th March WOW Program TAFE (BDLC) Open Boys Basketball State K/O @ Snakepit Entertainment & Construction White Card Training
27th – 7th April Yr 12 Hospitality Workplacement Yr 12 Construction Workplacement
Tuesday 28th March Year 11 Design & Technology @ Powerhouse Museum
Friday 31st March WOW Program TAFE (BDLC)
Monday 3rd April CHS Swimming
Tuesday 4th April COS Leadership Day
Wednesday 5th April School Cross Country Carnival
Friday 7th April Last day for Term 1
Wednesday 26th April Continued over page …….. Students return for Term 2
Proud member of the We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work and pay our respect to Seacliff Community of Schools Aboriginal elders past, present and future
Respect - Responsibility - Integrity
Bulli High School
Newsletter
Ursula Road, Bulli NSW 2516 www.bulli-hs.nsw.edu.au March, 2017 Telephone +61 (0)2 4284 8266 [email protected]
Register for E-News Continued from previous page …….
If you are already registered you will continue to Expo Night receive our e-news bulletins. What a great night! We estimate that well over 500 parents and primary students attended on Tuesday evening. It was wonderful to To register for e-news follow these steps: see the visiting students and their families engaged in activities, Go to the school’s website: visiting classrooms and meeting our teachers, and enjoying www.bulli-h.schools.nsw.edu.au themselves. Click on tab ‘Newsletters & notes’ Hit subscribe We value this connection with our community. Our teachers enjoy Enter your name and email as requested and follow the prompts meeting prospective students and parents and at the same time You also have the option to download the highlighting the educational opportunities available for all students App facility to your device of Bulli High School. The night would not be the success it is without the support of our P & C Association, and our fantastic student volunteers.
Uniform Shop Hours Tuesdays: 1.15pm – 3.30pm Thursdays: 1.15pm – 3.30pm
School Office Hours Mon, Tue, Thur & Fri: 8.30am – 3.30pm Wednesday: 8.30am – 3.00pm
Student Absences If your child is absent from school, please notify the office by calling 4284 8266 extension 4 and following the prompts. Congratulations Congratulations to Blake Douglas and India Goss Maher who are both part of the Department of Education Illawarra South East Performing Ensemble. This week I received an email from the Arts Coordination Officer, congratulating Blake and India on their effort, commitment and outstanding team work demonstrated at a recent 3-day camp. P & C dates for 2017 nd (2 Wednesday of the month) School Contributions & Subject Fees Thank you so much to all the families who have paid their subject fees 7pm in the Staff Common Room and school contributions so promptly. Invoices have been sent out in the past week. Subject contributions cover the cost of materials th Term 1: 8 March needed for lessons throughout the year. Any families experiencing th th Term 2: 10 May, 14 June financial difficulty are able to contact the SAM, Marianna Hunt, to th th Term 3: 9 August, 13 September discuss a payment plan or financial assistance. th th Term 4: 11 October, 8 November
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Continued from previous page …….
Junior Girl’s Uniform As you may already be aware Bulli High School has been considering introducing a tunic for the junior girls. Over the last two years I have often been asked by girls for this uniform option. In response, the following has occurred: Formation of a Consultation Group, consisting of staff, P & C and student representatives. The P & C Uniform Shop manager has investigated the feasibility of obtaining our school fabric, requested and consequently received a sample tunic for display and consultation. Mrs Canvin, Supervisor of Girls, and I have had one meeting with a number of girls in Year 7 & 8 in late 2016. At the time, we did have a sample tunic but did not have a BHS sample. Consultation with our community has begun at the February P & C meeting where a sample tunic was presented. Discussions with SRC and BHS staff and junior girls.
It is proposed the tunic will: be available to girls in Years 7 -10 cost around the same as the skirt and top combined be in the tartan that is also the senior girls skirt not replace other available uniform but will be in addition to existing options.
The next stage is to display the uniform and seek feedback from students and the school community. The tunic will be on display in the front foyer until the end of March and parents, staff and students will be able to provide feedback.
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Continued from previous page …….
The Inaugural Postcard Show
As I have mentioned in earlier newsletters Bulli High School P & C Association, is launching the Inaugural Postcard Show to be held in June this year. It is envisaged the show will exhibit work from contributing artists and will be for sale. All pieces will be postcard size. Bulli High School student artwork will also be on display.
The P & C are asking for helpers, so do consider putting your name forward or contacting the coordinator or the school. This will be the P & C’s major fundraiser for 2017.
Literacy and Numeracy Tests You may have heard a lot of talk about the Literacy and Numeracy requirements for the HSC. The new arrangements are not relevant to students currently in Years 10 – 12. The first group of students that the new arrangements apply to is the current Year 9 cohort.
More information and how this links with NAPLAN is available in a report later in this bulletin from Ms Viravong, Head Teacher Teaching & Learning.
Profile (Interim) Reports Profile Reports are prepared for all students in Years 7-11 and will be distributed in early Term 2. This brief report gives an indication of a student’s level of co-operation, effort and readiness for tasks. It also gives each teacher the opportunity to request a parent/teacher interview for Term 2.
For students in Years 8 -11, Profile reports can be stored in the Report Portfolio issued at the end of 2016 along with any awards or certificates collected. All students will receive their Semester 1 reports in a new portfolio thanks to the P & C.
Important dates for your calendar: Profile Reports distributed to students – Early Term 2 Senior Parent/Teacher Night (Years 10-12) – May 16th 4.00 – 7.00 pm Junior Parent/Teacher Night (Years 7-9) – May 30th 4.00 – 7.00 pm
Further information regarding booking appointments for Parent/Teacher nights will be issued via newsletter/e-news closer to the dates and will also be on the school website. However, the bookings will be online so make sure you have your log-in details for Millennium.
Eggstravaganza Thank you to everyone in advance for the great support of Eggstravaganza held each year. This is a long running school fundraiser that is also a lot of fun for students and staff. See the ad further in the bulletin.
Have a great term.
Chris Gregory Principal
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Deputy Principal’s News
School Photos Our Annual School Photo day is Monday 6th March 2017 with a catch-up day the following Monday the 13th March. Students need to be in clean, full school uniform for the photos. All students will have their photo taken regardless of whether they are buying photos for themselves so that they can be used for the composite year photos and for our online student management system. Family photos will be taken during Break 1 and 2. You should have received your personalised school photo envelope earlier this week. If you didn’t, a generic envelope can be collected from Office 3. Sibling photos envelopes can also be collected here.
Photos payments and any enquiries should be made directly to the photo company on the numbers provided on the envelope.
Japanese Study Tour I am very pleased to announce that we have been able to secure enough hosts for our upcoming Japanese Study Tour commencing on 16th March. This is a very exciting event for all involved. More information will be provided to the families involved next week.
UOW Junior STEM Awards Presentation Evening Last Friday 24th February Ms Gabe Constable and I attended the 2016 STEM/iSTEM Awards at the University of Wollongong. These awards provided by The Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences reward and encourage students in Years 8 -10 who have displayed a high level of achievement in STEM based activities at their school. Bulli High School was awarded the Best School prize in the integrated STEM category. The 88 miles per hour team won the Year 8 Best Team Award. The competition was of a high standard with several local government and non-government schools as well as several elite Sydney Private schools nominating teams and individuals.
YMCA NSW Youth Parliament Application open now. Mr Ryan Park MP has invited students from Bulli High to participate in the National YMCA NSW Youth Parliament.
This is an opportunity for students to attend a Training Camp in the July school holidays and then a Residential Camp in September where students present their bills to the Parliament. It teaches students about the power of advocacy and gives students a voice and develops their confidence.
Application close very soon. More information can be found here: http://www.ymcansw.org.au/centres/youth-government/ymca-nsw-youth-parliament
Applications are endorsed by Mr Park.
House points The house point challenge is warming up. I have not added in the Expo Night helpers yet. Several representative teams are playing this week so there are still points to be included. Will Helios take over the lead?? There is less than 50 points between them!
House Points total - Week 6 700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 Poseidon Helios Nyx Vulcan Pan
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Achieving Personal Best at Bulli High This edition I have stories regarding two students at Bulli High School working hard to achieve their personal best. Brea de Jonge (Year 10) and Dora Bowles (Year 12)
World Class Power Lifter
Brea De Jonge has recently achieved National Recognition in her sport of Powerlifting. Brea competed on Feb 4th at Lift Performance Centre Redfern and broke 4 Australian records in her age and weight division of the Powerlifting competition. Brea competes in the 15yrs to 18yrs category and at the age of 15yrs and 2 months now holds the Record for back squat of 162.5kg which is 12.5 kg above the previous record (Brea broke this record twice on the same day with the original record of 150Kg, Brea squatted 155kg then minutes later 162.5kg to beat her own new record), Bench Australian record now held by Brea is 75.5kg.
From here Brea has been invited to compete in the Pacific Championships in April at the Fitness Expo in Sydney with a possibility of an invitation to compete in the Worlds Competition in June/July 2017 held at Belarus a country just outside of Russia. This will be an expensive venture for Brea and she will be fundraising later in the year. Brea has been training for the past 5 years and works hard to stay up to date at school while still training 3 days a week.
Well done Brea!!
National Schools Constitutional Conference
nd D ora Bowles in Year 12 is one of 120 Year 11 and 12 students selected to participate in the 22 National Schools Constitutional Convention, being held at The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra from 15 - 17 March 2017.
The National Schools Constitutional Convention programme provides senior students with an opportunity to become better informed about how Australia's Constitution provides a democratic framework and encourages them to take an active interest in the operation of government. The topic of the 2017 Convention is ‘Indigenous Australians and the Constitution’.
Facilitated by Emeritus Professor John Warhurst AO, Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University, the students will consider a range of arguments relating to Indigenous Constitutional recognition. This will include input from a panel of experts, group discussions on the issues and the opportunity to persuade other delegates of particular approaches. Students will participate in a mock referendum to determine the outcome of their deliberations.
The Convention is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training as part of its ongoing commitment to civics and citizenship education.
In becoming a national delegate, Dora Bowles was selected from around 4,000 students from government, independent and Catholic schools, most of whom took part in feeder conventions in their home state or territory.
Ms Robyn Lang Deputy Principal
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Deputy Principal’s News
Our school administration system is called ‘Millennium’. Millennium is an integrated system which manages functions including school timetable, reports, internal staff email, attendance and roll-marking. Parents and students have access to some of its functions.
Parents were sent an email providing their Millennium logon and password recently. If you didn’t receive this or if you haven’t provided an active email address please contact the front office staff.
Year 7 students and other newly enrolled students were given their Millennium login details and passwords last week. They were also provided with a Millennium user guide which they were asked to give to their parents. Parents and students who wish to utilise Millennium should read the guide as it explains the program and the information it makes available.
Any students who don’t have their Millennium login details or who experience difficulty should come to my office.
Mr Chris Neave Deputy Principal
English
It has been a busy start to the school year for students in English. In particular, Year 7 classes are approaching the end of their first unit of work in Stage 4 which focuses on the use of persuasive language.
All students will have received notifications for their upcoming assessment tasks. For Years 7 – 10, students are to complete a listening task in class. They will also prepare and deliver a speech based on the topics and texts set for study. Public speaking skills are an essential component of the English Syllabus. It is important that we can articulate our ideas and opinions in a clear, logical way. Although public speaking can be daunting, there is a great sense of personal achievement when you realise that a challenging task has been completed.
Year 11 students in both English Advanced and English Standard will complete their first assessment task for the Area of Study: Journeys before the end of Term 1. There is a listening task that will take place in class. Students are also required to write an essay at home and submit it to their English teacher for marking.
Finally, Year 12 will soon sit their Mid-Course Content Examinations. The English examination will be an abridged version of Paper 1: Area of Study - Discovery. In the lead up to Week 9, students should implement a study routine that includes regular revision of their prescribed and related texts. Getting into the habit of drafting responses and giving them to their English teacher for feedback will stand students in good stead as they continue their HSC studies.
Spellodrome As part of our literacy strategy for 2017, all students in Years 7 - 10 will soon have access to an exciting online interactive learning resource that helps with the development of spelling. Spellodrome offers a range of resources and activities to help students build their own spelling strategies. Teachers can tailor these activities to suit their students’ needs. Easily accessed on desktop and mobile devices, students will be able to access the resource at school and at home for no cost to families. Students’ usernames and passwords will be distributed in English classes. More information about Spellodrome will be provided in future newsletters.
Year 5 Discovery Day On Thursday 23rd March, Bulli High School will host the Year 5 Discovery Day for students across our Seacliff Community of Schools. The day supports the transition from primary school to high school as Year 5 students experience some of the learning that occurs at Bulli High School. Information about the lessons being offered and the timing of the sessions has been emailed to our partner primary schools. However, if you require further details, please contact me during school hours.
Ms Heather Gardiner Head Teacher English
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Science
I mentioned that Ms King had gone on maternity leave in the last newsletter and I am happy to announce the safe arrival of a beautiful baby girl. We send our congratulations to the family!
We were excited to see all the children and parents at the Expo Night. Thank you to Mr Pentecost, Mr MacKenzie, Mr McKenzie and Mr Brankovic for having engaging activities for the children to experience. They seemed to enjoy themselves and we hope to see them in Bulli HS uniform next year!
Year 12 have their Mid-Course examinations soon. They should be studying by reading and summarising their notes, attempting past HSC questions and using their text books to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Students should also speak to their teachers if they are missing any notes and must go through the syllabus to ensure they have got the relevant information for all dot points to be assessed in the examination.
Our turtles have a new home – thanks to a very generous donation from the P&C. The previous tank was very old and becoming unsafe with signs of the front glass pane bowing. Mr McKenzie, Ms Contarin and the Marine Studies classes are now in possession of a brand new, spacious tank and the turtles have settled in well!
Mrs Julie Swain Head Teacher
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NAPLAN 2017
What stays the same? What changes? 2017 marks the turning point for Year 9 students undertaking NAPLAN. You may have heard quite a few changes are about to be implemented from the media but we want to make sure that our students and parents have all the information they need to feel supported and aware of those changes.
Written Tests Only – Same The first thing you may be wondering is whether we have moved to the Online Assessment – and the answer for students in NSW schools is, ‘No’. Our students will be sitting the written examination as they have been doing in previous years.
To access some example tests online, click on this link: Reading, Writing, Language, Numeracy The online example test papers appear as below. You can use the links on the left column to navigate your way around each of the test papers (Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, Numeracy). You will also be able to access the marking criteria and answers for the sample test papers.
NAPLAN & the HSC – Different The most significant change has been the link between students’ results in NAPLAN to the 2020 HSC. The ‘Stronger HSC Standards’ reform requires students to ‘demonstrate a minimum standard of functional literacy and numeracy to be eligible for the HSC from 2020.’
To access the flyer for parents on the Stronger HSC Reforms, click on this link: Stronger HSC Reform (flyer for parents)
What the Reform means… 1. Students will have the first opportunity to prove they meet the standard by achieving Band 8 results or above in Year 9 NAPLAN reading, writing and numeracy tests. 2. Students who achieve Band 8 will not need to sit the online tests later in years 10, 11 and 12. 3. No student will be ineligible to sit for the HSC on the basis of their Year 9 NAPLAN results.
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4. Students who do not meet the standard in Year 9 will be able to demonstrate they meet the standard by passing the online reading, writing and numeracy tests, which will be available for students to sit in: Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 for up to five years after beginning their first HSC courses.
How BHS students will be supported…
To ensure that our students are supported and prepared to achieve their best, Bulli High School will be doing the following:
Continuing to deliver quality teaching of literacy and numeracy skills in class.
Year 9 NAPLAN Information Meeting (Term 1). Students will be informed about the changes to NAPLAN & their HSC, as well as given links to sites where students can attempt practice tests.
NAPLAN Preparation Day. This consists of a full day of helpful hints and practice sessions that will run on Monday 27th March (Week 10 of Term 1) to prepare students for the tests and get them focused on the core skills they may need to brush up on during the School Holidays and leading up to NAPLAN in early Term 2.
Providing links to practice tests and helpful sites via our School Website. To access the online test demonstration site, click on this link: NAPLAN Online Test Demo
For more information You can either visit our School Website and click on the links provided, or use the links below to access the following: NAPLAN Timetable Dates for 2017 Parents / Carers information NAPLAN Brochure Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
We hope the information provided helps you to feel more confident and aware of what our students are now required to achieve in NAPLAN, and the implications for their HSC. Should you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact me, Ms Viravong, Head Teacher Teaching & Learning.
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2017 Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to all participants on a very enjoyable and successful 2017 Swimming Carnival held at Corrimal Pool on Monday 6th February. It was an incredibly hot day and the students conducted themselves with dignity and a balanced sense of competition and fun. The staff worked hard to conduct a pleasant and successful day. Well done to all those involved.
Many students will have qualified for the Zone Carnival to be held at Corrimal Pool on Thursday 23rd February. Those students should have collected a permission note from Mr Cranney in the PE Staffroom. We wish them all the best representing Bulli High. Competition between houses was very close and the final results are as follows:
5th place on 388 points was Poseidon (Blue House), 4th place on 359 points was Nyx (Black House), 3rd place on 369 points was Vulcan (Red House), 2nd place on 388 points was Helios (Yellow House), and 1st place on 416 points was Pan (Green house). Congratulations Pan!
A big congratulations to our Age Champions for 2017 who are;
Age Girls Boys 12 yrs Eryn Wardlaw Marley Prakash 13 yrs Georgia Petty Bowen Willebrands 14 yrs Jemma Metcalfe Brock Rowcliff 15 yrs Kiana Eady Finn Callow 16 yrs Scarlett Richards Zac Thomas 17+ yrs Kate Dryden Eddie Hamaty
Once again, well done!
2017 Zone Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to all participants on a very enjoyable and successful 2017 Zone Swimming Carnival held at Corrimal Pool on Thursday 23rd February. It was a fantastic day and Bulli High School students represented with a great dignity and competitive spirit. It is important that we acknowledge the commitment and enthusiasm of all who participated and the staff that contribute so that these events run so successfully. Well done to all those involved.
Lots of students have qualified for the Regional Carnival to be held at Dapto Pool on Tuesday 7th March. Those students should have collected a permission note from Mr Cranney in the PE Staffroom. We wish them all the best representing the Northern Illawarra Zone.
Competition between schools was very close. Bulli High actually led the overall point score for most of the day, but unfortunately were not able to hold off a strong finishing Smith’s Hill High School.
At the end of the day Bulli High finished first in the Girls division, second in the Boys division and second place overall. A fabulous effort.
We had many strong individual performances and finished with one age champion on the day. Congratulations to Brock Rowcliff of Year 8 for being the U/14 Boys Age Champion.
Once again, well done!
Mr Peter Cranney PDHPE Teacher
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Senior Volleyball Knockout Games
On Friday 24 February, Bulli High School hosted Corrimal High School to play Senior Girls and Boys Knockout Volleyball matches.
The Bulli High School Senior Girls put on a valiant display despite their inexperience. Although the score was 2-0 to Corrimal, the match was played in good spirit and fun was had by all. Initially the Bulli girls were reluctant to put forward a team but with some encouragement and a couple of training sessions, they rose to the challenge and represented Bulli High School with dignity, grace and enthusiasm. Although now out of the girls’ competition, the Bulli High School Senior Girls can be proud of their efforts.
Bulli and Corrimal Senior Girls Bulli Senior Boys
Meanwhile in the Old Gym, Mr Mann was the referee for a tight match between the senior boys. The match was tied 1-1 and a third set was required to determine the winning team. The score yo-yoed between the two teams until the very end when Bulli was victorious by 2 points.
It is yet to be confirmed when and against whom the next game will be, but already there is excitement brewing amongst the team. With continued training, consequent skill development and continued team cohesion, it is anticipated that the next match will be another entertaining experience.
Ms Katie Pidhirny Mathematics Teacher
School Cross Country
The carnival will be held on Wednesday 5th April. Students will attend periods 1,2 & 3 as usual. The carnival will begin at 12.00pm and conclude at 2.30pm.
The course begins on the school oval. It incorporates running on the beach and cycleway, finishing on Bulli Park Year 7 students will be given an orientation of the course prior to the day of the carnival All students will receive a note and course map in the coming weeks Students are encouraged to compete in their House Colours
Ms Alison Green PDHPE Teacher
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Library
Change of Opening hours With the change of bell times, the library’s opening times have also changed. The library is open every day in break one and two. Students are welcome to come do school work, print assignments, read a book, use a computer …
E-books coming soon By the end of the term, e-books will be available for borrowing through our library management system, Oliver. Students will be able to borrow e-books for a two week period and will be able to renew their e-books through their Oliver account.
Bulli High Book club I am currently looking for any students who are interested in joining a book club at school. Book club meetings will be twice a term and the reading list will be put together by the members themselves. If you are interested, please let Miss Martin know.
Book club catalogue The latest book club catalogue is available in the library. Orders close soon.
Ms Kylie Martin Teacher/Librarian
Notice of Annual General Meeting
Bulli High School Parents and Citizens Association Notice of Annual General Meeting.
Wednesday 8th March at 7pm in the staff common room Bulli High School
The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Bulli High School Parents and Citizens’ Association will be held on Wednesday 8th March commencing at 7pm.
Following acceptance of the minutes from the 2016 AGM and the tabling of the Audit Report for 2016, all current office bearer roles will be declared vacant and nominations called for the following positions:
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer
Nominations will also be sought for membership of the following P&C Sub-Committee:
Bulli High School Art Show Committee
All current P&C members are encouraged to attend the AGM to vote and/or nominate for vacant positions on the executive and sub-committees.
For more information concerning any aspects of the P&C including the conduct of the AGM, and the roles of executives please go to the NSW P&C Federation website: http://www.pandc.org.au/faq.seo
The AGM is open to all parents and carers who wish to attend, however only financial members are eligible to vote and/or nominate for vacant positions.
At the completion of the AGM the March general meeting will be held.
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Green Team
Summer 2017 Our new team started Week 3 of 2017. Our Team consists of many loyal members who were the origins of the volunteer group back in 2015. These amazing people are dedicated to our recycling programs and sustainable projects, and it is their motivation, dedication and hard work that is the backbone of our Green Team, its imperative that I recognize these founding members; Zac Becker, Jake McCoy, and Rhys Ballard. Thank you boys and well done.
Our team met with great surprise, at the crops that survived the lonely, long and hot Summer Break (and the weeds). We harvested cucumbers, capsicums, beetroot, plenty of herbs and a watermelon! Only the size of a rock melon, we are still really looking forward to taste testing it soon. Our herb garden has grown in earnest, enjoying all the compost, heat and rain over the past summer break and has a variety of herbs available for the Canteen and our TAS classes. We’ve harvested our 1st batch of “Worm Tea”, which is exciting and our Paper Recycling Program is in operation, another successful program towards sustainability.
We are fortunate to have a supply of fresh mulch to deliver to our gardens and a genuine welcome treat to these rapidly drying garden beds.
We are looking forward to participating in Youth Clean Up Australia Day, initially planned for 3rd March, however, due to forecasted inclement weather this Friday, we have rescheduled the event for Friday 17th March. Our team will analyse their findings and report their results to HSIE classes, Wollongong Council and the Clean Up Australia Day Foundation.
We are all looking forward to the Autumn season, preparing the soils for our winter crops, the cooler weather and Youth Clean Up Australia Day.
Mrs Fraser HSIE Teacher
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Easter Eggstravaganza Tuesday 4th April
Friday 24th March Raffle tickets will be given to every student to sell (Tickets need to be returned by Monday 3rd April)
Friday 31st March Mufti Day for all students – bring a chocolate egg to donate to the raffle!
Tuesday 4th April Grand Draw – lots of prizes!! Bags, boxes and baskets of Easter goodies!! Special Prizes – most tickets sold, Easter Hat parade winners (students & staff)!!! All money raised goes back into the school for the benefit of all students!!
Please Support
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Changing Attitudes towards Mental Health Recognising Mental Health Concerns References: www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness http://au.reachout.com One half of all mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% begin by age 24. Learning about early warning signs, and taking action can help. Getting help early can help reduce the severity of an illness. It may even be possible to delay or prevent a major mental illness altogether.
Signs and Symptoms If a person is experiencing several symptoms and these are causing serious problems with their ability to study, work or relate to others, he/she should be seen by a school counsellor, GP, Mental Health Professional or attend the local Emergency Department. Withdrawal Recent social withdrawal and loss of Illogical thinking Unusual or exaggerated beliefs interest in others about personal powers to understand meanings or Drop in functioning An unusual drop in influence events; illogical or “magical” thinking functioning, at school, work or social activities, typical of childhood in an adult such as quitting sports, failing in school or Nervousness Fear or suspiciousness of others or a difficulty performing familiar tasks strong nervous feeling Problems thinking Problems with concentration, Unusual behaviour Odd, out of normal, peculiar memory or logical thought and speech that are behaviour hard to explain Sleep or appetite changes Dramatic sleep and Increased sensitivity More sensitive than usual to appetite changes or reduced personal care sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoiding of loud or Mood changes Rapid or dramatic shifts in feelings busy situations People with suicidal thoughts or intent, or Apathy Loss of initiative or desire to participate in thoughts of harming others, need any activity immediate attention. Feeling disconnected A vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality Taking Action, Getting help. It isn’t always easy finding the help you need. If you’re going through a tough time, it’s normal to feel a whole bunch of emotions all at once. While it can be really overwhelming, it’s important to remember you’re not alone, and that there are ways to get the help you need. Early intervention can often reduce or delay symptoms, prevent hospitalization and improve the illness journey. Encourage the person to: See a mental health or other health care professional. Learn about mental illness, including signs and symptoms. Get supportive counselling about daily life and strategies for stress management. Be monitored closely for conditions requiring more intensive care. This article is general information only, if you are concerned about your or someone else’s mental health, talk to your General Practitioner (GP) or School Counsellor. Useful Resources / Contacts: Mental Health Line 1800011511 www.beyondblue.org.au Kids Helpline 1800551800 http://au.reachout.com/reachout-nextstep
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Roads and Maritime Services would like to let you know that Lawrence Hargrave Drive will be closed between Lady Wakehurst Drive and Old Coast Road, Stanwell Park, on Tuesday 14th March 2017, 9am – 3pm for essential maintenance work.
All traffic will be diverted via M1 and Bulli Pass. There will be no access for vehicles through the worksite on Lawrence Hargrave Drive during the closure period.
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